Original subtitles

(MAN GROANING)

Dad! Dad! Dad!

Hey! Hey! What's all this noise then, you daft thing?

There's someone in my room. I saw them! Over there!

That was just shadows, sweetheart.

It was a face, though. It was!

It's just shadows.

See?

All gone.

Now, go to sleep, toasty-face.

It's late.

I'll leave the landing light on for you, okay?

Why wasn't I allowed to go?

Because nobody wanted you to be upset, love.

Mum's gone to heaven to be with Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Hasn't she?

She has, yes.

Will I go to heaven one day?

Try not to think about that now, love.

Cuddle down and think nice thoughts, okay?

Dad, will you put my clothes out on the chair?

Like she did?

'Course, sweetheart, just like she did.

- Night-night. - Mind the bed bugs don't bite.

(MAN GROANING)

(HEAVY BREATHING)

(GASPS)

Dad! Dad! Dad!

(RASPY BREATHING)

(SCREAMING)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(ALARM RINGING)

(RINGING STOPS)

Three minutes. Three minutes.

See, Mum? I remembered.

Three minutes.

Just how you like it.

(GROANS)

- Are you all right? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine, I'm fine.

- Don't do that. - I'm sorry.

- Can I take him? - Mmm.

Hey. Hey, come here.

Come here.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

You don't forget, do you?

(SIGHING) Oh, it's like riding a bike.

Come here. Yeah.

Are you still hungry? You want some of this?

Listen, Jude, I've been thinking.

I don't want anything between us.

Not now, not when...

Well, let's face it. I don't know how much time I've got left.

I want to be straight about everything. Nothing hidden, nothing...

Do you remember Alison? Alison Mundy?

The medium I was writing a book about.

I promised you I'd stop seeing her.

Well, I didn't. I haven't.

And now she's reached a real crisis point in her life

and she won't talk to anyone else.

And I feel I have to try and help her because if I don't...

(SIGHS) Nobody will.

I just wanted to get this out in the open.

If you're angry, just say so.

How am I supposed to do that, Robert?

How am I supposed to be angry with you?

Did Granddad die in this house?

Yes, pet, he did.

- Did he die in my bedroom? - Yes.

I thought he was scary at first, but he was nice.

I had to tell him it was my bed.

Then he went away.

- Can I keep these? - 'Course you can.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

ALISON: Wait a minute, what do you mean, "It was them, it was them"?

"No, it wasn't them. It wasn't them. It was us, it was us."

I don't understand. "It was us. It was us."

Yes, all right, I know, don't get iffy with me, I'm doing my best.

Oh, well, now he's going, he's walking away. Don't go.

Come back.

Uh, sir, 46.

Don't shake your head. Think about it, hold on to it.

What does it mean?

Oh, it's going over there now.

I'm getting...

Greg.

Gregory.

I'm getting Greggy...

I'm sorry.

We're gonna to have to call it a night there.

Thank you all for coming.

(ALL MURMURING)

Alison, I think that man wants a word with you.

Well, I don't want a word with him.

ALISON: I needed him when I was 10 years old. I don't need him now.

I know in some ways this has completely freaked you out.

Your father appearing out of the blue like this.

ROBERT: But don't you think it's time you confronted

your own feelings about that time in your life

and achieve some sort of reconciliation?

Robert don't talk to me about reconciliation.

And please just don't talk. Don't talk.

Don't talk.

Look, it's clear he wants to try and make amends for the past.

Is that too much to ask?

Yeah.

He wants to patch up his relationship with his daughter.

Yeah, well... Tough!

(SIGHS)

(VACUUM WHIRRING)

Whew!

What did she say?

There's still a lot of resentment there, clearly.

Did you tell her you contacted me?

For now, I think it's best she thinks

you came to Bristol of your own volition.

I told you it was a waste of time.

I shouldn't have listened to you.

Stan, wait, please.

It's never too late to put things right, surely.

I think she knows deep down the effort you've made

just to show up here.

Last night I don't know what I expected.

(SIGHING) It was pitiful watching her like that.

Thirty years, I thought she'd be different.

I thought she'd move on, grow up a bit.

More fool me.

Some things break and they stay broke.

