Scars of Our Hands, The (2025)

[bunniefuu]

[crackling sounds]

[crackling sounds]

[Kay gasping]

[birds chirping]

[sniffling]

[sighing]

[frantic string music]



[gasping]



[distorted] Ready, smart guy?

Do it! Go!

[Kay panting]

Ow! Oh, God!



[birds chirping]

[sign buzzing]

[Kay] Everything's good?

Yeah, no,

that was, uh, super helpful.

Yeah, no, nice room.

Get it to myself.

Yeah, that's what they said.

Yeah, no, good group of guys.

Got along.

Getting along.

Yeah, we're getting along.

Yeah, no, I think I'll, uh,

I think I'll stay for a while.

No, not yet. Still looking.

Yeah, not in

an employee's market.

I'm sure that's what it is.

Hey, look, um, I'm actually

running out of gate money.

I was wondering if there was

any way I could get some more,

if there was

a program or something.

I...

What do you mean?

I'm staying at the halfway

house like you told me.

They called you?

Okay, look, they started it.

Yes, there was an incident.

I told them to back off. I...

And I... Yes,

of course there was fire.

You know

the therapy doesn't help.

Okay, and... No,

it's not just a matter of time.

I've been at this over a decade,

and I am still not even...

They told me if I left,

they wouldn't press charges.

Okay, okay.

Yes, I'll figure it out.

[unsettling music]

[horn honking]

[insects chirping]

[door opening]

[bell ringing]

Hi, just a room for the night.

Well, that'll be 33.

[coins dropping]

I've got, uh, 30, 32... 79.

You'll need $33.

I'll sweep the floors.

Hold on.

[door opening]

The lobby, the two hallways,

and then room five.

Great. Great, thanks.



[eerie guitar music]

[ice rattling]

[gasping]



[inhaling]

[phone ringing]

Hello.

[clicking]

[gasping]



[hissing]

So, you don't have

any barista-ing experience,

but that's fine.

We can train you.

Great.

And you have

a really good look too.

Like, like a little grungy,

kind of gritty, kind of punk.

You know, you'll

match the vibe really well.

Yeah, that's, no,

that's what I was going for.

Yeah, but you're not trying.

You know, like that's,

that's why it works.

- Right.

- Yeah.

We're the only beacon of

personality in this hick town,

so we can use all

the help we can get.

So it says on your application

your only reference is

an Officer Shanti, Shanti?

- Shanti.

- Shanti Tyson.

Is that like, like police?

Are you at all associated

with the police force?

Well...

Not like,

no, not like, yeah, no.

Cool. Cool, no,

I didn't think so.

I didn't think so at all.

The total opposite, actually.

I was incarcerated.

Oh.

Oh?

No, sorry, um...

It's fine. It's fine. Uh...

Do you just mind

telling me, like, what for?

Arson. 12 years.

Okay.

Look, I'm not gonna...

That's not gonna

be a problem, is it?

No. No.

It's... it's, like, so fine.

So fine. Um...

You know, like obviously we,

we think the prison system

is like, ugh, you know,

but the position is,

like, a little more managerial,

so we're probably gonna

have to go with someone with

a little more experience.

What happened to training me?

I just think like for me,

like that's

the direction we're gonna go.

For you?

What about for me?

I just, um, look, obviously

we stand with you in solidarity.

Solidar... What does that mean?

I mean, I thought

I wasn't getting

the job because

I wasn't managerial.

That's part of it.

Yeah, that is part of it.

Why do I have to be

managerial to pour coffee?

Sir, I don't want

to upset you in any way.

Look, I'm not...

Never mind.

Have a good day.

[fast-paced, tense music]





[man]

Long time no see, Kay.

Oh, sh*t.

Well, that's a hell of a start.

But you've done worse.

Arthur.

Mind if I share the alley?

Free country.

Speaking of which,

how's life been

treating you on the outside?

Uh, couldn't tell you yet.

I'm not sure

why you'd care, though.

Last time I checked,

you stopped writing.

Well, you never responded,

so after a while,

I was just wasting stamps.

You look good.

Oh, he's a comedian now.

Fine, you look terrible.

What do you want?

Mom was asking about you.

Why is Mom not here?

What's this about?

Specter's at it again.

He burned down

a barn a few days ago.

And you think I helped him?

No, actually, Kay,

I need you to help me.

Wow. Wow.

Haven't spoken in years,

and the first thing

you do is ask a favor?

- Just hear me out.

- Why?

I need you, Kay.

Throw on your siren.

Do it yourself.

Got your little badge now, yeah?

Yeah, so

you did read my letters.

It's sheriff now, actually.

Where's your g*n?

And your horse.

I don't want to scare Specter.

I know he's gone off

somewhere in the mountains,

but I don't know where,

so just was thinking

you could point me

in the right direction.

You should

have been the comedian.

Wish I had the chance.

You weren't released

for good behavior.

[Kay] Obviously.

You know,

I bet there were a few guards

in there who weren't

your biggest fans.

Those guards

tell their superiors,

who tell the feds, who tell me.

Suddenly, you got

a lot of eyes on your back.

What are you getting at?

Specter goes on another spree.

Guess who gets pulled back

- in for questioning?

- Arthur?

