344 - October 19, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - The nighttime mists that shrouded Collinwood

have lifted in the morning sun,

but no light of sun or stars can disburse the sadness

that pervades the land around.

A man beloved by all the town has been buried,

but the grief over his death did not follow him into the grave,

and on this day of death,

a mysterious melancholy seems to have been born

in the heart of a young boy.

[recorder playing] ♪♪

- Are you all right now?

- Yes, I'm all right.

- I'm sorry I had to tell you, but I thought I ought to.

- I understand.

- I have to go now.

- You mean you can't stay?

- No, I don't think so.

- But where are you going?

- I don't know.

- Will you come back?

- Yes.

- Oh, Sarah, please stay.

- Why?

- Well, I like to hear you play.

- All right.

- What's the matter?

- I think I know how he died.

- Who, Doctor Woodard?

- Yes.

- How?

- I'm not sure, but it was terrible, terrible.

- What happened?

- I don't know exactly,

but it shouldn't have happened the way it did.

- Did someone k*ll him?

- I don't want to tell you.

- Please tell me.

- I can't! I can't!

- Sarah!

Don't go.

Oh, please, don't go.

Sarah!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Good morning, David.

- Good morning.

- Did you sleep well last night?

- I guess so.

- Mrs. Johnson told me you didn't touch your breakfast.

- Didn't I? I'm sorry.

- Well, maybe you were still to sleepy to be hungry.

Would you like something now?

- No, thank you.

- I'm sorry I - I didn't come in to see you earlier.

- That's okay.

- But I had to go into Collinsport.

- I understand.

- We all went in it.

It wasn't a very happy trip.

- I know.

- David, aren't you even going to look at me?

- I'm sorry.

- Are you sure you're feeling all right?

- Yes, I'm fine.

- I - I have something to tell you.

- I know.

- What do you mean, "you know"?

- I think I know what you're going to tell me.

- Oh, I - I don't think you do.

It's something very sad

and I - I don't want you to be too upset by it.

- I won't be.

- It happened a few days ago.

Perhaps, I should have told you at the time, but --

you weren't feeling very well.

- He's dead, isn't he?

- Who?

- Doctor Woodard.

- Yes, but... who told you?

- I just knew.

- You - you must have heard us talking.

- I guess so.

- Oh, I'm sorry David.

I didn't want you to find out that way.

I wanted to tell you myself.

- That's all right.

[wind blowing]

- We all went to the funeral this morning.

Practically, everyone in town was there.

Lots of people were as fond of him as we were.

- I know.

- Why didn't you tell someone you knew?

- What difference does it make?

- I'm sure it must have upset you a great deal.

- I guess so.

- David, I don't understand you.

- What is there to understand?

- This attitude of yours.

- He's dead.

Terrible things happen

and no one seems to do anything about them.

- David, death is something no one can do anything about.

- I guess so.

- If it's any consolation to you,

he suffered little or no pain.

- It was terrible.

- It shouldn't have happened.

- But David, it was just like going to sleep very quietly.

- It shouldn't have happened.

It was terrible.

- It was terribly sad, of course.

He was such a fine man.

- It shouldn't have happened!

- David, why do you keep saying that?

- I'm sorry.

- Can't you tell me what you mean by that?

- What difference does it make?

Nobody believes anything I tell them anymore anyway.

It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

- You mustn't say that.

- I'm sorry.

- David, we're going to have lunch in a little while.

Why don't you come down?

- I'll be all right up here.

- David, you can't stay up here by yourself

all the time like this.

- I'm all right.

I liked Dr. Woodard because he believed me,

and maybe, that's why he's dead.

♪♪

- I cannot tell you what he's like.

It's frightening.

- Was he terribly upset?

- No, that's just it.

He seemed to have known about it.

- But who could have told him?

- I don't know.

He probably heard us talking.

What worries me is that he had almost no reaction.

- Oh, I'm sure he has.

He just hasn't found a way of showing it.

- Then we must find a way to help him show it.

He can't go on like this,

keeping everything pent up inside.

- Let me take his lunch in to him.

- All right. - Maybe, I can get him to talk.

- Be gentle with him.

I'm so worried about him.

- I'll see what I can do.

