[wind blows, thunder rumbles]
♪ ♪
[Man] Sure. So, see how I've got them?
There.
- [leaves whistle] - How good is that?
[indistinct] Probably we'll see...
[all chat indistinctly]
[thunder rumbles]
- [Girl] What? - [woman and child laugh]
[Girl] Did that hurt, Dad?
[Man] No, not really, poppet.
[heavy rain]
It's just like the night you were born.
Tell me the story again.
Please!
[Woman] Well, Cyclone Alice had hit the coast.
There was no way to get to the hospital.
So I got out of the truck,
and I squatted down,
and I gave birth to you in the laneway.
And Daddy wrapped you up in his shirt.
But then he realised that I wasn't breathing,
and he was trying to force the air into my lungs.
And then suddenly...
you began to cry, wailing into the night.
[whispers] You brought me back to life.
Why don't we have any other family?
It's always been just us, bub.
Us against the world.
[Man] Yeah, but let's not forget,
soon there's going to be a new addition to our little family.
A brother or a sister.
[♪ Bryan Ferry: "Let's Stick Together"]
♪ And now the marriage vow is very sacred
♪ The man has put us together now
♪ You ought to make it stick together
♪ Come on, come on, let's stick together
♪ You know we made a vow not to leave one another never... ♪
[screams happily]
♪ ♪
♪ You know we made a vow not to leave one another never... ♪
[all laugh]
- Bye, Daddy! - [horn beeps]
[birds call]
[barks]
And after seven long years, Selkie finally found her skin,
buried beneath the man's house.
And even though she loved her children more than life itself,
she returned to the sea, her true self,
a selkie once more.
Go and get it!
Get it! You're gonna get it!
- [barking] - I'm gonna get you!
[both laugh]
I've got you.
[both chat and laugh indistinctly]
[insects chirrup]
[♪ Massive Attack: "Teardrop"]
- Like bursting fire pods. - [whispers indistinctly]
- Beautiful, aren't they? - Yeah.
So, what do you want to do tomorrow?
Town?
Alice, we can't go to town.
Please?
We don't even have the car. [laughs]
We could walk.
Pretty please?
Dad's not back till Friday.
I'd love to show you the library.
I want to try... a lamington. [both chuckle]
Alright.
[insects chirrup]
Is there really a baby in here?
Yeah.
Are we still going to run away?
[birds call]
[chimes tinkle]
Wake up, sleepyhead. It's lamington day.
Made you breakfast in bed.
[Woman] Just let me sleep.
Stay.
[indistinct chatter]
[birds screech]
[Woman] Hello.
Can I help you?
My name's Sally.
I'm a librarian here. What's your name?
I'm Alice.
Alice Hart.
How old are you?
I bet you're old enough to have your own library card.
Would you like one?
There you go.
I don't know about you, but I am starving.
Shall we have a cup of tea and something to eat
while you decide which books you want to take home today?
I'll just pop the kettle on.
[Sally] Hi, it's me.
Listen, can you come down here?
It's definitely Clem Hart's daughter.
In her nightie.
She's got bruises all over her little arms.
She must have walked here!
Please, John, just come down.
[barking]
[Man] You can call off that search party. She's, uh, she's here.
Lucky I came back a day early, eh?
Yeah, she just walked right in through the front door. She's, um...
Yeah, she's safe and sound.
Cheers.
No, no. Thank you for calling, mate. Thank you. I really... uh...
Yeah, I really appreciate the... the time.
Bye-bye.
[hangs up]
[breathes heavily]
[inaudible]
- [screams] - Clem, please!
- [banging] - [Alice screams]
- It was my fault... - [Clem grunts]
- [Alice screams] - [barking]
- [Clem] Don't you ever do that again! - [banging]
[Alice] Da... [screams]
[sobs]
[fire roars]
[chimes tinkle]
You let Daddy do all the talking, OK?
- G'day, mate. - Hey.
[Policeman] I apologise for turning up unannounced.
- Can I come in? - Come on through.
[Woman] Can I get you a cup of tea or...
No, no. Don't go to any trouble.
- Sorry about the mess. - No, no.
Just following up after Alice's visit to the library.
Ah, yeah. She's an adventurous little thing.
Scared the pants off everyone, but, uh, no harm done.
Look, I won't waste your time.
The librarian reported seeing bruising on Alice's arms and legs.
- Alice is always climbing trees. - Roughhousing with the dog, mate.
Gets herself covered in bruises.
Is this your dog, Alice?
What's his name?
Toby.
Toby to blame for all these bruises?
He didn't mean to hurt me.
Well, um...
You left these behind.
Sally wanted me to tell you they're all yours for the next four weeks.
And then maybe Mum can bring you into town
and you can borrow some more.
That'd be good, wouldn't it, Alice?
[Clem] Right, mate, well, um... How about I show you out?
[chimes tinkle]
"At the end of its life, the Phoenix would build a nest
"before erupting into flame.
