Original subtitles

These stories are inspired

by the actual case files of the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research.

Mr. Donazetti? Hello, you here?

Mr. Donazetti, you home?

It's Tyler. Got your groceries, Mr. Donazetti.

Mr. Donazetti?

Stay here, Tyler, okay?

Come on.

Oh, Jesus!

Thomas...

He's cold.

But he's been here for a while.

What the hell is the the old could keeping down here ?

I don't know, but they're not here now.

A harmless recluse dies in a small rural community,

a strange chain of occurrences follows which terrorizes the residents.

What if any is the connection between these events?

Well, this was the question

which ultimately confronted the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research

in one of its most challenging and frightening cases.

Conrad.

Nothing like a little bright sun to clear your pounding head.

You just sign here, right there.

Conrad, next time someone looks at you funny in a bar just walk away.

That Mr. Conrad Paul Reyes I saw stepping out of here ?

**** D&D.

***

So what'd you get?

That's a preliminary for Mr. Donazetti.

Like it looked ?

A suicide, single gun shot to the head.

So, that solves that.

What?

You hear that?

Yeah, what the heck is that?

It better not be mice again.

Oh, geez. What was the last time, pigeons?

***

You see anything?

No, it's okay, it's okay.

No, no !

***

Case manager's log, file number 919101. Doyle here, 1140 hours.

Concern for the safety of the Blind River citizens,

encourage the County Sheriff's Department to contact the OSIR for assistance

to deal with a complaint of reported snake migration phenomena.

This footage is inexplicable.

The magnetic stripe is intact.

***

Oh, I feel for those officers.

What's the matter, Peter ? Not a big fan of the mysterious slithering serpent?

No, I don't like snakes, no.

Oh, Q, any plausible explanation come to mind regarding the phenomenon?

Well, a family of snakes traveling together is common enough.

Depending on habitat, time of year and so on.

But the variety of species described here all in this unified group

it defies categorization.

Donner, you and Anton proceed with the preliminary interviews.

See what the subjects are saying, and if they all saw the same thing.

We've lived next to Thomas Donazetti for...

Must be almost 10 years now.

But he sort of kept to himself, we seldom spoke.

Did you know about his snake collection ?

Sure.

I just didn't realize he had so many

or that they were so dangerous.

He never comes out of his house.

And I just wanted to make sure that he was okay.

All the snakes came out at the same time.

They were like moving in a group.

I watched him come toward me.

They passed away in front of me and that they headed East.

Or Northeast through the parking lot

and they disappeared in the field.

All moving together.

A lot of folks are saying that the snakes are a ghostly manifestation of him.

But when I went down to that room

and I saw him lying in the floor...

I believe he loved those snakes.

He cared for them as if they were his own children.

I didn't think I was afraid of snakes,

but I guess I am.

Excuse me, please, excuse me.

You found those snakes yet?

Sheriff, what are you doing about it?

Look, settle down, settle down all of you.

Okay ? The situation is under control.

We don't even know the snakes are still around here anymore.

They've probably moved on.

Give me a break, Newman.

You're as scared as the rest of us.

Larry, go home !

We're handling it.

It's nothing to worry about. Okay?

Excuse me.

Calm down.

Sheriff ?

They're just snakes.

Professor Doyle, have you decided?

We'll be sticking around.

Good, because I have a town full of very spooked people here with this....

Whatever it is.

Anomalous zoological phenomena.

Anomalous... whatever.

This is LQ Cooper.

Nice to meet you, Sheriff Newman.

He's a zoologist specializing in herpathology.

Yeah, but... Snakes.

Specifically, the study of exotic and poisonous snakes and their behavior patterns.

How nice !

It's right through there.

What was he thinking?

Wow, he just had a unique choice of pets, that's all.

Dogs, cats, even mice, that I can understand.

Poisonous snakes ? Come on...

You know, he must have taken very good care of these snakes.

How can you tell?

The snakes must have been very condented.