Guess whose parole is

in jeopardy?

Guess who shares

a history of serial arson,

was arrested with

the culprit previously,

and has plenty

of shared motivation

for scorching

the town that betrayed him?

Are you threatening me?

Careful.

I'm offering you an alibi.

Accompany me until we catch

Specter, or he strikes again.

You're in the clear either way.

Look, I'm sure there's

a lot of people who would

love nothing more than

to see you sitting

on the sad side of their desk.

I'm saving

you a lot of headache.

I've learned to deal with

the headache after 12 years.

Then I'm offering

you a second chance.

Help me put this to rest.

We catch Specter,

he goes away for life.

And you get a new one.

Come on, Kay.

I see your bag.

I know you don't

have a job or a... a home.

Do this for me, and I can

help you get back on your feet.

I could pull some strings

and you could be looking at

35 an hour with benefits,

just like that.

Arthur, despite what

you think, I'm doing fine.

It may not look it, but I am.

And you should know most of

all that looks can be deceiving,

because after all,

you look like a cop,

but in reality,

you're a sniveling little weasel

with a gold star

that can get f*cked.

Me or the star?

You with your star.

[sign buzzing]

[faint rumbling music]

Come on.

[metal jingling]

What's up, Kay?

[grunting]

Found you, b*tch.

Look, Tony,

you don't gotta do this.

- Yeah, you f*cked up my boy.

- He started it.

Yeah, he'd be here to

finish too,

if his face didn't look

like burnt leather.

Big f*cking

improvement if you ask me.

Cut the sh*t.

You like fire?

Good.

Let's bring him to the bonfire.

[tense orchestral music]

Hey, yo, Tony.

Brought his own straps.

Perfect.

[grunting]

[faint fighting sounds]

[g*nsh*t]

I wanna see hands!

I said hands, now!

We're not going back to jail.

Final warning, if you don't

stop, I will open fire.

Yeah, but on who?

[g*n clicking]

sh*t.

We have enough gasoline

for the two of you.

[roaring]

Get the g*n!



Where is the g*n?

I'm working on it.

You are a terrible cop.

Stop being so dramatic.

You're doing fine.

[man screaming]

I'm not doing fine.

[Tony] Yeah? Come on!

I'm gonna k*ll you

one way or another.

The way I see it, k*lling

a freak like you's a service.

- [g*nsh*t]

- Oh, sh*t.

You okay?

Yeah. Yeah, no,

I'm enjoying myself, actually.

[both groaning]

So, who were they?

Those were my friends

from the halfway house.

Huh. Don't suppose

you know their names.

Thought you were

gonna protect me?

Nah, I thought

I'd start a book club.

Kay, I might not be

around next time to help.

I know.

I could be, though.

I could even move you to where

these guys would never find you.

My offer still stands, Kay.

Just one favor.

Just the one.

And you'll get me out of here.

- Scout's honor.

- Far away from you.

I might as well be in China.

'Kay, I was hoping for the moon.

Or hell.

Okay, well, beggars

can't be choosers.

How do I know I can trust you?

We're brothers.

Yeah, not by blood, not by bond.

Not good enough.

Bit harsh.

- How about Mom?

- Don't swear on Mom.

I'm not. I swore to her.

So, if you can't trust my word

to you, trust my word to Mom.

She made me promise

to look out for you.

This is the best offer that's

coming along for you right now.

[sighing]

Congratulations. You just moved

from potential criminal

to private consultant.

So, I'm getting paid?

No. No, no, no.

You always start pro bono.

Come on.

Pro bono my a*s.

So, you have

no idea where Specter's at?

Nope.

That's what you're here for,

brother of mine.

Don't get too comfortable.

Sorry. Call me a romantic.

Yeah. The romantic sheriff.

Yeah, let's

not get too comfortable.

To find Specter,

I need to know how he thinks.

And where he would have gone.

Well, he never lets anything go,

and he always

finishes what he starts.

The mill?

Think he's there?

As much as I hate that thought,

yeah, I'd put money on it.

Well, you're about

to hate it even more.

Yeah, why's that?

That road's been closed

for years from a rock slide,

which means three days

on foot with me.

I told you where he's at.

That's the deal.

No, the deal is you help me find

him, and then I hold up my end.

Unless you want to wait here for

your friends to show up again?

Come on, it'll be like

a backpacking trip,

just like when we were kids.

[Kay]

I said don't get too comfy!

[gentle guitar music]

[birds chirping]

So, do you have anything

you want to do now

that you're out?

Nope.

Okay, I just assumed

that after all this time

you would have

thought of something.

No, I mean

no to this conversation.

Well, this, uh, this one time

I was volunteering

- with the Cub Scouts...

- Is this necessary?

Yeah, look,

if you don't have anything

to say, then I'm gonna

have to pick up the slack.

We, um, we took the kids

to the Greenhorn

after their tour

of the police station,

and I'm getting orders

from everyone,

and this

one little guy points at

a picture on the menu of,

uh, Rocky Mountain Oysters,

and I'm not thinking,

so I just order them for him,

and he just starts

chowing down, like,

this kid is absolutely

loving them,

and he asks me what they are,

and I didn't really

see a reason to lie,

so I said, "Well, they're

actually bull testicles,"

and he says,

"Well, what are those?"

