We Renew Our Blood Oath (Part 3)

- [Rhett] Get it. - [Link] He's eating a fish. - [Rhett] He's eating a fish. It's a snake eating a fish! - Dang! (Rhett laughs). (groovy electronic music). This is the thing I've been most looking forward to. - (laughs) Oh man, look at it. - [Link] It's been so long since I've been here. This is where the magic happens. - You guys ready to cross the river? - Let's check it out. - Crossing the river has been built up. over the course of several weeks, well,

maybe even months since we've been talking about this trip. - [Link] It's not only we have to get across but--. - The whole crew does and there's one person. in particular who seemed to be especially apprehensive. about crossing and that was Stevie. Stevie is not excited about this. All right we got an idea, Stevie. We think you should just cross on foot. because it's so low, it's not gonna get above your knees. - Oh, I have to because our raft isn't. as big as we thought. - Big enough though. - It's not gonna get. above your knees, it's so low.

- Really? - You can roll your pants up. and they probably won't even get wet. - I have tight pants on. - It's fine if they get a little wet, right? - [Stevie] Yeah. - I would, you know, embrace it. - And she was especially scared of snakes. because well we mentioned that in the book--. - Because you kept talking about them. - Well yeah because I want people to know the realities. - Look what we found. (soft whimsical music). (Rhett laughs). I am the serpent king. - [Rhett] Quit getting it so close to your face. - I'm smelling it. - It's like reptiles. carry things, man, like salmonella.

Okay, we get down to the river. We didn't capture this, we weren't rolling yet, right? - I got it. - Oh you got the, you got the snake with the fish? Get it. He's eating a fish. It's a snake eating a fish! - Dang! Jenna's like, look, just upstream of the rapids. where we are going to cross in just a few minutes, we see some rustling in the water. I was like, is that a fish jumping up, or is that a snake? - [Rhett] Turns out it was both. It was a snake that was in the process of consuming a fish.

and writhing around and going down the rapids. - And if we just posted that video on YouTube. with nothing else-- - It'd get more views. - It'd get a lot more views than what we're doing right now. - Right, right, right, right. That's the-- - All we had to do was--. - Snake eats fish. Click, click, click. - [Link] So we packed up all the equipment. and strapped everything onto the crew. and then they went across the river before we did. Stevie did great. Her pants got wet but how could your pants not get wet.

if you're crossing the river wearing pants? - We're about to cross the Cape Fear. - I would say that this practice is almost. a religious experience for us. This is like a pilgrimage. Let's sink our feet in. - Okay. It's warm, it is a, almost, I would say, like you've been in the bath tub for too long. and you're just about to get out. - We're there, man, we're back.

In our holy land. Look at that, it's beautiful. - [Rhett] Oh. (laughs). - You want me to catch you? - Now, this is where the moccasins like to hang out. - Just give 'em a little (clapping). - But Link is going first. - Scare clap. - So that means they'll bite him. So we're coming up on basically the middle of the rapids. which is where if there was going to be a treacherous spot, this is where it typically would be. - Here we are in the middle of the river. Let's take one photo, Rhett. - The main reason we were crossing the river was,

well, there's a couple things. We wanted to swim in the river, we wanted to show you the river. We wanted to show you the island that inspired. the island where we would go and sit on the small rock. and the big rock in the book. - The big rock. - On our rocks. - And the little rock. - Which we talked a little bit about this. in "The Book of Mythicality" and we also talked about it. in our really old documentary "Looking for Miss Locklear". but the fact is is that the rocks weren't here. They were in a cow pasture. that we're gonna visit later today. But this is the technical island in the river.

that we're talking about in the book. And of course we were trying to get. to the ultimate destination, the tree. - Let's go ahead and cross. and see if we can find the tree. - Yeah. I think it's about right there. - He's pointing at the woods, I agree. - Hopefully we'll just find a tree in the woods. - Okay now that we've made it across the river, we're gonna look for one of the most special landmarks. from the era that Rex and Leif were frolicking around.

in the novel version of this space. There's a big tree that we basically, I'm not gonna say we created a cult around it. - I didn't worship it. - We just thought it was. a really cool-- - I thought it was a cool, big tree. - Tree. - And this is something that we have not, we definitively have not returned. to I'd say since high school. but we found it with our friend Ben. Ben passed away about a decade ago. He would have definitely joined us today. if we had the opportunity to. But we like the idea of continuing.

to kinda let his memory live on in the stuff. that we do including the book and the character. of Ben in "The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek.". - And without Ben, Rex and Leif would not be able. to face the challenges and answer the questions. and help out in the way they would hope they'd be able to. but I don't think they would have been able. to do it without Ben. - Yeah. - And I feel very similar about us. I think that a lot of the things we discovered. as kids and the ways that, a lot of the things. that defined our childhood and experiences we had,

many of those outdoors, many of those at the river, were because Ben was willing to just dive in. - Yeah. - When you find a tree. this big, it becomes like a focal point. It's like oh, if we ever have to run from the cops, we know we're gonna meet at the tree. - You thought this but you've never told this? - (chuckles) That's a good point. Now I've told you. If something goes down, we need to meet at the tree.

