236 - May 22, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[narrating]
- My name is Victoria Winters.

A distant moon, cold and bright against a black sky,

looks down on Collinwood and the country around.

What it sees is not reflected in its unshadowed gaze.

It remains, as always, an unblinking eye,

impassive to the terrors that stalk the earth below.

Indifferent to life and death alike,

it watches as a young woman gasps her final breath,

and perhaps it sees, from its cold corner of the sky,

the fate that lurks beyond the final gasp and waits...

and waits for the last silence.

[gasping]


- Miss Evans!

Oh, Doctor.

It's Miss Evans.

I can't detect any heartbeat

and she seems to have stopped breathing.


- No heartbeat?


- But I don't understand!

She was... she was there just a minute ago!

And that window! It, it was only open a crack.


- You say you couldn't detect a heartbeat?


- There was every indication that she was dead!

[dog howling in distance]

♪♪


- Gone?!

What do you mean gone?


- I mean Maggie's gone.


- Gone? You mean she's dead?


- No, Joe, that's not what I mean.


- Well, then, what do you mean?


- That's what I'm trying to tell you

if you two will give me a chance.

Now, look...

All I can tell you is what I know myself.

The nurse left Maggie's room for an instant.


- She shouldn't have.


- To call me on the hospital telephone.

When the two of us walked back into Maggie's room,

moments later,

Maggie wasn't there.


- Wasn't there?

Then where is she?


- That's what we're trying to find out.

I'm having the entire hospital searched, and the grounds.


- You mean she's walking around

in some kind of a, a, a delirium?


- Joe, I don't know.


- Well, you know she's alive?

She walked away?


- I don't see how she could have walked away.


- She obviously
-
- obviously she did.


- Well, I'm gonna find her.


- Now, look, Sam. Why don't you leave that to us?


- But, Dave, Maggie's my daughter.


- I know that but I've got the sheriff

and the state troopers looking for her.


- Well, why should they stop me?


- Because you're in no shape

to go tramping around the countryside.

Now, Sam, I mean it.


- Listen, I'll, I'll go, Sam.

I think I know where I should look.


- Where?


- The cemetery on Eagle Hill.


- Yes.


- Wasn't that where she was found

the first night she walked in her sleep?
- That's right.


- Well, I don't want to discourage you

but I don't think you're gonna find her there.


- Why do you say that?


- Because she didn't have the strength to reach there.


- Well, she had strength enough to walk out of this hospital.


- I'm not sure that she did.
- What do you mean?


- But you just said that she did.


- I said that she was gone.


- Are you trying to tell us that someone...


- Did someone take her?


- I don't know what to think.

When the nurse and I walked into Maggie's room,

the room was empty.

And that window that the nurse had left open just a crack

was wide open.


- Now, Dave, you still haven't said

that you think that someone entered this room.


- I tell you, I don't know what to think, Sam.


- Well, I...

I can't believe that anyone would do something like that.

I just can't believe it.


- Maggie's alive, I know she is, and I'm gonna find her.


- Yes, yes, find her. We'll both find her.


- Now, wait a minute, Sam. I'll move faster by myself.

You... please, stay here.


- Sam, you've got to.


- I'm gonna go to that cemetery

and I'm gonna find her alive.


- All right, yes, Joe.

Find her, hurry!

He'll find her.

He'll find her alive.

Why are you looking at me like that?

You don't believe she's alive, do you?

Do you?!


- What difference does it make what I believe?

We won't know until we find her.


- You think she's dead, don't you?
- I didn't say that, Sam.


- Yes, but you told me all along you weren't gonna lie.


- All I can tell you is what the nurse told me.


- Well, then you tell me, what is it?


- Maggie didn't seem to have a heartbeat.

As far as the nurse could tell, she had stopped breathing.


- What?


- Now, look...

It could mean that she had gone into severe shock.

Sometimes, in cases like this, the heartbeat appears to be...

well, imperceptible.


- Yes, yes, yes...

Yes, that's what it's got to be.

Yes, she can't be dead.

Because if she were dead, that would mean that...

somebody came into this room and...

and...


- Look, Sam, don't even think about it.


- I'm trying not to.

Where is she?

What happened to her?

Maggie.

Maggie...

[wind whistling]

[dog howling]


- I don't want 'em.


- Take them anyway.


- What are they?


- They'll relax you, Sam.


- I don't want to relax.


- Sam, you have to. Now, stop being stubborn.


- I'm all right, I tell you.


- Look, these will help you.


- I'm not gonna take anything!

Not until I find Maggie

and find out that she is all right.


- I'm sorry, Sam, but these are orders.


- Orders?

I'm, I'm sorry, Dave.


- Look, never mind, never mind, I understand

Come on, forget it.
- [Burke] Sam!

Sam, I called a little earlier

and they said something about Maggie disappearing.


- Burke, uh, let me talk to you outside.


- But is it true?


- I'll talk to you out in the hall.


- Go on, go ahead. Go ahead, tell him, sure!

She's gone, she's disappeared.

We don't know whether she's dead or alive.


- Sam, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to ask questions.


- Hello, Joe.


- You didn't find her.


- I was all over Eagle Hill cemetery grounds.

Nothing.


- You think she's gone back there again?

I thought she was too sick for that.


- She was, we... thought she was.


- I just don't know where to look next.

I can't give up like this.


- Well, maybe that's all we can do is just...

Just give up.
- Don't say that, Sam.


- Well, it's true, isn't it?
- Now, come on, Sam.

[Burke]
- There is someone who probably knows where she is.


- Why do you say that?


- Because someone knew she was in the cemetery

the night she was found there.


- That's right, that... that phone call that Vicki got.


- But we never found out who it was.


- Yeah, but, but...

But Vicki had a hunch, remember?


