"Who'll pinch me to wake me up?" "Who will laugh at me when I fall?" "Whose breath will I listen for so that I may sleep?" "Whose hand will I hold so that I may walk?" "We may question ourselves at moments such as these." "Did we make the right decision to settle here?" "We are grateful for the time we have been given." "What manner of spectacle has attracted your attention so splendidly?" "I ought to carry it in my pocket to help me teach." "Who came upon this?" " Philip, did you move this?" " No, Mr. Walker." "I inspected it carefully." "Its head was twisted back and much of its fur removed." " I see." " It was murdered." "But who is the culprit?" "Who has done this heinous act?" " Those We Don't Speak Of killed it." " There it is." "Why would such a notion come into your mind?" " They're meat eaters." " Mmm." "They have large claws." "Children Those We Don't Speak Of have not breached our borders for many years." "We do not go into their woods, they do not come into our valley." "It is a truce." "We do not threaten them." "Why would they do this?" "And we ought not to overlook the Flight of the Birds." "We didn't have it last year and I, for one, missed it desperately." "And I know your wife missed the children dressed in feathers and such." " I am fond of it." " Mmm." "I do not have a say in this matter." "August Nicholson is chair of today's meeting." "There's a young man who has requested a word with the elders." "Well, do have him come forward." "Alice." "Hello, Lucius." ""My mother is unaware of the reason for my visit today."" ""She did not give her consent or consult me in any form."" ""The passing of little Daniel Nicholson from illness, and other events, have weighed on my thoughts."" ""I ask permission to cross into the forbidden woods and travel to the nearest town."" ""I will gather new medicines, and I will return."" ""With regards to Those We Don't Speak Of," "I am certain they will let me pass."" ""Creatures can sense emotion and fear."" ""They will see I am pure of intention, and not afraid."" ""The end."" "What goes on in that head of yours?" "Say something, Lucius." "Finton Coin is in the tower, and I've promised to sit with him." "Hmm." "Do you ever think of the towns, Finton?" "The towns?" "What for?" "They're wicked places where wicked people live." "That's all." "Thank you, Lucius." "You're a good friend." "I do hope no one saw you." "What we seem to have amongst us is a predator of some type, most likely a coyote or a wolf." "Its manner of... of killing and removing the fur, but leaving the flesh torn, may be a sign that this animal suffers from madness." "And for the next fortnight, we should be vigilant for sightings of this coyote." "Keep careful watch over our little ones as they play on the hills." "As for the other notion we do not believe our boundary has been breached." "Those We Don't Speak Of are much larger creatures than coyotes and we would know if they had been here." "Ahh, it's frightful, this business with the coyote." "Is it not, Papa?" " Do not feel worried, Kitty." " You are not troubled?" "I'm certain it will all end soon." " Can we speak on other matters, then?" " It would be a relief." "I'm in love!" "I want your permission to marry, Papa." "There's a proper manner in which things are supposed to happen." "Such as the boy would normally be standing next to you, in a moment such as this..." "Where is the boy in all this, Kitty?" "I haven't spoken to him as of yet." "The young man is unaware of your intentions?" "He has a quiet way." "I was going to talk with him, Papa, but not without your blessings." "I won't talk with him without your blessings." "Kitty!" "It's Lucius Hunt." "Lucius?" "You think badly of him?" " No, no." "I have been thinking about him." " He's not like the other boys, Papa." "He doesn't joke or bounce about." "No, he certainly does not." "Do I have your blessings, then?" "Look, do me one favor first." "Do not tell anyone else of your burstings until you have spoken with the young man." "Good afternoon, Lucius." "I wanted to... to... to tell you something." "I love you, Lucius." "I love you..." "like the day is long." "I love you more than the sun and the moon together." "And if you feel the same way, then we should not hide it any longer." "It's a gift, love is." "We should be thankful." "We should bellow it out with all the breath in our lungs." "Thank you!" "Thank you!" "Thank you!" "Shh, shh." "Shh." "Baby, sleep, gently sleep" "Life is long and love is deep" "Time will be sweet for thee" "All the world to see" "Time to look about and know" "How the shadows come and