"I'd better go now." "Ix"" "This isn't like me." "Are you ashamed?" "No." "But..." "I don't know." "It's okay." "Really." "I know what you're feeling." "Are you scared?" "No." "Frightened eyes never lie." "I saw..." "I saw lights, you know?" "Bright spots flying around." "I saw them, too." "Flying around really fast." "I saw them as if they were burned onto my retina." "But..." "I saw myself when I was in school, wearing my uniform." "You're going to laugh." "I saw myself in the confessional with Father Miguel." "I'd better go." "You're regretting this, aren't you?" "I don't know." "Ask me tomorrow." "We should run away, so you don't have to deal with this anymore..." " Who could that be?" " I don't know." "Please, I don't want anyone to know I'm here." "His face... his eyes..." "Did you see his eyes?" "Finally, some peace and quiet." "About time, right?" "One starts to worry when children are so quiet." " What happened?" " Sara's hurt." "Hurt how?" "I didn't do anything." "She just started bleeding." "Don't worry, I'll go." "No, Adolfo, come here." "Stay here with me." "What happened, Sara?" "Tell me." "Don't worry, okay?" "It's completely normal." "You'll be fine." "Don't worry." "It's not unusual." "Mom gets them, too." "Every woman, after a certain age, loses a little blood once a month." "Once a month?" "Always?" "Well, for many, many years." "Except when they're pregnant." "Not when they're pregnant?" "But don't worry." "It's normal." "Sarita, I'll wash that in a second." "Now, take this, clean yourself." "Everything's fine, okay?" "What's up?" " Hey." "." "Hmm?" "The kids want to go to that hill for a little while." "Are you serious?" "I'm not saying we have to go." "I'm saying they want to go." "You want to take a nap?" "Let me think about it." "Take this." "What about Sarita?" "What about her?" "Is she able to go like that?" "It's just her period." "She's not handicapped." "Go on." "Park the car." "Okay, but stay together, all right?" "I want you back in an hour." "Mom, that's barely enough time to get there and back!" "Okay, an hour and a half." "No more." "It's getting late." "I'm serious, Sara." "Otherwise, you don't go." "Take my watch and keep track of the time." "Seriously!" " Yes, mom." " Okay?" " Okay." " And don't talk to strangers." "What, Felix?" "You look beautiful today." "Yeah, right." "I look horrible in this heat." "That's not true." "It's too hot in here, Felix." "Let's just take a nap." "When was the last time we did something?" "Oh, so it's my fault?" "Don't get defensive." "I'm just asking." "I don't remember." "The kids are always around." "They're not here now." "It's hot in here, and we're at a truck stop." "Not exactly romantic." "Always something." "Do you remember what happened last time?" "Yeah, you remember." "There you were, with your naked hairy ass... it's no big deal." "Happens to a lot of kids." "Did it happen to you?" "No, but seeing your parents making love isn't the end of the world." "Adolfo's a smart kid." "It has nothing to do with intelligence." "Kids need to find out about those things differently." "When I was 13, my father gave me a nudie magazine." "He said he had found it... and asked me to take a look." "I knew he had bought it for me." "He never said anything else about it." "He felt that a magazine had all the instructions I ever needed." "Your father always was a brute." "Just like you." "What he didn't know is that I'd already learned about it." "Before you were 13?" "With who?" "A girl from my neighborhood." "She showed me her breasts." "And then I showed her my dick." "And she showed me her pussy." "And what did you do to her?" "I touched her pussy." "Did you like it?" "Yes, it was soft." "Very little hair." "Then I smelled it." "It smelled like pee." " Did you fuck her?" " Of course not." "I couldn't do much." "I just rubbed against her, but we stopped because we didn't know what we were doing." " You're wet." " No, it's just the heat." "And you?" "Did you show it to someone?" "Yes." "Where?" "At camp." "He was 15." "I was 13." " What did he do?" " He took me aside, said he had something important to tell me." "And what did he say?" "He stuck his tongue in my mouth." "And then?" "He pressed his cock against me and started rubbing." "Yeah?" "We