AIDEN AIDEN_THEO ALL ANTWON ANTWON_CYNTHIA CASHIER CHILDREN CHURCH_CROWD CONGREGATION CYNTHIA CYNTHIA_CHILDREN CYNTHIA_JEHARI DRYSDALE DR_MEEHAN FEMALE_ATTENDEE_DEUX FEMALE_ATTENDEE_UN GOVERNMENT_EMPLOYEE JEHARI JELLY KRISTINE MALE_ATTENDEE MANS_FAMILY NATALIA OFFICE_CROWD PRISCILLA TEACHER TELEVISION_BROADCAST ZACHARY ZOE NATALIA It was 2011. I'd been living with the Barnetts' for like four months, I think. I was really trying to be a good girl but then... KRISTINE Natalia. Natalia. NATALIA Mommy, w-what is it? Is something wrong? KRISTINE It's what we talked about in the car. I can't keep finding bloody socks in your closet, so I got you these. NATALIA Are these for feet? KRISTINE I thought you said you knew how to use them. Which is it? NATALIA I-I-I got-- I got mixed up. I-I-I-I don't know what these are. I-I don't know how to use them. KRISTINE Well, I'll show you then. NATALIA Just kidding! I-I do know how to use them. You don't-- KRISTINE Enough, Natalia. DRYSDALE So you were, uh, menstruating? NATALIA Kristine said I was. DRYSDALE Kristine told you that you, um, that you had your period, but-- I'm sorry, Natalia, I know this is a very personal question, but did you notice that yourself? NATALIA Just that time. DRYSDALE After she showed you how to use a tampon? NATALIA DRYSDALE And that's the only time you ever saw any blood? NATALIA This is so gross. DRYSDALE I know. I just-- I want to understand why she thought you-- Could you tell me a little bit more about what led up to that moment? I want to help, Natalia. I'm trying to understand. NATALIA You just-- You don't wanna know. NATALIA When I discover who I am, I'll be free. NATALIA With that in mind, write about yourself. Tell us a story of who you are. TEACHER That's our time, see you next week. NATALIA It was April, 2013. Kristine had left me in my new place. I was in school, but it was kind of hard to make friends because all the other students were a lot older than me. Well, I guess not legally. KRISTINE You need to leave people alone. Go to school, come home, that is it because if I get one more call, if I hear one more time that you are lying, pulling that little kid act, I'll come back for you and you know what that means. KRISTINE Nobody wants to talk to you, nobody wants you around. Every time you bother someone, they call me and complain. I can't have that. KRISTINE I don't want to have to spray you again. I won't do it unless you make me. So repeat after me, "I'm 22. I just look young for my age." KRISTINE You're an adult and if you don't want me to come back, you will start acting like one. NATALIA CYNTHIA Hon', you good? NATALIA Uh, um, yeah, I-I'm just resting. CYNTHIA Looks like you're bleeding. How about a Band-Aid? NATALIA Uh, no. I'm fine, thank you. CYNTHIA It's no bother. My kid's never met a sidewalk they didn't wanna face plant on, I got about a million. NATALIA Thanks. CYNTHIA So are you waiting for someone? NATALIA No, I-I-I'm just heading home from school. CYNTHIA Okay. You live nearby or-- NATALIA Not far, just off of Salem. CYNTHIA On those banged up feet? Let me give you a ride. It's on my way. NATALIA No, thank you. I really like walking, gonna get my steps in. CYNTHIA I hear that. Can I at least call someone for you, your mom maybe? NATALIA No, I'm fine. I'm 22, I just look young for my age. CYNTHIA Okay. I'm gonna need the number for your dermatologist. Okay, that sounded kind of close. Not today, Satan. I don't know about you, but I have come too far to die this way, so will you please get in the car before one of us catches a stray? Come on. NATALIA Okay. Okay. CYNTHIA There you go. CYNTHIA I'm Cynthia, by the way. I'm guessing you've got a name too. NATALIA Sorry, um, I'm-- It's-- It's Natalia Grace. CYNTHIA And how long you been in Lafayette, Natalia Grace? NATALIA A few months. CYNTHIA Huh. How do you like it? NATALIA Yeah, it's nice. CYNTHIA Nice? It's the hood. NATALIA Well, I-I like-- I like-- I like the trees and-and-and-and-and the people and the dogs, a-at first, some of