1203 - February 3, 1971

[bunniefuu]

[eerie music]

NARRATOR: The great house at Collinwood

in the strange and disturbing world of parallel time,

a time in which the Collins family lives

in a state of terrible fear,

haunted by an incident from the distant past.

Among the townspeople of Collinsport,

there were stories and rumors

of a frightening secret at Collinwood,

a secret concerning a locked room.

On this night, Catherine Harridge,

betrothed to Morgan Collins,

will learn part of that secret,

and it may cost her

her life.

[suspenseful music]

[thunder crashing]

[suspenseful music]

[screaming]

[dramatic music]

[waves crashing]

[eerie music]

CATHERINE: Melanie, what are you doing?

It's because of him.

I'm doing it for him.

Oh, no!

You cannot escape it.

You stay away from me!

He will have his revenge.

Melanie, you don't know what you're doing!

No!

[screaming]

[dramatic music] Melanie!

Melanie, put that Kn*fe down, do you hear me?

She does not belong here.

JULIA: Forget about her.

Now look at me.

He is not at rest and he never will be.

I said look at me.

MELANIE: You should not interfere.

Now listen to me.

I will, I will walk toward you

and you will give me the Kn*fe.

Do you understand?

I must please him.

You cannot stop me!

[suspenseful music]

The Kn*fe, Melanie.

My name is not Melanie!

You know that.

Yes, I do.

Now everything will be all right.

Everything will be all right.

I will take you to your room and give you some hot cocoa.

You'll like that, won't you?

[suspenseful music]

[thunder rumbling]

MORGAN: Melanie, I heard a scream, what's happened?

She tried to k*ll Catherine.

MORGAN: Oh, no.

Yes, look after her, quickly.

Melanie, go to your room.

[whimpering]

MORGAN: Are you all right, my darling?

Oh, yes, yes.

MORGAN: I can't tell you how sorry

I am that this happened.

Oh, I don't think I'll ever forget the look in her eyes.

MORGAN: I know, I know.

Morgan, why does she want to k*ll me?

Try to understand that she wasn't aware that it was you.

No, I don't understand.

And I don't understand what her motive was,

that's what you've got to tell me.

Morgan?

MORGAN: I'm afraid it's very difficult to explain.

Well, I think you owe me an explanation.

Now, tell me what's wrong with Melanie Collins.

[dramatic music]

Darling, you're very upset.

I think we should wait until the morning.

Oh, we're gonna talk about it tonight.

What about Melanie?

It's, it's very difficult.

I don't know where to begin.

Begin at the beginning.

That was years ago,

the night my father went into the locked room.

Oh, you mean that room has got something

to do with what happened here tonight?

Yes, but I don't know exactly what it is.

[thunder crashing]

You say Melanie didn't even know that it was me.

That's because when she's in this state,

she isn't really aware who anyone is.

Well, what state?

Let's go back to the night my father went into that room.

Your father was chosen in the lottery.

Yes, and none of us were really aware of it,

but during the night, Melanie slipped out of her room

and went into the room after him.

In the morning, we went looking for Father,

and we were shocked to discover Melanie in there with him.

She was cradling in her arms.

We knew when we looked at him that Father

would never be the same again.

And Melanie?

MORGAN: She appeared just to be frightened.

But she was all right after that.

So what else happened?

It was, it was later the next evening.

We were all seated at the dinner table,

but Melanie's chair was empty.

We began looking for her.

It was Quentin who finally found her

outside the door of the locked room.

What was she doing there?

I don't know, but Quentin said that

when she looked at him,

it was as if she'd never seen him before.

Her whole personality had changed.

She'd become someone else.

But that's not possible, you know that.

MORGAN: I know that's what we all think.

We soon found out it was true.

What could've happened to her in that room?

I have no idea.

The personality change has persisted all these years.

Well, we must do something about her.

This girl is dangerous.

Well, that's the astonishing thing about it.