And I said,

"They're kind of like, um,

like cow meatballs,"

and this kid, I swear to God,

runs over to his mom,

who's at the table next to us,

she was chaperoning that day,

and he looks at her,

and with the most

serious face he says,

"We need to have spaghetti and

testicles every single night."

And this lady just looks

at me with this glare that says,

you know, you better

explain yourself.

So, I muster up the courage and

I walk over to her and I say,

"I guess testicles

taste pretty good?"

And she doesn't skip a beat

and just winks at me and says,

"Well, Sheriff,

you ought to know."

Turns out it was not

the kid's mom, it was his aunt,

and apparently I didn't

embarrass myself too badly,

because when I asked her

to get a beer with me,

she... she actually said yes,

and then we were off.

You know, I...

I didn't think it was possible

for two people to

fall in love that fast, but...

But that's what we did,

and we were married before

the year was out.

Just to...

To have someone like that,

you know, someone that special,

just

sometimes doesn't make

any sense to me, like, I get...

I get confused how

she could love me,

but she does,

and every day we wake up,

she smiles at me

brighter than the day before.

I don't think that I would ever

be happy without those looks.

Sorry.

I just get a little choked up

with those moments

that matter, you know?

I don't know.

I'm sorry, Kay.

Look, let's

just not talk about it.

Okay, but you

shouldn't feel like...

You're not my therapist, Arthur.

You're young, man.

You have a lot

of life ahead of you.

What about the life behind me?

I can't just pick up

where I left off at 18,

and I'm certainly

not where I need to be now.

I missed all that.

I missed being young,

being promising,

falling in love.

That's what prison is.

It's a 12-year reminder

of the life

that went on without me.

Kay...

Hey, let's just

talk about this, okay?

I don't want to talk about it.

I don't need to talk about it,

about this, about anything.

- But Kay...

- No more talking!

Okay.

- The other day

- Come on.

- I'm not talking, I'm singing.

- You're making noise.

Okay, well I can either

talk to you or sing to myself.

Fine.

The other day, I saw a bear

I saw a bear

A great big bear

A great big bear

- A way up there

- I'm not singing.

- I didn't ask you to.

- Yeah, but you...

You need to stop

talking right now

because I'm singing, okay?

The other day I saw a bear

A great big bear

a way up there

I looked at him

I looked at him

- He looked at me

- He looked at me

- I sized him up

- I sized him up

- He sized up me

- He sized up me

I looked at him,

he looked at me

I sized him up,

he sized up me

- God, this is stupid.

- Yes, it is.

[birds chirping]



[crackling]





Kay?

Kay!

[grunting]

No!

- Kay!

- [Kay yelling]

Kay! Kay! Kay! I got you.

Settle down.

Settle down. It's...

What the hell is going on?

I'm okay, all right?

What is happening right now?

Kay! What the hell was that?

- Nothing.

- Nothing.

You just bashed me in the face

and you're trying to

light yourself on fire.

- I'm fine.

- Obviously not.

I don't want to talk about it.

Well, we're going to.

[panting]

Kay, just tell me.

I don't know when it started.

I don't like fire.

Really? Because it seems

like you kind of love it.

I just feel like I...

Is that why

your hands are bandaged?

Yeah.

Sometimes it's bad.

Sometimes it's less bad.

I just try to stay away,

just in case.

Then, who lit the fire?

Kay, who lit the fire?

You know who.

Okay, he's been following us.

I saw him at the park.

What?

Why didn't

you tell me this before?

It doesn't matter.

Okay? We're not going

to find him out here.

He's not going to be found

if he doesn't want to be found.

- Kay, he got arrested.

- Because of me.

Okay? He would have been

long gone if it wasn't for me.

I... Maybe I let something slip.

I took too long.

And last thing I remember,

he was bolting out of the room,

and I was alone and then

I wasn't alone,

and then some cop is bashing

me over the head,

and it's all over.

That's the last time

I saw fire before... this.

I'm sorry, Kay.

Yeah, me too.

I think you're still

seeing that fire.

- Arthur...

- You are.

And maybe you're

just trying to put it out now.

You know

that I have a daughter now?

I'm still getting over

the fact that you have a wife.

Yeah.

A lot can happen in 12 years.

The little one, Charlotte.

She loves these.

Prairie flax.

She carries them with her

wherever she goes.

She'll go screaming

off the trail, into the bush,

at the sight of them.

So, I try to pick them up

wherever I can

to bring them home to her.

And then

I started to like 'em too.

They remind me

of her and her mother.

It grounds me.

Maybe it'll help ground you too.

Thanks.

You should try to get some rest.

Arthur.

You didn't have to grab me

back there.

I would've snapped out of that.

After roasting your hands?

Happened anyway.

Would've saved you some trouble.

I'll take the trouble.

You rest up.

We got a long day tomorrow.

Lot of ground to cover.

[gentle guitar music]





[insects chirping]

[unsettling music]

[gasping]



[leaves crunching]

Long time no see, Kay.

- Specter?

- Yeah.

It's me, bud.

What the hell is going on?

What are you doing?

I'm thinking it's time

we put the band back together.

I'm not an arsonist anymore.

You might've enjoyed your 12

years in jail, but I didn't.

