01x06 - Chapter Six: Star of the Morning

[bunniefuu]

Previously on The Exorcist...

You're not Jessica.

Give me your hands. It's time for you to pray.

Marcus: Tomas!

Father Tomas, from St. Anthony.

How do you know that?

Who do you think sends you all those wonderful fundraising letters you throw straight into the trash?

It's a shame you got yourself kicked out of Chicago.

You have some friends in this town.

So, how do you know Bennett? I assume you're making a connection to the whole Englewood murders.

Yeah, there were organs harvested.

Cherry: Those organs... they're only used for one reason.

Marcus: A summoning.

Angela: No!

You don't understand. You can't stop this!

No!

Please, this is for her own good.

(sirens wailing)

Man (over radio): 724, this is dispatch, over.

(men screaming)

Angela: They called it a nervous breakdown.

But I... I ran away from all that.

I never told my mother where I went.

I never saw her again.

My name is Regan MacNeil.

I'm Chris MacNeil.

I've come to see my daughter.

♪ ♪

(applause)

It's a terrifying book.

I couldn't sleep after I read it.

Ha! Try living through it.

For those just tuning in, we're with actress Chris MacNeil, talking about Ms. MacNeil's new book, The Devil in My Daughter, which she says is the true story of a time several years ago when young Regan was possessed by a demon.

Now, Regan, I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I may.

Although your mother has warned me that you're a little shy.

I'm quiet.

Not shy.

There's a difference.

What happened to you in Georgetown?

Since most of our viewers don't believe in demon possession, can you help me... help us... understand what you went through?

I-I don't really remember it.

You do.

She does.

I... I remember that I couldn't control my body sometimes.

There was just this voice.

It kept asking me to come closer.

And when I did...

That's it.

That's all I remember.

Regan, has it occurred to you that there could be another explanation for those memories?

Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you.

Look, buddy, I was there.

No, I'm positive it was real.

Regan, do you think you'll ever be capable of having a normal life?

What do you mean?

Well, let's say you go to college in a few years. You get there, you tell everyone, "I'm Regan MacNeil."

Are you worried that they'll all say, "My God, it's the demon girl"?

Do you think this is a story that's going to follow you around for the rest of your life?

Regan?

Regan?

♪ ♪

Angela: I can't believe you let her in the house.

Henry: She just showed up here. What was I supposed to do?

She seems like...

So, you're my grandmother.

Ooh. (chuckles softly)

That word.

Um, maybe... Well, I don't know.

Would you like to call me Nana?

Or maybe together we could come up with something cute.

I'll think about that.

You know who you look like?

Me. (chuckles)

Do people ever say that to you?

That you look like a young Chris MacNeil?

No, not really.

Well, you do.

You have my teeth, exactly.

And if you smiled, we could see 'em.

(door slams)

Angela: You don't think I wanted to tell you?

You told me she was dead.

She was. To me.

And I know that doesn't make it right.

I'm wondering if any of it was the truth.

Any... any of this.

Henry.

Not to get all Oprah in the first hour, but... did you ever try to find us?

Or find Mom?

I went through three private detectives.

Finally, they tracked her down.

But she made it very clear that she still wanted nothing to do with me.

But now, I have a... a Web service thingy that lets me know if anything happens to her.

And I saw Casey's face.

And I listened to your mother say that she wanted help finding her.

So... here I am.

Angela: You don't know what it's like to live with that woman. To live in her fishbowl, to meet somebody for the first time and-and see that pity in their eyes.

And that makes it okay?

No. But I made a choice.

And I had to live with it every day.

Regan?

That's your name?

What is that?

Who are you?

Kat: The possession...

Mom's... was it... was it like now, like with Casey?

I hope not.

I'm the one who called the police.

Casey wouldn't be out on the streets right now if I...

Stop. No, stop. This is not your fault.

Henry: She can stay with us for a few days until this ends.

Angela: No.

Yes, Yes.

No, that woman cannot stay here.

You don't get to make that decision.

This is not about you.

This is about our little girl, who is missing.

Do you think I don't remember that every second?

If that woman can help us get Casey back because she's Chris MacNeil... so crazy... if there's even a chance, we're gonna take it.

I'll stay in a hotel.

I don't want to be a bother.

You can stay right here.

Isn't that right, Ange?

