All language subtitles for The.Skeptic.2009.Pinnacle.Films.BDRemux.1080p_track5_eng

Miss Deaver?

Deputy Lura, ma'am.

Got a phone call
from this house.

Somebody hung up.

Everything all right?

Miss Deaver?

Somebody in there?

I can hear you, you know.

Miss Deaver, is that you?

Oh, Jesus!

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

My aunt died.

Did she?

Yeah, they just found her.
Looks like her heart.

Oh, God, that's awful.

Look at the bright side.
We got the house.

- What is the matter with you?
- Oh, come on, Robin.

Don't suddenly act
like we were all close.

That woman was
cold as hell to us.

- That's not the point.
- What is the point, Robin?

The point is,
when someone just dies

is not a time to bad-mouth them.

It's a time to say a prayer
and count your own blessings.

I am countin' my blessings.

I get the house.

Marlene Deaver

was not a great Catholic.

But she was a great
bingo player.

But I'm guessin'
God will take her,

because where it counted,

she loved her neighbor
with the best of 'em.

You've gotta be kiddin' me.

He doesn't show up
for his own aunt's funeral?

He's in mourning. He's just
probably runnin' a little late.

He looks in a good mood.

Someone should make sure
he knows that

she didn't pull through.

He's very strong, Carl.

Hello, Carl.

Sorry for your loss, Bryan.

What?

Oh. Oh, yeah.
It's a sad day.

Mm-hmm.

So, what did I miss?

Her eternal soul being
lifted up into heaven.

Oh, shit. I really
wanted to catch that.

Hey, you want to take a ride
with me later?

- I'll drop you back.
- Where?

My aunt's house. I just got
the key from the sheriff.

Thank you.
I may stop by.

Bryan Becket.

Thank you for doing this,
Father,

she would've appreciated it.

Well, at least she came on time.

You don't take any of this
seriously, do you?

- What?
- Religious ritual.

- The church.
- Hey,

I'd love to take the church
seriously, but...

it's kinda hard with the Pope

runnin' around
wearin' those hats.

You want to know

what I think your problem
with death is?

Not really.

You don't believe in
anything, you know?

You don't believe
in a higher power.

You don't believe in
the afterlife... nothin'.

You're right.

Life would be easier
if I were gullible.

You think I'm gullible, Becket?

Sully, you believe
in everything.

I don't believe in everything.

- Yes, you do.
- No.

Okay, okay, didn't you once
tell me you believed in

the Loch Ness monster?

Oh, they're gonna catch
that sucker, you'll see.

Scottish scientists went down
in the lake using sonar, Beck.

And their results
were inconclusive.

Wrong! They picked up
a large moving mass...

changing directions
in organic patterns.

- So what else could it be?
- I don't know.

I don't know what the military
was covering up at Roswell.

- Does that make it aliens?
- No.

But alien bodies on
the ground made it aliens.

You know what
your problem is, Sully?

- What?
- You were raised Catholic.

- Oh, here we go.
- Really. I mean it.

How big a stretch can it be

believing in
the Loch Ness monster

once you bought
the Holy Trinity?

There it Is.

Oh, my God, it's a monster.

She lived there alone?

I wouldn't be caught dead
alone in there.

Creep me out.

Can't wait to get in there.

Hear there's all kinds of
antiques, even a wine cellar.

You hear?
Oh, that's right.

This is the aunt that
didn't like you,

so she never invited you over.

I don't care if she didn't
like me, she's dead now.

I'm invitin' myself over.

Yeah, but why didn't
she like you?

Don't know.

You know, I gotta admit,

I find this all very,
very intriguing.

Yeah, well you also find
astrology intriguing,

and it's not.

Wow...
How rich was she?

She wasn't rich.

This house is the last
of the old family money.

Yeah, but it's yours
to sell, right?

- Yep.
- You know,

I heard about
all the great parties

she used to have up here.

You were never invited?
Not even once?

Look at this.

This is a genuine Iroquois vase,
just sitting here.

Did you offend her in some way?

To insult her religious
beliefs or somethin'?

'Cause... you know,
you're known for that.

The woman wasn't
religious, Sully.

She went to church
every Sunday, Bryan.

Yeah, so did all those people
in Salem who burned the witches.

Yeah. Right there.
That comment?

That's the kinda thing
that might offend someone

that was, um... human.

I wasn't offensive, Sully.

I was sweet and thoughtful and
I was the lawyer in the family.

Get you out of a parking ticket,
manslaughter, whatever you need.

Solid mahogany.

Yeah, but, you know,

something still doesn't
add up, you know?

You got your, uh,
classic mystery here.

Don't you see that?

Yeah, it's right up there
with crop circles.

Okay, you know what?

I don't care how high
your IQ test scores were.

You lack common curiosity,
and that's a flaw. It Is.

And I've got it.

You know, I'm curious
all day long.

I'm like a two-year-old.

You want to hear my theory
on my aunt?

You have a theory?

I don't think she was the saint

that everybody thought she was.

I think she was
hiding something...

about herself or...

about her past.

And she feared being around
someone like me,

someone who was smart
and shared her blood.

I just might figure it out.

That's a pretty juicy theory.
It's right up your alley.

What do you think, Sul?

Sully.
Sully!

Hey!

Sully?
Sully?

Where's your juice?

Where's your juice?

Where's your ju...
Okay, I got it.

All right, just hang on, pal.

You're gonna be fine, let's
just get some juice in you.

There's something upstairs...

in the closet.

Behind the crucifix.

What?

Come on. Sip this.

Sip it. Good.

- Good. That better?
- Yeah.

