"Ada?" "Come on!" "Come over here!" " Get off me!" " Why?" " 'Cause I said!" " Ain't anybody else gonna see." "Not here!" "But I'm already hard." "Come on!" "No!" "I said no!" "Fine." "Why is your skin so hot, anyway?" " Better go finish up the still." " Wait." "I ain't got time for games." "Back there, then." "You sure?" "Yeah." "Come on." "I swear your skin feels different." "Really?" "Well, it ain't." "Just drop it already." "Ada?" "You come here." "Now, Bodey got something to tell you." "We're gonna be joined." "Well..." "When?" "Next full moon, it'll happen." "If she's been true." "Got the papers?" "May I go to the pit?" "I'd like to pray on this." "Best go with her." "I..." "I'll go later." "Tell everyone to come on for dinner after you've finished." "Dawai?" "What?" "!" "Ow!" "Shit fire!" "What you doing?" "Nothing." "The candles need lighting." "You're supposed to come on for dinner." "Oh, is something..." "something good happening?" "Bodey asked pa for us to be joined." "Well, that's that is good news." "Bodey?" "He'll do right by you" "Want to listen to some music?" "I'll play you your favorite." "Can't." "Got to tell everyone before it gets late." "Tomorrow?" "Yeah, tomorrow, then." "So, you'll come... for dinner?" "I don't know." "I..." "I got..." "I got things need tending to." "So..." "I hope you do." "You get to everyone?" "Yep." "Anyone say they ain't coming?" "Dawai's the only one that seemed to be on the fence." "Figures." "You ain't spending no more time down there, anyway." "I'll do what i want." "You will do what Bodey tells you to!" "Now that's the way it is." "You best get used to it!" "Whatever." "You got something you want to say?" "Oh, I'm just all up in knots is it." "Oh!" "You're dripping, then?" "Come a little late, though, ain't it?" "Let me see." "Why?" "It's gross." "Come on, Ada!" "You got that 'shine ready?" "What's going on?" "We got people coming over." "Bodey asked to be joined to your sister." "About time." "I want to, uh..." "I want to thank you all for coming." "Today..." "I give away my only daughter to be joined to Bodey Jenkin..." "To continue in the ways that we hold sacred." "And I thank the pit with all my heart for making it so." "I raise this jug of 'shine" "For all to taste who believe." "I'd like to say something." "Bodey, you're getting a good one." "I can tell you that." "Wish you all the best." "Eat up, all." "No!" "Do you need any help?" "Just this little redheaded one." "He's biter!" "No biting!" "No biting!" "Don't bite!" "There we go." " They're meaner than they look." " Yeah, I'll bet." "Shit!" "Shit?" "Well, Jessaby." " You must be real happy." " Shut the fuck up, you retard." "Jessaby!" "I want to talk to my sis alone." "All right." "Don't!" "Don't what?" "You keep your mouth shut." "I know." "They're gonna test you," "And you better blame it on somebody else." "I don't care who." "I ain't letting Bodey take after pa 'cause of this, you hear?" "We'll talk about it later." "No, we won't." "You're on your own." "You and Sustin's all happy now, but" "If she'd been fooling around, you're gonna have to pay up." "Well, don't you worry your pretty, little head about it." "She was dripping today." "Just means she ain't been caught." "She'll pass." "Now leave it alone." "Was your brother sad?" "About what?" "He'll be asking someone to join him soon, won't he?" "Want me to mention you to him?" "Could you?" "Take your grandpa a plate." "It's cold." "Yeah, well, it'll have to do." "It's nasty, though." "He won't complain." "What was your brother all tore up about earlier?" "He's just being his ass self, as usual." "He don't care for Bodey?" "He... he just don't want him horning in on things is all." "Like what?" "I don't know." "He wasn't making much sense." "Grandpa?" "I got you some food." "Grandpa?" "You've been sleeping?" "Mm-hmm." "Yeah." "Are you hungry?" "I thought so." "Let's get you some air." "Either you're getting fat, or I'm getting weaker." "We had everyone over to dinner tonight." "Bodey and I are gonna be joined." "I should have seen it coming already." "Not like there's anybody else could have asked." "I know who the next jug face is." "It's me." "It's mine." "I don't even know why i told you." "Not