go" "How the breeze stirs the trees" "How the blossoms grow" "I often wondered if you and my son bonded because neither of you is fond of speaking." "You're very kind." "You must pardon my manners." "I haven't slept in many nights." "You are doing capital, Jamison." "Just a few more moments, huh?" "Gather your bravery." "Do not jostle about so." "You'll ruin my shirt." "They made a sound when I made a sound, and they mimic before they attack." "Have courage, man." "That's a wives' tale." "It isn't true." "Do not falter." "Steel yourself!" "You know, like a dog can smell you." " Pardon me, Mr. Nicholson?" " Hmm." "You may run from sorrow, as we have." "Sorrow will find you." "It can smell you." "Hurry." "I didn't know you could run so fast." "We're still for running and staying..." "Hey!" "Noah ought to be punished." "He whacked little Joseph with a stick again." " Ouch!" " No more hitting!" "Put it down!" "Ow, ow, ow!" "Why don't they grab it?" "Noah Percy!" "Stop your fussing right this moment." "You're in trouble, you know." " No hitting, no hitting." " I'm to place you in the quiet room." "Um, I'll cry quarts." " What if we strike a deal?" " Yeah, capital idea." "It would be prudent to keep our deal a secret." "Can you do that?" "Can I keep a secret?" "Like a church mouse." "You needn't go to the quiet room if you a take an oath to never strike any person again." " No hitting, no hitting." " No." "No hitting." " No hitting." " No hitting." "No hitting." "The deal is struck." "We ought not return right away, huh?" "What shall we do with our stolen time?" " Hmm." " Hmm." " Hmm." "Shall we have a foot race?" " Yes." " Up the hill to the resting rock?" " No cheating." "What a deeply scandalous thing to say." "I insist you take that back." "Is that the school bell?" "Ivy, you cheated!" "I know!" "I'm sorry!" "Whoo!" "My sister cried a lot." "You wonder how I recognized you?" "Some people - just a handful, mind you - give off the tiniest color." "It's faint, like a haze." "It's the only thing I ever see in the darkness." "Papa has it, too." "Do you wonder what your color is?" "Well, that I won't tell you." "It's not ladylike to speak of such things." "You shouldn't even have asked." "You run like a boy." "Thank you." "I know why you denied my sister." "When I was younger you used to hold my arm when I walked." "Then suddenly, you stopped." "One day, I even tripped in your presence, and nearly fell." "I was faking, of course, but still, you did not hold me." "Sometimes we don't do things we want to do so that others won't know we want to do them." "What?" "What's this?" "Oh, berries." "What a splendid present." "Be cautious." "You are holding the bad color." "This color attracts Those We Don't Speak Of." "You must bury it." "You ought not to pick that color berry any more." "He picked it from his pocket." "What's wrong?" "Your breathing has changed." "I've never set eyes on these before." "You did not pick that now." "Where did you find this?" ""Today at Resting Rock," "Noah Percy handed Ivy Walker berries of the bad color."" ""When asked where he found these berries, for they were not like others I have seen, he pointed to the drawing upon Resting Rock."" ""It is my belief that Noah Percy has entered the woods, and has done so on many occasions."" ""It is also my belief that, because of his innocence, those creatures who reside in the woods did not harm him."" ""This strengthens my feeling that they will let me pass if they sense I am not a threat."" "We shall speak of the town, just this once, and we shall never speak of it again." "Your father left for the market on a Tuesday, at a quarter past nine in the morning." "He was found robbed and naked in the filthy river, two days later." "Why'd you tell me this blackness?" "So you will know the nature of what you desire." "I do not desire it." "My intentions are true to my word." "I think of nothing but the people of this village." "Forgive me." "I am but scared for my only son's life." "I am not the one with secrets." "What is your meaning?" "There are secrets in every corner of this village." "Do you not feel it?" "Do you not see it?" "That is for my own well-being, so the evil things from my past are kept close and not forgotten." "Forgetting would be to let them be born again in another form." "Then let us open it." "No!" "Perhaps we should speak with Edward Walker together." " He may be able..." " He hides, too." "He hides his feelings for you." "Oh." "Sometimes we don't do things, yet others know we want to do things, so we don't do them." "What nonsense are you saying?" "You needn't