03x12 - The Eloquent Ghost on the Bayou, Part 1

[bunniefuu]

Did we have an appointment?

We couldn't wait to find out what's

going on. Did you find the evidence?

Well, I went to the Hawthorne Club

and the design workshop, and I'm sorry.

There were no disguises and no papyrus.

[SAMIR] They must have moved it.

How do they keep doing this?

They didn't do it alone.

Amber Williams's cousin
is billionaire Avery Boyd.

You have to look at him.
He has to be involved.

Hold on.

So first it was some college students,

and now you're accusing a board member?

How else could college students
pull this whole thing off?

I know your hearts
are in the right place,

but I cannot go
on another wild-goose chase.

So, unless you have some
new information for me,

you'll have to excuse me.

I have work to do.

[SIGHS]

They're somehow
always one step ahead of us.

Maybe they have a ghost helping them.

Avery Boyd is very much alive.

If Donovan can't help us, we'll
just have to finish this ourselves.

Avery. It's me.

You're out of time.

[NIA] Okay, what do we know?

So, Avery Boyd
recruited his cousin Amber

to stop the Eloquent Peasant
from being returned to Egypt.

[NIA] By getting Griffin to forge it.

Then Liam swapped the real one

for the fake, framing your mom.

I get that Avery Boyd would have
no problem convincing Amber

and her best friend Liam, but...

...what about Griffin?
What's in it for him?

Probably the same as your sister.
Access to the Hawthorne Club.

But I get what you're saying, Charli.

Of all players, Griffin is the outsider.

Amber grew up with Liam,
but they just met Griffin this year.

Hmm.

Which means maybe
we can use that to our advantage

a-and turn him to our side.

[SAMIR] Are you okay?

[CHARLI] Nia!

[ECHOING VOICE] Nia.

Uh, here, let's sit.

Are you okay?

That was so weird.

This vision just popped into my head.

My family was being forced
to move out of our house.

Was it Oliver?

There was a voice, but it wasn't Oliver.

She called my name.

I don't know how,
but I think she showed me the future.

[STAMMERS] A fictional character in

your head that can show you the future?

It didn't look good.

That's the thing about the future.

It hasn't happened yet,
so we can change it.

Yeah. We're gonna solve this,

and your mom's gonna go back to

being the president of the university.

And you'll go back to solving mysteries
in your video games.

[SIGHS]

But... we can't do it alone.

No way.

When have I ever asked you for anything?

Yesterday, and the day before that,
and the one before that.

Okay, I get it.

But this is really important, and...

and you're friendly with Griffin,

so maybe you can turn him
to the right side... ours.

What makes you think I can even get
Griffin to turn against

the most powerful
person at the university?

Because I've known you my whole life.

Which is about how long
I've looked up to you.

Well, maybe you shouldn't.

I wasn't actually good enough
to get into the Hawthorne Club.

I can't help you.

With or without their stupid club,

you're the most amazing person I know.

And I know you'll be running
the world one day.

Don't you wanna get back at them
for what they did?

[SIGHS] Of course I do.

Then this is how we do it.

Bye, Dad.

[KARIM] Samir, wait.

I need you to watch Idris
for me while I run to my shift.

Today?

Your mom had to work,
and it's Amira's day off.

But m-my friends and I

are in the middle of solving
a huge archaeology problem.

Isn't archaeology
the study of ancient things?

Doesn't usually come
with a lot of urgency.

Yes, but no.

So, take your brother.

I can help.

See? It's settled.

Thank you, baba.

[MALCOLM] Yeah, sure.

Tuesday delivery works.

Uh, but can it be before : a.m.?
I have a class that morning.

Yeah.

Okay, that works great.
Thank you. All right. Ciao.

Sorry about that, guys.

Amy out of town again?

Oh, yeah. But I'm loving it.
All the extra shifts are helping me

to save up for my trip
around the world after graduation.

Look at that.

[SAMIR] Trip. [CHUCKLES] Wow.

You're going to all these places?

If I can save up enough money.

I plan to follow the sun
and visit every continent. [CHUCKLES]

Here. You can use this for your trip.

[CHUCKLES] I
appreciate that, little man.

But hey, why don't you keep it
for your own adventure someday?

