ALLY BARISTA BRIDGER CASEY FRANK HEATHER ISSA JACK MARIAH MARY_BETH OFFICER_JONES RUTH SHERIFF_WAREN WOMAN FRANK Hi, Heather. No, don't wait up for me. I might be a little late. I've got some last-minute things I need to take care of, and then I'll be home. Listen, Heather, we need to talk. About everything. No, no, not now. FRANK Heather, I have to go. You startled me. ALLY You really don't have to make me a sandwich every day. HEATHER Well, I don't want you to go hungry, and I have no idea what kind of food they serve on campus. ALLY It's a community college so it comes out of a vending machine. HEATHER Well, then, see? I do have to make you a sandwich every day. Are you sure you have to go to the class early today? I'd love to spend some time with you before you go. ALLY I... have a meeting with my English professor. HEATHER Really? ALLY Can you please take the parental controls off the computer so I can get online? I hate having to ask you every time I do my homework. HEATHER Ally, honey, how many times are we gonna have this conversation? You know Jack does not like the idea of the Internet. So it's a compromise that we make. The Internet is filled with scammers, people just waiting to take advantage of you. Is that... ALLY I was... thinking about doing my term paper on Wordsworth. HEATHER Did you know that this was your father's favorite poet? He had this book since he was a freshman in high school. ALLY I thought he was going to get so mad at me when I wrote my name in it. HEATHER Well... he could never stay mad at you for long. ALLY I miss him. HEATHER I know. Me too. Just... there was... there was nothing to even steal. I just... I don't... I don't... ALLY I was actually... toying with the idea of majoring in English. That way I could go into teaching. HEATHER Really? ALLY We always need teachers. It's just a thought. HEATHER Ally. ALLY No, it's stupid. HEATHER It's not stupid. You've got a lot on your plate right now. ALLY I know. HEATHER Do you know that having you was the best thing that ever happened to me? And all I want is for you to be happy. ALLY Do you know what would make me...really happy? HEATHER What? ALLY A new dress. For Mary Beth's engagement party tonight. Please, Mom. HEATHER Okay, let's go shopping together after class. ALLY Don't you have the...church women's group this afternoon? HEATHER Okay. Okay, but...nothing too scandalous. Okay? It's gonna be such a lovely event tonight. And it's gonna be even more wonderful when your day comes. Have a good day, honey. ALLY Bye, Mom. HEATHER Bye. JACK Well, ahoy, ladies. HEATHER Be nice. JACK Well, Ally. It must be my lucky day, huh? ALLY Hi, Jack. JACK Oh, you're off so soon? ALLY Places to go, people to see. JACK Hmm. Up at school, huh? ALLY Yeah. I have office hours with my English professor. JACK Yeah. Oh, hey, you excited about tonight? Well, it's not every day that your best friend gets engaged. ALLY The first one of our group. ALLY She and Issa make the...perfect couple. JACK They do, don't they? ALLY I need to get going. JACK Hey, home by 6:00, right? ALLY This is my...first attempt at a video diary. I don't even know what to say. ALLY I guess it really started after my dad died. It was little things at first. Like the Internet rules. The stupid curfew. It's like they don't trust me. ALLY That's it. I'm done. I can't stay here anymore. And to hear my mom is going along with it all. I'm looking at everything differently now. I mean...none of this is normal. Right? So...yeah, I'm ready. MARIAH Ally. ALLY Hi. MARIAH I'm so glad you finally decided to come out with me. You are going to love Wellsby. It's got like one main street, a single coffee shop. Like something from an old- timey postcard. ALLY Um... MARIAH What? ALLY Do you think it's all a bit... quick? I mean, does it have to be today? I'm not sure I'm totally ready. MARIAH You reached out to me, remember? Mind troubled by doubt will never truly see. ALLY That's okay. Forget I said anything. MARIAH Ally, you have two doors in front of you right now. Door number one, it's gonna lead you right back to where you came from. Door number two, that's gonna give you complete freedom to be exactly who you need to be. What's your heart telling you to do? 'Cause that's your truth. ALLY You're right. Now that it's finally happening, I...guess I'm nervous. MARIAH And I'll be with you every step of the way. ALLY Okay. MARIAH You have real courage, Ally. Your phone. ALLY Really? MARIAH You want a real future? We've got to start shedding ties to your past. MARIAH Don't be nervous. ALLY I'm not nervous. MARIAH Just be your awesome self. And remember, you're in our family now. Bridger. MARIAH This is Ally. Ally, this is Bridger. BRIDGER Ally. Mariah cannot stop talking about you. You got a big fan there. ALLY She must have been embellishing, then. BRIDGER Nah, we take the truth around here very seriously. And if Mariah says you're special, well, then, you truly must be. So...tell me about yourself. ALLY I don't really know where to begin. BRIDGER Well, then, that's it, isn't it? Being right here, right now, you've already begun. You see, Ally, the hardest part of any person's journey... is taking that first step. HEATHER Ally? Honey, you ready? We don't wanna be late. Ally? Hmm. Must still be shopping. BRIDGER She says she's from Blaine. MARIAH Right. BRIDGER That's a little close for comfort, isn't it? MARIAH She deserves a chance. BRIDGER