"Once upon a midnight..." "Once upon a midnight... dreary, while I pondered weak and weary..." "Get off of...!" "Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore..." "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping..." "Damn you all." "Why do I keep having these dreams, Grandpa?" "Hmm, nothing to worry, Lenore." "Dreams, they're just that... dreams." " Who is this man?" "I am afraid of him." " What man?" "He's bald and lives in a medieval town." "How did you meet him?" "He comes to me every night, Grandpa, every single night." "Oh, I'm beginning to understand." "He is a part of your dreams, hmm?" "What exactly does he want from you?" "I don't know but I was told that I might have to kill him one day." "Who..." "who told you that?" " Edgar." " Oh, I see." "Well... as you know, Lenore, Edgar Allan Poe has been dead for quite some time." "But he speaks to me every night." "Once upon a midnight... dreary, while I pondered weak... and weary..." "Maybe I should stop... stop reading these stories for you." "No, Grandpa, please don't stop." "All right then, let me explain to you." "This bald man that appears in your dreams... he is part of a story that I read to you." ""The Mask of the Red Death,"" "do you remember that?" "You think so?" "I know so, Lenore." "I don't want to kill him, Grandpa." "But you don't have to, Lenore." "You don't have to." "Unless, of course, you do it in your dreams." "You think I'm beginning to mix up fantasy with reality, is that it?" " There you go." " Anyway, I'm not afraid because the raven will always protect me." "Exactly." "So stop worrying, Lenore." "The raven is always on your side." "And he's a very powerful bird, right?" "Oh yes." "He is very very very powerful." "And I am Edgar's Lenore, so nothing can ever hurt me." "Mm-hmm." "You've got that right, Lenore." "Nothing will ever hurt you." "That's where I saw him last year." "He was sitting on top of that gravestone." "But I've come back here every week and I've never seen him again." "Oh, he will be back, I'm sure of that." "Plus don't ever forget, Lenore, the raven, he's everywhere." "Everywhere you think." "Everywhere you dream." "Everywhere you go." "And by the time you're 25, your childhood will be nothing more than a distant dream." "The future is yours, Lenore, and all the light you shall seek, and all the darkness you might encounter." "Okay, Lenore, um... you know, I hate to tell you this, but..." "I'm just not getting what I need from you for this song." "I need to get..." "I need to get the emotion and the interpretation out of this thing and I need to lay it down, and I need you to do this." "I'm going to try harder." "I've got something in my head, I just don't know how to put it down yet." "Lenore, where are you?" "We need you here." "I know, I know." "I'm sorry!" " Hey!" " Finally!" "Where have you been?" " This is ridiculous." " Always "Lenore, where are you?"" "Let's go, great." "## Thank heaven!" "The crisis ##" "## The danger is past ##" "## And the lingering illness ## ## ls over at last ##" "## And the fever called living ## ## ls conquered at last ##" "## In the dead of the night ##" "## When the light was extinguished ##" "## He covered my soul ##" "## And he prayed to the angels ##" "## To keep me from harm ##" "## To the queen of the angels ##" "## To shield me from harm ##" "## In the dead of the night ##" "## Oooh ##" "## Ooh ##" "## I can't keep on living ##" "## In this world of loneliness ##" "## Your dreams hidden in the shadows ##" "## Leave me only emptiness ##" "## Ooh ##" "## Ooh ##" "## But my heart, it is brighter ##" "## Than the stars in the sky ##" "## For it sparkles like diamonds ##" "## And it glows with the light ##" "## Of the love that is in me ##" "## As I dream of the light ##" "## In the dead of the night. ##" " Excellent." " Absolutely great!" "Great job." " Whoo!" " Wonderful!" "Beautiful." "I had always believed that the black bird was my protector." "What Grandpa had been afraid to tell me was that the raven had a very dark side." "Death to all." "Skinner is back." "I don't think this all-girl band's gonna fly." "Yeah, too many lesbians." "She's a lesbian?" "I thought she was in love with that... that guy." "What's he do?" "What's he do?" "He's fucking dead, that's what he does." "Hey, check this out, man." " Shit!" " That's probably how she killed Skinner." "I gotta pee." "...While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping..." "As from someone rapping, as from someone rapping, rapping at my chamber door." "'Tis a visitor,' I muttered... 