01x03 - The Mother

[bunniefuu]

[low rumbling]

[rocks, ice crackling]

[wind whistling]

[liquid simmering]

[stairs creaking softly]

[gentle cello melody plays]

- [yells]
- [screams]

[girls giggling, shrieking]

- [girl ] Hey!
- [girl shrieks]

[giggling continues]

[girls chatter indistinctly]

[girls squealing, laughing]

[both giggling, shrieking]

- [breath trembling]
- [shrieks, giggles continue]

[both panting, laughing]

[water boiling nearby]

[water droplets hissing]

[soft, eerie chorals playing]

Mommy!

Mommy?

Mommy!

Mommy?

[eerie choral music intensifies]

[raven cawing]

[cawing continues]

How are you, old lady?

- [horse snorts]
- Where did y'all come from?

[horse whinnies]

[Gríma sniffs]

[casing clatters]

[Gríma] Kjartan!

[squawking softly]

[Kjartan sniffs]

- [squawking]
- [Gríma] Is that Rósa?

[Kjartan] Yeah.

She got out last night.

[sniffs]

[shovels soil]

You know how it is.

We'd lose our license
if the milk got polluted.

It would've been cruel
to keep the poor thing alive.

[pop music plays softly over speakers]

Voilà.

Wow. Trying to impress Darri, or...?

Nah.

- Juice?
- Yes, please.

Good morning.

- [Leifur] Darri, want some juice?
- Uh, no, thanks.

- [Leifur] Is everything okay?
- Yeah, I just slept badly.

- [Leifur] Here. I made you a plate.
- Thanks.

[Eyja chuckles] Are you hungry?

I'm... just gonna eat in my room.

Try and get some rest.

[music continues over speakers, muted]

[door hinges squeaking]

[suspenseful instrumentals play]

[flips lock]

[eerie notes play]

[loud crunching, chewing]

[crunching, chewing continues]

Do you want water?

[suspenseful instrumentals continue]

Uh, when was the last time you ate?

[boy] Last night.

What did you eat?

The same as you.

The spaghetti that Mom made.

Had you forgot?

No, but...

Never mind.

I remember that spaghetti.

[eerie music continues]

Wh... Where are you going? Hey!

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

- I need to pee now.
- No, uh...

Children are not allowed in here.

This is, you know...

a worksite for grown-ups.

Lots of dangerous equipment and stuff.

The people that work here
mustn't find out that you're here.

But... where do I pee then?

You can use the water bottle.

I'll just step outside.

[door creaks open]

[Eyja] Feeling better?

Yep, a little. Thanks.

[Eyja] Uh, we're heading out
to try to find those ash layers.

You coming?

No, I think I might be getting the flu,
so I better stay in.

I'll work here.

[Eyja] Okay. Get better.

[Darri] Mm-hmm.

- See you.
- [Darri] Mm-hmm.

[pop music plays softly over speakers]

[clock ticking]

[music continues playing]

[Kjartan]
She stayed the night. She's still here.

Yeah.

It's not like her.

[Kjartan sighs] No, not really.

She seems a bit off.
You know what I mean?

[Kjartan] Yeah.

I can imagine you change
when something like this happens.

Something like what?

We have no idea what happened.

She just appeared out of nowhere
with no explanation.

[sighs] Right.

Why don't you just talk to her about this?

Yeah. Maybe I will.

She's still a slob.

[Gríma] Yeah.

- [Einar] Hey, Dad.
- Yeah?

[Einar] She's Swedish, right?

One would think so.
At least she speaks Swedish.

Then shouldn't the Reykjavík police
alert the Swedish embassy?

They should be able
to figure out who she is.

The Reykjavík police
have enough on their plate.

No reason to make a big deal
out of this. We'll figure this out.

I mean, this person
must come around soon.

[Einar]
There's something very strange going on.

Two women appear on the glacier,
covered in ash.

[Gísli] Yeah, "strange" is a good word.

And then this Gunhild
claims she knows Thór.

Claims she works at the hotel.

She's obviously not who she says she is.

[Gísli] No, and she's not a part
of any group either, so...

[Einar] Maybe she's just some mental case.

[Gísli]
I don't know what to believe anymore.

But one thing's for sure,

Sweden and Reykjavík
don't give a damn about us.

All that matters to them

is whether the ash cloud
is blowing east or west these days

so they know if they can fly
to Florida or Mallorca.

[sighs]

[sniffs]

What about Ása?

[Gísli]
I mean, she must have been somewhere.

If we were in a big foreign city,
you see,

I'd say maybe someone abducted her
and held her c*ptive somewhere.

Maybe even drugged.

And maybe violated and r*ped her.

Or God knows what.

