Haunting of Cottonwood, The (2025)

[bunniefuu]

(flames roaring)

(logo thuds) (glass shattering)

(clock ticking)

[Psychiatrist] So, Georgina,

how have things been since our last visit?

Fine.

Fine, I think.

Yeah.

It's been a little hard,

but we're getting there.

Good. And what about you, David?

Taking it day by day.

And the dreams?

She's been doing really well, Doc.

Maybe we can dial back the meds?

We can certainly take a look at that.

It's been almost a year, you know,

and I'm so glad to hear that

Addison's grades are improving

after losing Avery.

This can all be especially

difficult for a twin.

Georgina, how about the drawings?

I stopped doing them.

That's great.

Most relationships fail

after a tragedy like this,

but I'm happy to see that

you guys are doing so great.

And I think that this move to

Florida is gonna be amazing

for you and the girls.

So you will have to keep me posted.

We will.

And you have my cell phone number,

so anything that you need at any time,

please don't hesitate.

If you're ever in Florida.

Oh, absolutely. I

will take you up on that.

Best of luck to the both of you.

- All right.

- Thank you.

We'll see you again.

All right, take care.

Thanks, Doc.

All right. Bye-bye.

(birds chirping)

Hey, honey, you sure

you don't want any coffee

before you leave?

No, no, I have my water. Thanks.

(phone buzzes)

It's the psychiatrist.

Really?

Is everything okay?

[Psychiatrist] Yep, everything is good.

I just wanted to let you know

that I did reduce the dosage for Georgina,

so it'll probably take a couple

of weeks to go into effect,

but that should make a difference.

I also called in a 90 day supply,

so you should be all set.

But if there's anything else

that you need, let me know.

Okay, yeah, cool.

Hey, I just wanted to thank you.

We couldn't have done

this move without you.

Really looking forward to it.

You never know what I

may uncover from my past.

Stop by anytime, all right?

[Psychiatrist] Absolutely.

Listen, David, I know that

losing your twin daughter Avery

and your rock band Eclipse in the same year

has been devastating.

Hopefully this move will be a fresh start

for you and the family.

All right. Thank you, Doc.

[Psychiatrist] You got it.

Take care.

[Psychiatrist] Bye-bye.

All right, girls, I'll

see you this weekend.

Okay, so the car transporter

will be here by 9:00.

Movers will be done by 10:00.

Call me the minute they're done.

All right, it's a long drive.

Please be safe.

Everything's gonna be all right.

All right, I'll see you in a few days.

Miss you already.

Girls, give me a hug.

Come on.

- Bye, Dad.

- All right, baby.

I'll see you soon, all right?

You, behave.

Come on.

(Georgina chuckles)

All right, gotta go.

- All right.

- All right, girls.

Lock behind me.

All right, hon, I'll see you soon.

Love you.

All right, girls. Be good.

Take care, all right?

- Bye.

- Bye.

(car starts)

Bye, Daddy.

Come on, girls.

We got some packing to do.

Come on.

(gentle music)

(dramatic drum music)

I'll tell you of a time

When blood colored

the sword of a warrior

True love was a crime

For hearts held by a king,

as a king had held mine

Scream from the womb

Far better to love

than to live in this tomb

Hey, Addy, can you get

us some more balloon?

(eerie music)

(eerie music continues)

(Amber screams)

[Amber] Mom!

(Georgina gasps)

(somber music)

[Dave] Hey, this is Dave.

Leave a message after the beep.

(phone beeps)

Morning, sweetie.

Call me when you're up.

I love you.

(somber music continues)

(phone ringing)

Hey, I tried to call you earlier.

[Dave] I was just

checking out of the hotel.

I missed you last night.

I missed you too.

Georgina, you okay?

G?

[Georgina] Please don't go to the house.

I'm not so sure about this move.

Suddenly it's become real.

Listen, honey, we both need this.

Plus, what are the chances

of us inheriting a property

that was once owned by my great uncle?

I had another dream.

Look, honey, you're upset,

but if you want I can turn around.

I can try to delay the signing.

It was so real.

I feel it's like we're being warned.

Oh, okay. That's it.

I'm just gonna turn around.

Feel as though you wanna forget the past

about our daughter.

Our daughter's gone, Georgina.

We will have her memory forever,

but we have got to get over this tragedy

or it's going to consume us.

Yeah.

I'm being silly.

You're right. This is the past.

[Dave] Are you sure?

Yes. Yes, I'm sure.

I love you, Dave.

Thank you for being there.

Always.

Look, I love you, all right?

I'll call you later.

I love you too. Bye.

[Dave] Bye.

(emotional music)

(dramatic music stings)

Oh wow.

Good morning, Mr. Edwards.

Yeah. No, no, no.

Call me Dave.

How are you?

Good.

Well, this is it, the old Cottonwood house.

(Dave chuckles)

What do you think?

It's not as bad as I

thought it was gonna be.

Exactly. The trust has kept

up the exterior maintenance.

That's Ralph, the local handyman.

Good morning, Joey.

Good morning, Ralph.

[Dave] Oh my.

[Sally] She's a beauty.

[Dave] She sure is.

Here she is.

Oh my god.

And the antiques?

Come with the house.

No way.

Oh my god.

(cat cries)

(Dave yells and laughs)

That thing almost gave me a heart attack.

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Wonder how that got in here?

I gotta go.

Can't leave my next client hanging around.

Hey, look, the sun's finally come out.

I will have everything

ready for you to sign

tomorrow around 11:00 AM.

That'd be perfect.

Thank you.

Hey, do you mind if I take

a look around the grounds?

Sure. This time

tomorrow she'll be all yours.

Thanks, Sally.

Oh, Ralph.

Yo.

Do you have a card?

I do, but I'll have to

go grab it in my truck.

That's fine.

I'm pretty sure I can keep you busy

working around the house.

Hey, I'm in.

All right, man. Thank you.

(dramatic music)

There goes our inheritance.