them were scary, but now I think they're pretty cool. CYNTHIA I like you, Natalia Grace. You got a sunny disposition like me, glass half full kind of gals. NATALIA Yeah. CYNTHIA And, um, and your family, you stay with them? NATALIA No, I told you I'm 22, I stay by myself. My parents live in Canada. CYNTHIA Canada? That's kind of far. NATALIA Well, it's fine. I have everything I need. They call me every day to check up on me; we're super close. NATALIA This is me. CYNTHIA Oh wow. NATALIA CYNTHIA Here, let me help you, hon . NATALIA Uh, I'm fine. I'm just tired. CYNTHIA Come on, let me at least grab your bag. NATALIA Hmm, sure but I have to go, I have lot of stuff to do. CYNTHIA No problemo, I'll just get you inside and I'll get outta your hair. NATALIA CYNTHIA You sure I can't help? NATALIA No, thank you. I'm fine. CYNTHIA Let me to help get your mail? NATALIA Uh, yeah sure. It's just the usual: bills and cataclogs, you know? CYNTHIA Girl, me too. I could wallpaper my whole house in JC Penny cataclogs. NATALIA NATALIA No, I'm fine! It's fine. Well, thanks for everything. It's been a real pleasure. CYNTHIA Oh, it's a pleasure meeting you. Um, can I use your bathroom? KRISTINE Let's go! NATALIA Um, I-- CYNTHIA I-I know you're busy, it's just when you gotta go, you gotta go. NATALIA I haven't cleaned at all. CYNTHIA Oh please, my house is a wreck. I don't judge. On my mama. Please? I'll be so fast. NATALIA I am-- I'm-- I'm doing a big cleaning today. I-I wasn't expecting company, I'm-- I'm sorry. I-I had a-a-a long week. CYNTHIA Do you have a cell? NATALIA Uh, mm-mm. CYNTHIA You said your parents call every day. How can they, when your phone's shut off? NATALIA I use my neighbors. NATALIA I thought you had to pee. CYNTHIA Must have gone back in. When was the last time you went to a grocery store? NATALIA M-My landlord took me a while ago. CYNTHIA A while ago, huh? NATALIA What do you want from me? CYNTHIA I wanna take you to the grocery store. NATALIA I don't have money. CYNTHIA Yeah, you do. You got this EBT card in the mail. You don't have to be embarrassed, I got one too and this one's brand new, you're gonna be flush. Come with me, I'll show you how to use it. NATALIA My parents like me to stay here. If-- If they come and I'm not here, they'd be worried. CYNTHIA I thought they were in Canada. Okay, here's the deal. I kind of need your help. My kids told me if I make pierogis one more night, that they are gonna riot and you do not wanna see what happens to a person when they get a frozen pierogi thrown at them. Trust. So what do you say? How about you come with me and help me figure out what to make, so that I don't die of blunt force trauma. NATALIA Do you know my mom? CYNTHIA No, I don't. Should I? NATALIA No, it's-- Are you sure? CYNTHIA Yes, I am sure. NATALIA Okay, I'll go. CYNTHIA And that's how I met my husband, ran smack into him with my clarinet during marching band practice. If his forehead had been any harder, I would've lost my front teeth. NATALIA You would've looked like that guy. CYNTHIA Girl, you gotta slow down and chew, I do not know the Heimlich. About to go down like a Cathy cartoon, choking to death in Kroger. NATALIA Who's Cathy? CYNTHIA Now see, they don't teach the classics anymore. You sound just like my kids. NATALIA How many kids do you have? CYNTHIA At the present, seven. NATALIA Whoa, seven? That's a lot. CYNTHIA Well, they're not all mine technically, most are God babies. Kids that need caring for one reason or another. For me, it's all the same. NATALIA You must like being a mom, huh? CYNTHIA It's what I was put on God's green earth to do. NATALIA I think I wanna be a mom, too. CYNTHIA Oh yeah, how come? NATALIA Cause I'd never have to be alone. CASHIER Sorry, we're all bagged and ready. CYNTHIA No problem, sugar. Just love your jewelry. CASHIER Thanks. Total's gonna be $250.82. CYNTHIA You know what? Would you like to come over for dinner? I can take you home right after, it's no trouble. NATALIA Um, I should probably get home. CYNTHIA