1204 - February 4, 1971

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: A stormy, troubled night

at Collinwood in parallel time.

For this day has exposed another secret at the great house.

Catherine has learned that Melanie, ten years before,

entered the locked room in the west wing to save her father.

And ever since, she has been given to sudden,

unpredictable seizures of madness.

Seizures of which Melanie is quite unaware.

But, there are other secrets.

One of them unknown, except to two women.

As a sane Melanie soon discovers.

[lock clattering]

JULIA: 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 took that food to someone in that room, didn't you?

Who is it, Julia?

Who is in that room?

[dramatic music]

[eerie theme music]

There is no one in that room, Melanie.

MELANIE: Julia, I can't stand any more secrets.

There are too many secrets in this house!

JULIA: Melanie, no!

No, Melanie!

[gasps]

Stella!

Oh, Stella!

Why is she here?

Why are you keeping her like this?

That's no concern of yours.

Help me.

Help me.

Stella, why did she put you here?

You must tell me.

You must.

STELLA: Mr. Justin Collins.

Papa.

Papa had nothing to do with this.

I know that.

But, he did, Melanie.

He tried to k*ll me.

With a Kn*fe.

It's the truth.

A truth that I've been trying to keep from you

and from the rest of the world.

We didn't want to lock the girl up, Melanie.

But, if Julia and I hadn't come in at just the right minute,

Justin would have k*lled her.

He wasn't being himself.

We had to lock her up, or she would have gone to the police.

Don't you understand?

They would have taken him from us.

We didn't tell you about it

because we knew how much you loved Justin.

You shouldn't have locked Stella up.

FLORA: Well, what were we to do?

We were so afraid, try to understand.

Mama, I understand, but it's wrong.

Well, we know that, Melanie.

MELANIE: But you just put the gag back in her mouth.

You just locked her in that room again.

Do you want the police to be here tomorrow?

The day of your father's burial?

They can do nothing to Papa now.

But, they can to Flora and to me.

Yes. We're guilty of holding her c*ptive.

Her brother will never accept our actions.

And they shouldn't.

We both know that.

We, we just came into a panic.

Mama.

Mama, I do understand.

Except you knew you couldn't go on keeping

Stella in the tower room.

JULIA: We tried to think what to do.

Well, you must do something now.

Her brother was here yesterday and I promised I would help.

Please.

Please, do something now.

Let her go.

Ask her not to tell.

We will do something, Melanie.

After the funeral, I promise you that.

JULIA: You will let her go?

Somehow, someway.

I don't know how, but we will.

All I can think of now is poor Justin.

I know, Mama.

I know.

But, after the funeral, you must set her free.

[dramatic music]

Morgan.

Look, I know you're upset about Melanie's

att*ck on Catherine, but she didn't know

what she was doing and it won't happen again.

She won't do it again, I promise you.

She will do it again.

I know it.

You don't know that.

[thunder crashes]

You know, It started just as Brutus Collins'

letter said it would.

There is a penalty for not having the lottery.

You're the one that's always poopooed it.

I know.

Perhaps because I thought that would be easier.

Perhaps because I didn't want to face up to it.

But, I really now believe that if we'd have gone

ahead with the lottery, if one of us would have

spent last night in that locked room,

Melanie would not have done what she did.

I don't want to believe that, because when Catherine

threw the slips in the fire, nothing happened.

Then, no.

But, now we shall see what happens on this day.

Father's burial day.

Even this has to be marred.

Gabriel started drinking soon after he got up.

QUENTIN: Where is he now?

Asleep.

He's in no condition to go to the funeral.

Did you tell mother?

No!

Quentin!

Look!

QUENTIN: How did that get there?

No one came in the room.

That's the vase I was going to use for the lottery.

That's the vase I put the lottery slips in

before Catherine b*rned them.

The ghost put that in here.

There's something in it.

[dramatic music]

What is that paper?

It's a list of names.

What is written on it?

My name, your name, Gabriel's, Melanie, Flora, and Julia.

MORGAN: The ghost brought that in here.

No, the lottery, the lottery.

These are the names that are to go in for the lottery.

Look, check this to see if it's the same

as Brutus Collins' handwriting.

It's impossible.

Brutus Collins was the ghost's first victim.

Look and check, please.

Well?

I just don't understand.

Why can't we find out what it's all about?

This has been going on for six generations

and we don't know any more than they did in .

I mean, has anyone ever tried

to find out the truth about Brutus Collins?

After all, he was the one originally involved.

The one who caused the curse.

Morgan?

Morgan, are you listening to me?

We're not going to get off free, are we?

There's going to have to be a lottery.

And we mustn't tell mother what has happened

in this room this evening.

Not now!

But, should we keep it from her?

Because something else is going to happen.

It's fascinating, Morgan.

You're always outside looking in at us, aren't you?

You forget that I've been away for seven years.

You know there's not much you can do in prison

except watch and listen.

No, I was thinking about Melanie.

What if her att*ck on Catherine is linked to the ghost?

What will Melanie do next?

They will set you free tonight.

I swear it.

They know it was wrong, what they did in locking you here.

I know you can never forgive them,

but they were so afraid you'd go to the police

and Papa would be taken away from us.

Papa is dead now.

Please don't make any more trouble for Mama and for Julia.

Please don't.

I'll see that you go free, I swear I will,

but please don't make any more trouble for them.

You think about it.

I often change my mind about things

after thinking them over.

Stella, you will leave this house tonight.

I swear it.

[lock clattering]

What time is it?

About one o'clock.

Oh, they'll be here soon to take us all

to the services at the grave.

Mother.

No.

No, I, I'm all right.

I'm trying to be brave.