worry." "Nothing will happen to me." "You remind me of a colt sometimes." "What makes you think he has feelings for me?" "He never touches you." "There's no escape!" "Oh, hello." "I was just playing a game with Noah." "The rascal must have gone to hide in my house again." "Houses are against the rules!" "He knows that." "Are you all right?" "We're tending to the children tonight, Kitty and I. I should be with her." "Be well." "I heard my parents speaking of you." "I know of your request to go to the towns." "I think it is noble, but I do not think it is right." "Are you not angry you have no sight?" "I see the world, Lucius Hunt." "Just not as you see it." "What of Noah, then?" "What if there are medicines for Noah that could help him be still and to learn?" "May we stop speaking of this?" "It is putting knots in my stomach." "Kitty is to be married." "She's found love, again, with Christop Crane." "You think it an odd choice, right?" "You know, he won't sit back in his chair for fear of setting wrinkles on his shirts." "But he does have a gentlemanly way about him and he does care for my sister deeply." "I think Kitty is blessed." "I am blessed as well." "My older sister is now spoken for." "I am now free to receive interest from anyone who might have interest." "I'm going to get you." "Oh!" "I got you." "I got you." "Can you fetch a blanket for me?" "Have you seen Noah?" "Lucius?" "Lucius?" " Hurry, to the cellar!" " Oh, good gracious!" " They're coming." "They're coming." " Close the door." " Noah, close the door, OK?" " They're coming." " Close the door." " Coming!" "Here we go." " Noah, come on inside!" " Come on inside!" "Everyone, inside!" "Everyone, inside!" " They're coming." "Come on in." " Let's close the door." " Lucius is outside, walking." " They're coming." "He's inside safe somewhere!" "Please, close the door!" "He'll come back to make sure we're safe." "Ivy!" "Ivy, please." " Please." " No." "Don't let them in." "Come on in." "By the markings we find this morning on our homes I feel they were warning us." "They acted as if threatened." "Creatures have never attacked us without reason." "Does anyone here know of a reason why these events may have occurred?" "Who has written this note?" ""Please read so that all may hear."" ""I have brought this burden upon us."" ""On the day before last, I crossed the forbidden line into Covington Woods..."" ""... and was witnessed there by Those We Don't Speak Of."" ""I am deeply sorry."" ""I have shamed myself and my family."" ""I pray that my actions will cause no further pains."" ""With deepest sorrow, Lucius Hunt."" "Is he in trouble?" "Do not fret." "You are fearless in a way that I shall never know." "We are grateful for the time we have been given." "Yes." "Yes, indeed." "Cheers." "I had an elder sister." "Mrs. Clack, you've been keeping secrets." "Oh, Kitty reminds me of her so." "What manner of person was she?" " Saucy." " Oh." "And we fought endlessly." "May I ask her name?" "Why did she not come to Covington Woods?" "My sister did not live past her 23rd birthday." "A group of men took her life in an alley by our home." "Please rise!" "Come on." "She's not going to squeeze my shirt like that, is she?" "Many blessings on this most joyous of days." "It was a rare and lovely ceremony, was it not?" "Glorious." "I saw your hand move to your eyes on more than one occasion." "That must have been dust of some matter." "Mr. Walker!" " Mr. Walker!" " Mr. Walker!" "Behind them." "How did she deal with this brightness?" "Help us out." "Where are the rest of them?" "Speak up." " They're in the village." " What?" "They left more warnings." "They wish us to leave." "That cannot be." "One saw us." "It ran off into the darkness." "You are certain?" "Can you boys stay close to Ivy here?" "She'll tell you some funny stories and have you laughing soon." "We will go together." "Livestock has been taken and skinned." "The hides and feathers are missing." "There are marks on the door where it was opened." "The marks are high." "Coyotes cannot reach that height." "The elders are going to have an inquiry tomorrow." "Each member of the village is to be questioned in the meeting hall." "To see how the border was breached?" "Yes." "It is cold outside." "You ought to go in." "Why are you on this porch?" "It is not safe." "There are other porches." "Do you find me too much of a tomboy?" "I do long to do boy things like that game the boys play at the stump." "They put their backs to the woods, and see how long they can wait before getting scared." "That's so exciting." "I understand you hold the record." "It will never