Feelin' better?
Is it working?

- Mm-hmm.
- Good.

You didn't eat today, did you?

- No.
- Well, goddamn it, Sully.

You can't take those pills
and not eat.

How long's it gonna take you
to learn that?

Apparently
a little while longer.

Yeah. Have a little more.

Okay. Yeah.
Oh... Oh...

What was that you were...
blabbing about?

A closet upstairs
with a crucifix?

Did I say something?

Did I say something weird?

- What's this?
- Oh, I...

I think it was
on the desk, I just...

All right, come on.
You need food.

Okay.

Hey...

You and I need to
have a little talk.

- Man to man?
- Man to man.

Now, Mom and I told you that
my Aunt Marlene died, right?

- Her heart got old.
- Yeah.

And I'm in charge
of selling her house.

She's got a lot of expensive
stuff over there, so...

I'm gonna have to go
and live there for a while.

Make sure nobody takes anything.

Okay.

Can I visit?

Course you can.
Whenever you want.

And you can call me, too, okay?

Okay.

I gotta go tell Mom.

Be careful. She's still
mad from breakfast.

Hey.

Look, um...

my aunt's house is just gonna
sit there until we sell it.

So I was thinkin'
maybe I'd use it.

You know, just for a few weeks
or so, like we talked about.

Like we talked about?

Yes. Didn't we
talk about this?

Didn't we talk about how
some time apart might be

exactly what we need right now?

Didn't we say that was something
we should seriously consider?

Yes, we said that,
but one of us was bluffing.

I guess we know now
it wasn't you.

No.

It wasn't me.

Hi, this is Marlene Deaver.
Please leave a message.

Thank you.

It's Bryan Becket.
Please leave a message.

Morning, Carol.

Uh, hey, it's no rush,

but I still need
the Benes motion to compel.

- Are you okay?
- I'm fine.

Morning, Riley, Sarah.

What is wrong with
everyone today?

Hey. Could I talk to you
for a second?

Please, be seated.

Are you and Robin separated?

Now, I only know this because
Robin called Celeste,

who called Karen,

so it's gonna be on C-SPAN in,
like, five minutes.

That's between Robin and me.

- And Celeste. And Karen.
- All right.

Robin... thinks...

that I'm too unemotional.

Unemotional?

She knew that goin' in.

Thank you.
Exact... Thank you!

She knew that goin' in.
I haven't changed.

I'm the exact same guy
I advertised in

the store window 12 years ago.

You bet I'm unemotional.

She used to be fine with that.
It was a turn-on.

But suddenly it's not enough
for her anymore,

'cause she turned 40 and she
wants someone to panic with.

And she...
wants me to cry.

- About what?
- Uh, i-it's my choice.

She just wants me to
reach down and fall apart.

- Could you even do that?
- Are you kiddin' me, Sully?

I'm a guy. I haven't cried
since I went to Cooperstown.

The Lou Gehrig speech.

So what's your plan?

My plan is to stay separated

until she realizes she can't
change me,

gets scared that if she
keeps tryin' to change me

she's gonna lose me forever,
takes me back as is,

gets used to bein' 40,
we live happily ever after.

Dismissed.

Becket!

Beck!

Hey!

Don't you answer your door?

You're a crisis addict,
do you know that?

- What is it now?
- This is your crisis this time.

Come on!

Okay, what?

This is your aunt's will.

What? No, no, no.
My aunt didn't have a will.

Well, her good friend
Martha Corn

dropped this off today,
so I checked it out.

This is your aunt's will.

She wrote it herself,
and it's completely legal.

This ain't your house, Beck.

What are you talking about?

I'm her only kin.

I have this house
through succession.

You are her only kin.

Then who the hell
did she leave the house to?

The Delano Institute.

- Why, why would she...
- I don't know why,

but she left it to
a particular department there

run by one
Dr. Warren Koven.

Okay, what do we know
about this Koven guy?

He runs a sleep lab.

Which is what, exactly?

I don't know, I assume it's
a lab where people sleep.

And now they've got your house,

I'm sure they're gonna sleep
a lot easier.

So, this is a sleep lab.

Yeah.
It's not a typical one.

The institute had space issues,
and we take the brunt, but...

We're very proud of our work.

We're regular contributors to
the Polysomnographic Journal,

and we do treat the uninsured.

People with problems sleeping.

Uh, yeah. Do you have
sleep problems, Mr. Becket?

Sometimes.

Well, we're here to help.

Yeah, please, take a look.

Uh, Ms. Carl
is with us tonight.

She's a sleepwalker and we're...
We want to know why.

And, uh... what was
my aunt's problem?

I mean, I'm assuming that
you treated her

for some sort of sleep disorder.

- Is that right?
- Uh, no, actually, she, um...

She was not a patient here.

Then how did you know her?

She had an interest in
a different lab that I run

here at the institute.

Another sleep lab?

No, actually it's a lab where
we conduct special experiments

on various topics of, uh,
personal interest to me.

And would that be the lab
that was mentioned in her will?

Uh, probably. Yeah.

Then I believe that's the lab
I'd like to see.

Three...

Welcome to the Koven project.

Tonight's concept is
a very simple one.

Cassie meditates as
random single-digit numbers

pop up on Dillon's screen.

A vibration signal is
sent down into the studio

through this one-way glass

to the electronic ball in
Cassie's left hand,

where she makes
the determination whether

the number is odd or even,

and then relays
it back to Dillon...

She makes a determination
about what?

It seems to me
it's just a guess, right?

Well, there we go. That's
the million-dollar question.

Is it a guess?

