1211 - February 15, 1971

[bunniefuu]

[eerie music]

NARRATOR:Collinwood in parallel time.

There's an atmosphere of terror in the great house,

for the Collins family lives under a curse

that has haunted them for years.

In the long-abandoned west wing of the house

there is a locked room.

Once during each generation a member of the family,

chosen by lottery, must spend a night in that room.

Of the six people who have gone into the room,

two have d*ed, and the others have emerged totally mad.

On this night, a séance was held to try and learn

the secret of the curse,

but instead the séance produced only a warning

that tragedy would strike before the night is over.

[ominous music]

Julia, where have you been?

I've been looking all over the house for you.

But I had to go to the village, you knew that.

What's, what's wrong, what's happened?

Julia, it's Melanie.

She has the plague.

[dramatic music]

[Dark Shadows theme music]

The plague? I don't see how that's possible.

Don't you recall?

It happened once before in this family a long time ago,

when they refused to hold a lottery.

Yes, yes, I remember.

Now it's happening again.

What, what could have brought it on?

FLORA: I'm afraid we brought it on ourselves.

What do you mean?

Well, we held a séance tonight,

Quentin, Melanie, and I.

We tried to contact...

Brutus Collins.

Melanie went into a trance,

and started muttering warnings about the plague.

About an hour ago, she was stricken.

JULIA: Where is she now?

In her room.

I sent Morgan for Dr. Fletcher.

He's with her now.

Quentin is, too.

I don't think Quentin should be with her.

He was the one who found her.

It's too late for him to take precautions.

What will you do now?

I want to hold a family meeting immediately.

You go upstairs and tell everybody.

I'll get Gabriel, he's in the study.

[suspenseful music]

Is there any word?

No, the doctor's still in her room,

I can't go in yet.

Poor Melanie.

She's been through so much already.

What I can't understand is it all happened so suddenly,

I just can't believe it.

Melanie was perfectly all right just a few hours ago.

Now maybe you'll believe how serious that curse is.

Morgan, you don't think Melanie's illness

has got anything to do with your curse, do you?

MORGAN: Well, I know it does.

When are the people in this house going to stop

feeling that all their misfortunes are the result

of some evil spirit?

Catherine, I've lived in this house all my life,

and I've seen the things that have happened in this house,

and they could only have happened because of that curse.

[knocking at door]

Come in.

Flora wants to see you in the drawing room immediately.

[dramatic music]

There you are.

Sit down and try to relax.

Mother, how can you relax at a time like this?

I said, try, and don't resort to your usual mean.

Are you carrying a flask?

Well, no, of course not.

Give it to me.

Mother, I just told you I--

I said give it to me.

I'll return it to you after we're finished here.

[sighs]

Mother, Melanie's not going to die, is she?

We're going to do everything we can

to see that she doesn't.

That's why we're having this meeting.

Uh, Quentin is still up in Melanie's room with the doctor,

he'll be down in a minute.

Well let's try to make ourselves as comfortable as we can.

There is hardly any need for me to tell you

that what has happened to Melanie can k*ll her.

There is no normal way she can be saved from the plague.

How can we be certain that is is the plague?

FLORA: Well under the circumstances,

I don't see how it can be anything else.

Well what if the doctor has another diagnosis?

My dear, you're new here.

There are certain things you don't see as we do.

We know and believe that time may be running out for us,

and if Melanie has got the plague--

There's no doubt about it.

She does have the plague.

[dramatic music]

Then we will hold the lottery tonight.

I take it there are no objections

to the decision I have made.

Mrs. Collins, I assume that I now have

a full voice in the family affairs.

FLORA: Of course you have.

Well then, I vote that this lottery should not be held,

tonight, or at any time in the future.

That's impossible.

Mrs. Collins, we'll never be free

of the misery in this house, not if we can't.

You don't seem to understand.

Melanie is upstairs dying.

Well, she'll either be saved or not saved by the doctor,

not by anything that we do here.

Her fate's not in our hands.

Why, the most we can do for her is pray.

Catherine!