You've got to get on with your life without them. End of story.

She told me she came home one night

and the contents of the freezer were emptied all over the floor.

I've seen cans arranged symmetrically on the shelves.

Sweets arranged in color-coordinated lines.

I've seen bleach all over the work surfaces.

- Oh, God. - And she says it isn't her.

She says it's her mother. Your wife.

I didn't want to say all this when I called you.

That's when it started.

All this nonsense. When her mum died.

But I think the reason why her mother is appearing now

is that subconsciously Alison is ready to deal with that part of her life.

That's why I brought you here.

What can I do about that? I can't do anything.

You can talk to her.

You're her one link to the past.

(SWITCHING TV CHANNELS)

♪ Happy bridegroom, yoo-hoo

♪ Happy bridegroom, yoo-hoo

♪ Happy bridegroom, happy bridegroom

♪ Happy bridegroom, yoo-hoo ♪

(LAUGHTER)

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ON TV)

MAN: If I can't survive her, nobody can.

Why do they put people in the ground, Auntie Vi?

That's not people, love, that's flesh and bones.

The real us is in here, spirit. And the spirit doesn't die.

That's what we call "pass over."

Oh, bugger, I've landed on Regent Street. What's that gonna cost me?

- £130, please. - Oh!

(SIGHS)

Did my mum pass over?

Why didn't Granddad pass over?

Some poor souls are stuck here, love.

But don't you ever be scared of seeing what other folk can't.

Promise me. It makes you special.

Just like your mum's mum, and her mum before that.

Granny Mason, that was. Oh, she was a legend.

She was the Lone Ranger, she was.

Just like you.

STAN: It's an adult game that.

She doesn't understand the rules.

She's got a talent for it.

Haven't you, love?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

He's not expecting anything of you. Just hear him out, please.

There's no reason for Jane to develop into a little household drudge.

But I like her. I like her very much.

MAN: Well, I'm glad you do, Mother.

Because you remember a little while ago...

(TELEVISION CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)

You'll have to excuse me. I'm in the middle of something.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)

Here you are. This is Edie. This is Alison.

Hello. How nice to meet you.

Those look delicious.

- This is Margaret and Sweetpea. - Hello.

Bronwen... This is Alison.

This is who I've been telling you all about.

(LAUGHS)

♪ Round and round the garden

♪ Like a teddy bear

♪ One step

♪ Two step

♪ Tickle you under there ♪

Come on.

- Swiss roll? - Cheese and onion? Go on.

Jammie Dodger?

My dad said I shouldn't eat between meals.

Dad's not here, is he?

Don't be frightened, love. It's all friends here.

Bronwen's been hearing voices all her life.

And Phyllis writes down music from composers

who've been dead donkey's years.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Give us a song, Phyllis!

DAPHNE: Oh, shall we dance?

- Oh, yes! - Oh, come on!

(PLAYING CLASSICAL PIECE ON PIANO)

And one, two, three. One, two, three.

And twirl.

Oh!

One, two, three. One, two, three.

Oh, look at Sweetpea.

(LAUGHING)

We have to be patient. Just give her...

(SIGHS) I'm not a very good host, am I?

Would anybody care for a drink?

I've given up, 20 years.

Marvelous! I haven't.

So, how's this going to work, Robert?

We all join hands and contact the living?

Something you weren't very good at, as I recall.

- I'm here now, aren't I? - Mmm.

But what about back then? I mean, I was only five streets away.

Not the other side of the bloody universe.

You used to be such a pleasant little girl.

Bing! Ten points to Daddy. Do I get a go now?

Why are you here?

Why now?

Don't tell me you've got a terminal illness or something.

I explained to your father about your mother's presence.

Your mother died 30 years ago, Alison.

Well, I must be mad then, mustn't I?

Deluding myself.

Making people unhappy.

Unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Basically all the things you say about me, Robert.

Sorry, I can't put up with this.

Well, there's a surprise. Bon voyage. Missing you already, Dad.

Stan, wait, please.

Listen, Doctor, you were there.

- Give me a chance, please. - You heard it.

Don't walk away now. Please, not now.

Alison.

I know why you're doing this.

