"God bless Mommy." "God bless Daddy." " And God bless Aunt Agatha." " God bless Aunt Agatha." "There's a good girl." "Into bed now." "There you are." "There you go." "Night, night, Susie." "Night, Mommy." "She's gonna be a beauty, ain't she?" "Of course, dear." "A beauty." "Daddy!" "Mommy!" "No!" "Mommy!" "Mommy!" " You've left that door unlocked again." " No." "You've left that door unlocked again." "No." "No." "John, please, don't be violent." "No." "No." "No." "Please, no." "Easy." "Easy." "Come on." "This way." "Easy." "Come on." "Come on." "Stop!" "Please stop!" "I'm sorry." "Cigarette?" "I don't wanna go back there." "That's all there is to it." "The nearer I" "The nearer I get, the worse I feel about it." "Isn't it stupid?" "No, it's not stupid." "You must think you married some sort of nut." "Hope not." "Why am I so scared of going back there?" "I was a little girl." "I don't remember anything." "My mind's a total blank." "Blanks are rarely total." "I don't think your mind is as blank as you'd like it to be." "That's your trouble." "Hell, are you going to insist upon being older and wiser all over the place?" "I don't need it." "What was that about a cigarette?" "It'd be the easiest thing to turn the car around and go back to New York." "Oh, Mike." "I don't deserve you." "I'm just an ignorant, over-emotional juvenile." "No, you're not." "You're a highly intelligent woman." "At least that's the impression I had." "Of course, if I find I'm wrong I'll throw you in the nearest ditch without a backward look." "I don't believe you." "You'd look back." "Maybe." "One quick glance." "To see if I hurt myself when I hit the ditch, right?" "Yeah." "Anybody home?" "Looking for somebody?" "Oh, yes." "Are you the gentleman who runs that ferry?" " That's right." " Could you take us across, please?" "Don't lead nowheres." "The other side's the ocean." "No hotels for to spend the night." "No nothing." " How much do you want for the trip?" " Ten dollars." "Come on, Barry." "Looks like we've got business." "Ten dollars." "He saw us coming." "For miles." "Come on, fella, what are you waiting for?" "Come on, don't be scared, mister." "You ain't gonna hurt her none." "So long, folks." "Thank you, thank you." "Hey!" "Hey, buddy!" "Hey!" "Move!" " Come on." "Hey." " Hey, move over, will you, man?" "Move!" " Take a look at that." " Hey." "All right." "Move!" "All right." "All right, you got it." "Keep going." " Need to speed it up." " Okay." "Hold on!" "Hang on there, fella." "Hang on." "Hold on." "Hold on." "What did you let go for, stupid?" " Get your hands away." "Get them" " Oh, God." " All right, what--?" " No, no." "There, where the wire was." "Is he going to be all right?" "Yeah, sure." "He scratched himself on a piece of barbed wire." "That's careless." "Oh." "I wonder if you could tell me where I could find Zebulon Whately." "Yeah, sure." "How many guesses do I have?" "He's in the forge." " Thank you." " If you can walk that far." "Thank you." "Mr. Whately?" "Mr. Zebulon Whately?" "Morning." "Can I be of help?" " Mr. Whately?" " Lots of people around here named Whately." "I'm looking for a Mr. Zebulon Whately." "I think that's the way you say it." "Zebulon." "That's correct." "Zebulon." " Can you tell me where I could find--?" " I'm Zebulon Whately." "This is crazy." "Woo." "You folks on one of these see-the-U.S.A.-first tours?" "I mean, this ain't exactly no beauty spot." "Leastways, not until you came along." "Well, I was born on this island." " My name is Whately." "Susannah Whately." " You're kidding." "Well, anyway, I'm glad to know you, Mr. Whately." "You might say we're related." "I married your niece." " My niece?" " That's right." "She's in the car." "Would you like to say hello?" "Susannah?" "The one that was brought up in New York?" "What do you wanna bring her here for?" "Do I have to have a reason?" "If I were you, mister, I'd turn that pretty car of yours around and go right back where you've come from." " What's your name?" " Susannah." "What's yours?" "Lisa!" "Lisa, come here." "I told you not to speak to strangers." "You know, that Mrs. Sutley she believes in all those stories about New Yorkers eating children." "Do you?" "Yeah, sure, it's possible." "Especially on hot nights." "That mill wheel's been rusted up solid now on 16, 17 years." "Ever since Susannah's pa and ma died." "Ain't no use for nothing these days." "We don't intend milling corn, Mr. Whately." "Can't get in there." "It's