[ Slow music plays ]
[ Ominous music plays ]
[ Wind gusting ]
Oh! [ Gasps ]
[ Breathing heavily ]
Rascal.
Is that you?
[ Grunts ]
You come on out now.
You hear me?
Rascal?
Where are you?
You son of a bitch.
Show yourself!
[ Breathes sharply ]
Rascal.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
God damn it...Rascal.
You think you can hide from me, huh?
You're, uh...disloyal.
Goddamn.
Rascal!
[ Grunts ]
We promised to look after one another.
We promised we'd be there for one another.
I take care of you, don't I?
This is the thanks I get? Huh?
This is how you repay me?
By leaving again?
Okay.
All right, then.
That's how you want to play?
Well, that's just how we're gonna play it.
But you ain't gonna like it.
Rascal, you ain't gonna like it one bit.
[ Sniffs ]
'Cause there's a penalty for leaving.
There's a penalty, all right,
and the penalty for that, my friend, is death.
[ Gulps ]
[ Grunts ]
[ Sighs ]
You hear me?
You flea-bitten son of a bitch.
Death.
By me throwing you in that fire right over there
till you're black as charcoal, yeah.
And then I'm gonna eat your picking bones clean.
And then I'm gonna wash you down with some hooch.
[ Burps ]
And then it'll be me doing the pissing all over your ass.
Yeah!
-[ Glass thuds ] -Whoo!
On the other hand, maybe I'll just stuff you.
Stick your head right up on that wall there, yeah.
Yeah. Oh, is that what you want?
'Cause that's what you're gonna get, you keep running off
and leaving me this way.
Nobody leaves me.
God damn it. Nobody leaves me!
What about you, ginger snitch?
[ Sniffing ]
You want some company up there?
[ Knock on door ]
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[ Rifle cocks ]
I'm sorry, sir. [ Gasps ]
I didn't -- I didn't mean...
You ain't Rascal.
What?
I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you.
-Who the hell are you? -What?
I said, "Who the hell are you?!" God damn it!
I'm -- I'm nobody.
Nobody?!
I mean, you're standing there, ain't you?
-Oh. -You got to be somebody.
I meant I'm no one that you know.
Well...no shit.
-Where is he? -Who?
-Rascal, God damn it. -Who's Rascal?
Rascal. Goddamn disloyal dog who run off.
-You seen him? -Sorry, sir. I'm sorry. A dog?!
A dog! Ruff!
-No, sir. -You sure?
-No, sir. -What?
-I-I mean -- You mean... -Hey!
Shut up! I'll put a hole in you size
of a buffalo's asshole. You hear me?
Why are you here? What is your name?
What the hell you rapping on my door for?
Oh. My name is Joe, sir.
I got lost in the woods.
I saw smoke coming from the chimney.
I came here for help.
You sure don't look like no hiker.
I'm not.
Uh...I got lost.
Let me ask you a question, Joe.
[ Clicks tongue ]
My wife.
She didn't send you out here, did she?
Oh. I'm sorry, sir.
Your -- Your wife?
OLD MAN: You heard me, you son of a bitch.
My wife. Did she send you out here?
She send you out here to check on me?
No.
She didn't send you out here to...
...take me away, did she?
Absolutely not.
Don't you lie to me.
I'm not.
All right, then.
I suppose I'm gonna believe you.
Thank you.
For now.
But you can bet your sweet little baby nuts
I'm gonna give you some smoke, I find you've been lying to me.
That clear?
Yeah, that's -- that's clear.
OLD MAN: [ Sighs ]
Okay, then.
Come on in.
Thank you.
Have a seat right over there.
[ Electricity crackling ]
Up!
Ah.
Comfy?
Yes, sir. Very much so. Thank you.
You don't look comfy.
[ Laughs ]
JOE: You know, for a second there,
I actually thought you were gonna shoot me.
I was.
This is a wonderful home you have here, sir.
I really love everything you've done with all the, uh...
...dead animals.
Shut up.
We ain't done yet.
We ain't?
Nope.
You still got some questions to answer.
I-I do?
Goddamn right you do.
This ain't no Holiday Inn, son.
This look like a Holiday Inn to you?
No, sir, not really.
This is my home.
And you're just a stranger in it.
Yeah, you're goddamn right.
You got some questions to answer.
Okay.
OLD MAN: We don't get many visitors. Yeah.
By "we," I mean me.
And the Rascal.
Normally just the two of us, except when he runs off.
Which he does.
From time to time.
And when that happens...
...it's just me.
When I'm here all by my lonesome and some stranger
comes knocking on my door, well [Breathes sharply]
yeah, I get a little...paranoid.
And so I take some extra precaution just to be safe.
You can understand that, now, can't you?
Yes, sir, I understand.
Hm. That's good. I'm glad you can understand it,
'cause here's what's gonna happen.
You're just gonna sit there, keep your goddamn mouth shut,
and only open it if, and when, I ask you a question.
Okay. I'm gonna sit right here and --
What did I just say?!
Are you deaf?
Am I not talking clear enough?
You're skating on thin ice with me, boy. Thin ice.
What's mine is mine, and I don't know you.
So you just do like I say, hmm?
Or you could end up just like...her.
Good.
We'll start again.
You got lost?
-Yes, sir. -Ah.
You didn't come out here with no one else?
No, sir.
Well, that wasn't very smart of you, was it?
Well, in hindsight, sir, no, I guess it wasn't.
What you doing out here all by yourself?
It's kind of a long story.
I'm not sure you'd believe me.
Okay.
[ Blowing ]
Mm.
Well, I guess I'd be a bit of a hypocrite...
