A blind woman, Amelia, sits in the darkness and braces herself as a train passes and the building shakes. Another blind resident, Samuel, comes by and feels at a bricked up wall. When he curses, Amelia asks what it is and Samuel says that Grunwald has bricked up the bathroom door again. He hears Grunwald laughing and curses him out, and Grunwald tells him to go in his pants. Grunwald tosses down a jar of marbles and laughs as Samuel trips. When his handyman, Berny, says that it isn’t right, Grunwald slaps his brother and ask if the new resident, Sheila, is in his office. Benny says that she is and asks if he can help Samuel now, and Grunwald tells him to mind his business and find Sheila.
Sheila makes her way and Grunwald finally directs her to a chair. She sits down and he notes that she’s wearing combat boots. Sheila tells him to keep it in his pants, and Grunwald says that the county put her there so for the next six months she’ll be one of his subjects. He drags her up and tells her to do things his way, then calls Benny in. He has Benny take her to the common room
As Grunwald escorts Sheila along, he warns that he can’t let Sheila go and explains that Grunwald’s mother was blind. She flirts with Benny and says that she’ll make it worth his while to let her go, and secretly takes his pocketknife on his key chain. Benny warns that if he crosses Grunwald then he’ll send him back to the state mental hospital. Sheila wonders what they locked him up for, and Benny says that his brother had him committed.
Samuel is playing chess against himself when Benny brings Sheila in and introduces her. When Sheila says that she’s not staying, Benny quickly leaves and locks the door. Samuel tells her Grunwald had all the windows boarded up because he thinks blind people don’t need light. Amelia explains that Grunwald’s mother left the place to the state, and they don’t have any choice but to be there. A train goes by, and Amelia and Samuel tell Sheila that the train comes by every hour. Samuel warns that nobody gets out, and Sheila trips and falls onto the foot cast of another resident, Osgood. Sheila feels Osgood’s face and realizes that it’s horribly scarred, and Samuel says that it’s all that’s left of him after Grunwald’s dog got hold of him when he tried to escape.
The next day, Grunwald has Sheila brought to his office. Sheila says that she’s not going to lie down and let Grunwald take advantage of her, but Grunwald calmly keeps practicing his putting. He knows that Sheila tried to seduce Benny, and says that she was talking to the wrong person. Sheila angrily kicks the balls away, and Grunwald warns that he’s not big on one-night stands. If she wants to leave then they’ll take it one night at a time. She refuses and spits in his face when he tries to kiss her. Grunwald tells Benny to take Sheila away, and warns Sheila that she can be very persuasive when he wants to be.
In the common room, Samuel greets Sheila. She insists that none of them deserve to be there, and Amelia says that they all raged against it but finally had no choice but to accept it. Sheila explains that she took Benny’s pocketknife. She uses it to pick the lock and Amelia says that the only way out is through Grunwald’s office. They make their way down the hall to Grunwald’s office, and his dog barks at them. Grunwald is eating dinner and greets them. He explains that his dog Bruno will handle security and he hasn’t eaten for two days. He tells them to go back to the common room, and the others quickly go, leaving Sheila behind. Grunwald tells Sheila that she can keep the knife and closes the door on her.
On Grunwald’s orders, Benny bars the front door. He then takes food to the residents and tells them that it’s only going to be one meal a day per Grunwald’s orders. There’s no food for Sheila and no heat, and Benny tells her that Grunwald will turn the heat up and bring the rations back to normal if she sleeps with him. Sheila assures him that he’s a prisoner just like the rest of them, and Benny quickly leaves. Sheila prepares to go to Grunwald, but Samuel and Amelia say that they’re not that cold or hungry yet. Osgood speaks for the first time, telling them to let Sheila go and that they should do it Grunwald’s way for a change.
Sheila goes to Grunwald and he offers her wine. He starts to undress her and she keys him in the groin. Bruno starts barking and Grunwald asks if she wants to play rough. However, Benny clubs him unconscious from behind before he can do anything, and says that Grunwald isn’t going to bother her anymore.
Later, Grunwald wakes up in a room and hears hammering in the distance. He yells for Benny but gets no answer. Hours go by, and the hammering continues. The door finally opens, and Grunwald cautiously goes out. A doorway at the other end of the hall opens, and Grunwald heads for it. The door slams shut, and Grunwald yells that he’ll send Benny back to the mental hospital.
Another door opens down a narrow makeshift hallway. When Grunwald starts to feel his way down it in the dim light, he cuts his hand. The lights go on and Grunwald realizes that the wall is lined with razors. He threats his way between the walls, and the building shakes as the train passes. Once it goes on, Grunwald gets to the end of the hallway... and Benny steps out with Bruno. Benny says that they can’t feed the food and Bruno is hungry. Grunwald says that his brother doesn’t have the guts. Sheila and the others step forward and say that they do. Benny says that Grunwald killed their mother, and that he’ll be taking control of the house.
Sheila laughs and Grunwald heads back down the hallway. Samuel pours marbles into the hallway and Osgood turns off the lights. Benny releases Bruno and the dog charges forward.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 18, 2016