But we're not in a foreign country.

I'm sure there could be monsters here,
like anywhere else.

Here in Vík?

- Yeah. Things have happened.
- Why are you so upset?

I'm not f*cking upset, man.
This whole this is just absurd.

- We found her snowmobile in a crevasse.
- Yeah.

- We found it, remember? Yeah.
- Yeah.

And everyone assumed
she got swallowed by the glacier.

Listen, I'm only thinking out loud here.

Hey, I gotta get going.

You'll stop by and see your mother then,
won't you?

- [sighs] Dad...
- She'd really like that.

[somber instrumental music playing]

[low rumbling]

[Eyja on radio] Leifur, can you hear me?

Leifur, make sure to collect the sample
from above the ash layer.

[Leifur] Yeah, okay.

I think I'm at the top of the layer now.

[loud whirring]

[low rumbling continues steadily]

[Eyja] Leifur?

Leifur?

- [radio beeps]
- Say again?

[Eyja]
Are you sure this is the right place?

[chuckles] I don't know.
These layers all look the same to me.

You're the scientist.

You can look at the samples
once I get them.

[loud whirring resumes]

[mattress springs squeaking]

Hey.

Shh, shh, shh. Stop that.

Sit down.

I'd like to ask you some questions.

- Okay.
- [Darri] Okay?

What is your full name?

Mikael Darrason.

What is my name?

[Mikael] Darri.

[Darri] What's your mom's name?

Rakel.

Do you have any friends?

No, not really.

- [Darri] Why not?
- [Mikael] I don't know.

The kids are stupid and...

they say I'm weird.

Have you ever had a pet?

Yes, a parrot.

And what was your parrot's name?

Elías.

[Darri] And did you love Elías?

Yes.

But then what happened?

I cut off his wings
with the kitchen scissors.

Why'd you do that?

Because I just felt strange.

Do you think you left the country?

[Ása]
No, I don't remember leaving this place.

Then how do you know the Swedish woman?

- What?
- [Gríma] Gunhild.

You were so angry with her.

She's obviously related
to the Gunhild at the hospital.

Just think,

I can't remember leaving here.

And still, it's like I'm missing Vík.

Like I haven't been here
for a very long time.

Are you saying you were here a year
without anyone noticing you?

I don't know, Gríma. Sometimes people
don't see what's right in front of them.

This is a small town, Ása.
Everybody was searching for you.

There's no way.

[Ása] Who was looking?

What do you mean?

- Who took part in the search for me?
- Everyone.

- Einar?
- [Gríma] Yes.

- Daddy?
- Yes, of course Dad searched for you, Ása.

[Ása] I'm just a little surprised.

You were a handful,
but he's still your dad.

He went up to the glacier every day
to look for tourists.

But we knew he was looking for you.

- Was it him who searched the most?
- Yes.

And me.

- And then you just stopped searching?
- No.

I had to go to the hospital.

[Ása] Did you have an accident?

I had a nervous breakdown.

[Ása] Okay.

They kind of ordered me to stop searching.

- Said it was bad for my recovery.
- [Ása] Who?

Some doctors down south.

[scoffs softly]

Perhaps you would've found me
if you had kept searching.

[Ása sighs]

- It's ruined.
- [pot clatters loudly]

[door opens]

- [vehicle approaching]
- [pot clatters]

Ása?

Ása?

Ása?

Ása!

- [Vigdís] Here's the head.
- [Gunhild] Mm-hmm.

I've got the legs right here.

[rapid heartbeat flutters over speakers]

Why is the heart b*ating so fast?

It's normal. The rule of thumb is,
the smaller, the faster.

Like, a bird's heart can b*at
up to a thousand times per minute.

- Really?
- Yes.

And a blue whale's heart,
ten times per minute.

- [Vigdís clicks key]
- [heartbeat continues]

So... So everything's good?
It's... It's healthy?

Yes. I believe so.

[soft knock at door]

Can I help you?

Can I help you?

Could you excuse us for a minute?

Um, I'm sorry,
I have to ask you to step outside.

- It's okay.
- [pauses ultrasound]

Are you sure?

Yeah.

[Vigdís] Okay. Let me just finish up here.

Are you two related?

You look very much alike.

[door shuts softly]

[soft, eerie instrumental music plays]

[in Swedish] Do you have kids?

Who are you?

- Gunhild Ahlberg.
- No.

No. You are not.

- Why are you lying?
- I am not lying.

[in English] Are you okay?

[in Swedish] Cut the crap. Who are you?

- What is your name?
- I am not lying. My name is Gunhild.

Do you know Thór as well?

Why are you saying
you're carrying his child?

- Why do you think I'm lying?
- He hasn't met you.