...if I started throwing stones 'cause somebody
got themselves turned around.
That can happen to the best of them,
especially out here in these woods, and...
Yeah.
I can understand that.
Yeah.
It's nice when you're lost
and somebody can help you find your way.
Am I right?
Yes, sir.
Sheesh. Hm.
Did I say you could get up?!
I'm sorry, sir.
OLD MAN: Don't you worry about keeping eyes on me, boy.
Oh, look, I can appreciate your concern.
Yeah, I see you. Just, you're -- you're sitting there,
your hands on your knees...
...thinking, "Well [Scoffs] why is this fella
so -- so -- so paranoid and suspicious?
Why is this fella so -- so paranoid and suspicious?
when all I want is to find my way back?"
That right? Would that be fair?
Maybe.
I-I mean, I guess so.
See, this cabinet was built way off the beaten path
so that whoever occupies it, which at the moment
is me and Rascal, we wouldn't be bothered.
In fact, it's so far off the path that, well...
...we ain't had a visitor in a long time.
So when we do have a visitor,
rare as that is, well...
naturally we're curious.
How'd they find it in the first place?
So question number one is...
...how did you find it in the first place?
I don't know.
What the hell do you mean, you don't know?
I-I mean, really, I don't know.
I went off the trail I was on
and got turned around.
I honestly couldn't tell you.
Then I saw the smoke.
I mean, thank God you had your fire going.
I wouldn't thank him just yet.
I ain't too convinced that what you're saying
ain't a heaping pile of shit.
Well, I'm telling you, it's the --
OLD MAN: Question number two --
How do I know you're not some goddamn psycho killer?
What?
Psycho killer, God damn it.
How do I know you're not some maniac madman on the loose?
Well, I...
I mean, do I look like a psycho killer to you?
Well, yes, you do.
I read all about them sick bastards in the papers, and...
...all of them's librarians or schoolteachers or lawyers.
Ordinary-looking people just -- just like you.
Harmless on the outside, but, inside [Scoffs] crazy.
Cannibalistical.
Mm-hmm.
Child molesters.
Evil sons of bitches.
I'm not a teacher or a librarian. I swear.
I don't give a rat's ass what you swear
you are or you aren't.
I just want to make damn sure
that you're not gonna come creeping up behind me
with a frying pan and bash my brains in and cook me
and eat me for your supper.
I'm not gonna kill you or eat you. I promise.
-You promise? -JOE: I promise.
-You swear? -I swear.
How do I know you're telling the truth?
Because I don't eat people.
You don't?
No.
You just kill them?
Of course not.
It's against the law.
That's right.
It's against the law.
Besides...
eating people is gross.
Yes, sir.
A man's only as good as his word. Mm-hmm.
You break that, you break the very thing you claim to be --
a man. So you remember that.
Yes, sir.
Question number three.
[ Pan clangs ]
And this one may be more important
-than the other two, so... -[ Gasps ]
...well, don't you go getting cute with me.
Mm.
Joe...
...are you a salesman?
No.
Joe.
-I'm not. -Joe.
I'm not.
Don't you lie to me now.
Well, I'm not. I swear I'm not.
I'm not selling anything.
What you got in your bag?
Hey!
Nice and slow.
[ Clicks tongue ]
Okay.
It's just some toiletries and...
[ Zipper unzips ]
...and a first-aid kit.
And some trail mix and...
Look, I'm not a salesman.
Give me the bag.
Nothing else, huh?
[ Snap clicks ]
What's this for?
Whittling a flute?
Um, no, sir.
Well, what then?
It's for protection.
-Protection? -Yes, sir.
-Against who? -Well, hopefully no one.
Well...
why is it in your bag?
Well, because I knew I was coming out to these woods.
You've been out here before?
Yes, sir.
I used to come here when I was little.
Whenever I'd visit my grandfather,
he used to take me out here to fly-fish the Little River.
Huh?
This ain't for no fly-fishing, Joe.
Well, I mean, he told me
you can never be too careful in these woods.
That you should be ready for anything.
He -- He told me it's beautiful, but it can also be dangerous.
Well...
...he was right about that.
There's all kind of death and beauty out here.
Oh, may I have it back, please?
Well...
if it's all the same to you, Joe,
I think that I'll hold on to it for the time being.
You ain't out of the woods.
Yet.
Right. Right.
I understand.
Well...
where you off to?
And where's the fire?
Um...you can keep the knife.
I-I just feel like maybe I'd be better off
if I was on my way, is all.
Well, on your way? Where?
JOE: Oh. Uh...
Well, um...
uh, I was thinking...
No, you weren't.
-What? -OLD MAN: Thinking.
You weren't thinking at all, were you?
Actually, no, I guess I wasn't.
Why did you just try to run off?
You scare me.
I scare you?
Yes, sir.
Well, why is that?
I mean, you seem a little crazy, is all.
Crazy?
Crazy how?
Oh, I don't know.
Just in a general kind of a way.
[ Laughs ]
Well...
[ Laughing ]
I learned a long time ago --
Never give nobody the benefit of the doubt. Mm-hmm.
Hm. Why don't we do this?
Why don't we just -- just nip it in the bud, hmm?
Cut right to the chase, and let's just agree
that we are not going to hurt each other, huh?
How does that sound? Like a plan?
Will you give me your word on that, sir?
My word? Well, what about your word?
I'm the one who's offer the olive branch here,
Mr. Dipshit, huh?
[ Laughs ] Hey, why would I ever want to hurt you?
I mean, that would be cruel.
Look at you shaking.
You look like about to piss yourself.
That's because I am, sir.
Well, not on my floor, God damn it.