didn't do anything because we didn't know how." "And then?" "He said he would show me something if I did the same." " What did you show him?" " My pussy." " Did he touch it?" " No, he kissed it." " Was it nice?" " It tickled." "And then?" "He showed me his dick." "I thought it was enormous." "Did you blow him?" "No, dear." "He wanted me to, but I didn't." "You blew him, didn't you?" "Yes." "I swallowed some of his cum." "Oh, don't stop, Felix." "You were a little slut, weren't you?" "Yes." "What time did you tell them to be back?" "Huh?" "Adolfo!" "Sara!" "Adolfo!" "Nobody should go up there." "Some folks think there's an energy there, but something's wrong with that place." "The Indians who lived in this area believed the hill had power, but they never got closer." "It was considered a cursed place." "It's true." "They said there were living beings who slept in the depths, creatures that think we're nothing more than shells." "I understand." "Believe me, we're going to do everything we can to help, but we can't start searching right now." "We have to wait until sunrise." "Look, there's a hotel nearby." "You should get some rest." "It's for the best." "What if they come back and we're not here?" "Ma'am, we'll stay here in case they come back." "Sir." "Sir!" "Tomorrow is going to be a long day, so we need you to get some rest." "Are you really going to watch TV, Felix?" "What?" "Are you really going to watch TV?" "No, I'm not." "It's too quiet, okay?" "Too quiet?" "I just don't want to be in silence, okay?" "How curious." "You're a bitch." " What did you call me?" " I said you're a bitch!" "But what you always complain about." "You can't work at home because the kids are too loud all the time." "And I'm the bitch?" "So it's my fault that they got lost, right?" " Yes, it's your fault." " Oh, really?" "My fault?" "I let them go on their own because you never want to do anything with them!" "Oh, never?" "That's why we're here!" "Never!" "All family plans bother you, everything makes you angry..." "Everything!" "Everything!" "That's why we're here!" "And the kids?" "That's why we're alone." " Go to hell!" " You go to hell." "No!" "You go to hell!" "Don't touch me!" "Get the fuck out!" "Get out!" "Don't touch me!" "What is that?" "We were in a cave." "It was so dark." "We didn't know where to go." "Take it easy." "You're home now." "Everything's gonna be fine." "Listen, the most important thing is that you can't be scared." "You're in control." "Just keep moving forward." "Let's go." "Straight on." "There you go." "Try to brake slower." "Slowly, slowly." "You okay?" "Felix, are you awake?" "Hey, Sara." "Where did you leave your panties?" "The ones from the other night." "The stained ones." "I washed them at the gas station, and you wore them again." "I put them with the laundry." "No, they're not there." "Did you leave them somewhere else?" "Did you handle the pads yourself?" "For the blood?" "I'm not bleeding anymore." "Adolfo, don't be rude." "Go and get your things for school." "You ready?" "Come on." "I'm gonna be late." "Take Adolfo to school." "I'm taking Sara to see the doctor." "Girl stuff." "Put on your seatbelt." "See, Sara?" "No big deal." "Wait outside, darling." "I'll be there soon." "Nothing to be alarmed about." "Sometimes first periods are irregular." "Nothing unusual about that." "That makes me feel better." "But there's something else." "Listen to me carefully." "Your daughter doesn't have a hymen." "But that, in principle, doesn't suggest anything." "Many women are born without one and others tear it accidentally in childhood." "It's perfectly normal." "It's not an indication that sexual intercourse or abuse has occurred." "But there is that possibility?" "We would need to do further tests to find out." "I think it best you talk with your daughter first." "If you believe something has occurred, then you should speak with the police and bring Sara back for more tests." "Did you like the doctor?" "I told you there was nothing to worry about." "Sara." "Did you and Adolfo meet anyone when you were on the hill?" "Sara." " Was anyone else there?" " No." "My specialty is kids and I assure you, it takes time." "There's no magic key to open the psyche of a child." "But did they say anything?" "I asked