Hey, Kit Kat, do you mind giving up your bed for a few nights?

Kat: Yeah.

Sure.

You want to show your grandmother upstairs?

Chris. We're... calling her Chris.

Reporter: Good morning. Our top local story: police and volunteers have fanned out across Chicago searching for Casey Rance, the 19-year-old woman who went missing last night after a crash that left two paramedics dead.

(indistinct conversations)

Hey, let me give you a hand with that, Father.

Okay, you good?

Yeah.

Okay.

(indistinct chatter)

Why don't I take the 14th District?

Good.

Okay.

(rapid, overlapping whispers)

How can I help?

You can stop hovering.

Uh, Tara, can you show Ms. MacNeil how to use the copy machine?

Um, sure.

This way.

I-I know this is a rotten time to say this, but I'm a huge fan of yours.

Oh, aren't you sweet?

What's your name?

Tara.

(indistinct chatter)

I'm sorry.

You let us walk into that room with incomplete information.

Now two men are dead. You lied.

What are the police telling you?

That there was someone else.

An accomplice, a kidnapper.

'Cause they think there's no way a restrained, sedated girl could have done what she did.

What's gonna happen to her?

Possession is like... a virus.

Well, you know this.

The more aggressive the att*ck, the more damage it does to the body.

It'll force her to submit.

And when that happens?

A union of demon and host, two entities becoming one.

Integration.

Integration is said to be... permanent.

"Permanent"?

The soul is destroyed, so even if you performed an exorcism, it wouldn't matter.

Are you saying she's gonna die?

I'm saying if we don't find her soon... there won't be anything left to save.

You can't give up on her.

No one will give up on her.

Angela: Father, when the same thing happened to me, you'd have thought there was none of me left.

But I was still in there.

Is there anything that you remember that could be of help to us?

Hey, you know, well, you have a good think about that, 'cause we've really got the time.

You could have shown more compassion for her.

You can apologize for me.

Where are you going?

To hunt.

"Hunt"? What do you mean, hunt?

Demons disrupt the natural order.

Strange flocking behavior... birds, dogs, people.

What I need is a bloody police scanner.

What can I do?

Nothing.

Because I made one mistake?

Yeah. 'Cause you made a mistake.

It won't happen again.

You're right there.

How I envy you, Tomas.

You've got a family, a parish, a woman that you love.

(whispers): Please...

Keep your voice down.

You're a good man.

A good priest.

But you've got too much to lose.

You can never be an exorcist.

Well, I'm gonna hunt, too.

Only I'll have a hundred volunteers and half the Chicago police.

Bully for you.

The kidnapping of Casey Rance has shaken our city.

But this case is receiving the full attention of my department.

The person or persons responsible for her disappearance will be brought to justice.

Tomas: The Rance family has asked me to let you know how grateful they are for your prayers tonight.

We need more than that.

We need your help.

The Parish of St. Anthony's is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Casey's recovery.

So if you see or hear anything that might help us, please call us.

(reporters clamoring)

Mrs. Rance!

If you could say one thing to Casey right now...

For God's sake, leave her alone.

Have some decency.

Mrs. MacNeil, can you tell us what your involvement in this matter is?

Casey is my granddaughter.

I'm here with our family.

Reporter: Wasn't her daughter possessed or something?

Woman: What about the nine people who got m*rder*d half a mile from here?!

Poor people of color.

Guess that don't rate with your department, Superintendent.

I guess because we don't have any movie stars backing us, none of y'all with the cameras give a...

Don't put...

Officer, stand down.

Point your damn cameras in this direction.

Get your lights on these faces.

We don't have any reward money, but they're people, too.

They're Chicago, too.

Andre Christopher Williams!

Lydia Denise Williams!

Randall James McAlister!

Rhonda Foley McAlister!

Danielle McAlister Simpson!

Hakim Mohammed Abouzaid!

James Anthony Simpson!

Patricia Walls!

Etta Mae Walls!

Forgive me for asking questions you've already answered, Mr. Rance.

On the night that Casey was put in the ambulance, a man was taken into custody, a priest.

That's right.

It's my understanding that he performed a... an exorcism here?

Yes, with our permission.

Jaffey: Uh, but not the permission of the Church.

Which we've managed to keep out of the papers, as a favor to our friends in the diocese.

I'm a Catholic myself.

Thank you.

Just the one priest, yes?

