"hello?" "It's all ready." "She's playing." "We haven't told heryet." "She'll be happy in her new home." "Don't worry." "See you then." "Laura." "Got you!" "THE ORPHANAGE" "Mummy!" "it's my turn." "I'm coming!" "Simón!" "They're outside." "Listen." "Go to sleep." "darling." "I see! now they can't get in?" "in you go." "Aren't you a bit old for this?" "when you were little? and there was the lighthouse... but it doesn't work anymore." "I'll show you tomorrow." "Why doesn't it work?" "Can you keep a secret?" "it does work." "it protects us." "Invisible light?" "try this." "over there." "Don't move." "See it?" "Did you see it? why can't they stay at home? and they need a lot of special care." "they need a home." "You understand?" "Can I sleep with you tonight?" "kiddo!" "are you coming to the beach?" "Aren't Watson and Pepe going?" "they didn't sleep a wink last night." "You're such a smartass!" "Friends only when it suits." "take your pill." "S" for Simón!" "Go upstairs and get your bag." "Dad'll meet us there later." "One of us should talk to him." "About his invisible friends." "he's bored." "It's normal." "He'll forget them as soon as the real kids arrive." "Everything will work out." "We'll have a great home." "I'm so glad we're here together." "Pirate." "Cave." "And lighthouse." "very bad pirate near a lighthouse." " What treasures?" " Stolen treasures." "But it wasn't easy to get into the cave." "How did they get in?" "They'd click a stone in a gap in the rocks..." "Simón!" "come on!" "What's your name?" "I'm Simón." "Do you want to play?" "Why can't you play?" "Do you want to come to my house to play later?" "What are you doing?" "Playing." "But Watson and Pepe didn't come." "It's another boy." "He shouldn't play here." "It's dangerous." "let's go." "Can he come home to play?" "Why are you dropping shells?" "It's a path for my friend to follow so he can come and play." " He made a new friend." "How's that?" " Another one?" "We won't have room for all these kids." "Good afternoon." "Sorry I didn't call but I couldn't get your number." "Benigna Escobedo." "I'm a social worker." "I'm sorry you've come so far but there are no interviews today." "Interviews?" "I'm here for Simón." "What a sitting room!" "It's a beautiful house." "How did you find it?" "I grew up here." "It was an orphanage." "so I thought of the home." "Home?" "For special children." "That's not why you came?" "You'll need a lot of people for that." "It's not that kind of a home." "We'll be happy with 5 or 6 children." "More would be too complicated." "What about Simón?" "of course!" "I received his file yesterday in case they need anything." "Will you make many changes?" "I don't understand why you're here." "This information's old." "but I received it." "an experimental program" "You might be interested." "My husband is a doctor." "We're aware of all treatments for Simón's disease." "Now please leave. and I'd rather deal with it with my husband." "CHANGE OF RESIDENCE" "HIV POSITIVE" "Carlos." "I'll go." "It's my turn." "Who's there?" "What are you doing?" "Carlos!" "What is it?" "Planning to bash the old lady's head in?" "Sleep with Simón tonight." "we'll call the cops." "Can I wake up?" "Can I wake up?" "You are awake." "You can get up now." "Wendy gets old and dies?" "but Peter Pan takes her daughter to Neverland." "Why doesn't Wendy go too?" "would you come too?" "I'm too old to go to Neverland." " How old are you?" " 37." "At what age will you die?" "What sort of question is that?" "when you're much older." "I won't get older." "I'm not going to grow up." "Like Peter Pan?" "Like my new friends." " There's more than one?" " Six." " They won't grow up either?" " They can't." "What are they holding?" "Treasures." "To play with." "Your friends play together?" "Sure. and you have to find it." "That's the game?" "Finding treasure?" "but following the clues." "they grant you a wish." "Well now." "And you have a treasure?" "Special coins." "An old man left them in the park." "I think they're gold and very valuable." "Want to see them?" "Don't look yet." " Where'd you get all this?" " I found it." "What's this?" "The first ice cream I had after my tonsils operation." "The special coins." "they're milk teeth." " Where'd you find them?" " See?" "They're the first clue." "They've got my coins." "You want to play treasure hunt?" "The game's started." "Remember where you kept my milk teeth." "I can make a wish." "Sand." "Where do you find sand?" "right?" "it has to be at home." "What's this?" "The sewing box!" "wait!" "hurry up!" "This rings a bell." "The key in the kitchen!" "Those are Daddy's..." "I can make a wish!" "Leave that alone!" "you shouldn't touch them." "I didn't." "It was them!" " Don't lie to me." " I'm not lying. and you're not!" " What?" " You're not my mother." " Who told you that?" " My friend told me." " What friend?" " Tomás." "I have no mother or father." "And I'm going to die." "you're a liar!" "We wanted you to be a bit older to talk about certain things." "If you want to ask us anything..." "Is Father Christmas a lie too?" "Simón... saw the envelope and invented the game because you were afraid to ask about it." "What if I don't take them?" "Nothing would happen." "how soon would I die?" "even weeks." "we'll take care of you." "You won't get sick or die." "OK?" "You don't love me!" "It's a lie!" "son!" "the first kids are here!" "Come on!" "We can't go yet." "I want to show you something." " What is it?" " Tomás' little