432 - February 20, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood,

a séance, which has suspended time and space

and sent one girl on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past,

back to the year .

This night, a woman who has been responsible

for much grief

decides she must discover the secret of a locked door

in a deserted house.

[thinking] -He's hidden something of the witch's here.

I know it!

Perhaps even the book.

That book which would convict her.

That must be it. She gave it to him.

[tense music] ♪♪

A coffin?

Reverend Trask, I'll wait for him.

[lid creaking open]

- Abigail, what are you doing here?

- Ah!

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

You are dead.

- You thought you knew all about death, didn't you?

Well, you were wrong.

- I know you are dead.

- Yes.

But I am alive, too.

No one ever told you that was possible, did they?

- Stay away from me! - Oh, I would if I could, Abigail,

but you have made staying away from you impossible!

- No! No!

- I'm sorry, Abigail.

I remember warning you once

that it didn't always pay to know every secret.

You laughed at me then,

but you are not laughing now, are you?

- Your father-- - Will never know.

- I will protect him.

I will keep anyone from knowing

just as if I had have the choice,

I would have kept you from knowing.

- I don't understand.

- It has taken this to make you say those words.

You always thought you understood everything.

One could always count on a - I can't say logical,

but an answer at least.

I'm afraid the truth is

that you didn't know very much about anything.

- You - you're not dead! It's a - it's a spell!

That's it! The witch has cast a spell!

I will go tell Reverend Trask!

- He can do nothing! - Oh.

- He can! - Nothing whatsoever!

- Oh, please, let him!

Don't - don't just give in to the witch.

- I have given in, Abigail.

- Oh. I - I know.

I know. You always--

She had some power over you

and you always protected her!

- Without even knowing it.

- Oh, please, evil spirits can be exorcised.

- Not anymore, by anyone ever.

Do you understand now?

- You are really dead.

- I admitted it.

- No! No! The witch just wants to terrify me!

You are a vision!

- If you think I am a vision, touch me.

- The devil is testing my faith! - Touch me.

- You are a vision! - I am not!

- Ah! - Feel this hand,

- feel the flesh, face the truth.

For once, you're going to.

- I won't believe what you say!

- You're going to hear it at least.

You were right about one thing, Abigail,

there was a witch in our house.

- Victoria Winters!

- Angelique.

- Angelique?

Oh. The devil would expect me to believe that?

- She helped us! - She thought you fools!

- She knew Trask have no real power.

- He has! He has!

He'll come! I sent Ben for him!

He'll find you!

- He will find neither of us!

- Oh! Stay away from me, you devil!

Don't touch me!

- Why does the devil always want to touch you?

Why do you think that?

I'm sure you're as wrong about him

as you are about Ms. Winters.

- I was not wrong about Ms. Winters!

I won't believe that Angelique was the witch!

- I am the way I am because I k*lled her.

- You k*lled her?

Oh! I won't listen!

- I am the victim of her curse!

- No, none of this is true!

- Abigail, look, look at me! - Oh! No, no!

- See what I am now! - No!

- I will be alive for all eternity.

- Lies! Lies!

All lies!

- You don't believe anything I have told you?

- You are a ghost, who was sent to haunt me.

- Why? Why were you sent?

- To tell you the truth.

- I will k*ll. - No!

- I will do anything to stop from being discovered.

I told you to look at me, Abigail!

See what I am!

- I won't. I won't.

I won't. I won't.

- You will.

[tense music] ♪♪

- Good evening, Daniel.

- Good evening, Cousin Naomi.

- Where are you going?

- Oh, nowhere, I'm just wasting time.

- Good. So am I. We'll waste it together.

Do you play whist?

Well, if you don't, I'll teach you how.

- You see, I'm not allowed to play cards.

It's against Cousin Abigail's religion.

- Well, just as long as it isn't against yours,

we're all right.

- I've got to go find Ben.

- At this hour?

- Please?

- Did Millicent give you permission to go out?

- Oh, yes!

