Dwelling

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1

[water dripping]

Mama?

[man]

What did you see inside?

I don't know for certain...

But I'll never forget it.

[man]

So it wasn't your sister?

I don't know...

[girl]

It's all up to you now.

It's all up to you now.

It's all up to you now.

It's all up to you now.

It's all up to you now...

River?

It's all up to you now!

They only found one body, Ellie.

Your mother's.

The report states that your mother

was locked inside the bathroom.

And that your mother tried

to shield herself in

the bathtub from the fire.

A fire that they determined

was caused by arson.

At that age, Dr. Thorn,

your world could be

shattered so easily.

You hear everything.

What society tells you,

what authorities tell you...

What you tell yourself.

It takes years to learn

how to listen.

Even then, you don't hear

from the ones you need.

Ellie, why didn't you tell the

authorities at the time what you saw?

They already knew that

River heard voices.

And for me to say that

I saw things?

With the way

they looked at her.

I didn't want them

to look at me the same way.

How often do you think

of your mother?

Each passing second.

It can't end for her

in this place.

Well, that's for

River to decide.

I don't believe she has

a choice anymore.

Her condition has

come and gone in the past.

She's lived outside

this place.

She can do it again.

But ever since she's had Izzy,

it's been different.

She's safe here.

Not forever,

but for now, Ellie.

You take care of the child,

I'll take care of River.

Faith, Ellie.

So...

You found a place?

Yeah.

We have an

appointment today.

Gavin and Izzy

are waiting.

So what's so special

about this place?

It's Amara.

And you're gonna bring

my daughter there?!

She's found a control, River.

To Izzy they're just friends.

They all want to be friends!

Why are you still

doing this?

I need to find out

what happened to mom.

This house can let me

speak to her one last time.

When can I see her?

Soon...

[voices whispering]

[grows louder]

[girl] And one of you

has picked it up

And put it

in your pocket.

Not you. Not you.

Not you.

Not you. Not you.

- But you!

- [laughing]

- Sorry I'm late.

- All is forgiven.

- Nice to meet you, Gavin.

- Nice to meet you.

And you must be Isabelle?

Izzy. It fits me better.

[laughing]

Nice to meet you, Izzy.

She's quite the little pistol,

isn't she, Ellie?

- Well, she's my sister's kid, that's for sure.

- [laughing]

Any first impressions

of the place?

The grounds are beautiful.

How about you, Izzy?

I like the tree.

Good! Starting positive

is always good.

I checked with every contact I

know, and no one will touch it.

In fact, the last owners

only lived here four days.

Mainly kept it

for the horses.

- Uncle Gavin?

- What is it, peanut?

What about my friends?

They can wait out here.

It's their turn to play, anyway.

But they might get lonely. And

I won't be able to watch them

to make sure they're safe.

[sigh] All right...

Ellie.

Mind if we stay out and play?

I don't think Izzy's up to it.

You'll be fine.

Go buy the house.

All right. Go play.

In the years before

its slumber,

Amara was home to

a dozen families.

With the lot of them moving in

and out in the latter end.

Over that time,

the furnishings were gathered

by what was left by them.

Which is why many of the styles

don't match.

So, you said Izzy is your

niece?

- That's correct.

- Hm.

I don't mean to pry, but what

happened to her parents?

My sister's institutionalized.

Lord knows where the father is.

Well, what do you think?

I thought I saw two more

windows above the garage?

The attic.

Which should be...

That's odd.

Well, try this one.

Would you mind?

[struggling]

Why would anyone want to

keep us from getting in?

Better question...

Who would want

to keep us out?

May I ask something?

Against my instructions?

Sure...

Why buy this house?

Because this house

has a gap in the vale.

I don't follow...

You're not from around here,

are you, Marcy?

Well, no.

You're standing in

a local legend.

She's a haunted house.

What if Amara isn't...?

Don't worry...

I have it on good authority.

- Who?

- My niece.

Since we arrived, she hasn't

laid an eye on her.

[Izzy]

Can I help?!

Sure, peanut.

You can take the small ones and bring

them to the porch for Aunt Ellie.

Just be careful, oka?

Careful, you don't want

to break anything.

[box slamming]

[glass crashing]

Spend all your inheritance on a new

home and you're already breaking sh*t?

I didn't break them.

She all right out there?

Take a breather.

The hard part is over.

We got the house.

I have something

to show you.

It's an armoire.

They must have moved it

in here.

Who's they?

Dunno...

the previous owners?

I thought you said nobody's

lived here since the sixties?

Yeah, that's what I thought...

What's that?

It's a mirror.

It's beautiful.

Who would paint over this?

They?

Do you have your box cutter?

[Gavin] One more step...

Now turn left...

Keep going...

Almost there. Another turn

One more turn.

All right, you can open them.

It's mine?

All yours.

Your aunt gained quite a bit

of bad luck today.

What'd she do?

She has seven years bad luck

for breaking a mirror.

And there's only one way

you can turn your luck around...

I didn't break it.

How's that?

By disposing of it properly.

Here I thought I was stuck with

all that bad luck...

You have to bury all of the

shards of the mirror glass

along with all of the dust

remnants deep into the ground

- at the base of a tree.

- Like my tree?

Oh, that's your tree now?

Yeah, the willow will do.

Can we, Aunt Ellie?

I think it'd be best if

we let Uncle Gavin do it.

Now you're breaking

the rules.

[Gavin] All right, now who...?

Tina, she likes the moon.

All right...

[melody plays]

And the rest?

Kathy can stay with me tonight.

And what about...?

Grendon. He can go

under my bed.

Why Grendon?

He followed mommy home

to protect me.

Protect you from who?

The bogeyman?

Maybe?

Have you ever met

the bogeyman before?

Then how do you know

he's so bad?

Maybe he's just made of boogers

and just wants a hanky?

And if you don't...

he'll tickle you!

[laughter]

Anything in this big new place

bothering you, peanut?

No.

You never had me place him

under your bed before?

Why tonight?

I don't know...

I had an inkling.

I miss my tree.

I promise you

we'll play there tomorrow.

We can even bury

that bad luck.

I thought you said

that's cheating?

Yeah, you're right, I did.

Except when it's okay.

But now it's bedtime. C'mon.

Grendon, remember?

Of course, peanut.

Good nigh.

She's all tucked in.

She had me put Grendon

under her bed.

Did she ever do that

with you?

No. But you know how she gives

them all a mind of their own.

I don't think I've ever seen

this one before.

I look at it every morning.

How do I not know about this?

Because to you it's

just a photograph.

I always adored

my mother's rosary.

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