The Dark Past Page #4

Yeah.

Sometimes he's like that -

Like a kid that's scared of the dark.

How long have you known Walker?

A long time.

Why?

Just curious.

Must be terribly lonesome

for you,

Waiting for a man

who's in prison...

running around,

hiding from the police.

Yeah.

I remember one time when it

got real bad with the cops,

I said to him,

"al, let's get out of this.

Let's go someplace and start over."

I thought maybe we could live

like... anybody else.

I couldn't make him do it.

I thought I'd leave him -

I started to.

It's no use.

I couldn't.

Has he ever told you

what this dream is?

Sure.

He tells me everything.

I'd like to hear it.

What for?

Maybe I can help him.

If I knew

what he was dreaming about,

I might be able

to stop his nightmare.

On the level?

You could?

Go on. Tell me.

It keeps coming to him, regular.

Sometimes, the way it scares him,

He doesn't even want to sleep.

He says it always starts with

him walking along.

All of a sudden it starts

to rain sheets of rain.

He tries to run away from it

And then right ahead of him

it starts to rain, too.

No matter where he turns,

the rain keeps coming at him.

He can't get away from it.

Then, without knowing

how he got there,

He's under an umbrella.

He hides under it

because he's afraid

Of those drops touching him.

But there's a hole

in the umbrella

And some of the drops keep -

They keep coming through.

Al tries to get out of the way.

He knows they'll get him soon

If he doesn't do something

to stop up that hole.

He's scared, but he raises his arm.

He's going to try and stop

those drops with his hands.

Something's going to happen,

he knows that.

But he can't keep his hand there

'cause it hurts him.

His pain in his hand

Makes him want to get out

from under the umbrella

And run blind,

like some animal.

Only he can't,

'Cause when he starts to get out

he finds bars -

All around the umbrella,

iron bars,

Just like in prison.

He can't get out.

He's trapped.

Sounds kind of silly,

doesn't it?

No, it isn't silly.

His dream has a very

definite meaning.

It's tied up with something

in his early life.

Al. Hey, Al.

Shh, quiet.

He's asleep.

What's wrong?

Car coming down the road.

Al, wake up.

There's a car coming.

Al, they're stopping

in front of the house.

Betty, get upstairs

and take care of the kid.

Mike, stay up there

and keep 'em quiet.

Pete, cover the kitchen

from that door.

Now, look, professor,

you're working late, see?

Now get rid of them,

whoever it is.

Good evening, sheriff.

What's the trouble?

Sorry to disturb you

at this late hour, dr. Collins.

Oh, that's all right. I happened

to be working late anyway.

We just received a report that

professor Linder is missing.

Professor Linder?

Why, he was here

earlier this evening.

He left some time ago.

You remember

about what time that was?

Around 9 o'clock or thereabouts.

We were thinking

it's just possible

The professor

ran into al Walker.

You heard about him

breaking out of prison?

Yes, of course.

It came over the radio.

Did anything unusual

happen around here tonight?

No. No, not at all.

Let's go, boys.

Thanks, dr. Collins.

Sorry to have troubled you.

Not at all.

Good night.

Looks like it's gonna rain.

So what?

So what if it does rain?

Rain seems to bother you,

doesn't it, Walker?

I once had a patient

had a curious dread of the rain.

Used to dream about it.

Yeah, well,

he must have been a screwball!

He thought he was going mad.

I fixed him up alright.

What do you mean

you fixed him up?

I found out what he

was really dreaming about -

What the rain really meant

in his nightmare.

He was all right after that.

You know, Walker,

there's a meaning to nightmares.

They're symbols of something

in your subconscious mind -

The lower half of that sketch

I drew for you.

Is everything all right,

al?

Yeah.

What's he been gabbing about?

I don't know.

He's handing me some line

about nightmares.

He thinks

he's a gypsy fortuneteller.

We were talking about people

Who have the same,

terrifying dream over and over.

Unless they see a psychiatrist,

They sometimes end up

by going insane.

You mean

if they were to come to you,

You could fix them up?

In some cases, yes.

Suppose they weren't crazy,

though -

Just ordinary folks who

kept having the same nightmare

Over and over?

Like a cousin of mine.

He keeps dreaming the same thing

night after night.

Think you could help him?

If he

really wants to be helped.

What sort of nightmares

does your cousin have?

It's about a -

Keep quiet!

I was just going to tell him

about my cousin.

Nobody wants to hear

about your... cousin!

Go make some more coffee.

Sure, Al.

This wacky picture of yours

is good for something after all.

Makes a pretty good target.

Watch me peg

that stuff in the middle -

That censor band.

You could've killed me

with those darts.

Probably.

Why didn't you?

I don't kill sick people,

I cure them.

That cousin she was talking

about - That's me.

Really?

Yeah.

Hey, look,

you think you could fix it

So I wouldn't have

that dream anymore?

Probably...

but you'll have to be

completely truthful.

About what?

You'll have to answer

some questions

That might seem screwy to you;

but if you don't answer them,

There's nothing I can do

to help you.

All right,

I can take it if you can.

How do we start?

First, describe the nightmare.

Well, it's been goin'

on ever since I was a kid.

It's the same thing

night after... night.

It doesn't make any difference

how many times I have it,

It's just as bad every time.

It starts with -

Go down in the cellar

And check those kitchen

mechanics, will you?

Okay, Al.

Nora, how is it now?

It's gettin' looser.

For goodness sakes,

stop sniveling!

I can't help it!

I'm too frightened!

Afraid of them?

If my hands were free,

I'd teach them a lesson

They wouldn't forget

for the rest of their lives.

Everything under control,

girls?

How long do you think

you can keep us here?

What's the matter?

Don't you like it here?

You just wait, young lady.

You'll get what you deserve.

The government knows what to do

with people like you.

Now look, try and act like a

lady even if it hurts you.

I'm kind of sensitive.

And I don't like your attitude.

One more word out of you

and I'll -

You'll do what?

Stop your whining...

or I'll have to gag you,

and it doesn't taste very good.

He was no good.

He had nothing

to do with me, see?

He was your father.

He must have had

something to do with you.

Is he still alive?

No, he died

when I was a kid.

How old were you then?

I don't know.

I was a kid, I told you.

What did he do?

What was his work?

I told you he was no good - He

did nothing but hang around racetracks

And small-Time fights and...

beat the daylights out of me.

Did he mistreat your mother,

too?

No, not him.

They were like two

lovebirds together.

Is your mother still alive?

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