Hey! Hey, are you all right?
Oh, God. Help me.
You all right, man?
Hang in there.
Callie!
Callie!
Callie!
Jude!
There's a storm coming.
Callie, come over here quick.
What happened?
I don't know.
He was just laying in the road
about a mile back.
What should we do?
Let's get him in the house.
Is Clay not here?
I asked you if Clay's gone
for one of his walks again.
How long has he been gone this time?
One day?
Two?
He looks like he's walked around the world.
Callie.
It's all right.
You're safe now.
I'll look after you.
Just rest now.
Well, maybe he's gone for good.
Living out here's
driven him crazy once and for all.
You'd best start loading the truck.
You'll have to do it by yourself.
Clay's been gone for two days.
How's the patient?
Just needs some rest and food.
I wish you wouldn't joke about it, Jude.
Joke about what?
Clay not coming back.
I didn't mean anything by it.
Clay loves me.
- I know.
- He'll come back.
Always does.
Hey, when he does,
I got that new tool he ordered.
Just put it in the barn.
Barn?
Let me give you the rest of your supplies.
You should come to town to get them,
you know.
Give everyone
the satisfaction of staring at me?
Whispering and judging.
I can live without that.
Besides, I have you to fetch things for me.
I might not always
be here to get them, Callie.
That's right. You're going to get away.
That's right.
You've been saying that
as long as I've known you, Jude.
I know.
I bet you'll be saying it when you're 60.
I wanna be a writer.
I'm sure you'll tell wonderful stories, Jude.
Not living here, I won't.
Nothing ever happens to tell stories about.
What, the trees? The truck?
How the tree perceives the truck.
Does the truck perceive the tree?
At least you have a job.
Anybody to do with coffins is thriving.
I guess that's one of God's little jokes.
Does God play jokes?
All the time.
Go on. You better get out of here
before the storm sets in.
What shall I do about...
Leave him.
Leave him?
He might be a criminal or something.
I suppose he might.
That's just a chance I'll have to take.
Nursed by you.
Worth getting exhaustion for any day.
Get out of here.
Take care of yourself, Callie. See you soon.
Looked like it came from
the top of the mountain.
You're okay.
You scared me.
I'm sorry.
You shouldn't be up, really.
You should be resting still.
Where am I?
This is my home.
My name's Callie.
I live here with Clay,
the love of my life, so to speak.
He's a carpenter.
Made most everything in the house.
He makes coffins, too,
for the undertaker in town.
Clay gets in these moods.
Goes for a walk,
a walk in the dark, he calls it.
He thinks. Sorts out his problems.
He'll be back soon enough.
Everything will be all right.
There.
I hope you like it.
Our Father, who art in heaven...
May we be worthy of
the food which you have...
Amen.
Of course. Amen.
I had to burn your clothes.
They were ruined.
I'll find you something of Clay's to wear.
Did you find a Bible in the pocket?
Yeah. I didn't burn that. I've got it.
Darkly Noon. What's that?
Me.
It's your name?
It's a peculiar name, isn't it?
My ma and pa chose it.
They stuck a pin in the Bible,
and it struck the word "darkly."
You know the passage
from II Corinthians 13:12.
"For now we see each other
through a glass, darkly."
It's a primitive way to choose a name,
isn't it?
It's the way we choose our names.
It's what we believe.
- We?
- My people.
Your people?
Do you belong to
some sort of a sect or a cult?
It's not a cult.
It's the way it should be.
We live by the Bible.
All truth is in the Bible.
These your parents?
Well, we best be giving them a call.
I'm sure they're worried about you.
You can't. They're gone to heaven.
I'm sorry.
What happened to them?
We live in this small town, miles from here.
It's me, my ma, my pa,
and a whole community of people who
believe in the Bible.
Townspeople, they don't like us because...
Because you were different.
The police came.
They told us we can't stay there anymore.
We have to leave.
We can't live the way we want to.
And the townspeople came, too.
And then they surrounded us.
And they were screaming at us,
all the time calling us names,
doing everything they can
to make us surrender,
but we won't change to please them.
They cut off our food, power, water.
There's helicopters circling overhead
all day and night,
and playing music really loud.
But it's them who are wrong.
They're the heretics. God's on our side.
