"They say that those who fail to learn from their past are destined to repeat it." "This story begins well before my time, in a place called Perseverance." "In all, three generations would come to tell the tale." "Three generations would come to fear the rain." "......." "Please, just let me go." "What do you want?" "Ahh." "One more week without rain... and we'll all be dead." "Pa..." "Ain't that Simon Wheeler?" "Daniel, no!" "Daniel!" "Help me, please." "Don't let it get me." "Who?" "The hat." "You mind when I'm talking to you!" "Now, you go home and look after your sister!" "Go on!" "Go!" "I want my pa." "I know your father, boy." "Open up, ladies!" "Jenny take the money." "You got to pay to stay, ladies!" "You got the rent?" "No!" "I want that." "You let my child go." "Brenda, give him the water." "But it's all we have." "Give him the water." "Here, boy." "Take this." "Dell." "He was talking crazy things." "I didn't have no choice." "I had to think of the kids." "You understand?" "He knows you're here, Jean." "If I was you, I'd pack my things and get back home" "You'll never make it out of town." "Mama, why are all" "the grown-ups sick?" "No, mama, please!" "Daddy?" "D-daddy, is that you?" "Daddy misses you, baby." "Daddy..." "Are you better now?" "Yes." "I am." "Please come home." "Just tell your mother to bring you all home." "Please!" "Did you get rid of it?" "Yes." "So there'll be no more crazy talk?" "Come home." "Clarence!" "Come home, Jean." "I want to, baby." "I miss you, but..." "Geez, Cari!" "Don't you knock?" "!" "Sorry." "Damn it." "You said you were studying at the library today." "I was, but there were too many people there, and I just didn't feel like it." "And?" "And, well, when the hell am I supposed to have my time, Cari?" "You're here every fucking minute, studying." "You never go out." "You never go home." "I get no time to myself." "You gonna answer that?" "Oh, they'll call back." "It must be her parents." "Again." "Well, lookee here." "What did I tell you?" " Good old M and D calling again." " Give me that." "What, are you afraid I'm gonna answer it?" "You have no right." "They'll just call back." "And call and call." "Just like they keep sending you these letters you never open." "Come on." "Let's go to your place." "Do me a favor, Cari, and answer your phone." "Better yet, just go home." "Campus operator." "Hi, this is Cari Lumis." "Could you give me the number to the campus clinic, please?" "I have an emergency." "Please hold." "Mama?" "No, honey." "This is your father." "Aw, Dad." "Dad, there's something wrong." "Cari, you're sick." "No, Dad." "Dad, it's more than that." "My skin, it..." "It's drying up, and you have unexplained sores." "How did you know?" "Sweetie, you have..." "You have a family-related illness." "It's hereditary." "Dad, you never said anything about this." "Dad, it's bad." "I think I need a doctor." "We have the remedy here." "So you must come home, and you must come home immediately." "Okay." "Okay." "It hurts." "Cari, we have the cure." "You just come home now." "But make it quick." "It's gonna be all right, Maggie." "Gonna be all right." "Daniel..." "I'm thirsty." "You can have my rations." "No." "I need water." "There's little left." "I'll check with Pa." "Pa, can Maggie have my water rations?" "No." "Pa... that boy in the field... he was Ben Wheeler's son, Simon." "Yeah." "That boy was crazy." "Lack of food and water, no doubt." "What happened to him, Pa?" "My God." "Pa, it looks like our prayers came through." "Looks like it." "Can this day get any worse?" "Well, well, well." "If it isn't Cari Lumis." "What's going on, Sheriff?" "Well, we've got some flooding." "We're re-routing traffic." "Oh, okay." "Well, does that mean I have to turn around, then?" "No." "We don't turn away our own kind." "Okay, well, I better get going." "My parents are probably waiting for me." "Well, you let me move those first." "Welcome home, everybody." "Daddy!" "Let's all get in out of the heat." "Come on." "Come on, baby." "It's still daddy." "Drink this." "What is it?" "Just..." "Just drink it, dear." "Just drink it." "I can breathe!" "What was that?" "It's a remedy." "Now take the bandages off." "It's working." "I need more." "I'll give you more." "But you got to do exactly what I say, without question." " Do you understand?" " Yes." " You understand?" " Yes!" "Now, that's a promise." "Cause if you don't..." "I can't help you." "Listen to me." "You listen to me." "Boala ta este ereditarã." "You could say it's a... it's a curse." "It occurs when you reach adulthood... and it can kill you." "But there is a cure." "No, no, no." "Now..." "I want you..." "I want you to let go of your pain and walk into the healing rain." "Daniel, you awake?" "Yeah." "I'm thirsty." "You think you can just sneak a little water?" "Pa said we could have some rations in the morning." "I