like you can help." "Here we go." "What's wrong with you?" "Has anyone ever said no?" "About what?" "Being joined?" "Is that why you're so quiet?" "It's a woman's job to have babies." "You got to be joined to do that." "Is that all I'm good for?" "It's an amazing thing, bearing babies... something no man will ever get to do." "Once Bodey gives you a little one," "You'll be beside yourself." "You'll see." "What if I can't?" "Pit will make it right." "It always does." "Has the pit ever taken a baby?" "Yeah, sure has." "Gonna check on that possum." "Yeah, that's what." "All right." "Now don't speak to nobody." "Just get what you need, and that's it, right?" "Morning, Sustin." "What you got?" "I got half peach, half apple." "They're both hot sellers right now, I'm telling you." "Can't help you with that possum, though." "That ain't for sale." "All right." "Thank you so much for coming in." "You have a good day." "You finding everything all right?" "Yeah." "Let me know if you need any help." "Do any good?" "Pack of three." "Make them last." "Don't forget the laundry." "I know!" "Must be nice..." "To know who you'll be with, finally." "Oh, right." "All that he talks about is you now." "Is that so?" "How many kids you think you'll have?" "Mama says we need five or six to keep things going real good." "We'll have as many as the pit wants, I reckon." "It's right." "Ada?" "Eilen." "Run." "Eilen!" "Oh, god!" "Eilen?" "!" "Where's Eilen?" "!" "Where is she?" "!" "Eilen?" "Eilen?" "Oh, no!" "Dawai said nothing?" "Not to me." "Hey..." "You're down there all the time." "You seen him making one?" "No." "Just his normal stuff." "I ain't make no jug face." "I swear." "The pit ain't spoken to you at all?" "No." "Have all the families meet at the house at dark." "I'm sure you all know that" "Eilen Jenkin was..." "was taken today." "Where's the jug face?" "Dawai, do you swear" "That the pit did not guide you hand to make a new jug face?" "Well, when it does, I don't know that it did or not." "I just wake up feeling funny." "And I did feel funny yesterday." "But I didn't fire nothing." "All right, now... now Dawai is gonna search his place again," "And if he does not find a jug face, well, then, we wait." "We wait until the pit guides its hand to make another." "My daughter's gonna roam these woods, shunned forever." "Who knows how many others will be taken 'cause of this idiot?" "Where are you?" "!" "Tell me where it is!" "Please!" "I'm begging you!" "Just tell me where it is!" "I'm gonna do it." "I'm gonna do it!" "I swear I'll do it if you don't tell me." " What?" " It's me" "All right!" "Come on check on you." "I want to be alone." "Thought you hated 'shine." "I do." "You found it yet?" "It's got to be around here somewhere, right?" "Don't!" "I might have left my knife in there." "Let me do something with this." "What is that?" "What?" "It's a..." "Never noticed it before." "I didn't..." "I didn't really want you to see that." "Thought we swore we'd never have secrets." "Yeah, right, we didn't, but i... please, don't!" "Please!" "When did you make this?" "Couple weeks back." "I ain't nobody 'cause ain't nobody got a baby right now." "You think it means something?" "I don't really know." "You think that's what the pit wants?" "There ain't no baby, so how could it?" "Right." "That's... that's what I come to." "Makes my head hurt." "If I were you," "I'd think on it real hard," "And maybe you'll see the face again that it showed you." "What if a face I see" "Ain't the right one?" "Never been wrong before, have you?" "Come in here." "Where you been?" "I was out, walking." "Where's pa?" "He's over at the Jenkins'." "I don't think you'd be too scared out there in them woods yourself." "Must have been an awful sight." "It was." "I'm gonna go to bed." " I ain't done with you." " What?" "Go in the bathroom." " No!" " Go, go!" " I want to see." " See what?" "I want to see if you've been fooling around, Before you shame all of us" " Now drop your drawers." " I'm fine." "I swear!" "Get them off and sit your butt down." "Go on." "Open up." "Open up." "Do you want me to burn you?" " All righty." " Stop!" "Stop!" "Now you do as I say." "I ain't kidding around here!" "Further!" " You little