Rose Red Page #5

---

Wanna turn off your light?

Well, you know, you're pretty|damn calm about it.

I heard from Sister.|She accepted the 12,000 I offered.

When I come back from Rose Red|with hard data...

...there'll be four dozen|schools willing to hire me.

First, I'll write a book.|It's gonna sell 80 gazillion copies.

You once said that|the only certainty...

...with the paranormal|is nothing's certain.

What if nothing happens|after three days?

But it will.|Annie Wheaton is my guarantee.

She's, oh... .

Let's just say she's one of a kind.

Rose Red isn't a true dead cell.|Annie will wake it up.

If you let it stand for six|months, the possibilities...

No. No. It's coming down in July|and I can't wait.

I cannot wait.

How can you hate it so much?

- It eats my relatives!|- Sorry.

Did you miss that in your research?

It's just that it means a lot to me.

Yeah, too much, maybe.

You're gonna need some downtime when|this is over. Some serious R and R.

- You have the cell phone.|- Right here.

- And you got plenty of film.|- Of course I have plenty of film.

I don't know if this is a good idea.

Don't tell me you're afraid.

No, of course I'm not afraid.|It's just big.

What if I get lost?

You're about to step out in the real|world for a couple of weeks.

That's where you'll get lost.

Nail this story, you can|write your own ticket.

I thought that's what you wanted.

Why don't you come with me?

I do have a few things to do like|run my department, oversee finals.

Call when you get pictures|and I or my wife will come.

She can't stand Reardon either.

If they catch me, they'll tear|me apart. You know that.

There's no reason why they should|if you're reasonably careful.

I guess.

Don't forget this.

Try and get a good picture|of them being psychic.

- Professor, I don't think...|- Stiff upper.

Professor Miller.

You're a step away from stardom,|dear boy! Just get the pictures!

Solarium, kitchen, tool shed...

...back door, front door.

Oh, I thought this house was empty.

You would be Mr. Bollinger,|I believe. The reporter.

I'm Bollinger, but how did you know?

Come in, sir. You're expected.

Ma'am? Where are you?

This way, sir.

Hello?

Hello?

Ma'am, I seem to have lost you.

Ma'am?

Is anybody here?

Ma'am?

Screw this.

Very funny, but I wanna leave,|all right?

Let me out!

I could use a little help in here!|I'm in the greenhouse!

Let me out!

Let me out of here! Let me out!

I'm out of here. Come on.

Get a grip, Bollinger.

Hello? Who is this?

Bollinger? Bollinger, is that you?

Hello?

They'll be here. Come on.

Wait! Don't make me chase you, Emmy.

- Mom, I'm okay.|- Oh, yes, you're always okay.

Listen to me. If there's anything|you can't handle...

...anything beyond telesmic|manifestations, call and I'll get you.

- I will. I have to go.|- Call anyway so I know you're fine.

- I will. I always do. They're waiting.|- Well, let them wait!

They won't do much without you.|Now turn around.

- Mom...|- Turn around!

And stay away from that blond girl.|She looks like a tramp.

Now give Mommy a kiss.

Oh, you're all over lipstick.|Fix yourself.

I see new frontiers...

...in abnormal psychology|before us. How exciting.

Especially if you move your bowels!

The day before camp must have|been busy at the Watermans'.

Shut up.

Off to the house|on Haunted Hill, I see?

And with about $ 100,000 worth|of department equipment, I'd guess.

I've got all the proper paperwork|signed in all the proper places.

Signed by Rogers.

When I was on vacation,|he acted for me. Clever of you.

- Do you have a point?|- I'm being pleasant.

- Lf you'll excuse us, we're in a hurry.|- Yes, of course.

Places to go. Ghosts to bust.|Isn't that right, Mr. Rimbauer?

More or less.

Yes. Well, do try and keep|the equipment in one piece.

Good luck.

"The Spirits have done it all|in one night."

Scrooge says it when|he wakes up changed.

That's what Miller made me think of.|Scrooge on Christmas.

I don't trust him.

Hello, are you the group?

The Rose Red group?|Yes. I'm Pam Asbury.

- This is Cathy Kramer.|- Hi.

- Victor Kandinsky.|- Vic. Just Vic.

Nick Hardaway.

And Emery Waterman.

And you must be... .

Oh, I'm Sissy Wheaton.|And this is Annie.

I was sure we were gonna miss you.|Traffic was horrible.

- We're glad you didn't.|- Sister, or do you prefer Rachel?

Oh, either is fine.

Oh, stop it, Annie. Just quit it.

Good God, she's retarded.

If you keep your evaluation|of Miss Wheaton to yourself...

...we won't ask questions...

...about your relationship with|your mother. Chin, chin.

Folks, I think we're ready.

You've reached Carl Miller.

Please leave a message|after the tone.

Bollinger, I told you to keep|the phone with you.

All right, they've left the campus.

They'll be there in 40 minutes|so be ready.

And call me back.

There she is.

It seems to be looking at us.

It is, Cathy. It is.

Steve.

Mommy? Where are you?

Mommy? I'm scared.

Where are you, Mommy?

Steve.

Steve, you okay?

Yeah, sure. Fine.

You wanna know a secret?

I've never done anything like this|before and I'm scared to death.

Be not afraid. Only believe.

We're lucky. The electronic|stuff was delivered earlier.

- What are these?|- House plans, probably as useful...

...as a 14th-century map of Africa.|And here, a coil of rope.

How you doing, sweetie?|You okay?

Mommy, I'm scared.

Come, Stevie.

What is it? What can you hear?

- Steve?|- It knows we're here.

It wants us here.

God help us, it wants us here.

Come in.

Houses are alive.

This is something we know.

News from our nerve endings.

If we're quiet...

... if we listen...

... we can hear houses breathe.

Sometimes in the depth of night, |we hear them groan.

It's as if they're having bad dreams.

A good house cradles and comforts.

A bad one fills us with|instinctive unease.

Bad houses hate our warmth, |our humanness.

That blind hate of our humanity|is what we mean by the word "haunted".

Steve? Are you all right?

Yeah.

It stopped.

I heard it too. But it stopped.

What did you hear?

There were words. It wasn't clear.|Did any of you... .

I might have heard something.|It may have been my imagination.

- What was it?|- I don't know. I'm not psychic.

You tested me yourself,|so there's no real...

What? What are you looking at?

Nothing.

Pam.

Can you come here?

Well, we might as well get started.

Will you...?

All right.

Emers, old boy, give us a hand.|It seems to be the butler's day off.

- Don't call me that.|- Come on.

For $5000 you can carry|a couple boxes.

I am not being paid for my services|as a porter.

Pam, you all right?

Hey, I thought this house was empty.

You would be Mr. Bollinger, I believe. |The reporter.

I'm Bollinger, but how did you know?

Come in, sir. You were expected.

This way.

Come in, sir. You were expected.

This way.

How old were you when you got|lost in there? Eight? Nine?

- What?|- The room with colored light.

The smell of sawdust.

What happened? What did you see?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes