Peter You okay, Mom?
Peter Is there something on your mind?
Is there something on your mind?
Peter Just seems like there... might be something you... wanna say.
Steve Peter.
Like what? I mean, why would I wanna say something? So I can watch you sneer at me?
Peter Sneer at you? I don't ever sneer at you.
Oh, sweetie, you don't have to. You get your point across.
Peter Okay, so, fine, then say what you wanna say, then.
Steve Peter.
I don't wanna say anything. I've tried saying...
Peter Okay, so try again. Release yourself.
Oh, release you, you mean?
Peter Yeah, fine, release me, just say it! Just **** say it!
DON'T you swear at me, you little shit! Don't you EVER raise your voice at me! I am your mother! You understand? All I do is worry and slave and defend you, and all I get back is that **** face on your face! So full of disdain and resentment and always so annoyed! Well, now your sister is dead! And I know you miss her and I know it was an accident and I know you're in pain and I wish could take that away for you. I WISH I could shield you from the knowledge that you did what you did, but you're sister is dead! She's gone forever! And what a waste... if it could've maybe brought us together, or something, if you could've just said "I'm sorry" or faced up to what happened, maybe then we could do something with this, but you can't take responsibility for anything! So, now I can't accept. And I can't forgive. Because... because NOBODY admits anything they've done!
Steve, uh, upstairs... In the attic when you were gone, I went up there and I... I just... I really need you to go up there and see what I saw. There's a body. Yeah. I mean, I think it's my mother, I think, but I can't tell because the skin's all black and she's all distended but the head is gone. [crying] Will you, please? I just need you to go and see upstairs. Please, Steve. And then there's more.
Steve You mean more than your mother's headless body? Of course there is.
Steve [Steve looks in the attic, screams, then returns]
Jesus, ****!
Steve What the **** was that? Why didn't you call the police?
The police can't help us.
Steve Who the **** is that up there?
Do you remember Joan, my friend whose grandson died? She took me to her apartment.
Steve It did look like your mother.
Well, listen. She taught me how to do the seance. I didn't even want to, but she brought her grandson back and I saw it and felt it just like you did with Charlie. Now, look. This is my mother's album. Now look here. See this? See her? That's her. That's Joan. She didn't even mention knowing my mom and I've never met her before, but she approached me. She consoled me. She told me about this seance, and she showed me how. Now look at this. See this symbol? On the necklace my mom gave me. It's her necklace, right? They're both wearing it, and they're wearing it in every photo. And look at that pattern! Did you see up there? This was painted above the body, right? In blood!
Steve You dug up the grave. It was you, wasn't it?
Steve All those nights you were pretending to go to the movies.
You're not even listening!
Steve And then the day the cemetery called, I said, "Oh, I won't tell her because she'd be worried."
Oh, God damn it! Listen to me, Steve! I know you don't trust me and there is nothing I can do about that. But they put a curse on us when we brought Charlie back. We made a pact with something. Something that is in this house. I don't know what it is but it is after Peter. [shows a journal] I watched these pages fill. All of them are Peter! I'm sorry. I don't know what I did. I don't know what I did but Peter is in danger... And I started it. Now if we destroy this book, it will take me too. I tried to burn it. I tried. But my arm caught on fire on its own as if I was linked to it because I am linked to it. I understand this now. Please! If we don't destroy this book... [crying] Peter will... Oh, God. Do you understand? We have to do this. Please, please, please, please. For Peter. I need you to trust me, Steve. It needs to be me. It's my fault. It's my fault. I know it's my fault. Please. Please, I need you to throw it in the fire. Please, I just... I can't do it. I can't. I'm just too **** scared. But if we don't do it... If we don't do it, it's gonna be Peter, it's gonna be our son. Okay, I know this. I know so. Just, please, please, please, please, please... Steve, please. Please understand, baby. Please, please. Please throw it in the fire. Sweetheart, please. Please take it, take it. You gotta do it. You gotta do it.