Wow.

(creature chittering)

(dramatic music stings)

Damn it!

You kidding me?

Twice in one day?

(toy monkey laughing)

(gentle music)

(gentle music continues)

(phone ringing)

Hey. Good morning, sweetheart.

[Georgina] I called a few times.

You had me worried.

Oh.

[Georgina] Glad to hear your voice.

I'm sorry. It was just late.

I'm really tired.

What's happening?

[Georgina] How's the house?

Oh, it's perfect.

Somebody up there is looking down on us.

[Georgina] You know

it's almost 10:00, right?

sh*t!

No, no, no. I got the signing at 11:00.

Listen, let me get a coffee,

and then I'll call you

the second I get the keys.

[Georgina] Call this time.

I will.

[Georgina] Good luck.

- I love you, babe.

- [Georgina] Love you. Bye.

sh*t!

One more document, Sally.

Thank you.

Thank you, Barry.

You're welcome.

And last but not least, sign right there.

Got it.

Think with all this paperwork

that I'm buying a small country.

Well, it's worth it

because now I'm looking at the new owner

of the old Cottonwood

Orphanage back in family hands.

You know, it's funny, you

mentioned that the other day.

I never knew this was an old orphanage.

Well, your great uncle

and aunt were not only great

doctors, but humanitarians.

They used to care for

orphans displaced by the w*r.

Huh? What do you know?

Thank you.

Mr. Edwards.

Yeah?

Please take care of Cottonwood.

It has a special meaning in my heart.

Of course.

You gotta love these old homes, right?

Thank you.

I'll make sure to get you copies.

[Dave] Okay.

Dave.

[Dave] Hey, how are you?

Good. Good.

Good. Here are the blueprints.

Let's do this walkthrough.

Tomorrow we start fixing this beauty up.

If you don't mind, I'm

gonna call a friend of mine.

He's a building inspector.

See if he can stop by for a few minutes.

All right.

I will warn you though,

we may need a permit before we can start.

Permit?

Christ, how long is that gonna take?

About a week.

But we can work on

other stuff in the meantime.

A week...

Hey, Ralph?

Yeah.

What room's this?

That's the living room, isn't it?

I don't think so.

It's not adding up.

Here. I gotta remeasure the hallway anyway.

You know how these

plans change over the years.

[Ralph] Yeah.

That window.

Yeah. That's the living room.

No, no, that's the living room.

That is not in the living room.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

You said you wanted to

measure the hallway again.

So let's go inside.

All right.

Hey, grab that.

There.

This just isn't adding up.

(Dave knocks on wall)

Let me go grab a hammer.

Yeah.

(Dave knocks on wall)

Sounds like it's hollow right there.

Maybe an old doorway.

Yeah, maybe.

Whatever it is, it was boarded up.

Pass me that hammer.

(knocking on door)

Oh, hold that thought.

Let's see who that is.

Robert.

Ralph.

Good to see you.

Hi. You too, buddy.

Hey, Dave Edwards.

David?

Nice to meet you.

I've just taken over the

helm of this beautiful home.

Oh, isn't she?

One of the finest

historical homes in the area.

Thank you.

Anyway, I picked up your message and I was passing.

I figured I'd pop in and see what you have to offer.

Yeah, absolutely.

So where do we start?

Well, let me show you around.

You're all good to go.

Perfect.

I'll see you at pool tonight?

Absolutely.

Well?

Just as we suspected.

Termite damage, electrical

board needs replacing,

and there is a serious

issue with the basement.

Christ. What's that?

Sump pump's missing.

How long is that gonna take?

Two weeks tops.

My family comes in in two days.

Looks like we're gonna be staying

at the hotel a little longer than expected.

You want me to punch a hole in the wall?

Nah, nah, it's getting late.

Let's get outta here.

Call it a day.

Hey babe. Sorry.

I was just about to call you.

How are the kids?

[Georgina] Excited. How's the house?

Oh, it's awesome. Guess what?

I think I found a secret room.

[Georgina] Really?

Yeah.

[Georgina] Oh my god. How awesome.

Dave, please be careful.

I will.

Listen, I just stepped in

the bar to get a bite to eat.

Can I call you back?

[Georgina] Sure. Talk to you later.

Okay, babe.

- Bye.

- [Georgina] Love you.

Wife troubles?

Only if I don't listen to her.

You want another?

[Dave] Make it a jack and Coke.

Gotcha.

[Dave] Thanks.

So, so you're doing okay

I'm feeling

I'm feeling okay

So stay apart

I'm feeling

I'm feeling okay

So your devil and your god

They will do it apart

I'm feeling

I'm feeling all great

So stay apart

I'm feeling

I'm feeling all great

So your devil and your god

They will do it apart

Your devil, your god

They will do it apart

Your devil, your god

They will do it apart

(eerie music)

(Dave knocks on wall)

(hammer bangs)

(eerie music continues)

(wall crumbles)

(eerie music continues)

Treasure chest?

(eerie music continues)

(child giggling)

(dramatic music stings)

Oh God.

Almost gave me a heart attack.

(something scurrying)

How the hell did that damn cat get in here?

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music stings)

(Dave sighs)

f*cking cat scared the sh*t out of me.

(Dave chuckles)

Get a grip, Dave.

You only had a couple drinks.

Jumping at shadows.

(car starts)

sh*t still works.

Wow.

Look at this.

I know, right?

I couldn't resist, punched

in the wall last night.

Look, I came in this morning.

I took down boards.

There was even the door.

Well, you were right,

this wasn't the living room.

It looks like an old office.

Hey, do me a favor, man.

Make sure nobody comes in here.

Still gotta r*fle through all that stuff.

In fact, can you just tarp it up?

Yeah, no problem.

Look, I gotta pick up

my family at the airport.

Last night, can you check the plumbing?

'Cause it was making some

crazy noises here last night.

On it.

Awesome. Thank you.