What about Arthur?

What about him?

He's a little too

boy scout for my taste.

- Should I take care of him?

- You touch him...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, cowboy.

Not too close.

Neat little trick

you picked up there.

Leave Arthur out of this.

He has done nothing to you.

Is that so?

I'd be careful of

that brotherly love, Kay.

He might not be as

boy scout as you think.

What are you talking about?

I've missed you.

- Specter!

- I'd never lie to you.

- Specter!

- Shh, shh, shh.

Let's not wake dear brother.

At least not yet.

Why are you here?

Trip down memory lane, maybe?

Now, I don't know

how cushy your jail was,

but the one I was

transferred to had a library.

Oh!

It was filled with the best

collection of classic novels

and articles a con could lay his

gasoline-soaked hands on.

One day, as I'm skipping

through some of the classics,

I stumble across some

old newspaper articles.

The Crestridge Gazette.

And these went back.

Back to your junior year

championship win,

your victory lap

as homecoming king,

and the first student ever

from Crestridge High to

get accepted to MIT.

Man, these were good reads.

But like all good stories,

it took a turn, didn't it?

- Specter?

- No, no, no. Let me finish,

because the next one

is my favorite.

"Local high school hero arrested

on serial arson charges."

Town betrayed, father disgraced.

You love your father, don't you?

Don't talk about him.

Loved. Sorry, loved.

And he loved you. He did.

Don't assume otherwise.

A man's heart

can't break that much

- if it isn't filled with love.

- Stop talking!

But when it broke,

it broke for good.

He lost a son.

Thankfully, he had another.

A less flashy, less fun son,

but whose rather lackluster

future was still intact.

A live mule is

better than a dead horse.

When he died,

how much did you lose

to Arthur in the inheritance?

Your dad's farm was big.

A couple million?

A couple dozen million?

Eh. Oh well.

At least it's safe with Arthur.

Safe to rot away year

after year,

as he runs around town

playing hero cop.

The hero

you were supposed to be.

Shut up.

Safe with old Arthur.

Well, not that safe.

His barn did go up

like a pile of newspapers.

His barn?

Went up like all

your dreams in those newspapers.

What are you saying?

The man had relations with

his wife Eve,

and she conceived

and bore Kay saying,

"I have produced a man

with the help of the Lord."

Next, she adopted

his brother Arthur.

Kay became keeper of flocks,

while Arthur a tiller of soil.

In the course of time,

Arthur brought offerings

to the Lord from the dirt.

While Kay, for his part, brought

his best firstling of his flock.

[ominous music]

The Lord looked in favor

on Kay and his offerings,

but on Arthur and his dirt,

he did not.

[distorted] Let's go.

Arthur greatly resented

this and was crestfallen.

And he said to his brother Kay,

let us go into the field.

And when they were in the field,

Arthur raised his hand

and k*lled his brother Kay.



No!

[Arthur] Kay? Kay!

Food for thought.

[Arthur] Kay!

Kay, are you all right? Hey.

- He said...

- Who, Specter?

- You.

- Was it Specter, Kay?

God, we could have had him.

You should have woken me up.

It was you the whole time.

What are you talking about?

That night. That night,

you called the cops.

You hit me.

You got me arrested.

Kay, just calm down.

Specter can't be trusted.

Don't listen

to anything he said.

Arthur, please.

- Kay, listen to me...

- Tell me!

The night you got arrested,

I found gas-soaked rags

in the garage.

We drove diesel.

You told Mom you were

going to the Greenhorn,

but I saw

your tire tracks in the mud.

You went left, not right.

Everything fell together.

Your distance with Mom and Dad.

Your distance with me.

Your ego.

You started

hanging out with Specter,

but he never even

came up the driveway.

- So, I... I called the cops.

- Jesus.

I knew they weren't

going to get there in time.

Kay, kids used

to go to that mill.

What if

they got caught in the fire?

I had to go.

You don't think

I would have checked?

I burned down some empty

building because it was fun.

- I am not a m*rder*r.

- Well, Specter could have been.

Oh. No, no, no, no, no.

This is about me, not Specter.

You knew I was

the town's favorite.

Dad's favorite. You weren't.

You weren't anything, Arthur.

You couldn't even do a pull-up.

Look at you.

And you wanted to join,

what, the Marines?

No, you wanted what I had.

But you couldn't

get that yourself,

so you settled for a lie.

- And you took it from me.

- I did not.

You took my future

and the inheritance.

I never thought about the money.

I was just doing what was right.

Oh-h*, doing what is right?

Don't give me that bullshit.

You didn't want

to do what was right.

You just wanted to

look like the good guy.

That is ridiculous.

You just wanted to

look like the good guy,

and you always have.

You know how I know that?

- How, Kay?

- Because a good guy

would not have lied

to the brother

he sent to

jail for 12 f*cking years!

Specter is

going to hurt my family!

I'm sorry, Kay. I am.

I lied to you for 12 years, and,

yes, I kept lying, but I had to.

Specter found out

about my involvement,

so when he got out,

he burned down the farm.

Dad's farm.

And he also left a note.

He said that if

I didn't meet him at the mill,

he was going to find

my family and make them burn.

And that if I got

any other police involved,

he would make them burn.

