" Fine." "You can go on in." "You know the way?" " Yes, I do." "Thank you." "I'm sorry I'm late." "I had car trouble again." "Would you believe it?" "Bye-bye." "Hey, Bill." "You left the lights on again." "The dishes are on the table, the refrigerator door was open..." " I hate this." "The whole place is a mess." " Hi, Mom." " Hi." " Hi." " Any calls?" " No, your boyfriend did not call." " Are you sure?" " If he called, I'd tell you." "The phone didn't ring." " How would you hear it with the radio going?" " I've got good ears." "What's that all about?" "I don't know." "What's your school counsellor wanna see me for?" "I don't know, Mom." "Your halo's burning." " Are you in trouble?" " Mom, this is meaningless, OK?" "Just don't worry about it." "Throw it away." " You gonna come in soon?" " I just gotta finish up." "I'll be in in a minute." "Mom!" " Billy!" " What?" " He's in the room!" "Look around the room!" " Who?" "Look around the room!" " Come here." " Mommy!" "They're locked." "I'll look in the bathroom." "Look in the closet!" " It's empty." " Look around the house!" " Mom, there's nobody here." " Call the police." "Call the police." "There's no one in the house." "The front door's locked." "No one came through the garage." " You didn't see anybody?" "Or hear anyone?" " No." "Only when you screamed." "Mom, you must have had a bad dream, that's all." "Come on, stop crying." "Kim." "Kimmy, you've had bad dreams." "Now Mommy's had one." "That's all." "I'm sorry." " You OK, Mom?" " Sure." " Bill!" "There's something coming!" " What?" "We've gotta leave." "We've gotta get out the house!" "We've gotta get the kids!" "Come on, baby." "No!" "What's happening?" "Come on, get in the car." " Oh, my God." "The keys." " I'll get 'em." " Stay right here." "I'll be right back." " Come on." "Stop crying." "Come on." "Don't worry about it." "We're just going somewhere." "Shit." "Shit." "Shit." "Did you hear it?" " Did you hear it?" " Hear what?" "I'll get some pillows and some blankets." "Billy, honey, can you help me?" "Good." "There." "Now, let's see." "We'll put Julie over there, and Kim and Mom here, and..." " Looks like it's the floor for you, Bill." " Honey, you comin' to bed?" " In a minute, George." " Here, we'll take care of this." "You just..." "Listen." "Thank you." "Nonsense." "What are good friends for anyway?" "Don't you be bashful, because there's plenty of food in the refrigerator for the morning..." " You know." " Yeah." " Get a good night's sleep." " You too." "Good night." " You all right?" " Yeah, if you're all right." "I don't understand, Mom." "I don't understand what's going on." "I don't either." "Are you all right?" "Just go to sleep, OK?" "Just go to sleep." "Good morning." "Carla, I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to scare you." "How'd you sleep?" "Great." "We helped ourselves to cereal and I made coffee." "Want some?" "Love some." "Did you make it strong?" " Well, of course I made it strong." " Good girl." " Want some milk and sugar?" " Yeah." "Hey, this is pretty nice, being served in my own home." "What about George and I?" "Did we keep you awake last night with all our snoring?" " No." " The kids, anybody fall off the couch?" "No." "So... what happened to you guys last night, anyway?" "Nothing." "You want one or two?" "Two, please." "Thank you." "Beautiful day, isn't it?" "Nothing like good old Southern California for lots of sunshine." "I was raped." " What?" " I was raped." "Carla, baby." "I'm so sorry." "I had no idea." " Oh, my God." " I feel all rotten inside." "How did it happen?" "Well, I was alone in my room, and... something grabbed me and smothered me." " Did you call the police?" " No." " Why?" " There was no reason to." "What do you mean?" "There was nobody there." " Did you check the doors, the windows?" " They were locked." "There was nobody there." "Oh, Carla." "Wait a minute." "Honey, I don't really understand this." "You were attacked?" "Or you weren't?" "It happened." "And when he..." "When it was over, he vanished." "Like he'd never been there." "You see?" "There's no answer, is there?" "I mean, I have flipped out." " I've flipped out twice, Cindy." " Carla, are you taking drugs?" "No." "I'm not on drugs." "Then I think you need to see a doctor." "Carla, you're one of the most stable people I know." "And you are definitely not insane." "But when men who aren't actually there have intercourse with you, it is time to see a good psychiatrist." " I can't afford it." " Yes, you can." "Betty Rivers goes to the walk-in clinic at the university." " You pay what you can afford." " I hate the thought." "I'm not crazy." "Of course you're not crazy." "I'm not crazy, you're not crazy." "You may be crazy." " Cindy, where's that coffee?" " He's crazy." "For sure." "Listen." "Just think about it." "You be honest with yourself and everything'll be OK." " I'll think about it." " Good girl." " I'd like a cup of coffee, honey." " Coming, George." " Nice and hot, just like you love it." " Is she gonna leave today?" "Honey, I haven't had a chance to really talk to her..." "Goddammit!" "You told me you were gonna tell her this morning." "I am gonna tell her, but first I have to tell you." "What's happened to her's just a terrible thing." "She probably got her butt evicted cos she didn't pay the rent." "You're not gonna lend her any money." " Don't raise your voice to me." " I can raise my voice in my own home." "I just don't wanna hurt her feelings." "She's been through enough." "She is my best friend." " Don't you cry on me." " She's in trouble." " If she's such a good friend..." " Stop yelling." "Are we gonna stay here all night, Mom?" "You guys stay here." "Do you hear that?" "You did hear that, didn't you?" " I heard it, Mommy." " What was it?" "It came from under the house!" " Billy, we've gotta get out of here!" " Mommy!" "No, don't do it!" "Don't go under the house!" "There's something there!" "Don't!" "Mom, leave me alone." "Come back!" "Bill, come back!" "Bill, we've gotta get outta here!" "Answer me!" "Bill!" "I've found it." "This is it." "Look." "When I touch this pipe, it makes a noise." "See?" "Then who touched it before?" "Mom." "I'll leave the door open, OK?" "Great." "Didn't your momma teach you better manners than to leave somebody's house without even telling' them goodbye?" "I see the couch is already taken." "Good." "I'll take the bed, then." " What story did you tell George?" " That old sourpuss?" "He thinks I'm with my sister in Reseda." "Not that I give a damn what he thinks." " After the way he behaved this morning?" " That's all right." "Shoot." "I oughta