(plane roars)

(gentle music)

What do you think?

This is so cool.

Yeah? Come on, get out.

Check it out.

Hey, that means you too.

Come on.

Hey, slow down.

It's not ready for you

to run wild in it yet.

Come on.

Wow.

That's really cool.

Yeah? (Laughs)

It's beautiful.

Yeah.

And everything you said it was gonna be.

Yeah.

Do you wanna tell the kids

now about your little secret?

Sure.

But before we begin, I gotta tell you,

we have to stay at the

hotel a week at the most.

The inspector found some floor damage

and some of the lights just aren't...

Yeah.

It is what it is.

I just didn't budget on that.

It's all right. It's all right.

We'll keep working on the floors.

That way we can move in.

Keep working on the old beauty.

What do you think about that?

(Georgina giggles)

Yeah.

Wanna check out that surprise?

Let's go.

What do you think?

There's a piano!

[Addy] Whoa, what's in here?

Nothing.

Come with me.

Is there really a surprise, Dad?

Yes. This is the secret room.

Wow. It really is a secret room.

- Hey, don't touch anything.

- Hey, what's that?

[Dave] That's an old radio.

- Wow. Look at this thing.

- Don't touch it.

Yeah, don't touch that, Addy.

It's a typewriter.

Grandparents used to have one of these.

Who's that?

Who's that? I don't know.

There a lot of pictures of him though.

We'll find out.

Yeah.

Are we really gonna live here?

[Dave] We live here.

This is our house.

(gentle music)

(gentle music continues)

(gentle piano music)

Mommy.

(piano keys slam)

(dramatic music stings)

(Georgina grunts)

(dramatic music stings)

(Georgina yells)

I see a foot, doctor.

(Georgina yells)

(Georgina screams)

Hey!

Hey!

Hey. Are you all right?

- Mom, what happened?

- What happened? Hey.

Feel like strange.

I feel like I've been here before.

Maybe in a past life.

Yes.

This is your heritage, not mine.

Oh, yeah. Look.

There he is. It's my great uncle.

Hey, something just moved over there.

All right, that's enough.

Come on, let's get outta here.

Let's get some pizza.

Come on.

Are you all right?

Thank you.

Hey.

How are you feeling, baby?

I am exhausted.

How about a nightcap?

No, I think I'm just gonna

take a shower and relax.

I have a ton of emails to catch up on.

Just one drink?

No, no, you go.

You go. Have fun, all right?

All right.

I'll be back in an hour.

All right?

- All right, baby.

- See you later.

See you soon.

Hey, it's you again.

Hey.

Jack and Coke?

You remembered.

Of course. I couldn't forget you.

I'm Dave.

Carly.

Nice to meet you.

But I know you, you just

bought that Cottonwood house.

Thinking of making it

into a bed and breakfast?

I could work two jobs,

(Dave laughs)

Word travels fast in a small town.

No, no, no, no.

I'm gonna make it my resident home.

No, it definitely does.

Listen in a small town, we

know everything about everyone

before it even happens.

I'll give you that drink.

Love it. Thanks.

That's so funny.

You said you were a Scorpio?

- Yes.

- I love Scorpio.

- Hi, Carly.

- Hey, Phil.

The usual?

Please.

[Carly] Gotcha.

Hi, Mr. Edwards?

Yes.

You're staying in my

hotel right next door.

I'm Phil, the hotel manager.

Oh, hey, call me Dave.

Dave, pleasure to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Would you like another drink?

Nah. No, no, no.

I got a busy day tomorrow.

Thanks anyway.

Renovating that old orphanage.

I don't envy you.

You know, I'll take that drink.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

Carly, could you set him up?

Yeah, I got ya.

Thanks.

So how long have you

been at the Lakeside Inn?

I'm the longest serving

employee. 10 years.

Wow.

10 long years.

(Dave chuckles)

What can you tell me about my house?

Well, there've been

many who tried to buy it,

but something always went wrong.

It's not a lucky house.

Some say it's haunted.

Come on, man.

It's all talk.

I'm more scared of

the living than the dead.

Tell me about it.

Did your estate agent Sally tell you

that her grandmother, Nurse Jenkins,

was living there up until

she passed recently?

No. No, no.

Who's Nurse Jenkins?

She was the nanny of the orphanage.

(Dave scoffs)

She forgot to tell me that. No.

Still, I'm glad I chose

this cool house to restore.

Or did the house choose you?

Well, goodnight, Dave.

Please ignore that goofball.

It is a small town, all right?

And it has a way of making

everyone go a little crazy.

Okay.

You know, there are a lot of empty rooms

in the hotel tonight.

You know, it would be a

shame to let them go to waste.

How'd you get that hotel key?

Phil gives me a key when I work late.

(glass shatters)

[Patron] Oh, clumsy me.

Timing is everything around here.

Pass me my tab.

No worries. It's on the house.

Thank you.

See you later.

I'll see you later.

(Georgina humming)

Addy?

Addy?

Welcome home, Mommy.

(dramatic music stings)

(Georgina gasps)

(Georgina whimpers)

Georgina?

You okay?

Hey, good morning, babe.

You all right?

You were burning up last night.

I had a dream. It was so real.

Maybe we should just

have a day of doing nothing.

Take it easy today.

No, no, I'm fine.

I'll come to the house with you later.

Are you sure you're all right?

I promise.

Promise.

All right.

(birds chirping)

(kids chattering)

Hey, sleepy head.

Hey, I lost you for a minute.

Kids running around upstairs.

Huh?

I'm sure it's just Addy exploring.

No, it sounded like a lot of kids.

And Addison is outside playing with Amber.

(something thuds)

God damn. What a mess.

Need to sweep.

Cat's made his home up there.

Dave, are you sure you

didn't hear the children upstairs?

Honey, listen, it was Addy, I swear.

It's been a hard move, all right?

You're gonna settle in.

I promise you. You're gonna be all right.

(dirt and dust rustles)

Huh?