I'm just remembering your father

as he was when I married him.

Such a handsome man.

[sighs] I wonder what he would have been like

if he hadn't been born a Collins.

But, he was.

Yes, and proud of it in a way,

as if the good

outweighed the bad things.

QUENTIN: Do you think he was wrong?

I don't know anything anymore.

Quentin, I just don't know.

Melanie!

Why aren't you ready for the funeral?

[laughing]

Melanie.

They don't pay any attention to you, do they?

You tell them what they must do and then you die.

But, they don't have that lottery.

Oh, no, they're much too smart for that.

Melanie, please.

But it must go on.

Don't they realize that?

The lottery must happen again.

[laughs]

The lottery must happen again, and again, and again.

They deserve it.

FLORA: Quentin, she's changed.

She's that other person again.

I know.

I'm gonna to take her to her room.

They're so smart.

Those Collins, they're always so smart.

They can turn a gold piece into !

Melanie.

Hey.

Why don't you come with me?

Oh, you're very attractive.

You are the most attractive.

Oh, Melanie, no.

You haven't even started crying yet!

You haven't started crying!

All right, now.

Come on.

Tears.

Tears will do you no good.

He cried and so did I, but tears never

got anyone out of anything!

Come on, come on!

Oh, Justin.

Why did she have to go into that locked room after you?

Why couldn't it have been I?

Why couldn't I have rescued you?

Mother, are you all right?

Morgan.

Melanie's had another att*ck.

Mother, I'd like to speak to you about Melanie.

We're going to have to have her put away!

She is dangerous!

Morgan, I never want you to speak

that way about Melanie again!

She loved your father.

What has happened to her is out of love

and don't you forget that.

You really think that locking me in my room

is going to change what has to happen?

You really think that?

Now come on, I want you to go to bed and get some sleep.

[laughing]

Perhaps it's best this way.

The girl that I knew so well

couldn't stand to see Father buried.

[lock clattering]

[laughing]

The hearse is here for him.

MORGAN: Tell the men to come in.

We are ready.

FLORA: No, wait.

Where's Gabriel?

Gabriel will not be going to the funeral.

So, that's how he pays his respects to his father.

With brandy.

I shan't forget that.

[thunder crashes]

[tense music]

Dear Lord, he was my father and I can say that with love.

He was a very brave man.

Perhaps, bravery d*ed with him.

Each one of us here is going to have to ask himself that.

His life was not always filled with happiness.

He had many trials and tribulations,

but he always maintained the ability to love.

I can't pay him any higher compliment.

FLORA: Amen.

JULIA: Amen.

[wind howling]

JULIA: No.

No.

The woman in white!

[dramatic music]

Why didn't you let me go to the funeral?

Why?

I loved him more than any of you did.

[crying]

Why did you lock me in my room?

Can't you tell me?

Melanie, don't you remember anything

that happened in the drawing room?

MELANIE: I wasn't there.

Yes, you were.

Don't tell me where I was.

I know!

I came to my room to dress for the funeral.

I felt suddenly very sleepy.

I had, I had a dream.

What did you do in the dream?

I don't remember.

You've got to try and remember.

Why?

You don't believe anything I say?

You tell me I was in the drawing room!

QUENTIN: Melanie, you had an att*ck.

An att*ck?

You're making all this up.

No, I'm not.

No, I'm not.

Now, you remember when father went in that room,

you went after him.

Don't mention that.

No one ever mentions that.

QUENTIN: I have to, because you've been

having att*cks ever since.

That's impossible, I would know.

No, you couldn't.

Now listen to me, please God, listen.

You couldn't remember because no one wanted to tell you.

We kept hoping the att*cks would disappear.

Now, don't you even remember the rest home?

You went there after you came out of that room.

I was sick.

I, I had, I had typhoid.

Mama told me that.

No.

All she was doing was telling a very kind lie.

Melanie, you change when these att*cks occur.

You become a completely different personality.

You don't make any sense.

MELANIE: I'm going to ask Mama.

She'll tell me the truth.

QUENTIN: Now, listen to me.

Now please, listen.

You can go and tell them if you want to,

but they'd be very upset to find out that you knew.

Father didn't want you to know.

Why did you tell me?

Because I had to.

Because if we can find out who you are during these att*cks

when they occur, then perhaps we can find out

what it is in the room.

Perhaps we can find out something about the curse.

Leave me alone, Quentin.

Melanie.

Please.

I must be alone.

Quentin?

Yes?

What am I, what am I like then?

What do I say?

If I could have made any sense out of what you said,

I wouldn't have told you what I just did.

I swear it.

[crying]

[lock clattering]

Well, Flora, we must do something about Stella.

FLORA: I know we must.

We were mad not to consider the consequences

of locking her into the tower room.

I'd do it again, Julia.

Justin was with us such a short time, anyway.

I know, but do you know what to do now?

Oh, I can't think.

I can.

Now I have $ here.

I know it may not be the answer,

but I think we should give it to Stella

and ask her to leave Collinsport tonight.

And not ever mention anything that's happened to anyone.

FLORA: Will she do it?

I don't know, but I think we must try.

FLORA: We must.

[suspenseful music]

Stella?

[Flora gasps]

No.

She's dead.

Oh.

Melanie.

Melanie threatened Catherine with a Kn*fe.

[lock clattering]

Melanie?

Melanie?

She's not here.

How could she get out?

The door was locked from the outside.

JULIA: The window.

No, look, the shutters.

There's no possible way.

Where is she?

Why isn't she here?

[whimpering]

MELANIE: Let me in, let me in!

I want to be with you!

I want to be with you!

[sobbing]

[dramatic music]

[eerie theme music]