The Rain

[Thunder crashes]

It's raining

It's pouring

The old man is snoring

He went to bed

and bumped his head

He couldn't get up

in the morning

CARI:
They say that those

who fail to learn from their past

are destined to repeat it.

This story begins

well before my time,

in a place called Perseverance.

In all, three generations

would come to tell the tale.

Three generations

would come to fear the rain.

[Thunder crashes]

[Woman vocalizing]

Please, whoever you are...

Please, just let me go.

[Panting]

What do you want?

[Screaming]

[Indistinct chanting]

[Indistinct chanting]

[Sighs]

[Inhales deeply]

Ahh.

[Sniffles]

One more week without rain...

and we'll all be dead.

Pa...

Ain't that Simon Wheeler?

Daniel, no! Daniel!

Help me, please.

Don't let it get me.

Who?

The hat.

You mind when I'm talking to you!

Now, you go home

and look after your sister!

Go on!

Go!

[Whimpers]

I want my pa.

I know your father, boy.

[Leaves rustling]

[Girl screams]

[Wood creaking]

[Coughing]

[Coughing continues]

[Knock on door]

[Knock on door]

DELL:
Open up, ladies!

Jenny...

...take the money.

DELL:
You got to pay to stay, ladies!

[Hinges creak]

You got the rent?

No!

I want that.

[Gun c*cks]

You let my child go.

Brenda, give him the water.

But it's all we have.

Give him the water.

Here, boy. Take this.

Dell.

He was talking crazy things.

I didn't have no choice.

I had to think of the kids.

You understand?

He knows you're here, Jean.

If I was you, I'd pack my things

and get back home

before he sends the sheriff.

You'll never make it out of town.

[Coughs]

Mama, why are all

the grown-ups sick?

[Telephone ringing]

No, mama, please!

[Ringing continues]

JENNY:
Daddy?

[Man breathing heavily]

D-daddy, is that you?

Daddy misses you, baby.

Daddy...

Are you better now?

Yes. I am.

Please come home.

Just tell your mother

to bring you all home.

Please!

Did you get rid of it?

Yes.

So there'll be no more crazy talk?

Come home.

Clarence!

Come home, Jean.

I want to, baby.

I miss you, but...

[Receiver clicks, dial tone]

[Bell tolling]

Had no warning

Give me just a little more time

I know I hit

the f***in' rock bottom

[Thumping]

About a week

from the hurt and the pain

That you must admit

Rock bottom

[Thumping continues]

About a week from now

[Books hit floor]

Geez, Cari!

Don't you knock?!

Sorry.

Damn it.

[Music shuts off]

You said you were studying

at the library today.

I was, but there were

too many people there,

and I just didn't feel like it.

And?

And, well, when the hell am I

supposed to have my time, Cari?

You're here

every f***ing minute, studying.

You never go out.

You never go home.

I get no time to myself.

[Cellphone ringing]

You gonna answer that?

[Ringing continues]

Oh, they'll call back.

It must be her parents.

Again.

Well, lookee here.

What did I tell you?

- Good old M and D calling again.

- Give me that.

What, are you afraid

I'm gonna answer it?

You have no right.

They'll just call back.

And call and call.

Just like they keep sending you

these letters you never open.

Come on.

Let's go to your place.

Do me a favor, Cari,

and answer your phone.

Better yet, just go home.

MAN:
Philosopher and poet

George Santayana

was quoted as saying that

those who fail to learn from history

are doomed to repeat it.

These words imply

that society is destined

to travel down

the same self-destructive road

until it is willing to accept

the wrongs of its past.

And quite often,

this burden of acceptance

gets passed down to our children.

It's the children who pay the price

for our indiscretions.

[Dog barking]

[Scoffs]

...the creation

of the atomic bomb...

[Smack]

[Inhales sharply]

Ow!

...enough is enough.

Otherwise, the vicious cycle

will continue.

And tragically, we,

the adults of this generation...

[Voice trails off]

...the price tag will be human life.

[Panting]

...society, in all its complacency,

is willing to accept the notion

that its children

are tomorrow's martyrs.

[Crack]

[Gasps]

[Crackling]

[Panting]

[Chair slides]

[Crackling]

[Water running]

Ohh.

[Sobbing]

[Thunder rumbles]

MAN:
Campus operator.

Hi, this is Cari Lumis.

Could you give me the number

to the campus clinic, please?

I have an emergency.

Please hold.

[Cellphone ringing]

Mom?

KARL:
No, honey.

This is your father.

Aw, Dad.

Dad, there's something wrong.

Cari, you're sick.

No, Dad.

Dad, it's more than that.

My skin, it...

It's drying up,

and you have unexplained sores.

How did you know?

Sweetie, you have...

You have a family-related illness.

It's hereditary.

Dad, you never said anything

about this.

Dad, it's bad.

I think I need a doctor.

We have the remedy here.

So you must come home, and

you must come home immediately.

Okay. Okay. It hurts.

Cari, we have the cure.

You just come home now.

But make it quick.

[Sighs]

It's gonna be all right, Maggie.

Gonna be all right.

MAGGIE:
Daniel...

I'm thirsty.

You can have my rations.

No. I need water.

There's little left.

[Sighs]

I'll check with Pa.

Pa, can Maggie have

my water rations?

No.

Pa...

that boy in the field...

he was Ben Wheeler's son, Simon.

[Inhales deeply]

Yeah.

That boy was crazy.

Lack of food and water, no doubt.

What happened to him, Pa?

[Thunder rumbles]

My God.

Ha!

[Chuckles]

Pa, it looks like our prayers

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