And then one night, there's an explosion.
There's fire, gunshots.
And they attacked us.
I saw my parents get killed.
They were shot.
Somehow I got away.
Afterwards, I started walking.
Just walking and walking.
I didn't know where I was going.
Now I got nowhere.
Don't talk like that.
Your walking brought you here.
You have this place now.
You hear me?
And you can stay here
as long as you please.
I'm sure you'll be comfortable up here.
I used to stay up here once myself.
Here's fine.
Are you sure?
Very.
Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning.
Sleep well.
If you do need anything,
you let me know, okay?
You know, I could... I could do that.
Sure you're up to it?
Yeah.
Excuse me, ma'am.
It's all right, Lee.
- Lee?
- I've been thinking.
I can't call you Darkly. I'm sorry. I just can't.
Lee's all right, isn't it?
Be careful up there.
The whole thing's falling to pieces.
Whole damn house will fall down someday,
I swear it will.
Thank you very much, kind sir.
You putting sugar in the peas?
Always have done.
Should be salt.
Now, who laid down that rule?
My ma and pa.
Lee, I wanna talk to you for a minute.
Come here.
Your ma and your pa,
your name and the Bible and
this cult?
It was the word of God.
Well, sure.
But what you have to realize is that
you were...
God's everywhere.
But not everybody worships God
with the same harshness
as your ma and your pa.
No, it's the truth.
Well, surely God meant for us
to enjoy ourselves.
To be happy.
To love.
That's not a sin, is it?
I mean, I love Clay.
God can strike me down dead
if there's something wrong with that.
Leave me alone! Do you hear me?
- It's all right.
- But... But... But...
Jesus Christ!
You're gonna kill somebody
one of these days!
You don't scare me!
Why don't you
come out in the open and shoot?
Do you hear me?
Let us live in peace!
Callie. Callie. Don't... Don't get...
It's all right. It's not meant to hurt me.
It's just meant to let me know
that you're out there!
Well, I know you're out there!
Leave me alone!
We're not hurting anybody!
Who was that? Was that Clay?
No, of course it wasn't Clay!
Why would Clay shoot at me?
Look, forget about it.
It won't happen again for a while.
Give me a smile.
That's better.
Only Clay can get this radio to work.
Clay, come home.
Good night.
Wait. Don't go.
You don't have to go.
Stay and tell me some more about
how you lived and everything.
No.
Come home, Clay. Clay.
Clay.
You all right, Lee?
Yeah.
You shouldn't smoke.
Why?
It's a sin.
Good night, Lee.
It is so hot today.
I have an idea.
Come on.
Look, Lee. It's a spa. Let's have a soak.
What?
Don't... Don't do that.
- Why?
- You shouldn't.
Being naked isn't the same as sex,
you know.
It's a sin.
What, sex?
That's right.
Don't tell me that's what
your ma and your pa always said.
It's the word of God.
Well, can I just stay like this?
That's not a sin, is it?
No.
That's a relief.
Jump in, Lee.
There's nobody here but you and me.
There's something in my hair.
I think it's an insect.
Can you get it out for me?
Can you see it?
Careful.
Don't hurt it.
I think I killed it.
There's something I wanna show you.
This is my favorite place in the whole world.
We're right in the middle of the woods.
Its heart.
Someone once told me that
you can only walk halfway into a forest.
Then after that, you're walking out.
Well, whoever told you that was wrong.
You can walk as far into the woods
as you have a mind to go.
It can go on forever sometimes.
Did you see this?
It's been here for thousands of years.
And you know what it's saying?
It's saying, "I'm part of time.
"There may be nothing left of me
but this handprint,
"but I'm part of it."
I believe.
I believe.
Callie.
I never met anyone like you before.
I think about you.
I know.
I care about you very much.
I'd like you to be a part of our family.
Don't spoil anything.
Clay!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
I knew you'd be back!
I knew you'd be back. Oh, my God.
Lee! Lee, where are you?
Lee, come home!
Everything is falling apart.
Clay's the only one
who can fix anything around here.
I told him he could stay here, Clay.
Say that it's all right. Say that he can.
How come he can't talk?
Born that way.
Doesn't matter, though.
He doesn't need words.
That's enough, Clay.
His parents were killed in a terrible accident.
