04x01 - The Motel

[bunniefuu]

[Haunting music]

The motel was built back in the '40s.

That was the place to be on weekends.

Everybody went out there.

But then things changed.

I had that weird feeling that someone was in the room with me.

[Giggling]

My heart's b*ating.

Ron!

I don't believe in ghosts.

Oh!

That was a big turning point.

Ah!

Please, make it stop.

[Screaming]

Is my husband now possessed?

I could k*ll you!

Ah! [Ceramic shatters]

Shh.

In that moment, I knew evil was real.

[Screams]

[Eerie music]

The name of the old motel is Windrift Motel.

The sign itself stood as a testament of what this property once was.

Wow! What do you think?

It absolutely felt like it was frozen in time.

When we first bought the place, I'm thinking, "oh, this is perfect."

It's a motel that adjoins to the house.

Come on, Ron!

I'm coming.

I wanted a big house to raise my children in.

He wanted a property that provided enough space for a business.

We didn't know the house yet, but I just...

I knew there was a story there and there was character and we could make it a home.

I just always wanted a little girl that I could do ribbons and bows and ruffled dresses.

I got the big room out of the pick.

My mom worked super hard to make it perfect.

I really didn't have a lot of friends, so I stayed in there a lot in my own little cocoon, I guess.

[Laughs]

[Fly buzzing]

We made a plan to renovate the house and then start renovating the motel.

There was a lot of work...

Painting, wallpaper, windowpanes...

But no matter what we did, nothing went as planned.

Ron.

Yep.

Come here.

Look at this.

The wallpaper had rolled away.

But it didn't stop there.

The paint would peel off the walls.

Couldn't understand why.

It was like the house was saying, "No. Stop right there. Leave me alone."

[Music box playing]

I was playing with my Dollhouse and just having a good little time by myself.

[Low rumble]

I remember just getting that weird feeling that someone was in the room with me.

There was a little girl standing above me...

And I was excited that she was there and I wanted to know more about her.

[Eerie breathing]

[Clock ticking]

There were a lot of times, after my parents had put me to bed, that I would want to get up and find her.

Hello. Where are you?

Are you in the kitchen?

I started to notice that Ashley was...

She was getting up at night.

I didn't know exactly what she was doing, but she had a whole nightlife going on.

[Eerie singing]

I used to sneak into the kitchen and make snacks for two.

And there would be two teacups, two little plates set out.

Everything was in twos.

I think, more than anything, I just wanted to be her friend.

I think a part of me knew something wasn't right.

I just didn't find it real normal that a little girl wanted to spend all this time alone.

[Knives clanging]

[Chair scrapes]

[Scraping continues]

How big a slice do you want?

Ashley, honey, no!

I'm like, what is going on with my daughter?

I don't understand.

She was changing before my eyes, and I didn't know how to fix it.

What are you doing down here?

I'm having cake with Lisa.

And I'm thinking, "who's this Lisa?"

And I thought, "she's right here."

Come on. Back to bed.

I just thought, "my little girl's lonely," and it was her imaginary friend.

[Chair scrapes]

It never occurred to me that... that Lisa was real.

[Muffled speaking on tv]

[Sighs]

The more and more that we renovated, it seems like the worst it got.

Like, nothing is getting done.

It was taking a toll on me big-time.

It's getting done.

And it was getting worse between me and Doretta all the time.

You know, maybe instead of complaining about it, chip in a little bit.

I have Ashley all day.

Doretta was getting madder by the day.

All this stuff was supposed to be done weeks ago.

What's the deal?

But he wouldn't listen to me.

Great.

[Slams cabinet]

It was like a smoldering fire that was building.

Yeah, well, her and I don't like living in a freaking dumpster.

I work all day, Doretta.

So?

There were a lot of times I would overhear them arguing.

Yeah.

We got to figure it out.

I love living in a dumpster.

It made me very sad. I hated seeing them fight.

[Loud clatter]

So no meatloaf?

I started to see Lisa a lot, so, you know, we obviously became very close.

Both: Patty cake, Patty cake, Baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

It got to the point where it was just normal for me.

Now, and put it in the oven for Lisa and me.

So it's late at night. Ron's working a double shift.

I've got Ashley in bed, and I've got the television on, and I'm up all alone.

[Muffled speech on the tv]

I could feel someone in that room...

