The Escape Page #3

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"INTO THE LIVING SEA

OF WAKING DREAMS,

"WHERE THERE IS NEITHER

SENSE OF LIFE OR JOYS,

"BUT THE VAST SHIPWRECK

OF MY LIFES ESTEEMS;

"EVEN THE DEAREST THAT I LOVED

THE BEST ARE STRANGE --

"NAY, RATHER,

STRANGER THAN THE REST.

"I LONG FOR SCENES

WHERE MAN HATH NEVER TROD,

"A PLACE WHERE WOMAN

NEVER SMILED OR WEPT,

"THERE TO ABIDE

WITH MY CREATOR, GOD,

"AND SLEEP

AS I IN CHILDHOOD SWEETLY SLEPT,

"UNTROUBLING AND UNTROUBLED

WHERE I LIE,

THE GRASS BELOW --

ABOVE, THE VAULTED SKY."

-MM.

-YEAH.

GOOD SH*T.

[ BREATHING QUICKLY ]

[ DOOR CREAKS ]

SARAH?

-[ WHIMPERS ]

-I KNOW YOURE SCARED.

AND, UH...

...I LIED.

IM NOT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR

FOR THE RAILROAD

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IM IN...SOME TROUBLE,

AND I DONT WANT ANYBODY

TO KNOW WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.

WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE?

I CANT TELL YOU.

BUT YOURE SAFE.

IM NOT GONNA HURT YOU.

I PROMISE.

YOU CAN STAY IN THERE

UNTIL MORNING...

AND ILL HELP YOU

GET OUT OF HERE.

ALL RIGHT?

[ SOBS ]

DO WE HAVE A DEAL?

ID NEVER DO ANYTHING

TO HURT YOU, SARAH.

[ FLOOR CREAKS ]

[ GRUNTS ]

[ DOORS CREAK OPEN ]

[ WATER DRIPPING ]

AAH!

[ GRUNTING ]

[ THUMPING ]

[ GASPING ]

YOU OKAY?

THIS IS SO F***ED!

[ CRASHING ]

[ LAUGHS ]

NOT FUNNY.

I JUST GOT DRY.

OH.

-WHAT IS IT?

-DINNER.

SOUP!

MAN, SOUP.

THIS WILL BE GREAT.

OH, MY GOD. ITS A RADIO.

OKAY. [ BLOWS ]

OH. JIFFY POP POPCORN.

[ BLOWS ]

[ SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS ]

I GOT SOMETHING I WANT TO SAY.

[ DOOR CREAKS OPEN ]

[ DOOR BANGS CLOSED ]

IVE BEEN HERE FOR 24 YEARS.

I KILLED A MAN,

AND ILL BE PAYING THE PRICE

FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

THATS JUST THE WAY IT IS.

BUT THEY DONT LET YOU SERVE

YOUR TIME IN PEACE HERE.

THEY DONT TAKE INTO ACCOUN THAT YOURE PUNISHING

YOURSELF INSIDE:

FOR WHAT YOU DONE

EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY.

THEY STRIP A MAN OF HIS DIGNITY

IN A PLACE LIKE THIS.

THEY TELL YOU WHEN

AND HOW TO DO EVERYTHING --

EAT, SLEEP, SH*T, TALK, WALK.

THEY TREAT YOU LIKE AN ANIMAL.

AND A LOT OF MEN TURN INTO

ANIMALS IN A PLACE LIKE THIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT IM SAYING?

-YEAH!

-YEAH.

-YEAH.

BUT CLAYTON:

DIDNT LET THAT HAPPEN.

HE KEPT HIS PRIDE,

HIS SENSE OF HUMOR.

HE KEPT ON THINKING AND FEELING,

EVEN THOUGH HE HAD NOTHING

TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

JAKE CLAYTON:

KEPT ON BEING HUMAN.

I RESPECT THAT.

IM PROUD TO CALL HIM MY FRIEND.

THATS THE SH*T, MY MAN.

THATS THE SH*T.

THATS THE SH*T.

GO AHEAD, MAN.

[ METAL DOOR OPENS ]

[ BUZZER SOUNDS ]

HEY.

-MOVE IT.

-WHAT THE F***?!

BACK OFF!

[ METAL DOOR CLOSES ]

[ RADIO CLICKS ON ]

[ POLICE RADIO CHATTER ]

Did they get the boxcars?

[ Static ]

Affirmative.

The dogs are going crazy.

We think our boy

is in the neighborhood.

Can you track him?

Negative, not in this soup.

"THERE IS A LOW CLIFF

BY A DARK SEA.

"DARK SEA, FLAT, GRAY SKY,

HORIZON PALEST YELLOW.

"SEAT YOURSELF IN COMFOR "AT THE FOOT OF THE CLIFF

ON WET SAND.

"REGARD THE SMALL WAVES LAPPING.

ITLL ALL COME DOWN TO THIS,

I PROMISE YOU."

UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING

THAT CLAYTON SENT TO ME

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO,

WHICH GOT ALL THIS STARTED.

10 MINUTES TO LOCKDOWN.

SO...WOULD ANYONE ELSE

LIKE TO SAY OR READ SOMETHING

FOR CLAYTON?

YEAH, I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY.

I CALL THIS ONE:

"RESPECTING THE LAW."

"LAWMEN, ASSASSINS,

FUCKHEAD THIEVES.

"YOU CALL YOURSELF POLICEMEN,

BUT YOURE JUST A DISEASE.

"TO PROTECT AND SERVE

IS YOUR LICENSE TO KILL.

"YOU BEAT AND MAIM CHILDREN

FOR A THRILL.

"COWARDS WITH BADGES

WHO AINT LEGIT.

"YOURE SUCKING FROM THIS DICK

TO THAT B*TCH

"TO EVERYBODYS DICK.

