"My beautiful ceres." "I've given you so many chances..." "Time and time again." "Have I not been patient with you?" "You have, father." "When you came to me, what did you have?" "Nothing." "And who were you?" "No one." "And now?" "I am ceres, goddess of crabs and fertility." "That's right." "It's in your nature to grow." "But you can't grow unless you plant roots." "And when you rip those roots from the earth, you're denying your own ascension." "It won't happen again, father." "I know, my love." "I know." "Reach for the light." "It's all there." "As per tradition..." "Congratulations on another one in the bag." " Cheers." " Cheers." "So, was it worth it?" "Worth what?" "That shiner you're trying to cover up." "Anything for the story, right?" "You completely ghosted on me." "I can handle myself." "Bite off more than you can chew, and your sister is gonna handle me." "Between you and Sophie, it's like my parents are still around." "All right, all right." "What do you got?" "What's next?" "Melanie, it's Haley." "Um..." "I know it's been forever, but, uh, I really need your help." "Um, I'm in idyllwild." "He won't let anyone leave." "I don't have my phone, and I don't have any money, and I don't know where else to..." "Oh, my god!" "He found me!" "Haley copper, a friend from smc." "So, call the police." "Tell Sophie." "Sophie's not a cop anymore." "Okay, well, she still has friends in the department." "Yeah, here, not in the San jacinto mountains." "It's probably just some asshole boyfriend." "You really wanna get in the middle of that?" "In the last year, four Southern California girls have gone missing." "They were all last spotted in or around idyllwild." "People go missing every day." "You ever done a wider search?" "It's like flipping through the white pages." "You don't have any other leads beside where she's calling from." "This is all pure conjecture." "You have nothing." "This is no story." " A coffee shop?" " Mm-hmm." "And the people who work there all belong to this ascension family commune, some hippy cult." "I know Haley." "This is exactly the kind of place she'd end up." "I've had journalists cover this kind of story before, and if this cult actually exists..." "You're exactly the type of girl they'd prey on." "This isn't just about Haley." "What if the other girls are in the same situation?" "You'll send me regular updates?" "Check in with notes?" "Of course." "So, that's a yes?" "Check in with Sophie first." "And fix that makeup." "She sees that black eye, she's gonna kill me." "Melanie, I haven't seen you for six months." "You can't just keep disappearing like this." "I knew you'd do this." "You always freak out." "Somebody has to." "There's this commune in idyllwild." "I think some of the girls there might be in trouble." "I can't keep worrying about you like this." "Waiting to hear some awful report on the news." "Four girls have gone missing." "All in their 20s." "Sophie, you were a detective." "You know what happens when the world forgets about these girls." "So call the police." "Let someone else be in danger for once." "Police aren't gonna do anything." "I didn't come here to ask permission." "I'm telling you." "And I'd appreciate it if you stopped treating me like a child." "Then stop acting like one." "I am not having this fight again." "You know what?" "I have two kids." "I can't be your mom too." "I don't want you to." "Just because you gave up on what you believe in, doesn't mean the rest of us have to." " Real nice, Mel." "Mel, it's me." "I didn't wanna leave things the way we did." "I'm sorry, okay?" "I know you're an adult, and I know you don't need me to look after you." "But you can't stop me from worrying." "I saw too many things over the years." "I know what people are capable of." "Just promise me you'll be careful." "And know that I'm gonna hit Gavin up for information if I don't hear from you, okay?" "Okay." "I love you." "Bye." " Excuse me." " Yeah, ma'am?" "Sorry to bother your coffee break." "I was just wondering if, by chance, you recognize this girl." "I can't say that I do." "There a problem?" "No, she's just a friend." "I heard she was in town." "Well, we get all kinds passing through." "It's a peaceful community, but it does seem to attract a certain element." "What does that mean?" "People looking for something, running from something." "Middle