You got to piss, go on. You use the pissoir.
Right over there.
Go on. Shoo. I won't watch, darlin'.
Just follow your nose.
Yeah, you found it. Good boy.
You got it.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[ Urinating ]
That's the trouble with all you young people these days.
Especially you younger men.
You got no fight in you,
no taste for violence, yeah.
-Your blood don't boil... -[ Zipper zips ]
...like those who come before.
Like me, my generation.
We was brought up like ancient Greek warriors.
I read about them in a book. Spar-tans.
You know, if a Spartan baby was born lame
or, you know, retardo, mongoloid brain or something,
they just tossed that little bastard right off a cliff, yeah.
'Cause they got no use for weakness.
[ Rifle clicks ]
That's how we was brought up.
-Hm. -You wouldn't happen to have
any soap by chance, would you?
Soap?
That's just what I'm talking about, Joe.
Yeah. Now...
see, uh...
...I don't mean to offend you, but let's say
that you was born a Spartan baby.
-And I think, like -- "Aaaahhh!" -[ Soap thuds ]
You'd have got the cliff. [ Chuckles ]
That's actually very offensive, if you think about it, sir.
Do you even know where you are?
Well, somewhere in the Smokies.
Well, that somewhere is about 180,000-plus acres
of rocks and trees
and dark danger, and, son,
you sure don't look like you're no Daniel Boone.
[ Laughs ]
You said your granddaddy used to bring you
out here to these woods?
Oh, yes, sir.
Uh-huh. So you are familiar with the woods,
but you're not too familiar?
Uh, I guess so.
And you got no idea how you got here?
Uh...no.
Not really. It's...
It's all a little fuzzy. I-I...
Take a look.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, I know that when the sun sets about,
say, 20 minutes from now,
a storm front from the south is gonna roll right in.
It's gonna open up, and it's gonna rain
all kind of hell on whatever is under it.
-So... -So?
So since you don't know where you are
or how you got here or where you're going,
if I was you...
...I'd stay put.
Now, you come here looking for help.
This is the best you're gonna get.
So it's up to you.
You know these woods?
Nobody knows these woods...
...better than me.
[ Laughs ]
Except maybe Rascal, and he's, uh, well...
gone.
You stay the night, stay warm,
and you head out first thing in the morning when it's safe.
And then I'll point you in the right direction.
I ain't gonna hurt you.
You got my word on that. [ Spits ]
-Do I got yours? -[ Spits ]
Yes, sir.
Well, all right, then.
[ Sighs ]
Are you sure I'm not imposing?
You ain't imposing.
Hell, if I'm being completely honest...
...I wouldn't mind the company. Yeah.
I wouldn't mind having somebody new to talk to for a change.
Well, all right, then.
Well, I'll stay here with you
as long as you're sure it's no trouble.
None at all.
Thank you.
Well, don't mention it.
[ Clicks tongue ]
-Coffee! -[ Gasps ]
-Excuse me? -I got coffee.
I could make us a cup.
Would you like that?
Yes, sure.
Well..
all right, then.
[ Laughs ]
Yeah.
[ Electricity crackling ]
-Hey, Joe. -[ Thunder rumbles ]
I told you.
[ Thunder crashes ]
[ Sniffs ]
[ Pot clangs ]
Ha!
You just be glad you ain't no snake-oil drummer.
Phew!
So you really don't like 'em, do you?
Salesmen? Hell no. Huh!
Forking tongue.
Slippery little shits. The lot of 'em.
-You can't trust them. -Why not?
Well, you can't trust a salesman ever.
'Cause if you ain't buying what he's selling,
why, he ain't eating. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
They don't give a damn about you or what you need.
They're just trying to make their monthly. Yeah.
Trust me, I know about this, yeah.
See, I had the unfortunate experience
of dabbling in sales myself when I was a younger man.
Oh. Really?
Oh, yes.
Well, what happened?
What do you mean?
Well, I mean, to not make you like salesmen
or being a salesman.
Well, all I know is that when I was younger,
I took a job as a salesman
just to try to make some extra money.
See, back in those days, it was tough to make ends meet,
and it wasn't uncommon for fellas to hold down a few jobs.
And, well, in the beginning, you know,
it wasn't too bad.
And I don't give a 2-cent shit about what I was selling.
I just wanted the do-re-mi, huh? Yeah.
But...
...after a while,
it started to grate on me a little, you know,
and, well, I quit 'cause I just got --
I got sick and tired of deceiving people. Mm-hmm.
Sick and tired of deceiving myself,
if you know what I mean.
I just got sick and tired of feeling like every day
was just a waking nightmare, going door to door,
selling people shit that they did not need
and that they could not afford just so that I could make my nut
and pay the bills and keep the wife happy
so she wouldn't bust my ass about not being able to buy
the new goddamn toaster oven.
You don't wanna really hear this now.
Do you?
-Um, you mentioned your wife. -Mm.
Are you still married?
[ Scoffs ] Shit.
Do I look like I'm married to you?
What happened?
Sometimes the fucking you get
ain't worth the fucking you receive.
[ Thunder crashes ]
That's enough about her, huh? Yeah.
I could tell you a funny story about a salesman if...
if you want to hear it.
Um, sure.
Okay.
Once upon a time [Laughs]
"Once upon a time." One time a long time ago,
a fella come here. He was a Bible salesman.
Goddamn Bible salesman. Can you believe that shit?
I mean, what's a fella doing hawking the Good Book out here
in the middle of the Smoky Mountains?
I mean, to who? [ Laughs ]
Well, this fella's name was...
was, um -- His name was...