- I know, Burke, that was so far out, though, way, way out.


- I know, but who was it?


- Willie Loomis.


- Willie?

You, you really think Willie knows?


- Frankly I doubt it.

But I think we should talk to him just the same.

[Sam]
- So do I.


- No, not you, Sam. Let Burke do it.


- I'll go with you.

Look, Sam, I think you should stay here

in case anybody... anybody calls.

Uh, anyone who finds out where Maggie is

will get in touch with the hospital.


- He's right, Sam.
- Come on.


- And if... Willie knows...

He's got to tell us.

[wind whistling]

♪♪

[dog howling]


- Oh, Mr. Devlin... and Mr. Haskell.


- Sorry to come banging on your door at this hour of the night.


- It is rather late, but come in.


- We'd, uh, we'd like to talk to Willie Loomis.


- Willie?
- Yes, it's very important.


- Well, I'm terribly sorry but he's not here at the present.

I sent him into Bangor earlier this evening.

And he's going to be doing some work for me there

tomorrow morning.

He isn't expected back until tomorrow evening.


- Are you sure, are you sure he went?


- Why, yes, why do you ask?


- Something's happened and we thought he might be involved.


- Well... in what way?


- Maggie Evans has disappeared.


- Maggie Evans?

But I heard that she was desperately ill.


- She was and probably still is.


- But she's disappeared from the hospital.


- How terrible.

Pardon me, gentlemen, but may I ask

what this could possibly have to do with Willie?


- Well, for one thing,

he might know where she is right at this moment.


- I find this all completely mystifying.


- You remember the night Maggie was found

on Eagle Hill Cemetery?


- Yes... poor girl.


- Well, the reason she was found there

was because of a phone call.

And we think possibly Willie had something to do with that call.


- What makes you think that?


- Well, he talked to Vicki not long before the call.

Vicki said that he seemed upset

that Maggie was alone that night.


- Upset?

Was he now?


- Vicki, Vicki thinks that it might be her imagination

but somehow she connects the two.

And they add up to Willie.


- Well, that's impossible.
- Why?


- Well, because I remember that night very well.

Willie was with me and we have, as you know,

no telephone on the premises.


- He was here? But Vicki said that he'd
-
-


- Uh, he was here immediately after his encounter

with Miss Winters.

I sent him to tell Mr. Evans

that I would not want him that evening

and he was back almost immediately.


- But he could have called before he came back.


- I hardly think that's likely.

Because I'm convinced that Willie was involved

in nothing that doesn't pertain to my business.


- I wouldn't be too sure of that.


- Exactly what connection do you make

between Willie and Miss Evans' illness and disappearance?

Exactly how do you think that Willie was involved?


- We don't know.


- Do you think he abducted her?


- No, not really.


- I'm sorry, very sorry

that Willie can be of no help whatsoever.


- Well, I guess he can't and that's that.


- Yeah, it looks at way.

[faint creaking]


- What's the matter, Burke?


- I thought I heard something...

a board creaking, like someone walking.


- That's impossible, I'm the only one in the house,

as I told you.


- You didn't hear anything?


- Oh, possibly but I don't pay any attention anymore.

This house is forever creaking in the wind.

No doubt that's what you heard.


- Yes, I guess so.


- Well, good night, gentlemen.

And please let me know if I can be of any help,

any help whatsoever.


- Thanks, good night.


- Good night.

[car driving away]

It's all right.

They've gone.

[door creaking loudly]

You're safe.

Safe here... with me.

♪♪

♪♪


- Come...

Come in.

Don't be afraid.

This is your room.

You see?

It's just as you left it, as we left it.

Long, long ago.

Nothing has changed.

Even we haven't changed.

Or perhaps you've changed.

You're more lovely, my dear Josette, than I remember.


- Josette?


- Yes.

From now on that will be your name...

a name of great beauty

and you must take it proudly.

It's bestowed on you

as the best honor I can pay to a mortal woman.


- Josette.


- Yes.

In time, you will begin to think like her...

act like her.

You will become her.


- I will become her.


- That's right.

The two of us, we shall experience all the joy

that was denied for so many, many years...

to me and to my lovely Josette.


- Joy?


- Yes, joy, happiness.

At last.


- At last.


- I've forgiven you.

Oh, not you.

But Josette.

She should never have dashed herself

on the rocks beneath the cliff.

She should never have robbed me of herself.

I wanted to give her life, not death.

Just as it is life I will give to you.


- Life.


- So, you mustn't be afraid.

Not life as most men know it, but it is life...

and we will live, we will live together,

the two of us.


- Two of us together?


- Yes.

Nothing will separate us ever again.

Even you tried to...

Even Josette tried to.

But you are here

and you are my Josette.


- Eagle Hill...


- You must forget all that.

Forget the past.

We have the future for the first time.


- The future?


- And I have something for you...

here in this chest.

Come, look at it.

See...

It survived the years as we have survived.

There, hold it.

Take it.

Yes.

It's a wedding gown.

Your wedding gown.


- Mine?


- Yours.

And someday soon you shall become my bride.


- Bride?


- As it was always intended to be.

What, are those tears?

Oh, please, no tears.

There mustn't be any tears ever.

You're going to be happy here.

Wait, I have something else for you.

I brought this with me back from the Orient.

This gift.

And I intended to give it to you on a very special day.

And that day has come.

And this has crossed the seas

as I have crossed the centuries, all for your sake.

Listen.

[music box playing gentle melody]

Do you hear it?

This is your music.

Listen to it and the past will fade away to nothing...

Not even a memory.

Listen and you will forget what you have been

and yearn for only what you are now.

Listen...

And all fears, all loneliness, all unhappiness...

will disappear forever.

Listen...

Listen...

[music box continues playing]

♪♪

♪♪

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