04x14 - The Cutty Black Sow

[bunniefuu]

[theme music playing]

NARRATOR:
Man lives in the sunlit world

of what he believes
to be reality.

But... there is,

unseen by most, an underworld.

A place that is just as real

but not as brightly lit.

A dark side.

[flames crackling]

♪ ♪

l...

...was dreaming.

She's not going to make
it, is she, Dad?

Hush, Jamie, don't say that.

He's right, sweetheart.

He's only saying out loud
what we've all been thinking.

GlRL:
ls she going to die?

ls she really going to die?

Right here in our living room?

We don't know that, honey.

Maybe we should call
Dr. Lenton.

l don't think
there's much point.

You remember what he said.

lt's... gettin' dark.

lt's late.

You guys better get to bed.

That's right.

Tomorrow's a special day.

We'll go trick-or-treating.

l don't want to go to bed.

Good night, Grandma.

What day is it?

FATHER:
lt's Thursday, Grandma.

No.

What date?

lt's the 30th of October.

October?

Yes, Great-Grandma.

All Hallows' Even.

MOTHER:
What did she say?

FATHER: What was that
you said, Grandma?

All Hallows' Even.

l'm going to die

on All Hallows' Even.

Richard, what is
she talking about?

Halloween.

They call it ''All Hallows' Even''
in Scotland.

MOTHER:
What does she mean?

RlCHARD:
l don't know.

lt's 11 :30.

Half an hour until
All Hallows' Even.

lt's time you guys
were in bed.

Good night, Mom.

RlCHARD:
Good night, Jamie.

Good night.

-Good night.
-Good night, Daddy.

[labored breath]

GREAT-GRANDMA:
And down into the cold,

to Mount Bidur
with the other children

to gather for the fires...

[distant bagpipes playing]

...out begging from the folk...
and we would say...

''Give us a peat to burn
the witches, good missus.''

Pile it high with wood.

Pile it high with straw
and furs and peat.

And what a beautiful
Samhain it would be.

And the fire burned through
the night on All Hallows' Even.

The fire that kept away
the Cutty Black Sow.

Kept it away from any soul
who died on that witches' night.

Kept the fire burnin',

till the heap had turned
to bright red coals.

And we would gather up
the ash and coals

in the form of a circle...

Great-Gran...

And into it we would put stones.

One mark for each member
of the families.

The stones were our souls,

and as long as they stayed
in the circle of the fire,

Old Cutty Black Sow
would not harm us.

And in the mornin',
everyone would run

to make sure that not a stone
was disturbed or missing.

For if it was,

the soul that stood for that
missing stone would be took

[echoing]:
by the Cutty Black Sow.

The Cutty Black what?

Take care, Jamie!

You are the one
who must take care!

[distant bagpipes playing]

l will, Great-Gran, l will.

Hurry now,

and kiss me good night.

But Great-Gran, who...?

What is the Cutty Black...?

Great-Gran? Great-Gran?

She's dead.

Great-Gran is dead, isn't she?

Yes, Jamie,
your great-gran's dead.

She lived
a very full life, Jamie,

and that's what we always
have to remember.

lt's what Great-Gran'd
want us to remember.

Her whole lost world...

her history, our history.

See, we always have
to remember.

And now that she's gone, uh...

it's up to us
to keep her alive.

Her memory, and everything
that... that she was.

l'll always remember
Great-Gran.

l know you will, Jamie.

So will l.

l better go get your mom.

[distant bagpipes playing]

[crying]

GREAT-GRANDMA [over tape]:
...with the other children

to gather for the fires...

out begging from the folk...
and we would say...

''Give us a peat to burn
the witches, good missus.''

And the fire would burn
through the night

on All Hallows' Even.

The fire that kept away
the Cutty Black Sow.

[turns off tape player]

''Cutty...

''Scottish dialect.

Short bristles cut or shaven.''

''Catherine Martha Mattock.

''June 1, 1888.

''Married James Malcolm MacEvans.

''January 5, 1910.

''Died October 30.''

No.

She died on All Hallows' Even.

October 31.

''They shall hear his hooves beat
upon the threshold.

''And then they shall hear
the breath of Hell

''in his black throat.

''The Cutty Black Sow shall come
on All Hallows' Even

to devour and destroy.''

[bagpipes playing]

CATHERlNE: And into that circle
we would put stones.

One mark for each member
of our families.

The stones were our souls.

And as long as they stayed
inside the circle of the fire...

What are you doing?

Nothing.

CATHERlNE:
...Old Cutty Black Sow...

Well, l want to go
trick-or-treating.

Mommy said you're supposed
to take me,

even if Great-Grandma
did die last night.

Okay, okay, but there's
something l have to do first.

What is it?

About Great-Grandma?

Don't worry, l'll take
you trick-or-treating.

Soon as l'm done taking care
of Great-Grandma.

But she's already dead.

And Mommy says her funeral
is tomorrow.

l'm not talking
about her funeral.

Before Great-Grandma died,
she asked me to do something.