If I tried to

get away with them,

he would make them burn,

I couldn't risk that.

I knew what he was capable of.

If you knew where to find him,

why'd you bother with me?

I was afraid

that if he got to you first,

maybe he could use you

to hurt my family.

Or that even that

you might join him,

I had to get to you first.

So, I'm a loose end.

I'm just a threat.

Of course not.

You're my brother.

No. I'm a liability.

Please, Kay, you have to

understand, they are my family.

- They're my life.

- What about my life?

What about me being your family?

If I wasn't

connected to any of this,

you wouldn't have given

a sh*t if you ever saw me again.

That's not true!

Stop lying!

All you do is lie

to get what you want.

- You're using me.

- Please, Kay.

I'm not

going to be used anymore!

[ominous music]

Abel became a keeper of flocks,

and Cain a tiller of the soil.



In the course of time,

Cain brought an offering

to the Lord from the fruit

of the soil,

while Abel brought his best

firstling from his flock.

The Lord looked with favor

on Abel and his offering,

but on Cain and his offering,

he did not.

Cain greatly resented this

and was crestfallen,

and said to his brother Abel,

let us go into the field.

When they were in the field,

Cain attacked

his brother Abel,

and k*lled him.



Fight back!

I'm not going to fight you.

Why? You guys don't fight?

You're my brother.

I'm not going

to fight my brother.

You're not my brother.

You k*lled

your brother 12 years ago.

That's not true.

There's still good in you.

You still have a future...

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

You have no idea

what my life is like.

You know what else?

If I don't k*ll you,

I hope Specter does.

I hope he burns you down,

your life,

and your whole family with you.

Listen to me very closely.

I will not

fight you for my sake,

but if there is even

a sliver of a chance

that you could hurt my family,

I will blow you away.

I wasn't jealous.

I was proud of you.

I didn't need

to be a hero because

you were already my hero.

I don't care

about the money, I...

I just care about my family.

And that includes you.

But I can't keep fighting you.

I was wrong about you.

You're not trying

to put the fire out.

You're still trying

to control it.



[exhales]

[panting]

[exhales]

God damn it!

[shouting]

God damn it!

[breathing heavily]

You got a problem?

Take it out on the dirt.

What?

Hit the dirt.

You're scaring the fish.

Oh.

Sorry.

Eh, it's probably

too late for this hole now.

Come on. You can pay me back

by helping me chop some wood.

I'm sorry?

You spooked the fish.

You gotta make up for it.

- Now come on.

- Look, hey...

- I'm sorry, but I...

- [chuckles]

You sure do apologize a lot

for someone who's not eager

to make things right.

Now, if not

well, I'll have no choice

but to keep this.

I just threw that out.

Then, you don't mind

if I keep it.

I have supper as well, but only

for those who want to work.

[Kay] f*ck!

[breathing heavily]

That didn't sound good.

Hey, take a break, man.

Hope you like berries.

[Kay exhales]

What happened to your hands?

I burned 'em.

[man] They hurt?

Right now?

Any time.

Yeah, all the time.

What's your name, kid?

Kay.

I'm Joe.

Thanks for the berries, Joe.

You bet.

[birds chirping]

Hold on a minute.

Come over here.

Give me that.

Let's have a look at this.

[Kay exhales]

- [Kay groans softly]

- I'm sorry. Sorry.

[Kay exhales]

[Joe] Ooh!

Gnarly.

All right. Put 'em in.

Put 'em in. It's all right.

[Kay exhales]

I got this from my auntie.

- It's never failed me before.

- Oh, that feels amazing.

Just keep them

in there a little,

and you'll feel right as rain.

Uh

what's all this for?

It's what you do for

homeless bums, right?

You help 'em out.

I'm not a homeless bum.

I am.

And you're helping me out.

You can do me one more kindness

by telling me why

you were hell-bent on

scaring off every fish

in a five-mile radius.

Joe, with all due respect...

Um, and, really, thank you

for the...

For the berries

and whatever this is, but

you brought me here

to chop wood.

Not to get to know me.

Well,

pile's right over there, then.

[gasps]

[laughing]

How did...

I don't know. Ask my auntie.

Try 'em out.

No! No!

[unsettling music]

Arthur! [Shouts]

[Kay grunting]

Hey! You stay there, okay?

What are you,

some kind of junkie?

Anti-junkie?

It's just a f*ck' joint!

- What, you afraid of weed?

- I'm afraid of fire.

Well, you said a name,

and it ain't yours.

- Who's Arthur?

- No one.

Well, it doesn't

sound like no one.

- It's no one!

- Hey!

I'm the one that just

got jumped, all right?

- Who's Arthur?

- My brother!

[panting]

Hey. Easy.

[sighs]

Hey, I'm sorry, man.

When some random stranger

jumps me in the woods,

I tend to get a little anxious.

So, what's Arthur's game?

I... You gonna get mad

at me if I

really don't feel like

talking about it?

You can feel whatever you want.

But you're gonna tell me.

It's a long story.

Make it short.

Okay, I... was arrested,

and I recently

found out that my brother

is the one that put me there.

Did he frame you?

No. I did it.

Oh.

Then you deserved to be in jail.

How much time did you do?

12 years.