If he stays here with us,
we can be his new family.
So, it's all right?
You're not wearing...
You're not wearing a ring.
No, we're not married.
Good night, Lee.
Have you loved Callie for...
How long have you loved Callie?
A long time?
Hey, have you ever...
Have you ever considered getting married?
You could... You could do that. It would...
You could make it right
in the eyes of God, and...
Please, Ma. Please, Pa.
Please show me the way.
Please.
Please, Ma, Pa.
And I... Please tell me what to do.
Please, Ma. Please, Ma and Pa.
Tell me what to do. Show me the way.
Please. I'm so lost. Amen.
I don't have any money.
No, I...
- Hallelujah!
- Hey.
- Quincy's come with Jude.
- Hallelujah! It's the end of the world!
It just keeps getting hotter,
doesn't it, my dear?
People are dropping like flies.
I bring you orders for coffins,
and money jingles in my pocket.
I hope you are well, Callie.
You get worse as you get older, Quincy.
- We're fine.
- Good.
Well, rare fruits from the mainland.
- That's what you wanted.
- Thank you very much.
- How you doing?
- I'm fine.
Have you looked behind you?
Nature boy! How you doing? You okay?
As you'll see,
your good deed here turned out just fine.
Lee, this here's Jude.
He's the one who found you.
Thanks for helping me.
It was nothing. You feeling better?
Yes, he's doing great.
He's been helping Clay.
With?
Quincy. Quincy, old man,
are you listening to me?
Now, that's the second time
you've called me old, young lady.
And I have you to know
that you are as young as you feel.
And I feel like a baby.
Well, I'm a baby of death.
Corpses keep me juvenile. Misery is money.
And grief, well, that's a miracle.
Well, how do you do, young sir?
Jude told me he found
a little lost thing on the brink of death,
and I said the brink would never do.
Couldn't you push him all the way?
Lee, this is Quincy. He's the undertaker.
The impresario of undertakers, my dear.
I get the dead,
and I scoop out their smelly bits.
I stitch them up
and package them in overcoats of wood
made by the wonderful Clay here.
- And Lee.
- Well, of course. Of course.
Now, I don't charge much.
I make dying a luxury, if not a necessity.
Well, it's the most
economical thing you'll ever do.
Come on. Let's get out of the heat.
Okay.
What do you have in this house to drink?
Or who do you have?
I've been working with Quincy
for years now.
I live with him in town.
He's all right, I guess, but, Jesus,
I gotta get away.
I know there's more than collecting coffins
and listening to the grieving.
You know what I mean?
You must be burning up in that.
Why don't you undo a button or something?
They owe me all this money.
Last year the uncle died.
They ain't paid me not one dime.
I went and took my ring right off his finger
to get my money. Right here.
See, I got all these rings right here.
- He died last year.
- Hey.
He died the year before.
He died this year right here.
And I got six of them right here,
and buried them all right out there
to get my money.
And then one of the little boys came in.
- Hey.
- He saw him cry.
- He decided to go out there.
- Hey!
Cut the lights off. Got a trumpet and said,
- "I'm gonna call Gabriel."
- Come on. Let's talk.
You know,
Callie's the most beautiful thing
in this world.
She's like a forest, a wild sort of beauty.
Like it's always been there.
You know what I mean?
Sure, you know.
Hey, it's funny.
I feel responsible for you in a way.
You do? Why?
'Cause I found you, I guess.
I mean, I saved your life.
Some people say
that makes me responsible.
Well, either way, it was me
who brought you here into the forest.
That's why I'm saying what I'm saying.
- I don't... I don't know what you...
- Listen.
Callie loves Clay.
She has since the first time she saw him.
And he's loved her
from the first time he saw her.
I know what you're feeling.
I could see it in your eyes back there.
You're wrong!
Hey, all right.
All right.
Listen. I'm wrong. I'm sorry. I apologize.
It's all right.
Just do one thing for me.
Even though I'm wrong,
don't forget what I said.
- All right?
- All right.
Hey, wanna see something?
Sit down.
Sit down.
No, I'm fine.
Go on. Sit down.
No. Okay.
You ready?
You know what this is?
An egg?
An egg? No, it looks like an egg, but it ain't.
Guess again.