leave him, you know." "If I had the courage, I would." "He's gotten to be like a bad habit." "You know something?" "I've been thinking." "Maybe you oughtajust move out of this old house." "How can I?" "I can't afford it." "I haven't even paid this month's rent." "I have the lease." "How can I?" "When you've finished typing school, you oughta be able to get a real good paying job then, huh?" "I hope so." "I'm countin' on it." "You know, Carly, when he gets back into town, you and Jerry really ought to get married." "George says he's making a bundle now." "He loves you so much, and he absolutely dotes on the kids." "Hell's bells, girl." "Marry him and you'll be livin' on Easy Street." "Now, what's all this baloney about you sleepin' on the couch?" "Which side of the bed do you want?" "What side do you think?" "The good side." "Well, it doesn't make any difference to me." "I am so tired tonight, I could sleep on a rock." " Good night, sugar." " Good night." "Julie likes the chips and Kim likes the Fritos, OK?" "Don't you worry." "I'm gonna get them dressed and fed and off to school on time." " You're great." "I'll trade you." " OK." " Thanks." " You're welcome." "You look so pretty." " I'll call you later." " All right." " Don't let Bill be late for school, OK?" " Won't do it." " Bye." " Bye." "Do we have boosters?" "Do we have limiters?" "How much should I give to the Lord?" "What's going on?" "Stop!" "Stop!" "No!" "Hi." "I'm Dr Sneiderman." "I'm one of the staff psychiatrists here at the clinic." "Are you cold?" "Sometimes there's a draught comes from the outer lobby." "Tell me, is this the first time something like this has ever happened?" "No." "No, the first time was different." "I was raped." "Where?" "In your home?" "You were raped by whom?" "I don't know." "There was no one there." "OK." "So in other words, it wasn't a real man that raped you?" "He evaporated." " I see." "But you felt him in you, though?" " Definitely." "And he felt like a man?" "A big man." " Were you in pain?" " Yes, of course I was in pain." " He was foul." " You mean you smelled him?" "I see." "Did he ejaculate?" "I think so." "But when my son came in, there was nobody there." "Right." "And what did he think?" "Your son?" "He thought I was dreaming." "And what do you think happened?" "OK." "That's OK, Carla." "Is this the only other time something like that happened?" "No." "It started to a second time and..." "He didn't get me." "We went to my friend's apartment." "And then this morning I was driving to work..." "And he tried to kill you?" "What do you think?" "Go ahead, be honest." "Just tell me." " Do you think I'm insane?" " Insane?" "That means different things to different people." "So there's nothing you can do?" "Not at the moment." "We have to find out what the problem is." " In the meantime, I'll be dead." " No, I don't think so." "Look, Carla." "You've done a very good thing by coming here." "You've made a commitment to get better." "That's the first step, and it's the hardest one." "Look, I'd like you to take a few medical and psychological tests now." "They're very routine." "Nothing hurts, there's no surprises." "It takes about two hours." "Mostly it's just boring." "I'd appreciate it if you did not fall asleep while taking these tests." " Right now?" " I'd like to, if you can spare the time, OK?" "Come on." "I'll take you down to the lab, OK?" " What are you doing up?" " I couldn't sleep." "I was worried about you." "Where is everybody?" "Billy's out working in the garage." "And Kim's already asleep." " Did the doctor hurt you?" " No, baby." "We just talked." " Mommy, what happened to your hand?" " Don't worry about it." "Just get to sleep." " Mommy?" " What?" "Is everything gonna be all right?" "Of course it is." " I love you so much." " I love you too." "You go to sleep now." " How do you feel?" " I'm all right." "I'm just stiff." "What about the car?" "Can you fix it?" "I can fix it, but it won't be cheap." "Listen." "If Jerry calls, don't tell him anything, OK?" "Good night." "Good night." "Oh, my God." "No!" "Stop!" "Carla, this is Mrs Hilliard." "You wanna hop up there now and show us what you're talking about?" "Right here." "There's one." "And right there." "And the back." "Do you see that?" "And right here." " You said something about your thighs?" " Yeah." "There." "And there." "How about those bruises on your ankles?" "How did they happen?" "Thank you very much, Mrs Hilliard." "That will be all." "OK, look, Carla, why don't you come down and make yourself comfortable, OK?" "OK." "Can you tell me about those bruises on your ankles now?" "I'm not sure." "It felt like my legs were being held." "Almost as if he had help." "Are you saying that he wasn't alone?" "It felt like there was someone on each leg." "I see." "So what are you saying?" "That there were two more like him?" "I guess so." "But they seemed smaller." "You mean like children?" " No." "These aren't children." "They're strong." " Dwarfs?" "I don't know what they were." "I couldn't see them." "I felt them." "They're real, aren't they?" "I mean, these bites and bruises are real." "Yes, yes." "The bites are real." "The bruises are real." "All pain is real." "Your feelings?" "They're real." "No, no." "These are in places I couldn't have bitten myself." "I've seen cases of hysteria that have raised welts, caused blindness, loss of hearing." " Haven't your tests told you anything?" " Yeah." "We know that there is nothing wrong with you medically." "Physiologically, that is." "As far as we can tell, your intellect seems to function as well, if not better than normal." "So that leaves only one area for us to explore." "Early psychological development." "Emotional development." "What does that mean?" "Well, the general idea is that certain phases of our life never really die." "They continue to exist within us." "All of us." "You, me, everybody." "And they affect us the rest of our lives." "For certain reasons, they come back." "Sometimes they come back with a vengeance." "They can cause delusions, anxieties, hallucinations..." " So simple." " Look, Carla." "What I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna give you some tranquillisers, OK?" "They won't knock you out, just reduce your anxiety, which can be as bad as the delusion." "I want you to take two before you go to sleep." "Now, when you go home tonight, I want you to take a long, hot bath, relax, get your kids in bed early, and I want somebody to be with you at all times, OK?" "I don't want you to be alone." "I want you to get some sleep tonight." "Is that clear?" "It's gonna take a long