"Alex." " What?" " I need to go." " So?" " Can I come with you?" "Hurry up." "Stay with me, please." " Doesn't work?" " As usual." "It's the others, you know." "They like to play with the taps." " Who?" " The other children." "What do you mean?" "Who are you talking about?" "You know, the scary children." " That's make-believe." " No, it's true." " So you've seen them?" " Hmm." "So there." " Wait." " Where are you going?" "I'll be right back." "Alex." "Alex?" "Alex?" "Alex?" " Everything going properly, mademoiselle?" " Yes, Madame." "Madame Francard." "I'll be needing you." "Since when don't you?" "Second door on the right." "You'll find everything you need." "You don't have to put that on straight away." "Oh, she doesn't miss a trick old mother Francard." " My name, you saw on the cupboard." " Helenka?" "I do the cooking around here and the cleaning also." " Rest your heart." "You won't be alone." " Ah." "You are a pretty one, aren't you?" "Have you worked here long, ma'am?" "No need to "ma'am" me, or curtsy either." "This has been my home for 23 years." "It isn't exactly a picnic." "But it's no worse than anywhere else." "And the fresh mountain air is an extra added bonus." "And you?" "How did a pretty, young girl as yourself end up here?" "If I had a smile such as yours," "I would have played my cards differently." "Are you going to stay here all by yourself?" "You send some little housemate that I did not choose, and I'm supposed to hand her the keys to the place?" "This young woman had trouble with the people she used to work for." "Serious trouble." "The job at Saint Ange is a chance for her to start over." "And she's very competent." "What do you know about house staff, gentlemen, hmm?" "I ask you." "Madame, Saint Ange is closing whether you like it or not." "Or would you prefer that another child die here?" "I would've preferred the funds to bring Saint Ange back up to standard." "It would've avoided a lot of misery." "Madame Francard..." "She came to fetch you at the bus stop?" "She insisted upon it to show she's still the boss." "She's like that." "Come." "This is the service hallway." "Boys' dormitories are on the other side of the main stairs." "The girls' dorm is upstairs." "The rest is more or less closed off." "More or less?" "Some parts are so rotten, they're not safe." "Humidity, leaks." "Saint Ange's fatal wounds." "Your room." "My dear children, today should be a day of celebration." "You will be leaving this home that saw you grow up... with the love of God and the respect of his holy word." "You have been raised and cherished... according to the rules of the holy gospel." "And the education that you have received here... will guide you in the outside world... through your most difficult moments." "Never forget, in the new life that a waits you... the lessons that you have learned at Saint Ange." "And please keep, each and every one of you... in a small corner of your heart... the memory of the happy times that we have had here." "I know that you will strive... among your new adopted families... to be deserving of the love that will be granted to you." "And that throughout your lives... as men and women... you will always honor Saint Ange." "Helenka?" "Helenka?" "Come in." "You have come to visit me?" "That's good." "The music was for you." "You have reached paradise." "Saint Ange is children's paradise." "Really?" "I saw you with the children." "They like you." "We'll make the house shine for when they return." "They'll be back sooner or later." "They turned off the water." "They wanted me to change rooms, but I don't think so." "How long have you been here?" "I've always been here." "How old are you?" "Stop it." "You ask me like that, but in fact you're really dying to know." "Just like the others." "But not the children." "They don't care how old I am." "Go away." "I'm sorry." "You don't understand." "You're always judging." " I'm very sorry." " Go away!" "You have just met Judith." "She just gave you her special welcoming." " She's completely..." " Hopeless." "You see why she's still here?" "I think she's been watching me." "Judith?" "Typical." "As nosy as a spy." "How old is she?" "What do you think?" "She speaks like an adult... until you realize she's spinning perfect nonsense." " How odd." " Ah, you'll get used to it." "What will become of her?" "She's gotten it into