02x09 - And the Toy Phone

[bunniefuu]

[soft music plays]

[window rattling]

[bed creaking]

[ominous music plays]

[floorboards creaking]

[loud knocking]

Who's there?

[cabinet doors thudding]

Mom?

Dad?

It's coming to get me!

It's coming!

FATHER:
Gabe, we are leaving now!

No! Come back!

[cell phones dings]

They just left.

On my way over now.

No. No.

You can't leave me.

[wood creaking]

VOICE: It's time to play.

Ready or not...here I come.

[suspenseful music plays]

[Jovan sobs]

[loud thudding]

[muffled scream]

[theme music plays]

You realized you're going
on an overnight,

not a week-long vacation, right?

You know, I think you're
just jealous you're not coming.

- I'm not...
- Ow.

...jealous.

I'm just annoyed, all right?

There's a difference.

Did you pack a suitcase-sized
research lab or something?

We're going into the sacred
depths of the Library.

This is a perfect opportunity
to conduct experiments.

No, no, no, no.
We talked about this. All right?

You're going for the customary
Library Initiation.

There'll be no time
for experiments.

Yeah, well, at least my bag
is filled with things

that are useful, water bottle,
compass, sleeping bag,

- sprite repellant.
- What? Sprite what?

Why are you two acting like

you've never been
to the Library before?

We just saw the tip
of the iceberg last time.

This is different.

The Library is vast.

- Infinite.
- Intimidating.

Every Librarian
goes through this.

It is required
that you have a deep

and thorough knowledge
of the contents of the Library.

- But...
- But?

I should be going with you.

You're all my responsibility.

Guardians do not partake

in the Library Initiation.

It is exclusively
for the Librarian.

Or Librarians, in this case.

Have you even packed?

I ventured to the inner sanctum
of the Library to complete

this compulsory tedium
centuries ago.

I hardly need to repeat
the experience.

Hey, if I made the rules,
I'd be going with you.

Aww, I think Charlie
is gonna miss us.

Yeah, I'm not going to miss you.

- Oh.
- What am I gonna do here

all day by myself?
What? Twiddle my thumbs?

Ooh, you could go through
the crate of artifacts

that we've been putting off.

The toys really creep me out
since I've done it.

Precisely why
I should remain here

with Charlie. Hmm?

[clanging]

Hmm, that is
a dangerous-looking monkey.

[groaning]

Best not to look
at them directly. Hmm?

Hey, you're not getting
out of this. Uh-uh.

- [chimes]
- Ooh. It's time.

Ugh, must I?

- ALL: Yes!
- Fine!

CONNOR:
Don't forget. We are supposed

to leave our phones behind.

- CHARLIE: Oh.
- LYSA: Yeah.

Oh, great, can't even call you
if I need to.

Rest assured we shall be bored
out of our minds

with all the endless wonder.

Out of our minds?
That's a joke, right?

- Right?
- No. No, we'll be fine.

We'll be fine.
We might learn something.

Ooh, will you help me
with my bags?

You're so annoying.

[chuckles] Have a good day off.

Thank you, Connor.

I don't want a day off!

[phone ringing]

[chuckles]

[toy monkey clanging]

[suspenseful music plays]

Hello?

JOVAN:
Something bad is in my house.

I'm scared. Please.

[scoffs]

What? Is this a prank?

Did Vikram put you up to this?

JOVAN: Who's Vikram?

Ha-ha. Very funny, guys.

All right. You can come out now.

JOVAN:
[sobs] Miss, c-can you help me?

Please.

I'm scared.

How do I know you're not
some demon trapped in a phone?

JOVAN: I don't understand.

Everyone left me.

I'm all alone in the house.

Who is this?

M-my name is Jovan. Please help.

I'm so scared. Come and get me.

Scared of what?

JOVAN: It wants to catch me.

What does?

I hear it everywhere

and lots of bright scary light
trying to get me.

Please help. I'm scared.

I can't leave here.

Is there someone I can call?

JOVAN: I'm all alone.

I have no one else.

[sobbing]

Please don't cry.

Okay. Okay. All right.

I'll help.

Y-you protect me, you promise?

I promise.

