01x08 - A Hollow Man

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Whispers". Aired: June 2015 to August 2015.*
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Based on the 1951 Ray Bradbury short story "Zero Hour" from "The Illustrated Man", "The Whispers" explores what happens when a paranormal force begins a mysterious and quiet haunting of Earth by using the most unlikely and unsuspecting inhabitants on the planet – the children.
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01x08 - A Hollow Man

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on The Whispers...

Lena: Drill, I want you to leave my daughter alone.

I'll do whatever it takes.

Drill said he wants something from you.

Maybe you can make a deal.

I lived with this thing in my head for three months.

What does it want?

To destroy us, sir.

[Electricity crackles]

It's Drill. He's here.

Wes, we can end this, get rid of Drill for good.

[expl*si*n]

Take my car. You run. Go.

Claire Bennigan was responsible.

Bennigan's son... I want him in our custody.

Are you sure my mom's gonna be there?

Don't worry, Henry. It should be just up ahead.

[Car doors close]

I'm right here, sweetheart.

Look, I can explain. [Grunts]

Ohh.

[Coughs, groans]

What the hell were you thinking?

I was thinking about my country, sir.

No, no, no, don't play the patriot, son.

You aided and abetted someone who's...

What Sean and Claire did... was treason, Wes.

And when we find 'em, they will be punished accordingly.

No, you won't, sir.

You ordered an FBI agent to kidnap their son.

Now is that how we're doing things these days?

Because I'm sure the American people will be interested to know that that's how you're running things.

Easy. You're out of your depth here.

And why stop there?

Maybe it's time to go public with everything... the meltdown, the rock, the alien manipulating our children.

Everything that we have kept secret in the name of national security while every day we're becoming less secure.

You're not that guy, Wes.

No.

I can be if I have to.

Sir, I know this didn't go down the way you planned it, but look at the results.

We have illuminated a very real, very imminent thr*at.

How do you confirm the death of something you cannot see?

Drill is an electrical entity.

We set off an E.M.P. while he was in the room.

My team has not even found one shred of electrical energy.

Now if I may be so bold, sir, depending on how you play this, I just handed you the presidency.

Make sure this place is cleaned up.

Do we have an understanding about Sean and Claire Bennigan?

I'll let you know what I decide.

[Car door closes]

Why'd you do it?

Look, all the secretary wanted was updates on our case.

If all he wanted was updates on our case, he wouldn't have asked you to spy on your partner.

How could you just how could I what?

Follow a direct order? Obey chain of command?

So why stop now?

There's some things you don't ask a man to do.

Okay, so what now?

Three of us get in that car, lay low until Wes can clear the air.

But what about Drill?

Henry, Drill's gone, sweetheart.

No, he's not.

What do you mean?

Right before Mr. Rollins came to pick me up, Drill came over.

He wanted to talk.

Talk about what?

About you and Mommy.

He sounded... different.

Different how?

Like he was mad about something you guys did.

He wanted to know where you were.

Okay.

Okay, okay.

[Kisses]

Go wait for us in the... in the car, okay, baby?

Mommy and Daddy have to talk.

If he's looking for us...

Claire... we can't risk having Henry...

I can protect our son.

How? You have seen what Drill can do.

Is he safer with the FBI? With your mom?

Claire, it doesn't matter where Henry is.

If there is electricity, Drill can find him.

We're better off together.

Come on.

Everything's gonna be okay for now.

What do you mean?

Drill. He's gone.

We eliminated him.

Oh, my god.

[Chuckles]

Oh, my god.

Oh, when? [Kisses]

I don't know about, uh, three, three, four hours ago.

Wes, he was here an hour ago.

That's not... that's not possible.

I should've told you this sooner, but, um, I've been talking to him.

You talk... to Drill?

Well, not directly, but through Minx.

I asked questions, and she told me what his answers were.

Lena...

Look, I know, I know, Wes. I'm so sorry.

I just...

You're... you're sure this happened an hour ago?

Minx came in here, and she woke me up, and she told me he wanted to play a game with me.

What kind of a game?

She told me he'd show me when he's ready.

[Whispers] Hey, Minx?

What is it, Daddy?

It's okay, sweetie.

I... I just need to know if you were helping Mommy talk to Drill tonight.