of the mountains, not too hard to figure why." "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help." "More tea?" "Oh, no, thank you." "Luna." "That's pretty." "Is it a family name?" "You need some help with that?" "Please save me." "Thanks." "Seriously, I was about ready to lose my shit." "I mean stuff." "Sorry." "I know we're not supposed to curse in front of the customers." "No, that's okay." "I won't tell anyone." "I'm Venus." "I know." "It's a dirty hippy name." "Try not to judge me." "I'm..." "Mary." "Are you new to the area?" "I haven't seen you here before." "Oh, I'm just passing through." "Oh, well, I'm sure you'll love the town." "You know, first week I was here," "I thought I was gonna kill myself, but it grows on you." "You're in a band?" "Guilty as charged." "What kind of music do you play?" "It's really hard to define a genre, so I would say..." "Experimental folk." "Okay, no, that actually makes it sound terrible." "No, not at all." "I think it's right for up here." "Really?" "And who's that?" "Isn't he dreamy?" "That's Brent." "He actually owns the shop." "Are you guys close?" "Um..." "I guess you could say that." "We all live in the same place, and we run the shop to, you know, support us, but we're mostly self-sufficient, off the grid." "That's amazing." "I'd love to check it out." "It's private." "Oh, come on." "Brent would love her." "He wouldn't love strangers coming over." "I don't have a place to stay." "And whose fault is that?" " Whoa!" "Whoa!" " Easy." "Take it..." " Let go of me!" "Back off!" "Calm down... please?" "You okay?" "Yes." "Is that a question or a statement?" "Yes, I'm okay." "We're as startled as you are here." "You realize you're on private property, right?" "I'm just a little lost." "Bullshit." "She was at the shop today asking about you." "Is that true?" "I don't have anywhere to stay." "Venus told me what a nice place you have here." "I'm sorry." "I just wanted to see it for myself." "I never told her where it was." "Then how did you find it?" "I sort of hitched a ride in the back of your pickup." "I like this one." "What's your name?" "Mary." "Brent." "Please don't blind me." "I just wanna shake your hand." "Why don't you come inside from the cold?" "We'll discuss this over some dinner." "Come on." "Introductions." "Of course, you've already met Venus and Luna, and then we have our silent sisters, Helen and clytemnestra." "They haven't spoken a word since they joined us, except to each other." "And last, but certainly not least, rhea... my first." "To our guest of honor, Mary." "We are grateful that she has found us in the darkness." "Thanks for having me." "Cheers." "Is this everyone?" "How do you mean?" "Just, uh... everyone who lives here?" "For now." "I hope you're not vegetarian." "No." "What is it?" "Rabbit." "Everything you see on this table was raised, grown, and prepared here by us." "Except the wine." "Mmm!" "That's great." "Everyone should really try growing their own food." "I'm glad you think so." "Unfortunately, the majority of this country is oblivious to the fact that gmos are being knowingly and maliciously introduced into their food supply as a means to poison and pacify the population with cancer and obesity." "You really believe that?" "I know it." "But..." "Forgive me." "I'm a little passionate when it comes to these things." "And is that why you're doing the whole..." "Amish thing here?" "We're taking a stab at an alternative lifestyle..." "But I wouldn't call it amish." "We have power." "We just choose to use it sparingly." "The world is filled with enough energy leeches as it is." "Yeah, I know." "That's why I left L.A." "I needed a break from it all." "Let me ask you something, Mary." "What really brought you here?" "I'm looking for a friend." "Hmm." "Aren't we all?" "Look around this table." "Everyone here was lost in the darkness at one point, just like you..." "Alone, afraid..." "Strangers in a strange land." "But then, we found each other, and now, we're one." "You'll be bunking with Luna." "I know it's a little cramped, but there will be more space once we build the bunkhouse." "No, it's great." "Thank you." "You're lucky we even have space." "This bed just opened up." "Whose was it?" "Her name was ceres." ""Was"?" "She renounced her new name." "The average snake will shed its skin two to four