She seems hesitant. MARIAH The first step is always scary. She's ready. BRIDGER Did you take all the precautions? MARIAH You know I always do. BRIDGER I just wanna make sure that this situation is not clouding your judgment. MARIAH You let me do this? Because my judgment is impeccable. Ally's the next one. HEATHER I am freaking out, Ally. This is not like you. Please call me as soon as you get this. JACK Well... it's about time. Everybody's been asking where you guys are. Where is Ally? HEATHER She didn't come home, Jack. JACK What do you mean? Well, where else would she have gone? Heather! HEATHER I don't know! I shouldn't have let her go shopping by herself. I was gonna go with her, but...I went to the church group instead. JACK Well, she must have said something. HEATHER I don't remember. JACK Think back. HEATHER We were in the kitchen, I was making her a sandwich, just like every other morning. JACK Did you notice her acting any differently? HEATHER No. But, Jack, she wouldn't just leave me. JACK Well...never had to deal with a runaway before. HEATHER I don't think she ran away, Jack. Think something bad has happened. I just, I feel it. Something is definitely wrong. JACK It's after midnight. HEATHER So should we call the police? JACK All right. OFFICER JONES And you've tried calling her? HEATHER Of course. I must have left a dozen messages, just, it keeps going to voicemail. But can't you, I don't know, trace her phone or something? OFFICER JONES Oh, we can try. As long as it's on, it might be pinging cell phone towers. JACK Ah. Her number. OFFICER JONES She's 18? HEATHER Yes. OFFICER JONES Were you two fighting before she left or... any recent arguments that might have upset her? HEATHER No, no, we don't fight. OFFICER JONES What about new friends? Boyfriends? HEATHER No, she's not like that. She's very innocent. JACK She has been spending a lot more time at the community college lately. Maybe she did meet someone. HEATHER She wouldn't just leave, she would say something first. She has been taken, why can't you guys see that? JACK Can we file a missing person's report? OFFICER JONES We can file the report, but technically she's an adult. You should consider the possibility that... she might have left on her own. I'm sorry, we can't do more. HEATHER I can't believe this is happening. OFFICER JONES I would recommend talking with some of her friends. See if she said anything to them. Or if she was speaking to anyone recently that you might not know about. MARY BETH I was as surprised as you were when she didn't show up. HEATHER I know you're Ally's best friend. And sometimes best friends make promises to keep secrets. But now is not the time to keep a secret, okay? Ally could be in real danger. MARY BETH I truly don't know where she is. She has to come back, she's supposed to be my maid of honor. JACK You know, Ally is really important to a lot of people. So if you know something, you need to tell us, Mary Beth. MARY BETH Ally's always had her own ideas about things. She's been...questioning everything a lot lately. HEATHER What does that mean? Mary Beth? MARY BETH I promise, she didn't say anything to me about leaving. She wouldn't miss my wedding, right? MARIAH Oh. I love that shirt on you. ALLY Thanks for the clothes. MARIAH Well, what's mine is yours. Your room, it's so, uh...tidy. ALLY Old habits, I suppose. And one must take pride in one's work, right? MARIAH I'm glad you're fitting in. ALLY Everyone has been so great. You weren't wrong when you said we're family. I feel it. MARIAH Good. 'Cause this is your home now. Bridger wants to see you. He's outside. BRIDGER You know, Ally...what we do here is so important. Just like the work that you're doing is important. Well, let's start with the next phase of...your personal journey. Letting go of your previous life and attachments. ALLY I didn't really bring anything from home with me. Oh, except a book, um... BRIDGER Not physical attachments. ALLY Ahh. Right. BRIDGER You need to say goodbye. Write down what you would say if it were the last time you were speaking to your mother. To find the truth you have to be willing to let go. BRIDGER What are you doing? ALLY I'm sorry. I was thinking about my mom. I miss her. I wanted to hear her voice. BRIDGER You know the rules. And that would be breaking them. ALLY I wasn't gonna say anything. I promise. BRIDGER You know what we do here, Ally? ALLY Yes. BRIDGER And you know what we do here is truly important, right? ALLY It is. BRIDGER And making a phone call...could jeopardize all of this. And you understand that, right? You're responsible for everyone here, and they're responsible for you, that's the only way this works. Have you finished your letter? ALLY I can't seem to find the right words. BRIDGER Well, then I'll leave you to it. HEATHER I hung flyers everywhere I could think of. I went to the mall. And I asked around at the college. JACK You've been to the college? HEATHER No one saw her since Friday morning, and...I talked to her professor, and she didn't show up for their appointment. JACK No word from the police, then, huh? HEATHER Mm-mm. I mean, they traced her phone back to the college, but that was it. JACK Now I'm beginning to think that I didn't know Ally as well as I thought I did. HEATHER You don't mean that, Jack. JACK Heather, this has everyone really upset. And rightfully so. I mean, what kind of family can't look after one of its own? And