The Shuttered Room

.

.

God bless mommy.

God bless daddy.

And God bless

Aunt Agatha.

God bless

Aunt Agatha.

There's a good girl.

Into bed now.

There you are.

There you go.

Night-night, Susie.

Night, mommy.

She's going to be

a beauty, isn't she?

Of course, dear.

A beauty.

[door creaking]

[breathing]

[crying]

Daddy! Daddy!

Aah! Aah!

Oh!

You've left that door

unlocked again.

You've left that door

unlocked again!

No! No, John!

Please don't be violent.

No! No! No!

No. No. No.

Please. No.

[mother crying]

Easy.

Easy.

This way.

Easy. Come on. Come on.

[door locks]

Stop!

Please stop!

I'm sorry.

Cigarette?

I don't want

to go back there.

That's all

there is to it.

The nearer I--

The nearer I get,

the worse I feel

about it.

Isn't it stupid?

No, it's not stupid.

You must think you married

some sort of nut.

Hope not.

Why am I so scared

of going back there?

I was a little girl.

I don't remember

anything.

My mind's

a total blank.

Blanks are

rarely total,

And I don't think

your mind

Is as blank

as you'd like it to be.

That's your trouble.

Are you going

to insist

Upon being older

and wiser?

I don't need it!

What was that

about a cigarette?

It'd be the easiest thing

in the world

To turn the car around

and go back to New York.

Oh, Mike...

I don't deserve you.

I'm just an ignorant,

overemotional juvenile.

No, you're a highly

intelligent young woman.

At least that's

the impression I had.

If I find I'm wrong,

I'll throw you

in the nearest ditch

without a backward look.

I don't believe you.

You'd look back.

Maybe one quick glance.

To see if I hurt myself

when I hit the ditch,

right?

Yeah.

[music plays]

Anybody home?

[horn sticks]

[horn turns off]

Lookin' for somebody?

Yes. Are you the gentleman

who runs that ferry?

That's right.

Could you take us across?

Don't lead nowheres.

The other side's

the ocean.

No hotels

nor nothing.

How much for the trip?

$10.

Come on, Barry.

Looks like

we got business.

$10. He saw us coming...

For Miles.

Come on, fella.

What are you

waiting for?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Come on. Don't be

scared, mister.

You ain't going

to hurt her none.

Ha ha ha ha.

So long, fella.

Thank you.

Thank you.

[horn honks]

Hey! Hey, buddy!

[shouting]

Move!

Hey, move over,

will ya, man?

Move!

[honking]

Move!

Whee!

Oh! Oh! Oh!

What'd you let go for,

stupid?

[groaning]

Is he going

to be all right?

Yeah, sure.

He scratched himself

on a piece

of barbed wire.

That's careless.

Oh. I wonder if you

could tell me

Where I could find

Zebulon Whately.

Yeah, sure.

Um...

How many guesses

do I have?

He's in the forge.

Thank you.

If you can walk

that far.

Thank you.

[banging]

Mr. Whately?

Mr. Zebulon Whately?

Mornin'.

Can I be of help?

Mr. Whately?

Lots of people around here

named Whately.

I'm looking for

a Mr. Zebulon Whately.

I think that's the way

you say it. Zebulon.

That's correct.

Zebulon.

Where could I find--

I'm Zebulon Whately.

Oh.

Hey, this is crazy.

Woof!

You folks on one of these

"see the USA first" tours?

I mean, this ain't

exactly no beauty stop.

At least not until

you came along.

Well, I was born

on this island.

My name is

Susannahh Whately.

You're kidding?

I'm glad to know you.

You might say

we're related.

I'm married

to your niece.

My niece?

She's in the car.

Would you like

to say hello?

Susannah?

The one that was raised

in New York?

Why'd you bring her here?

Do I have to have

a reason?

If I were you, mister,

I'd turn

that pretty car around

And go right back

where you come from.

What's your name?

Susannah. What's yours?

Lisa!

Lisa,

come here!

I told you not

to speak to strangers.

You know,

that Mrs. Sutley,

She believes

in those stories

About New Yorkers

eating children.

Do you?

Yeah, sure.

It's possible.

Especially

on hot nights.

That mill wheel's

been rusted up solid

16, 17 years,

Ever since Susannahh's

pa and ma died.

Ain't no use

for nothin' these days.

We don't intend

milling corn.

Can't get in there.

It's locked.

The lawyer sent us

the keys.

Lawyer?

Yes, on my wife's

21st birthday.

21?

Is she?

You're sure you wouldn't

like to meet your niece?

Is she beautiful?

Very.

Tait, come here.

I wouldn't take her into

that old house, mister,

'less you want her

to end up like this.

Hey, fellas.

She says she's one of us.

Born here.

What do you think of that?

Ha ha ha.

How do you do,

ma'am?

She doesn't look

like nothing we've

ever seen here.

Does she?

We're happy

to welcome you back.

Ain't we?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I wandered to that place

a couple of years back.

Was liquored up, figured

to sleep in the mill

So my wife wouldn't

smell whiskey on me.

In the night, the hot breath

of hell blow in my face.

There was beelzebub

rushing down on me,

And from his mouth

A red-hot tongue of flame

that smote me in the eye.

I ran out so fast,

Even the devil

couldn't catch me,

And I'm advising you

right now,

Don't go near it.

There's no one

but demons lives there,

And they don't take

to strangers

No more than we do.

Miss Susannahh,

I want you to meet

big Rick.

Oh!

Oh. Oh, Rick's hurt.

You hurt, Rick?

Yeah, Rick's hurt.

Oh!

Get him, Rick!

Get him, Rick!

You go get him,

Rick!

[cheering and clapping]

Get him!

Come on!

You get him, there!

Ha ha ha ha!

[engine starts]

Where are

they going?

They're going to open up

the old mill,

Use it as a Summer home,

they reckon.

Aunt Agatha!

Aunt Agatha!

Aunt Agatha!

Aunt Agatha!

Yes, boy?

The Whately mill,

is it mine or not?

Will be one day.

When?

When I'm gone.

Who's

Susannahh Whately?

Come up here, boy.

What do you hear

about Susannahh Whately?

I just seen here

with her fancy husband

and fancy car.

Where are they headin'?

To my mill!

Zeb told them

how to get there.

She's come back.

Well...

All I can say

is it looks, um...

Ghastly?

Gruesome?

No, I was trying

to think of something

more like, um...

Delightful.

How about...

Frightful?

Come on.

Darling.

Darling.

Did you feel it?

Feel what?

When you opened

that door,

It was like I was standing

in front of a refrigerator.

I didn't want to walk in

in case I froze to death.

Aren't I stupid?

No, you're not stupid.

What am I afraid of?

Some bogeyman who once

played the starring role

In the nightmare

of a little girl.

Maybe she ate

too much apple pie

That particular night

for supper.

That's about it.

Mmm. Ha ha.

Some dream I once had,

that's all?

What do you think?

That I'm getting

dangerously close

To being discarded

in that ditch, right?

Look, you're doing fine.

You're doing fine,

But I'd like to catch up

with that bogeyman

And ask him

a few questions.

Wait a minute.

I'm only going

back there

On your

personal guarantee

That he isn't

around anymore.

This must be

the place.

Michael.

Where are you?

You know

what they say--

Cleanliness...

Is next to godliness.

[gasps]

What is it?

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