Yes.

We'd like to speak with this Marcus Keane again.

How is that supposed to help you find my daughter?

Is he okay there?

Yes.

He's fine. He's recovering from a brain injury.

We're doing everything in our power to find your girl, Mrs. Rance.

And that's easier when we present a unified front to the media.

Rumors about possession tend to confuse the issue.

I don't know where Marcus is.

Maybe you can shed a little light on something else.

We've been investigating this case as a kidnapping.

But... I understand that your daughter broke a man's jaw on the L and then was held in the psych ward at Adams Memorial.

It's not possible that... she could have done this, is it?

Jaffey: I mean, I hardly think that's possible.

Mrs. Rance, please, we're not trying to upset you here. I-I apologize.

Did they have families?

Mr. Harris did.

A wife and a kid.

Another one on the way.

Talk show host: Regan, do you think you'll ever be capable of having a normal life?

What do you mean?

Well, let's say you go to college in a few years, you get there, you tell everyone, "I'm Regan MacNeil."

Are you worried they'll all say, "My God, it's the demon girl"?

Chris: I see you know about the book.

Not my finest hour.

I think you need to know what was going on back then.

The scandal of it all.

Protestors showing up at the theater.

My first movie back.

"Devil worshiper!

Satan's whore!"

And that was mild.

You know the expression, there's no such thing as bad publicity?

Well, the studio didn't agree with that, and they dropped me.

So, sometimes you just have to do what you do to survive.

Why do you think it happened?

Why did it choose her?

We were staying in this house, and, um... there was an old Ouija board down in the basement.

She loved it.

It was so cute to watch.

Rags just sitting there, talking to her imaginary friend.

Someone... something... called Captain Howdy.

Damn game.

Dealing with those kinds of forces...

Anyway, she loved it. She kept playing with it, and I told her she really should stop, but, you know, I-I was...

I was the lead in the film and we-we were doing five scenes a day and I just couldn't be there every hour, so...

And she... she didn't listen.

I don't know.

It kind of sounds like you're blaming the victim.

I mean, she was just a kid. She didn't do anything wrong.

She didn't ask for any of this.

Chris: No, I... Of course she didn't. It was my fault.

My child needed me, and I wasn't there.

And that is something that I will have to live with the rest of my life.

(indistinct chatter)

(phones ringing)

Maria: $100,000 reward?

I'm so, so sorry.

I-I probably should have told you what I was using it for.

It was a donation.

It's your money. I think it's a terrific use for it.

I happen to know the girl's mother tangentially.

She's suffering a great deal.

I can only imagine.

Daughter possessed by a demon.

The service you wanted to perform and not tell Bishop Egan, it was exorcism, right?

I really cannot talk about it.

I know it's an overwhelming time.

There's an event this evening at my house, sponsored by the Friars of Ascension Charity and honoring the Papal Planning Committee.

Yes, yes. Uh, Bishop Egan asked me to go there, but... I really need to be here.

You'll meet a lot of influential people, Tomas.

You might make a few friends.

Well, I'm not looking for friends.

I'm looking for Casey.

(knocking)

Sorry. You have a visitor.

You're right, of course.

Forget I mentioned it.

I'm sure you have better things to do.

Thank you, Mrs. Walters.

Maria.

Maria.

Maria, of course.

He's all yours.

Cherry: Tattersal Landscaping. Filed for bankruptcy, 2004. Shuttered, closed, end of story, right?

I'm guessing not.

Three years ago, Tattersal's assets were acquired by Walters Industrial Holdings, as in George and Maria Walters.

We checked with the State board. No business license was ever renewed.

Meaning what?

Meaning why are there vans all over town for a landscaping company that went out of business a decade ago?

You guys asked about what's weird in this town. Tattersal is the big freaking weird.

Van drives up, van takes you away.

No one ever sees you again. Poof.

And there's more.

(radio chirps)

They're very active in their charitable giving.

$1.8 million to the Friars of Ascension.

The friars are sponsoring this papal event tonight.

What do you make of all this?

(indistinct radio transmission)

Yo, Colin Firth.

Lester: Colin Firth? No.

It's more like a scruffy Alec Guinness.

One girl, four days missing, in a city of three million people.

Finding her may not be God's will.

I don't care about God's will.

(phones ringing)

(indistinct chatter)

(phone rings)

Casey Rance Hotline.