See, what we're
trying to do here,

under the most stringent
conditions ever applied,

is to quantify one human being's
psychic ability to read another.

Oh... Psychic.

Well, E.S.P.,
to be more general.

Warren, she's gone below 50%.

Um, all right.
Excuse me one second.

Derek? I need you to drop
the room to 56,

and, um, heat the bed.

Are you sure
you want to do that?

- You want to heat the bed?
- Yeah. She won't notice.

- She's been down too long.
- All right.

So that's what you
study here... E.S.P.

Yes, amongst other things,

mostly dealing with psi energy
in aural paranormal activity.

Aural paranormal activity.

And you're telling me that
my Aunt Marlene

believed in all this stuff?

Absolutely. I mean,
that's why she's funding us.

See, your aunt experienced
some paranormal disturbances

in and around the house...

I'm sorry, she what?

She experienced paranormal
disturbances in her house.

Meaning what?

Well, meaning that she,
you know,

she thought
the place was haunted.

She wasn't serious.

Oh, no, she was very serious.

Very analytical.
She even brought us photographs.

Photographs of what?

Uh, what she believed to be

the, uh, center of the
disturbance in the house.

This is absurd.

I believe that's a closet
on the second...

Yes, I know where it is.

And taking pictures of it
means...

I'm not saying her house
is haunted or anything,

but I am saying that she
witnessed sonic...

- Doc.
- Paranormal disturbances,

- which is not...
- Warren!

- We got a problem here.
- Oh, shit!

Goddamn it.

- She's fuckin' up the entire...
- Fuck you!

- Jesus!
- Aah...

Jesus, she's outta control.

- She's comin' up.
- What?

Ross.

Koven called it.

You weren't concentrating.
The fulcrum on the...

- It sucked? I sucked?
- No. No, no.

No, you were fine, I just...
You could be so much... Ow!

Come... Ow! Cassie!

- You lied to me.
- Goddamn it.

- Understand?
- Cassie, please.

What's in the briefcase?

Uh, just some New York state
precedents...

on the succession of...
property.

Listen, I-I-I apologize.

It's just she's
very high-strung,

but really quite gifted.

She is very gifted.

Hold up, Mr. Becket.

Could you hold up
a second please?

Listen, so the girl's
an eccentric, so what?

You think this is
about the girl?

- It's your entire operation.
- Really?

Representing to
a dying old woman that

you have answers
to questions you don't have?

Giving supernatural significance
to noises in her house?

No, not supernatural, natural.

We told her we could give
natural, scientific explanations

- to whatever what she heard.
- Scientific.

Paranormal, E.S.P.,
psychic...

Yes. They're
as scientific as gravity.

They're just not yet
fully understood.

Go look up the U.S. military's
Stargate project

or Sony's Esper lab.

Don't get me wrong. We're not
looking for ghosts here.

What we do is science.

I know a little bit about
accepted science, doctor.

Who is officially behind your
mind reading lab here at D.I.T.?

Oh, I get it, you're...
you're contesting the will.

That's what this is
really about.

- You didn't get the money.
- No. What this is about

is you taking advantage of
an old woman

whose faculties were failing.

Faculties? She was
more lucid than you.

Tell you what.
Wear a blue suit

when you sell that to the jury.

You're a close-minded
man, Mr. Becket.

And why is that, doctor?

Because I don't happen
to think your fringe lab

is the real deal?

No. Because you don't
think, you know.

And that's where you
give yourself away.

"Though I walk
through the valley of

the shadow of death..."

"The demon walks here."

Hey. Hey! Hey!

Hey!

Why is he sent?

Do you believe it's him?

Please. What does he want?

What does he want here?

9-1-1.
What's your emergency?

There's someone in my house.

What did you say, sir?
Someone in the house?

Yes.

In the trunk.

Look in the trunk.

Old trunk.

Old trunk.

Hey!
Hey!

...the flake factor.

Oh.

May I talk to you for a minute?

Uh, give me the room,
would you, guys?

First of all, I'd like to
apologize for last night.

I came on too strong,
and for that I'm sorry.

Hmm. Did something happen?

Let's just say that
I now understand

how my aunt could
have become confused

and thought her place was
haunted.

I thought I heard something
there myself last night.

I'm staying there until
the estate is settled.

What'd you hear?

Whispering.
Outside my door.

I do not believe in ghosts.

And I got the sense
that you don't either.

I don't. I don't believe
in anything supernatural.

Then we're kindred spirits.

But... that still leaves me
short of an answer.

Well... sit.

The, uh... the human voice
is not real complex.

It's a sound that nature has
very little difficulty mimicking.

Now, what I'm gonna play
for you is real.

It was recorded in a farmhouse
in the Berkshires, 1976.

It was heard by multiple
witnesses, caught on tape,

sworn to in an affidavit, okay?
It's the real McCoy.

Uh, please.

Isn't that amazing?

This is an authentic
aural event,

and it's probably
what we call a chi cluster.

It's a buildup of
chi field energy,

then released into
the sonic spectrum.

- But it's not words.
- What do you mean?

How does it come out
as words, you know?

In a... an intelligent
sentence structure?

Well, it doesn't.

I mean, maybe it does
once in a million,

like those monkeys
typing sonnets, but...

No. But it did.

For me.

The voice that I heard spoke.

It did not just say,
"ooh, aah..."

It... It said something like...

"An old trunk,"

and it kept repeating it
over and over.

"An old trunk,"
or "in an old trunk,"

as if to suggest that I...

- Bryan is it?
- Yeah.

How well can you hear
through a door?

Pretty well, I guess.

Okay, now what was
the volume like?

Uh...
like I'm talking now?

