Alice Fades Away

Tell me about Alice.

Don't say that name to me.

I don't wanna hear it.

What's she like?

She's got empty eyes.

Like she's missing a soul.

Margaret never trusted her.

Do wishes come true?

Yeah, wishes come true.

I wished for you and you came true.

-Did you really? -Mm-hm.

What did he see in her?

I never figured that out.

For the life of me.

Dad is rarely ever home.

Usually it's just me and Mom.

Wonder what he does all day.

People listen to him when he talks.

Everyone stops what they're doing.

This makes Mom jealous.

No one pays attention to her.

I want to be like him.

I want to have what he has.

Be what he is.

We took the train. No, it was empty.

Sit down. How long will you be here?

Alice.

Uncle Bishop.

Why'd you come back here?

I don't know.

You look just like your mother.

Welcome back, Alice.

Everyone, welcome Alice to our home.

Welcome.

Would you like some breakfast?

Yes, please.

Here you go.

You are going to eat first and talk later.

Thank you.

Oh, that's not ripe yet.

Thank you.

-Something like that. -Yeah.

Bravo.

You don't see what he's doing here, do you?

Who? Bishop.

I'm not sure.

Took me a while to get used to it but you will.

Used to what?

Anyone is welcome here whenever they like.

Where do they come from?

Anywhere. We don't ask and they don't need to tell.

-Hi, buddy. -Hello.

Give me a kiss.

Is he yours? No.

Who are his parents?

Some passerbys left him here last spring.

You didn't call the police?

We take care of him now.

People come and go all the time here, Alice.

Most are decent people.

His parents arrived in a hurry,

and they left in a hurry too.

Don't feel bad for him.

Some people just aren't meant to be parents.

I know and I'm sorry. Remember what I told you.

It's okay, you're safe. It's okay, you're safe.

What do you think?

What is this place?

It's the remains of the old town.

Come inside.

I heard screaming again last night.

That was Everett.

What's wrong with him?

Nightmares from the war.

It helps him being here.

He knows that.

Are you two, uh, romantic?

No.

Then why stay in his room?

He needed someone to be there for him,

so I stayed.

Can we go?

Of course.

Dad!

Dad!

Mom!

Mom!

Help!

What the hell?

Harold, you can wait outside.

You know about Carroll's death?

I read it in the papers.

Good.

Read he died protecting his wife and child during a mugging.

Mm-hm.

That's not Carroll.

Well, they print what I want them to.

What about the truth?

You never met Carroll's wife, did you?

She took my grandson and she ran off like a coward.

She is out there. She is out there.

And I need you

to go get my grandson and bring him home.

And I don't want her coming back looking for him.

You understand me?

I... Holden, I...

I've been having a dream lately.

Every night my teeth start coming out one by one,

And after a while, I...

I start pulling them

and they just... To my horror, they just fall out.

Until there's nothing left.

Why are you telling me this?

Because Carroll is dead

and Margaret is gone,

and that boy is all that I have left.

Holden, go on, go get my grandson, bring him home.

All right?

For me.

Tell me about Alice.

What's she like?

She's got empty eyes

Like she's missing a soul.

Logan, you think you're a little too old for that thing?

Leave him alone.

I'm just asking him.

Logan.

Are you a man or a boy?

I'm a man.

So I think it's time to get rid of it then.

Here.

Take a look at this.

You know what this is?

A knife.

Yeah it's a knife, but it's my grandfather's knife,

given to him during the Civil War.

He killed Confederate men with this knife.

You want to hold it?

Carroll.

Do you remember what we talked about?

Okay, so you want to grab one toy, okay?

Okay? Come on.

What's wrong?

When are we gonna go home?

Well, we don't have a home anymore

and we need to get used to that.

Smells in here.

No, it's... It's not so bad.

Where's Dad?

Listen, you're too young to understand, okay?

Just don't hate me for it.