"Stinks" "Mom, Dane just said stinks." "Don't say stinks Dane." "I thought you said this wasn't going to be that different from the last place." "It won't be once we get our stuff moved in." "Yeah except for the two thousand mile walk to go hang out with my friends." "You'll make new friends." "Better friends." "I call biggest room." "Sheesh." "Well this was nice of someone" "Oh that's so sweet." "Did Aunt Bee bake us a pie?" "There's a basket in the street." "Let's go play." "Dane." " What the hell's your problem?" " Let's go play." "Go have fun." "Hey Smooch I'll play with you honey." "Forget it." "Hey." "This is a change for Lucas too." "Okay?" " Are you joking me?" " No I'm not joking with you." "All you have to do is put him in his room and put on cartoons and he's fine." "Or perhaps if you spend a little more time with him." "What do you say?" "Any more time and I..." "I'd really strangle him." "What happened to the old Dane I used to know... that would draw rainbows and people with smiling faces on them?" "I grew up." "Did you?" "Please do not take this out on Lucas okay?" "It's not his fault that we had to move." "I had to do this." "I could not take a chance." "I am sorry about your friends." "I'm sorry about having to move again." "But I would really like this to work out." "I want you to help me make it work." "Which mean's no more fighting no more problems in school." "I need you to be better than the things you have seen." "What's that supposed to mean?" "That means I would like us to be happy okay?" "We all could use a little more happy in our lives." "That's great." "That's not too bad huh?" " Can we make it work?" " Nope." "There's another box in the back of the truck if you could get it please." "Okay." " This one?" " Yeah that's good." " All right." " Careful." " Mom!" " Dane why did you bring this?" "To help Lucas get over his Bozo-phobia." " Shut up." " Mom Lucas just said shut up." "You two are embarrassing yourselves in front of our new neighbor." "Sure beat's old Mr. Hyatt walking down Clark Street in his boxers doesn't it?" "Hey Dane where do you want me to put your Jonas Brothers CDs?" "Oh you're in such trouble." "What's new?" "That goes in the basement sweetie?" " Thanks." " Okay." "Why do you baby him so much?" "Are you jealous?" " You okay kid?" " Yeah." "Just go talk to him." "He said he was sorry" "I'm so done with him." "You've been saying that since the fifth grade" "I know right." "I got you!" "Don't you even pretend to throw me in there Adam." " Not cool!" " Sorry." "Okay you guys call me if you have any problems but I don't want any problems so please don't call me." "I need this job to go well." "We'll be cool." "Promise me." "The both of you?" "Promise." "Scout's honor." "You know I hate to tell you this Dane but you were never a Scout my friend" "I actually..." "I thought about it once because of the cookies." "Those are Girl Scouts loser." "I love you." "Don't pester your brother okay?" "Good luck Mom." "Thank you." "You guys do things together." "The two of you." "Please." "Dane." "See you guys later." "Hey!" "Let's go throw." " I'm busy." " Doing what?" "Nothing." "Go away." "Come on." "You can stare at her from outside." "Okay?" "I said I'm busy." "Now get out of here." "I don't feel like it." "You never feel like it." "Hello." " Are you the new neighbors?" " I'm Lucas." "We just moved here." "Hi Lucas." "I'm Julie." "Pleased to meet you Julie." "My brother Dane and my mom Susan." " Where?" " Right up there." "You want to meet my brother?" "Dane liked it better in Brooklyn." "But I..." "I gotta go." " Mom!" " Hey buddy." "Mom!" "Let go!" "You ever bite me again I'm gonna..." "What's your problem dickhead?" " You should have played with me!" " Oh really?" " You want me to play with you?" " Yes." "I have no problem playing with you." "No!" " Mom is gonna be pissed at you." " It was your fault." "What is that?" "Hold on." "Here help me get this." "That's a lotta locks." "Probably just to keep people from the gas pipes or something." "Or a treasure maybe." "Go look for the keys." "They're not down here." "If there's treasure I get half." "It's just a hole?" "It's cold." " How deep do you think it is?" " I don't know." "Okay." "Go ahead." "Did you hear anything?" "That's really weird." "Maybe it's like some kind of tunnel or something." "To where?" "I don't know." "I mean it's gotta have a bottom." "Right?" "Hello!" "What?" "You're being