Maybe a little...
a little lower.

You know, I'm gonna tell you
what you did,

and I don't want you to
get embarrassed,

because you're not the first.

But you heard
whispering sounds...

and presuming that
they must be human,

your brain strove
to put speech to them.

So "old trunk" or
"in the old trunk"

was the best
it could come up with.

It's called psychoacoustics.

- Excuse me.
- Really?

I respect the concept.
I... I really do.

But I don't know.
What I heard was so...

What I say?

What?

Oh, did you catch that?

Yeah. You said,
"What did I say?"

No, I didn't.
I said, "Rud lie stay."

Rud lie stay.

You made it into,
"What did I say."

Huh. Shit.

Your aunt did the same thing.

She took a garden variety
acoustical sub-event

and made it into a haunting.

- I'll be damned.
- You're surprised, huh?

You thought I'd accept
your hearing voices

as an everyday thing,
didn't you?

Well, I thought it was an
everyday thing for you people.

Don't they have nuns
for that kinda work?

Careful.
You'll get me in trouble.

I'm late for our meeting,
Father. My apologies.

You know, some people would
say being late for a meeting

with a priest shows a...

a subconscious hostility
towards the church.

You think it's subconscious?

What did you want to
see me about?

Your aunt's place.
I, uh...

I drove by there last night
and I saw some lights on

and I was very curious about
who you were letting stay there.

I'm stayin' there.

- You are?
- Yeah.

Robin and I are
taking a little breather.

Why? Is somethin' wrong?

Well, you're gonna think
I'm silly for even saying this.

Oh, I think half of what
you say is silly anyway.

It's part of your charm.

So what is it?

Be careful in that house.

What does that mean?

It means... there's something
not quite right there.

Are you tryin' to tell me you
think the house is haunted?

You don't believe
in haunted houses, do you?

No, I do not.

- Do you believe in evil?
- No, I do not.

Your aunt believed that
the place was haunted.

Would you like to know
how I see this whole

haunted house business?

Yes, I would.

My aunt, in her younger,
stronger days,

would never have
fallen prey to superstition.

But at 81, in failing health,

living all alone in
a great, big house

with lots of memories...

some regrets, no doubt...

when she heard something,
whatever it was,

she was ripe to run with it.

Now, you mix that in with
hardening of the arteries...

you have yourself a ghost story.

You're a good lawyer, Becket.

I'm a doubting Thomas,
Father. No offense.

It's just in my nature.

None taken.

Still, it's always good
to see you.

And you, my friend.

Just remember one thing, Becket.

Thomas was wrong.

Yah!

Oh, jeez...

You are such a dick!

You shouldn't leave
the front door unlocked.

You scared the shit outta me.

Aah...
Where were you this morning?

Huh?

Oh, God damn it.

Goddamn it!

I missed the conference
with Judge Akagi.

Oh, shit.
I'm sorry.

Screw sorry.
What's goin' on with you?

Nothing's goin' on
with me, Sully.

I missed a meeting.
I can't miss one meeting?

No! You cannot miss
one meeting, and you know why?

'Cause you're a control freak
who doesn't miss anything.

You missin' one meeting
is like a regular guy missin'

his own frickin' wedding.

And now I'm good and worried.

Yeah. 'Cause I think you're
havin' some kinda breakdown.

Oh, get outta here.
I'm not havin' a breakdown.

Ah! How would you know? See,
people that are havin' a breakdown

don't know
that they're havin' a breakdown.

They just think
the water tastes funny.

You left your wife,
you left your son...

both of who I know you adore...

you move into this
creepy old house,

and then you miss a meeting.

Okay. I will never miss
another meeting.

That's an oath.

Becks. You have amazed me
for 11 1/2 years straight.

So if you need a break,
you raise your hand.

You don't have to be
the good dog that runs

until his heart explodes.

Look...

sorry I had to bust your balls.

Need a hug?

Not from you.

Well, check your inventory, pal.

I'm all you got left.

Hm.

Old trunk.

Well, my dear Watson...

What do you suppose
is in the old trunk?

The remains of someone murdered
in this house perhaps?

Bryan...

Who's in here?

Who's in my house?

I want your lab work Friday

or I don't want to see it, okay?

Oh yeah, and I need
the correlation between

night terrors
and serotonin level.

We already spoke about that.

I saw something this time.

A woman.

At the bottom of the stairs.
She was just sitting there.

There's no woman
in my house, doctor.

It's empty except for me.

So...

What did I see?

I... I have no idea.

Are... Are you telling me
that no one has ever reported

seeing something?

Yeah, not that held up.

Held up?

Um, I know this is,
uh, difficult, but, um,

is there any history of
mental illness in your family?

Are you serious?

You're serious.

You're tryin' to pin this on me?

I'm not trying to pin
anything on anyone.

But as rational people, we
need to look at every possibility.

I am not a possibility.

So your answer's no.
There's no history.

- That's right.
- All right, so just...

- There... There's no schizophrenia?
- No.

- Hallucinations?
- No.

Manic depression?

Any, uh, bipolar
disorders, Bryan?

One uncle... maybe.
So what?

Well, I'm just going off a list.

But if there's any
familial history at all,

and you had this episode, um...

I think you should see someone.

You think I should see someone.

I do. I do, and I...
I know a very good man...

How dare you...
try to pin this on me.

I happen to be, doctor, one of
the most boringly sane people

that you have ever fucking met!

Um...

Tell him it's Bryan Becket.

I just don't get the way we
dress kids for Halloween.

Murder victims, Lizzie Borden.

And then we stand back
and snap pictures of it all,

as though it's something
we should cherish

right up there with
their first communion.

