An American Haunting

(panting)

(rattling)

(clock ticking)

(screaming)

- Jane! Jane! It's Momma.

(screaming)

Look at me!

J-Jane. Jane.

- No! No!

(panting)

- Oh, thank God.

D'you have another nightmare,

honey?

Let's get you

into a nice hot bath, huh?

- Can I do it later? Please?

- All right.

But you have to get ready

for your father.

It's his weekend with you.

- I know. I know.

- What's this?

- I found it in the attic.

- Honey, you know

the attic's off-limits.

- Sorry.

- Just don't do it again, okay?

I know how you feel.

- November 1848.

I hoped that no one

would ever find cause

to open this letter.

If you have,

I must assume

that unexplained...

or even supernatural events

have begun to occur.

The story of the Bell witch

had always been considered

to be a tall tale.

(laughter)

This is not so.

Please, read this journal

with great care...

... for its contents

may save your life.

- Now where are you gonna go?

Just one kiss.

- No, Joshua.

- Leave that young lady alone.

(laughter)

Did he try to kiss you again?

- Isn't there something

you should be doing, Miss Bell?

- Oh, I'm sorry, Mother.

I was thinking about something else...

- Probably about torturing poor Joshua.

You really should be nicer to him,

Betsy.

- A woman must keep a man

on his toes at all times.

Isn't that what you taught me?

- I taught you no such thing,

Betsy Bell.

- I'm gonna make Joshua

love me forever.

- Well, then you better

stop mistreating him.

- You think I was too hard on him?

- Just a little bit.

- What would I do without you?

- Oh, you'd just shrivel up

and blow away.

Now, don't forget your schoolwork.

- I won't!

(children laughing)

- Good evening, sir.

- My hat, thank you.

Ah.

(jig music playing)

- ... then James Johnson grabbed it,

swallowed a swig of it,

wiped his mouth,

then he took hold of the wheel

at the axle

and in an instant, that carriage

was up and and out of that snowbank

as if 10 men had had a hold of it.

Ten! Ten!

- Speak of the devil!

I thought you'd gotten lost!

- I'm not stewed

that I can't find

the fob next door.

- I was telling them about you

and that carriage last winter.

- Ha-ha! I did...

- Not yet!

- ... that carriage!

- With the help

of a good swig of horse liniment.

- Who has the drink?

- You're three sheets to the wind

already.

(children giggling)

- I'm so sorry, Professor Powell.

- It's all right.

They're just having fun.

(laughter)

- Theny!

- Is there not a... tradition

connected to mistletoe,

Professor Powell?

- Well...

(John laughing)

- Yes, but...

- Elizabeth Bell,

it's not appropriate

for a student to place a teacher

in such a compromising situation.

You know better than that, precious.

- Well...

it is Christmas, Father.

And I am simply attempting

to learn the traditions.

Who better to learn from

than one's teacher?

- My prize pupil always seems

to have a ready answer

for everything, John.

Would you settle

for a dance, Betsy?

- Oh, John,

let them have their dance.

- May I steal this Bell

for a dance?

(Mrs. Bell laughing)

I promise not to step on your toes.

(sobbing)

- John!

(rapid thumping)

(moaning sound)

(quick sobbing sound)

(child crying)

(rapid thumping)

(gasping)

John...

I heard noises on the roof.

- It's coming from the attic.

(pattering)

- Squirrels?

- No, it's too loud for squirrels.

(running footsteps )

It's the third time I've heard it

in as many nights.

- I hadn't heard it.

- You sleep so sound,

you don't even feel me

get out of bed.

- Yes, I do.

(wind blowing softly)

Listen.

It stopped.

Rate this script:(0.00 / 0 votes)