be broken, they say." "It's just children's games." "How is it you are brave when all the rest of us shake in our boots?" "I do not worry about what will happen, only what needs to be done." "How did you know I was here?" "I saw you out the window." "No I won't tell you your color." "Stop asking." "When we are married, will you dance with me?" "I find dancing very agreeable." "Why can you not say what is in your head?" "Why can you not stop saying what is in yours?" "Why must you lead, when I want to lead?" "If I want to dance, I will ask you to dance." "If I want to speak, I will open my mouth and speak." "Everyone is forever plaguing me to speak further." "Why?" "What good is it to tell you you are in my every thought from the time I wake?" "What good can come from my saying I" " I sometimes cannot think clearly, or do my work properly?" "What gain can rise from my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm?" "That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker." "I fear for your safety before all others." "And, yes I will dance with you on our wedding night." "I had been to the storage shed twice to fetch food prior to the wedding ceremony." "And the livestock was untouched at that time?" "Yes, Mrs. Hunt." "All was as it should be." "Thank you, Beatrice." "I beg your pardon." "Is it true... about Lucius and Ivy?" "There are whispers all over the village." "We were informed early this morning of their intentions." "It is amazing to witness which two people love chooses to unite." "It follows no rules." "Kitty..." "I wanted to speak with you first." "I would not want you to feel pain, in any fashion." "You are my cherished one." "If you were to feel badly about Lucius, I would not have it." "One love to sacrifice another love is not right." "There is nothing you could do that would sacrifice my love for you." "You are my cherished one as well." "God bless you and your life together." "What's happened?" "Is this about Ivy and myself?" "I know you are very fond of her." "And I know she is fond of you." "There are different types of love." "Oh." "Oh, God." "Oh, Ivy..." "Noah?" "You'll be late for the meeting hall." "Would you like your father to walk you there?" "Noah?" "Oh..." "The bad..." "The bad color." "Oh..." "The bad color, the bad color..." "Mama!" " I beg your pardon." " What is it?" "There's been an accident." "Noah Percy was found with quarts of blood upon his clothes and hands." "The blood was not his own, and he will not speak as to whose it is." "God in heaven." "Ivy!" "Is there anyone injured in here?" "Has anyone been hurt in this home?" "Is anyone in here?" "Is anyone hurt in this house?" "22, 23, 24... 31, 32, 33..." "Lucius?" "Lucius Hunt!" "You answer me right this moment!" "Is anyone hurt in this house?" "They're fine." "Mr. Walker!" "Joseph!" "Papa..." "I cannot see his color." "Ivy." "Come away." "Come away." "Come away." "Here, take her." "Take her." "No!" "He has suffered a great deal." "He may pass at any time." "Please give him all your prayers and good thoughts." "He will hear them." "Turn!" "I am in love." "I know." "He is in love with me." "I know." "If he dies all that is life to me will die with him." "I ask permission to travel through Covington Woods and go to the towns to retrieve medicines that may save Lucius Hunt." "You are my father." "I will listen to you in all things." "I will trust your decision." "I've done what I can to close the wounds." "There's an infection." "What can be done to mend him?" "We can only pray." "If there were no limitations, what could be done?" "Hmm?" "What are you asking me?" "Is there anything at all that can be done to mend the boy?" "Please, Victor." "Would you be so kind as to answer my question?" "If the infection is contained, he may still survive." "I must speak up." "You have a restless spirit." "I know the thing that is in your head." "You're thinking of going to the towns." "Tell me I'm wrong." "You have made an oath, Edward, as all have, never to go back." "It is a painful bargain, but no good can come without sacrifice." "These are your words I'm saying." "You cannot break the oath." " It is sacred." " It is a crime, what has happened to Lucius." "You have taken the oath." "You and the rest of the elders..." "Are you listening to me?" "You have taken the oath." "The moment I heard my daughter's vision had finally failed her, and that she would forever be blind, I was sitting in that very chair." "I was so ashamed." "What do you know about your grandfather?" "He was the wealthiest man in the towns?" "That he was." "He had a gift for that." "If