her little head that I'll be taking her with me." "I can be a softy, but I can see her coming." "Can you imagine the troubles?" "I swiped it out of the store room." "Bet Francard never used it once." "Here, Judith." "Uh, yuck." " Music, music, music." " Oh, yes, yes, of course." "Music." "Forgive me." "Forgive me." "I'm in the mood for love" "Simply because you're near me" "Funny, but when you're near me" "I'm in the mood for love" "Heaven is in your eyes" "Bright as the stars we're under" "Oh, is it any wonder" "I'm in the mood for love" "# Why stop to think of whether #" "# This little dream might pay #" "# We've put our hearts together #" "# Now we are one #" "# I'm not afraid #" "# If there's a cloud above #" "# If it should rain, we'll let it #" "# But for tonight, forget it #" "# I'm in the mood for love #" "Hey." "Good." "Come on." " Sleep well?" " Sort of." " Bad dreams?" " How did you know?" "It's a big house." "You'll find you'll get used to it." "Oh, there's Daniel." "He's early." "Would you like anything?" "You'll manage then?" "We won't be home late." "This morning I'll do the floors in the entrance." "Do what you please." "Madame the boss is off skiing." "Watch out for the scary children." "Hold her." "Hold her." "Oh, my God." "Hold her." "Oh, my God." "Hold her, Judith." "Calm down." "Calm down." "Hold her, Judith." "Hold her." "Anna, Anna, Anna, Anna." "Calm down, Anna." "Anna, Anna, Anna." "Everything is fine." "Everything is fine." "Everything is fine." "Calm down." "Calm down, dear." "Calm down." "Yes." "Good girl." "Calm down." "Shh." "Calm down, calm down." "Oh, shh." "Hold still, my dear." "I'm almost through." "One more stitch." "Don't move, don't move." "Don't move, don't move." "When he'll arrive, we'll have a party with music." "Stop." " Why?" " "Stop," I said." "That will do." "Oh, my God." "What did they do to you?" "They did this to you, the bastards you were working for?" "Don't tell anyone." "Ever." "Cry, little one." "Cry." "Cry, cry, cry." " What are you doing?" " Nothing." "Just rummaging." "You'll find nothing but rats here... and a few memories... which are hardly any of your business." " You got back last night?" " Don't worry." "I'm not staying." "Just collecting a few personal belongings... if you don't mind." "Raking up the past, eh?" "They brought us more than a few of the earth's damned." "Poor lambs." "Dozens each week." " Children?" " Crouched at the back." "Dumb as mutes." "So lost, even the babes couldn't find the breath to cry." "Five years of war." "We made it through." "When this was properly filed in my office... children always found a way to come snooping." "It's unwholesome, isn't it?" "And you, do you enjoy poking your nose into all this?" "No." "Don't mention it to Helenka." "She is trying to forget." "Do you understand?" "I've known girls like you before:" "Can't stay in place, always roving about... listening behind doors... interfering with everything." "In the end, they always get what they deserve." "You told her." " You told her." " What?" " Francard knows." " Of course she knows." " Have you looked at yourself?" " I don't believe you." " Why did you tell her?" " Didn't need to." "You can see it in your eyes." "We have known it since before you got here." "What do you think?" "What's important is that you, you accept it here." "Oh, silly thing." "Thinks she can fool the world." "We know, girl." "We know." "Good-bye, Madame Francard." "Don't worry." "I'll take care of everything." "Judith." " Please make an effort." " What?" "You've got to tell me." "I saw the other children in the chapel." " The scary children." " The children." "I saw their pictures in the chapel." "Marie talked about them all the time, the scary children." "They come to see me at night when I'm sleeping." "I can hear them." "Judith, I came because I'm here too." "Remember what you said yesterday?" "Please remember." "That I could keep the kittens." " Oh, it's not a good idea." " But you've gone and said it yesterday." " Let's talk about it tomorrow." " No, we talk about it today." "I have to finish my work." "Come on, I'll help you." "I have a lot of work to do, you'll see." "I don't care." "I'll go and hide, and if you don't find me, I'll keep the kittens." "Helenka, come on." "I'll go and hide." "Leave that liar alone where she belongs." "Judith, over here." "Whoo." "Catch