locked." " I don't know where you can find" " The lawyer sent the keys." " Lawyer?" " Yes." "On my wife's 21 st birthday." "Twenty-one." "Is she?" "You sure you wouldn't like to meet your niece after all these years?" " Is she beautiful?" " Very." "Tait." "Come here." "I wouldn't take her into that old house, mister." "Unless you want her to end up like this." "Hey, fellas." "She says she's one of us." "Born here." "What do you think of that, huh?" "How do you do, ma'am?" "Well, you sure don't look like nothing we've seen around here before." " Does she?" " For sure." "If you started out here, we're happy to welcome you back." " Ain't we?" " Yeah, yeah." "I wandered on to that place, mister, a couple of years back." "I was liquored up." "Figured to sleep it off so my wife wouldn't smell whiskey on me." "In the night, the hot breath of hell blew on my face." "There was Beelzebub rushing down on me." "And from his mouth a red hot tongue of flame that smote me in the eye." "I ran out from that place so fast even the devil couldn't keep pace with me." "And I'm advising you right now, don't go near it." "There's no one but demons lives there." "And they don't take to strangers no more than we do." "Miss Susannah, I want you to meet Rick." "Oh, Rick's hurt." "You hurt, Rick?" "Yeah, Rick's hurt." "Get him, man." "Get him." "You go get him." " Don't stop." " Come on." " That's what." " You go on." "Go on." "Get him." " You get him, Andy." " Come on, come on." "Stop it." " Where are they going?" " They're gonna open up the old mill." "Use it as a summer home, they reckon." "Aunt Agatha!" "Aunt Agatha!" "Aunt Agatha!" "Aunt Agatha!" "Yes, boy?" "The Whately mill." "Is it mine or isn't it?" "Will be one day." "When?" "When I'm gone." "Who's Susannah Whately?" "Come up here, boy." "What do you hear about Susannah Whately?" "I just seen her." "With her fancy husband and her fancy car." " Where are they heading?" " To my mill." "Zeb told them how to get there." "She's come back." "Well all I can say is, it looks, um..." "Ghastly?" "Gruesome?" "No, I was trying to think of something more like delightful." "How about frightful?" "Come on." "Darling." "Darling." " Did you feel it?" " Feel what?" "When you opened that door, it was like I was standing in front of a refrigerator." "Didn't want to walk in in case I froze to death." "Aren't I stupid?" "No, you're not stupid." "What am I afraid of?" "Some bogeyman who once played the starring role in the nightmare of a little girl." "Maybe she ate too much apple pie that particular night for supper." "That's about it." "Some dream I once had." "That's all." "What do you think?" "That I'm getting dangerously close to being discarded in that ditch, right?" "Look, you're doing fine." "You're doing fine." "But I think I'd like to catch up with that bogeyman of yours whoever he is, and ask him a few questions." "Wait a minute." "I'm only going back there on your personal guarantee that he isn't around anymore." "This must be the place." "Michael." "Where are you?" "You know what they say." " Cleanliness..." " Is next to godliness." "What is it?" "What is it?" "Cobwebs." "Oh, no." "Darling, never do that to me again." "I'm glad you're here." "Oh, I didn't mean to disturb nothing." "I can come back later if you are busy right now." "What is it?" "Got a message to hand on to the lady." "Morning again, ma'am." "Nice to see you again." " So soon." " You have a message for me?" "Yeah." "Yeah, from your Aunt Agatha." "She says if you folks got a mind to come visiting she'd be more than glad to see you." "Aunt Agatha." "She used to take care of me when I was a little girl." "Fine." "We'll drop by this afternoon." "Oh, it's a pretty tough place to locate." "If you folks wanna come right now, I'll show you where it is." "Right." "You won't get that machine up there." "You gotta use boot leather." "Okay, honey." "Come on." "Come on." "That's good." "Come on, come on." "Come on, what's keeping you?" "Here." "Come on." "Thank you." "Come on." "Move it." ""John and Mary Whately."" "My mother and father." "Are you coming?" "You've got plenty of time to visit them folks." "You see, they ain't going nowheres." "Why wasn't I told?" "Why did I have to wait till I was almost grown up to find out who I am?" "Go tell your mistress folks here wanna see her, will you?" "Well, go ahead." "What are you waiting for?" "Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't sit." "Not unless the old lady