Jovan, what about your parents?

Could you call them
on a real phone?

Our phones don't work.

Can you leave the house?

It won't let me.

- Miss...
- Call me Charlie.

Charlie,
will you come and protect me?

- Can you tell me where you are?
- JOVAN: My house.

I'm in the part of town
across the scary forest.

- Are you in Senjak?
- JOVAN: Yes.

[music]

JOVAN: Are you coming?

I always keep my promises.

JOVAN: Hurry. I'm scared.

It's your lucky day because
I'm not scared of anything.

But I need you
to do something for me, okay?

Yeah?

Can you be brave for me?

- [crows cawing]
- [bush rustling]

Jovan, do you know
how to count to a hundred?

Yeah. Sure.

Good.

Can you count
to a hundred out loud?

JOVAN: I guess so.

One, two, three, four...

[suspenseful music plays]

[grunts]

- Charlie?
- Stone?

What are you doing here?

What are we doing here?

What are you doing here?

Who's we?

I...

Cassandra Cillian.

Good to see you.

Did the Library send you
after me?

No. We had no idea
you'd be here.

Clippings Book sent us.

The Clippings Book?

You don't have a Clippings Book?

- Nope. Uh-uh.
- That's fascinating.

What--how does your Annex
assign your cases?

- Is right now the time--
- We have--we have a Pendulum.

A Pendulum?
Ooh, how's that work?

It points where magic is
on a map.

A magical map that changes

depending on where
we need to go.

Oh, like a synoptic weather map?

Only instead of weather events,

it alerts you
to magic occurrences,

but doesn't tell you
what's happening?

- Guys, can we focus--
- Zip.

- Not exactly.
- Well, how do you know

- what you're looking for?
- Vikram and the others

are pretty good at spotting it.

- Oh.
- All right.

I'm gonna be over here.

And when you guys get done
doing what you're doing,

maybe we can do
some Librarian business?

Well, this time, it comes
with a side of collaboration

with our European-based
counterparts.

Sometimes the process
is just as important

as the result.

Or has the Library
taught you nothing?

- Fine.
- Thank you.

So the Clippings Book
showed us this.

A family and a house
somewhere around here

has disappeared every 20 years
for the past century.

And we're on our way
to try to protect the family.

The current family.

JOVAN:
Charlie. Charlie. Are you there?

Jovan, I'm here.

I finished counting
to a hundred.

Sorry.

JOVAN: I thought you had left.

No, no, no.
I'm not going anywhere, okay?

I just ran into some friends.

- Is that a--
- A toy phone?

Yeah. It rang in the Annex.
I answered.

Do you have any idea
what this artifact does?

There's a little scared boy
on the other end.

- Hmm.
- I said I would help him.

- Uh-hmm.
- It could be a trap.

- Could be luring us in.
- Cursed.

- Possessed?
- Inter-dimensional radio.

Got--good thing you bumped
into us, huh, Charlie?

We'll take the phone.
You can get back to the Annex.

Oh, I'm not leaving.
All right? He trusts me.

Besides,
the Pendulum sent me here.

Vikram and the others
had already left

for the Library Initiation.

Oh, the Initiation.

Remember ours, Stone?

There's a lot of things that can
happen during an Initiation...

We'd barely been working
at the Library for a year.

He almost fell
into the Fountain of Youth.

- Jones had a magic lasso--
- I was there.

She doesn't have to know
this stuff.

- He's embarrassed.
- And I'm not embarrassed.

I just wanna focus
on the mission.

I think what Stone
is trying to say

is that you're a Guardian.

Not a Librarian.

So, uh, we got it from here.

I don't see
your Guardian anywhere.

Cassie and I
have been doing this

a very long time, so.

I'm not going anywhere. Okay?

So we'll team up.

It'll be fun.

Works for me.

I made Jovan a promise.

I don't break my promises.

[music]

Hey, Jovan. Can you come
to the door and let us in?

JOVAN: I can't. It will get me.

He's too scared
to come downstairs.

I mean, how are we gonna
figure out which house he's in?

Wait, wait, what did you say?

You said there have been
a disappearance

every 20 years
for the last century.