But then, when I would look up, there would be no one there.

[Giggling]

Pshew.

Something moved from that door.

Ashley, is that you?

I thought it was Ashley playing a joke...

But she's in her bed, fast-out asleep.

Didn't know what was going on.

[Light shuffling]

And then I hear something right outside of the window.

[tv shuts off]

And I just kind of waited for a minute, to hear.

[Clattering]

Pitch black. I couldn't see anything.

[Knock on door]

Then I heard the knocking.

[Loud knocking on door]

Hello?

Obviously, there'd been a hotel there for years and years, and there was a sign, so we got used to people wanting to rent a room...

But this was different.

[Metallic clatter]

[Dog barking]

I was terrified.

So I went and I slapped the lights...

'Cause I didn't want him to be able to see me.

[Banging on door]

Ah! Ah!

[Banging continues]

Oh, my god. I'm in trouble here.

[Banging on door]

Ah!

[Banging continues]

I grabbed a butcher Kn*fe out of the drawer.

Ah!

I scrambled to get the telephone.

[Dial tone]

The line's dead.

[Dial tone]

[Banging on door]

[Knocking stops abruptly]

I knew I had to fight.

I thought, "I can lunge at them when I see them come through the light, and I'll have the Kn*fe."

[Whimpering]

And that's what I was ready for.

[Screaming]

Oh, my god! Honey, what are you doing?

I come in the door and Doretta's standing there, and she's got one of the big butcher knives in her hand.

There was someone outside and they were trying to get in.

So I said, "lock the door behind me."

Okay?

And I went outside.

Lock it.

I got my flashlight going.

I got my baseball bat in one hand.

[Rustling]

I don't see nothing.

Not a thing.

I didn't believe her.

There's nothing there.

He just would say, "no, there's nothing wrong with this place."

Not a thing.

It's all... it's right here, honey.

It's right here.

Doretta.

In my own mind, I thought she was going crazy.

I think you're tired and your mind's playing tricks on you.

There's nothing wrong with this place.

And at first it made me mad, and then he got to a point where I believed him.

And I thought, "okay, I am losing my mind, and this is what it feels like."

"I'm the problem."

[Door creaking]

I see someone move from the doorway...

So I immediately jump up to see who it is.

But I couldn't see anyone.

It was a woman.

It was obvious I was supposed to be following her.

[Tense music]

She was just standing there.

Ron!

And I'm thinking, "why am I seeing this?"

It was like she wanted me to watch what she was doing.

She grabs a paintbrush and she draws a great big "C" and then makes the "K."

[Screams]

Ah!

And then, boom! I'm awake.

Oh!

I never had a dream like this before.

[Breathing heavily]

What?

She says, "Ron, I had a really vivid dream."

She said, "I dreamt of a blonde lady.

She painted the letters 'CK.'"

It was just a dream, Doretta.

So I kind of played it off.

Go back to sleep, honey.

But that dream felt so real, like it really happened.

You don't just turn that off and go to sleep.

I was still feeling it. I was still feeling that shock.

[Birds chirping]

I went directly to the utility room.

[Gasps]

I saw the exact same "CK" painted on the wall that I had described to Ron.

Ron!

Come see this!

This is like... like my dream.

You're kidding me.

How did you do that?

I didn't do this.

I said, "I know you did it."

Come on, Doretta.

I didn't do it, and Ashley's not tall enough to do it.

You're the only one who could've done this.

Are you nuts? I didn't do that.

That's the dream.

I swear to you.

You know, I don't believe in ghosts.

Are you delusional or what?

You think I did this?

Conflict was building, and Ron...

I don't think he really wanted to know what was happening.

He just wanted to know who to blame it on.

I don't want to live here anymore.

I don't feel safe.

I don't know what you want me to do about it.

You're always gone. I'm by myself all the time.

I think the house caused things to escalate quickly.

Just seeing it all kind of crumble in front of you...

It's hard.

I can't babysit you and go to work...

[Crickets chirping]

Oh, yeah?

Let it get in my hair.

Yeah? I'm gonna make you have a hat.

How's that?

[Laughs]

Does that look good?

[Laughing]

Boop! Waterfall.

I loved bath time.

I remember my mom buying me the, you know, little colorful crayons that you write on the wall with.

Look!

Yeah?

Get you nice and clean so you smell like flowers.