Mm! Can't ever remember his name for some reason,
but it don't really matter.
But, yeah, oh, boy, I sure do remember his stupid, fat face.
I remember his shit-brown tie.
I remember his leather briefcase.
And I remember I answered the door,
and he sticks his arms out wide kind of like this.
And he says...
SALESMAN: Greetings and salutations, brother!
What a glorious day it is, indeed.
Tell me something, sir, and, please,
I implore you to be honest with me --
"Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ
as your personal savior? Because if you have not..."
I'd like to invite you to join me today
-in his warm embrace. -"In his warm embrace."
That's what he said. That's the first words out of his mouth.
Then what?
Well, then I gave him a warm embrace.
Oh.
Something tells me you didn't buy a Bible, though, did you?
No, I did not, no.
What'd you do to him?
I invited him in, just much like you, actually.
Oh? You threw a shotgun in his face?
Oh, hell no. I didn't have to do that.
No, I offered him some coffee and some cake.
You have cake?
Joe...
this is where the story gets real good.
Yeah. Hee hee.
So I invited him in.
I asked him to have a seat. Right there.
Exactly where you're sitting as a matter of fact.
I went into the kitchen.
Poured him a cup of coffee.
Brought him out a nice hunk of carrot cake.
Yeah. See, that was really for Rascal,
'cause that's his favorite, but, well...
I gave it to the fat man instead.
And then...
...I took a seat. Mm-hmm.
Right across from him.
Ain't it good?
Mmm. Very.
Now...
he was a very pious man,
this fella. Mm-hmm.
Real self-righteous type, too.
You know, a kind of fella who...
who follows all them rules they got.
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain!
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife!
Thou shalt not kill!
Blah! Blah!
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!
[ Laughs ] Yeah.
Anyway, he was a strong believer in all that.
Yeah.
At least...
...that's how he presented himself to be.
I mean, he was also a salesman.
You follow?
So it was hard to tell whether or not he was being genuine now.
I couldn't tell you why then, and I cannot tell you why now.
But for some reason, on that day...
[Blows]
...I-I felt like I had to find out
whether or not he was a true believer.
Or was he just completely full of shit?
How did you do that?
I asked him a few questions.
What'd you ask him?
I started like...
I said, "Sir...
do you really believe that God loves you?"
And he said...
Brother, I know God loves me.
Okay. I said, "Well,
if God loves you so much, how come he got you
selling Bibles out here in the middle of fucking nowhere
instead of living in a mansion with a million dollars
and fancy women?" And he says...
Brother, the Lord has a plan for all of us.
I'm exactly where he wants me to be --
spreading his good word to any and all who will listen
and accept his love.
OLD MAN: So I says to him...
..."So, you really believe that, don't you,
that God put you right here, right now,
because that's where he wants you to be?"
Yes, sir, I do.
I said, "Well...
...if that's true,
that must mean that God knows you'd run into me.
Right? And he nodded.
Yeah.
And that's when I leaned in...
real close.
And I said, "Well...
what if you come to find out that I'm very...
...very dangerous?
[ Thunder crashes ]
If you come to find that out...
...well, it must mean that God hates you.
Doesn't he?
Because he put you in my path.
Didn't he?"
[ Thunder crashes ]
[ Laughs ] Oh, boy, I tell you.
Whoooo!
He went white.
Are you?
Am I what?
Dangerous?
What do you think?
I think you hurt him.
Hell no, I didn't hurt him.
You didn't?
No, I'm...
I scared a little.
Why?
I had to get my answer, didn't I?
What answer?
Of whether he was a true believer or not.
Was he?
If he wasn't...
...I certainly put the fear of God into him that day.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Yeah.
What'd you do to him?
Oh. [ Sighs ]
You don't really want to hear that, do you?
Tell me.
[ Breathes deeply ]
Well...
[ Laughs ]
-Well... -[ Cup thuds ]
When I was in the kitchen
getting him something to eat and drink, I, uh...
well, I slipped a little something-something
into his coffee that made him kind of sleepy.
-You poisoned him! -Now, don't get riled up, Joe.
I didn't poison him. That sounds kind of sinister.
No. I drugged him.
-You drugged him? -Yes, I did.
-With what? -Uh...
Well, I don't actually remember, but it must be here somewhere.
What's the difference between poisoning and drugging?
I don't know. One is sinister, and the other ain't.
-All right?! -All right.
So -- So you drugged him.
Well, just a little bit.
I mean, I had to make certain that he was not a psycho killer.
You know the drill. You know that I get suspicious.
I told you that already.
Then what?
Well, I ain't too proud of what I did after that.
What did you do?
[ Snorts ] Well...
Well, you know, after he...nodded off, I [Snorts]
[ Chuckles ]
Well, hell, Joe, I tied him to the stove.
You tied him on the stove?!
On the -- No, that would be cruel and crazy.
No, I tied him to the stove.
[ Salesman coughing ]
Well, was it hot?
Of course it was hot.
You tied him to the front of a burning stove?
Mm. And then I took that shit-brown necktie
he was wearing, and I tied that
around his eyes like a blindfold.
That's the part I'm not too proud of.
That's the part you're not too proud of?
Yeah.
Using his tie as a blindfold?
Well, what about drugging him or tying him to a burning stove?
Oh, please. It wasn't that bad.
It was just for a couple of hours.
-JOE: A few hours? -Yep.
Why?
I didn't trust him.
I wanted to ask him some questions,
and I wanted him to be honest.
And when you're scared, you're honest. So I scared him.
SALESMAN: [ Coughs ] Aah!
OLD MAN: And, uh, after that, he got...
[ Salesman shudders ]
-What? -Well...