"its body consumed by fire...
"...only to arise from the ashes, reborn...
"...made new again."
[Clem] Alice.
Alice.
Alice!
I'm taking Mum for her check-up. We won't be long, poppet.
You stay here, OK?
Be good.
See you later, bub.
How about I bring you back a photo of the baby
so you can see what he looks like in there?
We'll pick you up some more books from the library if we have time.
Can we keep the selkie story?
We've already read that.
- Alright. - Come on, Agnes.
[chimes tinkle]
[clanging]
[door closes, engine starts]
[Alice] "Fire is an element that requires three things to burn:
"friction,
"fuel and oxygen."
[dog barks]
- [metal squeals] - [jangling]
[faint clanking]
- [dog whines] - It's OK, Toby.
[barking]
- [car door closes] - [Clem] Alice!
- [barking] - Alice!
- [barking continues] - Alice... Alice!
[Agnes] Alice!
[Clem] Alice!
- [Agnes shouts indistinctly] - [Clem] Come back!
- [Agnes] Clem! - [breathes rapidly]
[Agnes] Alice!
[Clem] Alice!
- [indistinct shouting] - [footsteps approach]
[Clem] Alice!
[siren wails]
[phone beeps and buzzes]
Hi, sweetheart. What's going on?
- [sirens wail] - A fire.
- At the Hart house. - What?
Agnes was just here.
Call you when I know a bit more.
[sirens wail]
[sirens continue]
[Woman] Alice.
Alice, can you hear me?
[indistinct conversation]
[equipment beeps]
[Woman] Sally?
I didn't know you were friends with the Harts.
Oh...
A bit.
Well, it's good of you to be here.
They're taking her to theatre. Alice is already upstairs.
- [clanking] - [men call indistinctly]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[radio chatter continues]
[exhales sharply]
[air hisses]
[inhales shakily]
[whispers] What the hell happened out there?
Is this our fault?
[knocking]
[Sally] Agnes...
[music box plays tinny melody]
[music stops]
Just brings it all back.
Being at that hospital.
She's in the same room that Gemma died...
I know.
[birds call]
So we have two fires, one in the shed.
And the other, which killed Clem, started here, in the child's bedroom.
An accelerant's been used, most likely kerosene.
[John] Excuse me!
Uh, this is a crime scene. I have to ask you to leave.
I'm Clem's mother, June.
I want to see my son.
And I want to see his family.
[beeping]
[Woman] Alice still isn't conscious.
But you can talk to her.
She can probably hear you.
[whispers] Butterfly bush. Butterfly Bush.
Means second chances.
[Man] She has multiple fractures.
Her right lung is collapsed, and there's damage to her trachea from, um,
from a trauma.
What kind of trauma?
Looks like she's been choked.
And the baby?
We had him airlifted to a neonatal unit in Sydney,
but realistically, a baby born at 25 weeks, 700 grams,
without his mother...
...the outlook isn't good.
When can I bury my son?
Um... Well, maybe we should take a walk.
There'll be a coronial inquest. It'll be months, I'm afraid.
So... may I ask why you've had no contact with your son?
Did you know Agnes?
Nope.
And Alice?
Clem sent me a cryptic message nine years back,
so I assumed there was a child.
But he didn't leave a return address.
Um...
Let me know when I can make arrangements.
Yeah, of course. Where are you staying in town?
[June] I'm not.
[baby screams]
She's gone home.
I don't mean to judge... [laughs]
Really?
What a cow.
What's gonna happen to the kids?
They need... They need someone to care whether they live or die.
Yeah, um, I'll, uh... look for another next of kin.
[birds call]
[dog barks]
[inhales sharply]
[sighs]
[sobs]
Agnes is dead, too. They're both gone.
I think he did it.
- [Woman] What about the girl? - In a coma.
And the baby?
Not going to make it.
Oh, my darlin', I'm so sorry.
- [inhales] - We need to tell Candy.
It'd be better coming from you.
[sniffles]
[sobs quietly]
Mum?
[shakily] Who died?
[door opens]
What are you doing?
She's not coming back.
No point keeping it for her.
You can't just erase Agnes like you did Clem, June.
And you can't erase their child either.
She's our granddaughter!
The best hope that child has
is to get as far away from this family as she can.
Don't try and change my mind.
[clattering]
I know you love stories.
What shall we read?
"Bluebeard"?
Nope.
Bluebeard can fuck right off.
Rumpelstiltskin can...
get lost too.
[whispers] I know this was one of your mom's favourites.
At least it has a semi-happy ending.
"A long time ago on the wild Scottish coast,
"the selkies lived proud and free,
"part seal, part human,
"singing their magical songs with the voices of angels."
- [barking] - [laughs]
Good boy.
- [indistinct shouting] - [Clem] Fuck you!
- [shouting] - [Sally] "Every full moon,
"the selkies would come to the surface to shed their seal skins,
"and dance, naked, under the moonlight.