how can we look after one another if one of us is keeping secrets? HEATHER Ally doesn't keep secrets, she's not like that. She's not. She tells me everything. Well, she used to tell me everything. JACK I think that we need to try to understand what could have led her to leave, so that something like this never happens again. HEATHER Don't you think I've been racking my brains since the moment she left? I keep asking myself...when I was making her lunch, did she say something that I didn't hear or was she in distress and I didn't see it? JACK Was there something different? HEATHER Her father. She's been thinking a lot about her father lately. JACK Well...no one can replace Frank. But you two have got to learn to move on. And I thought that the community that we have here was helping. HEATHER I did, too. I guess I was wrong. I don't know. MARIAH Feels good, doesn't it? ALLY Mm-hmm. Like I've never felt the sun on my face before. MARIAH Bridger has a way of making you see the world like you've never seen it before. ALLY How long have you known him? MARIAH He saved my life five years ago. And I mean that literally. I was in a really bad place. I was a runaway with like zero life skills. Um, one morning I woke up penniless and homeless and about to make some really bad choices. ALLY Oh, my gosh, Mariah. Are you all right? MARIAH Yeah. Bridger, um, pulled me out of the gutter. And...gave me a new life. So now I owe this one to him. ALLY I guess he's saved all of us. MARIAH And, you know, moving to a town like this wasn't easy. Can you imagine? I mean, the things people thought and said about us? But Bridger slowly won everyone over. ALLY He does have a way with words. MARIAH All right, what's something you've always wanted to do? ALLY Uh... MARIAH Come on, be honest. ALLY I've...always wanted to get my ears pierced. MARIAH Seriously? That's what you want to do with your new-found freedom? ALLY Okay, okay. ALLY I've always wondered what it's like to kiss a boy. MARIAH Oh. You poor thing. Come on. Come on. It's time. Saying goodbye is always hard. But it has to be done. ALLY I wish I could hug her one last time. MARIAH Come here. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Center yourself. Now open your eyes. What do you see? ALLY It's beautiful. MARIAH Let's go in. ALLY We shouldn't get in. It says "no swimming." MARIAH I won't let you drown. Let the water wash away your past. So you can start anew. JACK You've done all that you can do. All we can do now is just wait. HEATHER But she doesn't have any money and she's never been on her own before. JACK I think she'll come home. To her family. HEATHER Do you really believe that? JACK We should really head out now. Heather? Look. I know that this is really hard for you, but... we really need to go now. HEATHER I was thinking, um...there's really no reason for you to go with me. I mean, maybe I should just go on my own. JACK I really think that I should go with you. HEATHER I want to go on my own. JACK Heather, look. HEATHER Please, J...Let me bring my daughter home. Please. HEATHER Hi. I'm here to see Sheriff Warren. CASEY Down that way. He'll be the one with his feet up on the desk. HEATHER Thank you. CASEY Mm-hmm. SHERIFF WARREN I told him to move his tractor off of Max's property. Come in. Yeah, well, if he doesn't, then I'm gonna come down there and impound it myself. All right. Okay. All right. Bye- bye. Property line disputes. Bane of the small-town sheriff. How can I help you? HEATHER I'm Heather Prentice. I'm Ally's mom. SHERIFF WARREN Of course. I wasn't expecting you so soon. HEATHER It wasn't a very long drive, and, um...I just want to get this over with, you know. SHERIFF WARREN Casey? Could you get me the box there marked "Prentice"? CASEY Here's the box, Sheriff. SHERIFF WARREN Terribly sorry for your loss. It's a tragedy when...somebody we lose was so young. HEATHER This is Ally's. It wasn't supposed to be like this. We were making plans. She seemed just...She... she seemed so happy lately. Her father recently passed, and... and of course it was devastating, for both of us, but...Sorry. Just, she was...she was taking classes and...and she was making plans for her future. SHERIFF WARREN Sometimes kids have a secret inner life we know nothing about. HEATHER We talked about everything. SHERIFF WARREN Usually when kids run away, they're running away from something. HEATHER So, um...how does this work? Do I make a formal identification of her body and then you give it to me? SHERIFF WARREN I'm sorry, they didn't tell you? HEATHER What? SHERIFF WARREN Your daughter's body wasn't recovered. HEATHER Well, then how do you even know she's dead? She could still be alive. SHERIFF WARREN There was a witness to the drowning. Her friend. Uh... what's her name? Right. Mariah witnessed the event. HEATHER I don't-- SHERIFF WARREN The town tries to discourage people from...swimming at Beldwin Creek, but kids will be kids. Apparently the girls were having a day by the river, and Ally wanted to swim out. Mariah told her not to go too far. Then Mariah heard her cry out and go under. She never came back up. HEATHER Well, then you need to drag the river. SHERIFF WARREN Well, that's the first thing we did, ma'am. We found her shoes about a mile downstream. Unfortunately there's a strong undercurrent. Once you get caught up in that, well, it'd take you right down the Mississippi. HEATHER So who's this Mariah? I'd