Well, actually, he got kind of entertaining.
-[ Thunder crashes ] -What do you mean?
Well, he, um...
[ Clicks tongue ] I don't know.
Maybe it was being so close to that heat
for quite a while, I guess, and...
But, anyway, when he come to,
he just -- ka-boom -- started hallucinating or something.
He started talking in all kind of gibberish.
Like [Speaking gibberish]
Like he's talking in tongues or something like that.
But then he proceeded to start praying
and talking to the Virgin Mary.
Talking to the mother of God.
-You know? Ooh! -What did he say?
He just kept repeating the same thing over and over again --
"Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners."
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners.
[ Mockingly ] "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Now and at the hour of our death."
[ Muttering ]
"Pray for us sinners!
Pray for us! And pray for us!"
On and on and on.
Finally it stopped. [ Pops lips ]
It was quiet. His head droops.
-So I poke him. -[ Gasps ]
He wakes right up, pops right up.
[ Salesman screams ]
"Holy Mother Mary of God,
pray for us sinners!"
Holy Mary!
Mother of God!
"Pray for us sinners!"
Pray for us sinners!
"Holy Mother Mary of God, pray for us..."
Now and at the hour
-of our death! -OLD MAN: "Pray for us!
-Pray for us!" -[ Shouting indistinctly ]
-"Pray for us." -Pray for us sinners!
-"Pray for us." -Pray for us.
Oh!
Ho ho!
I'll tell you, Joe, one of the damnedest things I ever saw.
I don't mean to sound rude, and, uh...
well, maybe I missed something,
but why exactly did you do that to him again?
I mean, minus the fact that you found it mildly entertaining.
Because anyone selling God is the ultimate pro,
and anyone buying him is the ultimate sucker.
And only a prideful, arrogant son of a bitch
would think that in a world this big and shitty,
with all the pain and suffering that people endure,
that there's some old man
sitting up there somewhere in a cloud
who gives a rat's ass about any one of us
down here. Unh-unh.
There ain't. And if there was and he did, that was then,
this is now, and he is long gone.
Well, what happened to the salesman?
Oh. Him?
JOE: Yeah. Him.
I cut him loose. Mm-hmm.
I pointed him in the right direction,
-and I sent him on his way. -That's all?
Well, I did tell him if he were to come out here again,
he wouldn't be leaving.
Yeah, I'm certain he believed me.
I ain't never seen him since.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Wow.
-More coffee? -No!
Uh, I-I mean no, thank you. I'm good.
Sheep dip?
-Excuse me? -[ Chuckles ]
Hooch.
Shine.
Stump liquor. Alcohol!
Joe, you want some alcohol?
No. No, thank you. I'm -- I'm good.
I think I'll avoid all liquids, if that's okay with you.
Oh, why?
You think I'm gonna drug you or something?
Well, excuse me if I'm a little skeptical
after this story I just heard.
[ Laughs ] Relax, Joe. I ain't gonna drug you.
It was a long time ago that fellow was out here.
Besides, I'm pretty sure I ain't got any of that...
Ain't got none left.
No, I run out of my sleepy time elixir.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Anyway, I told you I wasn't gonna hurt you.
You remember what I said about a man keeping his word,
never breaking it for nothing?
You remember that, don't you?
-Yes, sir. -I meant it.
I ain't gonna hurt you, Joe.
Now have a drink with me.
I insist.
-All right, then. -[ Chuckles ]
Now you're talking!
Yeah.
Okay. Let's dig out a jar or two.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
Why don't you go have a seat?
Yes, sir.
JOE: Yeah. Yeah.
You ever try it?
Moonshine?
I call this batch "The Mule."
You know why?
Because it has a kick?
OLD MAN: Bingo.
Here. Pick your poison.
[ Laughs ]
What's it taste like?
OLD MAN: Gasoline.
-And you like that? -Psh!
It's why I make it.
I love it, Joe. It's mother's milk to me.
What should we drink to?
Oh, um, I know.
To all that death...
and beauty.
[ Thunder crashes ]
[ Coughing ]
OLD MAN: [ Laughs ]
I told you.
-Whew! -You weren't kidding.
[ Old Man laughs ]
[ Thunder crashes ]
OLD MAN: Got a kick, don't it?
[ Coughs ]
When I have a little bit of The Mule,
I like to have a smoke.
When I have a smoke,
I like to put on my smoking robe. Yeah.
Yeah.
[ Breathes deeply ]
You care for one?
Oh, no, thank you. I don't smoke.
Oh, okay. You don't smoke, and you don't chew,
and you don't go with gals who do, huh?
Ha ha!
I just know I don't like smoking.
But, I mean, please feel free.
Oh, I see. So you're...
you're giving me permission to smoke in my own home?
Is that what's happening?
No, I didn't mean it to...
Relax, Joe. I'm just...
I'm just fooling with you.
Tell me something.
-[ Spits ] -[ Thunder crashes ]
Where you from?
You mean like originally?
[ Blows ] Yeah.
JOE: Well, originally, I'm from a small town
on the Ohio River called New Albany.
It's in southern Indiana, right across from Louisville.
But we moved to Chattanooga when I was 8 years old,
and I've been in Tennessee ever since.
That's where you live now -- Chattanooga?
No, sir. My wife and I moved to Knoxville a few years back.
What's her name? Your wife?
Eugenia, but everyone calls her Genie.
Genie. Hm.
And what does she do?
She bake cakes?
No, she's a schoolteacher.
Second grade.
We moved to Knoxville a few years ago
because I got a job working for her family's moving company,
and she got a job at a primary school out there, so...