If it's not right,

or you've not done it the right number of times,

you're convinced something dreadful will happen.

What if you stop? Just stop.

And feel the anxiety get worse and see what happens.

ALISON: Bad will happen.

Bad always happens.

Who is the doll, Alison?

Who is the little doll that you need to put back together?

(LAUGHS)

I'm not little anymore.

(CHILDREN CLAMORING)

Ah, you all right?

MAN: Go on then, what have you done today?

Since then she started to...

- Just, um, thank you. - Right.

Yeah.

- Hi, you all right? - Yeah.

Yeah? How was school today?

- Good. - Yeah? Good.

- You hungry? - A bit, yeah.

- Shall we have some egg and chips? - Okay then.

Bye, Peter. See you tomorrow.

- What? - Come on.

He's just being nice. He just wants to say hello.

Come on.

Can he come round to tea? Can I ask him?

He hasn't got any friends either.

Alison, stop it. You know who you're talking about?

You're talking about Peter Bayliss.

You're talking about someone who died.

Of course he's dead, silly!

He's a spirit, like Auntie Vi says.

- There are no such things... - Yes, there are. I see them.

Nobody else sees them, Alison.

- Only you! What do you think that means? - (GRUNTING)

If no one sees them but you?

Let go of me!

They don't exist, Alison.

They're all in your head. Up here!

(SOBBING)

Do you want to end up like her?

- Do you? - (DOOR CLOSES)

(ALISON SOBBING)

(SIGHING)

♪ There was an old woman who swallowed a...

Donkey.

♪ It made her go wonky when she swallowed a donkey

♪ There was an old woman who swallowed a...

Boa constrictor.

♪ I wonder why it picked her that Boa constrictor ♪

(LAUGHING)

Don't touch them. Leave them alone!

Now you've done it wrong. You've messed it up. She's upset now.

No, Alison. You are upset.

No, no, no. She's really, really upset.

See, on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off. She wants you to go.

She's dead, Alison. Your mother's dead.

I put her in the ground. I wept at her grave.

What more do you want me to do?

I want you to go away! I want you to leave me alone!

You can't help her. No one can help her.

I don't know how you persuaded me to come here.

- No. - Alison, let me explain.

- You brought him here. - Wait.

It was you. No, 'cause I trusted you...

You can still trust me.

- I trusted you! I trusted you! - You can still trust me please. Please.

Get off me, get off me, get off me!

Get out! Get out!

(GROANS)

Jesus Christ!

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

(SIGHS)

(SOBBING)

Leave her.

She won't listen to you.

It's better to let her lie.

Once, she went to bed and cried until 2:00 the next afternoon.

I didn't see her throw it. Did she throw it?

She must've thrown them. Both of them.

- How? - I don't know.

(INHALING)

(SIGHING)

How did she become like this?

(SOBBING)

PRIEST: See, Alison, the lesson here is,

that Satan is all round us in our lives, testing us.

And if we let down our guard for a second,

if we open a crack, he'll be in there like a whippet.

- Do you understand? - Yes, Father. A crack.

A crack. That's how bad ideas get in.

Wrong ideas. Blasphemous ideas.

But didn't Jesus come back as a spirit and appear to Mary Magdalene?

That's a different kettle of fish.

That's a whole different kettle of fish now.

When we die, we go to heaven, I'm telling you.

That's all you need to know.

Say 20 Hail Marys and make certain sure

you come to mass twice a week like your good mother used to.

- And these thoughts will soon go away. - Yes, Father.

- That should do the trick. - Thank you, Father.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come downstairs.

(GASPS)

STAN: Dr. Bridge!

I didn't do it. I swear I didn't go near it.

We are not going to leave you!

Neither is she and she's stronger.

She's dead, Alison.

Well, you're in good company. He doesn't believe me either.

What a double act.

Why don't you leave me in peace? Why don't you leave both of us in peace?

Is she at peace? I don't think she is.

You want to help her, don't you? Just like you helped all the others?

- Why is she different? - Because...

Because she's my mother.

And she's protecting me, and that's what mother's do.

Protecting you from what?

You made me think that I was mad. And I'm not.

You told me that ghosts don't exist. Well, they do.

Protecting you from what, Alison?