time, isn't it?" "It could." "Why don't we just take it one step at a time?" "Carla?" "What are you still...?" "Wait a second." "I'll be right there." "Wait." "What's wrong?" "What are you still doing here?" " I called a cab, twice." "It never came." " Yeah?" "What else is new?" " I'd better call again." " Why don't I give you a ride?" "I'm parked here." " No, really." "It's all right." " No, come on." "I'm right here." "It's no problem." " Thanks for the ride." " Sure." "Hope my driving didn't frighten you." "That's how I find out if my patients trust me." "There's something there." "There's really something there." "Carla, I'd be interested in taking a look inside." "Would you mind?" " All right." " You sure?" " Hi, Bill." " Hi." "Did the kids get to eat all right?" "Yeah." "They went to get some pizza." "They should be back soon." " This is Dr Sneiderman." "This is Bill." " Hello." " How do you do?" "'64?" " Yeah." " What do you have in there?" "215 or 235?" " 235." "All right." "This the girls' room?" "Cute." "Would you show me where those attacks took place?" "All right." "May I?" "OK." "You said something about the bedroom, didn't you?" "Through there." "Carla, your house isn't haunted." "No more than your car is." "Why do I see and feel these things?" " I started to explain why..." " I know what you told me." "Terrible things in my youth might come back to haunt me." "Yeah, essentially." "Well, terrible things did happen to me and I didn't have a normal childhood, but..." "How many people do?" "Did you?" "How many people have a normal..." "Some things are more terrible than other things." "Some children are more sensitive than other children." "Make yourself comfortable." "So, you really think talk could fix all this?" "I don't know, but it's a good start." "All right." "I'll talk a blue streak if it'll stop all this from happening." "As a kid, I experienced every cliche in the book." "I was afraid of the dark, I was scared of my father." "He was a minister, if you can believe it." "He actually spoke with "thee" and "thou"." "I was six before I realised not everyone did that." "It was a shock." "Why were you afraid of him?" "When he held me, it wasn't the way a father should hold a daughter." "How did he hold you?" " You know what I mean." " Did your mother know?" "I think so." "So I ran away, and..." "I got as far as New York, and that's where I met Mario." "Billy's the spitting image of him." "It's very strange." "Really?" "Must have been handsome." "Billy's a good-Iooking kid." "He was." "Can you tell me about him?" "I was 16." "That says an awful lot right there." "I was..." "I'd never met anyone like him." "He was exciting..." "What do you mean, exciting?" "Exciting in bed?" "Yeah." "He was." "He was exciting in many ways." "But you did like making love with him?" "At first, and then it turned bad." " The sex?" " Everything turned bad." "I mean, I got pregnant." "Before I knew it, he started drinking, taking pills..." "It was a mess." "Everything was a mess." "What happened to him?" " He got himself killed on his motorcycle." " I see." "How old were you?" " 16." " Gee." "So Billy wasn't born yet?" "No." "I knew I was pregnant." "How did you feel when he died?" " How do you think I felt?" " I don't know." "Why don't you tell me?" " He was my husband." " I know." "But I still don't know how you felt." "I thanked God." "I did." "I thanked God when he died." " I also thanked God for Bob Garrett." " Bob Garrett?" " Julie and Kim's father." " Right, right." "He was older, he knew a lot." "He made me see that life was good." "That men and women loving each other was good, healthy." "Having children was good." " Simple." " So Bob was your second husband?" " Well, no." "We were never legally married." " Where is he now?" "I don't know." "He was never the kind to stay in one place very long." "I'm impressed." " By what?" " By what?" "Your independence." "Knowing who you are, what you want, keeping your family together?" "I do need your help." "I really do." "And I won't fight you." "Because if it is me, if it's really me creating all this, if I'm that sick, then I have to be stopped." "But if it isn't me, then we have to make a deal, you and I, to accept that fact and find a way to stop it, OK?" "OK." " Mommy!" " I'm here!" " Mommy!" " Hi." "Hi, you guys." " How you doin'?" " Fine." " This is Dr Sneiderman." "Kim and Julie." " Hi." " Are you guys full?" " Yeah." "You don't have any room for dessert?" " OK." "I think it's time for me to go." " OK." "I'll walk you out." " Bye-bye, girls." "Nice meeting you." " Bye." " I'm nervous about tomorrow." " About the staff meeting?" "Don't be silly." "They're perfectly routine." " Good night." " Bye-bye." "But there's still something here." " Mommy, I can't wait." " OK." "Don't cheat." "This is almost perfect." "This is the best part." " Mommy!" " We got it." "OK." "Hold on." "Don't look yet." " OK." "Now look." " Mommy!" " I'm gonna go get a chair." " Hey." "You can't use your hands." "Come on." "Don't start without me." " Mom!" " Help!" "Don't hurt me!" "Get off!" "Get off!" "Help me!" "Mom!" "Mom!" "Well, Dr Sneiderman explained it was like a very powerful dream." "Mrs Moran." "Did you believe him?" "I tried to." "But you... cannot." "Why?" "Because he hurt my son." "He broke his wrist." "Because my children feel it." "Because of the marks on my body." "They're in places..." "I can't do it to myself, even in a dream." "Why does he attack you, Carla, not anyone else?" "I don't know." " I suppose he chose me." " Chose you?" "Why?" "I suppose he finds me attractive." "Would it be a reflection on you as a woman if he left you?" "Or if you were cured?" "No." "It would not be a reflection on me." "I hate this whole thing." "It's like a nightmare and I can't wake up." "I just wanna get rid of him." "Of course you do, Carla." "And we're trying to help you." "I'm not sure how much good all this talking's doing." "Well, it's our way of trying to understand." "Well, so far it hasn't helped." "It hasn't with Dr Sneiderman." "Look, excuse me." "I have to meet someone at the airport." "Is that all right?" "Certainly." "And thank you very much, Carla, for letting us talk to you." " Quite a young lady." " Yes." " How did you meet her?" " I was on call one night at the clinic." " She just came in out of the blue?" " Please." "Thank you." "That's how it happens." " Yeah." " She's masturbating." "This entire circus, she has invented it to cover up what every little girl does." "Well, with all due respect, sir, that was my initial diagnosis." "But I think we can all agree that that's not