She said it was a good thing for me to do.

- Daniel.

- You don't believe me. - Sit down.

- I want to talk to you about Millicent.

- She cries a lot.

Why does she cry so much?

She never did back in New York.

Maybe if we were to get back home--

- Is that what you want to do?

- Begging your pardon. It's not polite.

Is that wrong?

- No, no. Of course it isn't.

- You're angry at me though. - Not angry, no.

- I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

- Well, if you did, it's only because I hoped

you'd want to stay here.

- Here? - With Cousin Joshua and me.

- Oh.

- You don't like that idea?

- You see, I never know how I feel about things at first.

- Well, I shouldn't have mentioned it to you

because I haven't even discussed it with Millicent.

- She's not the same as she used to be.

- Oh, she suffered a shock

and when - some people often behave differently

when things happen suddenly.

I know that.

- I loved Cousin Sarah.

- I know you did.

Sarah is one of the reasons I want you to stay here.

- This house needs a boy growing up in it.

- It does?

- Yes. What is it?

Just a collection of rooms.

Cousin Joshua and I can never bring them to life.

- Well, I'm not so sure I could do that either.

- Yes, you could, just by growing up here.

Now, think about it, will you?

- My sister, Millicent,

she's never going to be the same, is she?

- I hope she will.

- But you don't know? - No.

- Maybe she'll stay here, too.

[knocking]

- I don't think she will.

You see, this morning, I asked her why she was crying

and she said,

"Because there's nothing to laugh about here."

You see?

I don't like this place.

I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry, too, but you can change all that.

We can all change it

and we must try to make this a happier place.

[knocking]

- Ah, Mrs. Collins.

I do apologize. I am so late.

I trust that Ms. Abigail understood.

The trial, you know.

Aren't you going to ask me how it's going?

- No, Reverend Trask, I'm not.

You know my sympathies are with Ms. Winters

although I'm not allowed to express them publicly.

I'll tell Abigail you're here.

Daniel, I'll be back. It'll soon be your bedtime.

- Excuse me, sir. - Where are you going?

- I've heard about you, Daniel Collins.

Ms. Abigail told me about you.

You are one of the reasons I'm here.

I think it's about time we have a little chat,

don't you think?

- No. - I do.

- Because you have been touched by a devil.

Your only hope is to talk to me.

♪♪

Yes.

A devil was with you daily,

teaching you, playing with you.

Do you know who I mean?

Come, boy, answer me!

- Well, no.

I mean, the only person

that I think looks like a devil is you.

- It's not necessarily to look like a devil to be one.

It's a logical mistake.

I remember what it's like to be your age.

- Well, then we have nothing to talk about

because I know what it's like, too.

Was that rude?

I mean, I never know when I'm being rude.

Everyone else does.

- You were being honest.

I like honesty.

I want us to be honest with each other

about one subject in particular,

Ms. Winters, the witch.

- One minute, you call her a devil

and the next minute, you call her a witch.

Why?

Because she's neither of those things.

- What do you think she is?

- I think she's very nice.

- If witches were not nice, they wouldn't be dangerous.

- Then you like her, too? - I have never liked her!

- Because my eyes are older than yours, Daniel,

they see different things.

I can see evil

whereas your eyes see only the world.

Ms. Abigail and I were discussing you, Daniel.

You do not see the path you must take

to reach righteousness.

- And is that the path that Cousin Abigail has reached?

- More than any other mortal in this house.

- Oh, I see.

- You don't believe that?

- Well, it's just that Cousin Abigail is always so -

so unhappy,

as if whatever she's eaten hasn't agreed with her.

- It is very difficult for a pure woman to exist

in this impure world we have created,

but someday, when you've grown up,

it may all be different

and if you're honest

and are taught correctly, it will be.

Now, about Ms. Winters--

- I don't really want to talk about her.

- Did she tell you not to?

- No.

- Well, then, what's wrong?

I simply want to ask you a few questions,

what she told you about God, for example.