says so first." "Oh, if you don't act pleasing to her, your aunt's likely to put a spell on you." "Oh, she's got enough stuff there to cure" " Cure most anything." "Yeah, if she put her mind to it, she could make you blind for a week." "Maybe you ought to play it safe, darling, and get up." "Well, I'm not so sure I believe it, but..." "Well, some folks do." "She's a-coming." "I'll bet they cost $2 a pair, them hose." "Ten at least." "Yeah?" "Five dollars each leg." "Isn't she great at figures?" "Aunt Agatha." "Susannah Whately." "It's almost too wonderful to be true." "I prayed and prayed and my prayers have been answered beyond my wildest dreams." "You've grown into a beauty, my child." "A beauty just like your mother, God rest her." "Aunt Agatha." "You remember me?" "Yes." "Yes, I do." "You were standing on the dock, waving goodbye to me." "And you were crying." "You remember." "And you were only 4 years old." "Who is this man?" "My husband, Mike Kelton." " Is she happy?" "You make her happy?" " I try." "See you do." "There's been enough misery in the Whately family." "And this island has seen it all." "That's why you were sent away to be reared elsewhere, to save you from it." "You mustn't tempt fate by tarrying here." "Be gone now before anything happens to you." "Ethan, take them across in your boat." "Oh, they got a-- They got an automobile." "Very well, sail across and fetch Wilkes and his car ferry." "Tell him these people are returning to the mainland before nightfall." "Wait a minute." "Nice of you to help with our travel arrangements." "The fact is, we like it here." "We may stay a few days." "You can't stay in that mill house." "What a pity." "It would make a great summer house." "A coat of paint and the services of a cobweb-disposal firm" "No, you'll start it up again." "With a Whately living in that house, no one will be safe on this island." "You'll start it up again for sure." "Evil." "You'll excuse me if I find that a little difficult to understand." "There's a lot of things city folks don't understand, Mr. Kelton even with their scientific know-how." "There's a lot of things they've no way of knowing, no way of figuring out." "Like the Whately curse?" "Yes, Mr. Kelton." "The Whately curse." "You don't know where it come from, but it's there." "How does a chicken know when a fox is hiding behind a bush, ready to spring?" "That chicken can't see the fox, can't smell the fox but it knows a fox is there." "Now, a chicken is a stupid creature, Mr. Kelton." "All it does is run around in circles a little and cluck a lot." "You linger around looking for proof and you'll end up like the chicken, with your neck tore out." "Do I detect a threat there somewhere?" "I'm not threatening you, Mr. Kelton." "But I see you're beginning to sense danger." "That's a good sign." "Well, I'm glad you think there's hope for me." "There's hope for you, Mr. Kelton, because you're not a Whately." "But there's no hope for Susannah." "If she spends even one night in that house..." "Well, thanks for the chat." "I found it quite informative." "Maybe we better be on our way, Susannah." "It's not exactly a good road." "Did you ever hear what happened to your wife's parents?" "Struck by lightning, both killed instantly." "Their faces were horribly burned." " You have to tell us things like that?" " Her ma and pa died violently." "So did her aunt and uncle." "How many Whately deaths do you need before you take your wife away from here?" "I sent her away to protect her." "Why did you bring her back?" " Can I ask you a question?" " Yes." "Does--?" "Does this fellow bite?" "Of course he does, Mr. Kelton, that's how he stays alive." "No power on earth could tame a creature like that." "He remains as God made him no matter how much we try to civilize him." "That's why I love him." "Hey." "The road's up there." "Well, are they staying in my mill or ain't they?" "Seems like they are." "Why'd you say it was mine when you knew about her?" "What does it matter?" "You'd never have the nerve to set foot in that house." " Well" " Would you?" "Would you spend one afternoon there alone?" "No." "No, I'd burn the mill and" "And use the land, but" "But I wouldn't stay in that house." "No, sir." "Oh, no, sir." "If I'd known about the family curse I'd have you fumigated before the ceremony." ""Spend one night in that house and the Whately curse will get you."" "I feel a bit silly being so afraid before." "Yeah, she's a great old girl." "I like her." "She should be saying all those things in any other century." "The moment I saw her face, I remembered her." "She used to be around here all the time when I was a little girl." "She came the short way, not over that darn cliff." "Maybe she rode up on her eagle." "Or her broomstick." "Hey, what kind of room is that?" "Oh, the wagons used to pull up here." "That chain would come down, pick up sacks of corn." " Let's see what's up there." " No." "We haven't seen the house yet." "What are you doing?" "Well, there's no hotel on the island." "We'll spend the night here." "Of course." "Shall we take another crack at it?" "Let's go." "Shall we?" "After you." "That's where my parents slept." "I just know it." "And through there was my bedroom." "How strange." "I didn't expect to remember anything." "I do." "My doll." "My cot." "I don't think anybody's been in here since they sent me away." "Nothing's been touched." "The doll's house." "I used to be afraid that someone or something was hiding in it watching me." "Some nights I couldn't sleep because I was sure that there were people in there staring out at me through the windows." "No." "I can't remember anything anymore." "Just a feeling." "A feeling that when I was a child there was something in this room that was hostile and angry towards me." "A power terribly, terribly strong." "Hey look at this." "A genuine early American sweeping tool." "Do you a lot of good to get rid of some of these old cobwebs." "I'll find something, we'll clean the place." "How about that?" "No, I'll do it." "I want to." "Hey, you go down to the store, get some food and we'll have a picnic." "Sure you'll be okay here alone?" "I'll be fine." "Now, beat it." "Okay." "He's left his wife alone there." "Susannah." "Susannah." "Susannah." "Where did your wife go?" "On your way." "Didn't know where I was, I tell you." "Hey." "Hey, Mr. New York." "I got something to tell you." "I got some" "Let me catch my breath." "Wow." "You own this?" "Yes." "You own it, or you paying for it?" "You said you had something to tell me." "You aren't going to stay in there, are you?" "With the curse and all." "What have you come to tell me?" "About your wife." "The fellas are after her." "Let her go ahead." "Hey, go on now, baby." "Hey, Elmer, where you going?" "Come on." "What's the matter with you?" "Come on." "Go, go, go." "Go." "Go, on." "Get her." "Go." " Go!" " What's the holdup?" "Go!" "Come on." "Mike!" "Mike." "Doing anything tonight, baby?" "Hey, pop." "Pop." "I got something to tell you." "You wanna hear it?" "Hey, I like the taste of your wife's ears." "What do you say to that, huh?" "She's so white white like a bed sheet straight out of the laundry." "And she looks at you like you was dirt about to dirty it." "That's hot!" "You need it hotter to cleanse your sinful thoughts." "And her hair." "You know, I bet you a dollar she washes that hair every day." "It's silky." "You call tell that by the way it blows in the wind." "I'm warning you, boy." "Get your thoughts off of another man's wife or you're headed straight for hell." "So what?" "Ever been to New York?" "Sure, lots of times." "Yeah?" "You never told me." "Shut up." "You gotta take me to the city one of these days." "Take me to the airport." "I've always wanted to see the wheels come down." "All my life I've seen them go over, but never seen them come down from all those places." "Shut up, will you?" "Shut up." " Please, John." "Be careful, please." " You've left that door unlocked again." " Why?" " No, don't, please." " The door." " Please, John." "Mommy!" "Susannah." "Susannah." "Mother." "Susannah." "Memories?" "Yes." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "Thank God." "I'm sure your explanation will satisfy me." "Once I've heard it." "I don't think you believed what I told you about the Whately curse." "Well, one doesn't run into many spells and curses on Madison Avenue." "At least not the kind you're talking about." "The moment I saw you I knew you were going to be hard to convince." "Forgive me, though I respect your right to believe." "But I don't." "I beg your pardon." "I never believed it." "I invented it in the first place." "The moment I met you I knew you were a remarkable woman." "I had to invent something to make those superstitious islanders afraid to go near that mill for their own safety." "You wanna drive more careful." "This ain't no express highway, you know?" "Will you get out of my