Out of Darkness

Content Warning: The Part 3, Chapter 1 Summary depicts the aftermath of a gas explosion resulting in the gruesome deaths and loss of limbs of adults and children. It also includes an attempted lynching, racist language, graphic beatings, a graphic rape, and an especially graphic kill by shotgun. The Epilogue mentions rape and death by suicide (albeit a false retelling).

Beto is knocked unconscious by the explosion, aware of little aside from Wash carrying him from the wreckage of the school. Naomi cradles Beto in her arms, waiting for Wash to come out with Cari. Men from the oil fields nearby rush to help extract children and their teachers from the school, some dead, some terribly wounded, while parents search frantically for their sons and daughters. Wash finds Cari’s body, in pieces, and struggles to extract her from the rubble, as people shout for everyone to clear the building. He manages to escape, but for a horrifying moment, as Naomi watches the building shift and collapse, she does not know if Wash was spared. As the unfathomable number of dead and injured begin to be amassed outside, Naomi is told that it may be some time before Cari can be taken to a funeral home, so she decides to take her body home. At home, Henry is enraged to learn that it was Wash who rescued Beto and retrieved Cari’s body, asking Naomi why the boy always seems to be around.

Wash returns to the school to continue helping, but an angry group of men accost him, demanding that he leave and going so far as to suggest he is happy about the tragedy. With Cari laid out above him, Beto settles beneath the kitchen table and refuses to leave, marking the passing of days only by the shifting of the sun. Beto cannot help but blame himself for Cari’s death: He believes that had he not asked his crush Deenie to switch seats, Cari would still be alive. Pastor Tom visits, attempting to offer comfort. Henry is so upset that he argues with Pastor Tom, and Naomi, frustrated with both men, steps out onto the porch to shout at the pastor too. Henry then orders him away.

Naomi and Wash agree that it has become necessary to move up their timeline; Wash speculates that Henry will not wait any longer to marry Naomi, and the hostility he saw brewing at the school has put him on alert. Amidst the grief and disbelief settling over the town is an angry sense of injustice which leaves many citizens looking for someone to blame. The issues of cost-cutting and negligence are raised, and a mob assembles at Mr. Gibbler’s house to demand answers, given his influence over the school board. Mr. Gibbler attempts to dismiss their concerns when Miranda comes forward, sensing an opportunity. She tells the mob that Wash was involved in establishing the gas lines, and that he had come to Mr. Crane’s house upset and said that it would take an explosion to make the town see.

Since they are planning to leave the next day, Wash takes his saved college money and walks to Tyler to buy train tickets. When he returns, he finds suitcases in the hall and his parents arguing about whether or not they should leave town. Wash’s mother Rhoda mentions the escalating vitriol in the community and anticipates inevitable violence. Wash changes into his birthday shirt, planning to leave with his parents and then meet Naomi and Beto at the train station; he leaves to inform Naomi of the change in plans. Outside, Wash is surrounded by pickup trucks and stopped in his tracks by a gang of drunken men; Beto and Henry are among them. The men confront Wash, trying to antagonize him and escalate the situation, no matter how polite and honest his replies. Henry forces Beto to throw a rock, which breaks one of the windows of Wash’s house. Beto runs from the scene to Pastor Tom’s house.

The drunken men prepare hanging ropes, as though they are going lynch both Wash and his father Jim, but Pastor Tom arrives in time, chastising the men for what they were about to do. Beto finds Naomi in the woods where she has been waiting for Wash, and through his tears he is unable to tell her what happened. Naomi takes him to the tree, where he will be safe, and goes to Wash’s house. She finds the house on fire and the property destroyed. She is horrified when she sees two figures hanging from a tree.

Thinking the two figures are Wash and his father, Naomi runs from the scene back to Beto. Her grief over Wash is short-lived when he appears, alive, and explains that it was the twins’ scarecrows she saw. Wash brings Naomi and Beto to where his parents are waiting. Wash’s parents agree to let Naomi and Beto ride with them out of town, but before they leave, Beto begs Naomi to retrieve his cat, Edgar. Aware of Henry’s cruelty, Beto is convinced that he will kill Edgar once he finds out that the remaining children are gone. Naomi cannot deny him, rationalizing that she also has 14 dollars at the house which they will need when they are on the road. Reluctantly, Wash agrees to let her go, and they establish a rendezvous point.

While Naomi sneaks back home to collect Edgar and her mother’s mementos, Wash tries to explain his and Naomi’s plan to his family. Naomi is able to collect everything she needs, but as she leaves, a sleeping Henry awakens and sees her running away with her belongings. Grabbing his revolver and shotgun, Henry follows. Naomi nearly reaches the Fullers’ car when Henry drags her out and demands that Wash and Beto accompany them. Henry is further infuriated when he sees Wash wearing the shirt he thought Naomi was making for him. He forces the Fullers to drive off, liberally using racial slurs as he chastises Naomi for being in a relationship with Wash. He forces Beto to tie Wash to a tree, and then forces his son to watch as he beats and rapes Naomi. Afterward, Henry beats Wash, and then demands that Beto untie him.

Henry takes out his pistol and hands Beto the shotgun, threatening to shoot Naomi if he does not shoot Wash. He unintentionally pulls the pistol’s trigger and shoots Naomi in the leg, a mortal wound. Wash crawls toward Naomi, and Henry shoots again, hitting him in the back. As the couple lay dying, Henry insists that Beto shoot Wash—but Beto refuses, finally confronting his father and telling him that Wash was a hundred times better than him. Finding the courage to fire, Beto lifts the shotgun and kills Henry in a messy spray. Jim finds Beto and escorts him away from the scene; Beto cradles Edgar as they drive toward San Antonio.