- Okay.
- Psst.

Uh, hey, Idris. You order.
I'll be right back.

[CHARLI SIGHS]

Sydney's in. She's gonna find Griffin

and see if he'll turn on Amber and Liam.

Uh, is it just me or does that fly glow?

I think it's a firefly.

In the city?
That no one else can see but us?

Okay, little buddy.

Uh, sorry I tried to k*ll you.
Now, w-which book are you from?

I think it wants us to follow.

Stay here. I'll be back in a sec.

[CHARLI] More fireflies?

[SAMIR] "W-A-T-A"?

"Wata." Uh, maybe they mean water?

- Wait.
- Come on, they want us to follow them.

What about Idris? [SIGHS]

Hey, Idris!

[IDRIS] Yeah?

You wanna help us follow some invisible

magical fireflies into the big city?

Uh, yeah!

- Yeah!
- Charli.

Don't worry, he'll think it's a game.

Which way did they go?

That way. Hurry!

- [GRIFFIN] When is this gonna be over?
- [AMBER] Soon.

But not if you don't keep your cool.

[GRIFFIN] I never agreed to all of this.

[AMBER] You're part of this,
whether you like it or not.

[SIGHS]

Where do fireflies come from?

Probably another dimension.

- Really?
- Mm-hmm.

No, Idris.
They're normal non-scary fireflies.

What are you doing?

[SIGHS] He thinks we're playing a game,
so I'm making it fun.

Don't you remember what happened
last time we brought him along?

I don't want him getting scared.

[IDRIS] If fireflies are
from another dimension,

maybe they can sh**t lasers.

- [IMITATES LASERS f*ring]
- [GRUNTS]

[CHARLI] He seems chill to me.

They can totally sh**t lasers.
[IMITATES LASERS f*ring]

[ECHOING VOICE] Nia.

I am here. Find me.

Did you hear that?

Hear what?

The voice. She's calling my name.
She wants me to find her.

I hear it. She said, "Hi, Idris."

[CHUCKLES]

She's there. In the water.

[SAMIR] Mermaid?

I see her. She has long, red hair.

[CHARLI] Mm-hmm.

Who are you?

[ECHOING VOICE] Mami Wata.

- [NIA] Mami Wata.
- Mami Wata?

Like the clue from earlier? Wata?

Must be.

But... [STAMMERS]
...how do you know that, Nia?

You can't hear her
voice in your head too?

She's only communicating with you.

[NIA] Wait. Mami Wata.

I learned about her when we went

to the African art exhibit last summer.

From what I remember,
she's the mother of water.

Many African cultures believe her
to be the guardian of nature,

halfway between the
spirit world and ours.

I know Mami Wata too.
Amira read me a book about her.

What was the book?

Bayou Magic.

There was this girl, Maddy,

and she spends the summer
with her grandma in the bayou.

She can control fireflies
and talk to Mami Wata.

And then Mami Wata shows her
what's gonna happen to the bayou.

Visions of the future.
Like the one I saw earlier.

Mami Wata, we need your help.

- Oh, hey.
- Hey.

Hey, Syd. What's up? [CHUCKLES]

Not much. Just dropping off some tools

I used for my sister's magic table.

Cool, uh... We're
working on the backdrop

for the Founder's Week livestream.

Looks so good. [CHUCKLES]

Yeah. The party's gonna be amazing.
It's on a yacht this year.

- You're coming, right?
- [SYD] Of course. Can't wait.

It'll be my first time on a yacht.

Well, it won't be the last.

Now that you're a member
of the Hawthorne Club,

all kinds of doors will be open to you.

- [PHONE VIBRATES]
- Ooh. One sec. [CHUCKLES]

The backdrop really is great.

Thanks.

You okay?

Yeah. Just, uh, hungry.

Same. Do you wanna get
some food after this?

No pressure.

Yeah. Sounds good.

[CHUCKLES]

Did I hear food? I'm starved.
Cool if I tag along?

Of course! The more the merrier.
[CHUCKLES]

The board thinks my mom stole
the Eloquent Peasant,

and we need to find it and bring it
back to the university

or my parents will lose everything.

[MAMI WATA] That which was stolen
must be returned.

Where'd she go?