Now you may believe as you wish,

but, uh, if we were to take a vote on it here,

you would lose five to one.

Very well, I see no point in continuing my argument.

GABRIEL: Quentin, stop!

Stay right where you are.

Now just what's the matter

- with you? - I said, stay where you are.

Mother, he shouldn't be close to us.

He's been exposed to the plague.

He was with Melanie when she was--

Now will you stop talking nonsense?

Stay where you are, get away from me!

Do you want us all to get it?

We're all gonna get it,

unless we go through with our little ceremony.

Why do you think Melanie got sick?

It's a warning to all of us.

Don't you understand that?

Mother, is that true?

Yes, Gabriel.

It's just a matter of time for the rest of us.

Why don't we get out of this house?

Why don't we burn it to the ground?

Why don't we just leave it forever?

Gabriel, tell me, why do you insist

on being a bad historian?

Now you know perfectly well that one past family

tried to do that,

and you know what happened?

The plague not only followed them,

but I believe it caught most of them.

[tense music]

Our obligation is clear.

[wind howls]

We will hold the lottery.

I will prepare the six slips.

Why six?

FLORA: There are six of us in the room, aren't there?

No, Mother, we have been through this all before.

Well then, let's not go through it again, Morgan.

I said only the men would p-participate in this.

QUENTIN: I go along with Morgan.

JULIA: I am with Flora.

I see no reason why we shouldn't participate.

Oh?

I see several reasons why.

We have precedent on our side, Quentin.

Until this generation, the women have always

participated in the lottery.

Oh, precedent be damned.

Julia, the way you're talking,

we might as well run upstairs and get Melanie

and bring her down here and let her join us.

I have already explained,

my Melanie will not participate under any circumstances.

Having spent time in that locked room, if only briefly,

would not be fair to subject her to this again.

Now you all leave the room while I prepare the slips.

No, Mother, you're not going to

get out of this this easily.

Morgan, you may be the eldest son,

but I am still mistress of this house.

But we all have an equal voice, Mother.

Except for our dear brother over here

who seems to have lost his voice.

MORGAN: Yes, Gabriel,

why don't you say something?

Your opinion would be most appreciated.

Oh, yes, I would.

You know, we couldn't get you to shut up a minute ago.

There's no point in bullying him.

Mother, we're only trying to find out

where Gabriel stands.

I think both of you have forgotten

the one voice that has not yet been heard from.

Well if you want to know where I stand,

Morgan, it's with the women.

I feel that we should all participate.

[dramatic music]

Catherine, you can't be serious.

I am serious.

But you don't even believe in this,

you think the lottery's a waste of time.

Morgan, that's beside the point.

Morgan, are you saying that she shouldn't participate

because she doesn't believe in the lottery?

Will you be quiet?

FLORA: You can both be quiet and let Catherine explain.

Thank you.

Whether or not I believe in the lottery

doesn't really matter, does it?

Since you've all decided to take part,

I think it only fair that each of us

should play his part as well.

MORGAN: Well I don't and that's that. Mother--

Now listen to me, all of you.

We no longer have the luxury of time,

and it's obvious that bickering amongst ourselves

is not going to solve anything.

MORGAN: Well then let the men draw the lots.

I have not finished, Morgan.

There is only one fair way to settle this,

and that is to take a vote.

MORGAN: What's the use of voting?

There are six of us here, it'll be a tie.

We will take care of that eventuality

if and when we come to it.

Now a yes vote will mean the women participate,

no, that they do not.

Julia?

- I vote yes. - Catherine?

- I vote yes. - Morgan?

MORGAN: I vote no.

- Quentin? - I vote no.

FLORA: Gabriel?

[suspenseful music]

Well come on, speak up!

Gabriel, I want to hear you vote no.

I vote...

yes.

- Stop that! - I swear to God,

I'll put you in that room

and I'll throw the key away, brother.

Stop it, Quentin, that's enough.

Now, it's settled.

We will all participate.

I will prepare the slips,

and Julia will let you know when I'm ready.

I could k*ll you with my bare hands.