I've been thinking it for many years. - Well good thing we know exactly where it's at. I think the tree is on that side. I think it's across the creek. My instincts-- - I think it's over here. - We had a little argument about where the tree might be. I pointed in one direction. and you pointed in another direction. Where do you think we should go? - I can't remember. - [Rhett] I don't remember ever walking--. - This way. - Through this. You asked me a question that was a set up. that you seemed to believe had a correct answer. - Who do you think has a better sense of spatial memory?

- I said, "You think you do. "but I think we're probably even.". - If I've proven anything-- (Rhett laughs). It's that I have the better spatial memory. - One reason I'm having a bias towards this direction. is because I saw a really tall tree in a canopy. from over there but we never found it that way. so I'm willing to admit that. that might not be a reliable way to do it. - It's over there. I would really bet a nut that it's on the left side. Unless it's over there. - [Rhett] I think that's it right there. - I think this is it. It wasn't it. - It wasn't it. - See a big tree, guys?

What is that? Get that off of me. Get that off me. - [Stevie] Wait. (Link whimpers). - [Link] Did you get it? I want you to film it before it kills me. but I also want you to get it off me. - [Rhett] And there's two things. - It's this way. So you were right. - Hold on say it again. Who was right? - I was right. - No, you said I was right with my bearing. It turns out that the direction I pointed in. was the direction that the tree was in. (chuckles). That's it right there, that's it. Without a doubt. I'm 100% sure that's it.

That's the biggest one in the forest. That's it, man, we couldn't put our arms around that. See how much bigger that one is than the ones around it. That's the biggest white ash, see it goes up higher than everything. It's actually the exact tree that we saw. from the other side. While we were standing on the other side. of the river, I looked at where the tallest tree was. (both chuckle). And pointed at that direction--. - You cheated. I'm using raw memory. - Yeah, raw memory is--. - Doesn't hold up in court. - Yeah, defunct. - [Link] This is definitely it. I mean look at, it's not only big around, it's tall.

- It's taller than the entire canopy. by a good 30 or 40 feet. - So I'll say that that split is from it getting struck. by lightning 'cause it goes all the way to the top. - I hope that that's true 'cause that's a very cool story. that since we left our tree, it's been struck by lightning. and survived. - But it's still living. - It's like Harry Potter. I know we really built it up. This is a big tree for North Carolina, this part of North Carolina. This is about as big as a tree can get. - Yeah, we had never seen a tree this big. - The tree was very big, but like many things. that you return to that were really big.

when you were a child, you come back as an adult, it was just, that's a big tree but it wasn't like whoa, that's the real big tree! Let's do what we did which is, we had Ben with us and we tried to go all the way around. and see if we could hold hands. Let's just see how far me and you alone get. - So I've got your hand back there. - [Rhett] Okay, where's your hand? Where's your other hand? - [Link] It's wrapping around a tree. - How close are we? - [Stevie] You're pretty close. You're like 10 inches.

- Oh I'm so much bigger. You were a lot smaller than--. - I wasn't all that shorter, my arm span was about the same. - We never got this close, man. - So, it wasn't just the two of us, it was you, me and Ben and I remember that the three of us--. - Couldn't do it. - Could not connect hands. but I think obviously we were wrong about that. - That's the nature of memory though. - That's what we remember. - And so, in the book, we did the more sensationalized version. of them not being able to get all the way around it.

- And I would say this is one of my favorite scenes. in the novel. - We really wanna talk about the significance of the tree. and what happens at the tree in the book but we can't. because it gives away too much. - The reason why it's my favorite part of the novel. is not only because it came from the memory. of us being here, but it was also very symbolic. of how the three of them in their friendship was... It wasn't a perfectly solidified friendship,

that if any two of them were holding hands, the other two weren't able to hold hands or link up. all the way around the tree which is symbolic. of the dynamics of their relationship. and I just thought that was--. - Yeah. - Really, really poignant. - [Rhett] Hey guys? We think this might be the tree. - So yeah, that first tree wasn't the tree. - It was just a tree.