There're no tops on these cages.

They wouldn't ***a hamster, let alone a snake.

What is that?

This is the recently sheds skin of a cobra.

Cooper...

Is this where they found him?

Yeah, he was leaning up against there with a gun still in his hand.

*** here left hand.

Hmm.

What?

It's just in 12 years in homicide,

I'm going to see an a suicide victim with a gun still in his hand.

I'm going to ask Foster to do another autopsy on his body.

Hey, this is great.

I'm finding evidence for more than 18 different species of snakes

from all over the world, the desert, the jungle.

My assessments confirm that this phenomenon is creating some extreme

phobic related behaviors in the townspeople.

How is it manifesting itself?

Well, we have increased blood pressure levels and high anxiety.

Peter, environmental assessment?

There's no hazardous materials or toxic gases.

And all chemical and geophysical analysis came up negative as to why a massive group of snakes

would behave as witnessed.

But there have been no reported injuries from the snakes to date.

Cooper, what have you got?

Okay.

Here are the different species of snake we've been able to identify so far.

We now have evidence of king cobras cohabiting with ratlers.

Despite the fact that cobras eat other snakes and are highly territorial.

And yet the witness has reported this specific species traveling with a variety of different snakes.

Precisely.

Now, in very extreme and rare cases, I have seen several different species gathered together

to avoid a common threat like a forest fire, for example.

But as a general rule, it is totally contrary to their instincts.

Interesting.

All right, slow and easy, everybody.

Snakes are very sensitive to movement and to vibration.

Handling an angry crowd of civilians, no problem.

A mob of angry snakes, that's out of my league.

Hey, don't worry.

This is the hottest part of the day.

We're not likely to run into the snakes.

Well, let alone any reptiles.

I don't like this. I really don't like this.

C team, still moving through quadrant six?

Affirmative.

Anything to report?

No. Negative.

And I don't expect to find anything based on the present circumstances.

How's Peter holding up?

Oh, I'm just fine, thanks, Anton. I'm living out a fantasy.

Walking through the forest, trying to flush out an angry *** poisonous snakes.

It's a lot of fun.

**** Look at this.

Peter's readings are shooting up.

Donahue, what's going on?

I've got movement.

Directly Southwest.

Moving fast.

Coming right at us.

Visuals?

Negative.

What's happening?

I don't know.

Something was coming towards us, and now I've got movement.

Axon, don't move !

God !

Oh Lord !

Doyle ?

I think we found them.

Cooper, what do we do?

Don't move.

They're passing right through us.

Freeze it there.

It's remarkable.

That appears to be a Burmese python.

About 20 feet long.

It's capable of crushing the life out of a grown man in less than three minutes.

Oh, man !

Come on, Peter.

You had to admit it was kind of exhilarating.

Exhilarating ? No, that's not the word I'd use.

Relax, Peter. You're all right.

The team's okay.

Let's just take better precautionary measures the next time we venture into the field.

Why didn't the snakes strike at any of the team?

Well, if they were being threatened by some unseen or unknown force,

they didn't demonstrate any of the traditional warning signals.

You know, the tail rattling, rubbing scales, hood spreading, wild hissing.

So what were they doing?

They weren't attacking, and they weren't retreating.

They were just just moving forward in one direction.

Sure, it's like a migration, but in a manner and a form like nothing I have ever seen before.

Case file update 1345 hours.

As the sightings of the snakes have increased,

citizens of Blind River have essentially evacuated the streets,

and are remaining in their homes and places of work.

On a positive note, our Bravo Team managed to capture and safely secure a rat snake

during a first-hand encounter with the phenomenon in a local supermarket.

This snake is not behaving normally.

What do you mean normal?

Well, usually this time of day a snake should be basking, conserving energy.

Why is he moving so much?

I think he may be trying to rejoin the other snakes.

What's that for?

I've inserted a PE1 tracking device inside the mouse.

Yeah ! A homing transmitter.

