Freaks

Chloe! Hey!

What are you doing?

Someone could have seen you!

You've got to be a good hider otherwise

the bad guys will find you.

Sorry, Dad.

I'm Eleanor Reed. Age 7.

I live at 726 Monroe Street.

My birthday...

Mhm...

Is March 9th

10th.

March 10th.

Can I stir?

Yeah, but keep practicing.

That's my Mom, Nancy Reed. Her birthday is August 10th.

Is she really going to love me?

That's why we're paying her.

That's my sister Harper.

Harper.

Her birthday's June 13th.

She snores.

Where'd you get that?

I thought we were going with puppies.

It's true Dad.

She snores.

Good job, Chloe.

That is something a sister would say.

Partners?

Partners.

What's the plan if I don't come back?

I go to my closet.

Yeah?

And then what?

If I run out of food I go across the street,

tell Steve and Nancy that I'm Eleanor Reed and I give them

the whole shebang if they take care of me.

Let's go over the old classics, shall we? A.

A is for Apple.

Apple is a red fruit that you eat and it is delicious.

You ever seen a green one?

- Yes. - Okay, good.

What's B?

B is for baseball.

A game played between two teams with 9 players

who run in circles around a diamond-shaped field.

Chloe what's your favourite sport?

I've never played a sport.

Bang!

You're dead.

That's not fair!

You never asked me that before.

If you don't know the answer to something you just make it up.

You go...

huh?

I don't know!

I love all sports.

That's lying.

Yes.

You need to lie to be normal.

How much money do you think is right there?

Well these are hundred dollar bills so like a couple thousand?

More than that.

No, I'm not sure myself.

Okay I raise ten.

Can we have ice cream after dinner?

You know we don't have any ice cream.

When are you going?

Not for a while.

I was hitting the store too much.

I can't wait until I'm normal.

Are you going to call my ten or not?

You're bluffing.

Try me.

All in.

I missed the river.

You win.

You're getting good under pressure.

Staying calm.

That's good.

Did Mom's eyes bleed too?

Are my eyes going to bleed someday?

I hope not.

But if they do you're going to let me know, right?

Right.

You're going to say, 'hey Dad my eyes are bleeding,

what the heck?'

Yeah

Alright now collect your million dollar jackpot

Alright

Make sure you get the ones in the back.

I did!

Oh well, last time I checked...

Oof, there are knots in your hair.

Ow!

Alright.

Time for breathing.

Alright.

Close your eyes, nice deep breaths.

In.

Exhale.

In.

You're not normal!

It's not funny.

It's not funny, Chloe.

You need to practice this.

You looked funny.

You gotta practice this.

It's important.

And if I don't I'll go to the mountain?

What are you talking about?

Nothing.

I never taught you about the mountain

so you must have talked to someone.

Did you go outside?

No

Did you go through Daddy's junk mail?

Is that where you learned about the mountain?

No.

Chloe, Chloe, Chloe.

This is not a game right now okay?

You can never lie to me.

I'm not lying.

You're never mean to me, Mommy.

Go away ghost. Go away ghost.

Go away.

Go away ghost.

You imagined it.

Ghosts aren't real.

Stay with me. I'm scared.

Okay but I can't fall asleep again.

Too much time goes by outside when I'm asleep.

I can only protect you when I'm awake.

Mr. Snowcone.

Whoa.

Harper. Bring me ice cream.

Please.

Bring me ice cream.

Please, please, please, please, please.

Bring me ice cream. Bring me ice cream.

Harper.

Hello?

Hi.

I brought you ice cream.

Is it chocolate?

Yes.

Hey!

What are you doing here? Huh?

I brought Chloe some ice cream.

How do you know her name? How do you know her name?

Huh? Huh?

Harper?

What are you doing here?

You know better than to knock on strangers' doors.

I am sorry about that.

I don't know why she came over here.

No, not at all. Not at all.

Alright. Bye-bye now.

Is this your daughter?

Oh we should go.

Gotta go.

Hi.

Hi I'm Nancy.

You're beautiful.

Oh my goodness she's a sweetheart.

And she looks so normal.

Eleanor, go back inside.

Come on Eleanor, go back inside.

Harper called you Chloe.

Was that Nancy, for real?

How did she know your real name?

Have you been going outside?

No.

No, Dad! The closet is too scary!

You know the punishment for breaking the rules.

Time out.

I almost got ice cream.

You opened the door.

You almost got us killed.

Vroom, vroom. Vroom, vroom!

I'm an ice cream truck and I give kids ice cream

all around the world.

Vroom, vroom.

Oh no!

There's a giant!

There's Harper.

She likes chocolate ice cream.

What are you doing in my room, Chloe?

Shh you can't call me that.

I'm supposed to be Eleanor.

Will you play a game with me before Dad wakes up?

You are so annoying.

Why do you always wake me up in the middle of the night?

We can play at the park like normal people.

You're allowed to play outside with other kids?

Aren't you scared the bad guys will want to kill you?

No.

Everybody does it.

It's fine.

It's not fair that you have a Mom and I don't.