Original subtitles

Hey, Jill, can you picture the far wall down here?

Is there a,

maybe, like, a door?

I don't get it. I don't remember any door here.

Did the trick.

This whole deal with your basement is,

is fascinating.

Do you believe that some things are just special?

I just made up this contortionist clown guy,

Pretzel Jack.

Who is that woman?

Her name's Sarah Winters.

We redid their master bedroom.

Did you sleep with her or something?

- I'm not your father. - Hello?

I called Sarah Winters.

You were involved with this woman?

I thought we were done with this.

Why do I feel so fucking sure something's going on?

You came here with your mind already made up.

Yes, I'm sure.

You don't know this man.

I don't know him. No.

You can't give us any specifics?

How many times does she have to answer the same question?

She already said she was in shock.

What were you doing at Jason's?

I just dropped by to say hey.

He's our friend.

He's your friend I thought.

I didn't know that you guys were close.

Okay, you know, I'm sorry.

Is she under suspicion here?

I mean, do we need to get a lawyer?

A neighbor saw a man covered in blood.

Said he had some kind of white mask or makeup on.

I think you know who he is.

And I'm really curious

why he didn't hurt you.

Um... think we're done.

Hey.

You okay?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm...

That was just our pug.

Pug.

Dogs are the emperors.

What?

The wrinkles on their forehead.

It makes the Chinese character for prince.

And a group of them is called a grumble.

I was thinking, you know, maybe we should get

some sort of, like, a neighborhood watch

type situation going on.

Yeah?

I just heard what happened.

Sorry.

I can't imagine seeing something like that.

I don't even like to watch it, you know,

violence on TV or anything.

What did he look like?

Um...

I couldn't really see.

You ever try lucid dreaming?

You can train your mind

to control your subconscious.

You can fast forward, rewind.

Sometimes the answer's...

already up in your head.

I'm, uh...

I'm gonna take off.

You have a good night, yeah?

Take care of yourself.

Do you believe in things we can't explain?

What do you mean?

Like ghosts?

Life after death?

Or just...

things that can't be explained.

No.

No, I don't believe in supernatural shit.

Nothing sticks around

after this.

People exist.

Then they don't.

- Hi. - Hello.

Hi, I'm Jillian.

Jillian Hodgson.

I used to be Jillian Hope.

My mother and I, we...

Oh, my God.

You lived here.

I met you when you were this high.

Was that 20 years ago?

I raised my own daughters since then.

I just moved back here not too long ago.

I was just in the neighborhood

and I was wondering if...

Oh, come in.

Thanks.

All happy memories here.

For the most part.

Can't be perfect.

Your dad, is he the same Bill Hope

that does the neighborhoods? Willow Courts and all that?

You see the signs around.

Yeah, that's... that's him.

Not a lot of willows in those photos though.

Well...

they stopped work on that one I think.

Good.

Do you like Matcha?

I drink five cups a day.

I'm afraid to Google and see if that's healthy or not.

Would you mind if I took a look at my old room?

That would be my daughter.

- One sec. - Sure.

Oh, hi, Pam.

How are you doing?

Oh, that's great.

Jillian, where are you?

I was just going to the restroom.

Okay, I'll see you guys on Saturday.

Okay, bye. Hi.

Hi, bubsy, yeah.

What is that?

You're a good baby.

You doing okay?

Hey...

Hey, it's gonna be okay.

It's gonna be okay.

What are you thinking?

Jill...

talk to me.

Why did you go to his house that night?

Are you upset?

No, it's...

it's just the cops said it seemed like you weren't...

saying something.

Um...

You know, I'm... I'm not really sure what to think.

Tom. Tom, he's upstairs.

It's in the bathroom! I don't know.

He was staring at me.

Who?

He's looking right at me!

Stay back.

So what exactly do you mean by

became real?

I know how it sounds,

but that's what I mean.

He became real.

Well, let's talk about that.

So I made him up as a kid.

I drew these little stories about him.

And then when I was eight, when my dad left,

he came out of a door in the back of my closet.

Not in my imagination.

In reality.

So let's talk about what

Pretzel Jack represents.

When your father left this figure became real.

And losing Jason made you think about him again.

So do you think that this figure

feels more real to you

when you're in distress?

You're not accepting my premise.

I just want to steer you back

to talking about this.

Well, I want to talk about Pretzel Jack.

It's related.

All right, now our time really is up.

If you want to make an appointment to see me...

You're not listening to me.

...this week, we can maybe do tomorrow or Friday.

But I'm going to suggest...

listen.

Xanax...

for the day and Ambien for sleep.

You know, no. No. Fucking forget it. No.

Listen, redirecting your distress into anger...

I'm not redirecting, okay?

And I don't need prescriptions.

I need someone to listen to what I'm saying

which is what I'm paying you for.

I am listening...

No, you know what? Fuck this.

- I'm out. I'm done. - Jillian, if you would just

reconsider, I'm... I'm...