he was given one dollar, in less than a fortnight, he would have turned it into five." "You do not know of money." "It is not part of our life here." "Money can be a wicked thing." "It can turn men's hearts black - good men's hearts." "My father could not see this." "For all his gifts, he was a poor judge of a man's character." "Your grandfather was a good man, Ivy." "He had a laugh that could be heard three houses away." "He used to hold my hand as I hold yours." "He taught me strength and showed me love, and told me to lead when others would only follow." "Your grandfather, James Walker, died in his sleep." "A man put a gun to his head and shot him while he dreamed." "I tell you this so you will understand some of the reasons for my actions, and and the actions of others." "You are a strong one, Ivy." "You lead when others would follow." "You see light when there is only darkness." "I trust you." "I trust you among all others." "Thank you, Father." "Ivy, do you know where you are?" "At the old shed that is not to be used." "Yeah." " Ivy." " Yes, Father?" "Do your very best not to scream." "What?" "I am leaving to fetch you medicines." "I had a difficult time getting away." "What is it?" "Ivy has asked to go to the towns for medicines." "Christop. you needn't be scared." "We have the magic rocks." "They will keep us safe." "Why have we not heard of these rocks before?" "Christop, please." "Do not leave us." "There is nothing to fear." "Then why do you wear the cloak of the safe color?" "We will light torches." "It will be safe." "It is forbidden." "Christop." "Ivy... there's something in these woods." "It turns my stomach to rot." "You will be safe." "They will not harm you, because you cannot see." "They will take pity on you, the way they took pity on Noah when... when he ventured in the woods." "They will kill me, Ivy." "I cannot stay." "You're better in these woods than most boys." "Anyone would say so." "It is my burden, Finton." " You may go." " Come with me." "Do your very best not to scream." "There's an odd smell." "It is ahead of you." "What is it?" "I cannot explain in words." "It is just a few steps." " Those We Don't Speak Of!" " Do not be frightened." "It is only farce." "Do not be frightened." "There did exist rumors of creatures in these woods." "It is in one of the history books I used to teach in the towns." "The screams from the woods?" "We created those sounds." "The Ceremony of Meat?" "We remove it ourselves." "An elder is always assigned." "The drills - they are farce, too?" "We did not want anyone to go to the towns, Ivy." "What about the animals - the skinned ones?" " Are the elders responsible for that, too?" " I believe one of the elders is responsible." "It will not happen again." "There is no one in this village who has not lost someone irreplaceable, who has not felt loss so deeply that they questioned the very merit of living at all." "It is a darkness I wished you would never know." "Forgive us our silly lies, Ivy." "They were not meant to harm." "I am... sad for you, Papa." "For all the elders." "On this paper has been written a tool of medicine." "It is common in the towns." "You will go... with two escorts." "Follow the sounds of the stream." "A half day's journey will bring you to a hidden road." "At this hidden road, the two escorts will wait as you continue." "You alone will follow the road and leave Covington Woods." "You are to tell no one in the towns where we are and return with haste." "I cannot come with you." "You gave your heart to this boy." "He is in need." "Are you ready to take this burden, which, by right, is yours and yours alone?" "I am making fresh cloths for Lucius." "He needs them." "Alice, I've sent for help." "I've sent Ivy to the towns." "You cannot." "It is all that I can give you." "It is all that I can give you." "I accept." " What have you done?" " He is the victim of a crime." "We have agreed never to go back." "Never." "What was the purpose of our leaving?" "Let us not forget it was out of hope of something good and right." "You should not have made decisions without us." " You have gone too far." " I'm guilty, Robert!" "I made a decision of the heart." "I cannot look into another's eyes and see the same look I see in August's without justification!" "It is too painful." "I cannot bear it!" "You have jeopardized everything we've made." "Who do you think will continue this place, this life?" "Do you plan to live forever?" "It is in them that our future lies." "It is in Ivy and Lucius that this... this way of life will continue." "Yes, I have risked!" "I hope I am always able