When are you gonna get out?

[chuckles]

I am out.

[scoffs] Oh, no, you're not.

What are you talking about?

You're living in your

own personal prison, man.

Okay, I don't need

some dusty-a*s hippie

telling me

how screwed my life is.

All right?

You didn't deserve that.

What?

You didn't deserve

to lose that much of your life.

There's still some

more berries over here.

And I promise I will

try to limit my, uh,

dusty "hippie mantras," man.

Come on, sit down.

Look, you've had, what,

12 not-so-great years?

Seems to me you could have

60 much better ones to go.

But that's not gonna happen if

you hold your hurts so precious.

It happened.

Past tense, man.

Leave it in the past.

Did you roll out

of a tie-dye Volkswagen bus

- and get lost here?

- [chuckling]

Nope,

just out of my mom's hooter

and out onto

this big blue marble.

Yeah, it's not that simple, Joe.

[Joe]

Yes, it is.

Easy? No.

Simple? Yeah.

Now, I'm gonna go back inside

and have another big hit

of that wonderful joint.

Now, if you're smart,

you'll come and join me.

But if you're even smarter,

you're gonna head that way

and go find your brother.

[sighs]

Wrong way.

You came from that way.

That's where your brother's at.

Look...

I just need to think

about some things.

No, no, no, you do not

need to think about things.

And I can tell that's something

that you're not very good at.

And I'm gonna try and help you.

You trust me?

Not really.

You got anything to lose?

Not much.

Sit down.

No fire, please.

It's all right.

Cover your eyes if you have to.

You know, in a past life,

I used to be an alchemist.

My auntie helped me with that.

And this.

It's all right. It's all right.

Breathe in slowly.

Breathe it in. That's it.

- That's it. That's it.

- [Kay coughing]

- That's it. That's it.

- [Kay panting]

Is this supposed

to show me something?

Nothing that

you don't already know.

Just give you

the opportunity to face it.

Face it?

You're on the precipice, man.

You just need a little push.

Doesn't make any sense.

You get into any trouble

think of the flower.

[low, unsettling music]

[gasps, pants]

Joe? Joe!

- What the hell?

- [high-pitched ringing]

[grunts]

- [groans]

- [ringing fades]

[breathing heavily]

Hey, are you okay?

It's you.

Do we... do we know each other?

No, no. Sorry, um...

I just woke up here

and I'm a little confused.

All my stuff is gone.

What happened to your hands?

Uh, I burned them.

But they were, um...

There was this old man.

Did he have a white tent?

Yeah. Why? Do you know Joe?

[sighs] God, I'm so sorry. Um

park ranger came by this morning

and said there was this old guy

going around talking to people

and then, uh

well, drugging them.

Oh.

Are you all right?

Do you need any help?

This is just my luck.

Honestly, I mean, you're lucky

he didn't take a kidney.

Wow. [Chuckles]

- Bedside manners.

- Sorry. [Laughs]

Just, you know,

helps take the edge off.

I'm Kate.

- You've got to be kidding.

- What?

My name's Kay.

Oh. Wow. Kay.

That's, uh... that's weird.

Not bad weird. Just, you know...

Regular weird?

Regular weird.

Hey, so, uh, this whole thing's

kind of freaking me out,

so I was actually gonna

go back to my campsite

and pack up and then

head into town, and, um

company might be nice.

We just met.

Yeah, no, if you...

If you'd rather

stay in the woods with

the crazy guy around.

No, sorry, that would be great.

Thanks for the soap.

Yeah.

- Figured you might want it.

- It was nice.

Never used, uh,

lavender pine sap.

- Pretty neat.

- Neat?

[laughs]

Wow, I was a little

nervous about you at first,

but you're 100 years old.

Yeah,

it feels like it sometimes.

Well, it doesn't look like it.

So, what are you doing out here?

Oh, I was, uh

hiking with my brother.

There's two of you? Damn.

Where's he at?

Um, we got in a fight.

About what?

- It's, um...

- Not that it's any

of my business, it's just,

you know, tall, mysterious man

wanders into the woods,

uses my soap,

I kind of wanna know

a little bit more about him.

Okay. Um...

What do you wanna know?

Why don't you start

from the beginning?

I was arrested.

For what?

Arson.

That makes me feel better.

Yeah,

not the best first impression.

No, I'm serious, it does.

Never heard that before.

Well, it could be m*rder.

- Fair enough.

- Unless...

Dumb kid, not Dahmer.

Fair enough.

I, uh... I just found out that

my brother is the one

who got me arrested.

Hence the fight.

Yeah. Got bad.

I left, and

he left, and he's out there,

and I don't know what to do.

He's in some trouble, and he...

Forget him.

What?

Did he get himself

into this trouble?

Yeah.

Well,

then he can get himself out.

You don't owe anything

to anyone, especially family.

My dad kicked me out

when I was young.

I was just a girl, and

he took away everything from me.

And I grew up,

and I realized

I'd been living my life

based off of his expectations

instead of my own,

and I had just

wasted all these years

trying to reconcile

and to make it right.

But that's a lie.

Other people

won't make you happy.

You have to live for yourself.

I don't belong to anyone.

Neither do you.

Maybe not.

Maybe you should

take care of yourself first.