each one separately to draw the place where they got lost." "They made several drawings, but it's interesting that they both drew very similar things." "Do you think something bad happened?" "It's risky to draw conclusions." "But what do you think?" "There's no doubt that being lost at night is a traumatic experience for any child." "The feeling of abandonment, of being alone in the world, is overwhelming for anyone of any age." "I think they will tell us more." "It just takes time." "They look a little scary." "Think so?" "The colors..." "I don't know." "It was nighttime." "Not so odd that they used dark colors." "Maybe." "But why did they both draw our car?" "Let me see." "What's wrong?" "What is it?" "It's not our car." "What do you mean it's not our car?" "It's a pickup truck that was there that night." "Was someone else on the hill?" "I only saw the truck." " Good morning." " Good morning." "I'm looking for the officer who was on-duty Saturday night." "My kids went missing, and he helped us find them." "Oh, you're the father?" "Yes, you were lucky." "Too many people have disappeared up there." " Really?" " You're not from around here?" "That's right." "Do you remember Ismael Arau?" " The serial killer?" " That's the one." "His last victim wounded him." "He couldn't possibly have survived it." "They found traces of his blood going up the hill." "They found his machete, but never his body." "He disappeared into thin air, and he isn't the only one." "Your stories are boring the man." "You're looking for Sergeant Flores." "He's not here today." "It's his day off." "If you want to leave your number," "I'll let him know you're looking for him." "Did everything pan out all right?" "Your kids got lost the other day." "They found them on the road." "Yes, they're fine." "Thanks." "Did the earthquake scare them?" "Earthquake?" "No one mentioned it, but there was one that night." "Yes, I think I felt it." "Did they get scared?" "They haven't said anything." "Do you know someone with an old truck with red lights?" "Yes." "Why?" "I wanted to thank him." "He helped us out." "Lucio helped you?" "What a surprise." "That boy doesn't speak much." " Lucio." " He's a strange guy." "But you can't judge a book by its cover, right?" "Do you know where I can find him?" "He lives over there in a trailer on the other side of the hill." "But I don't think he's there now." "He works full-time." "He supplies us with some stuff." "He's not coming in today, but he'll be here tomorrow." "He works in the city." "I can give you the address of his wholesaler." "He should be there tomorrow morning." "That would be great." "Are you okay?" "We saw the psychologist again." "And?" "He says we have to be very cautious." "Cautious?" "Yes." "There're some signs... of..." "Signs of what, Sol?" "Of a traumatic... sexual incident." "Sarita." "Let's go." "Where are we going, Mom?" "We have something to do." "Hurry up." "What happened to you?" " Does it hurt?" " No." "Are you sure this is the place?" "That's what he told me." "What if somebody warned him, Felix?" "This is a loading zone." "Please move your car." "We're waiting for someone." "He'll be here any minute now." "You've been here for over an hour." "You're going to get me in trouble." " We're about to leave." " Please do." "It's him." "Sara, Sara, wake up." "I need you to tell me if you recognize that truck." "Hi, kids!" "Say hi to Marcia, kids." "It's all right." "They're watching TV." " You know how kids are." " Yeah." "Why did you think I couldn't make it?" "I thought it was too short notice." "How many times have I offered?" "I know." "They have grown so much." "Yes, they have." "Sara is almost a woman!" "Shh shh shh shh shh, take it easy." "Take whatever you want." " Shh shh." " Lucio." "How do you know my name?" "Because we're the devil, and we've come for you." "Put your hands together." "Just take whatever you want." "Did you not hear me?" "Put them together!" "Don't you move." "What'd I do to you?" "Shh." "What you did no longer matters." "What matters now is what you'll never be able to do again." "Tell us exactly what happened." "When?" "Saturday." "On the hill." "What are you talking about?" "It wasn't your first time, right?" "What was on your mind when you saw them?" "I didn't