So we're looking for a house

that's at least
a hundred years old.



to build Serbian houses
were very simple.

It was wood, brick, stone.

So we're looking for a house

that incorporates the elements
of neoclassical,

neo-Renaissance,
neo-romantic...styles.

This one.

[music]

CHARLIE: This doesn't look
that different

from any of the others.

It's the only one on the block
with a stone foundation.

The rest use concrete.

I find it best
to just trust his instincts

on this type of thing.

[music]

[door creaks]

CHARLIE:
You sure this is the right one?

[door locks]

Seems right.

If by right,
you mean very, very wrong.

STONE: All right.

Creepy phone?

Check.

Creepy house?

Check.

Now, all we have to do
is find the magic

- causing all of this creepy--
- Hey, hey.

We should do a sweep
on the house! Don't--

CHARLIE: Jovan?

Jovan, it's Charlie.

Jovan, it's me.

Jovan.

You really came!

I told you I would, didn't I?

You're safe now.

[chuckles] Ah, yes.

Creepy attic bedroom.

- And check.
- Aren't you afraid?

It's still here.
Can you feel it?

I'm not afraid of anything.

There's deviant
optical variation here.

Something's messing
with the laws of physics.

Something like that?

It's coming.

VOICE: I love a game of tag.

I'm it.

Ready, set, run!

Nope. Don't love that.

Not at all.

Go, go, go, go.

[lights crackling]

Light could be
an electrical energy emission.

- [Jovan gasps]
- Go, go, go, go, go. Go.

Definitely getting
a haunted house vibes.

VOICE: Nowhere to hide.

Nowhere to run.

I'm gonna catch you.

It's coming
and you can't stop it.

CHARLIE: Go.

[music]

[Charlie grunting]

We need to find another exit.

STONE: What? Huh?

[window shuts]

Something's trying
to keep him here.

I've told you before,
it won't let me leave.

How are we gonna get him out?

I think whatever this is,

we meet it head on.

No! No, no, no, no, no!

[music]

Hey. I promised that I'd
keep you safe, didn't I?

And I don't break my promises.

This could be a house demon.

- We may have to do an exorcism.
- Maybe.

I don't wanna rule out

my inter-dimensional theory
though because that light

could indicate
a wormhole of some kind.

[Jovan mumbling]

Jovan, what did you just say?

It's the bogeyman.

Jovan, there's no such thing
as the bogeyman.

[chuckles]

- So this is bad.
- Very bad.

Wait, you're not telling me
that the--

The bogeyman is real.

Very real.

Okay. But I'm not scared

of a kid's
monster bedtime story.

Oh, you should be.

Fear is a biological mechanism
that keeps us safe.

I mean,
it's a survival instinct.

Ignoring it can be fatal.

You sound like Lysa.

And you two would be
two peas in a pod?

- Really? That's so nice.
- CHARLIE: Yeah. [chuckles]

- Isn't that nice?
- Can we focus here?

- Okay, okay.
- Sorry.

So this is a bogeyman,

if you say so.

- What's the plan?
- All right. First off,

we gotta figure out
what kind of bogeyman it is.

Sorry, "What kind of bogeyman"?

We've encountered several kinds
of bogeyman over the years.

A lot of different versions,

a lot of different cultures.

Could be the Sack Man

who snatches kids away
from their home.

We might wanna consider
the Vodyanoy.

The vengeful soul collector
that drowns his victims?

- Baba Yaga.
- CHARLIE: Oh.

Okay. Okay. I get it.
Lots of bogeyman.

All right. How do we figure out
which one it is?

More importantly,
how do we stop it?

We find it before it finds us.

We look for traces
it's left throughout the house.

Magic always leaves traces.

Look, you guys search,
I'll protect the kid.

No, don't go!

CHARLIE: Hey.

I'll be on the phone
with you the whole time.

My friend's gonna look
after you.

Okay?
We're all gonna keep you safe.

Okay?

[music]

[toy phone clicks]

So what exactly
are we looking for?

Um, something that makes
your spine tingle

or the hair on the back
of your neck stand up,

it's probably a good place
to start.

Right.

You really loathe fear, huh?

I just don't find it useful.

If I'm afraid,
I can't do my job.