to risk everything for the just and right cause." "If we did not make this decision, we could never again call ourselves innocent." "And that, in the end, is what we have protected here - innocence!" "That, I'm not ready to give up." "Let her go." "If it ends, it ends." "We can move towards hope." "It's what's beautiful about this place." "We must not run from heartache." "You know, my brother was slain in the towns." "The rest of my family died here." "Heartache is a part of life." "We know that now." "Ivy's running toward hope." "Let her run." "If this place is worthy, she'll be successful in her quest." "How could you have sent her?" "She's blind." "She's more capable than most in this village and she is led by love." "The world moves for love." "It kneels before it in awe." "All the world to see" "Time to look about and know" "How the shadows come and go" "How the breeze stirs the trees" "How the blossoms grow" "Sleep, baby, sleep" "Sleep, gently sleep" "There did exist rumors of creatures in these woods." "It is in one of the history books I used to teach in the towns." "It is not real." "It is not real." "Noah?" " Oh, my God." "What is this?" " What is this?" "Where is he?" "He found one of the suits we kept under the floorboards." "Oh, no." "Oh, God." "The animals." "His will to live is very strong." "A half day's journey will bring you to a hidden road." "You alone will follow the road and leave Covington Woods." "You are to tell no one in the towns where we are and return with haste." "My sister did not live past her 23rd birthday." "A group of men raped and killed her." "They stuffed her in a Dumpster... three blocks from our apartment." "My brother worked in an emergency room downtown." "A drug addict came in with a wound to his ribs." "My brother tried to dress the wound." "He pulled a gun from his jacket then he shot my brother through his left eye." "My husband, Michael, left for the supermarket at a quarter past nine in the morning." "He was found with no money and no clothes in the East River, three days later." "My father was shot by a business partner, who then hanged himself in my father's closet." "They had argued over money." "I am a professor." "I teach American History at the University of Pennsylvania." "I have an idea that I would like to talk to you about." "Mile 27- there's a girl." "I'm gonna check it out." "Be careful." "You're not allowed to go in there." "Please return to your vehicle." "What was that noise?" "What are you doing out here?" "How... how'd you get here?" "Are you from the towns?" "Uh..." "Where are you from?" "The woods." "You came from the woods?" "In there?" "Will you help me?" "I need to find a doctor of medicine." "I must find these things." "We must make haste." "Listen, ma'am." "I'm just supposed to..." "Is someone hurt?" "Please, sir." "We must make haste." " Well, you... you live in there?" " I do, sir." "Breaker." " What is your name?" " Kevin." "Kevin." "You have kindness in your voice." "I did not expect that." "We have guard shacks every ten miles around the perimeter of the preserve." "We keep medical supplies in there in case of animal bites or related injuries." "You can find the things written on the paper?" "Uh..." " You have to wait here." " Please, sir." "Please... take this as payment." "Wait, y-you're not..." "You're not tricking me, are you?" "I do not understand." "What's your name?" "Ivy." "Ivy Elizabeth Walker." "What's with the girl?" "I tried calling you back on the walkie." " You didn't answer." " Oh, it was just some teenagers." "They were lost." "Can I give you some advice?" "Don't get into conversations." "You start talkin', you start gettin' into how some estate is payin' all of us, and no one's allowed to go in there and disturb the animal sanctuary." "People's interest gets piqued." "It's a really easy gig, Kevin." "Maintain and protect the border." "That's it." "A few years ago, it got out in the papers that some government guys had been paid off to keep plane routes from flying over this place." "That was a very stressful time for me." "Don't cause me any troubles." "Do not get into conversations." "Hey, Jay, where's the maintenance ladder?" "I n-need to fix a sign." "It's in the back." "Ivy has returned with medicines from the towns." "She was attacked by a creature and killed it." "Noah." "Oh, God." "We will find him." "We will give him a proper burial." "We will tell the others he was killed by the creatures." "Your son has made our stories real." "Noah has given us a chance to continue this place if that is something we still wish for." "I'm back, Lucius."