- [Cameraman] Do we have to do that whole scene over again? - No, everything we said about that tree--. - [Both] Applies to this tree. - So we were taking a break, drinking some water, having found our tree. - I think I may have said I'm 100% sure that's it. I'm 100% sure that's it. - I didn't wanna say it. - I had a sneaking suspicion that it, 'cause of that lightning strike, I just started thinking, I was like--. - I didn't remember it. - I don't remember this lightning strike. and then I kinda started, and literally, it's like 40 yards away from the other tree. - Let's see. - So I'm gonna. grab your left hand. - If this one's bigger,

this one's definitely the tree. All right got your hand. - [Stevie] It's smaller, it's smaller. - It's smaller? - Smaller? - How does that happen? 'Cause you know, I didn't tell you this. but I looked around even after we found the tree, there's probably like six trees that are that big. This is like a crisis of conscience, man. - No, I know for a fact this is the tree. (Rhett laughs). The tree that we found second was the tree. - I'm still not sure, I think--.

- I know it was. - It might be--. - [Link] I know it, I remember it. - One is slightly bigger. - But the thing is-- - But there was a bigger tree? - Why didn't we ever find a bigger tree right over there? - [Rhett] It's just the lesson, you come back, he's an older and wiser man. and you actually find the biggest tree. - The first tree that we thought was the tree. was not the tree. - Right, we can agree on that. - Now we each have our own tree. - Yeah, exactly. I'll take the one with the lightning strike. like Harry Potter. Of course we couldn't leave the river without. swimming in the old watering hole.

Is that what we called it? (Stevie laughs). - The swimming hole, the swimming hole. - Water hole's where you drink, right? That's like a bar. (chuckles). (Rhett grunts). Whoa ho ho! Yeah! This is the (screams). (Rhett laughs). - Even though the river's running very shallow--. - The waterin' hole's still deep. - It's like 10 feet deep. (acoustic guitar music). - Any and all bacteria that wanted to grow in here,

this is the perfect, organic soup for it. And we were just like consuming it. Accidentally getting it in our nose. - Butt holes. - I think it made us stronger, you know? I think it's like when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. had something happen to them in the sewers. - [Link] You mean when they became ninja turtles? - When they became ninja turtles. I think that we owe who we are to the toxic things. that got into our bodies as children. (water splashes).

- [Link] We're back, baby! - [Rhett] All right, you wanna go see. if we can find the real rocks? - Yeah. The rocks. The big rock and the little rock. - They may just be two medium-sized rocks. We've learned to be disappointed. So the art of the creek crossing, if you don't use a tree, you don't wanna get your brand new kicks wet. even though ours are. So one step, two step! - I really do think that Rhett should be like a tour guide.

of pointless places. He's so into this. He's so into sharing knowledge. that he's making up on the spot. - Hey man, you ruined it! I know that you especially were probably. a little bit worried about the fence. because you've got a little bit of a history. with that particular fence. But the fence is gone. - Yeah. - And now--. - I've been snagged on the barbed wire. and I've been shocked by the cow fence. - Right so that's all gone so you can now. just walk right out there into the field.

- This field shaped our young lives. Many conversations were had in this field. back when it were a cow pasture. - Back when it were a cow pasture. We were come out here. (Link laughs). And we were find the cows. - Hey, man. Mister tour guide. - Is that soy bean they got planted out there? Is that what that is? - I'm gonna guess so. I don't know.

I'm no hori-cor-salis. - Do you remember the times that the bull turned on us. and we started running, the famous story. of us running and me jumping the fence, me jumping the fence, then Ben jumping the fence. and then you jumped the fence but you got your leg caught. on the fence and were repeatedly shocked. by the electric fence. That happened right over here. - The barb wire fence got me here and then my heel came up. and caught the electric fence and then I was draped over. a barb wire fence being shocked by an electric fence. again and again and again. - And I was standing in the woods laughing at him.