some teenager with an identity crisis." "Now she tells us that her children are feeling this thing too, so..." "It's a mass illusion." "Folie a quatre." "Hysteria is contagious." "Anyone can see and feel things that simply aren't there." "Her children just support her delusions." "Classically correct, sir, but her mind is giving her very strong and explicit images." "Why is she going to such lengths to support this delusion?" "Phil, look at the record." "She believes that her father has incestuous desires." "She falls in love with an adolescent, a typical overgrown kid." "He tries to prove he's a real man and he's not." "After which she picks up with..." " Jerry Anderson?" " No, Garrett." " Oh, Garrett." " Bob Garrett." "A man old enough to be her father." "See a pattern here?" " Yeah." "I don't know that I agree." " Safe sex." "It's the story of Carla's life." "She's consistently refused to get involved in the real thing." " She has three children." " What does that prove?" " It doesn't take sex to make babies." " That is a fact I wasn't aware of." " Well, now you know." " Not real sex." "For 32 years, Carla goes along very smoothly." "All of a sudden, she meets this fellow..." "What's his name?" "Jerry Anderson?" "Now I'm on it." "OK." "And pow!" "She drifts into a Dionysian fantasy." "Don't you see?" "It's the kind of situation that can energise this sort of breakdown." " What, Anderson?" " Certainly." "A real man." "Sure." "She wants the real thing." "No more faking it with kids and old men." "And faced with the real thing, Carla buckles." "She falls back into an infantile reality." "I suggest you dig a lot deeper." "I think you're gonna find out more." "And maybe you'll find out that Carla is not what she seems to be." "Hear, hear." " You look different." " How?" "I don't know." "The face." "It's got a serious look." " So's yours." " No, no." "Your eyes have changed or somethin'." "What is it?" "It's been a long time." "You know, it's been too long." " Something's wrong?" " No." " Billy?" " No." "Me, right?" "Come on." "No." "Just nothing." "It's..." "I'm only afraid." "You know, just when you're not around, I'm afraid of losing you, that's all." "You won't lose me, honey." "I go crazy thinking about it." "Don't go crazy." "What if I did?" "What if I went crazy?" "Now, you're not gonna go and do that right now." "What would you do if I did?" "Would you leave me?" "You'd still be my Carla." "Why are you carrying on tonight?" "Are you ready for my surprise?" "Yeah." "I'm going on the road again, Carla, but this is the last time." "When I get back, it's for good." "I'm taking over the LA office." "We're gonna be a family, Carly." "All of us." "Take me with you." "Please." "Just put me in your pocket and take me with you." "I can't." "You know that." "Don't ask that." "What the hell are you asking?" " Take you with me?" "Where?" "On the road?" " I'll go anywhere with you." "OK." "What about yourjob?" "Your school?" "How about the kids?" " Who's gonna take care of them?" " Yeah, all right." "OK." "You're right." "It was just a pipe dream." "You have to go on the road and I have to go through what I'm going through." "You're not telling me everything." "What the hell are you going through?" "Being without you." "That's really what I'm going through." " Carla, it's all gonna change." " Sure." "When you get back." "Just one more trip." "Do you know, it's been the way it's been ever since we met." "Just one more trip." "No, I'm sorry." "I don't feel like it." "I'm sorry." "Look, I have to..." "I think I should go home." "It's late and I have to get up early." "OK?" " I'll take you home." " No." "You call me a cab." "You don't have to bother." "Oh, God." "Get out!" "Get out!" "Why did you tear up your room and yell at Billy?" " I had an orgasm." " What?" "I had an orgasm." "An orgasm?" "Yeah." "But he tricked me." "I was asleep." "I was asleep and I was dreaming." "And I'm ashamed." "I'm ashamed." "Carla, I want you to sign yourself into the hospital." " No." "I won't let myself be committed." " It's just for a two-week observation period." "It amounts to the same thing." "You know it." "If we wanted to, we can insist you stay here." " No, you can't." " Yes, we can." " For trying to commit suicide." " What are you talking about?" "What were you doing when you crashed your car?" " He tried to murder me." " It was a suicide attempt." " We could have you in before the day is out." " No, you can't." " There were no witnesses." "It's my decision." " What, to stay sick?" "To stay alive." "No matter what you think, he's stronger than you are." " He'll kill me if he has to." " To stop you getting better?" " However you wanna call it." " That's what I wanna call it." "Exactly." "How are you gonna deal with Jerry?" "How would I deal with him from a padded cell?" "What about your kids, Carla?" "You're running the risk of harming your children." "No." "They won't be harmed." "Billy broke his wrist." "You're harming them psychologically." " There's nothing wrong with them." " That's not the environment they need." "I know you think I'm crazy." "Whether it's me or something else is beside the point now." " You're gonna stay home and be victimised?" " Yes." "Yes." "I'll stay at home." "I'll see you." "I'll go to secretarial school and look for ajob." "But the one thing I won't do is go into hospital." " And you'll be beaten and..." " No." "No." "No?" "Why not?" "Cos I'm gonna cooperate with him." "Carla, you're a very intelligent woman." "You'll always listen to reason, so now I wanna talk to you reasonably." "No more questions and answers, hm?" "There was a time when people believed in the supernatural." "Here." "I want you to look at these pictures." "Pretty frightening, huh?" "Bats, werewolves, dragons, demons..." "All sorts of goblins, OK?" "They were supposed to abuse people sexually." "They were supposed to impregnate people." " Do you think these things exist?" " I am not stupid." "I didn't say you were." "But why do you think people saw them?" "Why do you think they saw 'em?" "Can you take a guess?" "Do you know why?" "It was a way of expressing something frightening to them." " It has nothing to do with me." " It has a lot to do with you." " It has nothing to do with me." " It has a lot to do with you." "It has an awful lot to do with you." "These ghosts and demons were only ideas, but people saw them." "Look, Carla, let's say a man who wanted to be good had a desire for his neighbour's wife." "He knows it's wrong, he feels terrible about it, but the desire is growing and growing." "Desire can be a frightening and powerful sensation." "How does he deal with it?" "He invents a creature." "An evil, ugly, evil-tempered creature, which is just a picture of his own desire, Carla." " I have no need of inventing anything." " Come on, Carla." "You have a lot of need." "You were scared of your dad." "He held you in a way he shouldn't." "You were pregnant at 16." " Shut up!" " A drug-crazed guy killed himself." " Stop it!" " Another left you with two kids." "Stop it!" "Come on." "Do the work, Carla." " What was evil to your family?" " All sorts of things were." "We know your family well enough to know what was evil." "As a child, you knew." " Sex." "They were afraid of sex." " Sex." "Sex." "Sex." "They were afraid of sex." "Exactly." "So let's use our imagination a little bit, OK?" "Let's try putting some things together." "Your creature is a symbol, Carla." " A symbol of what?" " I don't know." "Maybe we'll find out." " It could be one person, a fear of someone..." " I'm not hiding from anybody or anything!" "Carla." "Let's talk about your visitor friend." "Your visitor fantasy." " I'm so sick of this." " What do we know about him, Carla?" "Let's use your words." "What do we know?" "We know that he is big and strong." "It's frightening how strong this guy is." "You told me, unbelievably strong." "So why does he need help?" "But he has two helpers, right?" "Two little ones?" "Right?" "Those are your words." "One big one and two little ones." "Billy's good-Iooking, he's strong." " You're obscene!" " You're having trouble with Jerry." " Calm..." "Carla!" " I'll calm down, but not here!" "He was talking about two little ones and a big one." "He was implying that I wanted to make love with Billy." "It was just obscene, you know?" " Really." " It was obscene." "There's no other word for it." " I think he just pushed too far." " He did." "It was disgusting, sickening." " He has to probe into painful areas..." " That's not probing." "I'm never going back." " Wait." "Maybe you're overreacting." " I'm never going back." " Honey?" " What?" " You ready to go?" " Yes, George." "Just give me a minute, please." " I'm gonna get the car." "I don't wanna be late." " OK, honey." "No, we're not gonna be late." "I don't wanna cause any trouble between you and George." "I shouldn't have barged in." "We just have to make an appearance at this boring wedding reception." "It's important to George, you know?" " Well, I'll see you tomorrow." " No, stay here." "We'll be back in an hour." "Now come on, Carla." "I need to talk to you some more about this." "Carla?" " Will you wait here until I get back?" " Yeah." "Please." "You look so tired." "Why don't you sit down and have something to eat?" " Have fun." " OK." "I'll see you in a little bit." "OK." "Hi, Bill." "How are the girls?" "How's everything?" "OK?" "Dr Sneiderman?" "You didn't tell him where I was?" "I don't wanna talk to him." "Good." "Look, you have the number here." "If there's any problem, call me, OK?" "I'll be home in a couple of hours." "All right." " What was that?" " Was that our place?" "Carly?" "Oh, my God." "Carly." "Christ, she tore the fuckin' place apart." "No, she didn't." "You saw it." "She couldn't have done all this." "We both saw it with our own eyes." "We stood right there and saw it, George." " You saw it?" " Yes." "Yes, we did." "We saw it." " You saw it?" " Please forgive me, Carly." "Please?" "I never should have sent you to that clinic." " You saw it?" " I'm so sorry." " Please forgive me." " You saw it." "You saw it!" "You saw it!" "Carla?" "Look." "Improbability of the impossible." " Psychic Self-Defence." " This is great." "You look at that." "I'm gonna go over and check out the psychology section." "Let's just look at Rogers McGibbon, OK?" "It's not that good a case." "Not enough independent verification of the phenomena." "But so much fits the classic patterns." "There's cold spots, there's the smell, there's objects moving around randomly." "And, in this case, there is the appearance of an apparition." "But the appearance of an apparition and the sudden movement of objects just don't occur simultaneously." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "They do." "I have them all." "You do?" "Everything broke loose and went crazy, and everything was shaking." "Like an earthquake?" "No, it wasn't." "It was much stronger than any earthquake." "I tried to get outta here, and I wanted to get the kids out." "I called Bill." "Bill was in his room." "Then the door slammed." "It was horrible..." " Where is Billy now?" " He's in the garage." "You can talk to him if..." " The door slammed like that?" " Stronger." "Much stronger." "And the bathroom." "This is where..." "Well, you know about that attack." "This was the door." "It was stuck." "I couldn't get out." "I tried and I just couldn't get out of it." "It was stuck that night." "Yeah." "This is the girls' room." "They're asleep right now and I don't wanna disturb them." " Did they sleep through this attack?" " Yeah, they..." "Sound sleepers." " Yeah." " It's one of the good things about kids." "The living room." "This is where Billy got the lightning." "It was like lightning going into him." " He broke his wrist..." " An electrical discharge?" " It was like lightning was going into him..." " Like an arc?" "Was it kind of like...?" "You don't believe me, do you?" "Mrs Moran, please understand." "We wanna believe you." "Very much." "We wanna do it right, Mrs Moran." " You want some coffee?" " Yeah, sure." "Yeah." "That'd be real nice." " Oh, my God." "Do you smell that?" " Jesus." "It's awful." "You see?" "I wasn't lying." "Mrs Moran, I think it might be worthwhile after all for us to set up some of the equipment we've got with us in the car." " Yeah." " Yeah." "Joe!" "Gene, let's get her outta here." "Mrs Moran, are you all right?" "Mrs Moran?" " Gene, let's get outta here." " No, don't be frightened." "He's weak." "He's weak!" " He can't touch us!" " Gene, shoot it!" "I don't believe it." "He can't touch us." "Die, you bastard!" "Die!" "Die!" "You can't touch us!" "Die!" "He died." "He can't hurt me any more." "Not with you here." "He can't hurt me." "Oh, thank you, God." "Oh, thank you, God." " Did you see it?" "Did you get it?" " I think so." "Oh, thank you!" " I'm gonna go get the kids." " We need an ion detector..." "Hey, wake up." "Wake up, everybody." "It's a gorgeous day." "Gorgeous day." "Come here." "Come here." "Isn't it a beautiful day?" "Isn't it a beautiful day?" "Come here." "Did you check the wiring?" "It could be a short circuit." "Current leakage." "She spoke to it as if it were real." "Like it were alive and