Open it.

This just fell down the chimney.

Cool. Hidden treasure?

I wanna see.

I saw it in my dream.

A boy holding a doll.

No, hun, you saw the photograph.

Can I have it, Dad?

I'm starting to like

this creepy old house.

Dave, really.

Do me a favor. Don't

start with me today, all right?

Georgina!

Ow!

Uh, Mom!

Addison cut her finger!

Mom!

Addison, what have you done?

Oh, you're gonna need a tetanus shot.

You know, this could be worth something.

Let me see.

What happened here?

All right, G, clean her up.

She doesn't need a tetanus shot.

Come on.

Amber, come on.

Georgina!

Georgina!

What is it?

Look at this. Check...

Um...

A cat. A big cat went up the chimney.

Jesus. Dave, you scared me.

Yeah.

Come on, kiddo. Let's get outta here.

Kiddo? I'm 14.

You are never too young

to be told, young lady.

Let's go.

(children giggling)

Lake's pretty beautiful, huh?

Yeah, it's really nice.

I love it.

Hey, Amber, there's a pool over there.

Can we please go swimming?

Maybe later.

I don't really feel like digging

through our suitcases right now.

Come on. It's really hot outside.

And I'm really tired.

Hey, I haven't seen you guys here before.

Are you staying at the inn?

Yeah, just for a couple days

while my dad fixes up our new house.

Nice.

I'm Dawn.

Amber. And that's Addison.

Hi.

Well, I have work in a

minute, so I have to get going,

but maybe I'll catch you later.

Nice meeting you.

Finally.

Got the permits.

Did you find anything?

Not yet.

Actually there was this one thing.

Let's see here.

Local man...

[Amber] Hey.

Hey.

I see you two are making new friends?

Oh, Dawn?

Yeah, she was nice.

What are you looking at?

Just the history of the house.

I like our new house.

I'm glad you do, babe.

But does our house like us?

Hey, can we go swimming now?

Fine.

Yes.

Be careful.

[Addy] Hi, Sebastian.

I missed you at the pool today.

Where were you?

The lake was so pretty.

You should come out and

see it with me sometime.

We met this girl named Dawn on the dock.

I think she's really cool.

[Amber] Addy?

You okay?

This is my sister Amber.

[Amber] Who are you talking to?

My friend.

[Amber] Okay, well

tell your friend that it's late

and I wanna go to bed.

Okay.

Goodnight, Sebastian.

I'll see you tomorrow.

(dramatic music)

It's late.

Come on, it's 3:00 AM,

and you haven't even found anything yet.

Well, I did find something.

These nightmares I've been having lately.

A man being hanged, a child screaming.

Apparently there was a hanging.

A gardener was hanged

for k*lling a child at a local orphanage.

And I think it's our house,

and I think it's trying

to tell us something.

Okay, first of all, what

is it with you not telling me

about your nightmares, huh?

And no, that has nothing

to do with our house.

I don't want you to worry.

But this time was so different.

I saw Avery.

She was calling me to the house,

and then I saw a man being hanged,

screaming that the doctor did it.

Please listen.

You need to tell me when

you're having these nightmares.

The house is trying to tell us something.

It's trying to tell us something

bad happened there.

The newspaper articles.

Didn't they clearly say Royalou?

Didn't they?

Yeah.

It didn't happen here.

It's not even in this location.

I'll ask Ralph tomorrow

where this Royalou is located.

All right.

No idea why the lights are on at night.

Maybe a timer.

You should just go solar.

Save a lot more money.

We already blew the breaker.

I like the way you think.

Save some cash.

I'm with you on that.

Yeah, the electrics are shot.

(car honks)

It's my wife. Hold on.

Hey, honey.

Hey, baby. What's up?

Hey, Addison, wanted

to stay here with you

while I run into town.

Do you need anything?

Yeah, you know, get us a

12 pack and a bag of chips.

Addy can stay with me.

Thank you.

All right. Come on, girl.

Oh, let me get that for you.

- Sure.

- There you go.

Come on, hun.

Bye.

Thank you, babe.

Yep.

All right.

How are you?

- Good.

- Good.

Come on.

Hi. What do we got?

Yeah, we're wasting our time with this.

We got a serious problem in the basement.

The sump is completely blocked with weeds.

Yeah, well I can't handle that stench.

That job's all you.

Well, don't get lazy on me now.

I'm not. You're just gonna do it.

Of course I am.

Look when you're done,

I got a cold one for you.

With that stink? Two.

All right.

[Georgina] All right.

Thank you.

[Amber] No problem.

Well, isn't Peaceful

Creek a beautiful little town?

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

I am gonna do some shopping,

and then I'll pop into the internet cafe

and check on you in a bit.

Okay. Sounds good.

Bye. See you later.

Bye, Mom.

Hey, nice to see you again.

Hi.

There you go. Sorry.

Yeah, I promise I'm not a stalker.

I'm just looking for history on the town.

I can't find any.

I overheard my parents talking

last night about some m*rder

that happened in like Roy Blau,

Roy Blue, something like that.

I don't know.

It's Royalou.

It was named after the

children of a former city mayor.

Interesting.

After an innocent young

man was publicly hanged,

the shame almost destroyed the town.

Many people stayed.

Many people moved on.

Many people died.

But no one knows what happened

to the mayor or his children.

Whispers are that the ghost

of Doyle has them cocooned.

And rightfully so.

I'm sorry, for real?

Search up city approves

name change to Peaceful Creek.

That's what you'll find it under.

[Amber] Wexford retires,

calls for the town's name change.

Dr. Oliver m*rder*d.

Whoa.

Miss, can you help me?

(Georgina gasps) (dramatic music stings)

Oh my god.

Ma'am?

Ma'am, is everything all right?

Boy. I saw a little boy.

I'm sorry, but there's

no little boy here.

No, no. I could have sworn that I...

Would you like me to

help you with anything?

Would you like some water?

