Inner Demons

One more time!

No, I didn't see the...

Don't hurt your back. We don't have worker's comp.

- Give me a hand? - No.

- Why? - I'm documenting this.

Yeah. I told you, you can just come over to my room.

- Under my special skills on my résumé. - I'm sure it is.

- It's probably the only thing that's there. - Oh, nice.

I bet you I can get tears in the first interview.

- Who? Mom or Dad? - Don't insult me.

- All right. What's the bet, then? - Um... Sizzler.

- That salad bar will run you up. - And the dessert tray.

Can I ask you... can I ask you guys a question?

- What? - What's the story with the girl?

She's a garbage-pail user. Oxies, benzos. Dad was a drunk. Probably beat her up.

- Mm, I'm thinking molested. - Seriously?

We'll find out.

What are oxies and benzos? Is that what you said?

Are you kidding me? Where did you find this guy?

Why hire professionals when we've got Craigslist over here?

- You guys know I'm hearing this, right? - Oh, I'm so sorry.

Where did the company get your résumé again?

Craigslist.

- How much longer, film school? - Uh, um, I'm almost done.

- You're almost done? - Yeah.

Mic one, mic two.

Oh, my God. Mic two. Are we good?

- Yeah, we're ready. Let's go. - I look into the camera, or do I...

Is it too late to want to go to the bathroom?

Yes.

Okay, so, let's start from the beginning.

What are your earliest memories about Carson?

When she was born, she was so perfect.

She was a blessing, an absolute blessing.

She liked to tag along, you know, with me, and she would...

you know, pretend to do the same things that I was doing and...

She's good and nice and kind

and, um, is really smart and talented.

She loved Sunday school. She practically memorized the whole Bible.

You could, uh, name any verse, she could quote it right back to you.

We are religious. We go to church every Sunday.

Carson too?

- She used to. - She got a scholarship to, uh, Eastlake.

It's a real prestigious Catholic school. We're not even Catholic.

That's how smart she is.

Does my hair look okay?

- Yeah, you look great. - Okay.

Carson came to Eastlake junior year,

and she really didn't know anybody, you know? She was new.

But I kind of always try to be nice to the new kids.

I mean, yeah, it's a Catholic school, but it doesn't mean everyone has religion.

But she did, and she was always wanting to do the right thing and...

she just wanted to fit in. I miss hanging out with her.

I miss her. I just...

like, I can't hang out with a junkie.

Just one second. Sorry about that.

No, just doing your job.

There we go.

Can you do me a favor and tell me...

Okay, here we go.

What is your full name?

- Carson Morris. - And what is your drug of choice?

Heroin.

Put that in a complete sentence for me.

Your mother told me you can quote practically the whole Bible from memory.

Not the whole Bible, but...

I know a lot of verses.

I used to.

Jason, hand me that Bible behind you, please.

Hebrews 2:18.

I know that one.

"For because He has suffered when being tempted,

He is able to help those being tempted."

I nailed that.

Yes, you did. That was very cool. Very cool, Carson.

- Why are you filming me? - I just want you to see yourself.

Stop filming me!

She started to argue a lot.

We just thought it was just some kind of teenage rebellion kind of thing, but...

Eastlake is very expensive...

and these weren't the kind of kids that Carson was used to being around.

I don't know, I guess she just wanted to fit in, and she didn't.

She'd start going out at night and she wouldn't come home, call or anything.

And then she started, um, dressing in that goth way,

which really disturbs me.

I swear, it was like she changed overnight.

- She just became... - Like a zombie.

- She became like a zombie. - Like, catatonic.

Yeah, she would just lay in bed, and she wouldn't wake up.

When we'd try to wake her up, she'd just sleep and sleep.

The drinking and the drugs came after that.

Sometimes...

her eyes...

it's like nobody's home...

and she doesn't... she doesn't always remember what she did.

I'll ask her...

It's all right. It's just a bulb.

We had just finished services, and...

the entire congregation was coming out of the church.

- Carson! - Fuck!

- Hey! - Fuck! Fuck you!

Help me! Somebody help me!

I think we've got her. Thank you so much.

And fortunately, she ran out of energy, and we were...

able to help her and calm her down.

Beth, she blames the school mostly,

um, and I tell her it's not the school.

It's not the other people. It's us.

Steve took it pretty hard when his business failed.

We were struggling financially.

I think he just felt like he wasn't providing enough for us.

So, that was the only thing that caused tension at home?

No. I have anger issues. I'd say that, yes.

- But I control them. - How do you control them?

I just sort of be quiet and...

Can you put that in a complete sentence? "I control my anger issues..."

I control my anger issues by, um...

just holding them inside and being quiet.

Is that really dealing with them, though?

I don't know. What do you want me to do? Throw the TV through the window?

That's dealing with it.

- No. - Yeah.

I eventually told him that if he didn't get sober

that it was over, and I'll leave

and I'll take Carson with me.

God was a very big part of that.

Carson, do you believe in God?

I don't know.

If there is a God, I don't really think he cares about me much.

Carson?

Why can't you stop, just for one day.

See how it feels?

Because when I stop, I want to slit your fucking throat.

I find needles. I find pills.

She lives to get high.

It's all that she cares about.

Drugs have darkened her.

They've... squashed her spirit.

I've tried...

I've tried really hard to be a good mother. I've tried to, um...

I want her to be a better woman than me.

I'm not really sure what you're wanting to see here.

No, this is great. We just need, uh, cutaways.

On the show, we'll cut to, you know, like, one of those photographs.

Oh, okay. Oh, I'll just... I'll just stay right over here.

Actually, I need you to actually just step out of the room for a sec while we, um...

- With too many people... - Don't touch anything.

Yeah, no problem. Listen, Beth, thank you.

- Okay. - Seriously.

- Oh. - We will... we'll be right there.

Thanks.

- Check the drawers. - She just said not to touch anything.

Come on, dude. This is what we do.

Her journal, her diary. Use your imagination.

We don't have a lot of time. She's gonna come back.

All right.

No, this is like her underwear. No.

That's good. That's good stuff.

Hmm.

You likey.

Whoa.

- What do you think this is about? - What?

Look at these.

Demonic Possession & Mental Illness? What do you think this is all about?

- That could be something, huh? - Wait a minute, wait a minute.

- You think so? - We've got a teenage addict,

trouble at home, into Satan? Pff!

Seriously, this girl's got real secrets.

- I need you to go find them, okay? - I'll do it. I got it.

- Look under the bed. - All right.

Check out the creepy dollhouse.

Oh, geez.

Hey, Carson.

Find anything good?

Dude, I'm gonna... I'm gonna stop rolling, Tim.

So, how many episodes of this have you actually shot?

Is this 20 questions? I don't know.

- Eight, nine? - 10.

- Nine. - Nine? Cool.

What's the ratio for the show?

- What? Success ratio? - Yeah.

Half and half.

50% still sober after six seasons.

Ah, it's a coin toss, so...

She's really pretty. Don't you think?

Not for long, man. Junkies get old fast.

Maybe she'll get better.

Oh, you're one of those dudes that needs to, like, rescue women.

Pfft, no. Are you crazy? No, I don't.

Did they teach you that in film school, too,

or you just seen too many bad movies?

You write poetry?

- What are you doing? - Um, just getting an exterior.

- Did I ruin your shot? - It's okay.

How about this? Do you see the house like this?

Yeah, that's perfect now.

Hey, uh, do you mind if I ask you a question?

Sure.

I saw those books in your room about demonic possession.

Yeah?