'tapping at my chamber door." "Only this, and nothing more.'" "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December... and each separate dying ember" "wrought it's shadow on the floor." "Okay, girls, here's the bridge part." "So let's try this..." "After Grandpa's passing," "I had stopped reading poetry except for "The Raven,"" "and I started writing and composing, trying to bridge the gap between life and death." "By the age of 21, I had become a singer in an all-girls' band." "One, two, three, it's as easy as kill kill kill!" "Lt's for you, Mother Superior." "Thank you, Sister." "Hello?" "Oh, hello, Lenore." "How are you, darling?" "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "Oh." "Oh, but of course." "Oh, I always have time for you." "And I was hoping that the raven, through his light or his darkness, would release me from all earthly bonds." "It was then that a feeling of unattachment overcame me." "And I was praying my life would end rather sooner than later." "And when everyone around me began to disappear," "I knew the messenger of death was getting closer every day." "I've been praying, but God's punishing me." "No, he's not." "Then why does he allow this to happen?" "People just don't disappear." "There are some things for which God gives us no reason." "I'm going to die." "I know I am." "Yes, you will someday." "But for right now, let's pray." "Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, forgive us." "You have to step into the light, Lenore, and cast away the darkness." "The world you're looking for is of the past." "It's of the dead." "It's not for you." "But I'm Lenore." "I can't change that." "Yes, but you're not his Lenore." "How can you be sure?" "I've known you since you were a little girl, and watched you grow into a beautiful young woman." "You are not the prisoner of someone else's poetry." " Why won't it stay?" " It just needs a flash." "Anyway, should we get a lighter?" " We should use a lighter instead..." " Wait, hold on." "...of matches." " Hang on, I can do it." " Sorta." " Are you sure?" "Maybe." "Maybe not." "Ha, got it." "There we go." " It went out again." " I know." " Gimme your lighter." " I don't have a lighter." "That's the only problem." "None of us have a..." " My tooth hurts." " Too much candy." "I'll take you to the dentist." "It's giving me a headache." " I hate the dentist." " Yeah, but... it's better than having it hurt all the time, right?" "See this?" "I'm breaking everything." " Don't break my... shit." " I didn't break it." " God!" " Jesus." "Why do I keep you around?" "Oh, I remember!" " Ha ha ha." " You're so funny." " I know." " Jesus." " Uh-huh." "Yep." " No." " I don't like dentists." " I'll drug you." " You'll drug me?" " I'll drug you and take you." "You're drugging enough there." "Um, with the flashing?" "Kinda fucking up my high." "Don't you have to do laundry or something?" "Lan, come up." "You can't look too trashed for tomorrow." " Hey, that's what makes..." " We've got quite a few interviews, don't forget." " Hmm, yeah, I know." " Do you want some?" "Um, maybe." "I'll think about it." " You're gonna take me tomorrow?" " Yeah." " Definitely." " Not you." "All right, I won't." "Um, we have to set that appointment with the dentist probably no later than 11:00 a.m.," " because we have to be..." " When does it end?" "At 1:00." "And at 3:00 you've got an interview with your fans and the press, so... you've got to be there right after." "You've got a long busy day." "Well, if I have to do all that shit tomorrow," "I'd better get pretty damn high tonight." " Not too high." " Yeah yeah." "You gotta get up early tomorrow." "You gotta take me to the dentist, remember?" " Ugh." " Looks like he's an expert here." "Buddy boy." " Mr. Randy." " Sorry." "Not too much." "It's all right." "You can't look too trashed tomorrow." "Hope he gives me a lollipop." " Are you going to take me tomorrow?" " Yeah." "So what time do you have to wake up for the... to take her to the dentist?" " Like 9:30." " Oi." "Number four is done." "Skinner was here." "All that drilling and blood goozing in your mouth." "Ugh." "High up in the mountains, above all things alive, the raven had his nest." "It's where he kept