Man: Do you think God is punishing you?

Who is this?

You were such a bad little girl, Regan.

You wanted me in you.

So did your pretty little daughter.

But now I fear the bloom is off the rose.

Please, don't hurt my daughter.

I could give her back to you, if you really want.

Are you sure you still want her?

I do.

Please.

All right.

What if I just told you where she is?

Where is she?

Right behind you.

♪ ♪

(gasps, panting)

(indistinct chatter)

(phones ringing)

I'm sorry I didn't call you back.

I needed to... think about what to say.

Do you feel guilty?

I'm not gonna apologize for being happy.

I think...

I think the world owes us a little happiness.

I have duties, uh, responsibilities to the Church, to the... to the Rance family...

I moved out.

The marriage is over.

Probably has been for a long time.

I rented a tiny apartment in Rogers Park.

You can come to this room.

It's a place where there's no guilt, no shame.

No furniture, either.

But it's a place where I'm not married and you're not a priest.

Leave everything else outside.

I'm not gonna come.

That's fine, too.

I'm gonna hang these up at my work.

(phone ringing)

(indistinct chatter)

(sighs)

(sighs)

Henry.

You okay?

Who is that woman?

The one in your photo album?

The one you always said was your mother?

I found it in a thrift store, honey.

See, the thing is... there are so many gaps, but one thing I could always hang onto... was you and the girls.

And now I find out that half of what you told me...

Henry.

Henry, look at me.

Our life, our family?

It's not a lie.

It's real.

Every second... has been real.

I never lied to you about that.

But you didn't trust me enough to tell me, even after it started to happen to Casey.

(door opens)

Who printed these?

This is the wrong phone number.

And I told you, I told you that this one has the wrong phone number, and someone printed 500 of them!

(sighs)

Please forgive me.

Tara: Like, I'm sorry your neighbor mows his lawn naked.

How does that help us find Casey Rance?

Like, I'm sorry you have a pack of wild dogs going crazy in your neighborhood.

Tomas: Tara?

Where are these dogs?

(phone buzzing)

(both speaking French)

Maria: Your Eminence And Father Bennett.

So happy to have you.

So glad to see you.

(indistinct chatter)

Man: There's a common, sentimental notion that angels are all around us, solving little domestic problems.

But in the Bible, when humans encounter an angel, they fall to their knees in fear.

These are beings of tremendous power.

Think of the first renegade angels, in league with Lucifer.

They were strong enough to challenge God.

And surely, God...

Dr. John Rexroth, one the professors at U of C's Divinity School.

An incredible man.

Rexroth: God actually created these rogue angels, knowing that they would defy Him, because what was the end result of this defiance?

Lucifer came to Earth in the guise of a serpent.

Rexroth: Very good...

I've seen that man before.

It's the police superintendent.

A lot of influential people support the Friars.

It's the head of the Teamsters, and the head of our stock exchange.

And what did we gain from that famous snake?

Knowledge, free will, the ability to think for ourselves, which led to everything you see now in this room... civilization, art, culture, music, life.

In some strange way, these rogue angels were the architects of all that we hold dear.

(chuckles)

Chris: Sure, Christmases were hard.

Her birthday was really hard.

But, um, to be honest with you, the most painful moments of the last 40 years were... when I would think about what our lives could've been if, you know, this hadn't happened.

Man: And when you first heard Casey was missing, did you see a connection to what happened to Regan?

Angela! Good, you're here.

Angela, this is Tim.

He's doing an article for the Metro Section.

You need to leave my house, now.

Angela, don't be silly.

He's gonna keep her name out there.

Ms. Rance, if I could just have five minutes, I'll...

I'm sorry.

I was just trying to help.

(sighs)

You should go pack up your things.

If we ever hope to see Casey's face again, we have to keep her in the news.

My daughter is missing!

My family is falling apart.

And I refuse to allow you to make this about you!

God, this is exactly what you did to me before!

What have I ever done but love you?

You used me!

How could you?

How could you exploit what happened to me, to my body?

And for what? To-to save your precious acting career?

We had no money, Regan.

I did the best I could.

And for what?

You were my whole world.

And you left me.

And I had to live knowing that I had driven you away.

God.

I spent the next 12 years sipping peach schnapps and downing Xanax.

In Sedona.