times per year." "Some people will go their entire lives without doing it once." "Unfortunately, ceres wasn't ready to embrace her new self." "How come?" "This lifestyle isn't for everyone." "We're a nation of addicts..." "Opioids, social media, the white noise of a bar on a Friday night." "Some people would rather be dependent than free." "Voluntary slavery." "So, what happened to her?" ""Happened"?" "You mean where is she?" "Where does anyone ever go?" "Away." "Here." "Take this." "There's gonna be a lot to take in, but I promise you it's all for a good reason." "A big part of this community is shedding the things we don't need." "I'll do whatever it takes." "You can set it down and leave." "Thank you." "What's this?" "I'm sorry to say that most of the girls who end up here show up with bruises." "Whoever did this to you will never touch you again." "This is a place of healing." "Arnica is an herb that will reduce the swelling and heal the eye muscles as well as any other tissue that may have been damaged." "That's better." "I'll let you get some rest." "It's been quite a day." "Hey, Brent." "Thank you... for everything." "It's been my pleasure." "Oh!" "Before I leave..." "I'm gonna need your phone." "I know." "Why don't I just take your arm, right?" "But trust me." "It's for your own good." "Technology is the enemy out here." "You must be really worried to bother calling me." "Why does she do this?" "I mean, at least send a text, something." "I'm sure she's fine." "She just needs to get the lay of the land before she can reach out." "I don't have a good feeling about this." "You always do." "At least, you used to." "I know." "It's just we parted on bad terms, and I just don't want..." "Promise you'll call the second she reaches out." "I promise." "You're not gonna let Mel know that I checked in on her, right?" "Why start now?" "We'll talk soon." "Hang in there." "Thank you, Gavin." "Hey." "So, what does a girl do around here for fun after dinner?" "Sleep." "Are you serious?" "It can't even be 9:00 yet." "We get up at dawn." "Days are long." "Get used to it." "Do you want me to leave?" "You have no idea." "Look, I know I'm kind of invading your space here," " but that doesn't mean we have to hate each other." "Were you close with the girl before me, ceres?" "Go to sleep." "Why did she leave?" "Shut up!" "This isn't a slumber party." "We're not gonna braid each other's hair." "I don't wanna be your friend." "I want you gone." "Shit." "Good morning." "How did you sleep?" "Like a rock." "I don't usually sleep in like this." "You needed it." "We didn't wanna disturb you." "I see that arnica worked like a charm." "Yeah, thanks." "Hey, listen, I know I gave you my phone, but I should probably let some people know where I am." "My, my!" "Not even 12 hours, and already, you gotta be plugged back in." "No, it's just what if someone needs me?" "What if there's an emergency?" "I promise if you get any messages, I'll return it immediately." "But we need to break you of your addiction." "I don't want you staring at the world through that tiny, electronic screen" " rather than..." " Living in the moment." "It's good to get lost out here." "The only way to truly find yourself." "Speaking of which, hop in." "Oh, I can't." "This is all I've got to wear." "Take it off." "I can't just take it off." "Relax." "I'm kidding." "We got plenty of extra clean clothes." "They'll fit you like a glove." "Come on." "I'll give you a tour of the property after breakfast." "Come on." "Let's get you comfy." "Okay, but I'm not very good." "There's no competition here." "We're all perfect in our imperfection." "Off this mountain, the name of the game is to hold on tight..." "To your youth, your money, your job, your lover." "And they wonder why we're all going insane." "This entire world is suffering a systemic nervous breakdown because we're all terrified to just..." "let... go." "But letting go is the sanest thing you can do." "Remember that nothing here is ours." "What is ours?" "Nothing, father." "What's with this whole "father" thing?" "Don't ask." "I called him it one time as a joke, and I guess it just kind of stuck." "It's not even funny anymore." "It's kind of creepy." "Yeah, kinda." "Nothing is ours..." "Not these bodies..." "Not this planet..." "Not this life." "We're renters here." "So, we might as well