his prey." "It's where heaven turns into hell." "My childhood dreams had always been more real than anything in my real life." "So was the death of Skinner, which repeated itself over and over and became the cornerstone of my guilt." "Redemption in paradise." "Paradise for me meant to be in the arms of a man who would not leave me, not abandon me, and that, of course, would only be in death." "And it would most certainly have to be Edgar." "I began to further distance myself from all living things... almost dead, in constant yearning for Edgar." "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted... nevermore!" "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December..." "And each separate dying ember... it's shadow on the floor." " Got me a nice bike there." " You like that one?" " I'm lovin' it." " You like the skulls?" "I love the skulls." "How'd you know it's my favorite color?" "A test drive would be awesome." " I doubt it." " I love my bike." "It better not be worth over $20,000." "It's not worth over $20,000." "That's nice." " "Buy me this bike."" " That's why I picked my sugar mama." "That's right, baby." "Mama's got some money." "She loves always taking care of me." "A beautiful bike." "Business or personal account?" "Personal, of course." "Unless you've got it, then maybe we have a deal." "For now, I'm gonna have to let you go." "Yeah, a new bike for her boytoy." "I told her nothing more than $20,000... that's it, 20." "Will you stop it with that?" "Lenore, we've got to talk." "Right now." " I'll be back." " All right, bye." "What?" " Are you sure about this?" " Yes, I am." " You just met him." " That doesn't matter." " It's a Harley-Davidson." " It's $20,000!" "Lt's not $20,000, I swear." "Don't you think that's a little ridiculous?" "No." "I have the money." "I didn't just meet him, plus..." "I mean, he's a great guy." "Great guy..." "yeah, for $20,000." " It's not $20,000." " Think about it first." "Will you at least think about it overnight?" "I mean, what has he really done for $20,000?" "I just want to buy it for him." "Is that such a big deal?" " Yes, it is." " It's my money." "No, it's not." "It's everyone's money." "I'm not taking it out of the business account." "I'm taking it out of my own..." "Whatever goes to your personal is from the business." "Lust is a deadly sin." "Let me look at you." "Oh, Lenore, you are so pretty." "I can't believe you're 10 years old today." "It seems just like yesterday you came to us as a little tiny baby." "But I want you to know, now that you're 10 years old," "I think you're growing up and there are probably some things that you should know." "The man that we called Grandpa... that you called Grandpa... was actually not your real grandfather." "He is the man that gave you the beautiful name Lenore." "When you came to us as an orphan baby, he was the one who found you and loved you and brought you to me for me to keep for him." "You're okay with that, aren't you?" "He was a dashing airline pilot, and he got hurt and lost sight in his eye and could never fly again." "But he would hold you, and kiss you and love you and read you those beautiful stories from Edgar Allan Poe." "Well, to tell you the truth now you know, when he passes on to go meet Jesus, he's left a will." "Do you know what a will is?" "A will is a piece of paper that allows an heir... which you will be his heir... to collect all of his worldly possessions." "That means when Grandpa goes to meet Jesus, that big house is yours and nobody can ever take that away from you." "You can live there forever." "The man in your dreams, Lenore, grew up just like you." "And one day he became real." "But now you must confront evil and go back to the time when you were 10 years old." "Turn him back into the playful jester he once was." "Don't allow him to have the power he's seeking." "Become who you were destined to be and continue to shape your own future, neither in poetry nor in darkness." "And never give up on love." "The raven will show you the way." "He alone knows your destiny in life, as in death." "I'm going to give you a break for a minute." "I'm going to go and check a patient in the other room." " I'll be right back." " Okay." "While I'm gone, they're gonna take some x-rays on you, okay?" "All right." "Thank you." " Jackie, how are you doing today?" " Good." "How are you?" "All right." "We were going to do