can't sleep." "Please." "All right." "What's the matter?" "Thinking about what the boy said?" "Yeah." "Well, don't be afraid." "All he saw was the hat, right?" "Yeah, but even monsters can wear hats." "There's no such thing as monsters." "Getting water, huh?" "It's for Maggie." "Go on in the house." "What's going on?" "Rain." "The shaman delivered on his promise." "Skeptics are worried." "We need to choose another one." "Now." "Before they change their minds." "Maybe they're right to be worried, Horace." "We already had this conversation, Clive." "You turning yellow on us?" "The shaman promised us rain." "And we need this." "And what's next?" "What happens next here, Horace?" "We'll worry about that later." "Right now we need to see this through, or we're all dead and there is no next year." "Come on, Clive!" "What's it gonna take?" "All the crops are gone, our livestock." "We lost, what, 30 to the drought?" "31." "Yeah." "Right." "Whatever." "It's gonna be 33." "Two more, Clive... and we all live." "We're all in this equal." "Ain't that right, Ben?" "All right!" "You made your point." "I'll go." "Good man, Clive." "Good man." "Where you going?" "Into town." "I'll be back before long." "You watch over your sister." "But how can rainwater be a cure?" "It can't be that simple, can it?" "Yes, it can." "From now on you have to bathe in the vernal rain." "The vernal rain?" "Yes, the vernal rain." "It's a..." "It's a rain that comes once a year." "It has special properties." "You have to shower in it... or your affliction will return... and you'll die." "Well, what about Kyle, Max, and Jack?" "Your brothers..." "Your brothers..." "Look..." "You... me, your mother... we were all born with this curse." "Mom?" "Well, what if it doesn't rain next time?" "Then, what?" "We have a way of ensuring... that it will rain." "Well, you can't just make it rain." "Yes, we can." "I think it's time you come with me." "I've got to show you something." "Mandy... your dinner's getting cold." "Let's all say grace, please." "Dear Lord, we thank You that we can all be together around this table again." "Thank You for... letting us remember... that as long as we're together, we can get through all your trials and tribulations." "Amen." "Hope you like it." "Clarence, I don't feel so good." "Where are you going?" "Going to get Pa from town." "He said to wait here." "Something's wrong." "He's been gone too long." "You think he's in trouble?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "It didn't look like he wanted to go with them." "Daniel, why is this happening to us?" "I'm afraid, Daniel." "Don't leave me." "I don't want to be alone." "Listen, the town's not that far away." "I can make it in an hour and be back before too long." "I'll be careful." "I'm scared to be here by myself." "Don't be." "There's no such thing as monsters, remember?" "Tell you what... why don't you bar the door behind me, and I'll knock like this to let me back in, okay?" "Now, get back to bed." "People can be monsters, too, Daniel." "Now, listen to me, Cari." "I want you to listen to me." "I need you to do something." "It's gonna be hard at first, but I want you to understand that it's... it's for the survival of this family." "Do you understand?" "That's a promise?" "Yes, Daddy." "Okay." "Kyle!" "Why is he tied up?" "!" "So he doesn't get away." ""Get away"?" "He needs a doctor." "Cari." "Cari." "Listen to me." "We can talk about this later." "We can discuss it later." "What I need you to do..." "listen very carefully now... is I need you to take your hands... take your hands... ºi pune-le pe pieptul lui." "And submerge him until his lungs fill with water." "No!" "Cari!" "Look at this!" "Look at it!" "It's not gonna get any better." "You understand?" "Stop!" "You're insane!" "Cari!" "Listen to me." "If you don't do this... me, you, your mother..." "all of us... we're gonna die a horrific and agonizing death." " Stop!" " Cari!" " Stop!" "You're hurting me!" " Cari!" "You don't understand." "In order to bring the rain we as a family must make a sacrifice." "We must make a sacrifice." "It's been going on for over a generation." "I'm gonna call the sheriff." "Doesn't matter." "He knows." "He already knows." "The whole community knows." "We all suffer from the same curse, Cari." "Our lives... our health..." "our crops... everything." "And the only way to fix it is that you have to sacrifice your brother Kyle." "This is a hoax." "Please stop." "Stop it now." "You're lying." "Stop being so dramatic and do as you're told!" "You made a promise." "Now keep it!" "How do you think..." "Perseverance has prospered all these years?" "Have you looked around?" "Have you looked at all the towns around you?" "Huh?" "They're all dried up." "Why?" "Because we made a promise." "And that promise has to be fulfilled." "Now, I want you... to make it rain." "You