Vacancy

Son of a bitch. What are you doing?

There's a goddamn racooon in the middle of the road.

Jesus.

Well, better to kill us than get a little road kill on the oar, huh?

Well, we're still alive.

I can tell by the pissy look that you're giving me.

This isn't the interstate. There was a wreck.

It was all backed op. I took a shortcut.

To where?

Can you hear that? Hear what?

I think the engine just made a noise.

Well, it's kind of late for a breakdown.

Should've stopped somewhere earlier.

Yeah, well, I popped some of those trucker pills.

I thought I coold make it the whole way.

Where are we?

Boy, you were really dreaming over there earlier.

You were mumbling and jerking around.

I dreamt you were trying to kill me.

We were at my parents' anniversary party

and my mother wooldn't stop talking.

You started screaming you cooldn't take it anymore and then tried to strangle me.

At least you were dreaming about me, right?

That's kind of an improvement.

Shit. Jesus.

You okay?

I keep telling you how stopid that is to do that.

You ought to just kind of bite into the apple like the rest of the world.

It hurts my teeth. As bad as cutting your finger off?

It's not anything.

You want me to drive for a while? No. I don't.

Why don't you just go ahead and go back to sleep?

Remember how Charlie used to dance around even when there was no music playing…?

I'm tired, David.

See, I think that should be os just about there.

Why didn't yoo jost stay on the interstate?

I don't know.

Guess I just wanted to make this as miserable as possible, yoo know?

See just how big a bitch you'd be about it.

I just thought it would be faster, yoo know?

Shit.

Is that something?

Do you think they're closed?

Since 1957.

That's too bad, because they got good gas prices.

Look, if you're too tired, I'll drive. I told yoo, I'm fine.

Okay. See, that town there, Elida.

You were asleep, but we went through there about three hours ago.

Well, that should put os down here somewhere.

I mean, that's a town. Downey. I mean, they would have a real gas station.

If that's really where we are.

I think that we're headed south. I mean, eventually, we've got to hit a…

Oh, my God. Sorry.

It's okay.

You got to me right before I headed out.

I'm sorry. I gotta warn you, though.

The gas price is a little steeper than the sign says.

Actually, we're just… We're having some engine problems.

Yeah, he dodged a squirrel a few miles back.

It's a raocoon, yeah. And we're lost.

Well, she's lost. I actually know exactly where we are.

We're on our way to Downey.

He's trying to tell you it's the other way, David.

Yeah. Sorry, man. It's okay.

It's really easy to get turned around out here withoot a map.

Oh.

Downey's like 30 miles back, man. Really?

Look, I'll tell you what. Pop the hood.

I'll cheok the engine and make sure you can get that far.

Really? Thanks. Okay, great.

That would be great. Thank you so much.

Yeah, I went off the road there when I missed the raccoon.

I think I hit a low spot.

Yeah. Thanks, man.

Is he gonna fix it?

What do you think? Well, the fan blade's bent.

Rock must have hit it.

Yeah, she'll drive fine, just noisy, that's all.

You might wanna have someone smarter than me take a look at it when you get where you're going.

I'll do that. Thanks. So now, what do I owe you?

Oh, no, nothing. No, we're good.

Hell, I shoold pay you for finally giving me something to do.

Now, um, do you need help getting back to Downey?

Yes. Well, actually,

if yoo could just point us towards the interstate, that'd be great.

Oh.

Well, you don't want Downey, then. Okay.

I'll tell you what you do. You take this road here, right?

And yoo follow it down until you hit a grove of trees on your right.

You take that. Keep going until you hit Westcliff.

It'll be a four-lane there. Westcliff.

Make a left on that and that'll take you where you need to be.

Okay. Thank you. Perfect. Thanks a lot.

And yoo know what? Man, I'd feel a lot better if you just took this.

Thanks for staying out so late and helping us.

Well, you just bought yourself a $20 sparkly, then.

Because every day's 4th of July's at Small's.

Owner makes me say that.

Here you go. Oh, my gosh. Thank you.

- And drive careful. - Okay, thanks.

Guess I ought to buy you a box of those sparklers, huh?

So how far did he say this Westcliff place is?

He didn't. And I can't even find it on the fucking map.

David. What, did we hit something?

That's fucking… Yeah, probably another squirrel.

You know, it was a fucking raccoon. Whatever.

I mean, Jesus Christ, why do yoo have…?

Oh, what the hell?

Son of a bitch.

So much for being able to drive it the whole way.

God. Perfect. No signal.

Damn it.

Can't a car run without a fan? Evidently not.

Okay, give it a try for me, all right?

It's not gonna work.

Jesus Christ.

Would you just give it a try for me, please, honey?

Goddamn it.

So how far back was the gas station?

I don't know. About a mile?

Kind of a long walk in the middle of the night.

Yeah. I mean, I guess we could just sit here

and hope some idiots like us come along and give us a hand, huh?

I didn't get us lost.

No. You slept for 300 miles, thanks to your Zoloft-Prozac cocktail.

Fuck!

Well…

at least we know there's someplace back there.

Oh, yeah, the guy that helped us so much before.

Well, you know, you could get another sparkler, Amy.

Asshole. Whatever you say.

Grow a penis.

Never see stars anymore. At least not in L.A.

Kind of nice out here, really.

I bet Charlie woold have liked it.

We should've brought him sometime.

We never went anywhere. The job was always too important to leave.

Why do you do that? What?

Every time I mention his name, you take a shot at me.

Well, stop mentioning his name. Well, see, I'm not like you, Amy.

I'd rather just kind of remember him and deal with the pain.

Okay, you know what, David? Do what you want.

He said he was getting ready to close, remember?

Shit.

Look, let's jost go back to the car.

You can sleep on the hood and stare op at the stars you love so much.

Maybe they'll know where we can find the guy.

Oh, God.

You've got to be kidding me.

What is that?

I want to go. No.

It's okay. David.

Let's just go back to the car.

What are you doing? Don't ring the bell.

Sorry.

Hey, folks. Hi.

How can I help you?

Everything okay back there?

Oh.

Can we jost…? Can we just go? Okay. It's okay.

Sorry.

Things get a little boring around here late nights.

I believe that.

Say, there's a mechanic at the garage over there.

He helped us with oor car earlier. You know him?

I think he's gone home for the night.

He'll probably be back tomorrow morning.

Right. Well, I was wondering if yoo could get in touch with him.

Because the oar actually broke down aboot two miles back there.

We just walked up here.

I sure can't. I sore can't. I'm sorry.

Do you know another garage?

Hmm. There's Clark's,

- about 20 miles east. - Okay.

Well, may I borrow your phone? I'd like to give them a oall,

see if they can maybe come out and give us a hand.

All I got's a pay phone, right out there.

That's great. She works on dimes,

if yoo need them. Okay, I do.

It's real.

No, it doesn't have to be exact change.

Mm-hm.

Oop, oop.

Thank you.

Trouble is…

Clark's won't be open either.

Not this late.

So I goess I don't need these, huh?

Not if you need a garage.

Yeah. We do.

But like I said, guy over there will be back around 8,

if yoo can wait that long.

I'm sure he can get you up and running.

Meanwhile, I'm wide open here.

Yeah? Shocking.

Okay. Thanks.

Well, we can either stay here,

or we can walk all the way back to the oar.

David, this is a fuoking nightmare. I don't know.

Yeah, we'll go ahead and stay here. Thanks.