- Mrs. Stoddard, do you think that we should call

Dr. Fisher in again?

- Maybe.

But I wish one of us, someone who loves him,

could find a way to get through to him.

- Maybe, his knowing what had happened to Dr. Woodard

is what's been bothering him.

- I'm not so sure.

He kept saying nothing mattered anymore.

And he seems to think something terrible happened

to Dr. Woodard.

He almost didn't believe me

when I told him he died peacefully.

- What did he think had happened?

- He had no explanation.

Oh, Vicki, how can a child, a little boy,

feel such a feeling of --

- Of what?

- Despair.

That's the only word for it, despair.

♪♪

- Don't eat it if you don't feel like it.

For once, I think I'll quit yelling at you --

telling you what to do.

- That's OK. I don't mind.

- You mean I can yell and you won't care?

- I won't care.

- You really mean that, don't you?

- I've meant everything I've ever said,

whether anyone has believed me or not.

- It isn't easy for you, is it, David?

- I'm all right.

- No, you're not -- any more than I was.

- What do you mean?

- Don't forget, I grew up in this house, too.

I was alone most of the time, too.

I didn't have any friends either --

except the ones I imagined.

- You're talking about Sarah, aren't you?

You think I just imagined her, don't you?

- Do you think you imagined her?

- No.

- Then neither do I.

- Do you mean that?

- I think so.

- You don't have to pretend. I don't care.

- When I was ,

my best and closest friend was a little boy named Randy.

He had dark hair and brown eyes

and he always wore a red sweater,

even in the summertime.

We played practically every day.

Sometimes, down on the beach.

We would climb trees or look for sea glass.

The last time I saw him was on my th birthday.

He brought me a piece of sea glass

that looked like clear green water.

I never saw him after that.

Even now, I'm not sure whether he really existed

or whether I imagined him.

- Or if he was a ghost?

- Maybe, he was.

I've never known and I'm sure I never will.

But whatever he was, he was real,

a real boy

or a real figment of my imagination or --

or a ghost.

Even now, I find sometimes that I miss him.

People can laugh at me and not believe me,

but I don't care.

- Sarah is real.

I mean, she's a real ghost.

- Do you want to know something, David?

- Yes.

- I do believe you.

[recorder playing] ♪♪

- Do you hear that?

- Yes.

- It's Sarah.

- I know.

- Something is going to happen...

soon, very soon.

- What?

- Nobody knows -- not yet.

It will happen very far away.

- Where?

- Nobody knows yet,

but it will make us sad for a very, very long time.

- How do you know?

- I just know, that's all.

- Do you hear it in the music?

- I don't know.

It will be an accident.

No one will cause it and no one can stop it.

- What kind of an accident?

- Nobody knows yet.

- Who is it going to happen to?

- I don't know. Nobody knows.

But it is going to happen.

- No.

- Don't be afraid.

Terrible things happen

and there's nothing we can do about them.

- I don't believe that.

- Yes, you do, because it's true.

Listen to the music. Listen.

♪♪

- I don't think I want to anymore.

- It's all right, you can go.

I don't mind listening to the music by myself.

- David, none of this is real.

It can't be.

- It is.

There's nothing we can do about it,

nothing.

♪♪

- The last thing in the world I want to do is force you.

No, that's not true.

I'd force you if I thought I could make you do it.

- I'm sure you can understand, Liz.

We much rather have a place of our own.

- Of course, I can. I'm being completely selfish.

- No, that's not true.

You're not thinking about yourself.

You're thinking about David.

- You forget I'm a Collins, so is David.

I'm afraid the area of my selfishness

extends to the entire family.

- Burke, if you could only see the way that David is.

- How did he take the news about Woodard?

- He knew before I told him.

I can't tell you how strange and frightening it was.

- He had no reaction at all.

- He accepted it all so easily.

Carolyn tried to talk to him

and all it did was upset her.

- Well, maybe I can give the west wing some thought

while I'm away.

- Thank you, Burke.

- But all my instincts say no.

- Not quite all of them.

No matter what you say,

you have a great instinct for kindness

and that just might take over.

- Well, I hope not.