live free before we're all evicted." "I was wondering if I could stay." "What about your big city life?" "I really wouldn't call it a life." "It's more like a distraction." "Hmm." "But you really think the whole world can live like this, without all the creature comforts they're addicted to?" "What?" "You said "they."" " I did?" " Mm-hmm." "There's a knot in your stomach..." "Something urging you back to the world you know." "I know that feeling..." "All too well." "But there's a reason you came here, and I think you deserve the chance to discover it." "I'd like to try." "This is our creative space where we rehearse and write our music, sometimes meditate." "We even make odds and ends at our neighboring properties to sell at the shop..." "Candles, lip balm, things like that." "Wow!" "You guys are really organized." "We could use an extra pair of hands." "They're so cute." "Can't I just do laundry?" "This is the food chain, not some convenient death in a box children are conditioned to equate with happiness." "This is reality." "It's death feeding life, and life feeding death." "Everyone did this before I let them stay here." "Think of it as a rite of passage." "Hey." "Every savory piece of meat you've ever relished in your entire life was the result of a moment just like this." "Do it." "I wouldn't do that if I were you." "Sorry." "This isn't the bathroom?" "This is Brent's study." "Don't ever touch this door again, okay?" "We're not allowed in here." "I'm sorry." "It's just that Brent is so particular, and this is where he mixes our music, and he doesn't want anybody to disturb his sanctum, okay?" " Okay." " Bathroom's right there." "Come find me when you're done." "I have a job for you." "Okay, yeah, that's it." "Um..." "Spread your feet apart." "Measure it out." "Yeah." "Now, just bring it up over your head..." "And bring it down." "Oh!" "Your poor, little city mouse." "Okay, get out of the way." "Come on." "Can I ask you something?" "Are you happy here?" "Have you ever thought about leaving?" "And going where?" "Back to Lexington?" "I'll pass." "But you could leave, right, any time you wanted to?" "Of course." "I mean, nobody is chaining us to the wall here, Mary." "No, I know." "It's just..." "I was wondering how long people stay." "Like that girl who was rooming with Luna, she just decided to leave?" "Ceres?" "Look, all I know is that one night, she apparently got into Brent's study, and he totally flipped on her." "She ran away, no money, no ID." "I mean, Brent eventually found her and brought her back, and she settled in." "But I guess it just wasn't enough for her, so Brent let her go." "Why the sudden interest?" "Oh, no interest." "It's just an interesting name." "You all have interesting names." "Oh." "Well, yeah." "It's Brent's doing." "He wants us to shed our old selves and all that jazz." "Wait." "You didn't think Venus was my real name, did you?" "Maybe." "Good thing you're pretty." "So, what is your name?" "Sorry." "House rules." "No real names." "Really?" "Yeah." "I mean, Brent wants us to look to the future, not the past." "Chin up." "You'll be sharing your new name soon enough." "You're not gonna be Mary for much longer." "Is this becoming a regular thing?" "Don't get me wrong." "I love hearing from you." "I wouldn't get used to it." "I'm calling about that picture you sent." "Any idea what to do with it?" "It's not rocket science." "I called my buddy at the department to run the plates." "Right." "What kind of journalist are you?" "An editor." "Think she's okay?" "She hasn't sent anything else?" "I'm sure she's fine." "Just the text I sent." "Probably just bad reception up there." "Yeah." "You know, you don't have to call me." "You can email or text." " Use a carrier pigeon." "Yeah, I could have." "I'll, uh..." "Call back when I hear something on that plate." "Looking forward to it." "Shh!" ""Nothing makes sense out here anymore."" ""There's a sadness in everyone's eyes that breaks my heart."" ""It's like they know they're all trapped"" ""and wanna scream, but they can't,"" ""so their eyes scream for them."" ""I miss our mountain and our music."" "'What we had was special." ""What we had is the cure to this sickness."" ""If I stay off this mountain for much longer, I will die."" ""So, I'm coming home soon."" ""With love, ceres."" "I knew she couldn't stay away