So the summary of your life up to this point
is that you're from New Albany,
you grew up in Chattanooga,
you met a girl, you got married, you moved to Knoxville,
and now you work for her family.
That about the long and short of it?
Yeah.
Wow.
What?
Oh, it's nothing. You just...
You just boiled my entire life down to one sentence.
Oh, don't feel bad about that, Joe.
It's the same for most people, if you think about it.
Can I ask you something?
[ Spits ]
Sure.
You ever get the feeling like sometimes life
is conspiring against you?
Conspiring?
What do you mean?
Well, like it's working against you.
To hurt you. To break you in some way.
Yeah.
Maybe sometimes.
I've been feeling that way a lot lately.
Like there's something much larger than me out there
trying to smother me,
trying to extinguish me in some way.
And no matter what I do or how hard I try,
I just can't seem to make it go away or let up a little.
OLD MAN: I think...
I think everybody feels that way from time to time.
Do they?
Absolutely.
Well, maybe you're right.
I just never felt that way before.
Well, tell me, how --
Just how is it that you do feel?
It feels a little like I'm standing in wet cement,
you know, and my eyes are open, and I'm looking everywhere.
Only there's nothing else around me.
There's just this nothingness, this void.
And I can feel the cement hardening and tightening
around my ankles and getting heavier and heavier
until finally it sets, and I can't move.
My eyes are open, and I'm looking everywhere,
but there's nothing to see.
And then this slow suffocation starts at my feet
and moves up my legs and the back of my spine
until it settles at the back of my throat
and cuts all the air off.
So it's like I'm paralyzed, choking, and blind,
and I can't do anything about it.
And the whole time, I'm wide awake while it's happening.
That's what it feels like.
[ Breathes shakily ]
OLD MAN: Shit, man.
Sounds fucking awful.
I mean, it sounds...
It sounds pretty heavy.
It is heavy.
All of it.
My whole life...
I mean, my whole life, I've done everything right.
I went to school.
I made good marks.
I never got in trouble.
Always had a job.
I never disrespected anybody.
I never broke the rules.
"Yes, sir," "No, sir" -- Always.
I did everything I was told to do.
Everything I was supposed to do.
Still, I feel this weight.
I feel like it's been crushing me lately.
[ Thunder crashes ]
[ Thud ]
OLD MAN: Oh.
What's that?
Uh, we need a fire.
JOE: Oh.
[ Match thuds ]
Well, it's...
...let up a little anyway.
[ Clears throat ]
Well, we'll...
We'll put you to work, huh? [ Chuckles ]
[ Thunder rumbles ]
Yeah, it's not that bad out,
but grab about half a dozen of those.
Attaboy. Yeah. Be quick.
Hey, what about your wife?
JOE: My wife?
Well, what about her?
OLD MAN: Well, have you -- Have you talked to her?
Tell her about how you feel?
JOE: Not really.
OLD MAN: Why not?
JOE: She -- She's been a little...distant lately.
OLD MAN: Oh. She been off somewhere?
JOE: No.
OLD MAN: Oh, distant like...
like distance.
Yeah, I get it.
[ Door closes ]
Yeah, they can...
They sure can get that way from time to time. Yeah.
Heh. My goddamn wife, man, she can go weeks sometimes
without saying a single word to me
on account of she's mad about one thing or other,
but personally, I never mind it
'cause I kind of like the peace and quiet.
Still...
yeah, you might want to tell her,
you know, about what you're feeling.
Who knows? Maybe she can help.
Just set them down.
JOE: [ Clears throat ]
I don't think so.
Well, why not?
Well...
...we've -- we've been having some issues lately.
What kind of issues?
You sure you don't mind me talking to you about this?
Keep going.
Well, me and my wife, Genie, you know,
we've known each other since we were kids.
You know, we grew up together,
went to school together in Chattanooga.
But sometimes I feel like we come from different places,
mainly because she grew up with money
-and I grew up with nothing. -Oh.
Blue-blood snoot.
And then there's this other issue.
OLD MAN: What other issue?
Well, it's kind of embarrassing.
Look, I ain't gonna judge you, Joe.
And then...
well, we've been having a hard time trying to have a baby.
OLD MAN: Ah.
And it's caused some problems.
Shooting blanks, are you?
No.
It -- It's not me, okay?
I'm not the one with the problem.
Okay, Joe. I'm just standing here, listening. That's all.
It's just, she thinks it's me, but it's not.
I mean, she's convinced I'm the problem.
So she's been seeing some...
Some what?
Well, it...
It doesn't matter.
Yeah, but...
...I want to hear...
hear some more.
Oh.
Tell me, though.
Your wife.
Well, what's she like?
JOE: She has the most beautiful red hair.
And these eyes.
[ Sighs ]
You could get lost in them.
Well, does she appreciate you?
Well, I mean,
she thinks I could do more with my life, that's for sure.
OLD MAN: Yeah.
You told me -- You said earlier
that you're a working man, right?
[ Urinating ]
-Yes, sir. -Ah.
And what is it that you do?
I drive a truck for my father-in-law's moving company
and a couple of other odd jobs here and there
-to make ends meet. -Well, all right.
Yeah. Whew.
You're getting paid. Yeah.
You're making money.
I mean, you're not one of those freeloading sons of bitches
collecting checks from the government every month, are you?
No, sir.
No.
There.
Yeah, well -- ha ha --
that's good.
You can be proud.
Yeah. Look, Joe,
you got to look for the silver lining.
You got to find that silver lining
in pretty much, well...
in everything. Yeah.
She don't appreciate a man provides -- phft --
that's on her.
I guess so.