make it rain." "Do you hear me?" "But it's already raining." "Where's Max?" "Where's Jack?" "Oh, God." "No." "No." "No." "You'll learn, Cari." "You'll learn like all of us had to learn... the whole town... that one day, when you have your children, your turn will come." "I just pray that you'll have the determination to do exactly what my father did with me and that I have to do with you now." "May you have the strength... to pull the trigger." "No." "No!" "It wasn't supposed to go like that!" "And what way was that, Clive?" "!" "The selection has been made." "The shaman now demands a sacrifice." "If you go back on your word, he will curse your land and people." "Stop it, Ben." "Stop it!" "No more children!" "Let it go, Ben!" "Ben." "Ben." "We got rain." "There's no going back now." "How can you just let your babies go?" "!" "Why the children?" "!" "Why don't you take one of us?" "!" "The shaman was a father." "The white man like you killed his children." "His heart is now dark." "The same darkness is now on you." "Mr. Wheeler." "I saw Simon this morning." "My boy?" "Outside the forest, by our property." "He came running out of the woods." "And?" "He was hurt real bad, screaming that he was being chased." "Where is he now?" "I don't know, Mr. Wheeler." "My pa... my pa took him back into the woods." "Listen to me, Daniel Jonis." "Don't go home." "Stay away till dawn." "Why?" "So you don't end up like my boy." "It's okay." "It's okay." "It's okay." "It's okay." "It's cool." "Yeah." "What's that?" "You said you got rid of it!" "You promised, Clarence!" "Yes, I did, Jean." "I promised." "I promised the whole town... that I would put an end to this drought, which I started... that I'd put an end to this suffering." "And I intend on keeping that promise." "I'm gonna let it fuckin' kill you, Cari, if you don't do exactly what I say." "Please." "Please take it away from me." "I can't breathe!" "I promise." "I promise." "But you have to do exactly what I say." "Do you understand?" "Is that a yes?" "Is that a yes?" "Promit." "You promise what?" "I want you to say it." "I promise to drown Kyle." "I heard a promise, Cari." "Yeah." "Yeah, that's it." "That's it." "Kyle." "Kyle!" "Enough with you!" "I'll deal with you later!" "I'll show you how to do it." "I'll show you how to do it." "Stop!" "Can you breathe?" "They... they killed Max and Jack." " I tried to stop 'em." " Shh." "Don't talk." "We need to get out of here now." "Cari, open the door." "Through the window." "Karl!" "You're putting us all in danger." "Don't listen to her." "Go." "Now." "Oh, my God." "He wasn't lying." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Go towards the front of the house." "What about Max and Jack?" "It's too late for them, Kyle." "It's not safe here." "No!" "Cari!" "No one said you could come down here, Mandy." "Go upstairs and play with your sister." "Now!" "Mama?" "Oh, God!" "Uh, it's only a small cut." "It doesn't hurt much." "Just a little more blood, Kyle." "No!" "What are you doing?" "!" "No!" "What's wrong with you?" "I'm sick." "No!" "Not you, too!" "You all want to hurt me!" "It's the rain." "Daniel?" "Daniel?" "Pa?" "The drought has plagued us for far too long now, Brenda." "Ever since Daddy found the hat... our farm... all of the farms, they're all dead." "Dead because there is no rain!" "But that will all change." "Once I give..." "Dad, you're sick." "You're sick, and you need help." "You've been sick ever since you found that thing." "Daddy needs to give first." " Then all will be well." " No!" "Eleanor." "Where are they?" "I'm so sorry." "You've failed." "But we have someone who has never failed." "Mr. Saul." "No." "Not him." "I'll slaughter whatever's left of my family." "You have nothing to say about this anymore." "The lottery is in jeopardy because of you." "You must ensure, as you have before, that things are set right." "Hand it over." "You had your chance... and you failed." "It's all in Mr. Saul's hands now." "Only the boy." "H-he was the chosen one." "Maggie?" "!" "Kyle?" "Where are you taking me?" "Kyle!" "I am so sorry." "I want to go back home." "I know." "I do, too." "But we can't." "But Dad's hurt." "Maybe we should go back and help him." "Kyle, Dad tried to hurt us." "Mom did, too." "They murdered Max and Jack." "They have an illness that made them do this." "They're not themselves." "But can't we get them to a doctor?" "Kyle, we can't go back." "We can't call a doctor." "The whole town is in on it." "We're gonna be okay." "What's gonna happen to us?" "Listen, I promise you... from now on, I will take care of you." "Okay?" "I promise." "No!" "You don't care!" "What?" "!" "Mom and Dad said you didn't care about us." "Kyle!" "That's why you left and ran away to college." "Of course I care about you!" "All I've ever known is Perseverance." "I had to go and see what is out there." "Mom