- She didn't say anything about him.

- What?

How could she teach you one hour without mentioning his name?

- She took us to a Sunday meeting once.

She did mention his name! On a weekday!

When Sarah asked her why he created thunder and lightning,

because it scared her so.

- And what did Ms. Winters say?

- She said that thunder and lightning

were caused by atmospheric conditions.

- She said that?

- Isn't that true?

- She is an instrument of the devil.

- I didn't understand that.

- Because she wanted you to be confused.

She knew the only chance she had was to make you doubt!

[thunder rumbling]

Do you know what that word means, Daniel?

Doubt is the seed from which evil trees grow.

- How else did Ms. Winters praise the devil?

- She didn't.

- You just didn't know.

Tell me other things and I shall show you.

She prophesied things, didn't she?

- No.

She just told us what people would be able to do

in the future.

- How would she know?

Did she talk to you about coming from another century?

- No. Does she really?

- You are willing to believe that?

- Well, I'd like to.

What century?

Maybe people do fly

in the century she comes from.

- She has done her duty well with you.

- What do you mean?

- She has somehow taught you to believe in the impossible.

- Well, no.

She just told us that the only way to get through life

is to be curious.

- She said that?

- Isn't that true?

- Curiosity is the devil's money.

What you buy with it is -

is disbelief in everything that is right to believe in!

- Why?

Why do you keep talking about the devil

when I don't want to have anything to do with the devil!

- Then you can still be saved.

- How?

- By going into Court,

by admitting that you have believed the devil's word

without realizing it.

- But it didn't seem like the devil's word.

- It never does.

- I don't want to go to Court!

- Because you have the mark of the devil upon you

and as you grow, it will grow!

- No! No, I don't!

Cousin Naomi, do I have the devil's mark on me?

- Of course, you don't.

- He says I do! - Reverend Trask!

- I regret to inform you, Mrs. Collins--

- It is one thing what you say to an adult,

but to frighten a child--

A child who has been touched by a witch!

- Don't call Ms. Winters a witch!

- If you refuse to accept that,

then you have been tainted, too!

- I'm afraid it's you and my sister-in-law

who are the tainted ones.

- I know who would claim this child

if he were to die tonight!

- I'm not going to die.

- Of course not.

- I'm not going to die! - Daniel!

- You are going to be the one who will have to answer

when the time comes.

- I follow the devil to capture him, Mrs. Collins!

Would I could say the same for you!?

[door slams shut]

♪♪

- I won't be afraid.

I won't be!

[dog howling]

It's just a dog, that's all, just a dog.

Maybe I should go home.

-Daniel? Daniel?

- No, I can't! He'll be there!

- Daniel?

[brush rustling] Who - who's there?

Did you follow me just to frighten him more?

- You misunderstand me, Mrs. Collins.

- Oh. What direction could he have gone in?

- Mrs. Collins, you must go back to the house.

- Absolutely not!

- I have a feeling the boy was called to these woods!

My words did not drive him from the house.

- Daniel? Answer me!

If you hear me, please answer me!

- The witch wanted to stop my questions.

The boy has knowledge which could be used against her.

Her powers go on and on. Surely even you admit that.

- Daniel, where are you?

I don't know which way to go.

- The devil himself is leading that child somewhere

for some purpose.

- He's running from you.

Go back to the house.

Bring Ben and--

- I will find Daniel.

[dog howling]

- No. You can't.

He'll see you and hide.

Daniel? Daniel?

- He will not come to you either.

No one is too young for the devil to use.

- Stop talking to me.

Go back to the house and get the others.

[dog howling]

Daniel?

- What am I going to do? What am I going to do?

No!

- Cousin Naomi! -Daniel!

-Cousin Naomi!

- This way. He isn't far.

-Somebody!

Somebody, please, come!

Ben! Anybody! Come!

Oh, Cousin!

- Daniel.

I was so worried about you.

Are you all right?

- Look!

- Abigail!

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