I don't know. But she said, "That
which was stolen must be returned."

Kinda what we're trying to do.

[PHONE RINGS]

[CHARLI] Hello?

I tried to get Griffin alone,
but Amber wants to tag along.

That's not good.

I have an idea, but I'll need your help.

I'm listening.

How's it looking?

I'm at a stopping point.

[AMBER] Great, let's go grab that food.

Cool. Let me just go
and put this back first. [CHUCKLES]

[DOOR CLOSES]

No need to look so somber.
Everything is going to be fine.

Sorry if I don't get excited
about lying to my friends.

- [PHONE CHIMES]
- [SIGHS]

It's from her sister, Charli.

- That's an invasion of privacy.
- Oh, no. [CHUCKLES]

- What?
- What is it?

"Meet me at Annie's Diner ASAP.

We've got some new info about the

Hawthorne Club and your new friends.

Hurry."

I'll just delete that.

What are you doing?

What Sydney doesn't know won't hurt her.
[CHUCKLES]

I'm gonna go to the diner
and see what I can overhear.

You stay with Sydney
and just remember what I said.

- Amber...
- [SYD] Okay, I'm ready.

I forgot. I, um, have to help
Professor McCormack grade papers.

[SYD] Oh, no way.

Yeah. But, uh, you go ahead,
and I'll catch up with you later.

Sounds good.

[PHONE CHIMES]

It worked.
Sydney said Amber took the bait,

and now she's alone with Griffin.

- That's great.
- [SIGHS]

[MAMI WATA] Here lies the treasure.

Now you must find it.

Mami Wata found the EP.

The only problem is, it's in a house
on the other side of the lake.

How do we get there?

A boat?

Where are we supposed to find a boat?

Right there!

- Thanks, Mami Wata.
- Let's go.

Wait.

How do we know it's safe? [SIGHS]

I don't know how,
but just like the girl in the book,

I am connected to Mami Wata.

I can feel it.
She wouldn't put us in danger.

I trust her.

Me too. [CHUCKLES]

Samir?

[SIGHS]

- I'm on a boat! I'm on a boat...
- [CHARLI CHUCKLES]

Sit down, Idris. Be careful!

Hey, hey. Y-You wanna lighten up
on the little dude?

I didn't want you to invite him here.

You're not the one who's gonna
have to deal with his nightmares

if something bad happens.

Well, he's here now.
A-And as a little sister,

I know how it feels to be dismissed
just because you're younger.

Besides, you don't
give him enough credit.

This is so cool.

Idris, stay still.

I was only looking for Mami Wata.

- Not everything is a game, okay?
- [IDRIS SIGHS]

Sorry.

Samir, are you okay?

Mami Wata, stop the boat.

[MAMI WATA] We must continue. The

future I set before you could change.

We need to stop. My
friend needs a minute.

[MAMI WATA] Very well.

- Look at the horizon.
- What?

If you're seasick,
you're supposed to look at the horizon.

It's not that.

What is it? You can tell us.

Remember our cousin who d*ed?

When we left Turkey, his family

took a different route here on a boat,

and he didn't make it.

I... I never knew that.

[CHUCKLES] You were just a little baby.

I'm so sorry, Samir.

This is the first time I've been
on the water since we found out.

If we knew,
we wouldn't have taken the boat.

I wish Mami Wata
could have been there that day.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Me too.

The fireflies are back.

They are beautiful.

We can go now.

Are you sure?

Wow.

If I was hiding a top secret artifact,

this would definitely be the place.

Someone's gonna steal the EP.

We have to hurry. Let's go.

[MAMI WATA] Go quickly.

[SAMIR] Come on.

Come on, Idris. Up here.

Let's go. Come on.

What's the plan?

Look into the windows until we find it?

I don't have any better ones.

[SAMIR] Avery and Amber.
We're in the right place.

This isn't the right room.
[PANTS] Come on.

This is the room I saw in the vision.

[GASPS]

- It's locked.
- [BOTH SIGH]

[CHARLI] We have to get inside.

The fireflies are back.

Maybe Nia can control them
like in the book.

What am I supposed to do? [SCOFFS]
Tell the fireflies,

"Go in the house
and find the Eloquent Peasant."