- Let's walk this way because in this first series. of trees on the right, there's like a water hole. and the rocks are on the edge of the water hole. We found the rock, at least the big one. - [Rhett] We found, this is the little rock right here. And then the big rock is covered up. with all this pine straw. - [Link] I was gonna use this as a machete. (whacking tree limbs). - Once we got out to the rocks,

our crew that was with us was like, oh. Oh, we were kinda picturing something different. (laughs). - Something picturesque, something worth filming. - And we were like no, it's just a big rock and a little rock. - [Link] That is a big rock. The rock has not gotten smaller. - Anything that seemed especially unique. to us, or quirky or weird, we added that to the book and I think the fact. that as teenagers, we had a system of rocks,

the little-- - Conversation rocks. - And the big rock where you could ask questions, only if you're on the small rock. and you could then pontificate. about things on the larger rock. We were like, we gotta find a way to put that into the book. - [Link] I don't think we did this all the time. I think we had this big idea to do this. and we did it a few times. - Yeah. - There's no doubt. in my mind this was a Rhett McLaughlin idea. - What makes you say that? Only questions. - I can just hear you saying, you know what, if you're on the big rock, you can say anything you want.

If you're on the little rock, you can only ask questions. I don't remember you saying it. but I would bet a reproductive organ. I feel I should have been emotional. Any questions? - Are you gonna cry? - I could definitely cry. If I had to choose one location. that represents our friendship. and perhaps that the most meaningful place. for us in our friendship,

I would choose the two rocks. - Oh yeah 'cause that's the place. where we made our blood oath. This is where the blood oath happened. This is where we found a sharp rock and cut our palms. (claps) And we didn't put 'em together. We did put 'em together but we mostly put them on. a sheet of paper (chuckles). that we each had that basically said, we are going to do something great together.

A little ambiguous. - We're gonna create something. - [Rhett] Something together, yeah. - But like a creative endeavor, right? I had to make it a question. - That's good. That was good. You can just put right at the end. of everything that you say. Technically that's a way to not violate the rules. I think that the rocks themselves and then the fact. that we did an oath, like we made things very ceremonial. and like ritualistic which I find, in light of where the book goes, kind of interesting too.

Like taking that too an extreme place. - What do you mean by that? - Well I don't wanna give it away. We take ritual and ceremony way beyond anything. that we actually ever did. So I kinda had a feeling that we may end up trying. to do the oath over. Like when couples get married a second time. - We're gonna renew our vows. - Like when they go to the Dominican Republic. and the guy is wearing like a white shirt. with no jacket, like that kinda situation.

We should renew our--. - He's wearing like a t-shirt and a blazer this time. - Yeah but flip-flops. - Yeah. - We renewed our vows. - Yeah, it's a bit casual. but they been through some (beep). - Yeah, you're not asking questions. Just say right. - I'm done with that, man. - Gotta admit, I was a little scared. about potentially cutting myself with a rock. - [Rhett] These rocks will break. Will shatter if you drop them on another rock, like check this out. (rock clatters). Oh see, it did-- - You really threw it hard. - See, it broke off right there. Look at that, Link, that's a razor blade right there.

Look at that. - [Link] Well I'll be damn. - [Rhett] Created a razor blade. - [Link] I like how you're down on one knee. You're proposing to me. (laughs). I know that the finger, you can really prick a finger. - With a needle. Not like on the knee. Can you get blood out of a knee? - It's not really an oath. when two guys are touching knees. (Rhett chuckles). That's like experimentation. - It didn't work but you know what, it was still very meaningful. - [Link] Let's make awesome stuff together. - Let's keep making awesome stuff together. - Yeah, and you know what, I bet this thing called YouTube will come along.

and we won't have anybody to tell us. we can't do what we wanna do or be what we wanna be. - Why are we going back into the past? I thought we were renewing our vows, not going back into the past, like--. - [Link] I'm a bit confused about this bit. - It's the year 2019, what are we doing now? - Oh, in the future? - Yeah. - Uh-- - Is there gonna be. a new platform? - Oh yeah let's start going. - Is Myspace coming back? - [Link] We shake it this way, man. - [Rhett] 'Cause I got tired. - Got too tired of the other-- - If Myspace comes back, let's get on that, let's dominate that. - There's something about shaking this way. - Isn't Justin Timberlake involved? (Link chuckles). (tender acoustic music).

- You know what, I'm glad we're friends. I'm glad we, we fulfilled our oath, man. - Yeah man. - I think that's the point. - Yeah! - The oath is fulfilled. - Yeah we did. - I'd say for many years I was looking for an opportunity. to go back and do what we did today. To visit the river, to go swimming there again, to go back to the rocks. I think... I think I can continue. I think I can move forward with our friendship. - So it was like a once every 20 years kinda thing? - Yeah, I think the renewing of the vows has taken.

- [Stevie] I'm not crying, you're crying. Cry into your own copy of "The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek". at BleakCreek.com or wherever books are sold.