Rock.
A rock.
This here is prehistoric,
fossilized dinosaur shit.
No.
Brachiosaurus, to be precise.
You wanna hold it?
There's no such thing as...
Well, what's this then?
Brachiosaurus sat down
about a million years ago and shat that.
Don't it feel like dinosaur shit?
Hey, you wanna keep it?
I'm gonna give it to you, like, as a gift.
You want it?
This shit's a national treasure.
What are you laughing at?
Don't... Don't... Don't swear.
You... You... You... Shit.
- Why are you laughing at me?
- Shouldn't say that.
Shit, shit, shit. Dinosaur shit.
You heal the sick, Callie.
That's no good for me.
I'd be out of business in a week
if everyone was like you.
Everywhere else people are
starving to death, dropping like flies.
No one has any money, no jobs, no nothing.
People are begging for food.
It's the end of the world.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah.
It's the end of the world.
You're starting to sound like
a preacher again, Quincy.
My papa was a preacher. I ever tell you that?
- A million times.
- Well, he taught me how to preach.
He said, "You start slow and very low,
"and then you get higher
until you catch fire!"
That's what I believe. That's what I do.
- Hallelujah!
- Get out of here
before you talk us all six foot under.
It's the end of the world. Hallelujah!
Damn, Quincy, your battery's gonna run dry.
Hey, I'll come visit you soon, okay?
- Okay.
- It's the end of the world.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
It's the end of the world! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! It's the end of the world!
Hallelujah! It's the end of the world!
The end is coming! The end of the world!
Don't be scared. She won't hurt you.
Well, just so long as
you don't make any sudden movements.
Seems to me like
you spent the whole night in this forest.
I did.
Don't need people, not anymore.
People let you down.
You love them, give them everything,
and then they leave you.
Forest is all I need now.
It's beautiful in here.
Beautiful?
Well, no, come to think of it,
I used to feel the same way.
But you can't let that fool you, boy.
Don't you know how
a thing can be beautiful on top,
and underneath it's uglier than sin?
Well...
That's because of the monster.
What monster?
What? The monster of the forest, boy.
It's out there.
It's vicious, mean, spiteful, teeth like knives.
And you know what it feeds on.
No.
Men.
Beautiful, young men, just like you.
Have you seen it?
Yeah. I've seen it.
That there is where I live, boy.
My name's Roxy, by the way.
Roxy and her dog. That's me.
I found... I found one of these.
Careful. That's a barbed wire bird.
Barbed wire?
Yeah. There must be lots of those
all over the forest.
Why?
I use them to train Dog here.
See, when I shoot a bird,
Dog's gotta go get it.
Now, in the early days,
Dog used to bite down,
used to mash them birds to a pulp.
So, I made that.
When she went to retrieve that thing
and bit down, boy, did she know it.
It had to be done, though.
Had to give her a soft mouth.
Let's get in the house.
You wanna sit down?
- What do you think?
- It's very, very...
Well, it's home.
It's my home, and that's the important thing.
Got a roof over my head and food to eat.
These days that's a minor miracle.
It's like the Dark Ages.
Nobody cares anymore.
Nobody cares for the family.
You're absolutely right.
You got a family?
I had one.
Stay and have some coffee with me.
No. I gotta get back.
To her?
I know where you're staying.
With Callie.
That's what she calls herself,
but you know who she is really?
- Who?
- Witch.
- Why?
- Why?
That's what she is, so that's her name.
And if you're staying with her
but sleeping out in the forest,
I think you know that.
Her name's Witch, boy. She's a witch.
So, you met Roxy?
Yeah.
You should ignore everything she says.
Lee, she's crazy.
You should stay away from her.
Why?
She has her own reasons for hating me.
Like what?
Please don't make me talk about it, Lee.
Clay and me, we're happy here.
That's really all that matters.
Roxy's a crazy woman.
Trust me?
You should be careful.
It can get infected.
Turn to poison.
You'd be surprised
how quickly that happens.
How does that feel?
Feels much better.
What?
What?
Are you going to help Clay?
No.
It's nothing. He'll be back soon.
She said that
I wasn't supposed to see you again.
Course she did.
She knows I know what she is, that's why.
A witch.
On her good days, yes.