house." "darling." "You can show me tomorrow." "No!" "Simón." " Now!" "Go downstairs right now!" "I don't want to!" "Come and see Tomás' house." "don't." "No one is forcing you." "WELCOME" "Darling!" "son." "What's going on?" "Darling!" "Darling!" "Carlos!" "Laura!" "Come on." "There's no one!" "We can't stay here!" "Carlos!" "Carlos is here." "and they want to talk to you." "How are you?" "He's not in the caves." "Carlos. in all the confusion." "he wasn't there." "I'm Pilar." "but you must know we're doing all we can to locate your son." "Pilar is a psychologist." "She works with the police." "They're working hard to find Simón." "I have a few questions. and your son's illness." "There are possibilities we must consider." "What possibilities?" "That he has been kidnapped by a relative." "I heard you recently found a woman intruder in the grounds. came a few days ago." "We can find no social worker with that name." "Could you describe her? very thick glasses." "We will find her." "You can be sure of that." "How can they trust me with their kids after this?" "Let's do something." "Wear my grandmother's Saint Anthony medal." "To bring us good luck." "You don't believe that." "Exactly." "But you do." "Take it now." "Give it back when we find Simón." "Simón Sánchez's parents feel more and more forsaken." "The 7-year-old boy disappeared from his home 6 months ago." "The situation is even more desperate because Simón is ill and needs daily medication." "My son disappeared 6 months ago." "His name is Simón." "There are posters everywhere." "You may have seen them. not even a trace." "My son had imaginary friends." "We never paid much attention but..." "I have the feeling they're in the house." "I saw my daughter." "A year after her death." "we were asleep." "I went to her room." "And there she was." "Smiling." "Calm." "It was her way of telling me: don't suffer for me. the presence of a loved one after their death." "All of us in this group could tell you similar stories." "You don't understand." "My son is not dead." "His friends took him." "I saw one of them." "He was at home." "I'll do whatever it takes to recover my son. believe me." "I know what I'm saying." "It's her." "The woman who came to the house." "Benigna?" "Simón!" "We went to Benigna's house." "We found some pictures and old Super 8 films." "I'd like you to see them." "Are any of the faces familiar?" "the orphans." "My friends." "Martín." "She liked to be called Martín." "Rita." "Víctor..." "I think his name was Guillermo." "she was blind." "And this is me." "Benigna?" "The woman you saw worked at the orphanage." "That's impossible." "I'd remember!" "She wasn't there very long." "She had a son." "Tomás. he was kept away from the others." "No one knew." "It was a total shock when they found the body." "What do you mean?" "It seems he disappeared while playing." "CHILD'S BODY FOUND ON BEACH" "Shortly after your adoption." "One of the orphans confessed that they had played a trick on him." "They went into the caves with Tomás and took his mask off to see if he'd come out." "But he never emerged." "He drowned." "They found his body at low tide." "The children weren't blamed." "They were only playing." "That boy was in my house." "We asked everyone at the opening party." "No one remembers a child with a sack mask." "I can't sleep through the night." "I can't stop thinking." "Remember what we called Simón when we met him?" "Two Little Kilos"." "My two little extra kilos"." "That's all he weighed." "The doctors said it wasn't enough." "But it was plenty for us." "Although we knew there was little chance he could ever be normal. saw his smile for the first time... his bright eyes..." "Carlos." "we're strong." "Together." "but it's hard." "someone's in the bathroom." " What is it?" " Someone was here." "it's still warm." "I just got up." "Someone got into bed." "I'm convinced." "That's what Jung means when he says it's in the subconscious that the living coexist with the dead." "The Germans have another name for "the herald of death"." "Doppelganger." "A being that appears in one's own image." "A double. a passport to the otherworld." "How long has your son been missing?" "Nine months." "Strange things are happening." "Things linked to his disappearance." "I don't know who to turn to." "It's not that simple." "You won't find an exorcist in the yellow pages." "This is from my son's kidnapper." "The police say he's been dead for over 30 years." "Someone has my son." "I don't know why." "But I won't do nothing." "someone I trust." "I'm talking from the heart." "Would you allow a medium to visit your home?" "This wasn't a children's room in the orphanage." "The bedroom was back there." "Then we should start here." "Enrique. give me an hour. some clothing from the past." "We're not alone. who would like to attend the session." "If you don't mind." "Cops!" "The cops is cool!" "What does she need that doll for?" "To facilitate her trance." "Clothing and objects get her into it and begin the regression." " Regression?" " A psychic summoning." "and cross." "Like a sort of time travel. but you mustn't fear parallel perception." "Aurora will see it." "I hope we'll all see it." "Enrique." "Whenever you want." "can you hear me?" " Perfectly." "Here we go." "Everything around you is beginning to fade. it's closing in on you." "Everything is fading." "We're no longer here. and the darkness begins to disappear." "I'm going to count down from ten you can go wherever