The Caller

Hello?

Anyone around?

I'm kind of in a hurry.

Money's on the pump.

Nice talking to ya.

Catch you later.

Hello?

Is anybody here?

Who's there?

I wanna speak to Alison, Alison Bernet.

This is her mother.

I'll wait.

Alison, are you all right?

I got scared.

I had to call.

I don't know.

Just a feeling.

Well of course I worry about my only daughter.

You know us mothers.

What cranky, fusspots we are.

Are you eating three meals a day?

Are they treating you like a human being?

A little girl who's...

I know, there I go again.

Bad habit.

You're fine.

I'm fine.

Well, I'm standing here dripping onto the rug.

I just got out of the shower.

The "Creature from the Black Lagoon"

getting ready for supper.

It's gonna be really fine this time.

You'll see, Alison.

You're gonna be proud of Mommy.

Of what Mommy's going to do.

Be a good girl.

And say your prayers.

Remember, I love you.

Bye, sweetie.

Damn!

Oh, not again!

Oh, at last.

Coming!

Everything's ready for you.

Hi, there, I...

Hi, there.

Hi, I'm sorry if I frightened you.

You didn't frighten me.

- Well you didn't answer right away.

Ah, I was in the kitchen.

I'm expecting company any minute.

Ah, in fact, I thought you were him.

Who?

My company.

- When you didn't answer right away,

I went around to the back.

I thought there might be another way in.

There's not.

I mean, I'm-

- You mean this is the only way in that you're aware of.

Yes.

Yeah, I thought so.

I wonder if I might use your telephone.

My car's broken down six or seven miles down the road

on the edge of the forest.

I'd like to call a tow truck.

Oh, well, um.

- This is the only house around here for miles.

Believe me, I know.

- No, you're wrong, there are others.

- Not near, I've walked around and around in circles.

I doubt there are many public phone booths

standing around in the trees.

- Um... - Listen,

if I'm making an unreasonable request.

It's a reasonable request.

Of course you can use the phone.

Thank you.

Won't you come back inside?

The storm's getting closer, hmm.

You're shivering.

(chuckles) You're not.

I don't feel the cold.

That's lucky, isn't it?

Especially on a night like this.

Ah, the phone's right over there on the table.

- Thank you, I really appreciate it.

You're very polite.

Your mother teach you that?

Sorry?

- (chuckles) You keep apologizing.

Oh, right.

Mark of a good upbringing.

Or a sheltered existence.

Suddenly thrust out in the arena. (chuckles)

Don't you like it?

- It takes a bit of getting used to.

Maybe they shouldn't let me out.

Running off the road into the ditch the way I did.

Well, anyone can blow a tire.

I've done it myself.

Glass.

What?

Glass on the road.

Ran over it than backed up.

- It would have been a back tire if you'd done that.

What?

- Your back tire would have blown first,

not your front tire.

- I guess I'm luck they both didn't blow.

It's funny you knew it was a front tire.

Good guess.

Yeah, wasn't it.

All right if I call?

- There you again being so polite.

Too much of that can make a person nervous.

Did your mother tell you that?

No.

What did she tell you?

- Beware of strange young girls in the forest

asking too many questions.

- No she didn't. - No.

- Go ahead, I said it was all right.

Thanks.

Busy.

That was really remarkable.

What?

- That you knew the number without having to look it up.

Does that bother you?

Of course it does.

I mean, here you are out in the middle of nowhere,

you stumble upon a cabin in the clearing,

you pick up the receiver