OLD MAN: Shit, I know so.
My wife is ungrateful six ways to Sunday, let me tell you.
But, then again, they all are in their own way.
You know, women.
[ Laughs ] Women.
Ooh, they make a man do all sort of stupid through his lifetime.
Drive you to the brink of insanity. Yeah.
If you don't mind me asking,
well, what happened with you and your wife?
You know, I mean, well, why did it end?
It ended 'cause she finally figured it out.
Figured what out?
How to really hurt a man.
[ Chuckles ] Hey, Joe, I know I asked you this already,
but you really don't remember how you come to be here?
Not really.
You tried retracing your steps?
No.
OLD MAN: Well, going back,
start at the beginning.
Mm...beginning?
Well, yeah, that's what I would do.
Well, I came by way of Knoxville,
and I drove into Elkmont
because I wanted to take a hike along the Little River.
I told you I used to fly-fish it when I was a boy.
It's always been one of my favorite places.
I mean, the truth is, I hadn't been in these woods in decades.
How come you come out here today?
Well, like I said, I've been...
dealing with some issues lately,
so I guess I thought that coming back to a place
that I had fond memories of,
of where I'd been happy at one point,
is where I needed to be to get my mind right.
So I got off work and drove an hour south to Elkmont,
and I took the trail, and I started walking.
Oh, but then I...
What?
Well, when I got to Burnt Mountain, I...
I heard something.
What did you hear?
You're gonna think I'm crazy.
What did you hear?
Well, it was -- It was --
-Well, it was like a moan. -A moan.
Yes. Like deep breaths
I could feel building inside my head.
Only -- Only they were coming from somewhere else.
So I started walking towards them,
and, well, then that took me off the trail I was on.
And as I got deeper and deeper into the woods,
this moan just got louder and louder.
So I ran.
I ran as fast and as far as I could until...
I mean, everything just went...
-Black.
-...black.
I must have passed out or something
because when I came to, it was too late.
I mean, I got all turned around.
I didn't know where I was, and I couldn't find my way back.
So I started walking again.
[ Footsteps ]
And I came across this waterfall.
And I came upon a clearing.
[ Footsteps continue ]
And that's when I found your cabin
and the smoke coming from the chimney.
Well...
that is...
...interesting, Joe.
That is very, very, very interesting.
Why?
OLD MAN: Hm.
Okay. Words.
Words, words.
[ Clatter ]
Always the same goddamn words.
[ Thud ]
There.
Sit there.
[ Sighs ]
JOE: What are you talking about?
Well...
...a long, long time ago,
the Cherokee people, the Indians,
they lived in these lands,
and they had a story about the purple lake.
The purple lake?
This lake was hidden deep in the Smokies.
And they looked for it, but they could never find it.
But they wanted to find it
'cause they said that it had special powers.
And the only ones who knew how to find the lake
were the animals.
And the animals knew how to find the lake,
but they weren't telling nobody
because they wanted to keep it a secret,
because I guess if they got ever hurt
or injured or sick,
all they had to do was drink the water, and they would be healed.
Well, then I found it...
Huh.
...and I got hurt.
Not, like, so much physical,
like a busted rib or a broken leg or anything,
but more something you can't see.
I was damaged, I guess.
So, anyway, I thought I would come out to these mountains
like when I was a boy.
[ Boy laughs ]
And if I could find that lake
and maybe take a drink,
then I would be healed, too.
But I couldn't find it.
Searched all over these mountains.
And then, one day, just out of the blue,
I heard...
[ Moaning ]
The moan.
Yeah.
I followed it. Then I run from it.
I didn't know what to do.
But it got louder and louder inside of my head.
It...
I just backtracked.
Then when I woke up...
you know what I saw?
-Her. -[ Growling ]
She was looking at me with death in her eyes.
And I didn't want to die.
And she has a choke on me,
and I thought I'd fight.
And there was a jagged, sharp rock by my feet,
and I bent down,
and I picked up that stone.
Me and her were eyeball to eyeball.
She pounced on me,
and I brought my arm down,
and I jammed that rock right into her neck.
[ Thud, growling ]
She took me down.
And we were sprawled out together.
And there was blood everywhere, man.
Blood all over me.
And I watched as the light went out of those eyes.
[ Growling ]
And the moan stopped.
And you've been out here ever since?
Yep.
All alone.
Alone? No.
No, I got -- I got the Rascal.
If I'm honest, it's the Rascal that keeps me alive.
He's a treacherous little shit.
But he's all I got.
You got me now, too.
Oh.
Hold on there. Be careful.
I might start to like you, Joe.
Well, we wouldn't want that, now, would we?
I don't know.
Why don't you...
...throw a little more kindling into that stove? And...
I'll see if I can find us something to eat.
I got some canned goods back here.
-That sound all right? -Yes, sir.
You're a good man.
Sheesh.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
-You all right, Joe? -Yes, sir.
I was just thinking about my wife, is all.
OLD MAN: Oh.
What about her?
I wasn't being completely honest with you.
OLD MAN: Oh. Well, how's that?
We got into a pretty bad fight before I came out here.
OLD MAN: That'll pass. Usually does.
She'll come around.
I don't know about that.
It didn't end well.
OLD MAN: [ Grunts ] I wouldn't worry about it if I was you.
There's only so much a fella can do
in a fight with his lady.
Yeah, women.
Can't live with them.
Sure can't kill them.
Hey, Joe.
Sure hope you like peas and rice.
-[ Door slams ] -Oh! Oh.
Yeah.
RASCAL: You've been telling stories.
Where's Joe?
-Who? -Joe.
Where is he?
RASCAL: You're losing your mind, old man.