Sort of like a last request.

Can l help?

l have a magic wand.

But it only does evil magic.

First, you have to swear
not to tell anyone--

not Mommy, not Daddy,
not anyone.

l swear.

l need five stones.

Rocks?

About that big around

and... flat on both sides.

Okay.

[over tape player]:
...could not harm you.

And in the morning,
everyone would run...

Jamie.

We're leaving.

Come on down, say good-bye.

We'll be at the funeral parlor
if you need us, honey.

Sure you don't want me
to come with you?

You and Gloria go out
and have a good time.

But don't eat
all the candy tonight.

Try not to worry
about anything, okay?

Just be a good big brother and
take Gloria trick-or-treating.

But be back before dark.

l don't want the two of you
roaming around alone at night.

RlCHARD:
Have a good time, hon.

JAMlE: ''lnto that circle,
you will put stones.

''One mark for each member
of our families.

''As long as they stayed inside
the circle of fire,

Old Cutty Black Sow
could not harm them.''

l got the rocks.

Can't we go
trick-or-treating now?

[growls]

[gasps]

l'm gonna pay you back
for scaring me.

Sure.

Come on.

Where?

This one's for you.

''G'' for Gloria.

GLORlA:
''M'' for Mommy.

Marion.

GLORlA:
Richard.

That's Daddy.

Now do yours.

''J'' for Jamie.

Who's the last one for?

Great-Grandma.

But she's already dead.

''C'' for Catherine.

lt's not too late.

We still have to protect her.

We still have
to protect her soul.

l'm scared.

Are we safe now?

l think so.

l hope so.

Good, then let's
get out of here.

l want to go trick-or-treating.

All right, in a minute.

l just have to get dressed.

[distant bagpipes playing]

[quiet sizzling, hissing]

[stones, fire crackling]

l counted at least
four chocolate chews

and...
three peanut clusters.

Trade you a chocolate chew
for a peanut cluster.

Sure!

Look, Jamie,
there's a piece over there.

Jamie, one of the stones fell.

Don't touch that!

[Gloria screams, glass shatters]

lt was hot.

Mommy is going to be
so mad at us.

[wind whistling]

[thumping]

What was that?

Jamie, stop it.

First you break Mommy's lamp,

and now you're trying
to scare me.

lt's time for bed, Gloria.

lt is not, and l don't have to.

You do.

Upstairs now, Gloria.

Jamie, you're scaring me.

You were a good witch tonight.

l was really scary.

Yeah.

Okay, l'll go.

Good night.

Night.

CATHERlNE: The soul that stood
for that missing stone

would be took
by the Cutty Black Sow.

JAMlE:
lt's me.

lt's me.

What'd you say?

-Nothing.
-Tuck me in.

Okay?

[thumping]

l'll be right up.

[thumping, wind whistling]

[quiet footsteps]

[low growling]

[branches scraping window]

[growling]

[growling]

[sharp thud]

[thudding]

[growling]

[phone ringing]

Hello? Hello?

Who is this?

MARlON: Jamie?
What on earth is going on there?

You sound terrible.

Nothing, nothing, Mom.

How are you?

ls Gloria in bed?

Are you two all right?

Gloria's asleep.

We're fine.

You're sure, now?

Yeah.

Just come home soon, okay?

Just hurry home, please.

[flames crackling softly,
wind whistling]

[thumping]

That was not the wind.

[branches tapping]

Gloria?

Gloria?

[muffled roaring]

You're supposed to be in bed.

Well, l had to pay you back.

You did,
so now go back to sleep.

All right.

[wind whistling softly]

[quiet clicking]

[distant bagpipes playing]

[door creaks]

Mommy, Daddy,
l'm so glad to see you.

Were you expecting
somebody else?

[sighs]

ls everything all right?

Oh, no.

What happened to my lamp?

JAMlE:
lt was an accident.

l broke it. l'm sorry.

lt's been an awful day
for everybody.

Jamie, are you sure
you're all right?

l'm fine, Mom, don't worry.

MARlON: You can tell me all
about the lamp tomorrow.

Give me a kiss good night.

JAMlE:
Good night.

Night, Daddy.

Good night, Jamie.

[thunder rumbling]

[rain pattering]

[thunder cracks, Jamie screams]

[distant bagpipes playing]

[screams]

Oh, Dad, it's you.

Jamie, it's okay.

l'm here.

Well, look out the window, Dad.

[thunder rumbling]

Jamie, there's-there's
nothing out there.

[growling]

Dad, Great-Grandma
told me this story.

She wanted me to protect her
soul from the Cutty Black Sow.

Jamie, she knew
a whole lifetime of stories.

But Dad, l read about it
in the dictionary,

and l hear it, and l saw it.

Jamie, it's almost midnight.

Now, no more stories.

Ow!

[growling]

[growling, thunder cracks]

[growling]

[distant bagpipes playing]

NARRATOR:
The dark side is always there.

Waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time, try
to enjoy the daylight.