He doesn't know you.

He's just saying that
so his wife doesn't find out.

His wife is dead.

I'm sorry.

[indistinct chatter over radio]

[somber instrumental music playing]

[wheelchair motor whirring]

[somber instrumentals continue]

[breaths whooshing steadily
on ventilator]

[straw slurping]

[sighs heavily]

So, Ása has come back home.

Says she can't remember
how she disappeared or where she's been.

[slow instrumental music continues]

I don't know what to believe.

Maybe she's run away from home.

She was always a wild one.

[sighs] I mean...

She was stark naked when they found her.

I can't count the times
I had to drive her back to Hnjúkar,

dead drunk and barely dressed.

I don't know what Einar sees in her.

The poor boy has had a crush on her
since they were kids.

But she's never thought
he was good enough for her.

[instrumental music continues]

[Gísli exhales softly]

[breaths whooshing steadily
on ventilator]

Oh, my, oh, my. There they are.

Okay, I won't be long.

[sheep bleating]

[grim instrumental music continues]

[sheep bleating]

[g*nsh*t]

[instrumental music fades]

[engine stops]

[soft choral music playing]

[Gríma] I've been looking everywhere.
Where the hell have you been?

[Ása] I went out for a walk.

You can't just wander off like that.

Gríma, I'm a grown-up person.
I can go out for a walk if I want to.

You could at least
leave me a note or something.

- You need to understand...
- Understand what?

You were gone for a whole year, Ása!

We were all devastated.
We thought you were dead.

[gentle cello melody plays]

I just feel like...

like I'm losing you again
when you run off like that.

[Gríma sniffs]

Will you promise me
not to do that again?

Okay.

I promise.

We all changed when we lost you.

Everything changed.

I just... I can't accept
not getting an explanation for why

my life was ruined.

[soft instrumentals harmonizing]

[rumbling, crackling in distance]

[instruments rattling]

[Darri] Don't pick at it like that.

I'm cold.

Open your mouth.

Can you hold the thermometer?

- I'm not sick.
- Shh.

[whispers] Don't speak. Just try to relax.

[muffled] What are you doing?

[Darri] I just wanna make sure
that you're all right.

You were in the cold for so long.
Let me see.

I... I feel just fine.

[Darri] Yes, you don't have a fever.

Hmm.

Can you close your eyes for me?

- [Mikael sighs]
- Just for a second?

Okay.

[Darri] You'll feel a small poke.

[Mikael] Oh! Ow!

Such a good boy.

Where's Mommy?

[Darri] She's, uh...

She's in Reykjavík.

When will she come?

I don't know.

I want my mommy now.

[Darri sighs]

[Mikael sighs]

- [Gríma] Sorry for being so harsh earlier.
- [Ása] You weren't harsh.

[Gríma] Let me know if you see something
that rings any bells.

[Ása] Is there no one who
takes care of these houses?

[Gríma]
Yeah, some owners come by now and then,

but most have just given up.

- [Ása] Where'd they all go?
- [Gríma] To Reykjavík.

Some to the Westman Islands.

[Ása]
We probably won't find anything here.

What do you mean?

You know I wasn't in Vík this past year.

- What?
- Come on.

- Ása, what?
- Come on.

- No. No. [laughs]
- Yes.

[Ása laughs]

- [door hinges squeaking]
- [Ása] Come on.

Ása, I don't think this is a good idea.

You know that Gísli's wife
owns this store.

Yes, I know. Magnea, Einar's mother.

Ása, where are you going?

Ása?

Ása?

[softly] Ása, what are you doing?

[whispers] Bingo!

- You're going swimming?
- Yes.

Now?

Yes.

Are we stealing these, Ása?

[soft instrumental music plays]

[cat purring]

[Thór sighs]

[cat meows]

[cat meows]

- [whispers] Good kitty.
- [meowing]

[wind blowing heavily]

[Thór] Vigdís?

Hello?

Hi.

Hi.

I didn't realize you... you'd both be here.

- Is that a problem?
- [Thór] No, no, no.

Not at all.

You came back.

[Thór] Yeah.

[younger Gunhild] It's nice to see you.

You too.

Both of you.

Is it okay if I sit for a moment?

Yeah.

[Thór sighs]

So you do know her then?

[Thór scoffs]

Uh...

I saw her when she arrived.

How come she's pregnant
with your child then?

[sighs] Um...

I'm sor... I'm sorry. I... I, um...

I should have told you first, but...

but yeah, I'm pregnant.

Um...

And I heard about... about your wife.

I'm so sorry.

[somber instrumental music playing]

[engine stops]

[Gísli sighs]

[grunts softly]

[Gísli exhales]

[grunts]

[panting softly]

[Ása] We sometimes came here with Mom.