totally immature." "Oh heck." "I would never kill somebody." "Not unless they paid me off." "You're being totally immature." " How does it do that?" " I don't know." "What'd you do?" "Nothing." "I think it got caught on something." "So you two didn't kill each other?" "Not yet." "Oh she's Julie." "Hi Dane." "The boy who hates it here." "Hey do you wanna come look at our hole?" " I'm sorry?" " Uh nothing." "We uh..." "We got this hole in the floor." "It's no big deal." "Is that what you do for fun in Brooklyn?" "Play with your holes?" "What is it?" "Our hole." "Well were not really sure what it is." "Hi Charlie." "What do you think?" "Charlie doesn't like your hole very much." "We can't see the bottom." "I think it's just a crawlspace or something." "Watch." "That was weird." "Okay..." "This is so cool." " Is it working?" " Yeah." "So what exactly do you think you're gonna see?" "I don't know." "Could be like an underground tomb." "Like the Catacombs or something." "The Catacombs of Bensonville." "I seriously doubt that." "I think it's just a really deep hole that Creepy Carl dug up." "Who's Creepy Carl?" "The guy that used to live here." "Now he lives out in the old glove factory on the other side of town?" "Now let's go see what the inside of a hole looks like." " Is it working?" " Yeah." "I told you." "There's nothing down there." "It's just a hole." "A hole with no bottom in the basement of our house." "How does that make sense?" "Did you see that?" "Look right there." "You see it?" "That's something." "Or anything." "Like light coming through a crack in the wall." "Or an alien." "Or an egg." "Or an alien egg." "How do you even come up with this?" "It's not any..." " Hey guys." " Hi Mom." " We were just watching some TV..." " Cool." " Yeah." "What is that?" " Oh nothing." "It's a stupid show." "We were just about to turn it off actually." " This is Julie... from next door." " Hi." " Hi Julie from next door." " Hello." "I brought plenty of Chinese food in case you're hungry." "Thanks but I should I should go." "My Mom probably already thinks" "I'm already hitting up the new neighbors up for gateway drugs." "I'll see you later." " Nice to meet you." " Nice to meet you." "Bye Lucas." "We'll see you later." "You might've been safer in the city my friend." "What have you guys been doing all day?" "We found this cool..." "Nothing." "We just kind of hung out." " How was the new job?" " Good." "What a minute." "Did you just ask a question about my life?" "My goodness!" "A couple days in a small town and look how polite you are." "I heard something." "Whatever." "Why do I have to do it today?" "Because your school registers today sweetheart." "And I changed my shift at the hospital to do it." "Please stop..." "Hold still were late." "Why doesn't Dane have to do it?" "Because I'm not in a school where they make you take naps and drink out of sippy cups." "Neither do we dickhead." "Okay." "I know he didn't learn that on Spongebob." "And Dane is not going today because his registration is next week." "What are you planning on doing today besides causing trouble?" "Well Julie's gonna show me around this ghost town." "That should take about I don't know ten minutes." "Please be back by four." "I have to go to work." "Thank you." "Come on let's go babe." " Are you ready tiger?" " Bensonville here we come." "Okay." " Not quite Brooklyn huh?" " Not quite." "So is that where you've lived your whole life?" "No actually I was..." "I was born in Queens and then we moved to Philly..." "Boston D.C. And then back to Brooklyn." "Oh and..." "I actually..." "I think Jersey was in there somewhere too." "I don't remember." "Do you even bother to unpack the boxes?" "Yeah." "Every time." "It's kind of like..." "My Mom's always sure that the next move is gonna be the last one type of thing you know." " She seems nice." " Yeah." "What about your Dad?" " I don't have one." " Oh... sorry." "Frolic Gardens?" "Seriously?" "Can we go there?" "I hate that place." "Besides it's not open anymore." "Well the weathers a little bi-polar." "As you can see." "But other than that it's not that bad here." "I mean school sucks but I'm sure it sucked in Brooklyn too right?" "Yeah." "Plus you guys are like celebrities." "I mean most people move out of Bensonville not in it." "Really?" "How about your genuine Bensonville burger?" "How does that one compare to the Brooklyn Boston Philly burgers?" "Pretty good." "Yeah