02x04 - Parlour Floor Front

[bunniefuu]

[theme music playing]

NARRATOR:
Man lives in the sunlit world

of what he believes
to be reality.

But... there is,

unseen by most, an underworld.

A place that is just as real

but not as brightly lit.

A dark side.

[scraping]

You're really into this,
aren't you?

[chuckling]
You scared me.

What-what did you say?

See? You're so into it, you
didn't even hear what I said.

I enjoy sealing cracks.

Cracks are meant to be sealed.

[smooching loudly]

Linda?

What is it?

I just spent a lifetime in the
housing bureau. It's no use.

We can't evict Mars because
of the rent control laws,

and we can only raise his rent
a few bucks a year.

You're kidding.
Uh-uh.

We'd have to prove
we needed the space,

and with four floors
and only two of us,

that's be
a pretty neat trick.

Darn!

And he has the best room in the
house--the parlour floor front.

He's had it
for the last 40 years.

Do you ever think Mars Gillis
was a janitor here

before either one of us

was born?
Oh!

I have such dreams
for this house.

It is just not fair!

And we spend every
spare moment we have

scraping and sanding and wiring
and making it a special place,

and he gets to stay
here practically free.

I mean, what are
we working for?

Mars Gillis?

Mars, what do
you think

is troubling
the landlord now?

Perhaps it is their way of
telling me the rent is due.

Some pound on door.

Others on the floor.

They want you to leave now, huh?

Mm.

Listen to me, brother.

Don't let them intimidate you.

You needn't do any such thing.

If I had a place to go,
I would gladly do so.

Mars Gillis.

You're too good
for your own good!

[scoffs]

I'm going upstairs
to pay the rent.

I want it to be a really
elegant house again.

Why can't you just picture it
in all its former glory?

With polished banisters

and fires in all
the fireplaces?

And the front
parlour is essential.

How can you have an elegant
house without a front parlour?

Well, it looks like we
can't kick you out, Mars.

Not legally, anyhow.

We never knew that when
we bought the place.

Last thing we had in mind
was running a rooming house.

But it seems that life is
short and leases are forever.

Why don't you just go?

Everyone else did.

I have been unable
to find a place to go.

The others found places.

Did they?

Do you know where Mrs. Evans
went or Mr. Vasquez?

No, and I don't think
I'm responsible

for Mrs. Evans or Mr. Vasquez.

Nor for you!

Why should we have
to provide for you?

$95 a month.

You're getting away with m*rder.

Well, perhaps, uh...

I can help you.

I-I have been known
to help people.

Well, I never

say no to help.
Maybe you could...

help me clean
out the cellar.

I'd pay you
minimum wage.

Well, that is not exactly
what I meant, but...

if that is what you wish.

[sighing]

Come here. Come here.

Stop turning.

Eat one of them.

You must bury this half
under the window

of the room where
your boyfriend sleeps.

He will turn from your rival
and return to you.

Mars?

Can we put an evil curse on her
like she did on me?

No, my child.

You are protected
from evil now.

MARS:
That's all that's necessary.

I take no money.

I almost forgot.

You never
failed me yet, Mars.

TV ANNOUNCER:
Welcome to another exciting...

I wonder if he
reports that income.

The gold to the IRS.

What do you want to do, Linda?
Have him thrown in jail?

How about going back
to the housing bureau?

He uses that room
as a place of business.

I'm sure
there's some law about that.

What is witchcraft, anyway?

Semi-professional, or what?

For Pete's sake, Linda, instead
of making such a big deal

about old Mars, why don't you
do something with it?

You're an anthropologist.
Do a study

on witchcraft
in old Brooklyn.

What is there
to know about witchcraft?

If you believe in it, it works.

[whistling]

I'm sorry.

How can you be so clumsy?

Nobody can
be so clumsy.

Perhaps I can fix it.

How? With voodoo?

That was an antique, Mars. You
should have been more careful.

He just threw it on the floor.

I didn't!
LINDA:
Yes, you did.

I saw you.

Take the cost out of his pay.

I can't do that.

Why not?

There are men
a dime a dozen

that would be glad
to do this work.

Now you insulted him.

And he does work hard, Linda.

And the fact is,
it's not easy to find somebody

who will do this kind
of work so cheap.

So cheap?

Look what it cost us.

We'll never find another vase
like that.

You'd better make him
pay for it.

So, let's say we split
the cost of the vase?

I'll take half the
cost out of your pay,

and I'll absorb
the other half.

I didn't do it purposely.

Oh, yeah,
I know. I know.

[sighing]

That was really tough.

I hope you're happy.
I docked him half the cost.

Half?!

Linda, have a heart.

Where can I get one... cheap?

[Mars chanting voodoo ]

What's that?

[Mars chanting]

[continues chanting]

[rattling]

If I am responsible
for this thing,

let me be cursed.

If another is responsible
for this thing...

let them be cursed.

Ow!

Mm.

Oh!

Linda, take a look.

A two by four fell on my wrist.

I think it's broken.

Great. I just
hammered my thumb.

Let's see.

Ow!
Oh!

You know, it does
feel swollen.

It's the curse.

I think it's working.

[humming creepy music]

[laughing]

Oh, sure.

You really think so?

I'm just making a bad joke.

Suppose I told you that Mars
tripped over a can of paint

that I left on the floor.

You're telling me
it was your fault Mars fell?

