03x13 - The Tale of the Dangerous Soup

[bunniefuu]

[Child's laughter]

Uh... heights.

I'm not good with heights.

I, uh, I get sick.

Dogs.

I was bitten
when I was a kid.

Any time I see one,
I cross the street.

Birds.

Birds?

I'm afraid they're gonna
fly in my face or something.

Weird.

The attic.

I can't go up there
alone.

No way.

Slasher movies!

That doesn't count.

Cheap.

What can I say?

I'm not afraid
of anything.

Yeah. We'll see.

So what are you
afraid of, tough guy?

That box?

It's no secret.

I'm afraid of the dark.

Yes!
He admits it!

We've all got something
that scares us

even though it shouldn't.

You know there's nothing
in the attic that can get you.

You know a bird
can't hurt you.

But there's still
some dark place inside

that makes
your hands sweat...

And your mouth go dry.

My story's about fear,

the kind that's different
for everyone,

that kind that you
have to face up to...

Or it'll eat you alive.

Submitted for the approval

of the Midnight Society,

I call this story...

The Tale of the Dangerous Soup.

Hello?

Hey...

I can't get
out of here.

[Man]
Sit down, please.

Yeah, OK

I'll bite.

Great.

Now what?

[Clank]

[Man] It knows
what scares you.

Hey, c-come on!

It knows
what scares you!

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!

No!

No! No!

Hello. Welcome to
the Wild Boar.

Your table's ready.

It's fabulous!

He's outdone
himself.

[Man] This is the best
soup I've ever had.

Bon appetit.

Hi.

We have specials tonight.

Don't bother.
We came for the soup.

Oh.

What a surprise.

soups.
Table .

Hi.

bucks for
a bowl of soup.

If I had that
kind of cash,

I would not be spending
it on a bowl of soup.

They say
it's worth it.

I'm sorry,
but no soup is worth it.

Sorry, Jersey.

[Yelling] You wanna
watch it with that stuff?

Relax. It's OK.

I'm not
picking those up.

I don't touch knives,
OK? I'm sorry.

Jersey,
what are you doing?

I just want
another taste.

You'll get fired
for that. Come on.

Could we order a
second serving now?

Sorry. One per customer.

[Applause]

Bravo!
Bravo!

Honored guests,

your admiration
of my humble fare...

Is most appreciated.

I'm looking for
the Wild...Boar?

You found it.
You here about the job?

Yeah.

Great.

I'm Nonnie Walker, hostess
and part-time bookkeeper.

Reed.

Reed Hanson.

So... did you ever work
in a restaurant before?

I've had a lot of
jobs.

So what's this
place like?

It's OK. Ha.

Dr. Vink is kinda--

Dr. Fink?

Vink, with a Va-Va-Va.

He's the boss.
He does everything--

the menu, the--

So what is he? Is he a
doctor, or is he a cook?

To those Sage enough
to know,

I am a chef.

A cook feeds
the stomach.

A chef...

Nourishes the Soul.

So what, am I supposed to
be impressed or something?

Interesting.

You may do.

Come.

Looks like a nutbag
to me.

A chef is an artist.

The kitchen
is his studio,

and these...Vegetables,
fruits, spices...

These are his medium.

[Inhales]

Combined by the seasoned
hand of an epicure,

the result is a feast
for the senses.

Taste.

[Sniffs]

What is it?

Specialty of the house.
Le Potage Dangereux.

The Dangerous Soup.

Taste.

That's pretty good!

My friend,

the flavor dances
over the palette

in a symphony
of sensation!

It's far from
pretty good.

And he charges
$ a bowl.

Get outta here!

A small price to pay
for the sublime.

Wait, let me have
another taste?

One taste...

To educate the palette.

Try to sneak another,

and I guarantee...

You'll regret it.

You don't scare me.

Perfect!

You'll do nicely.

And...

I am not a nutbag.

Reed needed this job
pretty bad.

He didn't have
any family,

so he was pretty much
on his own.

He mostly kept to himself,

and never let anyone
help him do anything...

No. That's OK.

Ever.

It was an OK. Place
to work,

except every
once in a while,

somebody would just quit.

For no reason,

they'd suddenly take off
and never look back.

Strange.

But Dr. Vink's restaurant
was the most popular in town.

People came from all over

just to sample
the Dangerous Soup.

I'm outta here.
See you tomorrow.

Later.

Man, this is good.

What are you doing?

Did you taste
my soup?

No.

He didn't.

He...

He was just
cleaning the stove.

Dr. Vink?

No way!

I don't do
dishes!

I wait
tables!

So you've told me.

Alas, my dear, your job
description has just been changed.

Nonnie.

Thank you.

Forget it.

Wait!

I mean for
everything.

You've been really cool
to me since I got here,

and, um...
I've been...

I've been kind of
a... slug.

Yeah, I noticed.

My dear, you have
proven to be far too...

Loud for the tastes
of my guests.

Loud?

Loud?!

I'll show you loud!

This...

What's going on?

No, no, wait,
wait, please.

I finally got the guts
to say this to you, so...

I have always
had to do things

on my own.

And I'm not used
to people being...

Very nice to me.

And, um...

I'm sorry.

Please... please,
my dear!

You misunderstand!

[Chuckles]

By transferring you
to the kitchen,

I was planning on
making you my protege.

You're kidding.

Indeed not!