What's troubling you, my friend?

Oh, just my usual.
Insomnia.

Ah! Well, we can fix that.

Hey, doc, when you have
persistent insomnia,

can it, uh,
lead to other symptoms?

Sure.
What kind of symptoms?

Hallucinations.

You've been having
hallucinations, Bryan?

Just one.
Maybe I was sleepwalking,

and I saw something sort of
ghostlike, I guess.

I... I flicked on the light
and it disappeared.

Yeah. Yeah,
sleep deprivations

can cause hallucinations,
definitely.

But if it occurs again,
you'll let me know.

- All right?
- All right.

Why aren't you sleeping?

Work.
It's brutal right now.

- Hm.
- Tons of big cases.

And on top of that, um...

Robin and I are separated.

Oh?

Yeah.
I think with Robin and me

it's a game of
marital chicken, you know?

Just give each other
a good scare and move on.

I think we'll be all right.

Yes, I... I think it'll work out.
You... You're a good couple.

But in the meantime,
I moved into my aunt's house,

and, uh, I gotta tell you,
I haven't been alone in...

I'm sorry.
You moved where?

Uh, to my aunt's house for now.

Oh... And is that where you
had this hallucination?

Yep.

Uh, and this, um,
ghostlike image,

was it male or female?

It was a woman.

Oh... Was there anything
about this woman that was...

interesting or odd?

Anything about her face
or her eyes?

I couldn't say.
I just saw it from the back.

It?

Her.

Her.

Excuse me,
I... I was just struck...

With the memory of
the first time

your father brought you here.

Hm. It was just after
your mother passed.

I was new to my profession,
unsure of myself...

And you... were this
precocious little guy

who looked at my
diploma wall and asked

why I hadn't been to
one of the top med schools.

Oh, Jesus. Did I?

Yeah. We did
good work though.

We were making progress,
and then...

Well, I always thought your
father pulled you out too soon.

My dad hated shrinks.

I think he feared that if you
poked around in my head,

you might discover some
deep family secret.

Hmm... Well,
whatever the reason,

I think you came out of it
too soon.

Hence my insomnia.

And your issues with death.

What I think you need...

Is to spend more time
on your couch.

Yeah, I know.
You suggest that every year.

Well, what do you think
of it this year?

I think you drive
a fancy enough car.

You don't need another patient.

Ooh...
You're getting better.

Thanks, doc.
Appreciate it.

It's funny, though.

You mentioned my mother.

It's sad. I...
I barely remember her.

Except for tidbits...

there's nothing.

She's in there, Bryan.
She's in there.

...Dr. Shepard.
Okay, I'll be right there.

Hi.
Hey, you.

I can't do this right now.
I have a meeting.

This is for him.

He thinks you left us
for another family.

Come on.

You a werewolf?

Whoa, a scary werewolf.

No. Not scary.

Oh, okay, not scary.

There's nobody here but me, pal.

Do you want to look
for yourself?

You want to explore?

Okay. Hurry up.
Dad's got a meeting.

What are you doing here?

We need some time apart, Robin.

I want us in therapy.

- Therapy.
- Yeah.

I have my doubts about therapy.

Oh, you have your doubts
about everything.

All you do all day
is have doubts about

what everyone else thinks.

Well, uh, what would you
rather, Robin,

I was one of those fanatics
who was certain?

You are every bit as certain
as any fanatic I've ever seen.

Okay, that's absurd.

That is an absurd thing to say.

I am not certain about anything,
and if you can't see that,

we're even farther apart
than I thought we were.

So what do you call it, then,

when you are so positive
the rest of us are wrong?

Flawed in our thinking.

I call that certain.
Arrogant.

And I don't think it's 'cause
you're smarter than anyone else.

I think it's 'cause you're lost.

Well, guess what, Robin?
I hardly care what you think.

'Cause I got trial in the
morning, I lost my expert,

I got a 200-page deposition
I gotta get through...

Is it your mother?

What?

I said is it your mother?

Baby, is that why you're
messed up?

'Cause of what happened to her?

'Cause of what you saw that day?

My mother died when I was five.

- I barely remember her.
- I don't believe it.

Oh, you think I'm lying?

I think that you've
buried stuff.

I think that you saw more

that day in Boston
than they told you.

All right, you know what
we're not gonna do?

We are not going to play
psychobabble with my head!

- Listen...
- My mother is not the problem with our marriage,

so for you to try to pin it
on a woman

who's been dead for 38 years...

Do you know you talk
about her in your sleep?

I what?

And I've never told you before

because I thought
it would make things worse.

When you talk about her,
you talk about her face.

All right, Goddamn it,
that's enough.

- Let this alone!
- No, this is the shit that is ruining our marriage!

No, you're doing it!
'Cause you won't stop.

You, you sit up in bed
like a child,

terrified,
staring across the room.

- Let it go.
- You know what you're looking at?

You're looking at her!
You see her!

- Stop this!
- Mama!

- Michael!
- Michael?

- Where is he?
- Michael!

Michael.

Baby?

Someone's in the closet.

What?

They said my name.

Oh, no, sweetheart.
There's nobody here but Daddy.

Maybe it's a ghost.

Oh, no, baby. Remember what
Daddy and I told you about ghosts?

Huh? So what did daddy and I
tell you about ghosts?

Daddy. What did we tell Michael
about ghosts?

Uh... They're not real.

They're not real.

Okay? It's just your
imagination again, sweetie pie.

Come here, pal.

They sure do seem real
sometimes though, don't they?

Sully.

Oh, come on.

Oh! Jesus Christ!

It's you.