Don't pretend that you care about me, Robert.

You're just interested in what I am.

The medium, the case study, the freak show.

You scurry around looking for truth and where's it got you?

I mean, where's it gotten me after all your promises? Look at me!

Maybe it's just that you're not very good.

Maybe it's just that you're shit.

I know you're frightened and I know you're in pain.

Maybe you're frightened. Maybe you're more frightened than me.

- You can't run away anymore, Alison. - No?

This time you have to face up to reality. Right here, right now!

This is reality!

Why don't you face up to it? Why don't you do that?

Why don't you stop running away from whatever it is

that you're running away from?

What are you doing here in my home?

In my life!

What do you want from me?

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

- (BOTH LAUGHING) - I beat you.

- No. - I beat you.

- No, you didn't. - Yes, I did.

Now, listen, you go upstairs and clean your teeth and I'll...

I'll be up in a minute.

- (SIGHS) We thought you were in bed. - I'm awake.

You should have been there, Daddy. It was nice.

- They all clapped when I... - Darling, you go up to bed.

It's all right. Me and your dad are going to have a little chat.

What's wrong now?

What could possibly be wrong?

A 10-year-old girl hanging around with those nut case cronies of yours.

AUNT VI: I wouldn't expect you to understand. They're good people.

Kind people. Spiritual people.

STAN: Like her sainted mother.

AUNT VI: Don't drag my poor sister into this

just because you can't cope with your own daughter's feelings.

Don't tell me I don't understand her feelings!

That she's different! Special!

Abnormal.

Is that what you want for her?

Talking to the trees, locked up like her mother was?

'Cause that is the way you are making her.

That is a shameful thing to say.

Dad?

It's all right, love.

Your dad's just upset. He doesn't know what he is saying.

I do know what I'm saying.

I'm saying, get out of my house.

And get away from my daughter.

Look what you're doing to the child. She doesn't need to hear this.

Yes, she does.

I'm not going to abandon her. I won't. Look at this place.

Can you imagine what Social Services would think if they stepped in here?

- Don't threaten me. - She's terrified.

I can feel her little heart going.

Let go of her. Let go of her!

Come here, sweetheart...

You can't look after her. Look at you.

You can't even look after yourself.

Why not let her decide.

(SCOFFS) What?

She knows what she wants. She knows what's best.

Don't be ridiculous.

And if she chooses you, you'll never see me again.

No.

Let's ask her.

What's going on? Ask me what?

It's all right, love. Don't... Don't be afraid.

You just answer from deep in your heart.

Do you want to stay with your dad

or do you want to come and live with your Auntie Vi?

Don't answer, Alison.

Don't worry who's going to be hurt, sweetheart.

You just say the truth.

You, Auntie Vi.

(SIGHS)

Go and get your coat, blossom.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

STAN: Perhaps it's a fuse.

I'll take a look at the fuse box. Where is it?

I don't know. Alison?

Alison, are you okay?

Are you all right?

(FOOTSTEPS)

If it doesn't feel right,

she's got to go down to the bottom and start all over.

ROBERT: It's next door, Alison.

Again and again and again

- and again and again and again... - ROBERT: Alison?

- And again and again and again... - Alison?

Again and again and again...

(FOOTSTEPS)

(SCREAMS)

(GASPING)

What happened? Stan, what happened?

I saw her, I saw her, I saw her.

Stan, don't go there. Don't get drawn in.

I need you to be strong. Stan, look at me.

She was wearing the nightdress. The same one.

The one she was wearing when she killed herself.

What?

I thought... I thought she died in the hospital.

She came home. She committed suicide at home.

I found the body. I found the body.

She was wearing the same nightdress.

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLES)

(PHONE RINGING)

(PHONE BEEPS OFF)

Who was that?

- Jude. - Your ex-wife?

- Yes. - Hmm, that's nice for you.

- It's not important. - Really?

- I'm trying to help you, Alison. - Go home to your wife, Robert.

No.

How does it feel?

Horrible? Frightening? Confusing?

Like you're going mad?

You didn't believe me. You didn't believe a child.

Do you believe me now?

All I wanted was to do the right thing for you.

All I wanted was you to feel happy. Safe.