Aw, come on! I know you want that mac and cheese. NATALIA But I'd go home right after? CYNTHIA Perfect. Settled, but you know what? Since I'm gonna cook for you, I might ask you to put these groceries on your EBT card. That seems fair, right? And then whatever we don't eat, you can take home and you'll have plenty of food for later. CYNTHIA Great. Oh man, you are just gonna love my kids. On God, Natalia, we're gonna have so much fun. NATALIA I, uh, I thought we were going to your house. CYNTHIA We are. This is my husband's church. We live behind it through here. I promise, it's less creepy than it looks. Come on. NATALIA CHILDREN JEHARI Mom, you were supposed to be here hours ago. CYNTHIA Sorry. CYNTHIA JEHARI CYNTHIA Hey, meet my new friend. JEHARI Sup. CYNTHIA Mama C needs help. All butts in the living room, please. TELEVISION BROADCAST CYNTHIA That's Priscilla and Zoe. PRISCILLA Hi. ZOE Hi. CYNTHIA Working on Halloween costumes, I'm guessing. Aiden. AIDEN Hi. CYNTHIA Zachary. ZACHARY Hey. CYNTHIA Theo. Theo's the one with the toy up his nose and last but not least, Jordan, we call her Jelly. Say hi, baby. JELLY Hi. CYNTHIA Clean all this up, please. JELLY Yes ma'am. CYNTHIA All right, groceries in the car, let's go. Oh, and this is my friend, Natalia Grace, say hi. AIDEN THEO Hi. PRISCILLA Welcome to my favorite house. CYNTHIA You know what? We're gonna do high fives tonight, everybody, not hugs. ZACHARY It is because she smell? CYNTHIA No, Zachy, it's because you smell. ZACHARY You like that my feet smell like corn chips. CYNTHIA Let's get some hustle. Last one to the car is a rotten egg. CHILDREN NATALIA Hey. That looks cool. What are you making? JELLY Um, it's a card for my bio mom. Her birthday's in October, so that's how come it's Halloween themed. CYNTHIA Careful, Theo, your shoe's untied. JELLY Don't tell Mama C about the card. CYNTHIA All right. Thank you, thank you, thank you. PRISCILLA Oh my God. Is this ice cream? ZACHARY Jeez Mama C, what'd we do, win the lotto? ZOE Mama C, can I put the grapes in the freezer, or do you think Zachary's gonna put them down his pants again? CYNTHIA ZACHARY It was an experiment! I was doing science! CYNTHIA Hey, Natalia Grace. Hey, you got a nickname? You want one? NATALIA Mm-hmm. CYNTHIA Let's try Tally-boo then. You gonna come help with dinner? Those Toll House cookies aren't gonna separate themselves. NATALIA Okay, um, but could we do the M&M ones? They're my favorite. CYNTHIA You betcha. Thank you, thank you. Okay, okay, slow it down. In the freezer. Someone open that door for me. CHILDREN CYNTHIA ANTWON Hey, hey, hey, hey, smelling good. CYNTHIA Oh, hey baby. ANTWON Okay, okay, okay. So I see y'all couldn't wait, huh? CYNTHIA CHILDREN ANTWON Huh? Well, I hope y'all at least said grace. CYNTHIA Uh-oh. JELLY Sorry, Dad. ZOE Does it count if I thought grace? ANTWON No. How about we grab hands though? ZOE Okay. ANTWON Right, hmm? Grab your brother. All right. Lord Jesus, thank you for this food. Everything we have is due to you and we are not worthy, so we thank you and we repent when sometimes we say thank you on the wrong end of the food, hmm? CHILDREN ANTWON In Jesus' name we pray, amen. ALL Amen. ANTWON Ah, so I see we hit the Power Ball and nobody told me. ZACHARY That's what I said. CYNTHIA ANTWON Hi. NATALIA Hello. ANTWON And, uh, whose child are you? NATALIA I'm not a child; I'm 22. CYNTHIA Don't worry about it, baby cakes; we'll talk about it later. All right, everybody, bath time. JELLY Natalia's staying for movie night though, right? CYNTHIA Well, that's up to Natalia. NATALIA I-I should-- I should go home. JELLY No, it's only one movie. Right, Mom? I'm right there with you. I'm happy to take you back after, Natalia. NATALIA I guess it's only for a couple of more hours. JELLY Yes! CYNTHIA Perfect, that's settled. You're welcome to stay and have a bath too if you want. NATALIA No! No way! I-I hate baths. I hate them. CYNTHIA Okay. No skin off my back. Uh, you wanna pick out a movie instead? Maybe something spooky