But I will admit I'd like to do as much as I can

to help David.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Are you ready for our walk? - Hmm-hmm.

- She's been ready for the past half-hour.

I'm afraid I am the one that's held it up.

- Not at all.

- Now Burke,

if I don't see you before you go,

have a good trip.

- Thanks, Liz.

- Goodbye, Burke.

- David.

- I was afraid I wouldn't see you.

- Don't worry.

I wouldn't go away without saying goodbye.

- You're really my friend,

aren't you, Burke?

- Why, yes, I am.

- I want to thank you

for all the things you've ever done for me.

I'm going to miss you, Burke.

- David, he is only going away for a few days.

- Yes, I know,

but I just wanted him to know how I felt.

- I'll tell you what.

While I'm away,

I'll look for some interesting stamps for your collection.

Would you like that?

- Yes.

Then I could have them to remember you by.

- David, what are you talking about?

- Nothing.

- What makes you say a thing like that?

- Well, he means to remember my trip by,

don't you, David?

- I'll never forget you, Burke. Never.

- David, Burke is just going away on a business trip.

- And he'll be back in a few days.

- I wish there was something I could do.

- Well, you could stop talking like this as though

something terrible were going to happen.

- I didn't mean it that way.

I didn't want to scare anyone.

- I'm not scared.

I just wish you could be more optimistic

about my coming back safely.

- David, this is all nonsense. Now, stop it.

- Would you like me to take him upstairs?

- No, I'm all right.

I'm sorry if I made anyone unhappy.

I didn't mean to.

I just wanted to say goodbye to Burke.

That's all.

- David, do you want me to come up with you?

- No, I want to be by myself.

- You take care of yourself, David.

And when I come back, maybe, we can arrange a fishing trip.

Would you like that?

- I think that would be wonderful, don't you, David?

- Just the two of us.

We'll take the boat out a couple of miles

and we won't come back until the hold is full of fish.

- Won't come back?

- You'd like to go on a fishing trip,

wouldn't you, David?

- Yes.

- It's all set then?

- It's all set.

Nothing can change it. Nothing.

Goodbye, Burke.

♪♪

- It's starting to get dark.

- Are you getting cold?

- A little.

The fog is starting to roll in from the sea.

- Vicki?

- Yes?

- I was thinking --

- I know.

You haven't said a word all evening.

- Well, maybe that west wing idea isn't so bad.

- Do you really mean that?

When you told me how bad off David was,

I didn't realize what you were talking about.

I don't think you should leave him.

- You know something, Burke? - What?

- I love you.

And I -- I know that you would much rather live

somewhere else.

- Why didn't you tell me he was acting like this?

- Because he wasn't.

- I don't understand.

- Tonight,

he -- he is the worst off I've ever seen him.

- I wonder what all that was about?

- I'd rather not think about it.

- He took Woodard's death pretty bad, didn't he?

- Yes, that must be it.

- Hey now, wait a minute,

you're not beginning to believe all of that stuff, are you?

- Burke, do you have to go away?

- Oh, now, Vicki.

You know that what he was talking about

had nothing to do with me.

You know that.

- Please, let -- let's go inside.

- Let's stay out here for a little while.

I want to watch the fog come in.

- No, please, let's go inside.

- Vicki, what's the matter with you?

Every little thing is -- is scaring you.

- Oh, I know.

I'm not scared. I'm -- I'm just cold.

Please don't be afraid, Vicki.

- I'm not afraid.

- I'm going away, but I am coming back.

- I know you are.

- And I don't want you to worry.

Not for a minute.

- I'm not worried.

Honestly, I'm not,

but I -- I'd just like to go inside.

- Well, of course, come on.

[strange whirring]

- What was that? - What?

- Didn't you hear it?

- A gull maybe?

- No.

It sounded more like --

- Like what?

- You know.

The legends of the widows who -- who died near Collinwood on --

on Widow's Hill.

They say that their wailing can be heard in the night.

- Oh, come on, Vicki. Cut it out, will you?

[whirring continues] - There it is again.

- It's only the wind.

- Yes.

The wind.

It's got to be the wind.

Burke, please, let's go inside.

[whirring continues]

It's got to be the wind.

Only the wind.

[whirring continues]

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