see anybody." "You kept a souvenir, right?" "I didn't..." "I didn't take anything." "Listen to me." "I'll only say this once." "This is your last chance." "Just tell us the truth." "Tell us what you did on Saturday." "No one else will ever know." "Just us, Lucio." "You found them on the hill." " Who?" " The kids, Lucio." "Our kids." "Oh, you don't know what we're talking about?" "Is that it?" "Yes." "Yes, the kids..." "they were there." "And what exactly did you do?" "I didn't do anything." "I only saw them there." "What did you take for yourself?" "I didn't take anything." "Listen!" "Listen to me." "If you don't tell us the truth, I will hurt you." "I will hurt you very..." "very... much." "You kept them, didn't you?" "Where are they?" "L..." "I won't say a thing." "I promise I won't say anything to anybody." "Don't you understand, Lucio?" "You have to tell us." "You have to tell us everything." "I can't." "I'm scared." "At least tell me one thing... where did you put them?" "They were there on the counter." "I only..." "I only took them." "Where are they?" "What is it?" "Sol?" "I'm sorry." "They were there on the ground." "I don't know what I was thinking." "Shut up!" "What's wrong?" "What is it, Sol?" "Marcia." "Marcia." "Marcia?" "I'll see if she's upstairs." " Okay." " Marcia?" "The kids are asleep, but she's gone." " Are they all right?" " Yeah, but she's not here." "Call her." "She's not answering." "Hello?" "This is Ana, the principal at your children's school." "Oh." "I'm calling because we're a little concerned." " Uh-huh." " I have reports from Sara's and Adolfo 's teachers that they've been behaving strangely." "We wanted to know if everything is all right at home." "Yes." "We had a family situation." "It's a delicate matter." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to intrude." "No, it's okay." "But since the kids have been absent the last few days," "We were wondering what happened and if we can be of any assistance." "No. it's okay." "We're... we're working on it." "I'm glad to hear that." "Do you know when the kids will be coming back?" "You can pick up their assignments so they don't fall behind." "Yes." "You know what?" "I'll call you back in a minute." "Thank you for calling." "Well, you can rely on us." "Bye now." "Hi." "Hi." "How was school?" "Fine." "Yes, fine." "Dinner is almost ready." "Sara!" "Sara!" "Sara!" "Wake up!" "Wake up!" "Sara!" "We should call the police." "I think someone was trying to scare us." "I think someone knows." "No." "How?" "Maybe someone saw us." "Why not?" "Because it doesn't make sense." "How do you explain what just happened?" "I don't know." "Maybe someone saw us." "He followed us and came here to scare us." "What about all those noises?" "Rocks." "Then why did they all stop at once?" "I don't know, Sol." "Maybe all the yelling scared them off." "And why didn't the kids wake up?" " What do you mean?" " Don't you think it was weird?" "I'll be home late." "I have some things to do." "Me, too." "I'm taking the kids to the psychologist after school." "I checked outside for rocks." "None." "Nothing broken." " Hi." " Good morning." " May I come in?" " Of course." "Sorry." "How're the kids doing?" "Fine, thank you." "Sorry, did I come at a bad time?" "No, not at all." "Felix was about to take the kids to school." "It's just that we weren't expecting anyone." "How did you find us?" "I'd like to say it was because I'm a cop." "Truth is you gave me your contact information when the kids disappeared." "Well, turns out there was a crime." "Particularly nasty one." "A man who lived in the area where the kids disappeared was murdered." "It took some time to find the body." "It was an unpleasant scene." "I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I think you knew him." "Us?" "Yes." "I believe you went to see him." " Me'?" " Yes, you." "The gas station employee told me you were asking for him because he helped you somehow." "Lucio." "Sure, the guy with the truck." "Remember?" "He helped us find the hotel when we got lost." "Oh, right." " Is he dead?" " Yes, he's dead." "He was a little odd." "Not everyone liked him." "Uh-huh." "Some folks believed he had some... vices." "I never knew for sure." "We had a good relationship." "Oh, and did you ever find him?" "You were looking to thank him, right?" "No, I couldn't find him." "That's a shame." "You see, I'm trying to reconstruct his final days." "I see, but this isn't your jurisdiction, right?" "Right." "And it's not my case, either." "I'm just trying to help." "I thought you wouldn't mind." "I didn't mean to trouble you." "No trouble." "I'm just surprised." "Anything else?" "No, that's it for today." "Ah." "By the way," "I heard that you had asked for me at the station that day." "Yes, I wanted to thank you for finding my kids." "Thanks." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, madam." "Say hi to the kids." "See?" "I told you." "What?" "He knows." "Ready?" "Let's go, then." " Hi." " Hi." " How was school?" " Hmm... normal." "Madam... it seems your kids have developed a bond, one tighter than usual in siblings of that age." "What do you mean?" "It might be best if they go to different schools, have different activities, do things separately." "Excessive dependence on one another can be harmful to certain processes that occur at that age." "What are you doing?" "I was..." "I'm looking for Sarita's blanket." "She was cold last night." "Do you know where it is?" "The blankets are down there." "Oh." "Where?" "Felix, I need to talk to you." " What is it?" " The kids." "What about them?" "Have you thought about..." "what if we were wrong?" "We did what we thought was right, but what if we were wrong?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Lucio." "Listen carefully." "This is the last time I say this." "I will not talk about that ever again." "You hear me?" "it's over." "Where did you get that?" "Go and check on the kids." "Go!" "Mom?" "Where did you get that gun?" "I bought it." "We need protection." "You got any doubts about what's going on now?" "Do you really think somebody comes every night to throw rocks at our house and then disappear?" "Well, then tell me what you think." "I think there's something terrible going on." "Of course there is." "There's no doubt about that." "But it's our kids... they're not the same." "Something's changed." "Of course something's changed!" "Remember what happened to them?" "Maybe we misunderstood something." "Maybe I made a mistake." "I told you I won't talk about that again." "Listen to me." "Something is wrong with our kids." "And the noises?" "What about them, huh?" "I think the kids are causing them." "I think you're losing your mind." "Marcia." "What happened the other night?" "Nothing." "You can tell me, Marcia." "I know something's wrong." "I need you to help me find out what." "We've always been friends." "I need you now." "Did you hear noises?" "Yes." "I heard..." "Tell me." "We had dinner together." "We watched TV." "They were..." "Quiet?" "Lifeless." "Suddenly everything went dark." "I don't know how that happened." "Then I saw something." "I can't describe it..." "But it dragged me away." "I felt powerless." "And then I clearly felt two cold feet standing on my chest, paralyzing me." "I've never believed in God." "You know that." "But I remembered a painting I saw once." "It was of what happened to me." "It was the devil." "The devil stood on my chest." "Who took your clothes off?" "I don't know." "It happened while I was asleep." "But then... something worse happened." " I can't tell you." " I need to know." "I felt like it wasn't my body." "Then I heard it." "What?" "I can't." "Marcia, what did you hear?" "They were moaning." "They were together." "Your kids... their moaning..." "I woke up in your bed." "Maybe it was all just a dream, Marcia." "I don't know." "What do you think?" "It's me." "Where are you?" "I'm sorry." "I went for a walk." "I had some things to do." "You should have told me." "I know, I'm sorry." "Listen, yesterday I got a phone call from the school." "What did they say?" "They're asking the parents to walk their kids to the door from now on." "But it's hard to find a parking spot." "I know, but it's a safety issue." "So please walk them to the door and wait until they get in." "Okay" "Are you all right?" "Yes, I'm better now." "Don't worry." "What's going on?" "The kids.." "What about them?" "I left them at the door like you said." "They didn't go in." "Of course they did." "They were talking to their