I'm watching her and she's happy and she's giggling and she's using her crayons.

I'm gonna draw a heart. There.

Thank you.

I like that.

Something beneath me caught my eye, in the water... And as I move the bubbles away, I realize these are strands of hair.... And I'm realizing it's not just hair. There's something else.

Ah! Ah! Ah!

There's a head there.

Come on!

Holy [Bleep].

Mommy, what's wrong? What's wrong?

Nothing. Nothing.

I run to the bedroom with her. She obviously didn't see anything.

I'm gonna go let the water out, okay?

I'm trying to figure out what happened... Because I didn't believe there was a woman in my bathtub, but that's what I just saw.

There's nothing in that bathtub.

Woman's not there.

And I just thought I was losing my mind.

[Whispering] I'm sorry.

[Saw buzzing]

Ron. Ron!

At that point, I knew it was serious.

At that point, I knew I needed some kind of protection.

I needed help.

Ron!

Ron, I need you to listen to me.

Something is going on here.

Look, I know you don't believe me, but I'm not lying!

He turned around and he started to walk away from me...

[Cries out]

And I grabbed a small cookie jar and I launched it right through the air.

There! Does that get your attention?

You've got to get involved, here.

Are you crazy?

And that was a wrong thing to say, 'cause it was like I didn't believe her.

It's all in your head, Doretta.

That was something he said all the time, "This is all in your mind."

There's no blonde woman!

Yes, there is!

And I'm thinking, "I can't keep staying here."

I didn't really know what to do at that point.

[Sighs]

I'm losing the woman I love.

Since we'd bought the house, there'd been more bad times than good.

I could tell, at that point, we were getting further and further apart.

There was one night I had a absolute horrible nightmare.

Kind of looked around and realized that I was in the hallway.

[Door slamming]

The doors just slammed one by one.

[Doors slamming]

I got the overwhelming feeling that something was just then coming after me.

There was a dark shadow man just standing there.

I just snapped out of it and woke up and immediately ran to my mom to tell her.

Shh.

Why can't I yell for my mom?

The shadow man... He had bad intentions, and I just had an overwhelming fear with him...

Just that something bad was gonna happen.

I was in the bathroom, doing my makeup.

There was a flash... like, almost like a camera flashing...

Going off in there.

I couldn't believe my own eyes.

I could not believe what I was seeing.

It was my bathroom, but it was my bathroom in a different time.

[Whispering] What?

I saw a woman laying in my bathtub.

[Breathing heavily]

What's going on here? Why am I seeing this?

And then a man steps into the doorway.

And at first, everything's fine...

And then I realize that the conversation goes to arguing.

In that moment, I knew evil was real.

This man just had this look of evil, to me.

Ah!

He just starts shoving her down in the water.

She's thrashing about...

Oh, god!

But he's just holding her down.

And I thought, "my god, he just k*lled her."

Mommy! Mommy!

And then, all the sudden, I hear a little voice holler, "mommy! Mommy!"

Oh! No!

A little girl... she runs through the door.

The man just reaches down and grabs the shovel.

Oh, god!

Just slaps the little girl with it.

[Electricity crackling]

And suddenly, I'm back in my bathroom.

It was absolutely real.

Oh, my god, that's... that was the blonde woman I watched.

She wants me to know what happened here.

[Dinging]

I'd been working a lot of overtime.

It was already dark by the time I got home.

[Footsteps on gravel]

As I'm walking, I hear another set of footsteps behind me.

But I didn't see anything...

And then it stopped.

[Keys jingle]

I saw a lady... a blonde lady... standing there in front of me.

Next thing I remember...

She's gone.

Doretta! Doretta, come here!

She comes running around from the front of the house.

I... I just... I...

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

I just saw the blonde lady.

What? You saw her too?

[Whispering] Yeah.

I could see it in her face, right then.

It was like a... something lifting off of her shoulders.

My god.

Finally.

Finally he's having these experiences.

He's understanding what I've been describing to him.

[Muffled screaming]

Who is this woman?

She's the same woman that painted the "CK" on the wall.

Same woman that drowned in my tub.

These are all clues... pieces of a story that happened here.

She was asking for help.

Help with what?

We got to solve the mystery.

We have to do some digging.

Who is she? Who is "CK"?

We had heard about this woman named Georgia Jeffries who used to be a caretaker at the hotel.