like to speak with her. SHERIFF WARREN I can pass your information along to her, and, uh, I'm sure when she's ready, she'll reach out to you. Uh... This has been a very traumatic event for everyone involved and...I think it's best if we move on from here. HEATHER Do you have children, Sheriff? SHERIFF WARREN Two. HEATHER Then you know what a ridiculous thing that is to say to a mother. JACK Heather. How are you holding up? HEATHER I've been better. JACK I can imagine. But listen, we're all here and ready for you to bring her home. HEATHER They couldn't recover her body, Jack. JACK Oh, Heather. HEATHER Look, I am going to, uh...stay the night here tonight and I'm...gonna find the person who was with Ally when it happened. JACK Are you sure? HEATHER Yeah. JACK I really feel like I should have gone with you. HEATHER No, I'm... I'm fine. I just, I need to do this for myself. And I owe it to Ally. JACK Sure that's not just the grief talking? HEATHER Jack, how can I grieve if I can't see her one last time? JACK Listen, we're all here for you and ready to mourn with you. Why don't you just come on home? Huh? Let us take care of you. HEATHER Give me time, please. I need answers. I need to know why she ran away. JACK All right, well...you do what you think is best. I'm just a phone call away, remember? HEATHER Thanks. JACK Yeah. HEATHER Hi. RUTH Well, Mrs. Prentice, we are happy to have you at the Main Street B&B. And we hope you'll enjoy your short stay. HEATHER Thank you. RUTH What brings you to our little hamlet? HEATHER Family business. RUTH Oh, you have family here? HEATHER No. RUTH Oh. Well, uh, if you need anything at all, just let me know. Uh, I could point you to local points of interest, if that's your thing. Uh, there's a downtown walking tour. And lots of lovely walking trails in the surrounding areas. HEATHER Actually, could you...point me in the direction of a local...uh, restaurant or bar or coffee shop, or just any place where the locals hang out? RUTH Oh, that would be the Main Street Cafe. And, uh, if you're looking for someone, that's where I'd start. HEATHER Thank you. RUTH Breakfast at 8 a.m. okay for you? HEATHER I don't need breakfast. RUTH Oh. Suit yourself. Just let me know if you change your mind. HEATHER What were you trying to tell me, Ally? BARISTA Hi. HEATHER Hi. BARISTA What can I get for you? HEATHER Um... a coffee, please. BARISTA Okay. $2.00, please. HEATHER Thank you. Um, have you...have you seen this girl? Her name's Ally. Just... just take one more look, please. BARISTA It's still no. Sorry. HEATHER Okay. Thanks. So... it seems like it's a...it's a pretty small town here. You probably know everybody. Um, do you know a girl named Mariah? BARISTA What's the name again? Mariah? HEATHER Is that Mariah? Mariah. Mariah! I'm Ally's mother. I'm Ally's mother. MARIAH It happened so fast. Ally wanted to wade out into the river, but we didn't know the water was gonna be so strong. So, uh...when she got halfway out...her feet got knocked from underneath her and... I tried to go after her, but... I just keep thinking there was more I could have done. HEATHER That's a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. It's not your fault. MARIAH I appreciate you saying that. HEATHER So... Ally never mentioned you before. MARIAH Well, uh...we only recently met. I, uh, I really have to go. HEATHER No, please, please. T-Two minutes. So, um, where did you meet Ally? MARIAH Um... here, in this cafe. Ally was looking for a room to rent, and my roommate had just moved out. HEATHER So...you were willing to just rent a room to some stranger off the street? Did you ask her how she was gonna pay the rent? Did she tell you anything about her life? MARIAH You know, she didn't speak much about it. Then again, I didn't really have much time to get to know her. HEATHER She must have said...something, right? There must be some reason why she ran away. MARIAH If Ally didn't tell you, maybe she didn't want you to know. Look... I'm sorry. I just don't think I have the answers that you're wanting to hear. Uh...you should go home. RUTH Oh... Did you find what you were looking for? HEATHER Not exactly. RUTH Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Oh, why don't you have a seat? You look like you could use a cup of tea and a scone. HEATHER Thank you, but I just want to go upstairs and rest. RUTH I won't hear of it. A cup of tea can fix anything. Something my mother used to say. HEATHER You really don't have to put yourself out. RUTH Oh, no, afternoon tea's all part of the service, isn't it? Tea won't take two minutes. HEATHER Are these all copies of the local paper? RUTH Oh, I keep every one them. I fancy myself sort of a local historian. Are you looking for anything in particular? HEATHER Yeah. Information on, um, Beldwin Creek? RUTH Beautiful place for a picnic. Lots of walking trails. Great for bird watchers. HEATHER Is it a popular place for kids to swim? RUTH Well, you're not supposed to swim in the creek. If the water's high, there's a chance you could get washed away. HEATHER Has anyone drowned there recently? RUTH Oh, no one's drowned there in years. Too shallow this time of year, anyway. But now...there was something. When was that? No. Oh. Hmm. Here it is. The last drowning in Beldwin Creek. Over five years ago now. Hmm. Poor young woman. No more than a girl, really. Oops, I forgot the milk. I'll be right back with it. HEATHER What did