It's okay. I already told him.

Tell him what you said.

[Whispers] It's okay.

I'm sorry. I was just pretending.

No.

Tell Daddy the truth about how we've been playing with Drill.

[Sighs] I was just trying to make you feel better, Mommy.

I know how much you wanted to talk to Drill, so I just made it up. I'm sorry.

I think...

We all just need some rest, okay?

[Switch clicks, door closes]

She's lying.

What makes you think she's lying now and not before?

Did you ever hear Drill yourself?

No, but...

So all you really know is what Minx told you he was saying, right?

Look, isn't it possible that she just made it up to... to get her mother's attention?

I mean, look, we... we have all been through a lot, okay?

[Kisses] But it's over now, okay?

Things will go back to normal.

Let's go to bed. [Kisses]

So Wes can reach us.

It's not traceable.

[Phone beeps]

I need to wash up.

[Door closes]

[Inhales and exhales deeply]

You remember the last time we were in a hotel room together?

New Year's Eve, two years ago.

It was supposed to be a getaway to reconnect.

We both got food poisoning.

It was a beautiful room, huge bed, and the two of us curled up on the bathroom floor together, all night.

You said the cold tile would make us feel better.

[Sighs]

You were right.

Bath mats for pillows, robes for blankets.

You know what I remember most?

How we talked, almost the whole night.

Somehow we stopped doing that... talking to each other.

Maybe we just stopped listening.

Maybe.

But we made it through that night together.

That's how we're gonna make it through this.

What is "making it through" mean, Sean?

It means we're gonna be a family again.

[Inhales and exhales deeply]

[Indistinct conversations]

[Telephone ringing in distance]

It came in.

Hmm?

The research Agent Bennigan ordered last week.

I wasn't sure where to put it.

I'll take it. Thank you.

[Cell phone vibrating]

Jessup? Is everything okay?

Remember when you had research look into case studies on imaginary friends?

How you wanted to go beyond what's in the FBI database?

Yeah.

Well, they pulled something from a psychology journal about childhood disassociative disorders.

And what does it say?

Well, one of the subjects is an 8-year-old boy who reports talking to a friend named Drill, a, uh, "malevolent presence from another world, who speaks only to children."

Malevolent?

Sounds like he's the first kid to see through Drill's act, who is he? How he is connected to the...

It's not the who that's interesting here.

It's the when.

This article was written in 1982.

Drill's been here before.

[telephone rings]

Claire, you all right?

Yeah, we're fine.

Yeah, you need to lay low a little while longer, okay?

I'm still working on the secretary.

Wes, listen, the secretary isn't our biggest problem anymore.

Drill survived.

Wes?

Lena tried to tell me the same thing.

I... I didn't believe her. Where are you now?

[Sighs] We're in Delaware.

What are you doing there?

He could know everything.

If he's known Drill for 30 years, he damn sure knows more about what we're up against...

Okay, do you have any idea where he is now?

No, no, but Jessup was able to track down an address for the kid's father.

It's 115 Pine Crest Road in Hockessin.

Be careful, okay? If Drill is out there, then...

Yeah, you guys, too.

[Cell phone beeps]

Lena, it's me.

You were right about Drill.

[Electricity crackling]

I'm gonna be home soon, but until I am, I just want you and Minx to be careful.

Maybe get out of the house, get away from any electricity.

Just... just call me when you get this.

[Knock on door]

[Gasps]

Mommy?

I'm sorry I lied. But you lied to Drill.

You promised you'd keep our games with him a secret, but then you told Daddy.

I don't want Drill to be mad at you.

I want you to be friends.

Honey, I don't think we should be friends with Drill anymore.

But Drill says he has an important message for you.

Why can't you just tell me what the message is?

Drill says it's a secret message just for you.

If you do what the letters say, he'll give you what you want.

[Tiles thud]

[Tiles clatter]

What is it, Mommy? Is it fun?

No.

No, honey, it's not fun. And I won't play.

Ever.

[Knock on door]

Mr. Harcourt? Yes?

We'd like to speak with you about your son.

Uh-oh.

Greg done somethin' wrong?

No. No, no, we're just looking for some information.

But I... I think we're talking about an older son who participated in a psychological study back in 1982?

Yeah, I'm sorry. This isn't a good time.