that's because they mix it in squirrel with it out here." "Really?" "It's good?" "Your face." "I'm just kidding." "Your uh your boyfriend give you that?" "Why are you jealous?" "Just a friend." "So what's up with you guys moving around all the time?" "Nothing." "People don't usually move around the country for no reason." "I don't know." "My mom's just wants to find a good job." "We want to find a good place where Lucas isn't like..." "I don't know." "There's no reason." "No Dane I said to be home by four not to start home at four." "Can you just please come home all right?" "I've got to go to work." "Listen sweetheart I have got to go to work." "So Dane will be home in a second." "I promise." "So... here they are." "Okay?" " Be a good boy." "I love you." " I love you too." "Okay." "Let's see how you like it Dane." "Is everything okay?" "Shit!" "Hang on a second." "This isn't funny!" "Dane!" "Dane!" "Hello." "Julie." "What are you doing here in the dark?" "Hiding from your new boyfriend?" "Let's get out of here." "Hello!" "This is Lucas Thompson!" "Oh gosh!" "What's wrong with you?" "It came after me." "What?" "That clown puppet thing the one you tried to scare me with." "It's trying to get up here." "No!" "It was right there." "It chased me." " A puppet chased you." " The one you put in my bed." "Lucas I have no idea what you're talking about." "I didn't put any clown puppets in your bed." "Yeah." "You did." "I mean I might have if I would've thought about it but I didn't." "It..." "It was there." "On the steps?" "In my bed and then I put it in your bed to scare you... and then it was downstairs." "Okay you know what?" "You've got all kinds of weird crap going on in there..." "I don't even wanna know about." "But whatever." "The clowns gone so were cool." "It's still down there somewhere!" "Okay let's go look." "It was in here." "Okay you know what?" "You're wasting my time." "There's nothing down here." "Who the hell's that?" "Is she one of your little friends?" "I don't have any friends." "Hey little girl." "You uh..." "Are you lost or something?" "I don't want to die." "Dane?" "We could just stay down here?" "Dane?" "Did you close that when you came home?" "I don't remember." "That was a dream." "Is that him?" "You didn't happen to see a little girl run by here did you?" " Shut up." " A little girl?" "She had blood dripping from her eyes." " What?" " She just had this weird makeup on." "Don't worry about it." " It's all good." "Thanks." " Hi Dane!" "I'm gonna go look upstairs." "Shit!" "Shut up." "So what's the deal with this little girl?" " Do you guys know her?" " No." "I didn't know the clown either." " What clown?" " Nothing." "He uh..." "He had a dream last night and got scared." "He has this stupid thing about clowns." "No I don't." "But the little girl... she was..." "She was in this house?" "She said she didn't want to die." "You know dude... you don't have to answer every question" "Seriously I'm not in the mood." "Dane." " Hello?" " Dane please." "She's gotta be in there right?" "Dane close it." "Are you crazy?" "I don't know." "We we all saw that right?" "If you're talking about the little girl that just crawled into the bottomless pit under your house?" "Yeah." "I think we all saw that." "It's some kind of passageway for dead people." "Why would that little girl be down there?" "I'd rather know why she followed me into the bathroom at the diner." " Maybe it's a wormhole." " A what?" "A wormhole." "Like a doorway between different universes." " Oh my gosh." " What?" "You need to stop reading so much." "You're turning into a little geek." "It's the pizza guy." "Thanks." "Anything yet?" "No." " When's Mom gonna come home?" " Not till midnight." " We should've called her." " No." "Bad idea." "Seriously if you say anything she's just gonna spazz out and have us packed up by tonight." "That's fine with me." "It's okay with you." "Right?" "Don't you?" "Yeah." "I mean but..." "I just think we should you know see what we've got before we say anything." "I know what you've got." "You've got a gateway to hell under your house." "And that is really cool." "What is wrong with you?" "I know I probably wouldn't understand anyway right?" "Right great." "Listen you guys it's getting late so don't stay down here much longer all right?" "And and you too." "You need to go home." "Right?" "And Dane clean it up please." "Good gosh." "What do we do now?" "Nothing I guess." "What if