That snake is going to eat that mouse?

That snake could eat a tennis ball.

You're kidding !

I think I'll just leave you to your work.

Hey, hey, don't go away, Peter.

- What? - I need you help.

What do you want me to do?

Hold this.

You got it?

X marks the spot.

The snakes are here.

They must have got in through that crack in the foundation.

Why here?

Let's do an immediate analysis of air, soil and vegetation, to see if anything turns out.

What the devil's going on ?

Donahue ?

Sir, do you mind stepping to the curb?

Just give us a couple of minutes.

Well, the hell I will.

I don't want a bunch of suits stropping around my front yard.

Not until I know why.

Sir, it appears the snakes have relocated here in your basement.

The snakes are here ?

Well, as a matter of fact, in very likely under where you're standing.

Snakes are in my house ? How could this happen ?

That's what we're trying to determine.

You're not kidding, are you?

Well, first my house gets broken into now this.

Look.

All right, we found them. What's next?

That's for our objective termination.

That sounds good.

No.

Not yet.

The snakes are dangerous, Connor.

They're a threat to the community.

Come on, come on, guys.

These snakes aren't afraid to anyone at the moment.

There is no indication.

I say, we keep observing them.

I don't understand how we can just continue letting them roam around.

I'm going to go with Professor Cooper's recommendation for the time being.

Good enough.

Hey !

A pattern is forming.

I can't call it anything except some bizarre form of migration path.

Meaning?

Well, Mr. Edmunds informed us

that he'd had a breaking the night before we found the snakes in his basement.

And we've discovered several other break-ins

that coincide with dates and times of other reports of snake sightings.

Let's come back to where this case started.

What are the events surrounding Mr. Donazetti's death? Why did he commit suicide?

Well, contrary to public opinion, his posthumous psychological makeup

is presented to me as a very docile and harmless gentleman.

And since he didn't leave a note...

It's already to be late.

That something has come up.

Our autopsy report shows the deceased was strangled prior

to receiving the gunshot wound.

Murdered ?

I don't understand.

I mean, Thomas was a little sideways the wall, but...

Did he have any known enemies?

This is a small town.

Everyone knows everyone's business.

He didn't know about Donazetti's collection ?

Well, no, but there was a rumor he was keeping something down there.

We thought it was his secret fortune.

Never mentioned something about a break-in ?

Yeah, we've had about six till last month.

Do some checking.

See, we can connect this snake migration to those break-ins.

Well, we have moments, Northeast quadrants.

Alright, let's move in. You're quick by cafe.

Your front street.

Hey, I thought I told you to stay the hell out of here.

Come on, man, open up !

Let me in! Please!

**** extreme caution.

Come on, they're in there.

Snakes ! Come on !

Nothing so far.

We lost the signal in the snake's transmitter.

***

We see him.

It's too quiet.

I don't like it.

No sign of the snakes, so far.

He's been bitten probably a hundred times.

He's dead.

What a way to go.

I'm out of here.

We got a match from Ilinois for the prints

we've found on the Smith & Wesson that killed Donazetti.

There it is.

Conrad Paul Reyes, age 24 history of misdemeanors.

Three convictions.

Current address...

The Blind Tiver morgue.

Final log update.

Thomas Donazetti was murdered by Conrad Paul Reyes.

Reyes suffered over 300 bites.

Not to mention that several of his bones were crushed and shattered.

His motive appeared to be money

and Donazetti's death, the result of a robbery gone bad.

Case manager, Conrad Doyle.

Out.

Over the next several weeks, the residents reported dozens of rare snakes

found dead from unknown causes in the woods surrounding the Blind River region.

Now perhaps the old bans etheric life energy, or some type of non-corporial, psyinteractive force

manipulated the many different snakes he cared for to hunt down and kill his murderer.

Then there's another speculation open to us.

It may not be a scientific one,

but it seems to describe perfectly the very heart of what occurred in this case.

That Donazetti's snakes were acting out of love and revenge.