Really?

It's just that I find fear
is one of the key things

that allows me to be
a Librarian effectively.

CHARLIE: What do you mean?

Um...

I was told I was gonna die
when I was 15.

So, I've had that fear
hanging over my head

for a long, long time.

But one day
I realized that that fear,

it made me sharper,

it made me more aware.

And if I hadn't faced my fear
and conquered it,

I never would have become
a Librarian.

I never would have helped
all the people that I've helped.

[music]

[phone line crackling]

Try to stay back by the bed,
my man.

Don't worry, buddy.

We're gonna find out

what this is.

Your parents will be home soon.

They won't be home soon.

I know you're scared.
It's okay to be scared.

You don't understand.

You're a grownup,
just like Charlie.

She's not scared of anything.

Let me tell you a secret,
all right?

You gotta pinky promise
you won't tell anyone.

- All right?
- Promise.

I'm scared all the time.

- You are?
- Yeah.

See, that's the biggest secret
in the world,

is that the bravest people,
they're always scared.

Even Charlie?

Even Charlie.

See, grownups, they like
to pretend they're not scared

because it helps them
feel brave.

But I think--

I think admitting you're scared,

that's the bravest thing
you can do.

[music]

I have a theory.

[gasps]

CHARLIE: What the?

Where'd it go?

That's not normal.

Exactly as I expected.

Help me move the couch.

CHARLIE: Ready.

Look, darkness is vanquished

when light behaves the way
that physics tells us it should.

That's not a shadow at all.

That's a bogeyman hole.

A what now?

No, this is good.

It means that we know
what we're dealing with.

This bogeyman,
it feeds on fear of the unknown.

It comes
from the Middle English,

bugge or bogge.

It means "a frightening specter"

and it lives in the shadows.

Can we track this?

Or figure out
where it's going to next?

Yes.

The farther a light source
is from an object,

the shorter
the shadow should be.

So in theory, if we can figure
out how the light source

in the hole is moving
relative to the object,

so we should be able to predict
its next position--

English translation, please.

[chuckles] Sorry.

Uh, so a shadow is created

when an opaque object
blocks light,

creating an area of darkness
on the opposite side of it.

Still not English.

Right.

Um...

Okay. The fact that
these shadows remain crisp,

even after an object is gone,

it violates
the inverse square law.

Meaning that the light source
is always either directly behind

or underneath an object.

CHARLIE: What are you doing?

Um, math.

Look, if we map the trajectory
of the shadows

over the course of our presence
in the house,

we can see there's an increase
in surface area to object,

the most recent
of which being this couch.

So we're looking for an object
that's bigger than a couch

and low to the ground.

A bed. We're looking for a bed.

[music]

I'm really scared.

Me too.

- [Jovan screams]
- No, no, no.

[grunts] Look at me.
Keep your eyes on me.

Come on. Bed!

- Jovan! No, no, no.
- STONE: Jovan!

JOVAN: Don't let it take me.

Get him!

CHARLIE: [grunts] Don't let go.

- Boo.
- [all scream]

[panting]

No, no, no,
we got to keep the portal open

until we come up with a plan.

That was terrifying.

It felt like the moment
that I found out

about my brain grape,

the tumor.

It was the scariest moment
of my life.

I know. I felt it, too.

When I was a kid,
I got trapped in a mine.

I couldn't find my way out.

I was scared.

There are moments
when we didn't know

what would come next.

It's a fear of the unknown.

Making us feel
like helpless kids,

just like Jovan.

- Charlie...
- Jovan, can you hear me?

Wait. Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

We got to come up with a plan.

We don't have time
to think of a plan.

- I have to save him.
- Charlie, I need you to stop

thinking like a Guardian
and think

like a Librarian
for a second, okay?

You are no good to him
if you get captured, too.

[panting]

[music]

He was on that phone
when I left.

He set it down for a second.

The bogeyman must've hung it up.

That's how he was able
to take him.

As long as he and I
were connected on that phone,

he was safe.

But when the connection
was severed,

that's when the bogeyman
was able to take him.

Grab things to tie
to the end of this cord.

