The Crooked Man Page #3

I'm sorry I told everyone

you were crazy,

and I'm sorry I didn't support

you all those years ago,

but I am not going to sit around

and wait to die!

This guy maybe will have

some answers for us.

Is that gonna help Jill

or Jill's mom or Mia?

All gassed up!

Violet's not coming.

What do you mean,

she's not coming?

We had a plan.

What if you're wrong?

What if you can't stop it?

You think running will help?

I do know staying here won't.

Come with me. You don't need

to be a part of this.

Yes, I do.

We've been hiding too long.

- It's your funeral.

- Violet...

Violet.

Be careful. Please?

You too.

- Alice!

- Olive.

What are you doing?

Alice!

Grab my hand!

Olivia, what are you doing here?

I need to talk to you.

You need to leave.

It's not safe.

Alice...

What happened?

Please go.

Not until I talk to you first.

It's important.

These drawings...

You can't just come in here

and go through my stuff.

- Alice!

- It's private!

Alice, you're not alone.

I've seen them too.

We're being warned.

Look, there's a site I found.

Dozens of cases just like ours.

- The crooked man?

- Yes.

Noah had a friend

at the police station

track down

whoever put the site up.

If they've been doing

all the research,

then maybe they know

how to stop it.

It's too late.

This is why I need you

to come with me.

- I can't.

- Alice...

Mother says never leave

the house without her.

People are dying!

She says I'm safe here.

Do you believe her?

Alice...

This could be our chance

to finally fix what we did.

We can make things right.

I get carsick.

We'll crack a window.

Come on.

Olivia?

You saw something, didn't you?

Olivia?

It's over here.

Hello?

Is anyone there?

Anybody?

What are you doing here?

- Olivia.

- How do you know my name?

You're very lucky.

Not many people

have come face to face

with the crooked man

and survived.

You know about that?

Of course.

That's why you're here,

isn't it?

To find someone who can

give you all the answers.

Let's start with what this

thing is and where it came from.

In the 1800s,

a writer researching

legends and folklore

discovered dozens

of different cultures

in dozens

of different languages,

all referring to the same thing.

He called it the crooked man.

Imagine a death sentence

that no mortal could escape,

that no human law could pardon,

an eternal, unstoppable force

bringing certain death

to anyone who dare summon it.

It probably started

as an tribal incantation.

A curse.

The words were translated and

passed down through the ages,

evolving with the times.

Over the years, it was

transcribed and studied.

Part of it was even turned

into a nursery rhyme.

Eventually

someone put it online.

And with that, the proverbial

Pandora's box was out there.

The crooked man

now belonged to the world.

You were the one

that put it up on Creepyhollow.

Funny thing about the Internet.

You can take content down,

but it never really goes away.

By the time I realized

what was happening,

that the crooked man was real,

it was too late.

I tried to get back online

to warn people.

Four people in our town

are dead!

And not a minute goes by where

I'm not tormented by what I did.

I'm up in that sanctuary

every day,

praying for the souls

of the people I killed.

Now, ever since I came back...

The crooked man returned.

Why?

When you left, somehow you...

You paused the curse.

But now that you're back,

now that all who were marked

have returned and reunited,

it's like you never left.

I tried to warn you.

I tried to get you to leave

before he returned.

What are you talking about?

The rock.

That was you.

But now it's too late.

What if she left again?

Too many people have died now.

He's coming for you.

There's no order,

no rhyme, no reason.

Where there's darkness,

he will be there.

But there has to be

a way to stop him, right?

You can't.

He cannot be stopped.

You cannot hide,

and you cannot run.

If you have been cursed by

the crooked man,

he will kill you eventually,

no matter what.

Keep it down!

Our father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done...

I thought you were sleeping.

There's something I have to do.

Wait. Hey, where...

Wait a minute.

No way.

Classical fairy tales?

- Ancient mythology?

- Noah.

Your dad said you'd be here.

- What's wrong?

- Can we go talk?

Yeah, of course.

Noah, what is it?

Noah, how do you have this?

Noah.

I have to tell you something...

About when we were kids.

What?

The night of the sleepover?

The night Jill died?

I was there.

My sister was supposed

to be there.

I was on my way home

from basketball practice,

and I thought I'd swing by

and give 'em a little scare.

But by the time I got there,

I realized she wasn't there.

It was too late.

And then when

the lights went off,

I got so scared that

I would be seen, so I left.

I'm screwed, aren't I?

Noah, I am so sorry.

I had no idea.

But it's gonna be

okay now, right?

Because you figured out

where the website came from,

so you're gonna make it stop.

Not quite.

That's encouraging.

But I'm working on it.

So I am screwed.

Hey.

We're gonna fix this, okay?

I promise.

Yeah.

Noah, what is it?

You really don't see that.

It's him, isn't it?

What is he doing?

He's trying to get us...

But he can't.

It's the light.

As long as we stay out of

the dark, we should be okay.

He's gone.

Come on.

I have an idea.

"Only with this crooked song

shall the crooked man yield."

At first, I thought it was

talking about the rhyme itself.

Yeah?

But what if

it literally means "song"?

What if this music box

is the key to the whole thing?

Milo said there was

a writer in the 1800s

who was doing research

on old legends

and found out about

the crooked man.

He found the music box,

and he accidentally

summoned the crooked man.

If this box is out there,

we might be able

to stop this thing.

All we have to do is find it.

What is it?

We have to turn around. Now.

Anything?

Voicemail.

- Hope we're not too late.

- Come on!

See you soon, Olivia.

She didn't do anything.

Oh, I forgot.

It's the boogeyman, right?

Son, a word.

Olivia and I have been

together the whole time.

Five people are dead, Noah.

She left three suicide notes.

You saw the body. You think

she did that to herself?

Not exactly.

Please tell me you're not

drinking the fruit punch.

- I know it sounds crazy.

- You are a police officer.

- I know what I saw!

- Here's what's gonna happen.

- You're not listening.

- Take her down to the station.

You're gonna arrest her?

I'll talk to her

as soon as I'm done here.

Do you want me to have

somebody else do this?

No.

How could she have

felt so helpless?

I'm sorry.

What are you doing?

I have no choice.

- Noah!

- Don't make a scene.

You can't do this!

Just get in the car, please.

This is 4-30.

Suspect in custody.

10-7 to station.

Copy that, Noah.

What are you doing?

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