So this is the big,
bad house, huh?

I might be too nervous
to come in.

Uh, nobody asked you in.

What, are you plannin' on
spending the night?

Uh-huh. I heard
you saw something here

and I'm intrigued.

Um, what I saw was not real.

Uh, excuse me.
Excuse me.

You can't just walk in here.

Hey! What do you think
you're doing?

This is my house.

There's something here.

Okay, what?
What do you think I saw?

A ghost.

I don't believe in ghosts.

Well, that's ironic since
you're the one that saw it.

What I saw was a hallucination

caused by sleep deprivation.

Yeah. My shrink would
say that too.

Look, it's not as out there
as it seems, you know?

The whole ghost thing.

In fact, 46% of the people in
this country believe in ghosts.

Forty-six percent of
the people in this country

can't find Europe on a map.

Oh, wow...
You know something?

You're very arrogant.

- I... Uh, I'm sorry.
- Don't be. I like that.

You still can't stay.

- You're a lawyer, right?
- Yes.

That means you
get off on logic. Proof.

I don't know if I get off
on them, but, uh...

Even Koven, the fool,
believes I'm psychic.

I don't believe in E.S.P.

No, no, no!
You're missing my point.

You saw something here.

So just suppose, for a moment,

you let me stay...
and I see something too.

And since you haven't described
what you saw except as a woman

at the bottom of some stairs,
then if I see her too,

and I could describe her,
well...

I mean, that would be proof
of something, wouldn't it?

Good proof.

You can have this bedroom
right over here. It's got its own bath.

I'll be up on the third floor
if you need s...

Uh... Uh, oh, no.

No, no. I'm sorry,
this was my aunt's room.

The one that died.

Oh! So it's vacant.

Yeah... What do I know?
Whatever.

Hey, let me ask you something.

How does a girl your age
get a brand-new Porsche?

- I come from money.
- And your folks?

My mother ran away
when I was six,

and my father
passed away this summer.

Hm. I'm sorry then
about your father.

No, don't be.

What, you two weren't close?

Not in a good way.

- Do you have siblings?
- Yeah, I have a brother.

Uh, he's in
a mental institution.

He's been there since he was 13.

And you probably figured
I was the black sheep.

I don't mean to be rude or
anything, but I'm gonna...

- Go. Do what you do.
- Thanks.

Hmm...

Jesus Christ!

Someone died in here.

A man. Oh...

His head...

Severe pain.

My aunt's husband,
my Uncle Chet...

died in this house 25 years ago
of a cerebral hemorrhage.

I don't know where
in the house exactly.

It was here.

How do you know that?

There are a lotta people
who could have told you that.

Nobody told me anything.

That's fine.
Thank you.

I'm glad you didn't...
sit in that chair.

It's funny.

The other night I walked past
that mirror down there

and I could've sworn I saw
someone in that chair.

You know, for someone who
scorns the paranormal,

you sure do report
a lot of incidents.

What the fuck was that?

The house is waking up.

I gotta get some things.

Oh, wow.

Leave it, leave it,
I'll... I'll get it.

Are you gonna help me?
I can use your help.

Uh...

You know what?
Why don't you think about it?

I'll be downstairs soon.

You know, I have a trial
in the morning.

This is not usually
the way I prepare.

Aah.

Cassie!
Cassie!

- Cassie!
- What?

- Did you hear that?
- All I heard was you yelling.

You didn't hear someone
falling down the stairs?

- Oh, God, no.
- You didn't hear that?

Oh, that's weird.

The house talks, but...

but only to you.

- Or I'm talking to myself.
- Don't do that.

You're not imagining
things, Bryan.

Why would you all of a sudden

imagine someone falling down
a flight of stairs?

My mother died falling down
a flight of stairs.

Wait.

What is it?

Something's moving in the house.

Do you feel it?

Me?

Upstairs to the right.

Huh.

Hm.

- Ooh...
- Cassie, are you all right?

- Oh, I'm fine.
- What the hell was that?

That was a warning.
Whatever is in this house

wants me to mind my business.

Well, are you gonna?

We're done with this.

Leave that light on.

This house needs
all the light that it can get.

Yeah. Good.

Don't know why you wanted 'em
off in the first place.

What?

What is it?

The stairs where you saw
the woman.

They're the ones back there,
aren't they?

Yeah.

Cassie, this is where
I step off, okay?

I... I just have too much work
to do, all right?

Cassie?

Are you all right with that?

Cassie?

Cassie?

Why are you lookin' at me
like that?

You don't know, do you?

What?

Who she was.
The woman you saw.

Bryan... It was your mother.

What?

Helen, I think, or...

Helena.

Helena.

Yeah.

Helena Margaret.

Something about her
frightens you.

Something about her face.

Your mother died
falling down stairs, you said.

Where?

At our house outside Boston.

Where in Boston?
Where in Boston exactly?

Near Braintree.
We moved just after.

That's interesting.

You should come with me.
Please.

I don't know why you've been
told what you have, Bryan,

but your mother fell here.

Down these stairs.

What?

No, that... that doesn't
make any sense.

- They told me that it...
- They told you what?

She fell in our...
in our house in Boston.

Why in God's name
would they keep

something like that from me?

Maybe it wasn't in
God's name they kept it.

There's a very bad secret
in this house, I know that much.

And if you want me
to help you find it, I will.

But it might get worse
before it get...

- I want to know.
- All right, then.

You gotta help me.

You gotta tell me what you
remember about your mother.

Not much. I've never had
much memory of her.

She used to fight with my
aunt a lot. That comes back.

- About what?
- I don't know.

Do you remember
the day she died?