forever." "She's right." "What we have is special." "What we have is the cure." "Before we eat, let's go around again and share what we're curing within us." "Because if we can't heal ourselves, how can we heal the world?" "I'll go first." "My father committed suicide when I was 12 years old." "He made some bad investments." "Lost everything." "Couldn't support us." "He felt like such a failure..." "That killing himself seemed like the only way out." "Figured we could survive on his life insurance policy for a while." "My father wasted his life because he thought money was the cure." "Money is not the cure." "I used to validate my self-worth through sex." "The more men I was with, the more important I felt." "Because in that moment..." "They were mine." "In that moment, I was their entire world..." "Life, death..." "And everything in between." "Sex is not the cure." "My dad used to hit us to make himself feel strong." "My mom was too scared to leave." "The one night, when he was whipping me with a belt," "I decided to fight back." "I broke his jaw with an iron." "They sent me to prison for aggravated assault, and when I got home, my mom kicked me out, blamed me for my dad leaving." "I was so scared." "Then I found Brent." "Fear is not the cure." "Um, I guess..." "I don't know what's wrong with me." "I guess I'm still trying to figure it out." "Self-discovery is the ultimate journey any of us will ever go on." "Let us eat." "Oh, sorry." "Don't be." "I can think of worse people to bump into." "Insulin." "You're diabetic." "Getting diagnosed was my wakeup call." "Gave up all my old bad habits, started eating clean, living clean." "In a way, it's how I ended up here with all of you." " Well, I guess it's a good thing then." " Hmm." "I don't think I've seen that room before." "My study." "You're not missing anything." "Trust me." "Sometimes, I just have to block myself off from all external stimuli and meditate." "But I thought that's something we did together." "What can I say?" "Sometimes, I can be a lone wolf." "Well, I'll leave you alone then." "Hey." "I'm glad you're still here." "Me too." "One moment, Mary." "Why don't you take a break from field work for a day?" "Sure." "Whatever you need me to do." "You can take Luna's shift at the cafe." " Really?" " Really." "It's a privilege, and I think you've earned it." "What about Luna?" "Like I said, it's a privilege." "Some field work and arnica will do her some good." "I'm fine doing this if she'd rather..." "Please." "Indulge me." "It's for the best." "Come on." "I'll give you a ride." "Sure beats chopping wood, right?" "Yeah, this is definitely more my speed." "You okay?" "Yeah, I'm just worried about Luna." "Did you see her this morning?" "She'll be fine." "You know, Brent says that she sleepwalks sometimes and wanders off into the woods." "She banged herself up pretty good last night." "You really believe that's what happened to her?" "Well, sure." "She wouldn't be the only one." "I mean, I know I've gone on autopilot a few times." "I'm gonna get some more lids." "Have so much fun." "Hi." "Hello?" "Hey, it's me." "Mel, where the hell are you?" "I've tried calling you, like, 20 times." " I'm sorry." "They took my phone." " They took your phone?" "I have everything under control." "The guy running this place completely bought my helpless Doe act." "I just have to sink my teeth in a little more." "How do you plan on doing that?" "Whatever it takes." "Mel, you..." "Listen, I need you to get a message to Gavin." "Still no Haley." "Her disappearance is looking worse every day." "What makes you say that?" "I hope I'm wrong." " Mary?" " I have to go." "What are you doing?" "Why do we lock the bathroom?" "I almost peed my pants looking for this." "How'd she do?" "Like a fish to water." "Good girl." "How about some tunes?" "Venus, will you do the honors?" "There are messages in this music if you listen with the right kind of ears." "Messages that can change the world." "Go to track four." "That's ceres's song." "She sang?" "Like an angel." "If that license plate is correct," "Mel is in way over her head." "He's had a record since he was 17." "The charges over the years range from sexual assault to indecent exposure." "His mother has been institutionalized in New York since he was a kid." "His father... ugh!" "His father is Johnathan burns, ceo