Gerald's Game Page #3

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- No, you had.

- This time, though...

- I grabbed your throat.

- Softly, then I squeezed, didn't I?

- Mm-hmm.

And, God, was I hard.

I was harder than you'd felt in years.

And you just laid there...

and I went to town...

and you moaned...

like a dutiful wife, never objected.

But, for the first time, first time

in all those years, you wondered...

"Who exactly did I marry?"

We never really know, do we?

'Cause everybody's got a little corner

in there somewhere.

A button...

they won't admit they want pressed.

Year after year...

I barely gave you a glimpse of mine.

[Jessie 2] One thing for sure...

you're glad he took

those little blue pills.

Huh?

You're glad.

I couldn't figure out...

what was wrong with me that you needed.

No, you're not listening. Take one, babe.

Now give it to her.

Wait, I...

Give it to her.

- Are you...

- Give her what she needs.

Nice.

[Jessie 2] Thank God for those pills.

For those little blue pills

that made Gerald so thirsty.

Oh...

Okay. Okay.

[gasps, panting]

[panting]

You're smirking.

What?

[cuffs clank]

That's what.

- Stupid.

- No.

[whimpers]

Don't you dare let it go.

- But I can't.

- Put it down.

- Where?

- Right where you caught it.

- Where you know you can reach it again.

- Okay.

Careful.

[gasps]

Go away.

- Get the f*** away!

- Look at me.

That dog is just doing what it has to,

to get along, and you have to do the same.

- Focus.

- But I can't!

You're right. Give up.

Come tomorrow,

you and Gerald will be together again,

inside the f***ing dog.

- Can we please get back to work now?

- Mm-hmm.

[Gerald] I love this slip.

I love this slip.

Oh, good, I bought it special.

You bought it brand-new.

[slurping]

Mmm.

[gulps]

Leave some for later.

[pants]

Why can't I keep my eyes open?

Stress makes your adrenaline

and cortisol levels skyrocket,

and now you're crashing.

That's it, just fade away.

Assume this'll all be fine.

- I know... I know I shouldn't.

- Well, maybe you should.

If anyone's gonna find you,

it'll likely be tomorrow, not tonight.

- I will need my energy.

- [Jessie 2] You will.

You will, at that.

Hmm. Tomorrow.

[whines softly]

[dog barking in distance]

[grunts]

Where'd you go, you little sh*t? [gasps]

Hello?

Who are you?

I... I need help.

You're...

not...

real.

Not real.

[footsteps approaching]

Not real.

Maybe.

Or maybe you're just not safe anymore.

People are safe from ghouls and ghosts...

and the living dead in the daylight.

And they're usually safe

from them at night...

if they're with others.

But a person alone... in the dark...

Women alone in the dark

are like open doors, Jessie.

And if they scream for help,

who knows what might answer?

Who knows what people see

in the moment of their solitary death?

Is it so hard to believe

that some of them may have died of fear...

no matter what the words

on the death certificates say?

Died of fear...

because they saw, at their bedside...

the Moonlight Man.

Maybe that's just what Death looks like.

Not... real.

Then why did the dog leave?

Maybe he just moved...

under the bed.

He could reach up at any time,

put his hand on your hip.

[gasps]

And if he wants that cold, dirty hand...

on your soft, warm flesh,

there's not much

you can do about it, Mouse.

- What did you call me?

- Close your eyes.

If there's a monster under your bed,

it won't bother you if you're asleep.

Everybody knows that, Mouse.

Don't call me that.

Dream your dreams.

Dream deep.

[mother] No, help your father, please.

You okay, Jessie?

- It's so much smaller than I remember.

- 'Cause you're bigger.

- Come on, Mouse.

- [mother] Wait up.

[sister] I'm going in the water!

- [father] No, no, no.

- [mother] No, no running, please.

Thank you.

Can you please bring

your lacrosse stuff inside?

- Can you help, please?

- [father] No playing that inside.

[man on radio]

For the first time in 26 years,

a total solar eclipse will occur

in the United States.

The few and lucky cities

along the path of the eclipse

who have decided

to create official viewing areas,

have set their focus to logistics,

ensuring the comfort and safety

of their guests.

For those of us who have never seen

a total solar eclipse,

this is an opportunity

to view one of the most rare...

- and beautiful phenomena on the planet.

- [siblings] Dad!

The eclipse is tracked...

- Oh, you did it!

- We finally finished them.

[brother] I made this, too.

All right.

Here, go on out to the boat now.

- Yes, sir.

- Be careful.

- [sister] Okay.

- [brother] Okay, Dad.

[man on radio] It's rare to see

more than one from any single location.

You'd have to wait an average of 375 years

to see two eclipses from the same place.

Since our area lies

within the path of totality,

we can expect to experience

two minutes and 20 seconds of totality,

starting today at around 4:17 p.m.

You want me to make sandwiches

for the boat?

I don't think I wanna go out

on the boat today. The lake scares me.

People have drowned out there, you know.

[father] If she's afraid of the water,

I'm not gonna force her out onto a boat.

[mother] We came here as a family

to do this on the lake.

It is not going to kill her

to spend some time with the rest of us.

She's a complete daddy's girl.

- That's normal, isn't it?

- Please don't.

What?

You didn't even wanna go skiing with us

over Christmas.

And we didn't force you out

onto the mountain, did we?

No, we left you at the lodge

and let you relax.

[mother] You wanna stay with her?

Stay with her. Fine.

She's a nuisance anyway.

She picks fights with her brother.

She rolls her eyes at me incessantly.

- [father] She's 12.

- Yeah. Smiles and sweetness for Daddy.

That's totally

age-appropriate behavior, isn't it?

Sure.

It's just...

It's fine. It's fine! It's fine.

Okay, I'm not...

[man on radio]

...than at any other point along its path.

This is another reminder to our listeners

not to look directly into the eclipse,

which should begin to...

[switching stations]

['50s music playing]

That's better.

Unless you don't wanna listen

to Daddy's old man music.

No, I like it.

That's a beautiful dress.

- Is that your new one?

- Yeah. Mom said it was too short.

Mom's wrong.

You look amazing.

You look like a proper young woman.

- Here, so you don't hurt your eyes.

- Thanks. Where's yours?

Oh, you know what? I don't know.

I think your mom might have taken it.

- Scoot close and we'll share.

- Okay.

It's starting.

Wow.

What? [chuckles]

Nothing.

I'm just remembering something.

You and me, sitting here together...

When you were a little girl,

you used to sit on my lap.

You'd point up at the stars,

and you'd ask me

how far away each one was.

[chuckles] That's embarrassing.

No.

It's the sweetest.

Some great evenings out here, you and me.

Me and Mouse.

Nah, that's stupid.

What?

I was gonna say...

What?

Well, how about it?

For old time's sake?

Nah, that's silly. That's just

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