Strangerland

Touch in the dark.

No-one can see.

Touch in the dark.

You...

touch me.

Records are being broken as eastern Australia bakes in extreme heat.

Did you walk last night?

Tom.

You have got to stop doing that.

Oh, hello, Mr Parker.

Morning, Burtie.

I got the varnish you asked for.

Great. Do you want to go out the back, get started?

Hi, Burtie.

- Hi, Lily. - Catherine!

Out the back, Burtie.

Would you put some clothes on, please?

What?

I thought I threw that out.

I rescued it.

Well...

come on, you're going to be late.

Can't you drive us, Mum?

Isn't there a rule that says school's cancelled

if it's over 40 degrees?

No.

Please?

Catching the bus is a good way to get to know the other kids.

I don't want to get to know them.

You want to have friends, don't you?

Not from this shithole of a town.

Uh-uh. You know the rules.

Can I have some money, Dad?

Where's your sister?

She's outside, waiting.

We thought we'd get an ice-cream on the way home.

Dad?

Ice-cream.

That's it.

Don't let her out of your sight, OK?

Is that all?

Thanks, Dad.

- Hello. - Hi.

Can you give my brother a cigarette?

Yeah, sure.

You do that yourself?

No.

I like it.

Come with me.

Sure.

Oh! Go, Stevie!

Shit. Jarrah! Jarrah, what are you doing home?

Uncle Burtie picked me up.

G'day, Jarrah.

Mum, what are you doing with the pig?

Shh! He's not a pig.

Come on, get out.

Hey, Burtie.

Hey, Rae.

Hey, mate, next time you decide to pick up Jarrah early...

you give us a heads-up?

OK.

Why?

Never mind, mate.

I've gotta go back to work.

Do you want to watch the footy after?

Yeah, sure.

Lily, you in there?

Yeah.

You need anything washed for the morning?

Just these, thanks.

Where'd you go after school?

To the skate park.

Did Tommy go with you?

Can't keep calling him Tommy anymore.

Did he?

- What? - Go with you.

Yeah. Of course.

Lily.

Stop it!

Tommy!

I just thought he was born that way.

No.

He was hit by a car when he was a kid.

- Who was? - Burtie.

He's got the most amazing scar on the back of his head.

Well, I just don't want you distracting him from his work.

Yes, ma'am.

- Dad? - Mm-hm?

There's a concert coming up in a couple of weeks

in Coonaburra,

and some of my friends are going,

and I was thinking maybe I could go too.

You must be joking.

No. Why?

I think you know very well why.

Mum?

Lily, you know we can't allow you to...

Oh, for fuck's sake.

Hey. That's enough.

It's just a concert.

- How long do we have to stay here? - Oh, come on. You love it here.

Shut up. It's all your fault we're here.

- Thanks, guys. - Lily...

You know, you can be a real arsehole sometimes, Dad.

I'm just saying she does whatever she wants.

She's almost as out of control as you were.

Never cares how it affects anyone else.

Well, you married me.

Sleep here tonight.

It's too bloody hot. Neither of us will get any sleep.

Mmm. Please?

What are you doing?

Come on. You used to like it when I did this.

Don't. Don't.

I'll see you in the morning.

'Night.

I hate it here.

What do you think we should have done, Catherine?

Step backwards for me, this bloody town. You know that?

Oh!

Yeah, we all know that.

What's that supposed to mean?

What is that supposed to mean?

Oh, God.

Hey, it's me.

Did the kids go in with you this morning?

No, I left early. Why? Anything wrong?

I guess... I guess I just missed them.

I slept late.

Oh. They must have left just after me.

Cath?

Yeah?

There's... talk of a dust storm running through later.

So, just make sure everything's shut up good and tight, OK?

Sure. I will.

- Bye. - Bye.

But... but let me just get this right. So, you...

you say they haven't been going to school regularly?

That's correct. You need to talk to your kids.

I know, but... I mean,

surely that's not just our responsibility?

Well, you're their parents.

You realise we can't enforce attendance, can we?

Yes. Yes, I understand that.

Hi. It's Lily. I'm not here.

Oh!

Neil. It's Catherine.

What do you want?

- Is Lily with you? - What? No.

Come on, tell me the truth.

- She's not here. - Just...

Please. Come on.

She's not here. Leave us alone.

Matthew?

Hi, love. Coreen, this is my wife, Catherine.

- You have to come home now. - This is Burtie's sister.

It's OK. It's just a dust storm.

The... the kids aren't at school.

They aren't anywhere. You have to come home.

Excuse me.

What's going on?

The kids, they've gone.

Listen...

- Please, you have to come home. - No, I don't have to come home.

We don't have to do anything like that. You just go home. You wait for me.

I'll be there as soon as I can.

OK?

Thank you.

Sorry about that.

Catherine.

Have you closed all the windows?

Yes. Yes, I've done it.

You phoned the school?

They haven't been going to school.

Today.

Not just today.

I told you... their schoolbags are still here.

- I really think we should go to the police. - No, I'm not going to the police.

Well... I'm not just staying here.

They could be out there in that.

I'm not going through it all again.

Everyone knowing our fucking business. We're just getting settled here.

Come on, Matthew. This is different.

Tom is gone too.

This is ridiculous. They wouldn't be stupid enough to be out in this.

They may not have had a choice.

What the...

Shit.

Fuck!

Shit!

Is there anyone... any friends, family,

they might have gone to?

What about from your last place of residence... Coonaburra?

I called a couple of people,

and they hadn't heard from them.

OK.

Are they on any social networking sites?

They used to be.

Not anymore.