slut." " No, I'm not." "I'm not." "I swear!" " Who is it?" " It ain't nobody!" "I swear!" "I swear it ain't nobody!" " Get on the floor!" " Mama please!" " Give me your hand." " Please, no, no, mama!" "Now tell me who it is!" "I was just playing with myself." "I swear!" "I swear!" "I swear!" "I swear on the pit!" "I swear on the pit!" "I promise!" "I promise!" " It ain't dawai?" " No!" "Well, I hope you're right." "I surely do." "Clean yourself up." "Hey, darlin'?" "What?" "Come on." "Roll over." "She tell you?" "She did." "I believe you." "Oh, let me see your hand." "She shouldn't have done that." "You know, this is all gonna be over, and you're gonna be on your way to a happy life with Bodey." "What's wrong with her?" "Nothing." "She's fine." "Don't worry." "You're safe." "Don't even try to hold this over me." "There is one thing, though." "Go to sleep." "I'm pregnant." "And I know it's true, 'cause I got one of them tests from town." "Let it be know." "No!" "He's all we got!" "Sustin, please." "The pit has spoken." "It is an honor to be chosen to be with it in this world... you know that..." "For without the blood, the waters of the pit would heal no one." "And so, we do what we must." "Bodey..." "Go on, son." "Bodey Jenkin..." "Today..." "You will pass from this would into its." "Do you give yourself to it?" "Yes." "Mama..." "It's okay, baby." "Go now with your hearts beating strong" "And know that our pact continues." "Grandpa!" "Oh!" "How long you been like this?" "Are you finished?" "One... two... three." "Up." "Put your hand up." "Watch your head." "No!" "What do you want?" "!" "Do you know what I am?" "You're one of the shunned." "Then, you know you must stop." "I don't know what you're talking about." "No!" "Please don't hurt him!" "It is he who hurt me." "He hid a jug face, same as you." "I forgave, but..." "They did not." "They won't forgive you, either." "They did this to Coops?" "Poison." "Whose jug face was it?" "His wife's." "What if I don't want to die, though?" "I have a baby inside me." "You must." "Who's there?" "You sure are drinking a lot for someone who don't have a taste for it." "I don't know what I had against it." "It's treating me... treating me just fine." "You want a sip?" "I need to talk to you." "But you ain't up for it, I'm thinking." "Everything's all right." "It turned out just fine, didn't it?" "Yeah." "Ada?" "Ada!" "What's wrong?" "Is Pa inside?" "I don't know." "Can I see?" " Pa, I need to talk with you." " It'll have to wait." "I got to see the Corber." "I'm sick." "What?" "How long?" "A week, maybe." " You think the pit will heal me?" " If we ask it, it will." " What if it's too soon?" " That ain't how it works." " It could still be mad." " It ain't." "We give it a life when it wants it, and it heals us when we need it." "It's been like that since we first survived the pox." "Now come on." "We'll be back." "Strip down..." "All the way." "It's gonna work, right?" "Don't be scared." "We got to trust in it." "Sit down low." "Get it all over you." "We..." "We come to ask for help." "My boy Jessaby is sick," "Ask that you heal him" " So he can serve you better." " Dawai!" "Ow!" "Help." "And we thank you for all the years you kept us well, and we pray to be chosen." "Stand." "I think I feel it." "Pa!" "Come on up here." "Come on." "No." "Ada?" "You out here?" "I thought I heard you." "Ada?" "Ada." "Hey." "You all right?" "Jessaby's been taken." "It's all my fault." "Loriss?" "!" " Loriss?" "!" " What?" "What's happening?" "I heard the... horn." "Whose blood is that?" "Ada didn't tell you?" "Tell me what?" "Jessaby was sick." "So, we went to the pit." "No." "It ain't never done this before!" "The sacrifice didn't take?" "Something ain't right." "The pit wants me..." "And my baby." "Baby?" "You know that jug face you got in there?" "I'm pregnant." "There she is." "Dawai?" "!" "What did you do?" "!" "Pa!" "No!" "Pa, no!" "Stop hitting him!" "Pa, stop it!" "Stop hitting him!" "Pa, get off him!" "Please!" "Please, stop hitting him!" "He's gonna pay for the deaths he caused!" "What the fuck did you do?" "I... tell us!" "I lost it... the jug face." "I looked everywhere." "I did." "And then, when I couldn't find it, uh..." "I made another from The person I had in my head." "Motherfucker." "Both my girl and boy are dead 'cause of you!