- What are you doing?
- CHARLIE: All right, jump rope,

cords, cables,

- anything to give me length.
- STONE: Hang on.

Well, hang on.

Hey. Okay, calm down. Okay?

- Hey, wait a second.
- CHARLIE: No.

- Wait a minute.
- I am thinking

like a Librarian,

like my Librarian.

No, Charlie!

[music]

Jovan?

[music]

Found this
in a closet downstairs.

Hopefully it's long enough.

I'm gonna k*ll Vikram.

Teaching them to leap
without looking.

We used to be like that, too.

No, we didn't.

Fine. But we know better now.

Well, she's still learning.

We just need to keep her alive.

See? Isn't that her job?

I think right now Charlie needs
a Guardian more than we do.

[music]

[scoffs]

What are the odds
that Charlie was alone

in the Annex the exact moment
that kid called?

Zero.

The odds are zero.

[music]

CHARLIE: Jovan!

I knew you would come.

Hey, I promised
to keep you safe, didn't I?

Here.

We should leave
while we still can.

Hey, I'm gonna get you
out of here, okay?

What about everyone else?

Aren't you going
to help them, too?

Everyone else?

[music]

You have to help them.

Hey. Of course, I will.

All right, we have to move fast
before the bogeyman gets back.

All right, follow this cord.

All right, my team is on the
other end in the real world.

They'll help.

A stubborn scruffy man
and a cheerful redhead.

Go everyone, quick.

Quick, come on.

Hurry.

Oh, boy!

Go, go. What the--

Back up. Back up.

Quit budging! Easy, easy.

W-w-w-wait. Wait.

Look. Look.

They're just as scared
as Jovan was.

They're not working
with the bogeyman.

They're his other victims.

That's it. Keep going, everyone.

This line connects us
to the other side.

I knew I was right.

Bogeyman's realm is on another
plane of existence,

but parallel to ours.

That's why there can be
so many people under there.

Would you say that under the bed

is the equivalent
of a clown car?

Yeah, sure, you could put it
that way, if you want.

Where's Charlie and Jovan?

If I've learned anything
about Charlie,

she's gonna make sure
everyone else gets out first.

[wind gushing]

BOGEYMAN: You can't leave.

We were just about
to play together.

All right, everyone, quick.

Keep going, everyone!

[music]

Oh!

No, no, no, no, no.

Charlie!

No, no, no, no.

What do we do now?

How do we get out of here?

I don't know.

BOGEYMAN:
You are ruining my fun.

But now, we can play a game.

Just the three of us.

- [gasps]
- Move!

[laughs]

[music]

[rats squeaking]

[chuckles]

[door rattling]

[Charlie grunts]

Now the fun begins.

Jovan, stay back.

[grunting]

[panting]

Of course you can't fight me.

You think I'm "a thing"
that lives in the darkness.

I am "the thing"
in the darkness.

I am an idea.

I am the shadow of the wolves

that chase you
through the forest.

I'm the black armored man
who haunted Rome.

I'm a scrape of an axe
in the streets of New Orleans.

I'm a hook hand
dragging by the car door.

But you?

You are nothing but lies
you're telling yourself,

pretending to be all grown up,

pretending not to believe
in the bogeyman.

But you can't hide
what gave birth to me.

A little terrified child

that's in all of you.

And I can always find it.

I'm not scared of you.

Oh, yes, you are.

Go, go, go, go, go.

And it's intoxicating.

It's intoxicating.

It's intoxicating.

It's intoxicating.

[music]

STONE: We need to get her
out of there.

We should call her.

Oh, I don't think a phone call

is gonna reopen a portal
to a bogeyman's underworld.

Not with a cell phone,
but this might.

What are you dial--
what number are you dialing?

How do you even know
it's the right number?

Seriously?
It's a magic toy phone.

[magic toy phone ringing]

CASSANDRA:
Charlie. Charlie, are you there?

I'm scared.

It's okay.

It's okay to be scared.

No, it's not.

I can't be scared.

I have to be the strong one.

I have to be the brave one.

Why is that, Charlie?

Why do you have
to be the brave one?

Because that's what
I've always had to be.

For my family,

for my squad, for my team.

And now to Jovan.

I can't break my promise to him.