of burns pharmaceuticals." "He was one of the most powerful lobbyists in the industry." "They own judges." "So this rich, little sicko has had a free pass his entire life?" " What did Mel say his name was?" " Brent." "That's just his latest alias." "Real name Matthew burns." "This guy is untouchable." "Mel has no idea who she is living with." "Mary!" "Mary!" "Hey!" "Help." "Luna." "It's okay." "Everything is okay." "What's going on?" "You don't remember?" "I found you in the woods." "That actually happened?" "But how did I get there?" "You don't need to worry." "These things just happen sometimes." "I used to tell ceres the same thing." "Sometimes, I find myself..." "In the middle of the night folding laundry or... cooking dinner." "I'd have a knife in my hand and..." "Food just chopped up right in front of me." "But none of it's familiar, like a dream just snapped into reality." "Doesn't that scare you?" "It did at first, but eventually, it just became routine." "Normal." "Luna, this is not normal." "Something is causing this." "It's my fault." "What do you mean?" "I thought I could handle what happened, that I was strong enough, but I'm just..." "I'm losing my mind." "Luna..." "I saw you in the woods." "You placed flowers at a rock in the clearing." "I know this is hard, but I need you to tell me who's buried there." "We were worried about you." "My sweet Luna." "Hey, Mary is just fine." "Right?" "Yeah." "You've taken your first step." "Your mind is ready." "Let's give her some time to rest." "Yes, father." "Get better." "And I'm sorry I haven't been the easiest person to get along with." "No, that's okay." "And I feel all right if you wanna talk some more." "You rest." "Luna has got plenty to do anyway." "You can talk to me." "I don't know what's wrong." "It's like part of my brain was removed." "Like I just lost control." "You don't like losing control." "Who does?" "I just showed up in the woods." "But how did I get there?" "And the things I saw..." "What did you see?" "It doesn't matter." "How do you make sense of something like that?" "Well, that I can help you with." "I've had this same conversation with Luna..." "And Venus." "Everybody here, actually." "Ceres?" "Yes, before she left." "You've all had the same experience and asked the same questions." "Isn't that remarkable?" "But what does it mean?" "It means you're ready." "You've received your calling." "My calling to do what?" "To learn your true purpose..." "The family's purpose." "Congratulations, Mary." "You're one of us." "Come on." "Let's go for a walk." "Look at that." "Absolutely beautiful." " You know what this is?" "" "No." "It's a borrachero seed." "This tiny seed can blossom into a large tree, and when it blooms..." "I wish I could show you the flowers." "Actually, you've seen the cafe logo." "A crude representation, but you get the idea." "I told you my dad died when I was 12." "I remember." "We buried him in our backyard with one of these." "His flesh and bones fed the earth, and..." "He broke free from the dirt." "I realized how connected everything is." "You, me, the grass, the trees, we're all the same matter." "We're one magnificent organism with billions of parts stretching out across the universe." "That sounds nice." "That's why I wanna change things." "We've become so separate, so wrapped up in ourselves." "I mean, look at the world." "We steal from each other, hurt each other, kill each other, and for what?" "Money?" "I wanna show people they can get by on less." "I don't want anyone to ever kill themselves over money again." "This is our family's purpose..." "To help people see, or if necessary, to make them see." "Make them?" "Yes." "And you can help." "Don't you wanna heal the broken world?" "Yes." "I thought so." "It's time you received your new name." "My sister is living with a psychopath." "We have no way to contact her." "I'm not just gonna sit around and hope that she's okay." "So your solution is to walk into the lion's den" " just like she did?" "What's your plan?" "Is that a gun?" "Maybe." "Are you insane?" "Wait." "Aren't you supposed to turn in your gun when you quit?" "I have my own private arsenal." "We don't know who's involved." "We don't know what a guy like Brent will do when he thinks people are poking into his business." "I'm not taking any chances." "Just... do me a