"In the early '30s," "Adolf Hitler and his inner circle became obsessed with the occult, believing that the black arts were key to their plan for world domination." "Nazi agents traveled the globe in search of ancient Nordic relics known as rune stones." "They believed if they harnessed the power of these stones, nothing could stop the march of the Master Race." "The symbols inscribed in these stones were said to describe the path to immortality." ""Dear Mr. Wollner, I write you on behalf of a society of scholars researching Germany's heritage throughout North America." "We chose your family with care, Mr. Wollner." "We ask you to consider hosting Herr Richard Wirth as he conducts work in your region." "He requires only a private room and modest accommodations within your home." "A gratuity will be provided each month for your pains." "Find enclosed an advance of this amount." "$150." "I think we should discuss." "$150, Mama." "Liese!" "Who's there?" "Liese, we will clear the table now." "Annaliese." "Yes." "She goes to school where she must." "All of us practice." "And for in town when we go to sell." "Naturally." "Forgive me." "I'm old-fashioned now." "At any rate, I needn't bother." "The whole world will speak German in a matter of years." "We were told you were a historian." "Yes." "Did you know... our Viking ancestors discovered this land?" "Columbus was, of course, a fraud." "Finlandic parties scouted up these rivers 300 years before the Spanish arrived." "They were repelled by Indians, but they left their rune stones behind." "Like the ancient stone you dug up when you built this farm." "How did you know that?" "What became of the stone?" "We used it in the foundation when we built the barn." "It's in the root cellar." "We faced it inward." "You can still see it." "How forward-thinking of you." "We should have asked more questions." "We can ask in the morning." "I mean, weeks ago." "Show me the stone." "They were here." "The Nordic gods." "Our ancestors." "Don't cry." "Bring her here to me." "They tell me you're in school." "You like to study, then." "Find things." "Challenge your mind." "Study this." "Look at your birdie now." "See?" "She's winking at you." "And with practice, I will be able to make her live even longer." "That's all I can do for now." "But I have my books." "I have time." "I have this stone." "Those who came before rule the blood." "And when you rule the blood, death is no longer the end." "You love your family, yes?" "You'd do anything for them." "Don't want them to end up like your little birdie, do you?" "You'll be a good little helper." "Your part will hurt only a little bit each time." "Airways are clear." "Get that oxygen over here." " Can you hear me?" " Get them to all stand back!" "Sir, can you hear me?" "Look at me, sir." " Put the gun down." " How about not do that, ma'am?" "Sir, can you hear me?" "Can you hear me, sir?" "Don't go to sleep." "Watch me now, sir." " Calm down." " Don't do that, ma'am." "Put your gun on the ground." "Put your gun on the ground, ma'am." "Coronary!" "Here, look at me, ma'am." "Put your gun on the ground." " Larry, open that compress." " Stand back." "Larry!" "Come on, get it open!" "Larry, put pressure on that." "Put your gun on the ground!" "Sir, look at me." "We're losing him." "Look here, ma'am." "Nobody will hurt you." "Look at me." "Larry, we lost him." "Just put the gun down." "Put it down." "Look at me, ma'am." "They're cooking meth in here!" "Get down!" "is everyone okay?" "is that tank turned off?" "I know who you are." "Somebody out in the yard?" "I heard somebody." "You bring the boys over?" "The boys are at home with Barb." "What are you doing?" "Just trying to help, Dad." "If you want to help, rake the yard." "It looks like shit." "Just finished a 15-hour shift, Dad." "Don't worry." "Your brother will do it. ls he with you?" "Dad?" "He's been gone two years." "He's back from lraq. I saw him." "It ain't easy." "I know, Dad." "What do you know?" "You weren't there." "Your brother had to go and kill the sons of bitches." "You weren't in Iraq, were you?" "He comes home a hero." "You take him fishing up near Town Creek, his family never sees him again." "Why didn't you save your brother?" " l'll make your dinner." " Why didn't you tell me you put up a stone for him at the cemetery?" " l did tell you, Dad." " l had to read it in the goddamn paper." "I should have been there for that." "We all should have been there for that." "What the hell do you think I'm hanging around here for, you?" "You don't tell your father shit." "I took you to the ceremony myself." " Yeah." " l want to go trick-or-treating." "Uncle Evan, you forgot." "You were gonna take us trick-or-treating." "It's almost dark out." " You promised." " l love Daddy." "Hey." "So you think I forgot?" "Well, I'm on my way." "Trick or treat!" "Thank you!" "Guys, come on." "Didn't plan on it, Barb." "We just ended up