Pieces.

Did you see her fall?

No. But I...

What?

Tell me.

I heard it.

I heard her fall.

It's a horrible sound, somebody
falling down a flight of stairs.

Do you remember what you were
doing when you heard it?

- I was playing.
- Where?

In my room over there.

Oh, my God.

That was my room.

Oh, God!

Oh, God! Oh!

I don't remember.

I just feel it.

It's all right, Bryan.
It's all right.

I just know
it happened in there.

And that it happened to me.

- Do you know?
- No, I don't.

- Do you know what it was?
- No.

They say that the, uh,
unknown is more frightening

than any reality.

Yes.

Therefore I should be
less scared once we open this

than I am now.

That's the theory.

Huh.

Huh.

Does anything here mean
anything to you?

No.

I assume it's...
stuff that belonged to my aunt

or my mother.

But none of it
means anything to me.

Maybe it's the wrong trunk.

Oh...
Bryan, look at h...

What is it?

Get it away.

- You mean...
- Get it away! Get it away!

- All right.
- Get it away!

- All right.
- Get it away!

Bryan, it's away.
What is it?

I don't know.

It moves, I think.

It floats...
through the house.

It does horrible things.

What? The doll?

It's not a doll.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to
laugh, it's just...

did you see the look on her face

when we found her hiding spot?

Oh, God...

The look on her face
was priceless.

It was absolutely priceless.

It's okay.

Good morning.

Eggs? Coffee?

Um...

Coffee'd be great.

How'd you sleep?

Oh, I slept like a baby.

A baby that's fearing
crib death, that is.

- I'm not crazy.
- I agree.

What happened last night,
I think, is that

I've been so sleep-deprived
from months of insomnia

that when I mixed in
the alcohol and the sedatives,

I made myself unstable.

You know, my doctor's
already confirmed that

insomnia alone can cause
transitory psychotic symptoms, so...

My God, you are one
die-hard rationalist.

Well, what the hell's
the alternative?

- Dolls come to life?
- No. They can be possessed.

Oh, stop it.

Bryan, you're not crazy.

You're not the type.

Something supernatural is
happening to you...

and your episode last night,
I think it was some kind of...

vision spell.

Don't scoff
at what you don't know,

and you don't know anything.

You witnessed something
in this house a long time ago,

and whatever is here,
maybe your mother,

is tryin' to tell you about it.

Give me one last chance
to dig it out, okay?

I can be back here tomorrow.

And if you need me,
you can just call me.

- Tomorrow?
- Yeah.

I... You expect me to spend
another night here alone?

- I'm shaking at breakfast.
- Bryan,

if whatever is in this
house wanted to hurt you,

it would have already.

- You're sure, huh?
- Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Mornin', Father.
Need a lift?

- No, no. I have a question.
- Okay.

Who's the woman at the house?

You've been spyin' on me?

Yes, I have.

She's a psychic.

She's been helping me...

Remember things about the place.

You want to remember that place?

Come on into the rectory.

What are you remembering?

We lived there for a time.

My mother died there.

Where did you find the psychic?

It's more like she found me.

She heard that
I saw something in the...

Hmm?

I hallucinated
something in the house.

I saw my mother.

Shepard assures me it's just
sleep deprivation.

You've been sleep-deprived
before. Ever see anything?

No.

Well, that's interesting.

Because I remember
the first time you saw her.

Pardon?

Eight days after she was buried.

Is that true?

That time frightened you
so badly

it led to a breakdown,
and to them having to

get you away from
the house permanently.

Your father sold it to your aunt
and uncle, and then, uh,

bought the one up in Fernbrook
for the two of you.

That's what happened.

Course, everyone dismissed
what you saw,

until something happened to
your uncle.

I don't know exactly
what happened,

but he became
thoroughly convinced that

there was a presence in
the house.

The shrine in the closet.

That was his.

Your aunt thought he was a fool.

She was a skeptic.
Like you.

But interestingly enough,

she couldn't bring herself to
tear it down,

even after he died.

And then,
in the last year of her life,

she began to believe it herself.

Said she felt it for
the first time,

felt that it was angry at her

for not leaving the house
to you.

- This has a history?
- This has a history.

What else do you know?

In the church, you warned me
about the house.

You spoke of this evil presence.

What did you mean?

Have you ever wondered
why you can't remember

your mother, Bryan?

Because she died
when I was five.

Five-year-olds have memories...

unless they don't
want to have memories.

Unless they're bad memories,

unless they're memories of
being locked in a closet

when they were
terrified of darkness.

Of being hit so hard
with a curtain rod that

the welts bled, of... of being
half starved to death

because they forgot
to say grace at the table.

You're wrong, Father.
My mother was a good person.

You've made her a good person
in your own mind, son.

She was a monstrous person.

I knew her.

And some monstrous part of her
is still in that house.

I would've told you earlier,

but everybody was so afraid
of telling you things

that you didn't remember.

Tell me something, Father.

These alleged abuses
you talk of,

did you witness them
firsthand? For yourself?

No. They were relayed to me
by your Aunt Marlene.

then it's hearsay.

Testimony of conduct
not directly observed.

It's hearsay.

No, you know what's rude?

A child having a liver
lacerated by a doctor

who's hopped up on pain pills.

- That what's rude!
- That's not fair.

Kid comes under your care.
You know this guy's history.

Have a conversation about
how he appeared that morning.

- No.
- Jennifer Burkhardt

had a conversation with...

I don't care who it was,

you were aware of it
and you let it...

Stop! No! No!

No! No!

You gonna object to any of this?

That's courthouse
gossip, it's not true.