Something I wanted to show you. Here.
What do you see there?
A family.
My family. Years ago.
What happened?
She happened.
Callie?
The witch happened.
You can tell me about it.
Once, boy, I lived in a house.
That house where you're living now?
I lived there
with Jake, my husband here,
and my beautiful boy.
And then one day, my husband found a girl
at the edge of the forest.
She was sorely tired
and had broke her ankle.
So, my husband
brought her back to our home,
to my house.
I knew she was evil from the start.
And then she commenced to tempt him,
to tease him.
She made him lose control.
It wasn't his fault. It was her.
She killed him.
She killed him.
She tempted him to her and
stopped his heart.
It takes a witch to do that.
You took the words from my mouth.
But killing my husband
was not enough for her.
After that,
she put her spell on my son,
my beautiful, silent son.
Silent?
Clay.
Your son is Clay?
He can't resist her.
It's not his fault.
She's turned him against his own mother,
but he's helpless.
But he can never be happy with her. Never!
- And do you know why?
- Why?
Because she can never have children.
She told me that when I was nursing her.
She's barren.
She committed sins!
God has placed a curse on her.
I like you, boy.
Was it you who shot at the house?
It was.
What'd you go and do a thing like that for?
To remind her that I am still here,
watching and waiting.
Waiting for her to be punished.
You ruined a family.
You don't understand anything, Lee.
It's not like she says it was.
We're gonna make this work here.
I know we are.
Listen, Lee...
The three of us together, like a family.
That woman has already
turned an entire town of people against me,
telling them that I killed her husband
and put a spell on her son
and threw her out of her own house.
But that's not the truth.
Clay's daddy tried to rape me, Lee.
He died while doing it, and that's the truth.
I haven't done anything wrong, Lee.
I just loved Clay.
I told you Clay was the only one
who could get a song from the radio.
No, I'm not sick.
I have a pain in my heart.
Missing my ma and my pa.
That's... That's all.
Just missing my ma and my pa.
Don't.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Not hungry?
No.
Are you feeling sick?
No. Why does everybody
think I'm sick around here?
Lee?
Can I get you anything?
No.
Can I do anything?
I'm just trying to sort something out,
and when I've sorted it out,
I'll be all right again.
Can I help?
Why are you looking at me that way?
Listen.
Perhaps you should...
Do you want me to leave?
No. That's the last thing I want.
You're scaring me.
Clay has a really bad temper.
- Lf he suspects you're...
- What?
Nothing.
Say it.
Nothing.
- What?
- Don't!
It's all right, Clay.
Everything's all right.
See you in the morning, Lee.
Witch.
Witch. Witch! Witch!
No!
What happened?
Dead.
Dead and gone.
I'm all alone now.
Nothing to love. Nothing to live for.
Gotta say goodbye to her.
She won't go to heaven
if I don't say goodbye.
Animals don't go to heaven.
They do.
You just gotta know
how to say goodbye right.
That's what I believe.
Come on. Come on.
Go to heaven.
- Go to heaven!
- Heaven.
Dead dog.
- Dead dog.
- Say goodbye.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye, Dog!
Where'd that come from?
Well, I don't know where it come from,
but if I can get hold of it,
I do know where it's going.
Go to heaven.
Heaven.
Darkly.
- Darkly?
- Ma? Pa?
Is that you?
Where are you?
- We're up here, Darkly.
- We're up here, Darkly.
Don't be scared, Son.
We're here to help you.
- Right, Ma?
- Right, Pa.
We're here to tell you what to do.
You've got the Lord's work to do.
The Lord's work.
- The Lord's work.
- The Lord's work.
The Lord's work.
- The Lord's work.
- The Lord's...
Callie!
Callie!
Callie!
Lee?
Callie!
Where have you been?
I've been worried sick about you.
Jesus!
What happened to you? What happened?
Clay!
Clay? Clay, it's all right.
Clay, don't hurt him!
Clay, don't hurt him!
I don't know! I don't know!
Lee, keep calm!
No!
Stop it! Stop it!
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, Lee!
What have you done to yourself?
Take your things and go.
You've got to, Lee.
You've got no choice.
Don't, Clay. Leave him.
Time for my walk in the dark.
No.
Gone? Gone where?
