The New Daughter Page #4

Hopefully, she's just left and gone home.

That wouldn't be like Evelyn at all.

You'll call me

as soon as you hear everything?

I will. In fact, Mr. James,

make sure you stay where I can reach you.

Good evening.

Do you want me to stay?

Better not.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Okay.

Your girlfriend's not staying over?

No.

Don't you want her to?

Cassandra's going home,

and it's time for bed.

Why, because you say so?

Yes, Louisa. Because I say so.

I'm the father. You're the daughter.

Well, you don't know

how to be a fath...

[retching]

Daddy.

I'm so cold.

It's okay.

Everything's going to be okay.

Are you going to leave me?

No. No.

I'm not going to leave you.

But Mommy left.

Why did Mommy leave?

You'll leave me, too, won't you?

Louisa.

I'll never leave you.

You have to try and rest, okay?

Daddy.

Can I sleep with you tonight?

[panting]

Daddy!

I'm your new daughter.

[echoing]

[creaking]

All right, get your stuff.

I'll be right here

when you guys get out, okay?

[Sam]

Okay, Daddy. Bye.

Have you heard from the police yet?

- Yeah.

- And?

And there's still no sign of her.

She's going to turn up, Cassandra.

She has to.

Can you...

Can you keep an eye on Louisa for me?

Absolutely.

All right. Thank you.

Oh, no.

Ohh...

- [John] Rick?

- Yeah.

I'm taking the mound down today.

These things can be tricky.

Maybe these things can be tricky.

I don't care.

Many root systems go down pretty deep.

- Yeah, I...

- You have to get way below surface.

- I don't...

- I'll bring the diesel...

- Listen to me.

- Ammonium nitrate...

- Rick, look.

- Yeah.

Get that bulldozer up here

as soon as possible, all right?

- Sure, Mr. James.

- Thank you.

[phone rings]

[ring]

- Yeah?

- Mr. James,

this is Evan White from

the University of Charleston.

Hello, Professor.

I've taken a look at the photos

of your property.

- I'm very intrigued.

- Well, actually, um...

Would it be possible for me to come

down there today and take a look?

I do appreciate you taking the time,

but there's been a change of plan.

I'm actually going to be

taking the mound down today.

Could you at least wait

until we get there?

I can't talk about this anymore.

It's something I have to do today.

- Please...

- Thank you very much.

Mr. James, please...

This baby's going to blow.

Don't stop.

Hello?

Professor Evan White.

We spoke on the phone.

Oh, that's right.

Look.

Alexis Danella.

- I'm the professor's TA.

- Hello.

Mr. James, an excavation

wouldn't take much time,

and ritualized mound burial...

its study, it's important.

No, I'm doing this today.

What a waste.

Mr. James, mound burial is something

that links many civilizations

all across the globe.

I'm sorry.

This wants to be studied.

Hey, how come

they bury their dead like this?

Mostly, they didn't.

Mound burial

was only for the most revered

because, at least in some cases,

the mounds themselves were worshiped.

We found some evidence

in a limestone cave in Mississippi.

There's drawings

that might depict a mythology

of the gods that existed

inside the mounds.

Inside?

They called them mound walkers.

Mounds were places of power,

and the walkers were believed to be

a dying race of deities,

weakened over thousands of years

by the encroachment of humans

onto their land.

Rick, go on.

I've even found depictions of a ritual,

an exchanging of gifts

between the walkers

and children of some of the native tribes.

Dolls?

Well...

Straw dolls?

Yes, that's right. Um...

- how did you know that? I haven't...

- [engine starts]

Rick, wait.

[engine shuts down]

What did they want?

What any species wants... to survive.

So, when faced with extinction,

the gods themselves began to pray.

Pray for what?

A savior, a chosen one.

And she would come

from the unlikeliest of places.

She would be human...

[shouting]

...young girl...

and then the mating ritual would begin.

The myth was that the walkers

were an all-male race.

They needed a mother, a queen,

to give birth to the next life's eggs.

And then a new age would begin.

Mr. James...

Do it now!

[engine starts]

[Alexis]

Mr. James, please.

Aah!

I've had officers combing for blood

in and around your house all day.

My... My house? Look, I didn't...

Hey, I didn't do this.

Okay. All right.

I'd like to believe that,

but we're going to do this right.

But you're going to have to be

helpful and patient.

Understand?

Can I at least call my kids

at their school?

I called Cassandra Parker already.

She, uh...

She's going to take your kids home

and stay with them.

Look, I promised my kids

that I would pick them up.

I understand that.

But I'm just going to need you

to stay here for a little while, all right?

If your, uh, story checks out,

you're going to be with them soon enough.

I give you my word, okay?

My ants are dead.

What do you mean?

What do you mean, Sam?

My ants are dead.

Those are eggs.

Daddy was right.

There's a new queen.

Look how all the other ants

are surrounding her,

guarding her until it's done.

What's wrong, Sam?

Are you all right?

I think something bad

is going to happen now.

Nothing bad is going to happen. Hmm?

There's something wrong with Louisa.

[phone rings]

[John]

Hello?

- Hello, Ed?

- No, this is John.

It's Skinner from the lab

for Officer Lowry.

Hold on. I'm with Officer Lowry.

Let me put you on the speaker.

[beeping]

Ed, hi. Look, we did a preliminary

autopsy on the body,

and it appears she was eaten alive.

- What could have done that?

- Ed, we're not sure.

The bite marks don't match

any known creatures,

and really, we've never seen

anything like this.

Sh*t!

What the...

Ed, are you there?

Look, we're going to have to call you back.

- Ed?

- Jesus Christ, I think I hit someone.

No. Where are you going?

No, no, no. Stay in the car.

[chittering]

What happened to the light?

Come on.

[snarling]

- Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

- Hey!

Oh, my God!

Cassandra!

Sam!

[lock latches]

Louisa!

[gasping]

God.

Oh. Cassandra.

Louisa. What happened?

Daddy!

Sam?

Sam?

Daddy!

It's okay, Sam. It's okay.

We're going home now.

She won't let us.

We're leaving, Louisa.

No.

We're not.

Louisa, listen to me.

Please, honey, just...

Louisa, just come...

[loud thump]

- [creature snarls]

- [doorknob rattling]

[thump]

Okay. Don't move. You don't move.

[thumping, creature noises]

[glass breaks]

I'm going down there with them.

If you go somewhere, I can't follow you.

You will follow.

- Shut up!

- [growling]

Shut up.

- [clatter]

- Please.

[growling]

[thumping]

[can clatters]

[howling]

[snarling]

[snarling]

[screeching]

[doorknob rattling]

Louisa!

[Sam]

Daddy!

Don't move, Sam.

[growling]

Daddy!

No, Daddy!

Daddy! Daddy!

Please, no!

[screaming]

Daddy...

Daddy.

Don't! Please, Daddy!

Don't!

Sam, you need to wait here, okay?

Wait here until the police come.

Here.

Where are you going?

Tell the police to call Mommy, okay?

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