Maybe I should.

Maybe we could travel together.

Even if just for

the next few miles.

- You don't even know me.

- So?

I knew my dad pretty well

and he still let me down.

Sounds like you know

your brother pretty well.

- Apparently not.

- No, you did.

And maybe you were

right about him.

It doesn't matter.

He's gone.

You're living for yourself now.

You're free.

Free to hitchhike

with some random girl

that I just met

after waking up in a forest?

Free to do whatever you want.

Plus, I think I'm more

than just some random girl.

[tender music]



What?

- I, um...

- Hey!

Hey, hey.

Let it just be us.

No one else. Hm?

Yeah.

[music turns dark]

[Kay gasps, pants]

I'm sorry, I just...

My brother might need me.

I need to go.

Hey, hey, hey.

That's not your problem, okay?

Whose problem is it, huh?

It's your brother's.

So who has to face

the consequences?

He does.

Because who was

in the wrong to begin with?

He was. So he deserves

to bear this alone.

Then so would I. I have to go...

You're only gonna waste

your time if you go back there.

Just

stay with me.

I'm not gonna let anyone

take advantage of you.

That's what he wants to do.

He wants to use you

to solve his problems.

- But what if...

- Just stop thinking

and do what

you wanna do for once.

Just

don't worry about tomorrow.

We're young and free now.

Forget tomorrow.

Forget everyone else out there.

Just think of us.

Let everything else burn.

[intense instrumental]

[gasping]

[music intensifies]

[Kay grunting]

You think that he's

gonna help you if you help him?

You've spent the last 12 years

rotting in a cell

while he prospered off

of what was yours.

You deserve so much more.

What are you?

I'm the best part of you.

Don't you like me?

Look at me.

[deeper voice] Look at me!



[slow, uneasy drumbeat]

[music intensifies]

Boo.

- [sizzling]

- [screaming]

- [breathing heavily]

- [flames crackling]

[fire roaring]

What's the golden rule, Kay?

Do unto yourself

before you do unto others.

Listen to me.



[slow-mo screaming]

[uneasy, reversed instrumental]

[breathing heavily]

[breathing rapidly]

You don't like that?

Neither do I.

Here.

- I'll help.

- [bones cracking]

[enigmatic instrumental]

Having trouble?

I can help with that too.

[bones crackling]

[music intensifies and warps]

[screaming]

[music quiets]



[guttural chanting]

[fire crackling]

[breathing heavily]

He took everything from you.

Your money.

Your life. Your future!

You were someone once.

And you can be again.

Stay with me and I'll give you

everything you've ever wanted.

If you lose me, there's nothing.

Maybe there's something more.

Maybe you need me.

No.

Without me, you're nothing.

I've been nothing for 12 years.



What are you gonna do with that?

What? No! No!

[music intensifies]

No!

No!

[screaming]

[screaming continues]

[screaming continues]

[screaming fades]

Ah! What...

[screaming]

What the...

You're real?

Yep.

I was dreaming?

What did you see?

I have no idea.

That'll happen

from time to time.

I need to find Arthur.

Whatever you did, thank you.

I didn't show you anything

that you didn't already know.

Now go.

Sorry about your chair.

- It's okay.

- First time vision guy.

- I got it. Go.

- Okay. Thank you!

[fast-paced fiddle music]



[breathing heavily]



[music fades]

[grunting]

[breathing heavily]

You can have mine

if you need it.

Long time no see.

Arthur, I'm so sorry. I...

You're back.

You're back.

I thought I lost you,

but you came back.

It's the right thing to do.

There he is.

What?

I've been waiting to see

that Kay for over 12 years now.

Yeah, well,

it feels pretty good.

I'm sorry, Kay. I never

wanted any of this for you.

- It's okay.

- No, it's not.

The night that they took

you away,

I hoped that

you would get off easy, but

there was a part of me...

That was angry.

That was happy.

You always had

everything going for you.

And I felt like

you threw all of that away.

Everything

that I had ever wanted.

I thought that you deserved

what was coming to you, like...

Like the scales

were finally being balanced.

I was jealous.

And then, it got so quiet.

And Dad stopped talking.

And in the silence at night,

all I could hear was Mom crying.

They missed you, Kay.

I missed you so much.

I wish that

I could go back, and

just talk to you as who I am now

and tell you how much

you mean to me.

[soft instrumental]

I'm here now.

I'm your brother.

I'm not going anywhere.

I was wrong about you, Kay.

You are trying

to put the fire out.

Let's put it out then.



[soft instrumental]



[Kay] What happened to this

place?

[Specter] Ironic, isn't it?

Specter?

We tried to burn down this place

so many years ago, and failed

only to have it crumble

under its own weight

without anyone touching it.

Entropy.

There's no crime.

Just the acceleration of

the inevitable.

We don't need a lecture,

Specter. What do you want?

You can either align with nature

or run against it, Arthur.

I'm just trying to

help it along its course.

What are you talking about?

You know, Kay

honestly, I'm surprised

that you're even here.

You see,

I'm only after your brother.

I thought by bringing up

a little family domestic

would have been enough

to keep you away from us, but...

I guess

you are just as sentimental

and worthless

as you were before.

Oh, well.

Fate, I suppose.