I don't know. He just went.
I told him to go.
I... Wait. Why?
He was just a kid, for Christ's sake, Callie.
He was ill.
I know.
I know.
Well, do you have any idea
where he could be?
Come on, Callie.
He wouldn't just go. He was my friend.
Besides, he had nothing.
He had nowhere to go.
Just go on out to work. I'm fine.
Clay, leave the rifle here.
I didn't want to
say anything in front of Clay.
If he knows where he can find him,
I think he'll kill him.
You know where he is?
Is it my fault?
Is it something I did?
Callie, where is he?
Lee, you up here?
Lee?
Jesus Christ!
What are you doing here?
What's going on?
Leave me alone.
Just go. Just leave me alone.
No.
Hell. You're coming with me. Come on.
No. No. Not yet.
Listen. You remember what I said?
About me running away?
I'm doing it.
Tomorrow night.
I'm taking the truck, and I'm gone.
And you're coming with me.
The two of us, we're getting out of
this forest once and for all.
No!
All right.
All right.
Tomorrow night.
All right.
I'll come back for you here tomorrow night.
Okay.
You hang on till then, okay?
Yeah.
Damn.
Roxy!
Darkly.
Darkly, don't upset yourself, Son.
Good morning, Son.
Did you see what she did?
Terrible sin.
Don't think I have ever known a forest
with more sin. Have you, Pa?
Don't think I have, Ma.
Ma, Pa, I...
I'm sorry I ran away the other day.
I was very scared.
Don't mention it, Son.
Have you been eating properly?
- Yes, ma'am.
- And saying your prayers?
- Yes, sir.
- Every night?
- Well...
- Now, don't lie to us, Son.
Well, almost every night. Just...
It's just that
I do when I can.
You know you should
say them every night, Son.
Praise the Lord
for all his merciful blessings.
I've tried. It's just that it's...
It's very difficult here,
and there's a lot that I don't understand.
I know, Son.
But you're here for a reason.
- Hallelujah.
- Hallelujah.
I am?
Of course you are, Son.
Should we tell him, Ma?
I think so, Pa.
Now, listen, Son.
There once was a happy family in this forest.
Clay, his poor mother there,
and her husband.
It was a good family. And then...
Why, then a witch came upon them
and spoiled their happiness forever.
- But, Pa...
- Son?
She said that...
That it was Clay's father
who was the one who
tried to attack her, and then...
You believe that, Son? You believe her lies?
Well, I don't think we do, do we, Ma?
Of course not, Pa.
It was her. All her. Putting a spell on men.
Now, don't tell me
you can't feel it yourself, Son.
Look at you. Look what she's done to you.
She's cursed you, Son!
But it wasn't your fault.
It was hers.
You're helpless in the spell of a witch.
You know, I am.
But you gotta fight back, Son.
That's the reason you're here.
God has tested you,
and you've got to prove to him
that you've passed the test.
Pa?
You've got to purify the forest.
You know the way it is, Son.
The word of our Lord.
When someone sins, try to forgive them.
And if you can't, well,
- kill them.
- No faith without blood. Right, Pa?
You know what you got to do.
- Hallelujah.
- Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Hey, Lee! You ready, partner?
Lee?
Callie.
I'm your punishment.
For the love of God!
Precisely.
Stop it! Stop it! Please! Stop it!
No!
Clay!
I love you.
Clay!
Clay. Clay! Clay, where's Callie?
I love you, Darkly.
Who will love me now?
He's dead, Callie.
No. No! No!
Callie.
I could have stopped him.
We gotta go.
- No.
- We gotta go.
Clay! Clay!
Clay.
Callie.
There's nothing left of him.
Hello.
Hello!
My God. You folks had a tragedy.
Yes.
Same with us.
See, I run a circus,
and a few days ago,
the boat we were using
to cross the river sank.
We lost about everything.
Our giant silver shoe went floating off.
Now all we got left is this little model.
It's my son's favorite thing.
It's very beautiful.
By the way, this is my family.
We've all been lost since the wreck.
It's funny.
I thought you could
only go halfway into the forest.
Then you'd just start making your way out.
No, it can go on forever sometimes.
Can you help us? Do you know the way out?
Yes.
Callie, come on.
Is that for me?
Thank you.