Panic

Every small town has a secret.

Ours has a game.

The losers stay here where losing is what we do best.

The winners get out.

In Carp, Texas, out is the only place worth going.

That's why players risk their lives to win.

Victory is yours if you last until dawn.

Judgment is coming.

But the game isn't meant to kill you.

And it won't.

If you follow one rule.

Don't panic.

The truth is,

Panic started like a lot of things out here.

Because it was summer,

and there was nothing else to do.

- -The games

had always started right after graduation

and lasted throughout the summer.

All graduating seniors are eligible to play.

Sometimes 40 players enter.

Sometimes half that.

But there is only one winner.

Each year there are new players,

new challenges, new judges.

- -

But the game has ghosts, too.

We never have to say their names.

They know where to find us.

They know we aren't going anywhere.

Not unless we play.

And now, what you've been waiting for...

the graduates.

- Natalie Williams. - Yeah, go, Nat!

Bishop Moore.

Heather Nill.

- You're late. - Fuck you.

Hey, Ray, check it out.

I got you a graduation present. Just something small.

- Yo, let's go. - What the fuck is this?

It's a "get out of jail free" card.

What?

I thought it might come in handy

just in case you want to visit your pops.

- - Yeah? Well...

If only it was a free pass on herpes.

Then I can bone Tyler's mom again.

Don't be stupid. Get out of here.

I can't believe you guys are skipping the ceremony.

- Well, we are. - Yahoo!

- - Let's go.

Let's go!

- There's my lady. Hey. - Hey, Dad.

- Speak to you...? - Yeah.

All right. Father/daughter portrait.

Let's go. Get together.

Heather!

We're here.

Hi.

- Hi, you. - Look. Flowers.

Oh, thank you, Lilybug.

Wow, you made it.

Of course I made it.

I'm proud of you.

Here. I got you something.

- Can you hold these for me? - Sure.

You used to lose your mind over snow globes.

Couldn't get enough of 'em.

- - Yeah, I was, like, seven.

One time at the Walmart, you must have

shook up a hundred of those things.

I thought I was never gonna get you out of that store.

Thank you. It really means a lot.

It's just something little.

You know, mark the occasion or whatever.

- Why are you looking at me weird? - Nothing.

You got 20 bucks?

The car's in the shop again.

Something about the starter.

You know how Bo's truck eats gas, so...

That's all I got.

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.

What happened to all that back pay

they owe you down at the store?

I can't make them pay me, Mom.

Proud of you, kid.

Come on, Lily, let's go.

Thank you.

- I'll see you later. - Love you. Bye.

- Giddyup, bitch, we're free. - Oh. Hi.

Perfect.

All right, let's get out of here.

I'm so done with this place.

One...

Two, three.

- -

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm. Ah.

What are we toasting?

No more gym.

No more gym shorts.

Final collection.

Here we go. Give me your money.

Final collection.

- Here it comes. - Thank you very kindly.

Final collection.

Rules are rules.

School's out, okay? I'm-I'm not even playing.

Think of it as insurance.

It's gonna be one hell of a summer.

Yeah, I mean...

Come on, man, I... I'm not gonna play.

- Oh, okay! - We're all playing, fucker.

- Ray. - One way or another.

A dollar buys you a prayer.

Ray, stop.

You want your money, I'm gonna need my arm back.

I'm just fucking with you.

Oh, Bishop.

Hey. A new toast.

To global amnesia.

Nah. Selective.

There's a few things I want to remember.

Ooh, what did I miss?

Oh, we're-we're toasting to a future free of Ray Hall.

- Yeah. - Ugh. That guy sucks.

- Yeah. - You remember?

Remember when you puked on the eighth grade field trip?

- Oh. - Ugh.

- And he spread a rumor Heather was pregnant. - Yeah.

And then you told everyone that he had chlamydia.

- No one messes with my girl. - Oh...

- To revenge. - Oh, to chlamydia.

- Oh, no, I'm not toasting that. - What?

- - Okay, okay, I got one.

Ready?

You-you brought your diploma.

- Of course. - Weird move.

- Ta-da. - Yeah.

- Oh... -

- What are you doing? - See? It's toast.

Natalie...

What? It doesn't matter because...

Oh, I love this song. Come on, come on.

- Get up, Heather. - No. Maybe later.

- No, now. - No, no, no, no, no.

- Come on, come on. - Hey, guys...

- It's later now. - I don't...

I'm not going. Bishop!

We're going, we're going.

What? I can't hear you.

- -

Jesus, what the hell, dude?!

I'm sorry, man, my hand slipped.

- Yeah, onto a lighter. - My hand slipped.

- But, like, you know... - The thing is, uh, Dick-ins,

everybody gets a little jumpy before judgment.

Diggin... Diggins.

Diggins. Diggins. That's what, that's what I said.

Any word from the judges?

No, I'm just the emcee, okay.

- I'm waiting for the signal like everybody else. - Oh.

Well, I better hope it comes soon.

You know what they say about idle hands.

It's the devil's workshop.

- -

Yeah, baby, get in there, baby...

It's late, Lilybug. You should be sleeping.

Why? You're up.

You're stalling.

I finished my library book yesterday.

Mm. Do you want me to make up a story?

Once upon a time, there was a town, kind of like ours,

except all of the people were made of stone.

- Like statues. - Exactly. Like statues.

And they spoke with stone tongues

and they waved with stone arms.

Even their hearts were made of stone.

But one girl was different.

She was made of dirt.

"You're nothing," everyone told her.

"Nothing."