you do with my daughter? BRIDGER In the midst of trouble, be calm in thy heart. MARIAH I strive for peace and calm at all times. But I think we might have a problem. BRIDGER All right. MARIAH Ally's mom's in town, and she's asking questions. I did my best to throw her off, but...she seems determined. BRIDGER That's nothing we haven't dealt with before. MARIAH No. This time is different. BRIDGER If you remember, I was worried about Ally. MARIAH You were, but we were still right to take her in. BRIDGER How much does she know? MARIAH Outside the drowning, not much really. BRIDGER Did we go too far? MARIAH We did what we had to do to protect our community. But...I do think Ally's mom could compromise us. BRIDGER Let me speak with Warren. MARIAH I think that would be best. SHERIFF WARREN Morning, Ms. Prentice. HEATHER Good morning. SHERIFF WARREN Need directions, help finding your way out of town? HEATHER Nope. I was just actually deciding if I should get a cup of coffee or not. You know, Main Street Café has the best if not the only coffee in town. SHERIFF WARREN Yes, they do. You let me know if there's anything else we can do for you before you head out. HEATHER Sheriff. I'm curious. Why wasn't Ally's death covered by the local paper? I mean, it was a drowning. That's pretty big news for such a small town. SHERIFF WARREN We're not the kind of town that likes to sensationalize a young woman's death. We leave that kind of muckraking to the big city papers. HEATHER Well, you did it five years ago for a girl who's alive and well and living as Mariah. SHERIFF WARREN Let me see that. Right. That's Aliah. Poor thing. She was Mariah's twin. Another tragedy that could have been avoided if people would mind their business. HEATHER Her twin? Well, she didn't say anything about that yesterday-- SHERIFF WARREN Mrs. Prentice. HEATHER I know, you told me to wait till she contacted me, but I ran into her at the cafe, and she couldn't even tell me what Ally was doing here. SHERIFF WARREN Sometimes there are no answers to a tragedy, and that's what this is. HEATHER So, you found nothing suspicious about the incident? Not the fact that she drowned in a shallow lake or the fact that the last person to see her alive can't even tell me about Ally's last days? Sheriff, I am just trying to piece together the last moments of my daughter's life. I'm sure you can appreciate that. SHERIFF WARREN I do. Like I said, sometimes terrible accidents happen and we don't know why they happen. But we have to have faith, some things happen for a reason and we're meant to learn from it and move on, to find the truth and need to be willing to let go. Best be moving on, Mrs. Prentice. WOMAN Sunrise Hill Center. How can I help you? HEATHER I'd like to come in and speak to someone, please. WOMAN I'm sorry, but unless you have an appointment with someone here, I cannot let you in. HEATHER Uh, is Mariah available? WOMAN There's no one here by that name. HEATHER Well, I just saw her come in not two minutes ago. WOMAN You must be mistaken. Have a nice day. HEATHER Well... HEATHER Ally? Ally! Ally! CASEY I'm sorry, ma'am, he's not available at the moment, but I mean is there anything that I can help you with? You can't barge in like that. HEATHER I need to talk to you. CASEY I'm sorry, sir, I tried to stop her. SHERIFF WARREN That's all right, Casey, I'll take care of this. You have my attention. HEATHER I saw Ally, she's alive. She's obviously been kidnapped. SHERIFF WARREN Please take a moment and calm down. HEATHER I just told you my daughter's alive and you're telling me to calm down? SHERIFF WARREN I'm sure you saw someone that looks like your daughter. Grief will do that. HEATHER I am not imagining this. I saw her, she is alive, and she's down the street at this place called the Sunrise Center. And I need you to help me find her because they wouldn't let me in. Sheriff, I need your help. SHERIFF WARREN Mrs. Prentice! As I informed you, your daughter is no longer with us. Now, Sunrise has a reason for being, and if they didn't let you in, that's their business. Now, I don't wanna hear about you harassing the good people of my town. HEATHER Why won't you help me? BRIDGER Sheriff. I'm not interrupting, am I? HEATHER You... You're the one who took my daughter. Where is she, huh? He took my daughter! Where is my daughter? BRIDGER I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. HEATHER I saw you, you were driving the--He was driving the van and Ally was in the back. Where is my daughter? BRIDGER Look. I promise you, I didn't take your daughter. Now, I had three volunteers with me. Maybe that's what she saw. SHERIFF WARREN If it will put your mind at ease, well, I can talk to the volunteers and make sure there's no trouble, but I need you to stop this. HEATHER I am telling you, I saw him and I saw her. You need to arrest this man right now. SHERIFF WARREN Now, I've known Bridger for a long time, and I believe him when he says he doesn't know anything about Ally. You know why? Because he couldn't because she's gone. BRIDGER Actually, I'm here because I've had some complaints about you. It's, uh, Mrs. Prentice, isn't it? HEATHER Oh, you know exactly who I am. BRIDGER Yeah, my colleague says you've been stalking her. You've been watching our center. It's unnerving her and our volunteers. SHERIFF WARREN Is that true, Mrs. Prentice? HEATHER This cannot be happening. He has my daughter, Sheriff. SHERIFF