for Halloween? CYNTHIA Yeah, come on. NATALIA ANTWON Okay, but we really got no idea why she keeps saying that? CYNTHIA None, and she's not just saying it. I peeked at her ID and it literally says she's 22. ANTWON Oh yeah, that's weird 'cause she sure seems like a kid to me. Where's her family? CYNTHIA She mentioned her mom but she's afraid of her. I can't take her back to that place she's staying. ANTWON Okay well, you know Jelly's mom still harassing us, right? Filing complaints. CYNTHIA Are you trying to say that taking in our Jelly was a mistake 'cause that's a bunch of crap. ANTWON Okay, language? CYNTHIA Sorry, but that woman is a leach, a dog. Jelly is terrified of her, hates spending time with her. ANTWON And what I'm saying is once you bring a kid on, you bringing the whole family. We don't know anything about Natalia's people, situation. CYNTHIA She paid for groceries. You know how we've been struggling. What if she was sent by God to help us? ANTWON Yeah. CYNTHIA How about we sleep on it, we pray on it? The Lord will show us the way in the morning. ANTWON Yeah. ANTWON CYNTHIA CHILDREN CYNTHIA Hey, sleepy head. It's time for church. NATALIA Mm. It's Tuesday. CYNTHIA Every day of the week with day is a day we gotta pray. NATALIA Huh? But I gotta get home. CYNTHIA Come on. We'll grab breakfast afterwards since you missed it. I'll take you home after, okay? ANTWON You been good? Praise God. Praise God. CYNTHIA Praise God. ANTWON Look at your neighbor and say, "It feels good to be seen." CONGREGATION It feels good to be seen. ANTWON It feels good to be seen. ANTWON Now we know every individual, no matter who you are, they have their place in God's kingdom, right? ZACHARY Amen! ANTWON Right? Because God... FEMALE ATTENDEE UN Amen. ANTWON God has an open door policy. MALE ATTENDEE Amen. ANTWON Amen, and his policy is to hear from you when you come in, hmm? ZACHARY Speak on it. ANTWON Ah, amen. So who wants to come in today? Who here wants to testify? PRISCILLA Me! ANTWON Praise God. Come on. Praise God. I want you to tell everyone what you... CYNTHIA Don't worry, everyone gets a chance. PRISCILLA Thankful for my family. CYNTHIA You wanna go next? ANTWON Oh, Praise God. ZACHARY Praise God. ANTWON For family! NATALIA This isn't my house. CYNTHIA I know, hon , it's a doctor's office. NATALIA Well, what are we doing here? I hate doctors. CYNTHIA I don't like 'em either, but I saw how much it hurts you to walk. NATALIA I don't care. I'm not going. CYNTHIA I'll be with you the whole time. Promise, it'll be fine. NATALIA No! I'm not going and you can't make me. CYNTHIA You're right, I can't, but I'm not dropping you back at your place unless we do this. If you wanna walk home, go ahead, be my guest. DR MEEHAN Okay now say, "Ah." NATALIA Ah. OFFICE CROWD DR MEEHAN Hmm. You said you're 22? DR MEEHAN Natalia. NATALIA Mm-hmm. DR MEEHAN Okay, and when was your last period? NATALIA I don't know, a few years ago. DR MEEHAN That's surprising. Are you sure? CYNTHIA She's not wild about doctors. I mean, it is kind of somber in here. They pay you to put that up? DR MEEHAN My daughter painted that. CYNTHIA Uh-oh. Sorry. DR MEEHAN Natalia, I wanna ask you some questions about your medical history. I was only able to see your records from the last couple of years. I'm guessing that's how long you've been on Medicaid? NATALIA CYNTHIA You know, we're here about Natalia's chronic pain. Do you think we could focus on that? DR MEEHAN In a second. I'm curious, I see that you've been prescribed a host of psychiatric medications, but I see no diagnosis whatsoever. Why would that be the case? CYNTHIA Really, Doctor? She's in pain every day, so could we just-- DR MEEHAN I'm sorry. Ma'am, what exactly is your relationship to this patient? CYNTHIA I'm her mother, so what are you gonna do to help with my poor daughter's pain? DR MEEHAN I won't be prescribing painkillers, okay? CYNTHIA I'm not some tweaker off the street. Natalia can barely walk, I want a solution. DR MEEHAN You're gonna have to lower