Well, everything's back to normal, Katie.

But I'd like to prescribe a light sedative.

I don't take drugs, Willard.

Now, Katie, you're here all alone and after all that you've been through recently...

I'm not quite the wilting lily you seem to think I am, and anyway Jeff will be here soon.

Alright.

If you want to accept my medical help, take some advice.

If you think you're seeing those things again, you take that camcorder I give you.

- And... - You still don't believe me, do you?

It's not that I don't want to, Katie. I'm just suggesting...

Well, I'm going to prove it to you.

Now, good night, Willard.

Good night, Katie.

I'll call you soon.

Jeffrey, is that you?

Who's there ?

No !

Ghosts and apparitions have been written about throughout the evolution of story telling.

Human experience provides a factual basis for these subjects.

Now research indicates most hauntings are harmless.

In many sightings, ghosts are seen by only one person,

the phantom's lindred spirit among the living.

Catherine Cartwright misses her deceased husband Robert, her kindred spirit among the dead.

Is Catherine's love for her husband so strong that invites him to reach out from beyond his grave,

or is her need so desperate that she has created these disturbing experiences herself ?

Oh, Jeffrey, it is so good to have you home again.

Everything okay, Mother ?

You really had me worried the other day.

Oh, I'm fine, darling.

We have to try to get you out of the house more.

Maybe the club for lunch.

Hmm.

It's you I'm worried about.

You work too hard.

Just like your father.

You really shouldn't stay up so late.

Don't worry, Mother.

I'll be turning in soon.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Jeffrey !

God ! Mother !

Again ?!

When did these episodes begin?

Well, about three months ago.

Her son Jeffrey called me.

He said Catherine claimed that she was hearing tapping noise, strange sounds,

and saw some furniture move inexplainedly.

He's very concerned about her state of mind.

Is she the only one to experience this phenomenon ?

Jeffrey was home at the time, but he didn't see or hear anything.

And your diagnosis ?

Well, I discussed with Jeffrey

the possibility of placing Katie somewhere where she could get more attention.

Then she gave me this.

She asked me not to show it to anybody else until I got a professional opinion.

After I saw this, I wasn't so sure that committing her was the right course of action.

What do you think?

How was Mrs. Cartwright's condition since this incident ?

I'm concerned.

She continues to report these sightings, and with her weaken state...

I mean, they're exhausting her.

She very nearly died last week.

And you're saying no one else has seen this ?

Let's keep it that way.

And then I turned the corner and there it was.

Yes, I can feel it.

But this spirit does not trust my intentions.

Madam Sophie...

I hope that you won't mind, but I have taken the liberty of writing out of a retainer.

I do so hope that you will help me to contact this whatever or whoever it is.

Yes, I'd be glad to try it.

But we should arrange to talk about it at a later time.

You have my number?

Yes.

Who wass that, Katie?

Madam Sophie.

She is a very well-repeated spiritual advisor from New York.

Katie, I'd like you to meet Dr. Curtis Rollins.

He agreed to consult with me on your case.

His organization specializes in dealing with the unknown.

Oh, then you must know Madam Sophie.

I'm afraid not.

We rely on a slightly more scientific approach.

I see.

Well, Dr. Rollins, what is your diagnosis of my case?

Am I crazy?

Or maybe just a little senile ?

Neither I'm sure.

Last week, this chandelier started swinging.

And this is another picture that keeps going askew.

May I ?

Yes.

Its reframing it's too formal.

This was Robert's study.

Nothing's been moved, of course.

You said there's been no activity in here.

No.

Oh, my goodness !

I've forgotten about this photograph.

It was Robert's favorite.

It was taken three years ago on our wedding anniversary.

There's a lovely piece.

Yes.

Yes, Robert loved beautiful things.

Especially his carpets.

He had them cleaned every year.

We did the up floors already, last year.

Case file number 44114.

Curtis Rollins, case manager.

Day three, Cartwright estate.