WARREN Going around town and accusing innocent people of kidnapping is a crime. Harassment is a crime. Now, if you keep this up, I'll be forced to deal with it, you understand me--I will arrest you for harassing the people of my town. I don't wanna do that to a woman in grief. HEATHER Unbelievable. JACK Heather. HEATHER Jack. Ally is alive. I saw her. JACK What? HEATHER They took her in a van from this place called the, um...the Sunrise Hill Center, and it's run by this guy named Bridger. JACK All right, well, listen, I think it's time you come home, okay? I'll come out and get you. You sound like you're in no fit state to drive. HEATHER There's definitely something off about them. I'm afraid it's a cult, Jack. JACK This sounds kind of crazy, Heather. HEATHER It gets worse. They wiped her phone. There are no phone numbers in there, no text messages. My phone number's not even in her phone, Jack. It doesn't make any sense. And that sheriff, he is in on it, I know it. JACK All right, well, listen, Heather, what we're gonna-- HEATHER There's definitely something going on here. And I am being watched. I am, Jack. JACK Okay. HEATHER That place that Ally came from, it's not some like little business. Like it has like these two high-tech security cameras out front. Why do you need that in a little small town like this? It doesn't make any sense. And the sheriff, he has been trying to run me out of town ever since I got here. He even threatened to arrest me. JACK What for? HEATHER I think he's just trying to scare me. JACK All right, um...well, um, look. I've got a few issues I have to deal with here, but, um, I'll call you later, okay? HEATHER I'm gonna find her, Jack. JACK Ah, now. Mary Beth. Um...Now then, I know that you don't wanna get yourself in trouble. And I suspect that, uh...that you wanted to protect your friend. But Ally...might still be alive. And so I need you to tell me who she might have run away with. It might lead us to where she is. I'm not asking anymore. MARY BETH She told me she met someone outside the congregation. And it opened her eyes to a different kind of life. JACK Where? MARY BETH Online. But I think she said she lived outside Wellsby. JACK A name? MARY BETH I never knew. I'm sorry. JACK Well...No more secrets from now on. Hmm? ISSA It's difficult to know that she would keep something like that from me. JACK Hmm. ISSA Not share. JACK Now, Mary Beth, you know how hurtful secrets are. They break trust. MARY BETH I never meant to break your trust, Issa. I'm so sorry. RUTH Oh, good afternoon, Mrs. Prentice. How are you enjoying our little town? HEATHER I need to extend my stay for a few days. RUTH Oh, not ready to go back to the city. I understand. The room's yours. HEATHER Um, would it be okay if I use your laptop and your Internet? RUTH Oh, sure... of course. HEATHER Thank you. RUTH What would you be wanting with those folks? HEATHER My daughter's missing. RUTH And you think she's at the Sunrise Hill Center? HEATHER I do. Do you know anything about them? RUTH Well, it's been around about, oh, say ten years. A young man named Bridger runs the place. Moved here with a handful of young people and took over an old farmstead on the outskirts of town. Hmm, off Route 75. Oh, they turned that place around from a dilapidated property, made it nice again. HEATHER But they still have a location on Main Street, correct? RUTH Well, now, that's supposed to be a halfway house for runaways. Bless their souls. At least that's what they say. Bunch of New Age hippies, if you ask me. HEATHER Have you ever spoken with Bridger or Mariah? RUTH Oh... no. They keep to themselves. Which is probably a good thing. I wouldn't want to have anything to do with them anyway. They're, um... a pretty tightknit group. HEATHER I know. I keep running into roadblocks. RUTH Well, you might find that people aren't inclined to talk to strangers in this town. Bridger has this town wrapped around his finger. The sheriff included. Those two are thick as thieves. Can't do one thing without the other knowing about it. HEATHER So, I'm sorry, it's off Route 75? RUTH You can't miss it. HEATHER Thank you. MARIAH You don't belong here. HEATHER Where is Ally? MARIAH I meant to send that back with her things. And for that I apologize. HEATHER I do not know what kind of game you are playing here, but I am not leaving without my daughter. MARIAH Your daughter is not here. HEATHER I don't believe you. MARIAH Really? HEATHER Really. MARIAH You seem like a woman of faith. What do you believe, Heather? HEATHER What? MARIAH You think your pastor Jack has all the answers? You think your faith and devotion will save you? It didn't save Ally. HEATHER You do not know what you are talking about. MARIAH I know she was so desperate to get away from all of you that she left town without a word. HEATHER Because you brainwashed her. I mean, look at this, what is this place? MARIAH I know a lot more than you think. And I know you're trespassing. You should leave now. HEATHER I'm coming back for her. SHERIFF WARREN Mrs. Prentice? HEATHER Are you following me? SHERIFF WARREN I asked you nicely to leave our town, now I'm insisting. HEATHER Why won't you take my daughter's abduction seriously? SHERIFF WARREN I could arrest you right now for breaking and entering. You realize that, right? HEATHER My daughter is alive and well and being kept somewhere in this town. SHERIFF WARREN If you continue down this