Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25

EXT. CARNEGIE LIBRARY PARKING LOT — EVENING

Rich, having walked back from Mr. Kidderman’s, wonders through the now empty parking lot beside the Carnegie Library. He makes his way to his own car, which is parked off to the side and away from where the car show took place earlier. The festival scalds the sky behind him, but he pays it no attention. He is focused on his broken phone. He turns it in his hands as if he expects it to suddenly glue itself back together.

RICH

Well, maybe I can fix the screen somehow.

Rich comes to his car. He opens the driver’s door and tosses the pieces of his phone in the passenger seat.

INT. RICH’S CAR

Rich takes his seat behind the steering wheel and shuts the door, but he doesn’t start the car. Instead, he stares at the phone. He sits that way until a green LED, embedded in the phone’s hardware as a sort of diagnostic indicator, flashes on.

Rich, tentatively surprised, leans down towards his phone.

RICH

I hope I didn’t make it worse…

Rich starts his car and drives out of the parking lot. He turns onto 8th Street, drives past neon-blur of spinning swings, and swings right onto Warren.

R.J. (IN PHONE)

Just where do you think

you’re heading to?

Rich curbs the front-right wheel of his car and nearly hits a light pole in front of Whispers Estates, which is decked in Halloween decorations and charging people for ghost tours. A kid collecting entrance fees stares from the front porch.

RICH

R.J.!

R.J. (IN PHONE) (joking)

I don’t know where

that is, but we’ve got places to be.

Some unseen hand turns the steering wheel in front of Rich, and the car backs up onto the street, where it straightens itself into the right lane. Rich barely notices.

RICH

Are you

OK? You sound a little weird.

R.J. (IN PHONE)

I’m fine!

I’m fine. I’ll tell you all about it when

you’re older.

RICH

But how are you — ?

R.J. (IN PHONE) (interrupting)

You drive. I can’t

see where I’m going at the moment.

The car lurches forward at an idle. Rich, still in a daze, takes the wheel.

RICH

Can do —

R.J. (IN PHONE)

Give it some gas!

RICH (deliriously happy)

Where to?

R.J. (IN PHONE)

Turn left!

Rich spins the car left, down 7th Street and past the Opera House. He speeds down 7th until they come to the turn onto Doc Hamilton Boulevard.

R.J. (IN PHONE) (CONT’D)

Go left

again!

The car speeds down Doc Hamilton towards Teke Burton Drive. Cornfields and intermittent housing divisions flood the land to the right of the road. The cemetery and Carpenter Body Works loom on their left.

R.J. (IN PHONE) (CONT’D)

Another left!

They turn onto Teke Burton and drive up to the side entrance to Carpenter Body Works. You can tell, if you linger above it, that someone has recently driven down the gravel road.

R.J. (IN PHONE) (CONT’D)

Now, right!

Speeding into the turn, Rich fishtails his car across the gravel, and Carpenter’s swallows them up in its outbuildings. When they emerge into the open space and the concrete slab in front of the factory building, Rich comes to his senses. He stops the car and lets it idle. Dirk and Hannah’s cars are parked just ahead.

RICH

Hold on.

Why’d we come to Carpenter’s?

R.J. (IN PHONE)

Just go!

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