there." "You know how I feel about it." "I just thought the boys needed a place to go." "But he's not there." "He's missing." "Why do you keep trying to bury him?" "I don't understand." "It just seemed like it was time to make some kind of decision." "It's not yours to make." "I'm sorry." "Don't make these boys give up hope." "It's all they have." "It's cruel, okay?" "We're all just living on hope and faith." "If I could go back there and switch places with him, I would in a minute." "I need you to know that." "I know." "Good night." "...and Jefferson County with temperatures in the low to mid-50s." "The wet weather should ease off by Saturday morning, despite cloudy conditions." "West Virginians may be in store for a treat tomorrow night-- the first lunar eclipse of the year." "So step outside tomorrow night and head down to the county observatory which will be holding a public star party on the grounds of Greenwood Elementary" "Evan, wake up." "Evan." "Evan, wake up." "Evan." "Evan, wake up." "Evan, wake up!" "Evan!" "Help me!" "Vic, where are you?" "Evan!" "He comes home a hero." "You take him fishing up near Town Creek, his family never sees him again." "Why didn't you save your brother?" "Evan, help me!" "Vic!" "Victor, I can't find you!" "Help me, Evan!" "Evan!" "Evan, wake up." "Wake up." "Evan, wake up." "It's me." "Wake up." "Evan, wake up." "It's me, Victor." "It's me. lt's me." "Who?" "I need your help tonight." "I need your help." "No questions." "Load the boat on the truck and bring enough gear for two days out." "Bring the guns and plenty of ammo." " Why?" " Don't tell Dad." "No one's to know I'm back till this is done." " Barbara and the boys-- - l-- l said no one." "Now hurry." "Wait." "No." "Let me check you out." " Go." " Are you hurt?" "Go." "They know I've gone by now." "Who?" "Vic, who knows you're gone?" "Go." "Just hurry." "Evan, what's up, buddy?" "I need you to come over right now and look after my dad while I'm gone." "Sure." "For how long?" "Let's go." "Head to Town Creek." "We'll put in there." "Are we going after somebody?" "To shoot?" "You want out of this, you tell me now before it's too late." "You do this with me, nothing will ever be the same." "You'll never be the same." "You ought to know that." "It wouldn't be right if I didn't tell you that." "It's your call." "Let's go." "I haven't been here since I came back with the sheriff in Paw Paw." "This where you ended up?" "That night, you see anything?" "I didn't know if you were ahead of me or behind me." "I did call it out." "Doesn't matter." "No. I want you to know I tried." "We got an hour or two on foot up Creek Valley." "We searched every inch of ground within 10 miles of here." "Well, you missed me." "Okay." "Keep it quiet." "There's a dog." "The father is leaving." "He's not going to be back until after dark." "Are you ready to do this?" "You didn't say anything about a family." "You want to worry about a family, worry about ours." "You got to give me some kind of reason." "I'm the reason." "You okay?" "All right, I'm going in." "The minute they see me, all hell's gonna break loose." "I want you to cover the back porch." "Okay?" "You got it?" "All right." "Come on." "Where is he?" "Evan, shoot!" " Vic!" " ln here." "Watch her." "There's a girl upstairs." "Liese, run!" "Run, Liese!" "Liese, run!" "It's okay." "Don't be scared." "Just hide." "I'll go calm him down." "Where is he?" "Fuck!" "Vic, put the gun down!" "Where is he?" "Out front!" "Run, Liese!" "Run!" "Do it!" "Get her inside." "Where is he?" " Karl!" " Don't look." "If you're going to kill him, then kill him." "Try to be quiet now." "Go to hell." "Why did you come here?" "We're all going to pay for this now." "You saw everything, and you did nothing." "Don't you touch her." "Shut her up!" "Every time you stood at this sink and looked out at that black container, you knew, and you did nothing!" " Nothing!" " l don't understand." "Why would these people keep you here?" "Dinner time, Liese." "He'll wonder why no one comes." "Where is he?" "Jesus!" "Vic!" "Stop it!" "This is my family." "My brother." "You have no idea what you've started." "Tonight we'll see him weeping, too." "Tie them up." "What's in the container?" "Just tie them up!" "Stop ordering me around and tell me what the hell is going on!" "These people took two years of my life." "My life." "You want to get sympathetic, Evan?" "Don't shoot someone in the stomach." "It hurts like hell, and it takes too long to die." "Go tie them up." "What is in that black container?" "Look, I'm not here to hurt you." "I'll figure this out." "This is his doing." "Time doesn't touch us." "You're lying." "I've been 1 7 longer than you've been alive." "What's in that container?" "What you got today, Mr. Wollner?" "Five crates." "Yeah, we can do that." "Cash or trade?" "Trade." "I don't know how you keep it running, but she sure is pretty." "What's she, about 