your voice. CYNTHIA You do not tell me what to do. Come on, let's go, Natalia. Come on, Natalia, let's go. DR MEEHAN Okay, okay, okay. Listen, just hold on, okay? How about this? We can do some imaging today so I'll be able to get a better sense of what's hurting Natalia, and it's not because I don't believe you, okay? It's just with such a limited medical history, I can't tell you what's wrong, okay? And I'll set up a follow up in just two weeks, okay? After I've had some time to look at the imaging. Just two weeks, okay? CYNTHIA And what are we supposed to do with my daughter in the meantime? DR MEEHAN You can get Natalia a walker and I can write up a prescription for some custom shoes that'll help. CYNTHIA Are they covered by Medicaid? DR MEEHAN They aren't. Is she on disability? Great, then that should cover them and you just hang in there, all right? And when you come back, we'll make things better. CYNTHIA So Tally-boo, you ever received a disability check? Probably going to your folks then. They ever send you money for any medical stuff, anything like that? Any idea what that money's being spent on? Well, in that case, I think we should get your SSDI benefits reassigned. Your parents shouldn't be pocketing it. Those checks should be going to you so you can get your walker, those special shoes. That's your money. NATALIA They'd know if I changed it. CYNTHIA Well, then let's have the check sent to me. Your mom gets mad, she can come for me, not you. So I think before we head over to the SSDI office, we ought to get you cleaned up. NATALIA Cleaned up? CYNTHIA Yeah, to make a good impression. I'd like to get you in a bath and give you a good scrub. NATALIA You said you were taking me home! CYNTHIA Or a shower. I know it's been a while, you gotta be getting itchy. NATALIA No! CYNTHIA We got bubbles, bath toys. Come on, it'll be fun. NATALIA I said no! You're trying to get my money, aren't you? CYNTHIA Natalia! NATALIA I-I didn't mean to hit you. You-- You made me do it, look what you made me do? CYNTHIA I know, baby. I get like that sometimes too. You're okay. NATALIA You're not my mom. You shouldn't have said you are. CYNTHIA You're right. I should have checked with you first. Sometimes a white lie gets you where you need to be faster than the truth and in there, you needed a mom. NATALIA I'm 22. CYNTHIA I know. I know you are. I'm 42; I still need my mama. I'd wish anything to still have her around. NATALIA I'm sorry. CYNTHIA Thanks, sugar, me too. CYNTHIA Now I'm gonna level with you. I am not ready to take you home, so would you do me a favor and stay with me until we go back to the doctors? We can go check on your place, make sure your mom hasn't been by so you don't get in any trouble and then after we go back to the doctors, we can figure out what happens next, okay? CYNTHIA Stick with me, kid. Everything's gonna go great. I promise. NATALIA I've been hanging in there. My mom and I have been super busy doing lots of housekeeping stuff. NATALIA KRISTINE Natalia. NATALIA Please, please go away. Please, no. CYNTHIA It was just a bunch of cataclogs. NATALIA We've been checking all kinds of things off our to-do list, doing lots of errands. OFFICE CROWD GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE So, you'd like me to void the outbound social security check and reissue it to Cynthia Mans at 306 Molson Avenue? NATALIA But we always make time to just hang out with the family, just getting everything ready for Halloween. MANS FAMILY NATALIA It's my favorite time of the year, dressing up, you know? JELLY Cute, and you could see like a whole Laffy Taffy in there, like he swallowed it whole or something. NATALIA JELLY So gross. CYNTHIA Now who's that calling? NATALIA I-I gotta-- I gotta go. I-I gotta go pee. Go pee. NATALIA So yeah, everything's been good, normal. NATALIA Nice couple of weeks, can't complain. They even got me a walker. OFFICE CROWD DR MEEHAN Sounds great, Natalia, but I do notice you seem to be a bit on edge. CYNTHIA I'm telling you, it's those