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Get your ass up!" "Get up!" "Now, because of what dawai has done, it's only fitting he be next." "Once it takes him," "He'll choose the next Potter." "You got anything to say?" "I'm real sorry." "I am." "Hope you all know that." "Well, you'll have plenty of time to think on it," "As you walk these woods forever," "Shunned like those whose deaths you caused!" "I know..." "And accept it." "Grandpa..." "I got to go." "Now, someone might not come to check on you for a couple days, till they figure out what's going on." "I love you." "Dawai?" " Dawai." "Shh!" "..." "Shh." " No!" "We're leaving now." "We got to hurry." " What?" "No." " You want to die?" "It doesn't matter." "It's all right." "This will make it stop." "And then you and your baby will be safe, then." "I ain't gonna have your blood on my hands, too." "You got any 'shine left?" "Uh..." "Yeah, I got a couple jugs." "Get something to put those in." "Why we need these?" "For money, unless you got some stashed around here nobody knows about." "No." "You think they've noticed?" "Probably." "What's wrong?" "I just..." "Get this bad feeling in the morning." "Oh, right." "Hand me that jug face." " Well..." " Dawai, give it here." "Nothing's gonna take my baby." "Oh, make him stop." "Make him stop, dawai!" "Hello." "We need a ride into town?" "Can I help y'all?" "We need to speak to your pa." "Yeah, sure... one second." "Can I help you?" "We got something for you." "We got you some more 'shine." "Y'all ain't supposed to be here till next month." "Yeah, but this is special." "Look." "Show him." "Smells the same." "It's real strong!" "Head peeler!" "I don't think so." "Look." "I think we're gonna need to stick to our original agreement, all right?" " I'm gonna have to pass on this, okay?" " No, wait!" "Look." "I'm real sick." "We need the money so I can see a doctor." "My pa, he don't believe in them." "I'm scared." "Please!" " All right." " Oh, thank you, thank you!" "Y'all wait right here, and I'll get you some money, okay?" "Y'all thirsty?" "You want something to drink?" "Yeah, that'd be good, thank you." " Here you go." " Thank you." "He sure is out." "He's been through a lot." "If there's anything else you need, let me know." "I don't mean to pry, but my dad said you need a doctor." "I know where there's an ob/gyn." " Hmm?" " A baby doctor." "I saw you with the pregnancy tests the other day." "No, no, no, I'm not." "I'm sorry." "I just assumed." "You okay?" " Help me!" " What?" "I don't know." "I think she's having a seizure." " She needs a doctor." " No doctors." "No, no, I'm fine." "I'm fine." "Please don't tell your pa." " You need help." " The people where we're from they want to hurt us." "She's telling you the truth." "I'll make sure you get your money, then." "What'd it show you?" "It took Pyer." "Then, you do see through its eyes." "It's punishing me." "Who was that?" "How they doing back there?" "We have to help them." "You can't get in the middle of these people." "There's some weird shit going on in the woods out there, and we don't want any part of it." "You understand?" "Just rest yourself." "It ain't no good for you to be wound up like you are." "This is taking too long." "Well, they said they'd bring the money." "Let's go." "We'll try somewhere else." "Get up!" "Come on!" "Okay." "That's what I figured." "I needed to be calling you." "Those two came in here." "They tried to sell some of your moonshine." "Oh, shit!" " What?" " Pa's here!" "Ada?" " Ada?" "!" " Keep your voice down!" "How dare you?" "!" "You think you can just turn your back on us?" "!" "They don't care about you out there!" "We're all you got!" "And I know what you've been doing now." "It's plain as day!" "There ain't nothing going on between us!" "I told you!" "Oh, he's good enough for you to run off with?" "Then, he's good enough to get in your pussy!" "This is for Bodey." "And this is for Eilen." "And this is for my wife." "I'll do her." "Got to start listening, Ada." "Back before, they'd have killed you for less than this." "Your pa, he's gonna work this out, though... what