Rose Red Page #10

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I shouldn't be doing this.|I shouldn't be doing this.

Screw it, I'm not doing this.

If there's someone there,|stop fooling around!

Who's there?

If you need help, I'll help you!|But if you only want to play games... .

- You stay away from me!|- Professor! Wait!

- Professor, wait!|- Stay away!

Professor?

Look at me. Please, look at me.

You're no good to anyone, bub.

I've got an idea.|Why don't you go hang yourself?

You could do it in the parlor.

Just like Posey,|a ring around the rosy...

...and not by the hair|of your chinny chin chin.

Help me!

Stay away!

- Is she awake?|- No, but her breathing's regular.

- Get Joyce.|- Can't I stay?

Get Joyce! She's a lot closer|to a doctor than either of us. Go!

- I saw Vic.|- You can't have, Vic is...

I know. Vic was just another Rose Red|mind-movie like Pam and Deanna.

- I also saw Miller, and he was real.|- Professor Miller?

None other. But the dean|wouldn't recognize him.

He's out there running around|like a madman!

- You're lying.|- No, he's not.

No, I'm not. My mother's|somewhere behind the house.

But I can't get there, not now.

- All right, calm down.|- Don't tell me that!

You don't know what I've seen,|so don't!

- I'll call 911.|- I doubt it.

We all need to take a step back.|Take a deep breath.

Annie's had an accident.

- She's unconscious. Would you come?|- Where is she?

- It's working. Who shall I call?|- The cops.

- An ambulance.|- No one! Not yet.

To hell with you, Joyce.|I'm getting out of here!

Honey, are you okay?|Can you hear me?

Emery.

You're not there, you're dead.|Both of you are dead.

- No, we're not.|- We're not dead.

That's the beauty of it.

Life could be different for you here.|It could be better.

It would be nice, really nice.

I'll pass.|Rose Red is like the Roach Motel.

They check in, but they don't|check out. Not there!

I'm hard up, girls,|but not quite that hard up.

Annie, what is it?

We seldom have company|at Rose Red these days.

I insist you stay a little longer.

Look what it did to me.|We have to get out of here.

I'm afraid it's too late for that.

- Here, Annie.|- Annie, no.

Annie, be still and let her help you.|It's okay.

Sorry. There you go.

You okay, honey?|Think you can stand up? Let's try it.

There we go. Great.

Yeah, it's okay.

Annie, look.

I know the song,|and I know the feeling.

To be safe. To be free to dream...

...and to have all the time|in the world to enjoy it.

Later on, I'll let you play with it|all you want. I promise.

Look at me, look at me.

If you ever want to play with that|dollhouse, look at me right now.

Are you holding the doors|and the windows closed?

Don't give me that blank stare,|you understand me perfectly well.

We understand each other.

Are you?

It's what the house wants you to do...

...and you just go right on doing it.

Soon, I'll take that dollhouse down...

...and you can play with it|all you want.

In fact, we'll play|with it together...

...and we'll take all the time|we want.

Get off him! Get off him!

Get off him!

Hey, off him!

- It won't work.|- So, Sherlock, got any ideas?

No, you?

No! This place has always wanted me.|I should've stayed away.

- Why didn't you?|- Dee.

I have to look after her so she|doesn't end up into the big nowhere.

Here they come again.

Get off of him!

Get off him!

Get off of him!

I think the power went out|15 minutes ago.

I doubt it'll be on again tonight.

Don't you want to know about Bollinger|or Mrs. Waterman or Miller?

Aren't you curious at all?

What about them? Any sign?

No, none.

I think I knew that, actually.

So, what is there|to be curious about?

We're all in the billiard room.|We need to talk.

Pam is also missing, and if Emery says|she's dead, we have to believe him.

About Vic, of course,|there's no question.

Joyce, do you understand|what I'm telling you?

Of course.

But since there isn't anything|I can do about any of these people...

...I'll continue with my observations.

I am a scientist, you know.|Or did you forget that?

No. No, I didn't forget that.

Miller did.

Running around like a madman.

I'd have liked to see that.

Thank God for battery packs.

Annie?

Don't bother.|She can't understand you.

Can't even hear you, not in the sense|that we understand hearing.

There you are.|Would you like to come with me?

We could visit with Rachel|and the others.

Do you hear me? |You do, don't you?

Annie, come, please.

You sure you won't come with us?

All right.

Let's go.

This is the last one.|It may be a little old, but sorry.

Beggars can't be choosers. Thanks.

Do you have any nail polish|in there?

Nail polish?|No, I don't use it. Why?

I could make her breathe it.|Or what about drain cleaner?

Just a whiff and bingo,|out like a light.

- What are you talking about?|- Survival, darling. Did I stutter?

You're insane.|Those things could kill her.

Oh, yeah? Gee!|Having a good time, professor?

Enjoying the idea of visiting|your ex-boss in the local nut barn?

It'll try to take us tonight.|One by one or all together.

Every time you talk, you say something|unpleasant, so just be quiet.

And not just unpleasant, it's wicked.

I know you have had an accident and...

An accident?|That's right, I had an accident.

Unpleasant Emery knows something|about our reporter.

- Bollinger, what?|- I don't think so.

You wouldn't want to hear it from me.

Every time I talk, something|wickedy, wickedy comes out.

Tell them, Nick. I'm tired of|being wicked. You do the dirty work.

Do you know something,|or is he just talking?

- The mirror library, right?|- Yeah.

What about the mirror library?

Kevin Bollinger is dead.

He brought Emery's mother here, then|hung himself in the mirror library.

Not so much a suicide as being|Rose Red's latest victim.

What about Mrs. Waterman?

I can't see her or Professor Miller.|What about you?

I don't know. Which means|they're probably still around.

They're somewhere in this place.

Let's talk now. I've gotta|check on the equipment.

Did you intentionally decide|to sacrifice us...

...or just ignore the probability|of our demise?

- I don't know what you mean.|- Yes, you do. Or part of you does.

Supposing you never get your proof.|Thought about that?

Supposing the proof isn't here,|what then?

Say Rose Red is just|a paranormal Energizer Bunny...

...and it just keeps growing|and growing and growing...

Stop it! You're crazy.

Can't you see that he's crazy?

I'm not crazy, I'm a mind reader.|You know it and that's why I'm here.

Now sit down!

Rose Red won't let you have|what you want. Nor anyone else.

Ellen Rimbauer made it|to break hearts as hers was broken.

To hurt as she was hurt.

We must leave before it can...

What? Kill us?|A real death would be merciful.

Because I doubt if|even Vic is really dead...

...and that's the worst of it.|The very worst.

How do we get out?|There are no secret tunnels.

Oh, wake up. She's the one|who's keeping us locked in.

Yeah, her!|Little Miss Mental Illness of 2-0-0-1.

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