she knew it." " Isn't it possible she was hallucinating?" " How do you photograph a hallucination?" "This looks like some kind of electrical discharge." "What about this forking?" "Right here?" "Couldn't this be a head?" "Couldn't this be a shoulder?" "We feel that this photograph constitutes proof, Dr Cooley." "I don't know." "It takes a long time before you can come up with something reliable." "You have to check every possible alternative." "What about the smell?" "And the shaking?" "That's classic poltergeist activity." "It also could be a dead cat and a tremor." "I don't know what you think you've discovered, but you're playing with fire." "I suggest you start with the traditional world and move outwards." "We'll need more equipment to do that." "Maybe I'll authorise it when the time comes." " You say she was seeing a psychiatrist?" " That's right." " I'd like to know the diagnosis." " She was seeing someone right here." "Yeah, well, we're doing the best that we can." "We got a lot of people here, a lot of folks, yeah." "We're wiring the place up for any kind of movement that we might get." "We're putting x-ray plates up also." "No, we're hanging up wires and stuff..." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for Carla Moran." " Are you here to observe the phenomena?" " Observe the phenomena?" "No, I'm Phil Sneiderman, a psychiatrist." "Carla's my patient." "Oh, hi." "I'm Gene Kraft, Department of Psychology." "How do you do?" "What branch of psych?" "Clinical?" "Dr Morris?" " No." "Parapsychology." "Dr Cooley." " Gene?" "Gene, hand me a roll of tape, please." " Yeah." " What are you guys doing with all this stuff?" "We're trying to gather some hard data on the phenomena here." "Really?" "I take it you've already looked under the beds and in the closets." "We're leaving no stone unturned." "But thanks for the tip." "We got some highly interesting electrical formations, possibly caused by the entity." "The entity?" "You know, I hope you will excuse me for saying so, but if you wanna go on TV talk shows, bend spoons, entertain people, I'm all for that." "But this lady is in my care." "This isn't helping her." "Thank you for your professional opinion, Dr..." " Sneiderman." " Sneiderman." " Where's Carla?" " She's in the back." "I don't think so, cos you haven't been here during it." "Carla?" " Hi." " Hi." "You've got a lot of company." "You missed your appointment yesterday." "I was worried about you." "That's very sweet of you." " You look terrific." " I've never felt better, Dr Sneiderman." "Really?" "Look, is there someplace that we could go and talk?" "Yeah." "I can't blame you for not coming back." "I really did push too hard." "I think you need to understand something." "I feel very fine now." "There are no more attacks." "I have no reason to see you." "Do you remember that book I showed you in the office?" "The bats and the dragons?" " That's what they are looking for." "Fantasies." " No, they have photographs." "Look, Carla." "How about you and me, we make a bargain, OK?" "You can see me and still have your scientist friends help you." " I don't see any point." " It's like seeing two different doctors, getting different opinions, a bone specialist and a blood specialist." " No, I'd rather not." " Why?" "What have you got to lose?" "I believed in you." "You know I did." "I needed to." "But every time you discovered something new, something worse happened." "And I got sick of hearing that it would go away as soon as we got down to the basic problem, as though it was in me." "It is in you, Carla." "I think you'd better leave." " Hi, Billy." "Billy." "Billy!" " Yeah?" "Look, would you do me a favour?" "Don't pretend next time." "Next time your mother thinks she sees something, she wants you to corroborate it." "When you do, it's more difficult to convince her it's a delusion." " I didn't get a broken arm by pretending." " There's a logical explanation for this." "If you care about your mom, you will not pretend next time." "I care about my mother, yeah." "But I was not pretending." "I'm not lying to you." "Wanna know why she's not coming back?" "Some schmucks are supporting her fantasies." "You oughta see her house." "They're watching her visitations." "It's wired to look for entities." " They call it an entity." " What schmucks?" "I don't know." "They say they're from the university." "Parapsychology." "A Dr Cooley." "Elizabeth Cooley." "Parapsychology." "It's fly-by-night psychology." " OK." "So how do we get rid of 'em?" " Well, not very easily." "These are not snake-oil pedlars, Phil." "These are supposedly academic brethren." "Bullshit." "They're dangerous." "They're feeding her delusion." "When they get through with her, she's gonna be off her rocker, or worse." "There's not much you can do." "Not legally or medically." "It's her life, her house, her delusions." "No, until she crosses the line of legal sanity, nobody can touch her." "Come on." "Come on, show yourself, you coward." "Now that I've got my forces here with me, let's just see how brave you are." "Is that all you've got the guts to do?" "A couple of itty-bitty lights?" "Come on." "We don't want fireworks, we want you!" "Show yourself, damn you!" "Are you trapped in this environment?" "Will you appear to us now?" "You won't appear." "You won't appear because you're a devil outta hell, and you're afraid." "You'll wait till I'm alone, won't you?" "Then you'll come forth to hurt me, to hurt my children." "Show yourself." "Show yourself." "Joe, turn on the lights." " Did you see it?" " Yes, Mrs Moran." "We saw it." "Thank you." "Would you excuse us?" " Is it over?" " For now." "Are you OK?" "All right." "I'm gonna go to bed, OK?" " OK." " Good night." " I'll see ya." "Excuse me." " Good night, Billy." "Thank you." "We'll be leaving shortly." " What are you two doing up?" " Is everything OK?" " We heard you, Mommy." " Everything's fine." "Come on." " Well?" " I've never seen anything like it before." "Do you think that we were in some kind of hypnotic state and that this was a mass hallucination?" "I've always believed that there were several planes of existence, distinct and separate." "And we, as human beings, inhabit only one." "Isn't it possible that some sort of external intelligence, some discarnate entity, has crossed into our plane of existence?" " How are we gonna prove it?" " We have to isolate it." "We have to draw it in somehow, find a way to bring it into a controlled situation." " Good night, Mrs Moran." "Thank you." " Good night, Mrs Moran." "We've got some real good ideas on how to proceed." "Thanks a lot." " You've