No, thank you.

Freak accident claims

Dr's son, Sebastian.

No.

No!

Did you find what you were looking for?

Yes, I did.

Thank you.

Oh, this town's got a rad history.

You have no idea.

Hi. Welcome in.

I'll be with you in a sec.

Hey, Mom. That's Dawn.

She's been really helpful.

Didn't I see you at the hotel yesterday?

Yes. I love it there

under the old oak tree.

I have the information Dad needs.

Dad needs?

Yeah. I overheard you

guys talking last night.

Well, here's my number.

Amber, if you need any more information

or if Mom needs a sitter.

Sitter? Really?

Thank you very much.

We'll definitely take you

up on sitting very soon.

I'm 14. I don't need a sitter.

Mm-hmm.

Have a good day, guys.

And it was really cool

that she worked there too

'cause I got to ask her

questions and everything.

I am so glad you got to meet some people.

Can you hold my purse for me?

[Amber] Yeah.

Thank you.

Well, I thought she was nice.

So, Sherlock, what'd you

find out after eavesdropping

on me and your father last night?

Sorry, Mom.

I overheard you guys talking

last night about the house,

and so I dug up some information.

Royalou isn't that far away.

In fact, we live in Royalou.

Wait, what? How can that be?

Check it out. Here.

Mom?

Mom, are you okay?

I knew it.

Knew what?

Mom, are you sure you're okay?

Did you take your medicine today?

Yes. I'm fine.

There's something about this house.

Something isn't right.

Mom.

Mom, I think the house is cool.

Yes. Dave Edwards.

Yeah, I'll hold. Thank you.

Hey, is everything all right?

I'm fine.

I didn't know we had a

modern day Sherlock Holmes

in our midst.

It turns out that this house

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Yes.

[Estate Agent] Mr. Edwards?

I have some good news.

All the paperwork's been passed,

and you can continue with the renovation.

Thank you, man.

I appreciate it.

I'll talk to you soon, all right?

Thank you.

I'm sorry, baby. What was that?

Amber has dug up the

whole history of our new home

and it's not good, Dave.

What do you mean it's not good?

Did you even take the

time to check this place out?

Oh yeah. I forgot to tell

you about Mrs. Jenkins.

Mrs. Jenkins? I thought

her name was Victoria.

What the hell are you talking about?

Look, this figure is clearly a woman.

I think this is Dr. Oliver's wife Victoria

and that this is her son Sebastian.

Huh.

Dad, is it true our house is haunted?

No. Who's been telling you that nonsense?

Our house is not haunted.

Amber told me.

Amber?

Amber, what the hell are you doing

telling her that our house is haunted?

It's just a joke.

What's the big deal?

What's the big deal?

She's eight years old, that's the big deal.

Your dad's right on this one

and under a lot of pressure.

As am I.

Please no more.

Look, okay, I was joking.

There's no ghosts in the house.

They're under your bed.

Dad!

Stop it, you little sh*t.

It's enough.

No, no, no.

Just drink your beer.

It's on me.

I am just getting

distracted by all of this.

But it's all starting to make sense.

We have a purpose.

What's this about Mrs. Jenkins?

She's just an old tenant

that used to live here.

Listen, man, I'm getting over this.

I'm tired. I'm hungry.

Can we just have dinner?

Maybe Amber's right?

I don't know.

We are stripping the

wallpaper back layer by layer.

The truth's gonna come out.

I'll order Chinese.

We'll have a picnic in the garden.

Best I can do to lighten the mood.

All right, thank you.

All right, let's go.

Look, Dad, I'm sorry.

It was a bad joke.

It's all right babe.

Look, just think twice

before you say something.

Addison's only eight and your mom

Is fine.

I actually feel connected here.

The past is the past.

Hey, I met this really cool lady

at the internet cafe, Dawn.

She literally knows

everything about this town,

and she's willing to babysit

if you guys wanted to take a night out.

You sure changed your tune.

I don't think that's gonna

be happening anytime soon.

But she's really knowledgeable though.

She literally told me

everything there is to know

about the town.

Oh, did you know it used

to be called Royalou?

Check it out.

Yeah, It's funny you mention that.

I told your mom last night

that I found some newspaper clippings

that mentioned Royalou.

Yeah, um, about that,

I may have heard you

guys talking last night.

(Dave chuckles)

Our house might have a

checkered past, but we're here now.

The lights are on,

and we're gonna breathe fresh life into it.

Dad.

[Dave] Yeah, baby?

I think I just saw a ghost.

[Georgina] No, enough.

Amber. Amber.

You see that's why we don't

tell jokes about haunted houses.

Mom, there was actually

something up there,

and it waved at me.

It's probably Ralph.

Or the swamp man.

[Addy] Stop it!

That's enough.

Enough.

Seriously. Stop. Stop.

- I was just joking.

- But

No, you too.

Stop.

Finish your food.

Or I'm gonna come and get you.

I'm gonna come and... Fine. Fine!

I'll eat it.

All right.

(eerie music)

Here, baby.

You guys clean up.

Take this for me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

- Okay.

- Thank you, sweetie.

Hey, seriously, I have to tell you,

this place is beginning to freak me out.

Look, when I was upstairs,

I mean the door slammed.

The window was open.

Remember the other day

when I heard those footsteps upstairs?

The girls were outside playing ball.

I think this house is

trying to tell us something.

(Dave laughs)

We're beginning to sound like the kids.

(Dave and Georgina laugh)

Hey, can you call that babysitter?

Let's get a drink.

You with me?

Come on. Come on.

(eerie music)

Honey, are you okay?

Yeah. Have you seen that doll?

No.

Maybe Addy has it?

With what happened to her finger?

Maybe the cat dragged

it back up the chimney.

Maybe you need to see a therapist.

Good one.

You called Dawn, right?

I was just about to.

Thank you.

(phone buzzes)

(dramatic music)

Dawn?

[Dawn] Yes.

