The Hole in the Ground

You're not getting a bike, love, not at the moment.

But, Mum... - But nothing.

- Please? - I said not at the moment.

Maybe next year, OK?

Sweetie, I said maybe next year.

Stuart Macken says our Jeep looks like something

a "fedophile" would drive.

- And who's Stuart Macken? - In my class.

- Is he your friend? - He's an ass-face.

Hey.

Can I say "anus face"?

- No. - But it's a science word.

- Mum, look out! - (TIRES SCREECH)

Are you all right?

- Chris, are you all right? - Yes.

Don't move.

Are you OK?

I didn't see you, you came out of nowhere.

He's not my son, he's not my son...

he's not my son, he's not my son,

he's not my son, he's not my son...

"I'm Chuck, the strongest soldier in the whole land,

and you're nothing but a little weakling."

"No, please, leave me alone!"

"Silence, weakling!"

You finished?

- Chris? - It's gone cold.

Put some more cheese on it.

I don't like that dust cheese.

Then don't put more cheese on it. Just finish it, please.

Three...

Two...

One!

- Mum wins. You know the rules. - Aw.

Mum!

What is it, sweetie?

Quick!

Chris?

There's another one.

You're getting far too big to be scared of them.

What if it comes back inside?

She won't.

How do you know it's a girl?

Eight legs and no willy, see?

- Why don't you just kill it? - What did she ever do to you?

- Encrotched on my personal space. - (CHUCKLES)

It's "encroached," and I don't think she did it on purpose.

Dad would kill it for me.

I'm not Dad.

Why did we move here without him?

It's not that simple, sweetie.

Why?

- It's just not, OK? - Why?

You said he'd be right behind us. You're a liar.

- Liar! - Chris!

- Liar! - Sweetie...

Chris! Wait!

Christopher!

Chris?

Christopher!

Chris?

- Mum? - (GASPS)

Never run off on me like that again, OK?

I'm sorry.

Me too.

I know that Dad makes you sad.

Love you.

I love you, too.

Mum?

What is that?

Nothing.

Come on, let's go home.

Anne? This is Woody.

Well, I have a ticket for the Hi-Teen Carnival Saturday,

and... well, would you like to go?

Why, yes, Woody.

I'll have to talk to my folks about it but I think I can go.

- That'll be fun! - (SARAH SIGHS)

Yeah.

Well, shall I pick you up about eight o'clock?

That's fine, Woody.

Are you gonna show me that?

You should sign up.

Might be a good way of making new friends.

Don't wanna make new friends.

You know, when I was your age, I moved town once, too.

I was really scared about going to this new place where I'd never been.

But when I got there, my mum signed me up for the Brownies,

and before I knew it, I had a whole group of new friends.

So, maybe that might happen to you if you sign up for this.

Maybe.

You'll settle in, sweetie.

We're gonna be happy living here.

I promise.

Well, he had one of those faces...

you just wanted to punch over and over and over again.

- You know, like this? - (LOUISE AND ROB CHUCKLE)

You've never punched anyone in your entire life.

I punched Tom Drum.

That poor kid who always had the mustache of snot under his nose?

That's the one, yeah.

Yeah, I punched him square in the forehead, remember?

Why?

It was years ago. It doesn't matter.

But the thing is, he gets out of his car.

And he's walking towards me, screaming at me that I cut him off,

- and he's raging... - You want a bloody degree to open this.

That's you fucked, isn't it?

And when are you planning on graduating?

Jay's a permanent student.

I'm a lecturer. - Assistant lecturer.

I am shaping impressionable minds.

Sarah studied teaching too.

Well, I only did a year. I, uh... had to drop out.

I got pregnant with Chris and kind of took a different path.

I'm glad your path took you down here. Best employee I ever had.

How is that junk shop of yours anyway?

Rob, tell your brother he's an asshole.

You're an asshole.

So, what happened with the guy who hit your car?

Oh, yeah, yeah. So, anyway, he comes over to the car, right?

And he puts his hand on the bonnet.

And I swear he's not gonna budge an inch,

and he's glaring right at me, and you can see...

Sounds like Walkie-Talkie. Who's that?

Walkie-Talkie.

It's this crazy old lady who lives up in the hills near here.

Near the bridge by your house. You must have seen her.

Yeah, that's the woman you told me murdered her kid.

She didn't murder him.

- No? - No.

Tell the story.

There's no story.

No. Go on.

Her son James was in my class, used to sit across from me in school.

He was really nice, friendly, really into nature, I remember.

He used to have, um, ants in a pencil case under his desk.

Anyway, when we were around eight, Noreen...

Noreen Brady's her name...

she came bursting into the classroom.

Out of control, screaming insane things about him.

It took three teachers to drag her into the principal's office

and lock her in before the police came.

Nobody knew what was wrong with her.

He was taken out of school for a while, and...

she went away to have her head fixed.

- And then, a few months later... - She got out...

got a car and mowed the kid down.

No. No, that's not what happened.

It was an accident. It was an awful tragedy.

The poor woman.

Chris?

Sweetie?

What are you doing down here?

Christopher?

Emergency. - Um, is this the police?

No, but I can connect you to the police. What's the emergency?

It's my son, he's missing.

- OK, what's your address, please? - Uh... there's, um...

There's no number on the house.

- Tell me what town you're in. - No, someone might've taken him.

You're gonna have to stay calm and tell me where you live

if you want me to help you.

- OK? - (DOOR CREAKS)

Hello?

- Hello? Mummy?

- Hel... - (PHONE HANGS UP)

Where were you?

Chris! Where were you?

- Here. - No, you weren't.

Are you OK, Mummy?

- How long you been in the area? - Um, just a few weeks.

And has it only been since the move that you've felt like this?

Any history of anxiety disorders in your family?

- No. - Have you ever been on medication?

- No. - How about that scar?

May I see it, please?

That's quite the bump.

- Yeah, I was in an accident. - Not so long ago, by the look of it.

About a year ago. It just sometimes gets irritated.