got the tape, right?" " Yeah." " Jerry." " Hi, cutie." "Excuse me." " What gives?" " Why didn't you call?" "I did." "Every time I got a different voice on the line." "What's going on?" "Those people are from the university." "The university?" "I missed you." "Look at me, I'm shaking." "I think we'd better have a drink." "I've got some good wine." " You go ahead." "I don't think I'd better." " You're gonna have one." "This is my homecoming." "Come on." "What was that all about?" "They're trying to help." " Help who?" " Me." "I don't know what you mean." "I've been sick, Jerry." "Sick?" "What kind of sick?" "Things have come to me... in the night." " Nightmares, you mean?" " Yeah." "Like nightmares." "Exactly." "I mean..." "Those people you saw in the house, they're psychologists, they're doctors." "They have a theory that there's something in the house that is keeping me from sleeping, and they're trying to fix it." "Some of them looked pretty young to be doctors." " You're mad." " It's not a question of mad." " Yeah, you're mad." " Yeah, OK, since you ask." "Who brings university kids into their house because they can't sleep?" " You can't sleep, you take a pill, see a doctor." " I'm not giving a party." "I'm really not." "All I'm asking for is a simple explanation." "I still don't know what's bugging you." " I mean, don't treat me like ajerk, OK?" " I'm sorry." "Trust me." "Just tell me what the hell's happening." "I don't know." "I mean, I don't know the difference between what is happening and what I think might be happening." "The only thing I know is that it started when you left." "I don't say that with any kind of blame or accusation, but that is when it started." "When what started, Carly?" "What?" "All right." "OK." "I was..." "I was attacked." "It's not happening now, so don't worry." "You were attacked?" "By who?" "Who attacked you?" "Nobody." "Nobody you can see." "Oh, God." "It sounds so crazy." "I mean, it was like a horrible dream." "Shit." "I don't know how to explain it." "It sounds crazy every time I explain it." " It sounds crazy." " Oh, baby." "Carla." "Do you know, for a second you had me worried?" "I mean, I thought you were really attacked." "I thought that somebody attacked you." "Honey." "I know why you can't sleep." "But I am with you right now." "I guarantee you that these dreams or nightmares or whatever the hell they are will never bother you again." "Because I'm staying this time." "No more trips." "No more one-night stands, baby." "Starting tonight, it's gonna be for ever." "Let's go to bed." "Can we go to your place?" "Remember, I'm with you." "And as long as I am, nothing bad is going to happen." "Do you believe that?" "I got something for you." "What?" "What is this?" "You'll see." "It's beautiful." " It's pure silk." " It feels good." "Go put it on for me." "Come on." "It's my homecoming." "Put it on." "Look, honey." "You know what I was thinking." "If we..." "Please." "Help me." "Help me, please." "Help me." "Stop it." " Stop it." "Get off her." " Help me." "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "You son of a bitch!" "You fucking bastard!" "You son of a bitch!" "OK." "She's gonna be all right." "She's still a little shaky, so when you go in, don't stay too long, OK?" "Go in." "She's dying to see you." "Make a right at the corner there." "First on your right." "Don't stay too long, please." "OK, Jerry." "She's gonna be OK." "It was just a slight concussion." "Thank God for that, Doctor." "Thank God." "Look, why don't you go in and see her?" "She'd like to see you." "No way, Doctor." "I can't be around her." " I can't handle what's going on in there." " What do you mean?" "She needs you." "I loved her." "I was gonna marry her, you know." " I could've taken anything." "A disease, cancer." " This is a disease, Jerry." "It's the same thing." " Not what she's got living with her." " Jerry, it's just a disease." "Just get it through your head." "It's in her head." "There was nobody there." " Nobody was there." " Don't say that." "There was somebody there." " I mean, there was." " OK, OK." "I couldn't see him with my eyes, but there was somebody there." "I see this..." "Like something is pressing her." "It's pushing her." "I see her breasts are being touched." "I mean, I see her breasts are being squeezed by fingers, only I can't see the fingers." " I'm sorry." " That's OK." "That's OK." " Hey, what the hell are you guys doing here?" " We're visiting a friend." " I gotta go now." " No, no." " Jerry, look." "She needs you now." "A lot." " It's OK." "I really have to go." "Hey, Jerry..." " Look at me." " Thanks for calling, Billy." " Come on." " No." "I wanna stay with Mommy." "Come on." "We gotta go." "I'll talk to you later, Mom." "I hope you're all right, Mrs Moran." " I'll be back." " We never should've left the house." "I'm sorry." "Maybe this doesn't seem like the best time for this, but we're afraid for you." "We have an idea that might help." "We wanna try to isolate this thing and immobilise it." "We need your consent." "That means going into it with your eyes wide open." "What we have in mind has never been tried before." "We'll take every possible precaution." "I'll do anything... to get rid of him." "Jerry was her only contact with reality." "I want those two guys banished from her life." "I don't see what I can do." "Go to the dean." "Maybe he can do something." "Maybe he can pull those creeps back." "Do you realise what you're asking?" "That's a month-Iong debate." "It could get very complicated." "All this for Carla Moran?" "Somebody's gotta look after her." "Let her go, Phil." "You don't have any choice." "Professionally or personally." "As you can see, this is a freshly cut rose." "And this is a container of liquid helium." "473 degrees below zero." "This is the coldest substance known to man." "Anything frozen at this temperature will shatter at the slightest touch." "What we are seeking is to determine if this entity has mass." "If in fact this is the case, then we should be able to freeze it, verify its objective existence and prove it isn'tjust a psychic projection..." " It's gonna work." "...but rather an independent force from some other level of reality that has never been isolated." "Here she is." "Mrs Moran." "Let me take your bag." "It's good to see you." "We're all very excited to get the experiment under way." " Welcome." " Mrs Moran?" "See you later." "Have you made arrangements for your children?" " They're with a friend." " Good." "Let me show you to your new house." "I'm afraid we're not able to provide you with all the conveniences, but we