Yeah. Hi, this is Georgina, Amber's mom.

[Dawn] Oh, hey.

I just wanna call and say

thank you for befriending Amber.

She's really enjoying

researching the town's history

with you.

Hey, Amber. Have you seen that doll?

No, I haven't. I'm sorry.

Oh, hey. Wait, wait.

Dad, there was something

else I wanted to talk to you about.

Okay.

I found something in the internet cafe.

What's that?

Okay, so there was

this really old cop Wexford.

Don't withhold

information from me, doctor.

[Amber] He believed that

your great uncle Dr. Oliver

k*lled a kid.

[Dave] Come on.

No, I'm being serious.

There were rumors that like

circulated around the town

or whatever and nothing was ever proven.

People believed the orphan's

nanny possessed Dr. Oliver

and made him commit the crimes.

And then she made him frame

the gardener who was hanged.

When they found the kid, skin

was missing from off his face.

And then Wexford wrote

that the doll had like human skin on it.

Do you think that Dr. Oliver

was trying to bring back his dead son?

It's all been worthwhile.

In six hours, mad Doyle will be dead.

It's totally made up.

No, I'm serious.

No. So am I.

- Come on.

- It was in the newspaper.

Whatever.

Do you remember the name Mary Shelley?

Does it ring a bell?

I don't know.

- Wasn't she like an author or something?

- Yeah, she was.

Yeah, yeah.

- She'd have you believing Frankenstein existed.

- Come on.

Hey, do me a favor though.

Don't say anything to your mom.

You mentioned that you do sitting.

We could really do with a good night out.

I know Amber's 14,

but I'd feel a little better

with somebody older

kinda watching over them.

It looks like we have a lot in common.

I'd love to sit for you guys.

Fantastic. Are you free tonight?

My schedule just opened up.

I look forward to meeting

the rest of the family.

See you at 6:00.

(people chattering)

Right. Right.

Precise.

Whoa.

Bad day?

Jack and Coke.

And what about the lovely lady?

Oh, what lovely lady?

Cheeky.

(Dave laughs)

I'm kidding.

This is my wife Georgina.

Hi. I'm Phil.

Nice to meet you.

Pleasure to meet you.

Same here.

You know what? Make it a double.

And thank you for the compliment.

You hear that, Dave?

Lovely lady.

And don't ever forget it.

All right. (Laughs)

No, our daughter,

she's been just doing her due diligence

looking into the history of our house.

And she's uncovered quite a can of worms.

Well, the past is the past,

and the dead can't do anything to you.

I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.

One must use the lovely ladies' room.

All right. (Chuckles)

So...

What do you mean about

one of the lucky ones?

My daughter witnessed a gator attack

that took her friend

while they were camping.

To this day, she's not sure what she saw.

That's the reason I've stayed here.

She requires medical care, has ever since.

Any news on the nest?

[Phil] There's definitely

a second nest out there.

How's my princess doing today?

(girl screams)

Have they found her yet?

A young, beautiful, adventurous girl

crippled by guilt for surviving

that camping incident.

Imagine.

I mean, it was her idea.

Well, I guess life goes on.

I'm sorry.

Thanks.

I'm really sorry, Phil.

Hey, Carly, let me get my tab.

You know, I'm starting

to feel at peace here.

I still get the visions, but

they don't bother me anymore.

It is our home now.

I know you're gonna

make it beautiful for us.

I will.

(eerie music)

- Awesome.

- I know. (Laughs)

Hey, Sally, how are you?

I'm good.

Doing some errands before

we get back to the house.

This is my wife Georgina.

It's a pleasure to finally meet you.

The pleasure is mine.

So I heard you started

renovations on the house.

Yeah. Going well.

Good luck with everything.

[Dave] Thank you.

Well, I gotta run.

Sure.

Oh, before you split,

is the house on the

city line or is it septic?

Septic.

The waste used to

flow directly into the lake,

was a bio-hazard.

So the city took care of it

and gave grants to the stork homes

that have septic tanks installed.

Bio-hazard. I heard some

story about a lake creature.

There's no lake creature.

Trust me.

I gotta run.

Yeah, okay. See you around.

Nice to meet you.

Lake creature? Really?

Remember that guy, Phil?

He told me a bunch of stories.

I'll tell you later.

Let's walk.

Well...

Morning, boss.

I had a cancellation this morning,

so we figured we'd get an early start.

I will tell you though, it's

gonna take some manual labor

because that snake is

useless on that drain.

Well, if you need any real muscle...

He's got all the muscle he needs.

(Dave chuckles)

I'm gonna grab the tools.

I'll see you guys in the basement.

[Dave] Okay.

I'll take a coffee too.

[Dave] Sure thing.

What's that smell?

(Joe coughs)

(machine whirs)

This smell's terrible.

It's horrible.

I think it's getting worse.

I think I see something in here.

What?

(dramatic music stings)

That's a human jaw.

No.

Holy hell! That's someone's teeth!

Oh my god.

I'm outta here.

Dave, you need to call 9-1-1.

Oh God.

Oak Street, I believe it is.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

Peaceful Creek.

Yes, ma'am, I'll be here

when the cops arrive.

Thank you. Okay, bye.

What are you talking about?

Who are you talking to?

Ralph found some bones in the basement.

We don't know if they're an animal.

We don't know if they're human.

Whatever the case is,

just please take the

girls back to the hotel.

I'll call you as soon as I can.

You're scaring me.

Just do me a favor and

take the girls back to town.

Once I figure something

out with the officers,

I'll let you know what's happening.

Dave.

What?

Tell me you're joking.

Please tell me you're joking!

I'm as upset as you are.

Will you just take them into town?

I will call you once I figure things out.

What the hell are we supposed to do?

I don't know!

Just go to town!

Will you do this for me?

We should have never left LA!

God.

- Mom, what's happening?

- We have to go to the car

- right now.

- Why?

- Why do we have to go?

- Mom.