In its heyday, the Windrift was quite the place.

She shared with me what it was like, and she said, "oh, honey."

She said, "that was the place to be on weekends.

Everybody went out there."

But then things changed.

[Haunting music]

There was prostitution, there was bootlegging, and she said there was crime.

A number of people d*ed there suspiciously.

Like who?

And she said, "well, I had a friend there."

And she said, "she d*ed there."

And her name was Caroline.

What was her last name?

Both: Kersey.

Caroline Kersey.

"CK." Oh, my god. That's her.

CK. Caroline Kersey.

It just all made sense.

Apparently, she committed su1c1de.

Pills.

She said she drowned after taking a bunch of pills.

She didn't commit su1c1de.

Her husband k*lled her.

And Georgia didn't... she was... she wasn't shocked by it.

Did Caroline have any children?

When they moved in there, they moved in with their daughter, Lisa.

And at that point, it all began to make sense.

Lisa was her daughter.

Thank you so much for your time.

You're welcome.

It's nice to meet you.

You as well.

Thank you.

What happened to Mr. Kersey, Caroline's husband?

Oh, Charles is still alive.

And she said, "he lives right downtown."

Thank you.

[Gentle piano music]

Finally, all the pieces were coming together.

I love you, hon.

And I thought, you know, that's kind of sweet.

We thought, well, maybe that would be the end of it, but it wasn't.

[Screams]

[Hoarse growling]

This dark man was right in front of me.

It wasn't my husband anymore.

[Screaming]

He was literally at my heels.

Ah! Ah! Stop! Ron!

[Growling]

[Screaming]

And as I'm running towards the house, I thought, "this is it."

No! Let me go! Oh! No!

I can't get away from him.

[Screaming]

Ah! No!

I could k*ll you right here.

[Screaming]

And he's saying, "I could k*ll you.

I could k*ll you."

[Screaming]

"I could k*ll you right now."

Ah! Ron, can you hear me?

I was trying to reach some part of him, if there was anything left of him in there.

[Screaming]

I could k*ll you right now!

[Sobbing]

I thought he was gonna k*ll me.

[Screaming]

I could k*ll you!

No, Ron! No!

I'll k*ll you!

Get away from me! No! No!

Doretta!

And at some point, he just stopped.

[Sobbing]

It was like he just woke up.

Doretta!

[Screaming]

Doretta.

Don't touch me!

Doretta, what happened?

And you could see it in Ron's eyes.

He looks bewildered. He looks confused.

And it's like, what just happened?

I was just so distraught, I just... I broke down.

I couldn't believe I'd done that.

[Sobbing]

He felt crushed, and he just kept saying, "I'm sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry."

[Solemn music]

I wondered if Caroline and Charles had went through the same thing.

Maybe there was something in that house that affected people.

So he sit down on that tub thinking about k*lling her, but maybe that wasn't him thinking it.

You know, and it could have been my family.

It could have been my daughter.

It could have been me in that tub.

It could've happened all over again.

[Sighs]

[Bell jingles]

A few days later, Ashley and I are at the grocery store.

And I see a man standing there, and I thought, "I know him."

No, his hair's turned gray. He's got wrinkles on his face.

He's aged. He's old now.

But I recognize him.

I watched him m*rder his wife.

Are you Charles?

Yeah.

This is the same man that I watched hold his wife's head underwater and drowned her.

You k*lled Caroline.

I'm gonna tell everyone.

What?

You could just see, in his eyes...

He's like, "oh, my god. How does this woman know that?"

You're a m*rder*r!

He's a m*rder*r!

That's exactly what I'm telling him he is.

Mommy! Mommy!

Ashley, come on!

In that moment, in his eyes, it was all over.

I knew that he k*lled her.

[Haunting music]

Once I confronted Charles at the grocery store, I felt that I had done what Caroline wanted, and I felt, at that point, she was free to just kind of move on.

There was a release in the house And the energy kind of lifted and I stopped seeing Lisa.

I don't ever remember saying good-bye.

A lot of people don't understand why we're still there, but something that's yours... You fight for it.

I don't... I don't give up easily.

It wasn't the motel that actually did anything wrong.

It was something else.

Love's stronger than any dark force or any evil.

Love can win out, so...

I think we've taken control back of the Windrift Motel.