path, I will arrest you. Or you can get your things right now and go. I'll wait. RUTH Sorry to see you leave so soon. HEATHER Well, I didn't exactly have a choice. RUTH Ah, I'm so sorry I had to call them. But I do hope you find your daughter. HEATHER I will. SHERIFF WARREN I know it's hard to lose a child. But I don't want you causing any more trouble in my town. Don't come back. HEATHER She's alive, Jack! They're keeping her at a farmhouse outside of town. Look at this. Look. Here. JACK Well, now, Heather, I don't know if this really proves anything. HEATHER Of course it does. I found it on one of the beds. It's... How else would it have gotten there? That place, it was like a commune from the '70s. What if it's too late? What if they've already gotten to her? JACK All right, Heather, you need to calm down. HEATHER Jack, it is a cult. JACK Okay? HEATHER And Bridger, he is a very powerful man. And he must have something over the sheriff, because why else would the sheriff threaten me and then cover up a kidnapping? It doesn't make sense, Jack. JACK I know, I'm listening. HEATHER They faked her death so I wouldn't look for her, and it's not the first time that they've done this. Look. JACK Well... what do you mean? HEATHER So... I found an old article about another girl. And they faked her death, too. Her name is Mariah and she is alive and well, and she's a supposed witness to Ally's death. JACK It says here that her name's Aliah. HEATHER Yeah, but that's just a lie that the sheriff fed me because he said that that was her twin sister. But she is alive and well and Mariah is now recruiting for this cult, Jack. JACK They really underestimated you, didn't they? HEATHER I gotta get her out, and I need your help. JACK We'll go tomorrow morning. Look, Heather. Heather, you know how important Ally is to me. Now that we know that she's alive, I won't stop at anything until we bring her home where she belongs. HEATHER Okay, 'cause I can't live without her, Jack. JACK You won't have to, Heather. HEATHER You drive, please. That's it over there. JACK Do you think she's in there? HEATHER She must be. What if she doesn't want to come with us? JACK No, she belongs with us. HEATHER Maybe I should go in first by myself. Maybe she'll come quietly with me, then you stay here and make sure the sheriff doesn't come. JACK All right. HEATHER All right. JACK I guess it looks all clear, but I'm coming in at the first sign of trouble. HEATHER Okay. Ally? ALLY Stay back. How did you find me? HEATHER Honey, I would never not look for you. It's time to come home. ALLY No, I'm not going back there. HEATHER Why would you say that, Ally? ALLY Why do you think? I hate that place. HEATHER Ally, these people brainwashed you. You're not thinking clearly. MARIAH Ally, what's... ALLY Just leave me alone! MARIAH I thought I told you you do not belong here. HEATHER You've got her all twisted up. MARIAH Ally is an adult. She's here by her own volition. HEATHER Honey, these people brainwashed you. They did, they even faked your death. They didn't tell you that? They've lied to you. They have been lying to you about everything. Everything, honey. MARIAH It was for your protection. And the protection of our community. To prevent this exact scenario. HEATHER It's time to come home, and your home's in Blaine with us. We made a life for ourselves- ALLY No, you made a life for yourself. And I was expected to be the perfect, obedient little daughter. And I was! I did everything you and Jack and everyone else expected of me. HEATHER It wasn't like that, honey. ALLY Yes, it was! HEATHER It wasn't! ALLY I asked for one thing. One thing to be my own. Let me go to college. And then I find out that you and Jack were just biding time, that come spring you'd pull me out of college and marry me off to Jack. HEATHER What? ALLY You both would take the one thing away from me that was making life actually bearable. HEATHER No, honey, that is not true. ALLY It is! HEATHER That is not true! I promise! ALLY I heard him talking to Issa! That after Mary Beth, I'd be next, and you agreed with it! HEATHER No, I would never-- I promise you I would never agree to that, and he never said anything to me. I promise you, honey, you just misheard him. We trusted Jack. ALLY No, you trusted him! And I trusted you. HEATHER Honey. Jack saved us. Jack picked up the pieces of our lives and Jack has always-- ALLY Jack runs a cult, Mom. Whether you want to believe it or not. HEATHER Please, just give me one minute, please. Is it true? Were you planning on marrying my daughter? JACK Are you questioning my leadership, Heather? You've never done that before. HEATHER How could you possibly think that I would go along with that? How could you possibly think that, Jack? JACK All right, all right, I think that we need to calm down and go home and discuss this rationally, okay? ALLY Think about it, Mom? When was the last time you did anything for yourself? Not for Jack or the congregation. HEATHER Listen, look, Ally-- MARIAH Ms. Prentice. HEATHER Please. MARIAH It is a cult! One that we've known about for a while now. JACK That's ridiculous. MARIAH You lead an extremist religious group, one that preys on single, vulnerable mothers. Not to mention they marry teenagers off to men twice their age. HEATHER Look, it is not like that. MARIAH Are you serious? Listen to yourself. JACK I have always done what's best for us. MARIAH Let me ask you