"I HATE AND DESPISE WHEN

EVERY ONE OF YOU BREATHE.

NOW EAT SH*T, MOTHERF***ER.

ITS TIME TO BLEED."

"F*** ALL OF YALL."

-THATS RIGHT.

-WHAT YOU SAY, MAN.

UH, THANK YOU, POOCHIE.

THAT WAS A...TOUCHING TRIBUTE.

YEAH.

[ CHUCKLES ]

[ LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS

ON RADIO ]

ITS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

YOU KNOW ABOUT JAZZ?

MY DAD WAS A SAXOPHONIST.

NO WAY.

YEAH, HE HAD HIS OWN BAND.

MY DAD WAS A PROFESSIONAL

MUSICIAN, TOO.

HE -- HE TRAVELED ALL AROUND

THE WORLD, PLAYING ON CELLO.

HE DIED FIVE YEARS AGO --

CANCER.

HE GAVE YOU THE CELLO.

MM-HMM.

SO, IS IT OKAY IF I ASKED YOU

A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS?

SHOOT.

OKAY.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

A SMALL TOWN IN OREGON

CALLED GRESHAM.

I WAS RAISED BY MY GRANDMOTHER.

[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]

SHE WAS A SWEET OLD LADY.

[ CABINET DOOR CLOSES ]

YOU KNOW...

IF I COULD DO:

ONE THING RIGHT NOW...

ID LIKE TO GO BACK

TO THAT HOUSE...

SIT ON THE PORCH...

AND TALK FOR HOURS TO HER GHOST,

JUST TO SEE HOW SHE IS.

THERES NOTHING THERE NOW.

THEY CUT DOWN THE FOREST.

AND YOUR PARENTS?

MY MOM DIED GIVING BIRTH TO ME.

I SAW MY FATHER ONCE.

THEY WERE NEVER MARRIED.

THEY HAD A ONE-NIGHT STAND IN

PORTLAND, WHERE HE WAS PLAYING.

HE CAME THROUGH TOWN

ABOUT EIGHT YEARS LATER,

AND THE PREACHER COLLARED HIM...

AND TOLD HIM HIS BRIEF ENCOUNTER

WITH ONE OF THE LOCAL GIRLS

HAD PRODUCED A SON.

HE BROUGHT FLOWERS

TO MY GRANDMOTHER...

[ BLOWS ]

...AND HE PLAYED THE SAX FOR ME

IN THE BARN.

WE TALKED FOR ABOUT --

ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO.

GAVE ME 20 BUCKS AND LEFT.

AND -- AND YOUR GRANNY

PASSED AWAY?

ABOUT A YEAR LATER.

WHERED YOU GO?

FOSTER HOMES, JUVENILE CAMPS,

STATE REFORM SCHOOLS --

DOWNHILL.

I THINK YOU TURNED OU JUST FINE.

[ METAL DOOR OPENS ]

[ BUZZER SOUNDS ]

MY MAN.

I HATE TO PISS ON YOUR PARADE,

GENTLEMEN.

THE STATE POLICE

HAVE JUST FOUND THE TRAIN

OUR HEROS BEEN RIDING.

THEYRE RUNNING HIM DOWN

AS WE SPEAK.

CLAYTON.

WELL, ISNT THIS

JUST F***ING LOVELY?

[ METAL DOOR CLOSES ]

I WOULD LIKE THAT BACK,

MR. HICKMAN.

SO MUCH FOR CLAYTON.

SORRY, GIRLS. I NOW DECLARE

THIS POETRY SH*T FINISHED.

-WHAT?

-GET THEM OUT OF HERE.

-WHATS UP WITH THAT?

-LETS GO, BOSS.

LETS GET YOU BOYS

DOWN TO CELL BLOCK.

-F***!

-NOW!

LETS MOVE.

QUICKLY!

MOVE IT, QUICKLY!

ID LIKE HIM:

TO RIP UP MY PIECE OF PAPER.

-YOU WANT SOME --

-F*** OFF!

-COME ON, OUT OF HERE!

-HEY, NOW.

MOVE ALONG!

SO, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME

YOU WENT OUT ON A DATE?

I HAVENT...

HAD A LOT OF TIME

TO CHASE WOMEN LATELY.

IVE BEEN SAVING MONEY...

TO OPEN UP MY OWN CLUB.

WHAT -- LIKE A -- A NIGHTCLUB?

[ THUNDER RUMBLING ]

OH. SORT OF.

TELL ME ABOUT IT.

[ LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS ]

I WANT IT TO BE:

A REALLY COOL PLACE.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

YOURE THE MAN.

YOURE THE MAN.

YES. WHOO!

YES. ITS ON YOU.

LIVE MUSIC,

REALLY GOOD MUSICIANS,

POETRY READINGS,

AND A REALLY GOOD BAR.

YEAH!

ALEJANDRA AND SANDRA,

MY BOY MATT, MY WIFE...

THIS IS MY FRIEND.

THANK YOU.

ILL BE BACK.

[ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

MY MAN. THIS IS ALL GOOD.

CHECK IT OUT.

[ SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY ]

ALL RIGHT?

DAMN, MAN.

HEY.

YEAH.

THERE YOU GO.

[ CLINKS ]

CHEERS.

AHH.

[ THUNDER RUMBLING ]

SOUNDS COOL.

WHEN I GET IT GOING, MAYBE YOU

CAN SWING BY SOMETIME AND PLAY.

THAT WOULD BE NICE.

FINISHED?

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU

GONNA CALL YOUR CLUB?

"THE CAGE."

ITS TAKEN FROM A POEM

BY A TEACHER FRIEND OF MINE,

DUNCAN LONG.

DID YOU MEET HIM

WHEN YOU WERE IN COLLEGE?

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