way, please?" "Just offering you a piece of friendly advice." "Thank you." "Thank you." "I'm in a hurry." "Can I ride along?" " Where are you going?" " Same way you're going." "All right, jump in, but hurry." "Hey, is this next year's model?" "She really takes off, doesn't she?" "Power." "That's what you've gotta have, right?" " Hey, what kind of work do you do?" " I edit a magazine." "No kidding." "A movie-star magazine?" "What magazine?" " Maybe I read it all the time." " I don't think so." "No?" "No, maybe not." "I mean, a lot of magazines we don't get over here on account of we ain't got no use for them." "I mean, like, see them pylons?" "Bringing electricity into your home to power better things for better living." "Only we ain't got no electricity unless we generate our own." "No, them pylons just walk right over this island like we're some doormat or somewhere to wipe your boots." "They don't stop here." "They just keep right on going." "That's one magazine wouldn't have much sale here." "Kind of magazine with electric toothbrushes, such like fancy gadgets." "One of these nights I'm gonna get me a bunch of dynamite and I'm gonna knock one of them pylons right over." "And then I'm gonna sit back and listen to the yapping and squawking when you city folks get up in the morning and plug everything in." "Looking for me?" "Because I was looking for you." "I got things I wanna talk about." "Please let me go." "I have to see my husband." "What's wrong with staying here and passing the time of day with me?" "What's wrong with that?" "You know, we got the same aunt." "That makes us relations, don't it?" "Please." "This is where I am." "Over here." "You see anything?" " You're hurting me." " Am I?" "That proves I'm around here someplace, don't it?" "That's good to know." "I got the idea there was just you and a lot of air." "I was beginning to worry." "Gee." "Your eyes are beautiful." "No." "Come on." "Give me one of those-- Those fancy punches, right there." "Come on." "Show me." "What kind of stuff are you throwing?" "Some kind of imported fighting, ain't it?" "How would you like to try some of this?" "This is strictly homegrown." "Hey, chief." "That sure is a lovely wife you got there." "And you know I hear tell she's just as pretty all over." "Ain't that right?" "You wouldn't happen to know what your wife's doing right now, would you?" "Hey, you guys, where's Ethan?" "Hey, maybe Ethan knows what this guy's wife's doing." "Maybe this guy's wife knows what Ethan is doing." "Because maybe they're doing the same thing." "Together." "Hey, let's see if he's chicken." "Hey, that's a peachy idea." "Come on, boys." "Come on, let's get him." "Hold him down." "Hold him down." "Okay." "Hold him on." "Hold him on." "Hold him down, will you?" "Hold him down." "He's gone." "He's gone." "Come on." "Get him back." " Down here." "Down here, boys." " Tie him up." "Tie him up." "Don't you worry now." "Don't you worry-- No." "Just take it easy." " Tie him up." " You comfortable down there?" "Just stay." "We're just going for a little walk." "Just stay there." "Just stay there." "Okay." " Hey, have fun." " Come on, cowboy." "Let's ride him." "Come on." "Let's go." " Come on, boy." "Come on." " I'm sorry." " Turn around." " You all right down there?" "We're coming to get you." "Come on." "Now, keep going there." "Stay right there." "We're coming to get you." "Can I come in there?" "Wait a minute." "Let me help you." "Since I can't stop you let me help you." "Is this what you want?" "Is it?" "You animal!" "Hey, fella!" "Hey, we're coming to get you!" "Come back here." "Hey, you." "Come back here!" "Come back, you New York bum." "You viper!" "Witch." "You're a witch." "You hear?" "Where are you?" "My..." "My sister." "I know, darling." "Aunt Agatha told me." "Come on." "Darling." "Darling." "I'll take you home, darling." "Let's go." "Come on." "Let's go home." "Darling." "Please." "Please." "Please save her." "Give me the key to that chain." "Give me the key to the chain." "Hurry." "Come on." "Why?" "I promised your mother to care for her always." "And to keep you from learning the truth." "Oh, Lord in heaven." "How many is the time that I prayed to be released from my promise." "Let me take her, Mr. Kelton." "I know how to handle her." "Give her to me." "I'll calm her down." "That's all right." "Let her go." "Lead the way, please." "I can't see through the smoke." "Open up!" "Open this door!" "It's best this way, Mr. Kelton."