The OA

I couldn't feel pain.

I couldn't sense time. I couldn't understand where I was.

But I could see.

I could see.

I remembered Homer and Rachel and Scott screaming my name.

They were no longer with me.

The sudden rush of loss made me realize that for the second time in my life...

I was dead.

Khatun... I can see.

You could always see, my child.

Catch your breath and join me.

I'm not supposed to be here.

Nonsense. You've had so much time.

Look at you, a young woman now.

It's a mistake, Khatun.

If you stay, there is no more suffering. All the pain of life, gone.

Soon, you won't remember any of it.

But I don't want to forget.

They're with him in that basement. I can't leave them there.

You're strange. I respect it.

But as things are... you never escape.

All your courage... and planning, not enough.

I see you're hungry.

I'll fish for you.

This... will show you a way to another place...

a form of travel unknown to humans.

Without it, you will stay a prisoner forever.

It takes a lot of practice...

but with this... you may one day fly free.

If I give it to you... there's a price.

A fair trade.

Papa.

Papa!

Here!

Papa!

- He can't hear me. - No, he cannot.

But he could.

You can go with your father and be in painless peace together...

or you can take the bird and find out who you really are.

That isn't a fair choice.

To exist... is to survive unfair choices.

Join him.

He's right outside waiting for you.

How do I get back to the others?

Now you know sacrifice.

Now you are ready for what comes with this gift.

Swallow it.

It's the seed of light.

If you grow it, all you need to know will be inside you.

All five of you must work together as one to avert a great evil.

There's only four of us.

You will see.

Khatun... am I like you?

No.

You are the original.

Be quick.

Eat it.

I knew from the moment I woke up that life was no longer the same.

I had given up eternity with my father

for a promise I made to people I barely knew.

Here.

I thought I'd lost you.

Glad you recovered.

How does it feel?

- My head hurts. - That's my fault.

You were... at the edge of the mine. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry.

Here.

You were gone a long time.

No pulse for seven minutes. Utterly unresponsive.

It's the only...

nonscientific death I've ever had.

Here.

I was worried about you.

I've been doing this study for years.

And you're the only...

subject who's ever challenged me.

Extracted concessions, tried to escape.

You, blind, have done all three.

The others?

How did you find the others?

Well, you were a happy accident.

But, the others... Well, the others...

I had to hunt down.

I'm sorry about the violence outside.

But you should know... I can't let you go.

Aah!

I can't.

Khatun had fed me a mystery.

I couldn't understand it, but I could feel it inside me.

A clue, a bomb, a Hail Mary.

Prair, can you hear me?

You okay?

You almost did it. You almost got away.

- Homer? I have to tell... - It doesn't matter.

It's okay. You're alive.

Doesn't matter? I'd kinda like to get the fuck outta here.

I knew it was a long shot.

I got through these... woods to an edge.

He hit me in the back of the head...

hard.

I died.

Probably you passed out from the pain.

I went somewhere...

and I saw her.

The same woman I saw when I was a little girl.

Oh, my God.

Oh, we've been going about this all wrong. We've been trying to get out.

Yes. Well, that's kinda the big idea.

No.

We have to try to get in.

I think she got brain damage.

We've been acting like lab rats.

Lab rats are only powerless

because they don't understand that they're in an experiment.

But they're just as much a part of it as the scientist, in some ways even more.

See, we could take it over.

His experiment is our way out.

No, no.

I... I don't know what that psychopathic fuck is doing,

and I don't want to know.

Listen. She's trying to say something.

But how would we know, though?

The gas. We don't remember anything.

He's made it that way on purpose.

Yeah, he's got all the power.

Look...

We all died... and we all chose to return.

No, no, speak for your own self.

We all touched another side and came back different.

When you listen to Rachel sing, don't you feel it?

- In my bones. - Yeah.

We aren't captives.

We aren't lab rats.

We aren't unloved or unlucky.

We're angels.

Oh, God.

Honestly...

go fuck yourself.

Angels?

How do you know?

Because even in your grief, you protected me

from finding out about August's death before I was ready.

Because I hear you whispering to your plants at night

to make them grow without the sun.

Because your eyes are green...

clear... as honest as you are.

Because I can see.

Oh...

I wish I'd met you sooner...

so you could have known him.

Me, too.

- My brother Theo. - I know.

Oh... Go.

Yeah, go. It's important you're not late.

Will you let the boys walk you to your car?

Yes.

Good night.

Thank you. Um... do you need a ride home?

We live here.

It's Rod Spence again. Sorry to call so many times, but, uh,

you really, uh, need to get in touch, so we can go over everything.

Um... please call me back.

Uh, it's about your... your brother's will, as you know.

Um, my number is... You have...

Well, you have my number. Just call me.

Oh. Hey, Ali. What're you doing up?

Couldn't sleep.

Hey, you didn't notice the door was open?

- Oh, that's why it's so cold. - Yeah, yeah.

Wanna?

Oh, nah, nah, it'll just fuck with my head even more.

You hang with sexy blind girl again? The fourth time in a row?

Fuck off.

Third.

Saw Maureen today.

Oh, Mustache Maureen?

What? No.

Oh. Maureen who?

Yeah, Mustache Maureen, I just don't call her that.

Okay.

She came by to drop off some stuff...

watched a movie.

You should hang with us next time.

She's really into Kubrick.

Yeah, what's Kubrick?

- She keeps you guys out late. - We want to.

You guys hang out with the little trans one at school, too?

No, mostly just with the others at the house.

She better not be some giant blind creep.

Okay, look, she's not even blind anymore.

God, just joking.

- Hey, Ali? - What?

Do... Do you believe in angels?

What, is Steve, like, all Christian now or something?

What?

I don't know, aren't his parents, like... sending him to Christian boot camp?

- Asheville? - Yeah, no, no, it's not like that.

Like what?

Well, like Mom. Do...

Do you think she could have been an angel?