Bottle Monster

Are we there yet?

Not yet.

Almost.

I'm not having this conversation.

Theo's in the car.

You need to come back.

- No. - Allison,

you have to come back.

I'm not coming back.

We're never coming back.

Stop.

Allison, come back now for Theo's sake.

For Theo's sake?

I'm protecting him.

Protecting him?

Allison, you can't even take care of him.

You can barely take care of yourself.

Fuck you.

Allison, you're not doing well.

Let me help you.

I'm fine.

Theo's fine.

We're fine.

You know you shouldn't be doing this.

Tell me where you are.

For the last time, leave us alone.

Are we there yet?

You can do this, Allison.

You can do this.

You can do this.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Wait here.

Hi.

You must be Allison Key.

I'm George.

Nice to meet you.

Hi.

Yes.

And this is Theo.

Oh.

Do you like candy, hm?

Here you go.

Oh, no?

I thought we could be friends.

I'm sorry.

He can be shy around new people.

Ah, that's all right.

Come on.

I'll give you the 10 cent tour.

Theo.

Come on.

Oh.

Right down here is the basement.

It's great for storage.

And I bet you could make an amazing fort right down there.

And moving on.

The living room.

Oh, you were so desperate to move in

that the cleaning crew hasn't been in yet.

Or ever.

Dining room.

And, well, this.

And this is my favorite room in the entire house.

Now, I'm sure that you can agree that with a kitchen

like this, that this will be the heart of your home.

And your son and yourself will have many fond memories.

There's a problem with the stove,

and I'll have a handyman come have a look.

And he'll spray for bugs too, right?

I'll look into it.

Well, I'm sure you wanna get settled, so I'll be going.

Oh.

Allison Key, you're gonna need this.

Aw, sweetie.

I know this place can be overwhelming,

but give it a few days.

You're gonna feel much better.

Mommy.

Theo?

Theo?

Theo?

Theo?

Isn't this funny?

Yes, this is funny.

There you go, my lady.

Thank you, my lord.

You're welcome, Your Highness.

Are you okay, Mommy?

I just need some air.

I'll go get the bags, then I'll make dinner, sport.

Hello?

Okay, time for bed.

But it's only eight o'clock.

But it's late enough.

But I want to explore.

And you can explore more tomorrow.

Please?

No.

Please?

Come on.

There we go.

There you go, buddy, just as snug as a bug in a rug.

Are bugs actually snug in rugs?

That is a great question.

I don't know.

It's just a saying.

All right, lights out, slugger.

Can you please check my room?

Of course.

Where should I begin?

Check under the bed.

Under the bed.

No monsters here, I am happy to report.

Check behind the curtains.

- The curtains? - Yes.

No monsters there either.

Check the closet.

The closet, that's a good place for a monster to hide.

Well, monsters would get stuck in there.

I dutifully report no monsters.

No monster, just a bottle.

It can't hurt you.

The only monster here is a tickle monster.

Stop.

Stop.

All right.

- Ready for lights out? - Yes.

All right.

- I love you. - I love you too.

Hey, buddy.

I know it's late, but we gotta go get Mom.

Again?

Yeah, I know.

But it'll be short this time,

and you'll be back in your bed in no time.

I got something that'll cheer you up.

I got this on our last trip to Rochester.

You know I love you, right?

I'll always be there for you.

Even if I can't, this guy will, okay?

All right, let's go get Mom now.

It's always someone else's fault.

I don't wanna have this fight again.

I'm tired of having the same conversation with you.

They aren't your friends.

The school called.

I'm tired of having the same conversation with you.

You're a mean, aren't your friends.

The school called.

It's always someone else's fault with you.

- You're a mean- - Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!

What happened?