Why don't you come...

Please, please.

Please, I'm not asking you as a federal agent.

I'm... I'm asking you as a parent.

Our son... has been speaking with Drill.

Drill?

Drill was Thomas' imaginary friend. How is your son...

He's not imaginary.

He's real.

There were rumors that your domestic terror plot was recently foiled at the Harbor Point nuclear plant.

Well, Roger, it's, uh, it's never a good policy to comment on rumors.

Well, certainly people have legitimate questions and concerns.

I realize that, so so let me just say, there was no domestic terror plot foiled at the Harbor Point nuclear facility.

This was simply a security exercise despite what the bloggers and conspiracy theorists might wanna believe.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Always a pleasure, Roger.

Wes?

What's goin' on?

We were wrong, sir.

The enemy was not neutralized at the black site.

I apologize for jumping the g*n on my analysis...

This is not the time for apologies, Wes.

How long do you think we can contain this?

Claire Bennigan is currently working on a lead that might give us...

Are you seriously telling me you've had contact with her?

She is... she is our best chance of getting through this problem, sir.

No, no, there was a time when our best chance was you, son.

Clearly, that time's over.

I'm stripping you of your clearance.

Pack your things, go home.

And watch out for that family of yours.

What do you want me to do?

[Indistinct whispering]

Where is it?

[Indistinct whispering]

Are you sure it's safe?

Okay, I'll help.

Minx, time for lunch!

[Kn*fe clatters]

Minx?

Minx? Where are you?

Up here, Mommy.

[Gasps]

Oh, my god.

Minx, step back from the edge.

It's okay, Mommy. Drill says there's a kitten up here.

I'm gonna save her.

[Electricity crackles]

Okay, honey, I'm serious now.

I need you to... to get down from there and go inside.

But the kitten's up..

There is no kitten.

But Drill said there was. I know, but Drill was wrong, sweetie.

So just go back inside, okay?

Okay.

[Indistinct whispering]

Minx?

Okay, I'll ask.

Drill wants to know if you're ready to play his game now.
[Electricity crackling]

Just go inside, come down, and I'll be right in, okay?

Will you promise to leave her alone and never talk to her again?

[Electricity crackles]

Okay, okay, I'll do it.

Before Greg, I had two other sons.

Thomas... he was the younger one.

Eliot was two years older.

[Sighs] I was at N.A.S.A. then, working as an astronomer.

And every day, when I came home, the boys would ask, did I hear from the aliens today?

As it so happens, in the summer of '82, we... picked up a strange signal.

What kind of signal?

Narrowband radio from the Chi Sagittarii star group.

And when I told the boys, they got so excited, Thomas especially.

He said he wanted to meet them.

A few weeks later, he came to me.

He said the alien wasn't out there.

He was already here in his head.

Mr. Harcourt, what did Thomas do?

Thomas, he, um... he k*lled his brother.

Said Drill made him do it.

Hey, Callie, where's Lena?

She's at a doctor's appointment.

She never mentioned an appointment to me.

Where's Minx?

She's upstairs.

What's wrong?

Minx, honey, we need to talk.

What's that stuff, Daddy?

Cameras. Special cameras. So we can see if Drill's here.

I told you, Drill isn't here anymore.

Enough.

I know that you lied to me about Drill and what you told your mommy.

I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do.

Drill said not to tell you.

It doesn't matter what Drill says anymore.

Okay? I need you to promise me if he contacts you, you tell me.

This family, we don't have any secrets anymore, all right?

Okay.

Okay.

Then I think you need to know something about Mommy.

What?

I think she's gonna do something bad.

Thomas and Eliot had gone out to play in the woods down by Hanger's Pond.

I told them to be back before it got dark 'cause a storm was rolling in.

Well, the storm came in... thunder, lightning, hard rain, and neither of the boys were home.

So I set out to look for 'em.

When I found Thomas, he came walking out from the trees like he'd seen a ghost.

Looked as if he was drenched to the bone.

But when I got closer, I could tell...

It wasn't just rain he was soaked in.

I'm so sorry.

And what happened to Thomas... was he...

Yes, he was, uh, sent to the Rockwood Institution.

It's a psychiatric facility.

He spent 10 years there before his emancipation.