1929?" "1930, maybe?" "Evan!" "Evan!" "You got no reason to look in there." "I thought you were the reason." "Don't." "It's okay. I'm not with them." "I'm getting you out of here." "It's okay." "My name is Evan Marsh." "I'm a paramedic." "Look, man, they... they jumped me in the woods about a week ago." "I think I saw your wife and kids look for you in the woods." "It's okay. I got you now." "Just do it." "Look, I can't do it with my hands." " Be right back." " No!" "Hurry." "Hurry." "Take him down the river to Paw Paw." "Call an ambulance from there." "We can take him with us when we're done." " We're going now." " We ain't finished yet!" "We ain't gonna leave him strung up in there." "We could do this." "Set up an ambush" "You inside, me in the yard." "He doesn't need to be involved in that." "That man's got family somewhere." "All those times you asked me what I did in the war-- what it was like" "Don't throw that goddamn war at me." "I said I was gonna enlist." "You signed up behind my back." "And I had to stay here and take care of Dad every day and have him tell me how you're his fucking hero." "I signed up because I thought I could make it back alive!" "And I couldn't?" "You here are killing old women and girls." "Oh, yeah, big fucking war hero." "You ever stop to think how this could have been you?" "That's all I ever think about!" "That's why I'm here!" "Now we're gonna cut that poor bastard loose, take him in the house out of the way, and take care of this!" "Then take you back to your boys." "Don't forget about your boys, Vic." "Someone's coming!" "Hurry." "We got to hurry." " He's coming." " Just try to hold steady." "Put him inside." "Get up!" "Where the hell is he?" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "What have you done to my son?" "Where's the rest of my family?" "Where the hell is he?" "You don't know what you've done." "You must go!" "Go now, while there's still time!" "Your bullets won't hurt him!" "Run!" "He can't come into the house!" "He's barred!" "He's out!" "Where the hell is it?" "He can't come in!" "I'm going to keep him tied" "He can't come into the house." "He's barred." "What do you mean, barred?" "He can't come in." "The painting on the doors and the windows keep him out." "What is that out there?" "Wirth" " Richard Wirth." "The door!" "Get the door!" "What the hell are you doing?" "The window." "He can come in through the window." "Come on." "This rune is the only reason he has not killed us all!" "Come on!" " You got it?" " Yeah." "Fuck!" "He can be controlled." "Somewhat." "We know some things." "Maybe enough." "The Nazis sent him." "It was 1936." "We thought Wirth was a scholar, but he was here to practice the occult." "Rune stones." "Blood rituals." "We didn't know." "And then the war started, and they couldn't retrieve him." "So we imprisoned him." "Liese did." "She put runes around the yard." "The symbols on the fences keep him on the farm and out of the house." "She was only 12 at the time." "Five years passed." "But by then, we were his prisoners." "Just tell me how to kill him." "Take your brother and leave now." "If you can make it outside the fences, you can get out." "We'll take you with us." "No." "We have to stay." "We let him into our lives." "We can't leave here." "Evan!" "No." "Where's my father?" "Where's Karl?" "They're dead." "They're lucky." "They're free now." "She's having trouble breathing." "Does she take any medicine for her heart?" " Do you have any aspirin?" " No." " What the fuck are you doing?" " l gotta get my bag." " That woman needs help now." " These people can't be trusted." "Run!" "Here, chew these. lt'll help." "He's killed the generator." "Guns." " How do I kill him?" " Victor, enough." " l'm trying to save our lives." " So am I." "Either way, we all die." "You're not the only one who's suffered." "He started with me." "I was 12 when he came to our farm." "That's when he first fed on me." "When my brother saw what he'd done to me, he tried to kill Wirth, but it was too late." "He was already too strong." "All he could do was take my place." "He gave his own blood for a while." "Wirth, he almost killed us, but he needed our help, so he froze us in time like this." "I think it was the fifth year." "A vagrant who came here looking for work." "We'd put him up in the trailer." "First victim?" "We were also victims." "Over the years, I've stolen many of his books and journals." "Everything I've learned, I've learned from these." "At first, my father thought it was a harmless superstition." "But I've seen what he can do." "At first, he raised small things." "My bird, the pigs, dogs." "He'd kill them and bring them back." "But he needed blood for the ritual." "Human blood." "Blood of the living." "What happened to the poor fucks you strung up in the trailer?" "What happened to them?" "A few have died, yes." "But to save how many?" "You've seen what he can do." "Can you