Dead Awake Page #2

You know, where...

where was this concern before?

I was always concerned.

And patronizing, and judgmental.

You made her feel like sh*t.

You don't know anything about us.

I tried to help her for years.

When I finally stopped enabling

her, she pushed me away.

But I don't have to

justify myself to you.

You dated her for, what?

Two years?

You spent half that time partying.

You're the one who

brought her to rock bottom

and now you want a medal

for helping her get better?

Beth had problems long before me.

I know.

Look, I didn't come here to argue.

I was just hoping that she told

you something about what

was happening to her.

Whatever it was, she was

seeing this guy about it.

Hassan?

Yeah.

He told her a bunch of crazy

sh*t, and it spooked her,

and that's when she decided

to see Dr. Sykes.

His theories and practices

are not rooted in science.

Well, could they have

contributed to her death?

Let's just say...

If she was having problems, his solutions

would do more harm than good.

I'm very sorry.

This is my class.

I have to go.

Um, I'm sorry about your sister.

All right, everybody.

Sorry I'm late.

Kate.

What are you doing here?

I came to see Dr. Sykes.

About Beth's sleep paralysis?

You knew?

Yeah.

Dr. Sykes helped me.

I thought maybe she

could help Beth, too.

Why didn't you say

anything at the party?

You saw how everyone reacted.

I was embarrassed.

I feel horrible.

I... I should have said something.

We've all got things we regret.

Hello?

Hassan?

Speaking.

This is Kate Beauman.

We need to talk.

Nice day.

I want to know what you

were doing with my sister.

I was helping.

I spoke to Dr. Sykes.

I know you had your license revoked.

Ah, yes.

Dr. Sykes.

She was a colleague.

But as eccentric and freethinking

as she seems to be,

she has trouble seeing

the forest for the trees.

Look.

This is a case study conducted

by the Hmong Cultural Center.

Investigates the deaths of hundreds

of people who died in their

sleep over the last 30 years.

All of these people were

in excellent health.

The doctors couldn't find any

medical reason for their deaths.

These people were literally

frightened to death in their sleep.

Oh, but they also found something else.

All of these victims reported

seeing someone on top of them,

strangling them.

They called it "the sitting ghost."

A ghost.

You have to understand.

This isn't a recent phenomenon.

Henry Fuseli painted this in 1781.

See the demon sitting on her chest?

Did Dr. Sykes ever tell you

that sleep paralysis is also

known as the old hag syndrome?

Oh, but... you've seen it, haven't you?

If you have, you are

in great danger, Kate.

You have to let me help you.

You have to let me help you.

Kate.

Oh!

Hey.

Linda, it's Kate.

What's up?

I need to ask you something.

When you woke up paralyzed

that night, did you see something?

Um...

Was there something

in the room with you?

Dr. Sykes said that...

I don't care what she said.

I'm asking you.

Look, I have to go.

Linda...

If you're back for round two,

I'm not in the mood.

What's wrong?

I was awake, but I couldn't move.

And something was in

the bathroom with me.

This wasn't the first time, either.

The night Beth died,

I woke up paralyzed.

And somehow I was seeing

through her eyes.

I heard these noises, and something

was on me, choking me.

I know how this sounds.

When my, uh, mother died,

I was in a dark place.

You know, sometimes when I felt

scared, or lonely, or whatever,

I would just...

I would hear her voice,

just saying my name.

It was comforting.

As far as how it sounds,

you sound like Beth.

She tried so hard to convince herself

that what she was

experiencing was in her head,

but ultimately Hassan

convinced her that it was real,

and it terrified her.

I mean, he seems legit, though.

I mean, I looked him up, you know.

He's been with the, uh, American Sleep

Disorder Association since '89.

Says he got interested

in sleep disorders

when he was seven, after his father

died when he was sleepwalking.

Fell down a flight of

stairs, broke his neck.

Hassan saw the whole thing.

Jesus.

That's horrible.

Yeah.

There's, um, over a million sites.

Uh, that's one scary-looking b*tch.

Do you mind?

Yeah, yeah.

Hassan said it's this force

that paralyzes its victims

and crushes the life out of them.

Goes by different names

in different cultures.

Asians believe it's

evil ancestral ghosts.

Arabs call it the djinn.

In Old English, she was known as

the mare, which is where we get...

Nightmares.

This all just seems

like superstition, right?

Yeah. But then how do you explain

what happened to the night Beth died?

How do you explain

what happened tonight?

You OK?

Not really.

OK.

How are you getting through this?

Same way you do.

Throw myself at my work.

I lose myself when I paint.

It's beautiful.

The greatest beauty can

come from the deepest pain.

And yes, I know how cheesy that sounds.

Ah, let me make you some hot tea.

Actually, I'm not a big tea drinker.

No, no, no.

Chamomile's Beth's, uh, cure-all

when she couldn't sleep.

I'm not Beth, Evan.

Sorry.

Don't worry.

Um, you can, ah, crash here if you want.

I'll stay up, keep an eye on you.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Thanks.

I saw something else on the computer.

Let me see if I can find it.

It was, um, Sheryl Crow talking

about, uh, sleep paralysis in,

in "Rolling Stone."

Uh, she says it's a bizarre

and twisted feeling where

you feel completely paralyzed.

You are sure you're going to die.

Weird, huh?

Evan.

Evan.

I'm right here.

Evan.

I'm right here.

Evan.

Ah!

Wow.

I slept like a rock.

Did you get some rest?

I'm going to call Hassan.

Find out what else he knows

about the hag.

All right, um, I'll call you later.

Where have you been?

We've been worried sick.

Out.

I had trouble sleeping.

Why on Earth are you reading this stuff?

It's research on sleep disorders.

Did Beth ever talk to you about

anything weird happening to her

at night?

She mentioned bad dreams.

Why?

She said she saw something

in the room with her.

The same thing they talk

about in that report.

These are just crazy theories.

This is fringe science.

That's what I thought too.

But you should read it.

And that's just one study.

There's a lot of research out there.

Honey, your mother and

I are concerned about you.

And we don't think you should

be staying in Beth's room.

It's not healthy.

Hello?

What's wrong?

OK.

I'll be right there.

I have a meeting this

evening, So don't wait up.

A meeting with your secretary?

No.

With the board.

Didn't you just meet with them?

Look, can we not do this?

You didn't tell me about any meeting.

I'm telling you now.

Goodbye, Kate.

Bye.

Everything OK?

Yeah.

He just expects me to forgive

and forget, but I can't.

That's how this whole mess started,

after his... thing with

that whore from work.

I went to Dr. Sykes, and it stopped.

But last night it started again.

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