Hey.

Hey there.

Sup?

I wanted to maybe talk about

this neighborhood watch situation.

And say thanks.

- For what? - Just...

being nice the other day and listening.

You try lucid dreaming?

Not yet.

Hey, you... wanna...

kombucha or something?

Sure.

You study this?

Yeah, yeah, I learned Portuguese last year.

It's a warm culture, so they...

they have more words about intimacy.

Like there's a word

for the tender scratching

of a lover's head.

- Really? - Cafuné.

I always wanted to learn more languages.

I always felt like I had

so much going on inside my head

and I never...

had enough words to explain it.

Hmm.

I guess that's kind of how I'm feeling again these days.

Forgive me if I'm being too forward,

but...

does that maybe have

something to do with your door situation?

You can tell me.

Um...

I don't know if I can.

It sounds crazy.

Well, I promise I won't call the men in white coats.

Here.

Try me.

Um...

This person

or...

thing that came out of our basement.

That's what killed our friend, Jason.

I saw it.

Somehow I...

I think I created him

or invited him

maybe.

I made him up when I was a kid,

and then...

when my family was going through a really bad time

this figure appeared.

You're sure it was the same figure?

He's...

pretty distinctive.

He's a contortionist clown.

Contortionist clown.

Yeah.

The laughing shadow.

- What? - The clown.

The clown. Lives only in the present.

He doesn't understand past or future.

He's a...

He's a healer, a guardian.

Wait, so... so if...

Pretzel Jack attacked your friend,

I mean, why would he do that?

Was he...

trying to protect you from him, or?

We had gotten into this huge fight about Tom and...

Well, the details don't matter, but...

it just...

Sometimes I feel like no one is listening.

And...

I feel like I'm trapped

and there's this frustration and anger and...

So you were angry at your friend.

And then he got killed by Pretzel Jack.

Yeah.

Is there anyone else that you might've...

gotten angry with recently?

Oh, shit.

What?

I need to go see my therapist.

Are you okay?

Are you?

What's going on?

Sorry, she... She thought she left something.

Are... are you Tom?

You shouldn't have gone to see the baby like that.

You crossed a boundary.

So can you talk to her?

I don't think what Sarah is doing to you is right.

But...

if she's trying to protect her family...

It's not really my place to disrupt that.

Tom.

This is a safe place.

You know that, right?

There is...

an ocean inside of you.

And you can rest at the bottom.

Find the silence there.

Use the silence.

You and only you are the author

of your own reality.

He looks just like me.

I know.

Come on.

Yeah.

Find your silence.

I'm going to feed my fish.

Guess Tom's not home.

Maybe that's good.

You know, after that little excursion

I wouldn't mind finishing our conversation

if you want.

Yeah.

You know, I was thinking. It's funny.

It didn't occur to me at first, but...

you weren't the only kid who had to invent

a sidekick slash guardian.

Oh yeah?

Yeah, when I was a kid I was...

kind of a weird little runt, I guess.

And I was an only child. I hated my mom.

Spent all my time alone drawing and...

I drew myself a friend, right?

He was this... he was like a kid.

He was super tall.

He was, like, taller than any adult.

He had this big, scary face

so nobody would mess with him.

He was my best friend, like, in the world.

Just like your pretzel guy.

What was his name?

Yeah, I called him Tall Boy.

- Tall Boy? - 'Cause he was tall.

My crayons were also my friends, though.

- Your crayons? - Oh yeah.

My crayons were like my crew.

Crayons, like Crayola Crayons?

I mean, I was like four, so.

You mind if I ask you a question?

Yeah, go ahead.

Do...

you and your husband. Do you fight with him a lot?

No.

I mean, all couples fight.

We have some things we have to figure out,

but it's just part of being married.

Yeah.

Is it?

I mean, at a certain point you

realize you can't solve all your problems with sex.

Yeah.

I don't know

shit about marriage, I guess.

Are you an only child?

Yeah, I was.

You know, I am too.

Only children,

scientifically more imaginative.

Especially those with unreliable fathers.

Someone told you about my dad.

Oh, I mean,

he's got signs all over the place.

He's still around here building

subdivisions and stuff, right?

Yeah, so I've heard.

You don't talk to him?

No.

- He made his choice. - What choice?

To leave?

Well, imagine my father's situation.

On one hand you have your family.

The woman you married, the daughter you took

to soccer practice every weekend.

And then on the other hand you have

your other family.

The one that you've been hiding

from the first family for the last ten years.

I'm sorry. I-I-

I didn't, um...

I should go home.

- Yeah. - Thanks for this.

Okay. Yeah. Anytime. Anytime.

I'll see you around, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, hey, have a good night.

You too.

Hey, Tom!

Tom!

Tom, I know you're there I can hear you breathing.

I know that was you at the playground yesterday.

If you ever come near me and my family again

I'll call the police!

Stay away from me and my family!

Stay away from me and my family!