Wake Wood Page #2

her breath will breathe

and she'll remember the time

she had with you, some of it.

It lasts for three days only,

during which you must keep Alice

within the townland of Wakewood.

The wind turbines lie beyond

our boundary. Let them be your guide.

This is a physical necessity.

Why only three days?

We tap the life force

of a fresh cadaver.

Three days' won'th is all we get.

Perhaps it mirrors the stages

of existence, birth, life, death.

I don't truly know.

Now, for this to work, we need a body,

and, as you are more than well aware,

we have recently had a tragedy

in the community.

Perhaps we should prevail on the family.

The ritual of the return

binds you to Wakewood.

You will settle here permanently

and you will tend animals without fail

whenever this town needs you.

Do we have an agreement?

We just wanna see her again.

Then you shall.

You were there. The vet's wife.

Yes.

- Sit down.

- Thank you.

Mrs O'Shea,

I'm very sorry for your loss.

In my mind, he's the young boy I met.

[Footsteps on stairs]

Our daughter was killed last year.

She was our only child.

When she was born, it didn't go well.

I can't have any more.

I know this is

a terrible time for you, but...

...I need to ask you

if we can use your husband's remains

to help bring her back.

- You don't know what you're asking.

- No, you're right. I don't.

But I need to see her again.

You live in Wakewood now, don't you?

But it's not part of you.

You're just visiting maybe.

I can't imagine what that's like.

We're all born here.

Mrs O'Shea,

we're very happy in Wakewood.

Stand up for me.

- No, it's not right.

- What?

I don't know what it is,

but it's not right. I won't do it.

Peggy, they have to ask.

You're upset.

There is something I don't like.

They have to ask you,

but you have to be amenable, Peggy.

That's the only way this can continue.

Do you not want

to see Mick yourself, hm?

You wouldn't deny me Mick's return.

They need your help.

You'll need to provide a relic of Alice

for the ritual.

[Patrick] Like what?

In this case,

we're close to the time limit.

Her favourite teddy?

The relic needs to be

more closely connected. A lock of hair.

[Louise]

We don't have anything like that.

Whatever you provide,

it needs to be personal to Alice.

In a corporal, physical way.

Very much so.

D'you understand?

[Thunder]

[Patrick] You think Peggy knows?

You're ready?

[Louise grunting]

You're very welcome.

Come.

[Motor starts]

We have to crush his thorax first.

In times past,

they did this with a lump hammer.

Right, that'll do!

Patrick, lend a hand.

Now we cut the spinal cord.

You do it for me, would you, Patrick?

We need the relic.

Very good.

On the wild wind thee fly,

'tween this world and the next,

from that twilight realm

you see o'er your perch

the trials of the living

and the wake of the dead.

Help us now call Alice,

and bring her here for three days

and afterwards return.

Go to the trees. Lie among the roots.

Go to the trees. Lie among the roots.

Take these hands.

[All] Alice.

- Take these bones.

- [All] Alice.

- Take this heart.

- [All] Alice.

And, Alice, take these eyes.

Bring him down.

Now we need living blood.

Female blood would be better.

Cut me.

[Arthur] Come, come.

Stand back, stand back.

Feel now the power of transformation

course through your true selves.

Look away, look away!

Avert your gaze!

Here she comes. Here she comes.

Here she comes.

Here she comes. Here she comes.

Here she comes.

Oh, my baby. Oh, my baby.

My baby. Alice.

[Louise] Your hair's grown so long.

I had such a strange dream.

It's over now.

- Her eyes are brown.

- Yeah, Mick had brown eyes.

- Where's Alice?

- Getting dressed.

- Hey, sweetie.

- Did you sleep well?

The house seems strange.

- It...

- Yeah, it is. Um...

- We came here for a break.

- I must have slept the whole way.

[Patrick] Is this for real?

After you.

No, you're not gonna get me.

[Patrick] Oh, Alice.

- [Patrick] Come on, start counting.

- One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

I'm coming, ready or not!

- [Patrick yells]

- [Louise laughs] I got you!

I found your father!

He's my prisoner! You're next!

Alice!

Come on, baby! Where are you?

[Patrick] Alice!

Alice?

Alice!

Al!

[Patrick] Alice!

Come on!

[Flies buzzing]

Alice.

Oh, sweetie. Are you OK?

What's that doing there?

I don't know. Maybe somebody put it

there to ward off the other birds.

- Hey, I found something.

- What?

Pick a hand.

- Pick another hand.

- Wrong.

Do you remember when you got it?

You gave it to me sometime.

Come on, baby. Time to go.

Mum, did you hear music last night?

- What kind of music?

- Voices, singing my name.

We'll take him home

and I can stitch him.

He doesn't have a collar.

[Whines]

- Dad.

- Uh-huh?

Can I do it?

Yeah, go and put

some of those gloves on.

OK, hold it. Hold it really tight.

Now, OK.

Now, open that. Take that piece.

Hang on. You pull that through and up.

Like that.

People shouldn't hurt animals,

should they?

No, they shouldn't.

And animals

shouldn't hurt people either.

Well, that's kind of different,

you know?

I'd heard you'd had a bit of trouble.

- Could say that, yeah.

- Mm.

- Dad, can we keep him?

- Well, I don't see why not.

- Mum said we could.

- Oh, she did, did she?

- I'm gonna call him Howie.

- Howie? Ooh, I like it.

Don't make it hard to say goodbye.

- Good night.

- Night.

- Got some blankets for us.

- OK.

Once upon a time, there was

a little tearaway called Alice.

- No, called Louise.

- This about me, is it?

OK, called Louise, and she lived

with her brothers and sisters.

- And her sheepdog.

- And her sheepdog.

And they lived in a big house on a hill

overlooking the city.

And the house had a field

and an orchard.

And every year the trees...

[knocking]

Hello, Alice. How are you?

How would you like

to come and ride our pony?

Dad, I'm going pony riding.

- Mrs O'Shea, it's very kind of you...

- Alice wants to ride our pony.

And it needs the exercise.

I'll bring her back later.

I'm sorry,

but, um, we made plans for today.

- No, Dad, I want to go now.

- Calm down.

- Mum, I've been invited pony riding.

- Oh?

Why don't you all come?

Tell you what, why we don't have

some breakfast and then we'll see.

OK.

[Mrs O'Shea] Keep her awake.

Now, would you like

to pop over a jump?

D'you think she's ready?

She's hardly ever ridden.

She'll be fine. She's a natural.

See that? No bother at all.

We have some tea and sandwiches

going inside. Would you like to come in?

- Alice, are you ready?

- [Mrs O'Shea] Let her finish up.

We'll come in when she's done.

She won't be long, I promise.

Alice, there's a game

you might enjoy playing.

- [Alice] What's the game?

- It's a quiz.

I ask the questions, you answer,

I keep score.

Now, Alice Daley, what is your name?

Right, I see the way it is.

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