favor, okay?" "Be careful." "I heard the voice of god." "I felt the devil's breath." "They wailed the pain of life." "They sang the joy of death." "Took a heart full of trouble deep inside an earthy womb." "I'll pass along death's beauty when my bones help flowers bloom." "Good evening, ladies." "Good evening, father." "It gives me great pleasure to tell you that Mary has heard the calling and is ready to be reborn into our family." "And with that, she needs a name..." "A name to fit her new life, her new purpose, to help us spread our music and love to the four corners of this tortured earth..." "To heal it..." "Inside and out." "Make no mistake." "This world is sick." "And what do we do when we're sick?" "We take our medicine." "We..." "We are the cure." "We are the cure." "But what name would suit a woman like you?" "Mary?" "Like the virgin mother?" "That hardly seems appropriate." "Not Mary." "What about..." "Melanie?" "I don't know." "Are you a Melanie?" "No." "Maybe in another life." "Not anymore." "Just beyond pluto lies the icy dwarf planet, eris..." "Named after the Greek goddess of discord." "Eris." "Now, that sounds right." "Say hello to your new sister." "Welcome, eris." "Yes." "Welcome home." "Are you ready to serve your new family?" "I'm ready." "Good girl." "Now, take off your clothes." "Mary is dead." "And eris is born." "Go ahead." "Put it on." "Wait." "No." "No, this is not real." " This is not..." " This is very real." "Eris!" "Eris, stop!" "What the hell?" "Miss, are you okay?" "It's all right." "I got you." "Come on." "Let's get you off your feet." "I recognize you..." "From the cafe." "What's your name?" "Melanie." "Okay, Melanie." "Can you tell me what happened?" "I don't remember how I got here." "The last thing I remember, I was running through the woods, and someone was..." "Someone was chasing me." "Okay." "What about before that?" "Was there anybody else with you?" "Yeah, I was living on a farm with some other women." "Brent's place?" "What the hell did he do to you?" "Hey, it's all right." "You don't have to talk about it." "Here." "I'm gonna make sure nobody is hiding out there." "I promise I'll be right back." "It's okay." "You're safe now." "I found her on the side of the road." "Yeah." "Copy that." "Nobody out there." "Are we heading back into town?" "Yes, ma'am." "Where are we going?" "How about some music?" " Please!" "No!" "No!" "Venus!" "Thank god!" "Please, you have to do something." "Shh." "It's okay." "I know." "I'm here to help." "I was so scared." "This is all so insane." "Oh, I know, but don't worry." "It'll all be better soon." "You're not pure enough to wear this." "See?" "It's filthy, just like you." "But why?" "You're not like the rest of them." "No, she isn't." "Venus is the best of you." "So faithful..." "So devoted to convincing our girls to stay." "Venus, he's controlling you." "Oh, you poor, little city mouse." "I don't need drugs to do what I'm told." "I believe." "What are we going to do with you?" "Tried love..." "Empathy, sex, medicine." "Why are some souls so resistant to enlightenment?" "I'm disappointed." "You seemed so promising..." "Even after I realized who you really were." "Imagine... convincing an investigative journalist to join the cause." "What a triumph!" "How did you know?" "Oh, it pays to have people on the right side of the law." "Start digging." "Don't stop until I tell you." "Go to hell!" "Tsk, tsk, tsk." "Now, now..." "Let's behave." "I can make you do it if need be." "You know I can." "I employ a diverse cocktail of pharmaceuticals to encourage personal growth around here." "But of them all, my favorite by far is scopolamine, otherwise known as devil's breath." "You take the seed of the borrachero tree..." "Mash it up, you have a powder that can make people do your bidding." "A tiny amount, and you can make people do anything you want." "They won't even remember." "There are a dozen ways to get it into someone's system, wine, food..." "Or my preferred method." "Why doesn't it affect you?" "I don't have diabetes." "I do have antilirium, which acts as an antidote, rendering me immune." "So, what'll it be?" "I'll see you tonight." "It'll give us both some time to reflect on things." "Diane hunt?" "Who are you?" "Do you have a minute to talk?" "No, I have a long walk ahead of me." " I can give you a ride." " Just