And then you had another son.

You have to understand, I didn't just lose Eliot, I lost both of my sons that night.

And I just... I couldn't, uh...

Live with the memory that hurt any longer.

Lena, whatever you think you're doing, whatever reasons you think you have for doing it, just please don't, just call me.

Harcourt: Maybe I should've paid more attention.

Maybe I should've... believed.

I didn't.

Any idea where we might be able to find Thomas now?

No.

This is the only thing I have left of him.

Thomas is on this?

It's old home movies.

I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch 'em, but please. [Tin thuds]

I should...

No, I'll check on the kids. I'll be back in a second.

I hope you find something that can help ya.

[Box thuds]

[Projector whirring]

Sean: There's Eliot.

That must be Thomas.

Claire: That look like a k*ller to you?

Oh, my god.

Is that Hanger's Pond? That's where it happened.

Wait.

Stop. Play it back again.

[Projector continues whirring]

[Mouths words]

"I'm sorry."

He's apologizing.

[Switch clicks]

Why would Drill have wanted this boy dead?

It's never about the kids.

It's about the parents, what they can do for Drill, who they have access to.

Dad worked for N.A.S.A. They got that signal.

If we follow Drill's pattern, then Eliot's death would've kept his father from doing something.

[Lowered voice] But what?

[Normal voice] Dad doesn't know anything.

Without Thomas, we got nothing.

Maybe we're looking for the wrong Harcourt.

Jessup, I need you to do another search, but this time for Eliot Harcourt.

Okay, I got two hits.

One deceased in 1982, the other... current residence, 2-1-7 Spruce Street, Wilmington, Delaware.

217 Spruce Street, thank you.

It's a psychiatric coping mechanism called identity transference... a way to work out his guilt by taking his brother's name, Eliot lives on, and it's Thomas, the... the bad one, the guilty one that goes away.

Let's grab Henry and go.

I'll... I'll explain the rest in the car. [Paper rips]

[Door opens, closes]

[Indistinct whispering, projector whirs]

[Crackling]

[Indistinct conversations]

So what does frommer want you to do?

Put a bag over my head? Take me to Guantánamo?

Frommer doesn't want me to do much of anything anymore.

I need your help.

With what?

I need to find my wife.

Jessup: I can track her cell.

Female automated voice: Your destination is set.

In 2 miles, turn right on Northvale Road.


All right, I got her.

Northvale Road in...

In Delaware.

What's she doing in Delaware?

Wait, this is about 5 miles from where Sean and Claire just were.

She's going after them.

Why?

'Cause that's what Drill wants her to do.

Doorbell's not working.

Or it's been disconnected.

Doesn't seem to be very fond of visitors.

[Knocking on door]

Hello?

[Jiggles doorknob]

[Thunder rumbles]

Should we talk to a neighbor?

Neighbors aren't gonna be able to tell us what we need to know.

[Whispers] Hey.

[Normal voice] I need you to do me a favor, okay?

Get in the car, lock the doors, and don't come out, not for anyone, okay?

Okay.

Okay.

I love you.

[Kisses]

[Glass shatters]

Power's out.

Looks like someone forgot to pay their electricity bill.

It's not just that... no bulbs in any of the fixtures.

No microwave, no toaster.

Not even any appliances.

He doesn't want any electricity in the house.

[Door creaks]

I've seen this.

Harper drew the same thing in her treehouse right before her mom fell through.

[Door squeaks]

[Thunder rumbling]

It's him... and his brother.

[Floorboard creaks overhead]

Thomas...

Thomas, we just wanna talk to you.

Female automated voice: Your destination is .6 miles ahead. Proceed forward.

[Beep]

Wes: Lena, whatever you think you're doing, whatever reasons you think you have for doing it, just please don't. Just call me.

I can't do this.

God, I can't do this.

[Knock on window]

[Gasps loudly]

[Windshield wipers clacking]

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Are you sure?

Yes, thank you.

Then why aren't you doing it?

What?

My friend says you need to hurry.

You're running out of time.

Now she's moving again, leaving the gas station.

Stay on 95.

We just wanna talk to you.

Are you from the hospital?

No.

I don't need the medicine. I don't need it.

No, we're not from the hospital.

Then who are you?

[Whispers] We're wasting time.