- Whoa.
- Idris is right.

Somehow, you're connected to them.

[CHARLI] Nia? What's going on?

I can see what they see.

[NIA] We're in the living room.

Okay. And now we're
going down the stairs.

There's a pool table.

Now we're in the storage room.

It's not here.

Then where is it?

Go. Go, go, go, go. Go, go!
Come to the back.

I'm guessing it's in there.

Are you okay?

It's all my fault.
I delayed us on the boat.

No, it's not.
We won't stop until we find it.

Yeah.

[PHONE CHIMES]

It's Sydney. She needs us. Come on.

Must've been cool
to grow up in a small town.

Really? I always grew up
wishing that I was living in a big city.

Hmm.
Big cities are great if you have money.

I think all cities are better
if you have money.

[SIGHS]

I guess things will be different now.

Getting into the Hawthorne Club
means better connections,

which means better jobs,

which means I can move
outta my parents' house someday.

Yeah, but at what cost?

It's just that it's taken up
more time than I thought it would.

I know what you mean.

You know what? We need a break
from Hawthorne Club business.

What do you have in mind?

- Come on.
- What is it?

[STAMMERS] I don't think we're allowed
to go in there.

The door is open.

We can't let Founder's
Week go by without

paying tribute to the founder's ghosts.

Okay, tribute paid. Can we...

You're not scared?

[CHUCKLES]

- [SIGHS]
- Chauncy?

Are you there?

I think he's got better things to do in

the afterlife than hanging around here.

- Okay, let's... let's go.
- No, wait.

Is that your sister?

And my friends, Nia and Samir.

[IDRIS] These tunnels go everywhere.

And his brother, Idris.

Idris! W-Wait for me.

Okay, what's going on?

I'm sorry, but we needed a place
to talk without Amber around.

We know you helped Liam and Amber

by forging the Eloquent Peasant
for Avery Boyd.

But we know you're not like the others.

Come on, Griffin.

You just finished telling me
you feel like an outsider. I get it.

It's nice to be a part of their club.

But they're using you. And me.

[INHALES, EXHALES DEEPLY]

Amber said that this old document
belonged to her and Avery's family.

And if I made an exact copy of it,

they would swap it with the original
and keep it safe.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

And in return, I get to be a
part of the Hawthorne Club.

They told me no one would get hurt.

Someone is getting hurt. My mom.

I was never part of framing your mom,

but... I am guilty of
keeping their secrets.

I'm so sorry, Nia.

So help us. You know everything.

We can go to the board.

No way.
It's... It's probably too late anyway.

What do you mean, "It's too late"?

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

Wait.

Uh, Idris, you go on up to Nia's room

and play some video games, okay?

I'll be up soon.

Okay.

[NIA] Dad?

Dad, has anyone been in the house today?

Good to see you too, Nia.

Everything okay?

Yeah, I was expecting a package.

Oh? Didn't see anything.

The only person who came by
was the Internet guy to fix the router.

And while they were here,

I asked them to, uh, upgrade the

bandwidth for your gaming tournaments.

You're welcome!

[PANTS] So where did he hide the EP?

[DOORBELL RINGS]

That might be Donovan.

Wait a second.

[DARIUS] Layla!

[CHARLI GASPS] No way.

[NIA] I can't believe it.

Griffin was right.

Someone's coming.

[LAYLA] I can assure you, there
is nothing hidden in my living room.

It's Donovan.

How do we explain this?

Should we hide it?

[SAMIR] Oliver.

[NIA GASPS]

Oh, hey.

Could you give us the room?

Of course. No problem.

- What's that you've got there?
- [LAYLA] Is that...

It's just a blank scroll
for our art project.

Great. If you'll excuse us.

Mm-hmm.

That was close. I'm
sweating, like, a lot.

Oliver really saved us in there.
Thanks, Oliver.

Donovan looked right at the desk like

she knew something was hidden in it.

Now I know why she didn't
take us seriously. She's in on it.

And we told her everything we knew.

Ho-Hold on.

If the words are no longer on the page,

just like when the ghost releases
a character from a book,

does that mean...

Excuse me, what is this palace?

[NIA] Uh, my house.

Forgive me, I am but a humble peasant.