Ain't nobody been here but you and me.
But you were gone.
RASCAL: Hmm.
I had to find us food, didn't I?
[ Sizzling ]
But what -- what happened to Joe?
RASCAL: Words, words, words.
It's always the same goddamn words with you.
Why don't you take a seat over there?
You know, you seem a little confused.
-But... -Sit down!
No, no! No, no.
Not till you tell me what you did to Joe.
'Cause I know you did something.
Now you tell me.
Yeah.
I ain't telling you nothing!
Oh. Oh. Oh.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Jesus fucking Christ.
I'm...scared.
You're pathetic. You know that?
You tell me.
You tell me what you did, or so help me. I swear.
-You'll what? -I'll -- I'll -- I'll...
-You'll shoot me? -Don't make me do it.
You ain't gonna do nothing, and you know it.
I will. I'll shoot.
Well, then I'll tell you what.
-[ Gasps ] -Why don't I help you?
All you got to do is pull the trigger.
-Oh, please. Let this go. -Do it.
Don't make me.
-Do it, God damn it! -Aah! Aah!
The same every time with you.
-[ Grunts ] -I'm sorry.
Yeah, you've been sorry your whole life. You know that.
OLD MAN: I just want to know what happened to him.
What'd he look like, this Joe fella?
A little like you. A little like me maybe.
We go through this every time, you and me,
and it's the same goddamn story.
He was -- He was...
He was walking in the woods, and then he saw...
BOTH: Smoke coming from the chimney.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
RASCAL: Yeah, I know.
And it's always the same goddamn words with you.
Rascal, I am scared.
You're pathetic.
Mm.
-And you're weak. -[ Crying ]
It's no wonder she left you.
Who left?
Your wife.
M-My wife.
RASCAL: You failed her in every way, didn't you?
OLD MAN: Did I?
You never had enough.
Always tried to please her.
Shit, you worked for her daddy.
You even started selling Bibles
with her best friend to try to make ends meet.
But it wasn't you who made her happy, was it?
It was you who got lost in the woods
that day after you did what you did.
I didn't do nothing.
-[ Clatter ] -RASCAL: Yes, you did.
And I'm getting real tired
of having to remind you again and again.
All right, you tell me -- You tell me what happened.
Why should I?
'Cause I want to know.
You're sure?
Please, Rascal.
Oh!
You found it.
You found the purple lake.
Hell, Old Man.
OLD MAN: Huh?
I'm the only one who knows where it is.
[ Gasps ]
Drink it.
It ain't gonna hurt me, is it?
RASCAL: Mm, it's gonna heal you.
Now drink it.
[ Ominous music plays ]
[ Growling ]
[ Electricity crackling ]
[ Creaking ]
Get in.
What's in there?
Get in!
Just tell me what's down there.
RASCAL: The next world.
[ Electricity cracking ]
OLD MAN: Ah.
[ Grunting ]
[ Ominous music plays ]
Oh.
-[ Sighs ] -[ Woman moans ]
[ Woman breathing heavily ]
[ Woman moans ]
[ Woman breathing heavily ]
[ Breathing continues ]
OLD MAN: [ Breathing heavily ]
[ Lock engages ]
[ Gasps ]
[ Man breathing heavily ]
Hey. [ Chuckles nervously ]
[ Rifle cocks ]
Oh, no.
[ Old Man sobs ]
[ Gasps ]
I don't want to do this.
No more.
I want it...
...to stop.
Please.
Oh! No!
OLD MAN: Please.
Please forgive me.
Please.
"Holy Mary, mother of God."
Pray for us sinners.
"Now and at the hour of our death."
Forgive me.
It don't work that way...
...Joe.
Please.
No.
-[ Gunshot ] -[ Screams ]
[ Body thuds ]
[ Sobs ]
[ Breathing shakily ]
[ Gasping ]
[ Old Man gasps ]
-[ Rifle thuds ] -[ Gasps ]
[ Gasps ]
[ Knife slashes ]
[ Gasping ]
[ Body thuds ]
[ Crying ]
Coward.
[ Crying ]
Coward.
[ Growling ]
[ Old Man crying ]
-[ Lid slams ] -[ Gasps ]
All that death...
And?
And beauty.
You're looking tired, old man.
Beauty and death.
[ Grunts ]
You need to rest now.
OLD MAN: Okay.
[ Grunting ]
I'll come back later.
I always do.
[ Wind gusting ]
Oh! [ Gasps ]
[ Breathing heavily ]
Rascal?
Is that you?
♪ Fall ♪
♪ Into me ♪
♪ Walk with me ♪
♪ All I need ♪
♪ The water, water flowing ♪
♪ Over me ♪
♪ Take me ♪
♪ With you ♪
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ Sink down, oh, so low ♪
♪ Winds will return ♪
♪ All our steps go 'round and 'round and 'round ♪
♪ No matter what you try, you can't go out of your mind ♪
♪ Looking through those eyes all the time ♪
[ Growling ]
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ Winds will return ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ Winds will return ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ No matter what you try, you can't go out of your mind ♪
♪ Return ♪
♪ All our steps go 'round and 'round and 'round ♪
♪ I am the sound when the wind blows ♪
♪ Return ♪
♪ I'll keep coming 'round until you know ♪
♪ All the signs of real life ♪
♪ A light at last ♪
♪ True love for a stretch of time ♪
♪ Growing so alive ♪
♪ All the time, it's leaving ♪
♪ All the time ♪
♪ Love unknown ♪
♪ Laid all inside ♪
♪ Half a heart ♪
♪ In the back of the water ♪
[ Wind blowing ]