[g*n cocks]

Wait.

You wanna know who I am, Thomas?

I'm just like you.

Drill made me do things, bad things, things that made people think I was someone I'm not.

Even the people that cared about me the most, the people that loved me, not even they believed me.

But I... I couldn't blame them.

How could I? I... I sounded crazy.

I'm not crazy.

We know you're not.

Because if you are... then we are.

[Lock clicks]

[Door creaking]

How did you find me?

[Thunder rumbling]

[Indistinct whispering]

[Lock clicking]

[Electricity crackles]

[Crackling continues]

[Indistinct whispering continues]

We were the ones who called him here.

We just didn't know it.

What do you mean, "we called him"?

"Now I am become death.

Destroyer of worlds." The quote.

People said it was Oppenheimer.

Actually, it's from the "Bhagavad gita," but it expressed how Oppenheimer felt after realizing what completing the atomic b*mb really meant for our world.

I'm sorry.

I don't understand.

It's all right here.

Between 1945 and 1982, there were over 1,703 nuclear tests around the world.

Each expl*si*n sent a trail of energy way out into space.

Over time, we created a beacon.

And they just followed it here.

They even sent back a signal of their own.

My father was the one who picked it up.

And it happened soon after that.

What?

That's when the whispers started.

[Muffled voice] Somebody help me!

Thomas: They said he was dying.

Not just him... his whole planet.

The energy they need to live off of is almost all gone, so they sent Drill out, after that beacon of heat coming from us.

When he got here, he realized only the kids could hear him.

Any idea why he chose to speak to you?

He needed a way to send a signal back to the others.

And your father worked with signals... satellites.

But I knew.

I knew what would happen if Drill sent that signal out.

[Vehicle approaches]

Oh, she stopped again.

217 Spruce Street, same as Sean and Claire.

How far out are we?

Three minutes.

Sean: Thomas, does Drill still speak to you?

The doctors said I just stopped hearing the whispers because the medication was working.

But you and I know better.

We know better about what?

When did he stop talking to you?

It doesn't matter.

Thomas, we are here because we wanna help our son.

We want Drill to leave him alone, and anything that you can tell us Drill is talking to your son?

And other kids, too.

No, that's not possible.

That...

They must've sent another one to find us.

What... what if he followed you?

Thomas...

You have to leave!

Thomas... you...

I can't...

Thomas...

I don't wanna hear him again!

[Door handle rattling]

[Muffled voice] Mom!

Thomas, you have to relax.

What... what do you mean another one?

Another Drill?

That's the only way!

The only way that what?

If your son is talking to him now, he can't be the same friend I had.

Why not, Thomas?

Because I k*lled him!

I k*lled Drill.

[Whispers] What?

I had to stop him.

[Tires screech]

How? How did you k*ll Drill?

[Door opens]

Lena.

No!

[g*nshots]

[Muffled voice] No!

[Indistinct whispering]

Lena!

[Electricity crackling]

Lena?

I had to.

Okay.

Claire?

Hey.

[Door opens]

Mom? Dad?

Henry, turn around. Don't look, son.

Mom?

She's fine.

Sean, get him outta here.

Thomas.

Thomas, can you hear me?

Thomas, look at me.

Lena, give me the g*n. Give me the g*n.

It's okay. It's okay.

[g*n clicks]

Okay? Now, look, what happened?

He... he lured her out on the roof.

There was a power line...

[Whispers] What was I gonna do?

Wes, she's our little girl.

Lena, I know, I know.

It's gonna be okay.

All right, sit down. Sit down, sit down.

[Groaning] It's okay.

There's no exit wound.

We need to get something to stop this bleeding.

Get it, get it, get it, I got it.

Lena? Lena?

I got this.

I will make it okay, all right? Promise.

Thomas, look at me.

Look at me.

His pressure's dropping.

No, no.

Thomas...

Look at me. I need to know, please.

I need to know.

How did you do it? How did you do it?

Stop.

How did you do it? How did you do it, Thomas?

Please. Wes!

Hello, Wes?!

Okay, I got this. I got it.

[Panting]

We can't take him to a hospital with a g*nsh*t wound.

They'll have to report it to the police.

I understand, Wes, but he knows.

He knows how to k*ll Drill.
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