you want and will be able to see anyone who is hiding in this house." "Ten..." "Nine..." "Eight..." "You can open your eyes." "the window is open." "I want you to look around you." "Is there anyone with you?" "I can hear someone." "I can hear..." "I hear something." "It comes and goes." "I can't hear it anymore." "I think I've lost them." "I can hear something." "... all alone." "I'm sure it's children." "At the end of the hall." "I think it's them." "I can't open it." "It's closed." "But there's someone." "Why are you crying?" " We're sick!" " Who's sick?" "I won't hurt you." "Open the door." "Don't be afraid." "Open the door." "We want you to open the door!" "What have they done to you?" "What have they done? tell me what you see." "Five children." "They're very sick." "They're crying." "What happened?" "They're dying." "Who would want to poison you?" "Someone's going to kill us." "Is my son there?" "is Simón with you?" "Is Simón here?" "can you hear me?" "Let's get her." "stay in the middle of the room." "I'll count from ten." "Ten..." "Nine..." "Eight... but... everything was different." "everything was much older." "The light from the lighthouse came through the windows." "You didn't see Simón?" "I'm sorry." "I couldn't recognize anyone." "But the children were there." "You saw the children." "Is that right?" "That's right." "You're talking about ghosts." "Carlos?" "and we all saw it. a wound that acts as a knot between two time lines." "It's like an echo waiting to be heard." "Like a scar..." "I'm sorry." "Like a scar or a pinch that begs for a caress to relieve it." "Laura... we are more receptive to these messages." "You mean my son could see those children" "because..." "That's enough." "Please take your things and leave." "We can't let them go like this. a sideshow trick." "I can't believe this." "Why?" "For what reason?" "They're right..." " They don't want money." " Not yet." "What should I do?" "What should I do?" "The police haven't found a single clue as to whether he's dead or alive." "just sit and wait?" "Can it hurt to listen?" "you stop!" "Pilar..." "How many similar cases have you had in this damned village?" "I didn't invite you here." "What should I do? you are a good mother." "it will guide you." "But only you know how far you are willing to go to find your son." "I don't know what to do." "but don't listen." "Seeing is not believing." "It's the other way around. and you will see." "What are you doing?" "We can't stay here any longer." "at least for a while." "The children are here." "Aurora saw them." "I can't leave." "You heard the voices." "That Enrique could have faked it all." "Can't you see it could be a set-up?" "a set-up?" " Her rational theory?" " She's protecting us." "From what?" "Things like this evening." "People entering our home and fucking up our lives." " They just want to help." " Help?" "Didn't you hear them?" "Did they mention finding Simón?" "They just want to contact the dead." "I can't see how they can help us." "they won't recover him." "I don't want to keep taking this shit." "let's leave this house." "You can't ask me to give up." "Neither you nor Pilar." "We can survive this." "Many couples lose a child and pull through." "don't you understand?" "I can't stop you." "I just want to know where he is!" "Where are you?" "I'm not afraid." "You want to play?" "Are you playing with me?" "Benigna?" "don't let it be Simón." "right?" " Yes." "All my friends." "Víctor. to recover their bodies." "I've thought it out." "Their game killed Tomás and now they're playing with Simón and me." "Simón's in danger and I don't know how to play." "I don't know how to play." "you're making it up." "I saw it myself." "And this afternoon?" "Who laid out the clues?" "Simón made it all up." "Who?" "Tell me!" "Who?" "I've packed." "I don't want us to stay here." "I can't leave yet. and you're not staying alone." "there are too many memories." "I have to say goodbye." "Two days." "Alone." "I need this." "Please." "Please bless what you have given us." "Thank you for letting us gather once again and be together." "What else do you want?" "What more must I do?" "What?" "I have no time." "You want to keep playing?" "Is that it? then you tell me where Simón is." "OK?" "knock on the wall!" "knock on the wall." "wait!" "No." "I won't hurt you." "I just want to find Simón..." "Why are you crying?" "my darling!" "Are you OK?" "You're freezing." "Don't worry about a thing." "I'll get you out." "Stay and play with us." "We can't stay to play." "Simón." "Imagine it's just you and me here." "OK?" "Think about before we came to this house." "Remember?" "OK? and all the things we'll do together." "darling! shut them really tight" "and think about what you'll be when you grow up." "darling?" "the friends you'll make." "And just believe for a moment that Tomás and the other children aren't real. like a nightmare." "Simón. make them go away. and keep on playing with me." "OK?" " What is it?" " Tomás' little house." "I found you." "This isn't fair." "I found you..." "I want Simón back!" "can I wake up?" "darling." "Mummy..." "I found the special coins." "Now I just have to make a wish." "I wish you'll stay and look after all of us." "It's Laura!" "like Wendy in the story." "It's Laura." "don't be afraid." "The house." "The beach." "The lost children." "Once upon a time there was a house near the beach where the lost children lived..." "In memory of Laura and Simón and of the orphans" "Víctor and Tomás."