Well,

you know what he said in the
curse about responsibility?

Uh-huh.

Well, I'm really
responsible.

Really.

I see.

Well, I have
a real broken wrist,

and I'm going
to a real hospital,

not to a witch doctor.

[Linda screaming, crashing]

It's the curse.

You fell off the ladder.

Something pulled my leg, Doug.

It's probably your
guilty conscience.

I don't have
a guilty conscience.

I was pulled.

[Linda gasps]

Doug!

No.

He's dead.

He probably ate rat
poison or something...

He didn't eat anything.
He didn't do anything.

He just dropped dead.

Doug, pay him the money.

Pay Mars the money.

Are you kidding?

First you don't want me to pay
him, and now you want me

to pay him because
of a dead cat?

There's something else
I haven't told you.

What now?

Well, the reason
I'm so worried

is, I think
I'm pregnant.

[laughing]

That's great!
[laughs]

Why didn't you
tell me before?

I was afraid you wouldn't
let me work on the house.

Darn right I wouldn't.

But now I know.

I know it sounds dumb, but...
but I'm afraid of the curse.

[Linda sighs and sniffles]

The doctor said it must have
been the fall from the ladder.

I'm sorry, sweetheart.

We'll try again.

What's important is
that you're okay.

It's the curse.

I was pulled off
that ladder.

Work on the house now.

It'll take your
mind off...

[sobbing]:
Oh!

Don't you understand?

It will go on and on.

Pay him what he wants.

Tell him what
he's done. Tell him.

Linda, it's too
embarrassing.

You won't tell him?

Even now you won't tell him?

[sniffles]

I've got to go take a walk
and get some air.

[door closing]

[sighs]

Do you have any idea
what's happened?

You hurt your
thumb, I heard.

And Doug sprained
his wrist.

I suppose you know
about that, too?

The cat died.

Your cat?

How?

I don't know, Mars.

How did it die?

I'm sorry.

He was a pretty cat.

And then I was pulled
off a ladder.

I was pulled off.

The hands-- you felt them?

I felt them, Mars.
No!

And then I lost the child
I was carrying.

No, no, I did not mean
for that to happen!

What did you mean to happen?!

I only meant a little mischief.

I didn't mean to k*ll anything.

The power in me is too strong.

Too strong!

I am being punished
for my foolish pride.

You're being punished?

Forgive me.

It's a little late for that.

If we, uh... pay you
what we owe you,

then will you
take off the curse?

Oh, that's right.

You only take gold.

Well, this is all
the gold I've got.

It'd better be enough.

[door closing]

Feel better now?

Much.

[loud snap]

[sobbing]

You drove him to do this!

You satisfied now?!

You drove him
to do this!

[sobbing]:
Oh! Oh, God!

Oh, no! Oh!

Oh, I don't know why

he had to be laid
out here in our house.

I couldn't turn
Annorea down.

She said she couldn't
afford a funeral home.

I wanted to get rid
of the guy,

but that was ridiculous.

There must have been 200 people
in and out of here today.

Do you think
there'll be any more people

coming tonight, Miss Gillis?

You see how they all came
to honor my brother?

But you people--

you new people, you came
and disrupted our lives.

Interfered
with our lives.

Showed us no respect.

I really liked your
brother, Miss Gillis.

He was a hard worker
and a nice guy.

What's this doing here,
all this gold?

Have no fear. It will be buried
with him in the morning.

But isn't that a waste?

All the evil my brother took
from this world is in that gold.

That's Linda's ring--

my wife's ring.

I think it's a mistake.
Mars must have found it.

There is no mistake.

It was in his pocket
when he died.

Put it down!

Have you gone mad?

It is contaminated with evil.

What do you mean she's burying
my ring with him?

Don't look at me. That's what
she says she has to do.

Please, Doug, I don't want
my ring buried with that man.

She's never going to believe
that he just found it

lying around the house.

He didn't just find it.

What?

I gave it to him
to take off the curse.

You really believed
in that nonsense?

Of course I never believed it.

I don't get it.

I wanted him to go away
without a fight.

I wanted him to think
he owed us something.

[voice breaking]:
I didn't mean for him to die.

It was you!

You made everything
happen, didn't you?!

I didn't mean to bang my thumb,
and I didn't have

anything to do with your
strained wrist. You did that.

But that gave you
the idea, didn't it?

You purposely fell off
that ladder, didn't you?

And the cat.

You k*lled the cat.

You weren't even really
pregnant, were you?

Please, I don't want my ring
buried with that man.

It gives me the creeps.

You don't even realize that
you k*lled that old man, do you?

Please get it back.

Get it back?

All that I want to do
is get away from you.

No, no!

No! No!

You can't just
go like that.

It really would be funny if he
was a witch, wouldn't it, Linda?

[sobbing]:
No, no.

[crying]

[stairs creaking]

[coffin lid creaking]

[rattling]

MARS [eerie whisper]:
Where is my ring?

I want my ring.

[footfalls]

MARS:
Give me back my ring.

Who's there?

MARS:
I must have the ring.

[door creaking]

Give me back my ring.

[screaming]

[screaming]

I want my ring back.

No! Go away!

My ring...

[screaming]

[rumbling]

[Linda screaming]

[cracking]

[electrical crackling]

[lamp rattling]

[wind howling]

NARRATOR:
The dark side is always there.

Waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time,

try to enjoy the daylight.