needs to be done for the best of all of us." "What's that mean?" "I'll let him explain." "What is wrong with you?" "I'm pregnant." "It ain't much of nothing." "She was only two months in." "Well, I shouldn't have beaten her like I did." "You did what was right." "And we don't need another Dawai walking around, no way." "You sure it's him?" "Well, whose else would it be?" "How you doing?" "Why didn't you tell us?" "I wouldn't have put you up there and whupped you like that." "I couldn't." "She's ashamed, like she should be." "I can't believe anyone would lie with a fool like that." "It's not dawai's." "Then, whose is it?" "It's Jessaby's." "What'd you say?" "Why else do you think we took all them walks together?" "Hey!" "Stop!" "Loriss!" "Is what you say true?" "Don't you lie to your pa!" "I loved him." "Get her out of here!" "Shit!" "You tell Corber we'll pay him whatever he wants." "Oh, that's right." "We'd already arranged for you to be joined with him." "But he probably won't even want your sorry ass now!" "You don't make a squeak!" "Maybe we shouldn't even tell Corber." "He'll just say she's ruined, anyway." "I can't believe she'd do this." "I can't..." "Woman, will you shut your mouth and let me think?" "!" "Where you going?" "!" "To the pit." "Grandpa?" "Where is he?" "I need to speak to the shunned boy right now." "You were right!" "Is that what you want to hear?" "How do I stop it?" "You know." "Isn't there some other way?" "It's not of this world." "Come on and do it." "I'm sitting right here." "What you waiting for, you old pit?" "I'm sitting right here." "I ain't scared of you." "I used to be scared of you." "Everybody's so scared of you." "I ain't scared of you no more." " So, come on." " Dawai, did you do it?" "!" "What?" "You been fucking my daughter?" "No!" "No, I ain't never..." "Touched her." "I ain't never done it with nobody." "Did you know she was pregnant?" "Was?" "You mean, she ain't no more?" "You are no longer with child." "Why do you resist?" "I don't know." "What?" "It's awake." "Well, who do you think it was?" "Why are you still alive?" "Where's Sustin?" "It took him." "I don't know why, but it did." "No!" "This whole thing is 'cause of you!" "I..." "I'd trade places with him" "You are so dead." "Stop it!" "It's not his fault!" "It's because of me." "It was my jug face." " I hid it." " What?" "I found the jug face that Dawai made a few days ago..." "And it was mine." "I got scared, so I buried it in the woods." "The one he couldn't find?" "I'll take you to it." "Give it to him." "You selfish, little bitch." "Look what all you done." "You almost ruined us, 'cause of what?" "'Cause of your dirty, little secret?" "Tomorrow, you're gonna make this right in front of everyone!" "Tie her with Dawai." "What about our agreement?" "The pit wants what it wants." "I'm sorry." "I'd have tried to save my baby, too." "It ain't quite fair, is it?" "I reckon they'll do me in after." "Probably." "I don't care." "Tired of them, anyway." "Sleep tight." "What are you doing?" "Coops wants you to go." "Wait." "Leave while you can." "What about dawai?" "He must stay." "They'll kill him." "Go." "Ada, please, just go!" "If I give myself, will Dawai be spared?" "Yes." "I'm staying, then." "No, you ain't!" "You ain't staying." "Go." "Ada, go." "Hey, where you all going?" "Come back here." "Take her." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Come back here!" "Hey!" "Ada, I want you to go." "I want you to go somewhere, and you live a life." "You can do anything." "You can go to town." "I am doing this for you." "I don't want you to do this for me." "It's what I should have done in the first place." "I can't bear it." "I love you." "Who let her go?" "She ain't going anywhere." "Are you ready to give yourself to the pit, once and for all?" "Yes." "The pit gives, and the pit takes away." "It is an honor to go be with it, away from this earthly plane." "I hope you are satisfied with our sacrifice." "We understand that the pit wants what it wants." "If you have got anything to say, let it be known." "I just want to say I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry for those who died 'cause of what I done." "And I'm sorry to those left behind."