We have to leave.

Why?

Come on. Go, go, go, go, go.

What's going on though?

You'll find out later.

Come on, come on.

- Okay.

- Okay. Oh my gosh.

Take my purse.

Mom, I'm scared.

Mom, what's going on?

Is it something with like

you and Dad or something?

Did you get in a fight?

No. Nothing like that.

I'm just tired.

Everything about this move.

Fine.

It's the house, isn't it?

Mom, just tell the truth, okay?

'Cause you're really

starting to freak me out.

(car starts)

(eerie music)

Oh, thank God, officer.

What do we have here?

Follow me.

(dramatic music)

You're going to have to

call the medical examiner.

Oh man.

What a day.

What happened, Dad?

Septic tank blew at the house.

It's a mess.

Gotta go over there

tomorrow and check it out.

That's what happens

when you inherit an old house, sweetie.

You never know what lies below.

(dramatic music)

[Officer] Bonnie, what do we have here?

This crime scene is

bigger than we thought.

We found human remains.

How many bodies?

I can't tell you that

until I get back to the lab.

But what I can tell you, this

is definitely the second nest.

I tried to be brave.

I can't do it anymore.

Shh.

Hey, hey.

It's all right. Listen.

You need to start taking

your meds again, okay?

I can hear the kids coming.

Pull yourself together. Okay?

I have to make a phone call.

All right, babe.

(phone ringing)

[Psychiatrist] Is everything okay?

What's going on, David?

Look, I'm sorry about

the three hour difference.

All right, but Georgina, she had a relapse.

The nightmares are back.

The headaches are back.

It's just, it's full power.

I'm sorry. We're going home.

[Psychiatrist] No, that would

be a huge mistake, David.

You have to think of the

children, uprooting them again?

Please just give it time.

Trust me.

Oh, hey, sweetie, I can do that for you.

Oh, thanks.

What are you guys up to today?

Just the usual.

We might hang out by the pool.

[Psychiatrist] She's going to win,

but you have to be patient.

The house has been

nothing but a nightmare.

[Psychiatrist] Please,

David, be patient with your wife.

Amber, finish your sister's hair.

But, Mom, I'm busy.

Amber, please.

I'll be back in a minute.

(gentle music)

(Dave sighs)

Why?

I'm trying to start a new

life with my family here!

Hey, honey.

I'm here.

Hey

Are you okay?

No, I'm not.

It's all right.

If we do this, we do this together.

Babe, I just can't put you

guys through this anymore.

I've been through worse.

Let's start this new chapter.

Yeah. When have we ever

given up on each other, huh?

Thank you.

Hey, Ralph?

Yeah. Do me a favor, man.

Get me a price on that septic.

Yeah, I'm gonna re-plumb the backyard.

I'm not gonna let this beat me.

Yeah.

Yeah. No, no, no.

I'm okay.

I'll fill you in when you get here.

Thanks, bro.

All right.

Hey, honey.

Yeah?

Let's get back to

the hotel with the kids.

Let's freshen up.

(toy monkey laughing) (dramatic music)

(children laughing)

(dramatic music stings)

I'm gonna head over to the house.

Everything's all right?

Okay.

Dave.

Yeah, baby?

Stay safe.

I will.

I love you.

[Dave] I love you.

Hey, Detective Banks.

Any news?

Good news. It's no longer a crime scene.

Oh! Thank God.

You discovered this nest by accident.

And now we're able to put closure on the case

and get the remains back to their families.

By midday you should

be good to return home.

Thank you so much

Mr. Edwards, thank you.

If it wasn't for you, we

wouldn't have found it.

Thank you, sir.

Looks like we have

the all clear to go home.

Apparently we solved the cold case.

What are you talking about?

Remember that guy, Phil?

He was talking about that gator attack?

Yeah, well, apparently

there were two nests.

One was underneath our house.

What?

Yeah. Yeah.

The drawings, the nightmares.

Phil's daughter had similar

nightmares and drawings.

Georgina, I should never have doubted you.

I'm sorry.

I knew it.

I felt it.

The other day at the piano,

I saw a portrait of Victoria.

She looked just like me.

Dave.

Yeah.

I'm not sure this is your inheritance.

I think it might be mine.

All right, guys, let's

grab some breakfast.

We got a big day ahead.

Everything will work out just fine.

When have we ever given up?

Never.

Daddy, I can see Sebastian.

Sebastian?

So it was you who wrote

his name on the wall?

No, Daddy. Sebastian wrote it.

Oh, isn't he a clever little p*ssy cat?

We should get him a treat.

No, Mommy. Silly.

Sebastian isn't a cat.

He's my friend who lives in the attic.

Amber.

What? I didn't say anything.

Well then looks like we got

to buy Sebastian some breakfast.

Come on, girls. Let's go.

(car honks)

Dad, Ralph's here!

Dad!

Hey, Ralph.

Nice jeans.

Hey, Ralph.

Good morning.

How are you, man?

- Good.

- Good to see you.

Good to see you.

Morning.

- Hi, Ralph.

- How are you?

Good.

Good. Good.

You know what you're doing with that drill?

I'm an architect.

I'll show you what I

know to do with this drill.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Everything all right?

Yeah, I'm good.

I'm just texting Dawn.

(phone chimes)

Speak of the devil.

Dawn wants to meet by the pool.

Can you take me back to the hotel?

Sure. I was just about

to get groceries anyway.

Give us a minute, baby.

Thanks.

Hey, what's up?

So I wanted to let

you know I did get a cost

on that septic.

(dramatic music stings)

Addy.

Go off, crazy kid.

So tell me what happened.

What're you talking about?

What do you mean what am I talking about?

Fill me in.

They found an old gator

nest underneath the house.

Yeah, it looks like we solved a cold case.

Are you serious?

Yeah.

I knew it.

That was all over the news a few years ago.

That's what they told me.

Wow. You're gonna be the local celebrity.