He'll just go down like

the rest of them,

kicking and screaming

in the fire.

Enough, Specter!

[Specter]

You can't stop me, Arthur.

No more than

you can stop nature.

If I don't get to you

or your family,

what's to stop disease?

Or the dulling

of your wife's love?

Or that little girl of yours

falling in with the wrong crowd

and ending up just like

your brother?

Stop! Don't you dare!

[Specter] Speaking of

your brother, what about him?

I know you two had your little

hug-it-out moment,

but band-A*DS

don't fix broken bones.

What's to stop him from

finishing what I've started?

I'm not that person

anymore, Specter.

Are you sure?

Have you asked brother dearest

what he's planning on doing

with that inheritance?

I know it's nice to make up

and shake hands,

but I'm not so sure there'll be

money in those palms.

I don't care about the money.

Not yet.

[sing-song] I said to them

why don't you run?

He's too afraid

to use his g*n.

This is pointless.

We need to draw him out.

I'll do it.

- What?

- I'll do it.

I'll go out there.

I'll lure him out.

No, you're unarmed.

He doesn't care about me.

He wants you.

- I'll be fine.

- I'm not gonna let you put

- yourself in danger like that.

- Arthur.

Let me do this for you.

For your family.

I need to do this.

Okay.

Nothing's gonna happen to you.

I have your back.

I know.

[soft instrumental]

[tense instrumental]



Specter!

I wanna talk.

[Specter]

Oh, my little buddy.

I really do feel bad

what happened to you.

You didn't deserve

that much time.

I don't wanna talk about me.

[Specter]

Why not?

You've weaseled yourself

into the situation,

so I might as well give you

the spotlight

before I deal with your brother.

What are you gonna do to him?

[Specter] You're wasting

your time on stage, Kay.

The light in

the back of the house

will come on eventually,

and when it does

you might not wanna be here.

You gonna k*ll him?

k*ll me instead.

[Specter]

No can do.

Your brother beat me to it.

Or do you not remember

Shepard State Pen?

He didn't do that to me.

I did.

And I got what I deserved.

We both did.

Speak for yourself, buddy.

That's the difference

between you and me.

You're not in it.

You weren't then,

and you certainly aren't now.

You're more Boy Scout

than your brother.

[Kay]

He's a good man.

You're not gonna hurt him

or his family.

[Specter] Wow,

you've come around quick.

But you're just as much of

a fool as your brother

if you think I can be stopped.

I'm inevitable.

I will k*ll Arthur,

and when I'm done with him,

I will move on to his family,

and I don't care that

he won't be around to see it,

'cause it's not about revenge.

It's about completion.

Old Arthur's kidding himself,

crawling around wherever he is.

He's right about

one thing, though.

You are pretty as bait.

[breathing shakily]

[inhaling deeply]

[exhaling]

You see,

the real difference between us

is casual versus career.

I thought in the beginning

you wanted to commit,

but I see now that

you were only in it for the fun.

Not for the long haul

for 12 years like me.

No, you see, for me,

as soon as Sin said,

bide your time, I was in.

I stepped into the long game.

Entropy.

Ride the wave,

or get crushed by it.

I've always wanted to do this.

No!

[tense instrumental]



[sound muted]





[soulful instrumental]

[muted g*nshots]





[Arthur]

Hey, Kay. Hey.

Kay. Kay.

Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Kay.

Kay, listen to me.

I'm gonna get

you out of here, okay?

I'm gonna get you out of here.

I'm not gonna let you die.

You're not gonna die.

You understand me?

You're gonna live.

You're gonna live.

You're gonna meet my family.

Kay, please?

[Arthur] The building crumbles

and a brother dies.

I win. [Laughing weakly]

No matter what, I win.

You didn't win anything!

Are you sure?

I see a tear on your face.

There's no tears on mine.

I am glorious.

Brighter than the sun.

While you sit there, pathetic.

Wasting away

in ill-founded grief.

It doesn't matter.

60 years from now or today,

it's all the same.

I know that.

I win.

He's wrong. Kay?

Hey, hey.

Hey, stay with me. Stay with me.

- 'M gonna get you out of here.

- Hey, hey, hey...

Just be here with me.

I can't let you die.

I took away half of your life.

I can't let

you lose the rest of it.

Specter was right.

No, he's not.

He's not right.

I have lived.

I've lived more

than I ever could have.

Listen, I can see it now.

Time can work backwards.

All those years I spent alone,

all those years wasted

those years mean something now.

My whole life

means something now.

I've never been happier

in my entire life.

You're safe.

Your family's safe.

I found what I was looking for.

What?

Peace.

Hey, hey.

He looked at me.

[chuckling]

[sobbing]

He looked at me.

I looked at him.

I looked at him.

[exhaling shakily]

Kay.

Kay.

[sobbing]

[soft, peaceful instrumental]

[insects chirping]

Baby Kayla took

her first steps the other day.

Charlotte was pretty jealous

of the attention.

But I'm sure

she'll grow out of that

once the two of them can

start running around together.

I wish you could have met them.

I still...

feel regret sometimes.

I wanted to give you

so much more.

I wanted you to meet them.

They're here because of you.

Thank you.

Thank you for being my brother.



You have fun.

I can tell you're happy now.