You knew where I was?

Sedona, Palmdale, Temecula.

Yeah, I always knew.

(phone buzzing)

(sighs)

This is Angela Rance.

Who is it?

All right.

Yes, I know where that is.

Good-bye.

It was, uh, the coroner's office.

They think they might have found Casey.

Maria. My Cherie.

You work so hard for us.

I hope you will be rewarded.

Professor, forgive me.

These angels you brought up in your lecture... there's another word to describe them... demons.

Call them that if you like.

If you recall from seminary, that term derives from the Greek word for a nature spirit.

Have you ever seen a demon before?

I have.

Oh, aren't you full of surprises?

(indistinct chatter)

(reporters clamoring)

♪ ♪

I never got a chance to know Casey.

We don't know if this is Casey.

I could have fought a lot harder to stay in Regan's life, Father.

Don't you do what I did.

You hold on to the people you love.

You hold them close.

(door opens)

It's not her.

It's not her.

(sighs)

She's still alive.

(crying)

(dogs barking in distance)

(rats squealing)

(people grunting)

(empty bottle rattles)

Casey?

(man gasping)

(nearby retching)

Casey.

(indistinct shouting)

Stop him, stop him, stop him.

I can't help you.

Stop him, stop him.

I'm sorry.

Stop him, stop him, stop him, stop him...

(man continues whispering "stop him")

(coughing)

(indistinct shouting)

Man: Stop him, stop him, stop him...

(continues repeating "Stop him")

Casey.

(man continues repeating "stop him")

Stop him! Stop him!

Stop him! Stop him!

Stop him! Stop him...

Look, I'm don't want to hurt you.

(shushing) No!

(all clamoring)

Stop him! Stop him!

(grunting)

In the name of Christ, get back!

(all moaning)

(shrieks)

(clattering on concrete)

Casey!

(roars)

Okay, keep me posted.

The girl in the morgue, it's not her.

Your people need to find her before anyone else does.

Hello, hello!

Oh, what have I missed?

He's here.

Brother Simon: And you're here, too.

The Friars of Ascension.

What a day it's been. This afternoon, at the farmer's market, there was a pyramid of Granny Smiths in all their green pride.

And I looked into the eyes of the man who owned these apples, and he saw my collar and he said, "Take any one you want, Father."

So I plunged my hand into the center of that pile, and took the best, knocking dozens of the rest to the ground.

He said, "That's okay, Father."

(laughing)

I don't see Father Tomas here.

He'll be a tough nut to cr*ck, Your Eminence.

Yeah.

We have our ways.

(footsteps)

You came.

(sighs) Yes.

Come with me.

Keys in the bowl, cell phone, your watch.

No time here.

I-I cannot sleep with you.

I can't.

It's fine.

Sit.

I just made dinner.

It's, uh, butternut squash.

(Komita's "Chinar Es" plays)

♪ ♪

Have you all come to me of your own free will?

All: We have.

Using the birthright of self-will handed down to you by your true Father?

All: Body and soul are His to enjoy.

♪ ♪

Vocare...

Pulvere.

Star of the Morning, Son of Dawn, we beseech you and your legion to rise... and walk among us.

Come.

(all repeating "come")

Please come.

Come forth, my brothers, my sisters to Eden again.

Our bodies.

Your bodies.

Please...

(all repeating "come")

♪ ♪

Take me. - Take me.

Take me.

Man: Take me.

Take me.

Please take me.

(all repeating "take me")

I am your daughter.

Take me.

Take me.

It is my turn.

I've waited. Take me.

Me.

Pick me. Pick me.

Pick... (gasps)

(rumbling)

(grunting)

(continues grunting)

(laughing)

(deep gasping)

(deep gasping)

♪ ♪

(laughter)

(laughter continues)

(distant train whistle blowing, water splashing)

(insects chirping)

(low snarling)

(growling, snarling)

(snarls)

(chewing)

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore, my heart is glad... and my glory rejoiceth.

(snarls)

(vicious snarling)

(Marcus screams)

(grunting, snarling)

(vicious snarling)

God of Mercy!

(snarling)

Make holy this water which You have created, so that Your child may be born again!

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be buried with Christ.

(rumbling)

(bubbling)

(panting)

And raised with Christ.

♪ ♪

(gasping breaths)

(whispers): He's coming back.

Help me.