- "One night..." - [Alice] "...a fisherman hid away.
"He saw one seal woman so beautiful
"that he wanted to have her all for himself."
[Sally] "So while she danced with her sisters,
"the fishermen stole her sealskin."
Arsehole.
How did she get out of her skin? Was there blood?
[exhales] Alice, let me read.
OK!
[Agnes] "When it was time for the sisters to return to the sea..."
Alice.
Come and have a look, poppet.
I even carved some of your favourite flowers.
It's red river gum.
Well, I take it that means you like it.
[Sally] "So the selkie woman went with the fisherman,
"and, over time, she fell in love.
"They had... two beautiful children,
"a girl and a boy.
"But not even her children could make the selkie woman forget her skin,
"her sisters,
"and the sea."
Alice!
It's OK.
Deep breaths now, Alice.
Deep breaths.
Alice...
There was a fire.
At your home.
A terrible, terrible fire.
[breathes shakily] I'm... I'm sorry, Alice.
Your mummy and your dad didn't make it.
[sniffles softly]
I'm so, so sorry, sweetheart.
[sniffles]
But you're not alone.
I'm here, and I'm going to take care of you.
I'm here.
[sobs softly]
[Sally] Knock, knock.
Someone left a present for you at the nurse's station.
Don't know who.
[gasps]
Harry Potter!
You don't know Harry Potter?
Well, they're only the most famous children's books ever written.
But we can only read... if you eat,
because if you're eating, you can come home.
You're going to love it, Alice.
It's so beautiful.
You've got your room all set up.
We're right by the sea, with a beautiful swing in the backyard.
[rustling]
These are my famous chicken sandwiches...
...lemon tarts, and homemade lamingtons.
Like lamingtons?
[magpies warble]
[Woman] Morning, Bub.
[patting earth]
Is June coming?
Nup. She left hours ago, for the funeral.
You could plant that one for Clem.
This one's for Agnes.
And I got the last old man Banksia for the baby.
Put it in between them.
Your name will be written in the stars, little one.
[woman sighs]
You know it's OK to cry for him?
I know.
Hi, June.
[sighs]
It's good to see you.
We can walk in together, if you like.
I'm good on my own, thanks.
[starts engine]
[Agnes] Alice...
Alice...
Mum!
[screams] Mum!
Mum!
[sobs] Come back!
Mummy!
[gasps]
[sobs]
Alice?
[sobs quietly]
- It's OK. - [sobs]
It's OK, Alice.
It's OK.
[sobs]
[faintly] It's OK.
[June] There you go.
See you've met your grandmother.
- [June] I never signed anything. - [Sally] You can't do this.
- I can, actually. - No. We had an agreement!
- I'm her grandmother. - And you didn't want her.
Sal, June's the only next of kin.
The decision is hers to make. I'm sorry. It's...
It's settled, then.
[Sally] Surely you can stop this?
This is...
[June] Alice.
the doctors say you're well enough to go home,
so you're coming with me back to Thornfield.
So point out whatever you want to take with you.
[rummaging]
I'd like to get going before it's too late.
[June continues packing]
Let's start with your box of books.
I'll let you in on a little secret.
These books were actually a gift from your grandmother.
Because she knows how much you love to read.
And I also know that she is going to take very good care of you
and keep you safe.
I'll always be here for you, Alice.
Always.
Don't forget him.
♪ ♪
[Woman] You must be Alice.
Welcome. I'm Twig.
Alice doesn't talk yet.
We're going to put her in the belltower room.
You must be tired.
Why don't we get you cleaned up,
and we'll, uh, get you something to eat?
[sighs]
[inhales and exhales]
- [phone rings] - [rain falls heavily]
[phone rings]
[picks up call]
This is John speaking.
Yeah. I'll grab her for you.
It's for you.
It's a solicitor.
Sally Morgan here.
No, I did not know that.
Well, I'll wait to hear from you.
[hangs up]
What's going on?
Agnes changed her will four months ago.
In the case that June was unfit or unwilling
to take care of the children...
...she named me as their guardian.
W... Why would she do that?
You barely knew her.
I don't know.
[rain falls]
[birds call]
I know it's all very strange and frightening right now, Alice.
But you're safe here.
And I promise...
...I won't ever let anyone hurt you the way my son did.
Goodnight.
I knew you wouldn't be able to leave without her.
I just promised I'd keep her safe.
Can we do that, Twig?
[dog barks]
[breathes shakily]
[♪ Massive Attack: "Teardrop"]
So, did your dad every tell you about Thornfield?
[Sally] Do you really think that a refuge full of traumatised people
is the best place for her?
♪ ♪
How could you?
[June] Alice... Alice!
I am not losing another child.
♪ ♪
Were you ever going to tell me?
How could I?
I've never felt like this about someone before.
Were you part of it?
There's plenty of time to tell her the rest.
♪ ♪