Covered operations established.

Only Catherine Cartwright and Dr. Marlow are aware

and aprised of our investigation due to its undercover nature.

Preliminary examination of the house and adjacent grounds

where the subject experienced significant phenomena,

specifically the northwest quadrant adjoin the structure it's on the way.

At 0900 hours this morning, interviews with locals were begun by Doahue and Donner.

Sorry.

That's police business.

Come on.

From one cop to an exbadge.

No kidding !

Used to work homicide. Chicago.

Was that right?

Well, listen, the last month or so

I've responded to a couple of distress calls up at the house.

So they asked us to keep it quiet.

Keep white quiet ?

You know, the stories, ghosts, junk like that.

Look, we found nothing.

Just a lonely old lady.

I'm telling you, I don't think she's doing all that wealth.

Landscape architect, huh?

Yeah.

Once a month they hired me and a couple of guys

come up here and fix up the gardens.

Seems like a lot of work.

Money must be good.

Well, you think so, wouldn't you?

But you would be wrong.

Cartwrights are about as cheap as they come.

It's probably how they got so rich.

You think they'd mind if we took a look around just for research purposes ?

No, I don't care.

Mrs. Cartwright, might.

What do you mean?

Well, the old lady is going bonkers.

I mean, she's losing her marbles fast, you know...

I mean, she runs around here in the middle of the night.

I mean, she's loco in cabeza.

Catch my drift.

Well, the good townspeople

have made up their mind about Mrs. Cartwright's state of mental health.

Psychological assessment of Mrs. Cartwright has been completed.

And?

Results normal.

What about the environmentals ?

Baseline results, we are in the normal ranges,

chemical and substance analysis showed no contributing factors.

What about all the circumstantial evidence?

I'm taking that into consideration.

Let's see what else comes in.

Mother, if you see anything tonight, please call me.

It's very sweet of your darling, but not necessary.

Mother, I'll be in my study.

Good night, mother.

Jeffrey?

Katie !

Robert?

Oh Robert !

Katie !

Robert ?

It is you ?

Please, tell me.

Robert?

Katie, take my hand.

Katie !

Robert?

I love you !

No!

No ! Robert !

Please, mother, this can't keep happening.

I'm really getting worried about you.

It is your father calling me.

Didn't you hear him?

It's just a whim, mother.

And your imagination.

You scared him away.

Please, mother.

Try to get some rest.

I'll call Dr. Marlow and have him come around in the morning.

Something definitely drew her into that room.

Listen to this.

Robert?

The audio was garbled, but she identifies the voice as Robert.

It must have been very close.

Extremely.

We've also learn Catherine and Robert Cartwright both attended church regularly.

Indicating a well-established belief in the probability of an afterlife.

Maybe she really believes it's him.

Let's review her preliminar interview.

You know, it's a funny thing.

But all these events started to happen

on the anniversary of the day that Robert proposed to me.

Now who else could know that?

I'm not a superstitious person, but I like to keep an open mind.

As I was saying to Robert, only the other...

I'm in Jeffrey.

As I was saying to Jeffrey the other day,

what if this isn't a Poltergeist or something?

What if it's a spirit?

A lost spirit.

Robert's spirit.

Oh, well.

I suppose I don't know what to take anymore.

After 50 years of marriage, there certainly would be an emotional bond.

Jeffrey Cartwrights booked on the morning flight to New York,

for a two-day business trip.

As soon as he's gone,

let's set up complete onsite environmental surveillance and monitoring.

We have to see what she saw.

Okay, we're all done here.

The demographic and surveillance cameras installed on the second floor.

Affirmative.

We have visuals.

Analysis is back on the fiber optics founder and circumstances assessment.

And?

Well, it was spec.

Whoever ordered these renovations was planning for the 21st century,

and they spent a bundle doing it.

Get the lab looked into the design this hardware.

And what company installed it.

Yes?

Mrs. Cartwright ?

Dr. Rollins, please come in.