friends." "No." "Sol, I just left them." "What do you mean you just left them?" "It's 7:15." "What time did you leave them?" "You weren't here, so breakfast took longer, then to find a parking spot... so I left them at 7:00 A.M., just as the bell rang." "I'll call you later." "What's going on, Sol?" "What is this place?" "I don't know." "My daughter was the last victim of the worst serial killer we ever had." "Before she died, she saw his face." "And what she saw..." "what she described was nothing like the man they were after." "He wasn't a man." "That morning, after he attacked my daughter, when he disappeared on the hill, we had an earthquake." "Just like the one on the night your kids disappeared." "Those who dwell there are in search of prey." "They're hunting." "Hunting?" "They're looking for the weak." "People who can be possessed." "To them, we're only a shell." "They use us to do evil and then throw us away." "That poor devil Lucio believed that shrines and offerings would keep them away." "But they've been here since the beginning of time." "They know how to survive." "Good afternoon." "Madam, we've discovered something." " Sugar?" " No thanks." "There's a new statement from the warehouse guard where Lucio used to work." "He says that he saw a car... a car like your husband's." "He also said there was a couple and two kids inside." "The kids started to scream and the car took off." "SQ?" "Maybe you went there to thank him?" "No." "Maybe you had another reason to go?" "Lucio was a strange guy, someone most people wouldn't trust." "What are you trying to say?" "I'm not so sure about him anymore." "Maybe he's not worth the investigation." "If I knew that, I'd be more discreet." "Why should it be like that?" "We've learned that Lucio was a bit voyeuristic." "He used to take clothes that didn't belong to him." "Maybe he did something wrong?" "Thanks." "Well, that was all." "Great coffee." "Lucio was an odd fellow." "The day after your kids disappeared he called me, very upset." "He said he went to the hill to leave some candles." "He believed the place was cursed." "He said he found a boy and a girl, both dead." "Dead!" "Can you imagine that story?" "We had already found them on the road, so we never paid attention to it." "We thought it must've been a delusion." "I guess... someone must've told him about the two missing children." "He described them fairly well." "Maybe... it was you, when you met him?" "No." "He saw them earlier, when we stopped at the gas station." "See you later." "The school called a little while ago." "Again?" "Two kids have chickenpox, so there's no school tomorrow." "Well, what are we going to do?" "Don't worry." "I'll stay with them." "You go to work." "We'll find something fun to do." "Right, guys?" "Is everything all right?" "Excuse me?" "The police were here yesterday." "Your wife let him in." "Everything's fine." "Thanks." "Okay." "Rise and shine." "Seize the day." "How do you like it?" "I don't want juice." "I made it just for you." "I ain't thirsty." "Drink it, Sara." "Drink it, Sara." "Drink it!" "All right, then." "Finish quickly." "I want you to change into your party clothes." "I'm taking you to a very special place." "What's up?" "Felix, listen to me," "We have to meet." "It's very important." "What's going on, Sol?" "I'm at work." "There's something you have to see." "It's very important." "Meet me at the gas station, near the hill." "But what's the matter?" "See you there in an hour." "What's going on?" "Where are the kids?" "They're fine." "I left them with Marcia." "There's something on the hill you have to see." "Come on!" "Sol." "Sol!" "Where are we going?" "It's here." "What?" "This is where your children went that night." "I'm not going in there, Sol." "Don't you want to know?" " Know what?" " Come on!" "Felix." "Felix, listen to me." "This will be difficult to understand." "I need you to be strong." "Over there." "Go on." "Go!" "Be careful." "See?" "Do you see their clothes?" "That's what they were wearing when they disappeared." "The children... our children never left this place." "Look at them!" "Don't you see?" "The only reason they were afraid of Lucio was because he'd seen their bodies." "Felix, look at them, please." "Do you hear me?" "HERE COMES THE DEVIL"