Berry picking, remember?

Of course, it was green then.

You were too small to walk up the hill,
so Mom had to carry you.

You didn't want a pail,
so you put all the berries in your mouth.

Mom was so afraid you'd choke on them.

I should've brought you here
after she d*ed.

I tried my best to replace her, but...

it was all too much.

Sorry, I shouldn't have brought up Mom.

No, it's okay.

[sniffles] I want...

I've never really been able
to get past losing her.

I know.

I always just thought that I...

I could've done something to stop her.

And when you just vanished...

[sniffles, sighs]

Oh, I don't know.

Then I got the same feeling,
like I could've somehow...

could've prevented it all.

[ethereal choral music plays]

[wind whistling]

- [lights buzzing]
- When is summer break over?

[Darri] What do you mean?

Mmm, when do I have to get back to school?

I don't know. Probably August.

And...

what if something bad happens?

Like what?

Like if I broke my leg or something.

Could I stay out of school then?

[Darri] No.

We all have to go to school.

I don't want to go.

[Darri] Mm-hmm.

And...

what if everyone at my school would die?

[eerie music plays]

Would I have to go then?

Will you read to me?

I don't think there are
any children's books here.

Read this.

[Darri] You want me to read this?

It's boring.

[Mikael] I don't care what you read.

"'Variation in Volcanic Activity of Askja

as Inferred from Delta -S

in Sulfate from Öskjuvatn, '

by Tómas

Stefánsson."

"The Askja volcanic system forms
one of the five to six volcanic systems

in the northern volcanic zone

that divides the North American
and the Eurasian plates."

I love you, Daddy.

[eerie instrumentals playing]

[door hinges squeaking]

- Are we going far?
- [Darri] Shh, shh, shh, shh.

Daddy?

[wind whistling]

Daddy, I'm cold.

Where are we going?

[generator whirring]

[hinges squeaking]

[soft, suspenseful music plays]

[Darri sighs] Okay.

Here's some warm clothes
and a blanket.

- Okay?
- Are we going to stay here all night?

It's gonna be all right.

Okay? It's gonna be all right.

[suspenseful music intensifying]

Daddy! Don't leave me here!

[Mikael banging on door] Daddy!

[banging continues]

Daddy!

[Darri panting softly]

[Mikael banging on door] Daddy!

[banging continues]

Daddy!

[suspenseful music fading]

[Ása] Hurry up.

[Gríma shrieks]

[both giggling]

[both panting softly]

- [Gríma] Isn't this nice?
- [Ása] Yeah.

[both panting]

Gríma.

I'm not going back to Reykjavík.

- You're not?
- No.

I'm going to stay here.

You'll never get rid of me now.
[chuckles]

[Gríma laughs softly]

[inhales deeply]

[eerie instrumental music playing]

[gasping, sputtering]

Ása?

Ása?

Ása!

- [Ása gasps]
- [Gríma shouts]

[Ása laughs]

You should've seen your face!

Ása, that wasn't funny.

Let's get out of the water.

[Ása] I'm sorry.
I was just trying to make you laugh.

I'm still glad we did this.

For a moment,
it was like we were kids again.

[somber instrumental music plays]

Gríma, what's wrong?

There's something I'm not understanding,
something I need to understand.

[Gunhild] This town is awful.

Looks like hell.

Why haven't you left?

[Thór] I didn't know where to go.

Will you stick around?

A few days.

[window squeaking]

She's leading you on.

What?

[Gunhild] She's deranged.

A stalker or something.

She needs help.

Serious help.

I remember how you used to
look at me years ago,

and now you're giving her
the same eyes.

And I don't know who she is,
but she's not me.

[Thór] Are you sure?

I'd stay away from her if I were you.

[engine starts]

[somber instrumental music continues]

[steam hissing]

[instrumental music intensifies]

[Gísli exhaling]

[breathes deeply, exhales]

[sighs]

[machine beeps]

[oxygen hissing]

[breaths whooshing]

[intense instrumental music continues]

[attic door creaking softly]

[breaths whooshing steadily
on ventilator]

[Bergrún] Full entrails.

A long winter's ahead.

[wind whistling]

[generator whirring]

[loud clattering]

[dial tone]

[dialing]

[line ringing]

[Rakel] Hello?

Hi, Mommy, where are you?

Huh...

- Who is this?
- Mommy, it's me.

Daddy locked me in a shed.

- [horn honks]
- [tires squealing]

Mikael?

Mommy, I just want to come home.

Mommy. Mommy, where are you?

- Mommy? Mommy!
- [instrumental music intensifying]

- Mommy!
- [horn honks]

[suspenseful instrumental music plays]