that little girl comes into my room tonight?" "I guess we should lock it back up." "Where did you put the locks?" "I didn't touch them." "Where are they then?" "You know... life was ridiculously boring before you moved here." "I better go." "See you guys." "Hey mom." "Hey guys." "Uh this is Doctor Newman." "We work at the hospital together." "It's Travis." " Hi." " Hi." "So what are you fellows doing down there?" "A little war game?" "Yeah something like that." "But actually it's past our beddy-bye time isn't it mommy dear?" "You want a little snack perhaps before you go to bed?" "Are you hungry?" "All right you guys goodnight." "I love you." " Goodnight baby." " Nice to meet you." "I am so sorry about Dane." "He just is not used to the idea of me..." "You don't have to explain." "I get it." "It's just... his father was not a very nice person." "We probably got married a little too young and I stayed probably a little too long and..." "Susan It's..." "It's okay." "So then I go downstairs and I find him hiding in the MRI machine." "A great way to impress the doctors." "Do you think shes gonna marry him?" "Shut up." "Hi." "Dane!" " Dane." " Yeah." "Hang on." " Hi." " What's up?" "I just saw your Mom leave." "I was worried you guys weren't gonna wait for me." "You know what?" "I really don't want to mess with it today." "Why not?" "I don't know." "I just don't." "Did you forget where you live now?" "What else do we have to do around here?" "I think you guys better see this." "Maybe Mom did it." "Yeah like she could just shove this thing around." "Or Satan was just pissed off you were blocking his gateway to hell." "I bet he's strong." "Is that yours?" "No." "Let's see how Satan does with nails." "So." "What do we do now?" "Well I want to find out why the hell this hole is in my basement." "That uh that weird guy that you said lived here before Freaky Freddy." " Creepy Carl." " Yeah." "Where's this glove factory?" "It's locked." " Hello!" " Let's go home." "Somebodys done that before." "Yeah that somebody always gets in trouble too." "It's Bensonville." "What are they gonna do?" "Send a cop?" "So how do you know where were going?" "Bensonville is my playground my friends." "Okay so this Freaky Freddy dude..." " Creepy Carl." " Yeah whatever." "He's uh..." "He's like crazy right?" "Uh I guess." "He used to be pretty normal then..." "I don't know." "He just went a little nuts." "We could hear him screaming from next door." "And then one day... he just disappeared and moved out here." "Creepy Carl sure keeps in cold in here." "That is a lot of wattage." " That him?" " Yeah." "Carl?" "Carl?" "Hi." "I'm Julie." "Do you remember me?" " I used to..." " Yeah." "I remember." "We're really sorry to bother you like this." "We just have to ask you about your old house." " What about it?" " Let's just leave." "I'm I'm Dane." "And uh I live in the house now" "We uh..." "We found your hole." "And..." " You took the locks off?" " Yeah." "You can't take the locks off." "We're just trying to figure out where it leads or what's under there?" "The darkness." "It saw you didn't it?" " Didn't it?" " No we saw a little girl." "Okay?" " You can relax." " Oh no." "It saw you." "You shouldn't have done it you shouldn't have opened it." "God damn it!" "Why did you open it?" "Look okay." "We just want to know." "If you built the hole?" " And what it's about." " Nobody built the hole!" "The hole has been here since the worlds first scream." "And now it's gonna come for us!" "The darkness is going to come for all of us!" " It's coming for you!" " Dane!" "Dane!" "And it's gonna kill you!" " Okay." " It's coming for all of us." "All of us!" "It's coming for me." "The darkness will come?" "What's that about?" "I don't know." "I wish we hadn't talked to him." "What did you guys do today?" "Just hung out." "Yeah?" "Did you have fun?" "Well it seems like I'm the only one who's doing the talking." "How would the two of you feel about having the house to yourselves for a day or two?" "Bad." "Well..." "I have uh..." "I got an offer to go and do some training at a hospital that's out of town." "You know to get certified so I can make some more money." "We've got enough money." "Not the way you've been eating lately sweetie." "Is that one doctor going?" "I guess he will be there I believe." "We'll be fine." "You two can have lots of fun." "There will be other people there from the hospital Dane." " Right." " Yes