I'll never be safe.

I won't be safe until I'm dead.

Don't say that, Alison. I do believe you.

I'm here now.

It's too late.

(RUMBLING)

(GROANS)

God.

Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, Jesus Christ.

Mummy's here.

(STAN WHEEZING)

Mummy'll make it better.

(WHEEZING)

Alison! Alison!

(WHEEZING)

Breathe, breathe. Breathe, Stanley.

- Stanley, breathe. - (BREATHING DEEPLY)

Okay, relax. Try to relax. Deep breaths.

Deep, deep breaths. Okay, okay.

- Okay. - (GASPING)

- Why didn't you help him? - Because.

Because she wants him to go, doesn't she?

But what does Alison want?

Alison wants him to stay, doesn't she?

She wants him to go because he's hurting me.

- You're hurting me. - We're not hurting you.

She's the one who's hurting you.

- She loves me. - This isn't love.

She's overwhelming you, suffocating you.

Don't get lost, Alison. Don't disappear.

Please help me.

Oh, God, please help me. Please help me.

Okay, okay. Now, this is going to be hard.

But we are going to do this together.

I want you to go back to your house,

when your mummy was there, when she wasn't away.

- No. - Alison, Alison. I won't leave you.

Listen to me.

What do you see?

A little girl.

What else do you see?

- No... - Listen, it's all right.

It's all right. I won't let go of you.

- No. - I won't let you go.

- No! No! - Alison!

- Alison? - No! No! No!

- Alison, don't! Please don't! - No, no, no!

No, no, no!

Listen to your dad. Alison...

♪ There was an old woman who swallowed a...

Whale. (SIGHS)

♪ It made her quite pale to swallow a whale ♪

Perhaps she'll die.

Perhaps she'll die.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)

See you later.

STAN: Oh!

ALISON: He looks funny.

He looks weird. Not like my dad.

Not like anybody.

How does it make you feel like inside when you see him like this?

- Not nice. - Why not nice?

Because I want my dad. My old dad.

- And I can't. - Why can't you, Alison?

Because it's changed. It's all changed.

And it can never go back.

Why has it changed?

What changed it? Who changed it?

Mum? Mum? Can I go out? Just for half an hour.

Everyone's playing football. I promise I'll be...

(GASPS)

(GASPS)

God. Oh, God! Oh, God!

She's... She's here.

She's here.

- She's here. (GASPING) - Alison.

Alison, listen to me. You're safe. Alison, you're safe.

ALISON: I knew that if I called somebody...

That they'd save her.

So I didn't.

I... I didn't call anybody.

I didn't do anything.

I just went out to play.

And I pretended that I hadn't been home.

I pretended that I hadn't seen her.

That I hadn't found her and no one would know.

How would they know? Only I would know.

It would be our little secret.

Living in a mad house with a mad person,

sometimes it was like we were going mad ourselves.

And sometimes I just wanted her to go away.

I just...

Wanted her to be gone,

and then I could be normal.

I could be normal like the other kids.

And sometimes I...

I...

Prayed to God that she'd die

and I didn't think that my prayers would be answered.

But they were.

And then afterwards I... I felt...

I felt... I felt bad.

And I wanted her to come back. But she didn't.

(HYPERVENTILATING) I... I saw all the others.

All the others that had died, but the...

But the one person that I wanted to come back didn't,

and I hated her.

I... I... I loved her.

But...

But I hated her so much.

ROBERT: You didn't hate her.

You didn't hate her. You hated her madness.

You wanted her madness to go away.

You wanted your mum.

So now you know what an awful, awful, awful person I am.

STAN: You weren't an awful person.

(SOBBING) You were a little girl.

You didn't kill your mother. She did.

I should never have let you go.

I was a coward.

I didn't think I was able to...

I didn't think I was good enough to keep you.

Oh!

(STAN SOBBING)

She's gone. Isn't she?

(SIGHS)

Oh, yeah.

What were those? Those pills.

Nothing. (SIGHS) You need to sleep.

We'll talk tomorrow.

If you want to talk.

Ow.

Robert?

Thank you.

Are you going to Jude's?

Good.

Why good?

Because she loves you and you love her.

(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)

Gone.