Except for tonight,

it's the first time she's ever had tendency toward v*olence.

Oh, I just don't understand it, I really don't.

I don't either.

I can tell you one thing.

It will never happen again.

I can promise you that, Catherine.

You must believe me.

I don't know how to account for it.

I only know that if I hadn't walked into the room

when I did, Catherine would've been dead.

- She would've k*lled her. - Did you tell Mother?

Yes, she's as baffled as I am.

You know, it's obvious that v*olence is inevitable.

What do you mean?

Well, v*olence must manifest itself through someone

and when we brought Father out of the room,

he was the one who had violent streaks.

Now he's dead.

But, v*olence must manifest itself through someone.

You know, it could've probably happened to any one of us.

Do you think it had anything to do

with the postponing of the lottery?

I don't know.

What are we gonna do, Quentin?

Do you and Mother ever think of having Melanie put away?

She won't.

Why not?

For the same reason that we never put Justin away.

Family pride and a fear of scandal.

Well, I think it's time that you reconsider.

She will not be put away, Quentin.

I'm certain of that much.

We'll watch her carefully and lock her in her room at night

as we did with Justin and be sure she won't harm anyone.

[suspenseful music]

[dramatic music]

MELANIE: Good morning, Catherine.

CATHERINE: Good morning, Melanie.

Did you sleep well?

Well, yes.

Yes, I did.

Is something wrong?

No, no.

You certainly seem cheerful this morning.

Oh, I had a good night's sleep.

I went to bed quite early.

And slept through the night?

Yes.

Then you don't remember?

MELANIE: Remember what?

Nothing, nothing at all.

Catherine, would you like to come down to breakfast?

CATHERINE: Yes, yes. I'll be right down.

[suspenseful music]

[knocking]

Well, what a pleasant surprise.

Good morning, Mr. Collins.

Morning, and you can call me Quentin.

What can I do for you?

Actually, I've come to ask you if my sister's here.

Oh, I thought you'd come to see me.

You mean to tell you how much I enjoyed

our walk into the village the other day?

- Did you? - Yes.

Well, I did, too.

Maybe we can do it again sometime.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

Your sister's upstairs in the guest room.

Come on, I'll walk you up.

[upbeat pleasant piano music]

Julia, may I ask you something?

Yes, of course.

What happened to Stella Young?

What do you mean, what happened to her?

MELANIE: Well, why isn't she here any more?

She wasn't happy here, so she left.

MELANIE: Why did she leave us so abruptly?

JULIA: Why are you suddenly so concerned about Stella?

I'm not concerned, I was just curious, that's all.

I mean, it seems so odd.

She was Mother's secretary for such a short time,

and then suddenly she just vanished.

Vanish?

She left.

MELANIE: Well, where did she go?

No idea.

MELANIE: She left no forwarding address?

No.

MELANIE: Well, isn't that rather unusual?

All right, Melanie.

Now, why are you asking me all these questions?

I told you, I'm just curious.

No, there must be a reason.

Does it have anything to do with that man?

MELANIE: What man?

Kendrick Young, Stella's brother.

Has he been on the grounds?

Have you seen him?

No, Julia.

I hope you're not lying to me.

It is imperative that if you see him, you must tell me.

I haven't seen him, I swear it.

I hope you haven't seen him, but if you do,

you must not talk to him.

Julia, why does he upset you so?

Well, he doesn't, he's just a troublemaker.

He's arrogant and unreasonable,

and he will never be welcome in this house.

I will remember that, Julia.

[upbeat pleasant piano music]

So after Quentin brought me back from Bramwell's house,

I was very upset and so Morgan insisted

that I spend the night here.

I'm sorry if I had you worried.

You've still got me worried, Catherine.

Oh, why?

Because it's not like you to keep something from me.

Daphne, I'm not keeping anything from you.

Catherine, your experience with Bramwell

may have been upsetting,

but I don't think it was enough to really frighten you.

