[eerie music]
(male narrator)
You are about to enter
Another dimension,
A dimension not only
Of sight and sound,
But of mind.
A journey
Into a wondrous land
Of imagination.
Your next stop,
The twilight zone.
[pleasant music
Over P.A.]
[elevator bell dinging]
May I show
You something?
No.
No, that's...
Not what
I'm looking for.
[elevator bell dinging]
(elevator operator)
Going up, ma'am.
Um, housewares?
That would be
The mezzanine, ma'am.
What in particular
Were you looking for?
Uh, thimbles.
Gold thimbles.
You had them
Advertised.
That would be
Specialties, ma'am.
The ninth floor.
I'm not accustomed
To such service.
Ma'am?
There were a whole
Lot of people
Waiting for
The elevator.
I seem to have
A private one.
Well, this
Is an express
Elevator, ma'am--
To the ninth floor.
The others are all
Locals this time
Of day.
(male narrator)
Express elevator
To the ninth floor
Of a department store,
Carrying Miss Marsha White
On a most prosaic, ordinary,
Run-of-the-mill errand.
Ninth floor.
There must be
Some mistake.
There's nothing here.
(male narrator)
Miss Marsha White,
On the ninth floor,
Specialties department,
Looking for a gold thimble.
The odds are
That she'll find it.
[buzz for eievator]
But there are
Even better odds that
She'll find something else
Because this isn't
Just a department store.
This happens to be--
The twilight zone.
(female voice)
Was someone
Helping you?
Can I show
You something?
Oh, why, yes.
I was looking for
A gold thimble--
A gift for my mother.
A gold thimble.
I think we have
Something you'd like.
This way, please.
[click]
How about this?
It's -karat gold
And quite distinctive-
Looking, I think.
Don't you?
Uh, yes.
Yes, I think
This will do.
This is a charge?
Is this
A charge, miss?
Uh, I beg your pardon.
A charge?
No. No, I'll pay for it.
You want it
Gift wrapped.
Yes, please.
No, on second thought,
I'll wrap it myself.
Miss--
That's . plus tax.
$ even.
[click]
Now that's odd.
What is, Marsha?
Well, you haven't
Any merchandise
Here at all,
Except the thimble,
Except the very
Thing I needed.
The whole floor,
It looks so empty and--
You called me Marsha.
Did I? I'm sorry.
That was forward of me.
I apologize.
How did you know my name?
I've probably
Seen you
Around the store.
No, you haven't.
I've never seen you.
Now, look, I don't
Wanna make a big
Thing out of this
But what kind of
A place is this?
All I want is
One small item,
A gold thimble.
I come up on a floor
That hasn't
A single thing
Except what
I'm looking for.
You may be
More sophisticated,
But this I call odd.
Please come again.
Any time.
Thank you.
Miss White?
Are you happy?
I beg your pardon?
Am I what?
Am I happy?
Forgive me, but that's
Really none of your business.
Really? It's none
Of my business.
All right,
Miss White,
Suit yourself.
It's none of
My business.
(operator elevator)
Going down.
Well, did you find what
You were looking for?
As a matter
Of fact, I did.
Also as a matter
Of fact, it was the
Only thing for sale
On that floor.
Somebody ought to call
An efficiency expert,
One entire floor
Devoted to the sale
Of a single
Gold thimble?
An extremely
Oddball saleslady
Somebody ought
To look into.
This is scratched.
Well, I didn't
Notice that before.
I can't send this
To my mother.
It's scratched,
And it's dented too.
Look. Look here.
Complaints, third floor.
Look at this thing!
It's scratched
And it looks as if
Somebody stepped
On it.
Third floor, complaints.
[Strauss waltz playing
Over P.A. System]
Well, I distinctly
Told her that all
The gold thimbles
That we have
Are in gifts.
And that if the item
Were damaged,
We would certainly
Make it good
Either by replacement
Or refund.
I distinctly told
Her that, Mr. Sloan.
Then what is
The problem,
Mr. Armbruster?
The customer claims
That she didn't get
The item in gifts,
That she got it
In another department.
Mr. Armbrust--
Just tell her
To take it back
To the department
Where she purchased
The item.
That's just
The point.
She has some idiotic story
About having purchased
A gold thimble
On the ninth floor.
[dry inward laugh]
Ninth floor.
Mr. Armbruster,
I trust you
Informed the lady
That this store
Has no ninth floor.
I have tried desperately,
I really mean desperately
To acquaint her with
This fact
But she still insists
That she was taken
To the ninth floor
And waited on
By a rather odd woman.
An odd woman yet.
Hm.
A personality trait
That she would be
Particularly
Knowledgeable about.
Well, anyway, this woman
Who allegedly waited
On her--
Never mind, Armbruster.
I'll talk to her.
Yes, yes,
Well, she's
Waiting right
Outside, sir.
[elevator bell dinging]
Miss White, this
Is our manager,
Mr. Sloan.
Perhaps I
Can help you,
Miss White.
Perhaps you can.
This thimble--
It's dented
And scratched.
Well, it most
Assuredly is.