imagine if he got out?" "We had him contained until you came here." "The next time he kills, it'll be on your conscience, not mine." "He's barred from the house." "We'll just hole up here and starve him out." "We'll starve well before he will." "He's going back to his pit." "Let's go." "Wait." "He's going back to the stone." "It gives him more strength." "You said you contained him." "How?" "The runes." "Like the windows." "We painted barring runes on the perimeter fence." "Okay, now, what are the runes?" "Ancient Nordic alphabet." "He believes he's descended from the Vikings." "We gave him blood, but just not enough to finish the ritual." "Once it ends, no one will be able to contain him." " How does it end?" " All I have to go on are a few drawings in this book." "But I do know this is his ultimate goal." "This." "This drawing right here." " This is what he's after." " What the hell is it?" "A third eye." "The members of Hitler's society who sent him here thought you could develop one over time." "It's released during a lunar eclipse, making you all powerful." "I don't know what it will be exactly, but I do know he needs blood, a lot of it." "Just not his own." "That would be poison to him." "Once his third eye is released, he'll cross over." "Nothing will be able to contain him, not even the runes." "How do you stop him from crossing over?" "There has to be a way." "The bones." "The bones." "Maybe." "But someone will have to go outside." "He brought his ancestors' bones from Germany and made them into a kind of armor." "He wore it at rituals until I stole it." "Yeah, I've seen it." "It's in the back of the barn." "In those bones is the blood of his family." "He can't trace or hunt against them." "And after I put it on?" "You need to break the link between his blood and his mind." "If you can keep him from getting any more blood, maybe you can stop him from crossing over." "Just get him in the front yard." "Hey, Wirth, your books!" "Come on, you fuck!" "Run!" " Shoot him!" " Bullets don't work." "Not Wirth." "He can't feed off the dead." "Do it, or I'll do it!" "Now you're like us." "It's begun." "Luke?" "I need you to help me." "Can you do that?" "I need you to put me somewhere... where l can't hurt you." "Just do it." "My family, my children." "My family, they're gonna come and get me, bring me home, right?" "They will, won't they?" "Evan, open the door!" "That's mine." "I'm gonna kill you." "No." "You're going to feed me." "I've known men like you all my life." "Tiny men with your tiny ambitions." "Kill the enemy." "You all end up the same-- making death with your own hands and calling others monsters." "Evan, get the bones!" "You said Wirth can't drink his own blood, right?" "Yes." "Give me your scarf." "Tell me how you fed him every night." "After dark, we'd prepare who was in the trailer, make the incision, then I'd ring the bell." "My father would put on the bone tunic, open the cellar, and let him out." "Who made the incisions?" "They had to be done a certain way with a certain knife." "You did it." "You're gonna have to do the same thing to me tonight." "Please, no. I can't." "Yes, you can." "We do this." "We poison him with the blood of his own family." "Come on." "Let's go." "Don't go." "Love you." "You ever wonder how you managed to escape?" "The only one after all these years." "Very simple." "I let you." "I could feel your hatred." "I knew you'd come back." "Tonight, we'll make this possible." "You released me from the family." "Blood is blood, right?" "He is his family." "Do it." "Finish it." "Now ring the bell." "Go back in the house." "It's not finished." "It will protect you." "Otherwise he'd bleed you dry in no time." "Go." "Go." "Wirth!" "Your reward for helping me-- you get to see your brother die." "I'm waiting for you, Wirth!" "Evan." "Evan." "Evan!" "Evan!" "You poisoned me!" "This is our time." "Should have happened long ago." "When Mr. Wirth come in now." "Wirth!" "Wirth!" "Liese!" "Liese!" "Liese?" "Himmler sent eight others like Wirth to other families, other farms where ancient rune stones had been found." "I was expecting this." "All those years, all at once, like an avalanche." "Well, what can I do?" "Stay with me until it's over." "Don't hate us." "Okay, here are more buns." "Here's the mustard." "Mustard?" "Hey, baby." "You okay?" "Yeah." "I'll be right there." "Himmler sent eight others like Wirth to other families, other farms where ancient rune stones had been found." "In the early '30s," "Adolf Hitler and his inner circle became obsessed with the occult, believing that the black arts were key to their plan for world domination." "Nazi agents traveled the globe in search of ancient Nordic relics known as rune stones." "They believed if they harnessed the power of these stones, nothing could stop the march of the Master Race." "The symbols inscribed in these stones were said to describe the path to immortality."