The House That Dripped Blood Page #4

No, I was glad when she died.

Glad?

Yes, glad!

Because by then, I'd found

out what she really was.

There are all kinds of trees here, Jane.

I want you to tell me their names.

What's that one?

Silver birch.

Good, yes.

And that one there, what's that?

Oh, um.

A green, a green oak.

Quite right.

And what about that one?

Walnut.

Very good.

You do know your trees.

That's very good indeed.

Now, what about this one

here, this dark green one?

What's this?

That's a yew tree.

Quite right.

You know something, Mrs. Norton?

In olden times, yew trees

used to be evil magic trees.

How did you know that, Jane?

I read it in a book.

Jane.

Jane?

Lunch is ready.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Quite a storm, isn't there?

Yes, there is.

Jane in bed?

All safe and sound.

She was asleep when I looked in.

Good.

You wanted to talk to me about something?

Yes, I do.

Sit down please.

Thank you.

Mr. Reid, you bring your daughter

to an isolated old house in the country,

you shut her off from

all outside contacts,

you even hired me as a private tutor

so that she doesn't have

to be with other children.

Jane is frightened.

Not half as frightened as her father.

That's absurd, Mrs. Norton.

Is it?

Then why did you throw

that doll on the fire?

There must be a power failure.

I'll get some candles.

That's funny, they're not in the dresser.

Are you sure that's where you put them?

Quite positive.

What is it?

What is wrong?

There are only four candles here.

There are only four candles here.

Where are the others?

What did you do with them?

Where are they?

Mr. Reid?

Yes?

There's a telephone call for you.

Alright, I'll come down.

Hello?

Yes.

Good.

So they're all ready to sign?

Yes.

Alright then.

This afternoon.

What time?

Three?

Yes, that'll be alright.

Yes, I'll drive in.

Fine.

I may be a bit late.

Traffic's probably going

to be rather heavy.

But I'll get there,

well, I'll get there as close

to three as I can, alright.

Goodbye.

Will you sign there on the

bottom of all four copies?

What's the matter?

John, what is it?

My arm!

Jane?

Come on, dear.

It's a lovely day, let's go for a walk.

Alright.

It's gone now.

Are you sure?

Can I get you a drink?

No, no.

I'm perfectly alright, thank you.

I'm sorry.

Mr. Reid?

What is it?

Chest pains, chest.

I'll get a doctor.

No, no, no, no, don't!

No.

Hello, Dr. Brady?

Yes, look, can you come around at once?

This is Mrs. Norton, Yew Tree House.

Yes, I'm afraid it is very urgent, yes.

Thank you so much.

We'll be expecting you.

Nothing wrong with your heart.

No fever, pulse and respiration, normal.

And you say the pain's gone?

Yes, quite gone.

Well, I suggest you stop

by my office tomorrow.

Well, we'll take a few

lab tests and X-rays.

Probably just an old

fashioned case of indigestion.

Well, I shall expect you in the morning.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, doctor.

Thank you, doctor.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Are you sure you're feeling better?

Yes I'll be alright now.

Then I'll say goodnight.

Ann.

Ann, I know you haven't understood

why I'm treating Jane the way I do.

I didn't ever want to tell you

but now I know I've got to.

It's because I'm afraid of her,

just as I was afraid of

her mother before her.

Afraid of a child?

She's not just a child.

She's evil.

Those candles I was looking for,

she made a wax image of me out of them.

You must find it.

You must search the house,

but you must find that doll!

You must find it before it's too late.

Jane!

Jane?

Jane?

Give me that doll.

Give it to me.

Give it to me.

Give me the doll, Jane.

I promise you nothing will happen.

We'll go on just as before.

Nothing will happen.

Give me the doll, Jane.

He said I didn't have a real doll.

This isn't real, it's only wax.

Come on darling, give

me the doll, please.

Please, give me the doll.

Jane.

Jane!

It wasn't the man or the child.

Or what either of them believed

that caused the tragedy.

It was the house.

I'm not interested in

superstitions but in facts.

About it's next occupant.

Paul Henderson, the

film star who disappeared.

Yes, that's the case I'm on.

Understand the house

and you might find out

what happened to him.

What do you mean?

He only wanted the

house for a short time.

I tried to discourage him from taking it.

Why?

I didn't think he'd be happy there.

Not with his personality.

Still, if he really wanted it.

I remember waiting for him to arrive.

Yes.

Yes, I like it.

You see, I told you.

This place is absolutely ideal for you.

Yes, well it's just for a few months

while we're shooting the picture.

Of course, the main advantage

is it's less than an hours

drive from the studio.

Hmm, does seem quite comfortable.

Before you decide...

I've already decided that to take it.

In that case, I feel that

it is only fair to warn you.

Warn me?

The former tenants.

There were tragedies.

Are you trying to tell me

that this house is haunted?

Not exactly.

What a pity.

I would have liked a ghost.

You see it isn't that I just

star in the horror pictures.

I'm an expert on the whole subject.

Ghosts, vampires,

werewolves witches, demons.

In fact, there's very little I don't know

on the subject of the

supernatural, mister, erm.

Stoker.

Stoker?

That's true.

this is the third film Mr. Henderson

and I will have made together.

And I know him pretty well by now.

At heart, he is pure gothic.

You know, Paul, sometimes, I think,

you'd feel more at home

in some medieval castle.

Yes.

Yes, that's right.

Castle.

You approve, Mr. Henderson?

Yes.

Oh, yes Mr. Petrich.

I approve of this.

But hardly of that.

Call sheet for tomorrow, Mr. Henderson.

Any similarity between this model

and that set is purely coincidental.

It's all we

could afford on the budget.

Paul, I'm so sorry.

Everything alright, I hope.

No, everything is not alright.

As long as you and your art director here

insist on my acting in this rabbit hutch.

What's wrong with it?

Tell me, Mr. Talmadge,

since leaving the depressing

confines of television,

how many films have you made?

Well, actually, this is my second.

But your first horror film.

Well, let me tell you Mr. Talmadge,

I have made hundreds of 'em.

Hundreds.

Oh, my god.

And if I go on working for this company,

I shall finish up looking like him.

Look at this scenery.

Look at it!

Look.

So flimsy, you could blow peas through it.

Please, Mr. Henderson,

it's been freshly painted.

That's what's wrong with

your present day horror films.

There's no realism.

Not like the old ones now, great ones.

Frankenstein, Phantom

of the Opera, Dracula.

The one with Bela Lugosi, of

course, not the new fella.

They didn't have freshly painted scenery.

Well, I'm sure you'll

like your vampire costume.

Rita, will you please bring over the cloak

for Mr. Henderson?

Who did this belong to?

The Flying Nun?

It looks perfectly alright to me.

My dear fellow, it's too new.

It's not sinister enough.

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