horses. I'm just playing. Your daughter's a-a true artist. Sorry. Keep getting these spam calls. DR MEEHAN Well, let's get to it, shall we? It's clear from what I've seen, that Natalia's pain is chronic and intense, which is common with her type of dwarfism, but while I was reviewing her scans, I found something else, something unusual. You see this here and here? These are Natalia's growth plates, and you see how there's plenty of space between here, which means Natalia is a perfect candidate for a series of surgeries that would significantly lower her discomfort. ANTWON Hmm. CYNTHIA Well, great. Let's do that then. DR MEEHAN We would, except you came in here saying that Natalia is 22. If she were anywhere near 22, her growth plates would be closed, which proves unequivocally that this person you're trying to say as an adult is in fact a child. CYNTHIA Well, of course she's a child. We've got her dressed like a dang Minion. DR MEEHAN Then why does she have paperwork saying she's an adult? Can you come in here, please? ANTWON Wait, hold-hold on. What's going on here? DR MEEHAN This is Detective Drysdale, Indiana State Police. DRYSDALE Child trafficking division. CYNTHIA You called the cops? DRYSDALE You're Cynthia Mans, and DR MEEHAN tells me that Natalia here is physically a child, medically speaking, but that you brought her in here with an ID saying she's an adult seeking pain meds, that you fabricated a relationship with this child, moved her into your home. ANTWON Oh, no, no, you see, you got this all wrong. DRYSDALE And signed over her SSDI benefits to your home address? CYNTHIA Oh no, you have no idea how those people left this girl. We are helping her, all we do is help kids. DRYSDALE Like you're helping Jordan Clark? I have a letter here from Jordan's mother filed with the state of Indiana. She alleges that one Cynthia Mans is abusing her child, restricting her rightful visitation. CYNTHIA That woman is a liar, a user. DRYSDALE From where I stand, it seems like this behavior might be habitual, like maybe you're claiming a child needs to be taken in and using their benefits for your own gain. CYNTHIA I saved Jelly, that is my baby. You have no idea what you're talking about, no idea, so why don't you shut your mother frigging mouth! ANTWON Hey, hey Cynthia, come on now. DRYSDALE Natalia, what I need to know right now is what Mrs. Mans' saying true? CYNTHIA It's okay, baby, you can talk to him. DRYSDALE I went by your previous address, too. Did someone leave you there? Abandon you? DRYSDALE Who did this to you? NATALIA I'm-- I'm fine. I'm fine. DRYSDALE It's okay, you're safe here. KRISTINE Natalia! Natalia, stop! NATALIA I'm 22; I just look young. My parents love me. They take care of me. They bought-- They bought me an apartment. They-- They-- They call me every day. I'm grown. I'm 22, I'm 22, I'm 22! DR MEEHAN That's not true, she still has baby teeth, for Christ's sake! NATALIA I pulled them out! I'm 22. I go crazy! I'm 22! CYNTHIA Will s-- NATALIA I'm a liar! It's all my fault! DRYSDALE All right, all right, right. Did Cynthia and Antwon take you from your parents? NATALIA It's all my fault! It's all my fault! DRYSDALE CYNTHIA You need to stop, you're making it worse. ANTWON Are we under arrest here? Hmm? NATALIA It's all my fault. It's all my fault. DRYSDALE No. No you are not. ANTWON Great, then we're leaving. NATALIA I didn't mean to do it. ANTWON It's okay. Come on, come on, it's okay. It's okay. Hey kids, we're going. DRYSDALE I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm here to protect you, Natalia, that is all. If you ever want to talk whenever you are ready, I want you to give me a call, okay? JELLY Turn it up! Turn it up! CHILDREN " And a JAY-Z song was on And a JAY-Z song was on So I put my hands up They're playin' my song, the butterflies fly away I'm noddin' my head like, ""Yeah"" Movin' my hips like, ""Yeah""" JELLY Come on, Mom, that was like the best part. CYNTHIA Sorry, sorry. It's that same number, they just keep calling. I'm gonna