I think something else happened,

something that did frighten you.

I know, Catherine, because you're still frightened now.

You just don't think it shows.

Please tell me the truth, Catherine.

What happened?

[dramatic music]

I don't know why I tried to keep it from you.

You were bound to find out sooner or later anyway.

Find out what?

Daphne, do you remember that day that you

met Ezra Robinson in Collinsport and he told you

that long story about

DAPHNE: A locked room and the lottery and--

CATHERINE: Yes, yes!

A lottery that they held every generation.

DAPHNE: Yes, what about it?

Everything that he told you is true.

Catherine, how did you find that out?

CATHERINE: Morgan told me last night.

I still don't think that's all of it.

I don't think that's all that has you so upset.

I was almost m*rder*d last night in my bed.

m*rder*d?

Catherine, by whom?

Melanie Collins.

Julia came in here and stopped her.

Then, when Morgan came in to try to console me,

he told me that Melanie has been suffering from

some kind of illness for over years.

That, from time to time, she suddenly changes,

her whole personality is different.

DAPHNE: Oh, no, Catherine, this is incredible.

I know, it's not as bad as it sounds because,

well, this is the first time she's ever used v*olence.

It's never happened before.

Oh, he thought that would console you?

Morgan thought that?

Well, he was very upset about it.

Well, I'm sure he was, and he should've been.

Catherine, now that you know all of this,

you're surely not going to marry Morgan, are you?

Oh, of course I am.

DAPHNE: Catherine, you're not going to even consider

living in this house, are you?

Yes, I am.

After what happened last night?

Daphne, I don't know what to do about Melanie.

But, I'll decide.

What's important is I believe that all those things

that Morgan told me are just

a lot of superstitious nonsense.

DAPHNE: Catherine, you can't be serious.

Yes, I am.

I think the only thing wrong with the Collinses is

years of accumulated fear.

I'm going to come to this house,

marry Morgan, live here,

and do everything in my power to make this

a happy and sane place to live.

[dramatic music]

Quentin, I've go to talk to you.

Anytime, but I don't like the look on your face.

Well, you're not going to like

what I have to say, either, I'm afraid.

All right, speak right up.

DAPHNE: I know all about the lottery

and about the locked room.

Now just what in God's name did your sister tell you?

Now it won't do any good to get angry.

I know about it, that's all there is to it.

No, my dear. That isn't all there is to it.

Catherine has pledged me to secrecy, Quentin,

and I wouldn't do anything to upset her.

Your family secret is safe.

But, I've come to you because, well,

because I don't know who else in the family to go to.

Just what are you talking about?

DAPHNE: Well, my sister can be

very stubborn about certain things.

Now, I have urged her not to come and live in this house,

but she's refused to listen to me.

So, I want you to promise me something.

What kind of promise?

Well, Catherine says that the lottery will take place

after she and Morgan are married.

I want you to promise me that you

won't allow her to become involved in it.

No.

I can't make that kind of promise.

DAPHNE: Why not?

Because, if Catherine marries in the family,

then she becomes a part of the family and

she must abide by all decisions made by the family.

Now, if it is decided that everyone

will take their chance in the lottery,

then Catherine will be one of those.

[dramatic music]

MELANIE: Julia!

I thought you were in your room.

Well, I left my book in the drawing room,

so I came downstairs to get it.

Where are you taking that food?

To my room.

Where else would I take it?

I don't know, it just seems so strange.

Strange, why?

Well, seeing you carrying a tray of food.

I mean, you always have Cook bring it to your room.

I dismiss Cook directly after dinner.

Goodnight.

[suspenseful music]

You followed me.

Because I knew you weren't telling me the truth.

Why did you lie to me, Julia?

Why?

You should not have come here.

You were taking that food to someone in the room,

weren't you?

Who is it, Julia?

Who is in that room?

[dramatic music]

[eerie music]