You wanted to talk to me?

You come highly recommended by Dr. Marlow,

but is all this really necessary?

It is, Mrs. Cartwright.

All is sneaking about its preposterous.

Mrs. Cartwright,

my team has found some odd electrical installations in your house,

fiber optics, state-of-the-art conduits.

What are you trying to tell me?

What if this phenomenon is not Robert?

I felt his presence.

Then help us prove what it really is.

Let us continue our work.

What do you want me to do?

Act as you always do.

Let's do the rest.

You won't even know we're here.

I hope you haven't scared him away.

I hope so too.

Camera 12 in position.

Here's the house.

Second floor east wing.

It's a subject under bedroom.

0100 hours, all stations check in.

Hold it ! All stations?

Sensors are picking up something.

Repeat, laser scan detecting movement in the southwest quadrant.

*** Meet me in sector 7. I'm going in.

We'll stay on the visuals.

It's starting.

We've detected electrical activity in close proximity to the subject.

Confirming circuit surge.

Standing by.

Team fanning out.

I'm entering the location.

Any change ?

Something seems to be moving through the walls of the structure.

Stand by for status upgrade.

Standing by.

What's Katherine doing ?

She seems fine.

Vital signs are still within normal range.

Still no visuals on the phenomenon ?

I'm tracking out identified movement in the southwest centre.

Katie, join me !

Katie, come to me !

I'm coming, Robert.

Katie !

Wait, wait, we've lost her.

What is saying ?

Oh, she just pulled off her electrodes.

Maintain visual surveillance.

Affirmative.

I'm inside.

Katie !

Come to me.

Katie, come to me.

Katie.

Come to me.

Katie.

Take my hand.

Yes, darling.

Robert !

Join me !

At last !

Katie !

Katie !

Stay down, Mrs. Cardwright.

Katie !

My vision disabled.

Donner, talk to me.

We're getting strong thermal readings from your location.

How many figures on the scan?

Three.

Tighten the frame.

One floor, they are moving fast.

***

They just moved right past you, heading southeast.

Wait, what's this?

I think I found the source.

I'm turning it down.

Location secured.

Donahue ?

The targets moving outside.

Security's on the way to intercept.

Don't even flinch.

They've got him.

Tomas, it was you !

Local law enforcement's on it way.

Contact Jeffrey Cardwright.

Tell him his mother needs him right away.

Right.

Come to me.

Take my hand.

Katie,

join me.

Katie.

Damn wiring !

Welcome home, Mr. Cardwright.

Who the hell are you?

Friend of the family.

Jeffrey Cardwright.

You're under arrest for larceny by scheme and aggravated assault.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you when a court of law.

If you need it attorney, the State will provide one for you.

Do you understand these rights?

Right from the start you've suspected.

When Dr. Marlow first showed me your tape,

I noticed how the camcorder responded to the light show.

When we saw the flare, we needed to investigate to be certain was a hoax.

Mrs. Cardwright, I'm sorry for the way it turned out.

****

The money.

Oh, Jeffrey.

And I thought it was Robert.

I'm just a silly old fool.

No, Mrs. Cardwright.

I think maybe Robert, wherever his spirit is, feels the same as you do.

A connection.

Final log.

Case number 44114.

Our investigation revealed that Jeffrey Cardwright

had rigged the house with state-of-the-art special effects.

It was all controlled by one Thomas Regetti,

Jeffrey Cardwright's accomplice.

As so heir to the family fortune,

Cardwright admitted under police interrogation that he intended to have his mother committed

after breaking down her psychological stability.

Case manager, Curtis Rollins out.

The strange occurrences at the Cartwright Mansion

had nothing in fact to do with the love Catherine held for her deceased husband Robert.

They were a cruel and malicious hoax engineered by her heartless and greedy son.

So perhaps it is not the ghosts of loved ones we should be apprehensive about.

But rather the darker motives of the living human heart.

I'm Dan Akroyd for Psi Factor.