a filling on the lower left side." " Okay." " Are you up for that?" " Yeah." " Okay." "It's my first cavity." " Yeah?" " Yeah." " I'm gonna lower you back." " Okay." "Okay, open real big." "This stuff kinda tastes like pina colada here." " Are you all right?" " Just close like that and then it's gonna go to sleep." " See, that wasn't so bad, right?" " Mm-hmm." " And you don't feel anything." " Huh-uh." " It'll be good." " I can close my mouth, huh?" "Yeah." " You'll be fine." " Okay." " All that sugar." " I know." " You've been eating a lot of carbs." " Thanks to all the tours." "You don't throw it up." "Getting so numb." " You getting there?" " Yeah." "Starting to, like, not be able to feel your face?" "Oh, it's actually numb." "What do you feel?" "You hear it though." "The sound's weird, but..." " Ugh, I hate the drilling." " Yeah, it sucks, but you won't feel it, so that's good." "And when you go back and you're drinking over at the house, you'll be drooling all over yourself." "If you feel any of this, just make a noise," " and I will stop." " Okay." "All right, Jackie, I can't watch this part." "I'll freak out, so..." "I'll be out in the waiting room." "Okay." " That wasn't too bad, was it?" " Huh-uh." " Okay." " Not too bad." "Okay, Johnny, we're gonna be doing a cleaning on you today." "How's everything going?" "That's an interesting collar you got there." "Okay, open real big." " Does that hurt at all?" " No, it's fine." "Eye for an eye." "Tooth for a tooth." "You're dead meat." " I'll be right back." " Okay." "Jackie, we're gonna get..." "Jackie?" "He came out of nowhere..." "Get off!" "...and went into nowhere." "He raped you." "You killed him." "You were forgiven." "Eagerly I wished the morrow;" "vainly I sought to borrow" "From my books surcease of sorrow... sorrow for the lost Lenore..." "I know you, Skinner, and you can't hurt me." "You are the ugly man from my dreams and I should have killed you a long time ago." "But even though you might be able to kill everything in your path, you will never be able to kill me." "I am the innocent Lenore that nobody can kill, ever." "I am Lenore in life and in death." " Are you sure?" " Yeah." "You're playing the rock star." "Bitch." "Skinner kills all bitches." "Nothing happened to her." "Let's not jump the gun." "Didn't you say she was going to the bathroom?" "Are you sure?" "Girl, it's messing with your head now." " I didn't hear anything." " It's nothing." "Why can't people just let me know where they're going, so I can just not freak out?" "They know that I'm freaked out about everything so why can't they say, "Hey, I'm going here"?" "Don't worry about it." "I'm sure she just stepped outside for a minute." "Mm-hmm." "Doree." "Doree." "Doree?" "Did you see something?" "Yeah, I'm sure you're just overworked." "You know, we've been driving so hard trying to get this recording done and getting all the girls together." "You know how spacey they can be." "I could have sworn I saw him the other night." "It freaked me out." "I know." "I know you're freaked out, but we're gonna go out and have some fun tonight." "Forget about the girls." "They're just missing." "They've disappeared for a day or so just because they've been partying, but they always come back and they always call me." "Yeah yeah." "I mean, I check in with you guys all the time, but you know how spacey they can be though." "I mean, they're out, they're running around, everybody's got a man on the side." "I mean, whenever they go out and party and stuff, it's fine." "Yeah." "Well, we'll all get together soon and everyone will be in one place and we'll know what's going on." "It'll be fine." "Don't worry so much." "I know it's..." "it'll be okay though." "It seems weird, but he's gone." "He's gone." "And the girls, they're gonna show up and we're gonna get back to recording and you're gonna finish this single." "It's gonna be great." "It's gonna be awesome, okay?" "You're gonna get your record done." "You should go in there, get something good, get something fun, get some Go-Go's or some wild Patti Smith or something chill like some Brahms you can relax to and clear your head and get back to your music," "get back to your writing." "You're gonna be great." "Thanks." "I love you." "I love all you girls." "Otherwise I wouldn't be working for you, you know?" "I love you guys so much." "You're gonna be great." "I love you