Now, why don't
You take it back
To the gift
Department and--
I just explained it,
I did not purchase this
In the gift department.
I was taken
Up to the
Ninth floor.
That's what makes
It so difficult
To understand.
You see, we don't
Have a ninth floor.
I was taken to
The ninth floor.
I was waited on
By a very odd woman.
I paid cash.
Your receipt?
My receipt?
I didn't get
A receipt
But I paid cash.
I gave her a
-dollar bill and
A -dollar bill.
She gave me
This thimble
And I--!
There she is!
There's the woman
Who waited on me. Miss?
Miss, I wonder
If you'd--
Well, well,
How is she?
She'll be all right,
Mr. Armbruster.
She was just frightened,
That's all.
What about this
Delusion of hers?
I don't know, I
Didn't talk to her.
But she's resting now.
I think, maybe
Even gone to sleep.
Hmm. Well,
Tell her
We're closing.
Tell her to come
Back tomorrow
And we'll get her
A replacement
Or refund or
Anything else she wants.
Miss Pettigrew,
We're closing up now.
What I'd like
To give her is
A bus ticket.
A one-way
Bus ticket
To any
Department store
West of Cleveland.
Preferably Chicago
Or Los Angeles
Or Honolulu.
Miss Pettigrew,
Did you hear me?
We're closing up now!
(male voice)
Miss Kievers.
You have
A customer.
Hurry, please.
All right, I'm coming.
[gasp]
[buzzes]
Somebody?
Please, I'm
Locked in here.
Uh, anyone?
I need some help.
Anyone?
Please?
[gasps]
[loud thud]
[loud gasp]
(woman)
Marsha.
(woman no. )
Marsha.
(man)
Marsha?
(woman no. )
Marsha.
(man no. )
Marsha.
Who do you
Think you're
Fooling, Marsha?
(woman no. )
Come on, dear.
Climb off it.
(man no. )
You remember, Marsha.
(woman no. )
You know who
You are.
Marsha?
You remember, Marsha.
Climb off it.
Come on, dear.
[all call out Marsha
One after another]
[all repeat at once]
[sobbing]
Oh, no!
[sobbing uncontrollably]
Now, Marsha, dear.
You'll forgive
An observation
But you're acting
Like a silly child.
Come now, Marsha.
Think now.
Concentrate.
Remember now?
All of us will try
And help you.
We'll help you concentrate.
Remember now?
Coming back to you?
That's odd.
That's really odd,
But suddenly, I
Seem to--
Remember. Coming
Back now, is it?
I'm a mannequin.
That's what I am,
I'm a mannequin.
And it was my turn--
Your turn
To leave us
For a month.
Becoming much clearer
Now, isn't it?
You left us for a month
And you lived
With the outsiders.
But you were due
Back yesterday
And you
Didn't show up.
You know, Marsha,
That's very selfish.
All of us wait our turn
And we simply do not
Overstay it.
Now. It was my turn
Starting last night.
I'm one day
Delayed already.
But of course.
Of course,
I'm sorry.
I forgot.
When you're on the outside,
Everything seems so normal.
As if--
As if
What, Marsha?
As if we were
Like the others.
Like the outsiders.
Like the real people.
Well, no serious
Harm done.
Well, I'll
See you all
In a month.
Take good care
Of yourselves.
(female voice)
Have a ball.
And you'll
All miss me?
(all)
Oh, yes!
And you won't tear
The place apart?
And you'll all be here
When I get back?
(many)
Bye.
(several)
Bye.
Did you enjoy
Yourself, Marsha?
Was it fun?
Ever so much fun.
[pleasant music
Over P.A.]
Good morning, dear.
We're expecting $
Out of you today.
[elevator bell dinging]
Keep your powder
Dry, darling.
Well, it will sell.
[clears throat]
Morning.
Morning, ladies.
Here, here,
Break it up.
Back to your
Posts, girls.
It's : !
Really.
[elevator bell dinging]
[tsk]
(male narrator)
Marsha White in her
Normal and natural state.
A wooden lady
With a painted face
Who, one month
Out of the year,
Takes on
The characteristics
Of someone as normal
And as flesh and blood
As you and I.
But it makes you wonder,
Doesn't it?
Just how normal are we?
Just who are the people
We nod our hellos to
As we pass on the street?
A rather good question to ask
Particularly in
The twilight zone.
(male announcer)
Rod Serling, the
Creator of twilight zone,
Will tell you about
Next week's story
After this word from
Our alternate sponsor.
And now,
Mr. Serling.
This locker
And liniment emporium
Houses a major league
Baseball team known
As the Hoboken Zephyrs,
All of which by
Way of introduction
In next week's show,
A wild and woolly
Yarn about the great
American pastime.
It's called "The
Mighty Casey" and it's
All about a left-hander
Who pitches
Like nothing human,
Simply because he isn't.
Mr. Jack Warden takes
Us into the stadium
Next week for nine
Fast innings on
The twilight zone.
[eerie music]
Be sure to see
The fun-filled
Family life
Of one of America's
Greatest entertainers.
The Danny Thomas show.
Monday nights
Over most of
These stations.