I can't lose him.

Listen to me. We're all scared

of losing people we care about.

It's okay.

Own your fear.

Being afraid is a part
of who you are.

The part of who we all are.

But you know who you are.

Don't you, Charlie?

That's right.

Fear is just part
of being human.

Oh, are you going to pretend
you're big and strong now?

Fear is just part
of being human.

- Fear is all of who you are.
- Huh?

You know what they say,
Bogeyman?

You are what you eat.

- Who are you?
- You tell me.

What do you fear most?

If you are the great unknown,
what banishes the unknown?

If you're with the darkness,

what's the light
that obliterates that, hmm?

Knowledge.

And what is the greatest source
of knowledge?

What protects this world
from evil sorcery?

And what has more power

than you've ever dreamed
of having?

[whimpering]

Library.

That's right.

Wanna know who I am, Bogeyman?

I'm the Guardian.

Feast on that.

[screaming]

He's feasting on his own fear.

He's devouring himself.

Let's go home, Jovan.

Thank you, Charlie.

I always keep my promises.

What's happening to them?

Well, they can all move on now.

You saved them,

from being eternally stuck
in another realm.

CASSANDRA: These must have been
the families that disappeared

from this house every 20 years.

That won't happen again,
thanks to you.

Mom, Dad.

I told you she would free us.

What did he just say?

He said you freed him.

Look.

This was his phone all along.

It's a ghost,

just like him.

No.

I saved him.

He's not dead. I--

Look, he's not in any
of the pictures in the house

because he hasn't lived here
for a long time.

I couldn't put my finger
on what was off about this room,

but you can see everything's
from a different decade.

This family disappeared
decades ago,

trapped with the bogeyman.

But then, how come he called me?

Uh, why was he here
instead of down there?

I think his last living act

was a call for help
from his toy phone.

It created, uh,
a psychic connection

that kept him tethered
to the real world.

That artifact has been
in the Library for decades.

The Library,
it knew you could help him.

It rang for you, Charlie.

So I failed.

- I couldn't save him.
- No, no, that's not--

don't you see?

Hey, hey.

You saved him, Charlie.

CASSANDRA: There are all
different kinds of ways

to save people.

You helped him find his family.

They're together now,
at peace, because of you.

Bye, Charlie.

Bye, Jovan.

It must detect magic
like electromagnetic waves.

Magic as true north.

I love that.

Wouldn't mind having
one of those

Clipping Books around, too.

Yeah, well, each Annex

has its own form
of magic detection.

I guess whatever it deems
best suitable for each team.

You know, thank you,
for everything.

I couldn't have faced it all
on my own.

[chuckling]

Look, you look out
for your Librarians,

but they're here
to look out for you, too.

Don't forget that.

I won't.

It's what makes a team.

You know, just think,
if I've been chosen

to be a Guardian earlier,
we could've been having

these adventures together
all the time.

You're right
where you're supposed to be.

[cymbals clashing]

[toy box slams shut]

[sighs] Uh-hmm.

Hello.

You're back.

Hey. I've never seen you
so excited to see us.

- Wow.
- [Charlie laughs]

Whoa. What's gotten into you?

Wow. Hey, good to see you, too.

- We're home.
- Yes, you are.

Never make me go camping
ever again.

Oh, my God. Don't listen to him.

He just hates sleeping in a bag.

Too used to the creature
comforts of the castle.

The Library was incredible.

We saw the Tree of Knowledge.

- Ark of the Covenant.
- VIKRAM: What about you?

Did you enjoy having the Annex
all to yourself,

you lucky thing?

Or were you bored
without us causing chaos?

Ah, so you weren't able
to categorize the creepy toys.

Well, I did put away one.

That toy phone.

Oh, yeah. That one gave me
the heebie-jeebies.

The face? Terrifying.

Yeah, you have no idea.

But it sounds like you do.

Did you have an adventure
without us?

Wanna hear how I fought
a bogeyman?

- The bogeyman is real?
- Yes. Absolutely.

- You had me at bogeyman.
- Yes. Yes.

Okay. So, it all started
when you guys left

and that toy phone
just kept ringing and ringing.

I mean, I...

[music]