//

A small flame burned on the candle on top of a birthday cake. Emma Russell carried the plate to the table in front of a boy who was stamping out his cigarette in the ashtray close to him.

"Happy birthday, Arvin," Emma Russell told her grandson happily.

"Happy birthday," Emma's brother, Earskell added.

Arvin's best friend, Mia Jones, plopped in the chair beside him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before kissing his cheek. "Happy birthday to you," she sang in a soft voice.

Arvin Russell grinned at her happily as Lenora Laferty gave him a quick hug from behind before taking her seat beside Mia.

"Well..." Earskell began, handing over a small box to Arvin. "This was your daddy's." Arvin opened the box, lifting the top open before grabbing the object wrapped in a cloth. It was a gun. "Brought back from the war. I figured it was time to pass it on."

Arvin slowly looked to Earskell, placing the gun back in the box as he spoke, "That's the best present I ever got. Thank you."

Mia gave another squeeze to his hand. "Make a wish, Arvy," she whispered with a smile.

His eyes met hers for a small moment as he turned his hand up to interlock their fingers as he turned his head forward, he blew out the candle.

FROM DIRECTOR ANTONIO CAMPOS

"How and why people from two points on a map without even a straight line between them can be connected is at the heart of our story in Knockemstiff."

A solemn Mia had her head resting on Arvin's shoulder, her eyes gazing over as the sun began to set behind them...it fades to black.

"You ever think about how we ended up orphans living in the same house?" Lenora asks Arvin as they along with Mia sit with her in the middle of a cemetery while Arvin's standing.

As Arvin stared ahead, Mia looked up at him. "Arvin, you okay?" she asked him.

He sighed. "I know what my daddy did," he stated...

Next, Mia, teary-eyed stood behind her mother, Constance, who sat on the couch, a cigarette in her hand. "Why don't you love me anymore, Mama?!" Mia yelled.

Constance didn't answer, only exhaled smoke, ignoring her daughter...

"...Some people would say it's just dumb luck." Arvin, Mia, Emma, and Lenora all sat in church with many others as the watched the preacher ahead but Mia was the only one who had her gaze cast down. "Others would tell you it was God's plan."

"'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness'," Rev. Preston Teagardin quoted aloud...

Arvin sat in the car beside Emma as he told her, "They ain't no preacher. He's as bad as they got on the damn radio."

Emma didn't glance at him, only stared ahead...

Mia had her head rested in Arvin's lap as they sat outside of Mia's house in the field. "I don't trust that son of a bitch for one minute either," Mia spoke, referring to the preacher.

Arvin fidgeted with her hair as he spoke, "You gotta be careful around him. Something about the man..."

Mia removed his hand from her hair, holding it in his, her thumb rubbing gently over his knuckles. "I'll be okay. I promise," she reassured him...

"When people look back on it...they had no other choice."

The scene moves to quick flashes of Mia and Arvin standing at the side of the road, hitchhiking.

It changed to Arvin sitting on his bed, cocking the gun he was given.

"Excuse me, Preacher," Arvin spoke, standing in the church in front of Rev. Teagardin. "You got time for a sinner?" he asked.

THIS FALL

"You know, I studied something. It's called the delusion."

Mia barely flinched as a hand grabbed at her throat, her eyes held no fear...

Arvin was crouching as he picked up a photo...

"A belief that is untruth."

Mia was picked up on a table, the top three buttons to her dress were undone...

The scene changed to Mia sinking down the wall, her arms up in defense and sobbing as her mother swung at her...

"It is our delusions that lead us to sin!"

Arvin cupped Mia's face under the jaw before trying to close the gap between their lips...

The next scene was Lenora trying to pull a boy back as two other boys held Arvin down who took a painful punch.

"Delusions!" Rev. Teagardin exclaimed, slamming his hand down.

TOM HOLLAND

NINA DOBREV

BILL SKARSGÅRD

RILEY KEOUGH

JASON CLARKE

"Some people were born just so they could be buried," Sheriff Lee Bodecker told someone in the back of his car.

SEBASTIAN STAN

HALEY BENNETT

ELIZA SCANLEN

"What I'm about to do..." Arvin spoke.

WITH MIA WASIKOWSKA

AND ROBERT PATTINSON

"I do it because I have to..."

Arvin kicked a car door, hitting someone...Mia had a look of terror as a gun was held to her temple...Arvin sat in the back seat of a car as a woman also had a gun aimed at him in the front...Rev. Teagardin had wide eyes, one hand raised in pleading surrender...Mia's eyes stared up to the ceiling as she gasped...Sheriff Bodecker turned a corner in the woods before aiming his gun and shooting into the unknown...

Arvin sat in the woods, his back turned.

"Not because I want to."

***

I didn't mention this before but this book will likely contain some or a lot of sexual content.

Once this movie comes out, this chapter will be deleted.