The Reflecting Skin Page #2

Taken who, Joshua?

I am a sinner! I drink.

I have bad thoughts.

Would someone mind telling me

what's going on?

Eben's missing.

We need the Sheriff. I keep telling him

we should call Sheriff Ticker.

No need for Sheriff Ticker

just yet, Joshua.

No... that's what I said.

We're not sure anything's happened yet.

'Course we're not.

When did you last see Eben, son?

- This morning.

- Where did you leave him?

Did the Lord take him, boy?

Did the angels come down

and pluck him from the wheat?

Did the Lord say: "His Pa is a sinner

and not meant to be happy?"

- No.

- Where was he going to, boy?

I gotta go! Pa!

She's a vampire, and she drinks

blood to make her young.

She's afraid to look into mirrors

'cos her reflection is gone.

And she hates sunlight, and she keeps

her husband in a black box...

and his sweat in a bottle.

How do you know?

She told me to my face.

She's two hundred years old.

- Do you think she killed Eben?

- Could be.

- But why?

- For his blood, stupid!

His blood?

Sure. If she don't get blood

then she starts to fall apart.

She said, "I get up in the morning

and there's my skin in the bed."

- Come on.

- What you doing?

Just come on.

Help me...

What you looking for?

- Her coffin.

- Her coffin?

It's here somewhere. She sleeps in it.

Let's go to her bedroom then!

- Should we?

- Quick!

Kim, look at this wonderful shell!

Look how big it is!

Yeah, look at it...

I know-- let's smash it!

Yeah!

Smash it! Rip it! Break it! Tear it!

Break everything! Smash everything!

Rip it, tear it, rip it...

- She's back.

- Ssshh...

Hi, Pa.

- You thirsty, son?

- No.

- You been running?

- A little.

Turn to dust. A man's gotta drink.

- Thirsty, Pa?

- A little, son.

Eben?

Now... let's go over this

again, shall we?

How many times can he

answer the same questions?

He's told you all he knows.

Think I should be the judge of that,

don't you ma'am?

Unless, of course, there's a reason

why you don't want me to ask questions?

Reason? What do you mean,

why should I have a reason?

Had old Sheriff Ticker on the phone.

- Sheriff Ticker?

- You know Sheriff Ticker?

Yeah... Yes, I know him.

He certainly seems to know your husband.

Knows him real well.

Has quite a lot to say about him,

does Sheriff Ticker.

- Go upstairs Seth.

- But Ma...

Do as you're told.

- Ma!

- Go!

What has Sheriff Ticker told you?

You know full well

what he's told me.

It was years ago, for the love of God!

You gonna drag it up all over again?

Might be it needs dragging up.

Shut up. You'll only make it worse!

He even cries like a woman.

Don't you call my husband...

"In full embrace," the Sheriff said.

In the barn. Kissing the boy...

He wasn't a boy, he was seventeen.

And it was years ago...

Sheriff Ticker says he felt sick.

Two men... kissing...

That why you married him so quick?

Protect his good name?

Why don't you ask the Sheriff?

He seems to know everything else.

Oh, he does... He does know.

Everything.

And what he doesn't know... he suspects.

This time, you won't get away with it.

No...

I wouldn't hurt... I couldn't...

I'd arrest you this very

minute if I could.

Arrest him for what?

He hasn't done anything!

Well now, we can't be sure

of that, can we?

Sheriff Ticker says it's a short leap

from kissing to killing.

Goodbye now. Enjoy your supper.

Shut up...

Shut up!

All that gossip!

All that gossip! I can't

go through it...

You hear me?! I can't

go through it again!

I won't! I won't...

I won't go through it again...

Not for you.

You come back here, Luke Dove.

- Pa!

- Son?

I missed you.

- You look older.

- You look old.

- I do, huh?

- Lots.

You should have seen him Cam.

He exploded! He went 'bang'!

His skin went all funny...

Don't think about it, okay?

I dream it.

God, it's ugly here.

What you wearing that for?

It's for you!

I don't want it.

Aren't you a hero?

No.

Jeez... this place get smaller?

No.

Still smells like gasoline.

I can't smell it.

That's 'cos you smell like it, too.

- Where'd this come from?

- Nowhere. Come on.

- You hungry, Cam?

- No.

You miss 'em, Cam?

- Miss what?

- The pretty islands.

Could be.

You goin' back?

Nah. Suppose I'm staying.

That for good?

- Might be I have to.

- Why have to?

Look after you, Knucklehead.

I don't need looking after.

Oh. Guess you want me to go?

Hi, Ma.

What, Ma? What do you want?

Out of the way! Mind yourself!

Stop it! Jesus!

Gotta get the place clean.

Your Pa will be home soon.

Pa's dead!

He's dead and buried, Ma.

He was always reading.

Nothing but them cheap pulps.

Never said a word to me

when I was a kid.

Just sat there and got old.

Couldn't stand the sight of blood.

That's why it was always Ma

who killed the chickens.

You never stood a chance.

Should have got out years ago.

Before she drained you.

He wanted to be a beekeeper,

you know that?

It was her idea to start the garage.

Whiskers keep growing.

When you're dead.

Everything else stops...

But hair just keeps on sprouting.

Hair never dies. Just goes on and on...

Heard you were back, Cameron.

Circumstances, Sheriff.

I've been a Sheriff for

over thirty years...

and I never seen so

many circumstances.

People stop me and say...

"Sheriff Ticker, what's happenin'?"

And I have to say...

"I don't rightly know."

But it all starts with a kiss,

that's for sure.

Your Pa'd tell you.

I want a word with little Seth here,

that okay with you?

Sure.

Turtle. Snapper it was.

Big as a pig and vicious as hell.

Got my hand. Can you beat that?

Few years later...

A dog almost chewed off my ear.

Then a wasp stung out my eye.

Thirty years a Sheriff

and all I've had to contend with

are vicious animals.

But now...

We got a new kind of animal.

One I ain't seen before.

The kind of animal that...

does things to children.

Makes my hungry fish seem

like an angel of mercy.

The only trouble is...

I ain't sure if the monster's

still out there somewhere.

Or six feet under.

Perhaps your father took secrets

with him into that grave of his.

Your Pa...

He ever, uh...

touch you?

Yeah.

Where'd he touch you, boy?

In the kitchen.

No, no, no, I don't mean that.

Did he ever touch you in... places?

Places outside the kitchen?

No, no, no, uh...

Places... on your person.

Like where?

Like private places, boy.

Private places?

Yeah...

Like...

Here, boy.

No. He didn't do much touching.

You go on back to your brother.

You tell him to take care of you.

You'll be safe with him.

I'm sorry about your father.

I saw the light of the burning

from my window.

I wondered what it was.

It looked quite beautiful.

I bet it did.

That was a stupid thing to say.

I'm sorry, Cameron.

Would you say that again?

My name?

Cameron.

It sounds good.

You know, your accent.

Makes everything sound better somehow.

Well...

What about your name?

Let me hear you say your name.

Dolphin Blue.

What happened? To the angel?

Time.

Even angels lose their wings eventually.

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