and Dad were always trying to hold me back." "And now I know why." "We've got to get out of this town." "I mean, maybe we can go back to my school." "Maybe we can find help there." "What are you looking for?" "Keys." "Maybe we can drive this truck out of here." "And what?" "Just steal it?" "I don't know." "That house is abandoned." "Nobody will notice." "Oh, damn!" "It's on empty!" "Maybe there's some fuel in the barn." "Kyle, what are you doing?" "We've got to find fuel." "We don't have time for that." "But I'm starving." "No." "We've got to go now." "Just find the fuel." "Cari." "What?" "Behind you." "Please." "Please don't shoot." "Don't move." "Either of you!" "I'm sorry." "We were lost." "And we were just trying to find shelter." "Trying to steal my pickup?" "That's "looking for shelter"?" "W-we didn't take anything." "Look, if you'll just let us go," "I promise you we'll never bother you again." "Cari?" "Cari." "It's okay." "What's happening to me?" "It's the hat." "The hat?" "Go on, now, both of you." "Just get out of here." "No." "No." "Please." "Please tell me what's going on." "Your family must have been chosen for the sacrifice." "Chosen?" "What do you mean chosen?" "Honey, you're too young to know." "It happened well before your parents' time." "Some 50 or so years ago... local farmer dug up an old hat on his property, and, with it, a native curse." "The land and the wells dried up... livestock all dying." "There wasn't any food." "Killed off half the town, threatened to destroy everyone and everything in it." "So to deal with the curse... the town developed a lottery." "Choose a family to give up three of its own, three children of every generation." "Guess your family drew the lot." "I'm sorry." "I can't cure you." "Only the rain can." "Oh, my God." "Cari, come on." "Hurry." "Hurry." "Please, please, please work." " Ohh!" "Yes!" "Get your seat belt on." "Shit!" "Shit!" "Who the hell is that?" "Look at that!" "Cari, what's wrong?" "Go!" "Go!" "Cari, come on!" "Open up!" "Come on." "Come on." "Get in there." "Get in there." "Ah, that ain't gonna hold." "Here." "Help me." "Maggie?" "Daniel." "I am so tired, Kyle." "Get behind me." "I've dealt with his kind before." "We got to help her!" "Cari." "She's getting sicker and sicker!" "Do something!" "Kyle." "Go and get me the hat." "But that man's out there." "Kyle, I don't care." "You run fast." "But, Cari..." "It helped him." "Maybe it will help me." "Kyle..." "If you don't do this, I'm gonna die." " What are you doing?" " I need this, Kyle." "Ah." "Let me go!" "Just a little cut." "Just a little more rain." "Oh." "No." "Please!" "No!" "Yes." "Stop!" "Not another child!" "Maggie!" "Maggie." "Daniel." "Don't worry." "I'll get you down." "No!" "Hurry." "The shaman... shall have wrath upon you all." "If you kill him... the curse is just gonna go on forever." "My father was the one who dug up the hat, unleashing the curse." "He murdered... my two sisters." "And he was coming after me." "And I was strong like you." "And I got away." "And when he told the town that I got away, they just chose another child from a different family, and that's what they're gonna do when your brother ain't found." "Let him live, Cari." "Just suffer a little while longer." "Cause the rain's gonna come." "You got to make a choice, Cari." "If you really want to end this, you got to deny it the thing it desires... a third soul." "The children..." "they're at the schoolhouse." "Go free them before another one is taken." "You ain't got much time." "And, you..." "You must bury the hat." "Put it back in the earth." "Put it back where it belongs... once this has all passed." "Maggie." "I'm so sorry." "We're too late." "Nah, we got what we came for." "The shaman's power over the rain resides with this hat... his oracle to his god." "And now it's ours." "Just like your land." "I'm sorry about your little sister... but sacrifices had to be made." "Ain't that right, Clive?" "The needs of the many outweighs the few." "The many are now the few." " It stops here." "Brothers and sisters, I'm afraid we must continue with the ritual." "Mr. Saul has failed us." "Thank you, Sister." "Thank you, Brother." "Thank you." "Reverend." "Go get the child from the schoolyard, Sheriff." "Go." "Hurry." "You all have to come with me." "Your lives are in danger." "Cari Lumis." "Where's your brother, child?" "Cari." "Honey." "Where's Kyle?" "We need him to cure us." "We're not bad people, baby." "We're just doing what needs to be done." "You understand that." "Don't you?" "Cari!" "Please!" "Cari!" "Cari!" "Cari, please!" "Forgive us." "Amen." "I kept my promise, Kyle." "Now it's up to you to lead the children away from this place." "You must never, ever return to Perseverance." "Promise me." "You can't breathe a word of this to anyone." "This place is cursed." "................................"