too." "Thank you." "Okay." "Hey, Sharon." "It's me, Loom." "Yeah, I'm with her now." "She went in to get some records." "I'm trying to chill her out." "She's really anxious, but everything will be okay." "I'm gonna get her there." "We're gonna continue this record." "And hopefully, you know, the other girls are gonna make an appearance, and it's gonna be all right." "Yeah." "Yeah." "No no no, she'll be ready." "She'll be ready for the interview." "It's weird." "Yeah, but she's gonna be okay." "I promise you, I'm gonna take care of our girls." "Okay." "Yeah, absolutely." "Yeah, I'll have them there, I promise." "You know I've got it." "Okay." "Yeah, everyone's having that feeling." "Yeah yeah." "Okay." "Yeah, they'll be all right." "All right, bye." "They had nothing but crap." "Loom?" "Loom." "Lizzie was just watching TV." "Doree then went to the refrigerator." "Nicole just came in here to fix her hair." ""I command you, unclean spirit, wherever you are, along with all your minions, now attacking this servant of God..." "By the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion," "Resurrection, Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ..." "By the descent of the Holy Spirit, by the coming of our Lord for judgment..." "I bid you tell me by some sign your name and the day and hour of your departure." "I command you, moreover, to obey me to the letter," "I, who am a minister of God, despite my unworthiness." "Nor shall you be emboldened to harm in any way this creature of God, or the bystanders, or any of their possessions..." "Amen." "It's time to wake up, Lenore." "You cannot always dream." "It's Halloween, your favorite night of the year." "Remember when you were 10 years old, the old house across the street?" "Well, it's still there." "Mother Superior often took you to the cemetery on All Hallows' Eve and Grandpa would read you stories from Edgar Allan Poe." "Later that night, after you fell asleep, the evil man would come and visit you." "Today all of this is a faint memory, but Halloween returns every year, and with it darkness and fear." "The time has come, Lenore, to face your demons." "What are you doing?" "Oh my God." "I can't believe you, Annette." "Damn it." "I should just let you starve to death next time." "You're such a little brat." "This is disgusting." "By the way," "I have news from Lenore." " How is she?" " She has a pact with the devil." "Didn't you know that?" "You got a lucky break when you had that car accident." "Otherwise you'd still be a backup singer in Lenore's band, and that's a one-way ticket to hell." "A bit unusual for this time of year, don't you think?" "What the hell?" "I do not discriminate." "Nothing is sacred." "All bitches must die." "Lenore, my sweet Lenore, only death shall bring what you seek in life." "But death comes when death will." "When the time has arrived, you shall become the Lenore he created, the Lenore only one man knows." "When that moment has come, your longing for love shall no longer be fantasy and illusion." "You wish to undo what you did, Lenore, but you can't." "You have chosen your destiny." "Evil always enjoys death and destruction." "The man in your dreams must have told you that." "It's a game of cat and mouse." "And love... love is nothing more than a game to him, like "I love you," "I love you not." "I love you, I love you not."" "What will it be for you, my sweet Lenore?" "And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming..." "And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor..." "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor" "Shall be lifted... nevermore!" "I'm freezing." "I'm going inside." "Good night." "You think you can get away?" "Think again." "No." "She's mine." "It was at this point that something very very rare occurred." "Hate and revenge were finally conquered by poetry and the evil man suffered." "He suffered in his own hell, ashamed to find out that love can conquer everything," "even the messenger of death, who had to realize that "An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind."" "And I, Lenore, finally became the Lenore in Edgar's poem." "Wake up, Lenore." "Now that your dreams have all vanished, it's time to live." "No more nightmares." "You have redeemed yourself." "From now on the raven shall once more be your protector, as it was always meant to be." "Die." "From hell I came, to hell we go."