Oh, but you won't, brother,

because that would only increase your wife's chances

of going into the room, wouldn't it?

But you decreased yours.

Did you decrease yours by voting yes?

Come on, admit it!

Is that the reason you

jeopardized the lives of three women?

To save your own skin?

You can believe what you like.

Makes no difference to me, believe what you like.

Mother still is the best politician in this house.

What's that supposed to mean?

Because she outmaneuvered Quentin and me.

She saw the writing on the walls.

She knew you'd vote yes.

She knew she had this whole thing sewn up.

I want you to listen to me, Gabriel.

If I could rig this lottery,

I would see to it that you would get the losing slip.

I know why you're so worked up.

You voted no to save your own wife's skin.

I have always been against women participating in this.

Yeah, that's what you say right now, right?

But this has never brought, been brought to a vote before.

Yeah, now if, if it was just Julia, and, and Mother,

and not your wife, you'd have voted yes,

- and you know it! - That's a lie!

Well, we'll never know, will we?

Never know.

Now why don't you just trot upstairs to your beloved wife?

This just may be the last night you two spend together.

[Gabriel sighs]

You have got to be the most disgusting person I know.

[dramatic music]

[suspenseful music]

We're going to be going downstairs again soon.

There's something I wanna tell you.

What is it, darling?

If you pick the losing slip,

I must insist that you let me take your place in that room.

[ominous music]

Morgan, that's out of the question.

I must insist upon taking your place, Catherine.

You miss the whole point of what happened downstairs.

I will not have your life jeopardized by a coward brother.

Oh, there's no reason to even discuss it now,

let's wait and see what happens.

Catherine, no matter what happens,

I want you to know that I love you very much.

I love you, too.

[dramatic music]

[door opens]

What a sight.

Go on, Morgan's already had his say,

- you have yours. - You know something?

If a historian ever compiles a list of losers,

you'll stand as a monument.

Well aren't we witty for someone who may die?

If I'm going to die, I'm going to die, right?

How philosophical of you, Quentin.

You know, at least I won't be afraid, like you.

I won't be cringing,

seeking to find a refuge where there is no refuge,

and look what it's done to me, huh?

Now, Quentin, I've heard this sermon so many times before,

I care not to hear it again.

Gabriel, I'm curious about something.

- What? - I wanna know,

because I really don't know the answer.

I wanna know how you're going to feel

when Mother chooses the losing slip

in the lottery.

I wanna know how you're going to feel

when Mother goes into that room,

and goes mad, or dies.

And I wanna know how you feel inside,

deep, way down inside,

when you know that your vote

put her into that room.

Tell me, how do you feel?

[Gabriel stammers]

I don't believe that she will get the losing slip.

That's not an answer.

I, I believed all along that it, it would be me,

- you know that. - Then why did you vote yes?

I don't know, I don't know,

and I don't wanna talk about it.

Dear God, I should know better than to try to get

an answer out of you, shouldn't I?

Uh, Quentin?

- Yes? - There's something

I asked you once,

you never did answer me.

I remember.

You see, you're completely wrong about me.

Mm-hmm.

If I get chosen, if I choose the losing slip--

Yeah?

I'm going to do my duty.

You know, if you choose the losing slip,

we'll have to drag you into that room.

Look, I swear to you, if I go into that room,

I'm going to be a man.

I'd just rather die than end up like father did.

You know, on second thought,

I don't know whether I want you to go into that room or not,

because knowing you, you'll strike up a bargain

with whoever or whatever's in there and sell us all

- down the river. - No, no, Quentin,

you've got to promise me you're going to k*ll me

if I go insane. Please. Please.

Gabriel, based on your vote today,

it will be my pleasure.

[door opens]

Flora is ready.

[Quentin sighs]

Well, buck up, old boy,

the time is here.

[suspenseful music]

I have prepared the slips and put them in the vase.

We will each draw a slip from the vase.

Five of them are blank and one is marked with an X.

Whoever draws the slip with the X goes into the room.

Now, who will begin?

I'll begin.

[dramatic music]

[Dark Shadows theme music]