right." "Why can't I come with you?" "Because Smooch honey it's just for the staff from the hospital." "Plus I need someone here to keep an eye on the house for me." "I don't wanna keep an eye on the house." "There's a ho..." " What is wrong?" " Nothing." "We'll be fine." "Have fun." "I can stay if you want me to Dane." "I don't want you to stay." "But you don't want me to go either." "What am I supposed to do huh?" "I just don't get it." "After everything that's happened and..." "After what happened with Lucas it's just..." "Not every man is your father." "How do you know?" "Because you're not." "Because you're not honey." "We can't be scared forever." "Okay?" "I'm not scared." "I'm not done!" "Not yet!" "I'm not done!" "No!" "If you answered yes to any of these questions ask your doctor or pharmacist..." " What are you looking for?" " My sketchbook." "You had it at Creepy Carls." "Stay here." "Hello?" "He was really gone?" "Are you sure?" "Yeah." "Maybe we should think about something else for a little while?" "We can go swimming at my place." "Come on and get in Lucas." "Let's forget about it for a little while." "This one kind of looks like a hand." "Whose hand?" "Come on." "Let's go do cannon balls." "Come on and grab your brother." "All right." "Biggest splash wins!" "Come on." "That's cute." "Ready?" " Did you see that?" " Nice splash man." "Come on Dane." "This was supposed to help you stop worrying about the hole." "I'm not worried about it I'm just trying to figure it out." "Stop looking at that and play or go home and jump in your hole." "Or are you scared that you're going to lose?" "Nice splash." "Who was just here?" "Nobody." "They're probably just from my dad." "Yeah?" "Charlie." "You're killing me dog." "Lucas!" "You're okay." "You're okay." "Are you all right?" "The clowns in there!" "The puppet!" "It's in the pool!" "It..." "It grabbed me!" "It tried to pull me into the hole." "Dude it was just your foot... your foot probably got stuck in the drain." "No!" "It's in there!" "It grabbed me." "It pulled me." "Wouldn't let go." "I'm just gonna take him home." "I'm so sorry Lucas." " Hello?" " Hey how is he?" "Oh he's uh..." "He's been asleep since we got here." "Anything I can do?" "No I think were good." "I'm just gonna you know let him sleep... hang out here with him for a little bit" "Well call me if you need anything all right." "All right." "Thanks." "Bye." "Someone's in the house." "Stay here." "Dane." "Dane!" "Hey son." "What's your name?" "Lucas." "Can you come down here Lucas?" "Are you the one that called?" "My brother I think." "He said somebody was in the house." "Did your brother say who it was?" "I've been looking for this person right here." "That one there on the right." "I don't want her to get hurt." "Do you think that's who your brother saw?" " Oh god." " I thought I told you to stay here." " He's down there." " What?" "He gave me this." " Where are you going?" " Where do you think?" "You said the nails would keep it closed." "You said they couldn't come up anymore." "Mine got broken." "Daddy." "Don't let him hear you." "He'll make us go to bed." "I want to stay up and play." "Julie!" "Julie!" "Don't go Julie." "Save me!" "Julie." "She can't be real." "She..." "She's dead." "She can't be real." "Who?" "Annie..." "Annie Smith." "We used to be best friends." "We did everything together." "What happened?" "I let her fall." " Julie!" " I know what I need to do now." "Stay in the house." "I don't want to stay in the house." "Well just stay in the yard then." "Annie!" "Julie!" "Julie!" "Julie what are you doing?" "Julie!" "Oh God!" "You got bigger Julie." "I know." "I'm sorry." "It's okay." "We're so high." "Just like before." "You let me fall!" "No!" "Hang on!" "Annie hold on." "You should have saved me!" "I know!" "I wanted to!" "But you didn't." "You just sat there crying." "Even when the policeman heard us." "When he fell." "I tried." "I couldn't." "You let me die." "I was scared!" "I was so scared!" " You aren't scared anymore." " No." "Not anymore." "That's good." "Julie!" "Bye Julie!" "Lucas!" "Dane?" " Where are you?" " I'm in the basement." "Come on." " Dane?" " I'm over here." "I was looking for you." "Where do you think you're going?" "Stop it!" "You're a bad boy!" "I really don't like clowns." "I think it's like whatever you're afraid of." "What?" "Well it's like you look in the hole and it knows you somehow." "It brings your fears to