The secret ingredient
of my soup

is known to only
a select few.

And you--
you, my dear--

have been chosen to join the
ranks of the enlightened!

If you're interested.

Really?

There's nothing
in that freezer.

I'll show you.
My secret lies within,

and it's yours
to experience.

[Thud]

What's going on?

Sit down, please.

What is this?

You want my secret?

Sit down, please.

Ha. Man, you are
the strangest.

It knows
what scares you.

Vink!

[Chuckles]

It knows what scares you!

Jersey: Aah!

Aah!

Ha ha ha ha ha!

[Gasps]

What are you doing?

No. You--you--you

can't.

Open the door now.

Very well.

Open it.

Are you OK?

Yeah.

What happened?

Well--you were
screaming.

I was?

Yeah.

Man, it's like
I blanked or something.

I gotta get
outta here.

Jersey.

What is going on?

You'd better start
talkin', pal.

You intrigue me,
lad.

You're not like
the others.

I believe it's time

to share the secret
of my soup.

Perhaps it will
help to explain

what you've just
witnessed.

During my travels,

I once happened upon a
tribe of savage warriors

who never raised
a sword in anger,

for they had a w*apon
far more powerful...

A statue,
a talisman,

enchanted with
an incredible power.

This magic statue
actually had the power

to feed on fear.

What?

Oh, yes.

It could reach
into your mind

and actually create...

Your deepest fear.

It was only an illusion,

but the more
you believed in it,

the more real
it would become.

What's this got to
do with your soup?

This talisman not only
summoned fear from its enemies,

it drew it from them

like a precious elixir.

The tribe would drink
the fear of its enemies

to gain their strength.

A single drop

is enough to make the pulse
quicken and the blood flow.

When you taste my soup,
you're tasting fear,

and that's a taste
you won't soon forget.

That's why everyone
quits.

You've been scaring them
to get the ingredient.

Wait a minute. You don't
believe all this, do you?

You're quite the
tough one, aren't you?

I told you before.

You don't scare me.

Then let's see what does.

Shall we?

Let's get
outta here, OK?

What's the problem, lad?

No longer feeling brave?

Come on.

No.

Someone's gotta
stand up to this guy.

Observe, my dear.

This should be
interesting.

[Slam]

It knows...

What scares you.

Sorry, Vink,

you're not gonna
get to me that easily.

That's what I'm
counting on.

The stronger
the subject,

the more powerful
the elixir.

Hmm...

What have we here?

What lies deep inside?

I'm seeing
a scared little boy,

an orphan...

I'm not buying this.

...raised by an uncle.

He was a cruel man

who treated you
very harshly.

What happened to him, lad?

Yes...

You remember now,
don't you?

How--how did you do that?

Have a look.

Stop it.
Let him out.

I know you can't
resist.

Aah! Aah!

[Nonnie
whimpers]

Reed!

No! Not while
it's feeding!

Aah!

You fool!

Look!

You've unleashed it!

What?

It grows stronger
with each feeding.

And now it's out!

I managed
to contain it.

But now that it's out,
it can feed at will.

You mean that thing
can terrorize anybody?

Yes! That's what it does.
I must stop it!

How?

I don't know.

I just pray
I'm not too late!

What should we do?

I--I--I don't know.

We gotta call
somebody, warn them.

And say there's
a magic demon loose

and it's gonna terr--

[moaning]

What happened?

[Thunder]

Reed...

[Moaning]

I think it's back.

Maybe it never left.

Come on.

It wants us, Reed! It
wants to feed on us!

We can't let it.
Clear your mind!

don't think about
what scares you.

Remember what Vink
said.

Aah!
Aah!

It's getting
stronger!

We can't let it!

No!

Aah!

Are you OK?

No, I'm not.

Ya gotta relax,
Nonnie.

Don't think about
what scares you, OK?

Yeah, but--

You're safe in there.

There's nothing in
there that can get you.

Reed? I gotta get
outta here.

There's nothing in
there to be afraid of.

No, you don't
understand.

I hate closed places.

It's the room
that scares me.

Reed!

It's an illusion!

Reed! Reed!

Reed, you gotta
get me outta here!

You've got to
fight it!

I can't! I can't!

You've got to! Face
your fear, Nonnie!

Face your fear!

I can't!

Face your fear!
It can't get you!

[Screaming]

Face your fear...

Face your fear!

Reed, please!
Do something!

Face your fear.

You're not real.

You're an illusion!

Reed, help me!

Get away from me!

You're not real!

You're a nightmare!

I don't believe
in you!

Reed, help me!

Aah!

You're not gonna
own me anymore!

Nonnie.

Nonnie!

You OK?

Yeah. What happened?

It's over.
It's all over.

I faced my fear.
I broke the spell!

I don't think Vink's gonna be making
any more of his Dangerous Soup.

That's where you're
wrong, my friend.

It still knows
what scares you.

I plan on being
in business

a long, long time!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

The end.

Great.

Good story.

That's weak.

What if there's
nothing you're afraid of?

The room wouldn't work.

That's right. Nothing
scares you, does it?

Maybe you should be
the first to, uh...

Reach into the unknown.

W-what's in it?

What's the difference?

You're not scared of
anything anyway.

Y-yeah. That's right.

Forget it.

So... what's in it?

Exactly what
Tucker's afraid of.

Nothing.

Very good.

Awesome story,
Frank.