answer it. All right everybody, I need a minute of quiet please. KRISTINE Hello? Hello? Is this Cynthia? CYNTHIA Yes, it is. Who's this? KRISTINE My name's Kristine Barnett. I hear you've taken in Natalia? CYNTHIA Yes, that's correct. KRISTINE Please tell me you don't have other children in the house with her because she's very dangerous. Your best bet is to take her back to her apartment and hope she doesn't find you before the people in your real family get hurt. CYNTHIA Ant, stop the damn car. Kristine, whatever your name is, I need you to wait one minute. KRISTINE Who are you? JELLY Was that your mom? KRISTINE Tell me the truth. ANTWON Hey sweetie. Natalia! KRISTINE Natalia. NATALIA KRISTINE Natalia. Oh no, you're not going anywhere. Stop. NATALIA KRISTINE What was that shit you pulled at the dentist? NATALIA Let go! KRISTINE Just tell me how old you are, then we could end this. NATALIA Please leave me alone! KRISTINE Who the fuck are you? NATALIA It hurts! NATALIA Stop hitting me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do that again! NATALIA KRISTINE Look what you made me do. Go take a walk around the block and think about what you did. Go! NATALIA KRISTINE No, no! No shoes, just in your socks. KRISTINE I want this lesson to stick. KRISTINE Go. NATALIA NATALIA CYNTHIA Oh, thank Jesus. Thank you God. Natalia, you can't just run off like that. You really scared me, okay? There's still plenty of trunk or treating to do. There's a car over there giving out those cookies and cream bars you like. Can't miss that, right? Or we can just hang here, that's good too. I, uh, I brought you some juice. Thought you might be parched after all that running. NATALIA What else? Kristine, what-what did she say about me? CYNTHIA Oh, nothing hon , it doesn't matter. NATALIA Yes, it does. CYNTHIA Okay. All right. She said you're just pretending to be a kid, that you tried to hurt her and her sons, that you attacked a librarian, and that... you tried to steal her husband from her. NATALIA What? No. That's so gross. Why-- Why would she say that? I don't understand why she'd say that. I didn't. I didn't. I-I didn't. I-I-- That's so gross. I wouldn't. I didn't. I didn't do that. CYNTHIA Natalia. NATALIA I didn't. That's so gross. You have to believe me. CYNTHIA Natalia! Natalia, of course I believe you. I know you're telling the truth. NATALIA But I did hit that librarian... and I-- and I hit you. CYNTHIA Oh, honey, that's what kids do. Especially ones who have had a rough time of it. NATALIA But all that stuff. But she was right about all that stuff, so is she right that I'm bad? That no one can ever love me? CYNTHIA Well, now you know that's not true 'cause I've only known you a couple weeks and I already love you. I do, Natalia. I really, really do. NATALIA They always say that. CYNTHIA Who? NATALIA Moms, families. They say it, but they never mean it, not really. CYNTHIA Oh, baby. You know, I made a promise to all my God babies that I'll love 'em forever. It's a holy promise, unbreakable. What if you and me did something like that? What do you think? NATALIA It would really be unbreakable? CYNTHIA Yeah baby, unbreakable. Between you, me, and our creator. NATALIA CYNTHIA In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. NATALIA CYNTHIA Amen. Now you do me. Ah! NATALIA CYNTHIA Ah, I'm melting! I'm melting! Ah! It's gonna be okay. How about we just go home? Just us. We could eat some candy, maybe soak your legs in an Epsom salt bath. NATALIA That-- That would be nice. CYNTHIA NATALIA Yes, you may. CYNTHIA NATALIA JEHARI God's been helping me at school. I was sitting in math class, I didn't know a single thing, so I prayed on it. My mind opened up, I understood. ANTWON Yes sir! CHURCH CROWD CYNTHIA Amen. FEMALE ATTENDEE DEUX Trust the Lord. CYNTHIA You wanna testify? ANTWON Praise the Lord. I didn't understand something, so I prayed on it and then I understood. CYNTHIA How about it, Tally-boo? ANTWON Amen, amen. CYNTHIA You ready? NATALIA Yeah, I'm ready. I wanna testify.