Silent Retreat

*

Please come back.

Okay, okay, okay.

*

Please, please, please, please.

I'll... I'll do anything you want.

I won't say anything.

Please.

Just... please.

Please come back!

Please!

I promise.

*

*

*

Excus... No talking.

*

*

*

*

Janey Andrews.

This is the only conversation you'll have here.

To respect the process we keep things as quiet as possible.

Arrested for assault.

I didn't do it.

My job is not to determine guilt.

Judge Prince already decided that.

My job is to rehabilitate you.

If you fail you will go to jail. So, if you comply, follow

the rules, embrace the silence, we won't have a problem.

Now everyone requires a different amount of time.

The judge said I only have to stay a month.

A month for some. For others...

You should be grateful this is the option you've been given.

Now we're a family-run business.

It's just myself and my two sons.

We only cater to five patients at a time.

Our success rate is very high.

The rules are simple.

No talking.

No phones.

No Internet. No music.

No reading. No writing.

No eye contact.

No gestures. No touching.

No sexual misconduct.

We sleep at sunset, get up at sunrise.

It is imperative that you stay quiet at night.

You went through my bag? You can't do that.

Distractions!

They cloud the mind. They interfere.

That's all that's left of my family.

Well, that gives you one more reason to follow the rules.

You'll get it back when we're done.

It's an invasion of privacy.

Here you have no privacy. You have no voice.

No name. No identity.

It's time to clear your mind of all that unnecessary noise.

Is that clear?

*

Are we waiting for dinner?

Are we waiting for dinner?

I just...

Shhh.

Ha!

*

Close your eyes.

Relax and let go.

You're floating through the air.

Nothing is around you.

Now, as you relax, let your thoughts disappear.

Let your mind wander.

Relax.

Relax.

Psssst... Slowly, slowly...

an image comes into your mind, through the darkness.

An empty theatre.

You're in the front row.

There are soft noises, comforting noises.

Listen to the soft sounds.

No. Let go of me. I'm not going with you.

The sound will disappear.

10, 9...

Don't tell them I'm in here.

No!

Nooo!!

Don't put me in there. Don't put me in there. Please.

Please I'll do anything. Please. No. No.

*

Now.

I'm not going with you.

Now.

(sound of film projector running)

You're lucky my son picked you up.

There are things here that only come out at night,

things you don't want to encounter.

Besides, we're miles from anywhere.

I saw them drag her away.

What do you think happened here?

I...

You?

I don't know.

You have no idea who this girl is, why she was sent here,

and yet you sit there and accuse me.

We are turning her into a respectable person.

One day she'll make a good wife.

We have a two-strike policy.

This is strike one.

Strike two - you go to jail.

Nod if you understand.

Don't disappoint me again.

The noises are vanishing.

8,7.

All around you.

Silence.

6, 5.

The quiet is so comforting.

The deep silence.

4, deeper, 3,

2, deeper, 1.

1,2,3. Open your eyes.

What happened?

Close your eyes.

Relax and let go.

You're floating through the air.

Nothing is around you.

Again. Again. Again.

Come on.

*

Wooo.

I've been dying to do that for weeks.

You should try it.

No. I'm okay.

So, how did you do it?

Special ingredient in the food.

The older brother likes me. Let me in the kitchen.

We probably have, like, 20 minutes.

I'm Alexis.

Janey.

You know I've been thinking you're a Susan,

or a Julia for the last week. Janey's not even close.

You got the J right.

Been here for three weeks.

Got to do something to keep from going insane here.

They're changing us.

Somehow.

One day you're fine, the next it's like

you're Little Miss Stepford.

Just like the girl with the pink stripe.

And the others too.

That's pretty much how you last around here. You have to keep

quiet and keep your head down, and act like it's working.

She was here just before you were.

I woke up one morning and she was gone. That was on her door.

Okay. So she left.

You're not an idiot.

They took them to the cabin didn't they?

Yeah.

What happens in there?

You tell me.

You were there yesterday.

I don't...

you don't remember either.

They took you there today.

I... what?

Why haven't we changed?

I don't know.

I don't want to know.

We have to get out of here.

You need to help me.

I haven't seen a phone around here, but if we...

No.

I tried to leave last night and it's just one road

miles before we could get any...

If we take the car we can get out of here.

There's a car parked outside the office. I saw it.

Well where are the keys.

If I knew that I'd be gone.

I need you on the lookout tonight.

We should go.

We have to be careful if we're going at night.

They're scared of something.