me." "What do you want?" "What is it?" "Anna, what is it?" "Anna, calm down." "Calm down, and we'll talk about it, all right?" "I suppose I invented this too." "Do you have any idea what the world is?" "Or are you in the same world as Judith?" "Listen, Anna." "If you're looking for troubles, all you need to do is to tell her all about it." "As if she's not disturbed enough as it is." "She arrived here in '46, in the ambulance with the others." "The others, where are they?" "How many survived do you think?" "Huh?" "How many?" "Two lousy doctors for 300 kids." "How many do you think we saved?" "What is it you are after?" "She arrived here in '46," "in the ambulance with the others." "The others, where are they?" "How many survived do you think?" "The kittens are gone!" "Where did they go?" " I don't know where they are." " Where are they?" "Calm down." "I haven't seen the kittens." "No, Judith." "The kittens are gone." "Where are you?" "Oh, please give them back to me." "Sweet Jesus, please." "Judith, come and look." " You didn't, did you?" " No." " You didn't want me to keep them?" " Judith..." " You said they were born in the wrong place." " No." "You didn't want me to keep them." "She went to the wash shed, like she knew." "She knew because she did it." "She's a liar like the others." "They were warned to hide the truth of what happened here." "The children wanted them to know." "For years, they wanted you to stay asleep." "They lied." "You're going to wake up and remember what you saw." "What?" "The children." "Your brothers and sisters." "They did things to them, even worse than they did to you." "But they're still here, somewhere in the house." " You can feel them, can't you?" " I think so." "Where are they?" "You're going to wake up." "How much longer are you going to avoid me?" "Three days I haven't heard a peep from you." "All because I didn't want her to keep the kittens." "I never have touched a hair on their backs." "You know where she'll end up?" "Locked up with the insane." "Ah, stupid." "Stupid." "I remember a place, long ago, where they put the children." "What sort of children?" "Different ones." "How different?" "Everything was different." "Try to remember, Judith." "They need me, like you." "It was beautiful, like paradise, filled with children." "Where were you?" "I played with them." "It was beautiful." "The refectory?" "No." " The main hall?" " No." "Try to remember, Judith." "I think there was a corridor." "Maybe not." "In the big bathroom?" "In the big bathroom?" "The bathroom." "Are they here?" "Somewhere behind the walls." "I just know they're going to want to play." "Give me the light." "Judith, the light." "Did you see them?" "I told you they'd want to play." "Are they here?" "Are you here?" "It's them?" "Come down." "There's all that broken glass to fall on." "If you go there, you can't come back." "It's all rotten in there." "You'll see." "Stop it." "My God." " Did you see them?" "Did you see them?" " Calm down." " Calm down!" " What did you do to them?" "They've been gone and buried for 15 years." " There were too many of them." " Leave her alone!" "More lies!" "You're a liar!" "You want them to lock me up!" "They're here?" "You see them?" "Is this where you play?" "Anna!" "Don't go in there!" "It's over, Anna." "It's over." "It's done." " It works with a switch." " Oh, please tell me you're not going in there." " Let me go." "Let me go." " Don't." "Don't, please." "Let me go!" "It doesn't work." "There's no one here anymore." "Let's go." "Come." "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "The door's got to be shut for it to work." "No!" "Stay there." "Don't leave, please." "If I don't come back, you can get help." "Who?" "You'll know." "You're a big girl." "Mommy." "Mommy." "Mommy." " What was she doing in here?" " Madame Francard." "Here she is." " What do we do?" " We don't touch a thing." "There's nothing left to do except call the police." "We're leaving." "I should never have left her alone." "What more could you have done, huh?" "Apart from coming to fetch me." "You did very well." "I should have come sooner, when she drowned the kittens." "Then Judith wouldn't have turned against me." "Is she taking her pills again?" "I'm seeing to it." "You can bet on it." "Are you ready?" "Come on." " Judith?" " I'm just taking a souvenir." "Judith." "Judith?"