leave me alone." "It's about my sister." "Please." "Why are you telling me all of this?" "Because I'm scared." "I don't have time to be as cautious as I would like, and you look like a good person." "I'm worried about my sister, and I'm horrified about the idea of never seeing her again." "I just need you to point me in the right direction." " I'm sorry." "I can't." " Please." "Put yourself in my shoes." "If you had the opportunity to save the person that you love the most, wouldn't you do that?" "There's a room Brent uses..." "For the girls who misbehave." "I spent a week in there one time." "Brent tried to get me to move on." "The things he did..." "A shed near the woods by the edge of the property." "My beautiful eris." "I have good news." "Your ascension has come." "There's a lock on the door, but I..." "I don't know where the key is." "He gets in your head, and then there's no stopping him." "I hope you can save her." "Reach for the light." "I wasn't so lucky." "Good girl." "Melanie!" "I'm here to help." "Are you okay?" "What's your name?" "Ceres." "I mean, Haley." "Haley Cooper?" "Do I know you?" "No." "I'll explain when we're out of here." "Come on." "Your old self..." "Is lying in that hole." "Bury her." "You'll be safe in my car down the road." "As soon as I get a signal, I'll call the cops." "We can't trust them." "What do you mean?" "Thank you for joining us." "Good evening." "Good evening, father." "I come to you tonight with a heavy heart." "It pains me to upset you, because I love you all very much." "We love you, father." "We're a family, and families are supposed to take care of each other, to support each other, to trust each other." "It's up to the father to discipline those who misbehave." "Your sister, eris, has betrayed you, and her blood sister has come to take what is not hers!" "And for that..." "And for that, they must all be punished." "You wanna see them punished, don't you?" "Yes, father." "You heard them." "Why are you doing this?" "To change the world." "We talked about this." "Of course, that was all lies, wasn't it?" "But why do you need them?" "They don't deserve this." "I'm doing this to make them stronger, to blur the lines between what they want and what they think they want." "The only way we're ever going to be able to make a difference is to be willing to die for what we believe in." "You're pathetic." "You have no power." "You have to brainwash them to follow you." "Oh, I only have to persuade the unfaithful." "My true believers obey the cause willingly." "Ladies, take off your masks." "Look into their eyes." "Clear devotion." "It's their choice to be here." "And as for no power..." "Oh, I disagree." " Give me the gun." " Yes, father." "Venus, come here." "What are you doing?" "Proving a point." "Venus, put the gun to your head." "Stop it!" "Venus, pull the trigger." "No!" "Anything else?" "Imagine what can be done with devotion like this." "Now, for your punishment." "Luna was kind enough to tell me what your relationship was with our guest..." "With a little persuading." "In order to prove your loyalty to your new family, we need to sever ties with the old." "You don't touch her!" "You don't do anything to her!" "Don't worry." "I'm not going to do anything to her." "You are." "Deputy, do you have a light?" " Eris." "Join your sisters, your true sisters." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Please, don't make me." "I wish it didn't have to come to this." "You were my favorite." "How could it end like this?" "Stay." "Are you okay?" "Yeah." "Oh!" "Look out!" "I was so scared, Haley." "You didn't give up." "Thank you." "You... and your sister." "I never got a chance to tell you..." "Who's buried there." "You don't have to." "Brent said we didn't need to go to the hospital." "We could do it on our own." "But something was wrong with her." "My poor baby girl!" "Oh." "Luna, I had no idea." "When I lost her," "I had nothing left." "Even when I realized what Brent was doing..." "I had nobody." "You have family." "Protect that, no matter what." "I will." "And you should too." "You still have family." "Come on." "Thank you." "It's what sisters do." "Whew!" "I think I've earned a break." "Yeah." "Can we just go home and hang out for a while?" "Sure." "And after..." "You need to write one hell of a story." "I love you." "I love you, too."