life." "It's like..." "I don't know." "For Lucas it's the clowns." "And with you... it's what happened with Annie and that cop." "What about you?" "Well I uh..." "I told you guys I'm not afraid of anything." "But I mean come on." "Neither are you anymore right?" "Nope." "But I still don't want to stay here tonight." "You guys can stay at my place." "My parents won't mind." "Yes!" "I'm gonna go get my stuff." "Okay?" "That must have been why poor Carl had all those lights." "Why he kept talking about the darkness." "Why do you have Creepy Carls drawings all over the floor?" "I thought this would like show me more but I can't figure it out." "Cause this I thought went there but then..." "I don't know." "What about down here?" "Yeah yeah that works." "So maybe this could go right there do you think?" "How about the hand?" "Oh!" "Oh yeah yeah." "Right?" "No!" "It looks like uh..." " A very large man dragging a boy." " Lucas!" "Lucas!" "Lucas!" "What's the matter?" "Where's Lucas?" " My fathers got him." " What?" "Lucas!" " Dane?" "What's going on?" " It's all my fault." "He took Lucas down there." "I have to go get him." "What?" "There is no down there." "There's no bottom remember?" "Well there's something." "I thought you said you didn't have a father." "I don't." "I've got some jerk locked up in a Jersey prison because he liked to get drunk every night and beat the crap out of us." "He's been in there since Lucas was little so..." "All he really knows is every time we get a letter from the prison that means were moving again because he's found us." "I don't understand." "If he's in jail how can he be here?" "I guess we know what I'm afraid of now." "Don't we?" "Dane!" "Dane!" " Dane!" " Lucas!" "Dane!" "He's right behind you!" " What?" " He's right behind you!" "Boy." "Boy!" "Lucas!" "Lucas!" "How'd you know I was in here?" "Cause it's where I always used to hide when I was scared." "I thought you said you weren't scared of anything." "I lied." "Then you shouldn't have come." "Why?" "Because that's what he wanted." "He said he only took me so he could get you down here." "Where're you kid?" "I think Creepy Carl was right." " It is going to kill us." " Look at me." "There's no way that I let that happen." "Okay?" "Okay." "You're asking for." "I will teach you." "Leave us alone!" "Dane?" " Go!" " What are you doing?" " Climb!" "Climb as high as you can!" " What?" "Go!" "Welcome home boy." "I knew I'd find you hiding in that same closet." "Just like back when you let your brother take the beating for you." "That's not true." "Remember his arm?" "Could you hear the crack from inside there?" "I didn't know what you were going to do." "I didn't think youd hurt him." "Sure you did." "You were just scared." "I'm not scared of you." "We wouldn't be here if that was true" "You've been afraid your whole life." "Not anymore." "Because you can't hurt me now." "Tell me boy." "Did that hurt?" "I know you're not this big." "You just looked like cause I was little." "That's why you came after us." "Because you were mean." "But you were just scared." "You were scared of everybody else." "Weren't you?" "Do I look scared to you?" "Do I?" "Your fears are falling away boy" "What happens to you when they're gone?" "Let's find out." "There you go." "Like father like son." "I am nothing like you." "No!" "No!" "Dane!" "Nice climbing buddy." "Thanks." "You okay?" "Oh he's gone now." "You don't have to worry about it." "Yeah." "Who's gone?" "Nobody." "We were just screwing around." "Yeah." " And what is this?" " Oh it's just a hole." " Just a hole?" " Wait!" "What is this?" "It's uh... just a crawlspace." "You know?" "They might have had it to keep little kids out." "Yeah well lets keep that closed." "Huh?" "It's not very safe." "All right." "Hey you!" "What are you guys gonna do now huh?" "Well you know we were thinking about playing a little midnight basketball... but I think Lucas is too scared of the whoop-down I'm gonna give him." "That sounds like a challenge to me." "Yeah." "I accept it." "All right." "How about two on two there?" "You and me boys against the girls?" " Definitely." " All right." "Come on let's do this thing." "Mom do you have any fears?" "Like the scariest thing you can think of." "Like a dinosaur or a spider or an alien egg." "Well those are pretty scary but uh you know I'd have to say when I was a little girl..." "I was pretty scared of a monster that I thought was under my bed."