In the present, when Pendanski mocks Zero, whose name is actually Hector Zeroni, the latter hits Pendanski with a shovel and escapes into the desert. After some deliberation, Stanley searches for Hector. The pair have difficulty surviving in the desert without water. Eventually, Stanley carries the now ill Hector up a thumb-shaped mountain peak called “God’s Thumb”, where they find a wild field of onions and a source of water, helping them regain strength; at the same time, Stanley unknowingly fulfills his ancestor's promise to the fortune teller and breaks the curse. Hector tells Stanley that he stole Livingston's sneakers and threw them over the bridge to evade police, only for them to inadvertently hit Stanley who was mistaken for the thief.