this. Has he cut off all outside communication? Like no Internet? No outside friends? When was the last time that you spoke to anyone outside of this group? JACK Don't listen to her, Heather. She doesn't understand the importance of salvation. She's already corrupted Ally. Ally! Ally, don't you see, these people have confused you? Your purpose is with us. Haven't I always taken care of you, given you everything that you could ever need? ALLY No! MARIAH Heather. Listen to your daughter. She is begging you to hear her. Not having a choice on who you want to marry? That's not right. ALLY Why can't you see what Jack is doing? How many single moms with daughters does he take in? How many young girls are matched to marry older men? JACK Those young girls have found a new purpose in their lives, Ally, and so will you! Don't you see, the outside world, it's a distraction. And it will only lead you down the path to darkness. MARIAH Heather, listen to him. You are in a cult, whether you want to believe it or not. BRIDGER All right, I've called the sheriff. He's on his way. JACK We're not leaving without her. BRIDGER I think she can speak for herself. She's made it clear that she wants to be here. Actually, you two need to leave. JACK You think I run some kind of cult, huh? Well, what do you call this...this community? BRIDGER Well, Jack, this is a safe haven for kids on the run. From cults like yours. See, the difference is, she's here by choice, not by force. JACK We would never force anyone to stay with us. We follow the true path, and they know it. BRIDGER True path? Would you listen to yourself? Man, you need some new material or something. And what about Mary Beth, huh? Did she get a choice of who she was gonna marry? JACK All right, that's enough. BRIDGER I don't think so, Jack. JACK I didn't want to have to do it like this. BRIDGER Whoa, Jack, hey! ALLY Jack, what are you doing? JACK You're coming! BRIDGER Easy, put the gun down! HEATHER No, Jack! JACK You had one job! One job, to prove your loyalty to me, Heather. HEATHER Jack! JACK And you failed. I saw your faith wavering... HEATHER Jack. JACK ...just like Frank's. HEATHER What does this have to do with Frank? JACK That's right, he betrayed me, too. Just like you're doing right now. FRANK Heather, I have to go. FRANK You startled me. Jack. JACK What are you doing, Frank? FRANK How could you possibly think I would go along with all of this? I'm going to the FBI. Jack, wait. JACK I should have killed him sooner. HEATHER Jack, you're a monster! You're a monster! Let her go! ALLY Let me go! JACK You're staying with me, whether I have to drag you kicking and screaming. BRIDGER Jack, Jack. The sheriff's here. You need to let her go now. SHERIFF WARREN You're gonna wanna drop that gun! What you're doing is wrong here. And you know that. Now, I don't want anyone here to get hurt. And I believe that you don't want that either. JACK I don't. SHERIFF WARREN She means a lot to you, I can see that. But you're scaring her. And you're scaring all of us. Can't you see how terrified she is? JACK I'm doing this for you. SHERIFF WARREN We often think...that we can make decisions for others without knowing what they truly want. Hey! Why don't you put the gun down and ask her what she wants? JACK That's enough. We're leaving now. ALLY No! BRIDGER Are you all right? You okay? MARIAH When I was 13 years old, my parents agreed to marry me off to one of the founders of our religious group. I would have been his third wife. It took me two years to get out of a cult that I was born into. I was lucky to find Bridger when I did. I had zero life skills and, uh...I was one step away from falling off the face of the earth. BRIDGER You don't give yourself enough credit. MARIAH Now I... I just wanna help people in similar situations escape. What Bridger's done here deserves all the credit. But it's not like we can advertise for it, can we? He's helped...so many kids escape...from extremist groups and dangerous cults. I mean, more than we can even count. SHERIFF WARREN Including my own daughter. It's true. She fell in love with a boy. They ran off together, but...things weren't all they were cracked up to be. When we finally found her, it was Bridger that helped get through to her, helped show her that the group was just using her. So you see, Mrs. Prentice, that's why we have to keep this place safe. We look out for each other so that they can look after the kids. HEATHER I understand that now. I'm so sorry, I just...I was so lost after your dad. And Jack was there and...I'd let him take over our lives. Just because it was easier. I can't believe I was so blind. ALLY It's not your fault. We all thought that it was a robbery gone wrong. HEATHER I never thought he could be responsible for...I am so sorry. Will you ever forgive me? ALLY I forgive you. But I want a normal life. And to be able to do normal things. HEATHER Yes, of course. Honey, you mean the world to me. What do you think about us starting over together? Yeah? MARIAH I think you both have a lot of healing to do. But I do think that we can help you, too. HEATHER Really? Thank you. I would love that. Um, I mean...as long as it's okay with Ally. ALLY Of course it is. ALLY You are not taking that with us. HEATHER Why not? He's cute. ALLY Give-away pile. Now. HEATHER Fine. Okay. HEATHER Well, you may as well get it since we know it's for you. ALLY I'll be back later. HEATHER Have fun.