hope you'll find it comfortable." " And familiar." " Watch your step." "Everyone's done a terrific job in recreating your home." " We did use different colours." " And there are other differences." "No light switches." "We have to control the electricity." "This, of course, is the children's room." "The bed's in the wrong place." "Well, it doesn't matter." "There are no ceilings anywhere in the house." "That's for the television monitoring." "Except, of course, in the bathroom." "There is a ceiling, but no plumbing." "We'll supply you with all the water you need." "That's a chemical toilet." " Does this look familiar?" " It's a good simulation." "Remember not to change in here." "The television camera will be watching you." "And Gene, at the controls." "In the kitchen we had a bit of a problem." "No gas." "But we have a hotplate and a well-stocked refrigerator." "It's like camping out." "Mrs Moran?" "I'd like to show you something now." "Looks a lot like your house, doesn't it?" "The living room." "Brought your books." "Just stand over here with me." "Mrs Moran, this is the protected area that we were talking about." "It's two pieces of double-thick heat-treated glass with a vacuum in between the panes." "The system is fail-safe." "We can't activate the helium until you're safely in this enclosure." "When we tell you to go to the protected area, we want you to come directly to this spot as quickly as possible." "We'll take care of the rest." "OK?" "Now we have to get ready." "You make yourself as comfortable as you can." "But you're not alone." "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." "I'm not afraid." "If you can get him, I'm not afraid." "Hey." "Where do you think you're going?" " Is this the Cooley experiment?" " Yeah." "I'm with the Medical Institute." "Dr Sneiderman." "Go right on in, Doctor." "Carla, I'd like to talk to you alone." "Is there any place that we could go talk?" "That we could talk privately?" "The bathroom." "This is quite a setup they have here." "They made a natural environment for him, so he'll come here." "Really?" "Is that what they're telling you?" " That's what they're doing." " And you believe them?" "Oh, yes." "They're dangerous frauds, Carla." "You're their guinea pig." "Carla, do you know that there are tanks of liquid helium outside?" "Do you know what liquid helium can do?" " Of course." " Of course." "Really?" "Know what it means to stop molecular motion, paralyse atomic particles, decompose matter?" " OK." " OK?" "What do you mean, OK?" "I mean I'd rather be dead than living the way I've been living." " Do you understand that?" " Yes, I can understand that." "Yes." "I also understand that I care very much what happens to you." "Very much." "And I know that, in your heart, you know the difference between reality and fantasy." "Carla, look at me." "Carla." "Our reason, intelligence." "That's the only thing that distinguishes us from other species." "I care about you." "Carla, don't close yourself off now." "It's real important that you maintain contact with at least one person that cares about you." " I don't know what you're saying." " I'll tell you what I am saying." "That you and I can make that contact." "I don't want to make that contact." "OK." "Hey." "Wait up a minute, will you?" "Really." "I wanna talk to you." "I gotta hand it to you." "You just don't give up." "Look." "Get out." "And stay out." "OK." "Now you listen to me, Buck Rogers, OK?" " If you or your trusty sidekick harm her..." " Officer." "...I'll have your ass in court." "You'll be looking for your ghosts from prison." "You see this face?" "I don't wanna see it again." " You got it." " Hey, Mehan." "You may have them all fooled, but not me." "I'm gonna nail you and that little creep." " I'll tell him." " Come on." "Let's go." "Yes, sir." "Mrs Moran, we are now going to move into the night-time mode." "I wanna get it so bad I can taste it." "Hang on, Gene." "Hang on." "And pray." "Dr Sneiderman is here, Frank." "He tells me Cooley is using pretty lethal equipment." "Liquid helium." "God only knows what all else." "Frank." "Frank, let's not blow our tops." "I'm just trying to sound you out on this." "Yes, I realise it's your decision." "I can't figure him any more." "Do we really need his approval?" "You need to learn a lot about campus politics." "Fuck campus politics." " Where are you going?" " I'm gonna get her away from those lunatics." " Why not let her trip the glass enclosure?" " Too dangerous." "Hey!" " Hey!" "What are you doing?" " Carla." " Hey!" " Carla?" "Carla!" "Carla, come on." "We're getting outta here now." "No, I'm not." "Don't do that." "Let go of him." " Get him out of here." " Take it easy." "Take it easy." "Nobody has to be hurt." "Let him go, Officer." "What is it you want, Doctor?" " I want her out of here, Doctor." " That is not going to happen." "If you wanna watch this experiment, you go up to the booth." "We have nothing to hide." "I'm sorry this had to happen, Mrs Moran." "Everything's gonna be all right." " I just don't want to see anybody hurt." " Just try to calm yourself." "He's going to be upstairs with us in the booth." "Just try to get some rest." "That's the important thing." "OK." "Weber." "Yeah." "Yeah, all right, Elizabeth." "Take it easy." "I'll come and get him." "It's up those stairs, Doctor." "Thank you." " Did someone open a door?" " He's here." "Mrs Moran, move to the protected area." "Mrs Moran, move to the protected area." "Mrs Moran, move to the protected area." "To the protected area." "Don't be alarmed, Mrs Moran." "We're moving into the emergency mode." " Don't activate the compressor yet." " I didn't." " What do you mean, you didn't?" " It's been tripped." " What have you got?" " It's no good." "All right." "All right, bastard." "I've finished running." "So do what you want." "Take your time, buddy." "Take your time." "Really, I'm thankful for the rest." "I'm so tired of being scared." "So it's all right, it really is." "It's all right." "You can do anything you want to me." "You can torture me, kill me, anything." "But you can't have me." "You cannot touch me." "That's mine." "Carla!" "We got it." "We got him trapped." "Oh, my God." "Carla?" "Carla?" "We lost him." "We got nothing." "That's not true." "We've got something." "We have a witness." "Isn't that so?" " What?" " You did see it, didn't you?" "Something." "I saw something." "But I don't know." "I just... don't know." "With all that going on down there, it could have been anything." "You son of a bitch." "Welcome home, cunt." "Mommy!" "Carla, how in the world did you beat us over here?"