The Confines (The Abandoned) (The Abandoned)

Mostly cloudy, with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing...

Big storm tonight.

Don't mean to pry,

but I can't imagine what a girl like you wants to do at the lots.

Give me some money!

Animals.

Hello? - Mom. Hi.

- You made it? - Yup.

- Storm coming tonight. - Yeah, I heard. Can you put her on?

Julia... she's asleep.

Please, Mom. Can you please call her over so I can tell her goodnight?

Julia, don't think about her tonight.

Well, if she wakes up, can you just please tell her that I called?

Okay.

- Don't forget. - Focus on yourself.

I don't have to remind you that this is your last chance or they'll take Clara away.

Yeah, I know that, Mom.

- Remember your breathing exercises. - Yeah.

I don't know how many more opportunities you'll get.

Yeah, okay, Mom. I gotta go. Alright, bye.

- You're a student, correct? - Yes, sir.

- I'm gonna become a nurse someday. - Best of luck with all that.

Around here, you work in the night shift. Two guards man every shift.

One guard on patrol duty, the other on the screens.

Wow. What is this place?

The building was erected during the big boom.

Assumption being industry drives growth.

Growth brings up demand for more affordable luxury housing.

Imagine living in a place providing everything you need for a comfortable life.

You'd never have to leave.

And as you know, boom became bust, and here we are.

What a waste.

You have to be careful here, Ms. Streak.

Things are starting to... fall apart.

Ballroom, grand hall, gym, mail and storage rooms

plus a residential tower, 30 floors high.

As a patrol guard, you make sure nobody gets in,

nobody vandalizes the place, nothing bad happens to the structure,

- and nobody steals anything. - Does that happen?

All the time. Steal whatever they can get their hands on.

We've been having issues of vagrancy, tryin' to make the place into a squat,

so don't let anyone in. This job pays well for a reason.

The nights here can be long... and dark.

Some of the lights are on timer, so they turn off to save on power.

The combination can make some people... uneasy.

I like the night.

We've blanketed the entire building with security cameras so we only need two guards.

- One on patrol and the other... - In front of the screens. Got it.

- Where's the control room? - Upstairs.

I see your partner's already here.

This is Dennis Cooper. He's been here since day one.

Hi. Nice to meet you.

I'm Julia, but everybody calls me Streak.

That's great.

Nice. Cooper will take you through the controls.

But I think you'll find the system pretty intuitive once you start using it.

You'll go on patrol once every two hours.

Cooper will communicate with you using this headset.

Packs a small camera and a microphone.

- Show us the feed, Cooper. - (KEYBOARD KEYS CLACKING)

Simple enough?

Also, we've been having trouble with electricity.

We lose a video feed from time to time so you'll have to throw a breaker.

- Got it. - You know what a breaker is?

Yup.

Don't forget the uniform.

That is the most important part of this job.

Have a great night.

There is a locker room in the back, to the right if you wanna change there.

Unless you feel more comfortable changing in here,

which I could probably make an exception for that...

tonight.

I'm gonna go to the locker room.

Okay.

This place is really big.

A person could spend a lifetime in here.

Well, most people don't last more than a week.

What's your story?

What's my story?

My story. Um, let me see.

It's a very long, detailed richly... boring tale.

However, let's start with tonight's chapter.

I guess it starts out that I'm sick and tired of Dixon

wheeling in some...

local community college brat and expecting me to entertain them all night.

That's my story.

'Cause tomorrow or the next day or possibly a week from now

but without question, it's going to happen, you're gonna decide

that patrolling a big, empty building every two hours

is not what was meant for you and your life and big aspirations.

You're then gonna quit.

Then Dixon's gonna bring in someone who's just like you

and gonna sit right in that chair, I'm gonna have the same conversation

and be forced to babysit that person all night.

- Really? - No tips, either.

- This is gonna be a long night. - You have no idea.

Sorry, sweetheart. Welcome to the big world of security.

Excuse me. Time to lock up.

Lights out.

2, 3, 4. Ta-da.

Gross.

It's weird. That happens every time I try to burp.

What are you, 24?

25? 23?

Alright, we're just gonna stick with 24 then.

- What, are you talking to me now? - Tough. Right?

Bet you were a good student.

Little teacher's pet.

Am I right?

Fit. Like your arms.

You do a little self-defense maybe?

Little karate?

Little, uh, tae kwon do?

Judo? Jiujitsu? Jell-O wrestling?

Pillow fights?

- Kickboxing, maybe? - Yeah.

Yeah, I do kickboxing.

- Yup. You have to for this job. - (CHUCKLES)

- Yeah? - Mm-hmm.

Is that what Dixon told you?

I must've missed that one. I can't kickbox.

Guess what?

You don't.

I don't think I've seen one of these since 1982.

My grandma had one of these.

Do not touch my stuff!

That's quick... kickboxer.

- Where you goin'? - Patrol.

Not without this you're not.

Goes on like this.

Um...

do you miss me yet?

- What are you doing? - Me?

I'm not doing anything.

Just a little, uh... welcome ceremony, a little initiation...

to the security world.

Open the door, Cooper.

- Cooper, this is not a game. - Games?

- I don't play games. - (BREATHING HEAVILY)

Cooper, let me out!

Cooper, let me out of the elevator!

Please, Cooper, let me out! Please, Cooper! Please open the door!

Cooper! Open the door!

Relax. I'm just testing the cut-off switch.

- Please open the door! Cooper! - Seems to be workin' fine.

- (GASPS) - (WHIRRING)

I can see you.

I can't believe how huge and beautiful it is.

That's what she said.

This place is amazing.

You wanna see something even better?

- Why should I trust you all of a sudden? - 'Cause I'm all you got tonight, babe.

Go over your left and exit through there.

Then your right, go down that corridor.

They really spared no expense.

- And nobody will live here? - They never finished it.

It's so dark in here.

Ugh! What is that smell?

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC) - (SCREAMS)

First night, you found an intruder. Very promising, Ms. Streak.

Jerk.

This way.

- Hey, Cooper, did you hear that? - Hear what?

Never mind.

Ah! (HUFFS)

Complimentary first night meal. Enjoy.

This looks like hospital food.