His aunt died,
his favorite aunt.

Hey, partner.
How you doin', buddy?

Listen, um, I was wonderin' if
we can have a, uh, moment alone.

Hey. Riley said you're actin'
all funky in court.

What the hell is goin' on
with you, huh?

Huh?
And don't say "nothin'".

And don't say, "it's personal,
we don't go there,"

'cause today
we're gonna go there.

You want to go there today,
Sully? Want me to open up?

- Tell you everything?
- Yes, I do.

I've been havin'
a little trouble concentrating

since I started having these
unsolicited flashbacks

of being severely abused
as a child,

locked in a closet,

beaten with a curtain rod
till I bled.

- What?
- And all this on no sleep.

Shepard gave me
some pills for it,

but they've proved to be
totally worthless,

except when you mix 'em
with scotch,

they tend to, you know,
sorta enhance the scotch.

But, no, I can't concentrate
on getting dressed,

much less a court case,

and about the only thing
keepin' me goin' these days

is a morbid curiosity of
where exactly it'll be

that I totally fuckin' lose it.

So... how do you like
our new relationship so far?

The opening-up thing.

I like it better.

Well, bless your heart, partner.

I think it rots.

- Billy.
- Hey, Sully, what's happenin'?

- Where is he?
- He's in the back, man.

He looks like shit.

- Want a beer?
- Yes.

I have an idea.

Why don't we go back to
my office for a nightcap?

I have a better idea.

Why don't you sit down
and spill all the shit

you've been keeping from me
all these years,

and I won't sue you
for medical malpractice.

All right.

What have I been keeping?

That I lived there.

- And she abused me there.
- True.

And you let me go back...

- When I didn't know.
- You knew, Bryan.

Some part of you knew.
That's why you went back.

Tried to heal yourself.

And you're certain of

this problem that
needed healing, right?

How do you mean?

That I lost touch with
reality when she died.

That I was so young
and traumatized

that I couldn't grasp that
she was really dead.

So I blocked memories,
hallucinated her.

Yes. Something like that.

And what if I told you that
you are so blind with psychiatry

that you have totally missed
the boat on this one?

Which Is?

That I am truly being haunted.

You don't really believe that.

I am seeing things
in that house, doctor.

And hearing things.
All the time.

You think I'm that crazy
all by myself?

Yes, I think you're quite ill.

You are wrong.

There's something supernatural
going on in there,

and I have all kinds of
corroboration.

Well, let's have it, counselor.

Let's try this thing.

My Uncle Chester,
to start with...

Your Uncle Chester was a fool.

He was superstitious.
Gullible.

Did you know he reported so
many U.F.O. sightings in the '50s,

the police wouldn't
take his calls anymore.

No, I didn't.

But my aunt was no fool, and
in the last year of her life...

The last year of her life,

she was suffering from
progressive dementia

due to advanced
cerebral atherosclerosis.

I have people who will swear
that she was lucid.

She was lucid part of the time.

That's how it works.

Father Wymond at Saint...

You're gonna quote me a priest?

They think they're dealing with
the supernatural nine to five.

You want to stake
your sanity on that?

Do all kids who are
abused crack up so bad

that they see things?

Or am I just weak?

I don't think
you're weak, Bryan.

I think you're carrying more.

More.

What is the last memory
you have of your mother?

Not including her death?

- My last memory.
- Mm-hm.

Um...

She was cooking, I think,
in the kitchen.

What was she cooking for?

A picnic.
We were going on a picnic.

Yes. And what happened?

- With the picnic?
- Well, I don't remember.

We wound up not going
for one reason or another.

What was the reason?

Uh, I don't know.
Maybe it rained.

No, it didn't rain, Bryan.
It was a beautiful, sunny day.

Then why didn't we go?

Because that morning,

when you cleaned your room,
you left a sock on the floor.

So, instead of going on
a picnic,

you were locked in a closet for
the remainder of the day.

And half the next.

- A red sock.
- Yes.

I remember.

Hm.

God, how sad is that?

Sad? It's infuriating.
Don't you think?

To be locked in the closet
for a sock?

And you were angry, Bryan.
Very angry.

You wanted to lash back.

So you...

left some toys you were
playing with...

on the stairs...

near the top.

- What?
- Some toys.

A toy truck.

And an antique doll
of your mother's.

You were five years old.

She had abused you
for five years.

No one knew about it.
No one.

Mama!

- Press up against my hand.
- What'd I do?

- Press up.
- What'd I do?

- Easy.
- What did I do?

Any dizziness still?

No.

I had to make a judgment call
in there, Bryan.

- You were in a form of crisis.
- I'm glad you told me.

What are you gonna do right now?

I'm gonna go check into
the Gloucester.

Get my stuff
and get outta the house.

That's exactly
what you should do.

I'll call you later on.

We'll set something up
for tomorrow, all right?

That's what was wrong
with her face.

What's that?

That's what was wrong
with my mother's face.

She was looking at me.

This is Bryan Becket.

Please leave a message.

Cassie, it's Bryan, pick up.

What the hell are you
still doing in there?

Didn't you tell me
you had to leave?

Cassie, pick up.

Cassie.

Cassie.

Cassie?

Cassie!

Cassie?

Hello?

- Cassie?
- Bryan?

Cassie, where are you?

Why'd you leave your car here?

I didn't.

What are you talking about?

It's right out in the driveway.

Bryan?

Bryan?

Very good, Mother.

You got me back in.

Why?

Do you want to punish me...

again?

Is that it?

I'm not five anymore!

Come on!
Come on!

Come on!

Come on!

You know what you can do,
Mother?

You can go straight to hell.