Put that behind us. Okay?

Come on. Get to work.

That's so cool.

[Dawn] Hey.

Hey.

Isn't this a beautiful place

to just sit and let the world go by?

Yeah. I love sitting here.

So you mentioned you had some news for me.

So you see that old oak tree?

It's over 200 years old.

It's way older than the inn.

So it is oak.

Yeah, I thought so.

But I've never seen all that stuff before.

Spanish Moss.

It's an empathetic flowering plant.

Grows on large trees like oak.

It's really common down here in the south.

I wouldn't touch it though.

It's full of chiggers.

So what about that news?

So you see that large branch right there?

They call it the widow maker.

That's the branch the innocent

young man was hanged from.

Doyle Grump.

Whoa. That's cool.

Man, if that tree could talk

It does.

Please don't do this!

I didn't do anything!

[Dawn] Every time the wind blows,

you can hear the creaking branches cry.

Gotta tell my parents about this.

I would just keep this between us.

Remember what you told

me about your mom's dreams?

It's really cool though.

Like the widow maker.

It's my new favorite tree.

Hey, ladies. Nice to see you again, Dawn.

Everything okay?

Yeah. We're just

hanging out, taking notes.

Maybe we'll take a dip in the pool later.

I would, but I forgot my bathing suit.

Another time for sure though.

Hey, baby.

Let me help you with these bags.

Hey, Dawn. How are you?

Hi, Mr. Edwards.

Dave. Sorry.

All right, ladies, have fun.

I'm gonna head over to the pub.

What about me?

I'm available to watch Addy if you need.

Sure. Let's make a night of it.

Come on.

Dave...

Do you mind?

I'm already here.

Go for it.

Perfect.

All right, we'll only be

a couple hours, girls.

Yeah.

And there's some goodies

and refreshments in the fridge.

Feel free to help yourselves.

Bye.

So how's the new house?

It's spooky.

Goofy. I mean, goofy.

Dad found a secret room.

It's so cool.

Yeah, Dad tore down this wall,

and then it was this creepy

old office with this cat in it

and no one's ever seen it before.

It's not a cat.

It's my friend.

His name is Sebastian.

We found this like

old doll in the chimney

that just disappeared.

Well, I would love to see this room.

Any chance I can?

Yeah.

I mean, I've been dying to

spend more time in there.

No, we can't.

Dad locked the house, remember?

Wait a minute.

So, Addy, what's inside this secret room?

Look what I found.

Where'd you get those?

They're Mom's.

Why don't we go

check it out later tonight

and have some fun?

[Addy] Yeah.

It was the best fish and chips ever.

It was.

I think we're gonna

fit in here pretty well.

(eerie music)

Okay, Dawn, this is the secret room.

Who knows how to play hide and seek?

I used to love playing

hide and seek as a child.

You guys go hide anywhere in the house,

and I'll count down from 20.

The first person found

has to give up a secret.

A secret?

Well, we can't play

'cause Dad said no one's

allowed in the upstairs rooms.

I won't tell if you won't.

Okay, fine.

But only if I get to go first.

Okay. Amber and I will

hide and you come find us.

10, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three, two, one.

Coming. Ready or not.

(ghost growls)

What a crack.

That was too easy.

Oops.

Looks like I have to give up a secret.

Okay then. Well, what's your secret?

You're all going to die here.

Amber!

Addy, run up here as

quick as you can, okay?

Come on! Come on!

I hope the girls are okay.

They're fine.

I'm sure Dawn's just

giving them a history lesson.

Once upon a time...

We have to go.

In 1965...

It's locked.

Your great great uncle Dr. Oliver

brutally k*lled a child in this orphanage

in revenge for the loss of his son's life.

Do you know who got the blame?

A young man named Doyle.

That young man was my great uncle.

My grandmother Nurse Jenkins told me

that one day revenge would be served cold.

I have waited many years

for the good doctor's descendants

to finally one day return.

And look at you.

Here you are.

(ghost growls)

[Georgina] That was such a great night.

But I still hope the kids are okay.

They're fine, babe.

[Georgina] You're right.

We'll be able to do

this more often, I promise.

Now that we have the babysitter.

[Georgina] Look out!

(tires screech)

f*ck!

I want Mommy.

Stop.

Addison. Addison, listen to me.

Listen. Are you listening?

We're not alone here, okay?

I need you to be quiet, okay?

I hit somebody. I hit somebody.

I can't see.

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.

(dramatic music stings)

(toy monkey laughing)

It's okay.

(Amber screams)

Amber. Amber, it's okay.

Look at me.

It's Sebastian.

He's my friend.

He's not gonna hurt us.

He's my friend.

Continue the story, Dawn.

It was your father.

It was your great-grandmother.

Such a strange man.

Always staring at the children.

Don't you find that odd?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Cold blooded thirsty heart

even sent her own cousin

Doyle to the gallows.

No! It was your father!

(Dawn screams)

Did you hear that?

No. What?

I just heard something.

(Dawn screaming)

The door's open.

(glass shatters) (body thuds)

(Georgina gasps and sobs)

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music stings)

Oh my god.

The kids! The kids!

Where are you?

Addy!

Amber!

- Addy!

- Girls!

Are you all right?

Are you all right? Are you okay?

It was a ghost.

(girls crying)

Come on, come on, come on.

It was Sebastian.

It was Sebastian.

He saved us.

Thank you, Sebastian.

We gotta get outta here.

- Let's go.

- Don't look.

Oh my god!

Don't look.

Oh my god.

(girls sobbing)

It's all right. It's all right.

(doll shatters)

(Addy screams)

(ghost growls)

(rock music)

I came from nothing

You're made of steel

This pain and suffering is on the field

Need a distraction

Just to reveal

That pain and suffering

Is yours to heal

Save me one more time

You'll see that I'll be fine

Now your wish is my command

Now please take my hand

(gentle music)

(eerie music)

(eerie music continues)

(eerie music continues)