[screaming]
[scratching]
♪ ominous music ♪
VICTORIA: Today's the day.
[breathing heavily]
She's coming back.
I can feel it.
[thunder rumbling]
Everything will be ready.
♪
But different from before.
Not like last time.
[thunder booming, rumbling]
[scratching continues]
Nothing like last time.
[paper rustling]
[thunder rumbling]
♪
She'll be safe now.
♪
[floorboards creaking]
‐ Mom.
You have to come down and eat something.
‐ Ana's favorite.
You didn't set a place for her.
‐ Because she's gone, Mom.
And she's not coming back.
‐ That's not true!
I'll just save mine for her.
‐ Mom,
I have to tell you something.
You're not gonna like it, but I need you to know‐‐
[loud knocking on door]
‐ I knew she'd come back!
‐ Mom, stop. Mom.
I'm sorry.
WOMAN: Mrs. Helstrom?
‐ Yes.
‐ I'm Dr. Meyer with the Behavioral Health Department.
I'd like to talk with you.
‐ But I‐‐ I can't leave.
My son‐‐
[indiscernible conversations]
♪ melancholy music ♪
♪
VICTORIA: Today's the day.
She's coming back.
I can feel it.
Everything will be ready.
But different from before.
Not like last time.
She'll be safe now.
[floorboards creak]
‐ Mom‐‐ ‐ Not true!
‐ I have to tell you something.
[loud knocking on door]
DR. MEYER: Mrs. Helstrom.
I'd like to talk with you.
‐ But I‐‐ I can't leave.
VICTORIA: Today's the day.
She's coming back.
Everything will be ready.
Not like last time.
Nothing like last time.
[cracking]
♪ theme music playing ♪
♪
[horns honking in distance]
♪
[keys jingling]
BOY: Professor Helstrom? ‐ Jesus!
Bryce.
Uh, what are you‐‐
What are you doing here?
I thought we said that it probably wasn't best
that we talk to each other.
BRYCE: I know. It's just‐‐
I've been having a hard time with... all of it.
All of my brothers are dead.
They said it was an electrical fire. But...
I remember the bodies,
the blood,
before it all burned down.
Before waking up in your place.
Did I kill them?
‐ No.
No. Of course not. The‐‐ the thing that did that to your friends‐‐
It's... it wasn't your fault.
It wasn't you.
‐ I'm gonna have to drop out of school.
‐ No, you don't want to do that.
‐ Why not?
‐ Because it's your future we're talking about.
Uh‐‐
I am gonna‐‐ I'm gonna have someone call you.
A doctor who takes care of these kind of things.
‐ What the hell good is that gonna do?
If I tell a doctor, she'll lock my ass away.
That's why you told me to lie to the cops, isn't it?
‐ It's... one of several reasons, actually.
‐ Some ethics professor.
‐ Look, I know that this isn't ideal‐‐ ‐ Forget it.
‐ No, wait, hold on. ‐ Look, man,
I can't eat.
I can't sleep.
Every time I close my eyes, the stuff that I see‐‐
That thing was inside me.
‐ I‐‐ I ca‐‐ I can't begin to imagine what you're going through.
‐ Obviously not.
[insects chirping]
[gasping]
[sighs]
‐ Ugh! [gasping]
Ohh! Son of a bitch.
DAIMON: Kid's name is, um, Bryce.
I thought maybe you could catch him in between classes or something.
‐ You ever stop to think how many of the people you've saved
feel the same way he does?
Don't you feel a certain responsibility to them?
‐ Well, Hastings usually deals with this part.
But I figured since you're in the field now,
you gotta start someday, right?
‐ So you just exorcise the demon,
and then it's out of sight, out of mind for you.
‐ I mean, do you really think I should be the one holding their hands,
lying to them, saying their recovery is gonna be all sunshine and rainbows?
I mean, if you're not feeling up to it, I'm‐‐ ‐ It's fine.
You're right.
‐ Whoa, that actually looked a little painful.
[sighs]
‐ Are you all right?
‐ Yup.
Like you said,
I have to start someday.
♪
‐ Victoria, it's time to get up.
[sighs]
Unlock it.
[latch clanks, door buzzes]
No games.
Get help. Now!
♪
[scratching]
♪ ominous music playing ♪
VICTORIA: Today's the day.
She's coming back.
I can feel it.
[thunder rumbling]
Everything will be ready.
But different from before.
[floorboards creaking]
Ana's favorite.
You didn't set a place for her.
‐ Because she's gone, Mom.
And she's not coming back.
‐ That's not true!
I'll just save mine for her.
‐ Mom,
I have to tell you something.
You're not going to like it, but
I need you to know that‐‐
Mom?
[loud knocking on door]
‐ I knew she'd come back!
‐ Mom, stop. Mom.
I'm sorry.
[sobs]
‐ Mommy.
‐ Oh! [cries]
[buzzing]
‐ Where's the fire? I busted my ass getting over here.
I had a gorgeous woman with the hands of a welterweight
going to town on my arches.
Self‐care is important.
You should try it sometime.
‐ It's Mom.
‐ Obviously.
‐ Hastings found her on the floor of her room this morning. Unresponsive.
‐ She's probably faking. Wouldn't be the first time.
‐ She's in a coma.
We don't know why.
[ominous whispering]
[sighs]
I felt it too.
What is it?
‐ It's the skull.
‐ I thought Yen had it.
So what? He's here?
[thunder rumbling]
VICTORIA: Your favorite.
You must be starving.
Button,
what happened out there?
Your father,
did he hurt you?
How did you get away?
‐ I hit Daddy and ran.
One... two... three...
four‐‐
[thunder cracks]
DAIMON: None of this makes any sense.
How did you get away from him?
He's too strong.
‐ Daimon, she's scared.
We can talk about this later.
‐ You know what he is.
What he did.
‐ One... two... three‐‐
[thunder booms]
‐ Oh, come on, Ana. Just tell us how the hell you got away.
‐ Watch your mouth!
Leave your sister alone. She's been through enough.
[screams]
Button, it's okay, it's only thunder. ANA: Outside. Outside!
Mom, protect me. ‐ Shh!
‐ Mom, no. No!
‐ Honey, Mommy's not going anywhere.
See? Only lightning playing tricks.
It's scary, but it can't hurt you in here.
[thunder cracks]
‐ [whispering] He's coming.
CARETAKER: No sign of him outside.
Any luck? ‐ Just the bad kind.
HASTINGS: 48 hours' worth.
And just like I suspected, he never set foot inside the building.
‐ Why would he come all the way here?
‐ The skull's done something to him, obviously.
I touched it, felt it. It's...
not like banging your funny bone on the table, it's powerful.
And if it had that kind of effect on me,
on us, imagine what it could do to Chris.
‐ What does it want?
‐ To do its job: Contain evil.
‐ Yes, our father. Not her.
‐ Maybe some demon wiring got crossed.
‐ Or...
it's the fruit of the poisoned tree.
Think about it. The Keeper's bound by a blood oath.
Your father marked your mother. That's how she was possessed.
So his energy is‐‐
‐ It's a part of her. CARETAKER: Exactly.
‐ And us.
‐ Unfortunately, your mother's not as strong as you two are.
‐ So the closer that Keeper skull gets,
the worse it's gonna be for her.
‐ We need to find Yen. Now.
‐ Well, it's not like I can just whistle and he'll respond.
‐ We've looked everywhere.
If he's not in the building, then where the hell is he?
[monitor beeping]
‐ Pretty sure we've already covered this ground.
HASTINGS: Not necessarily.
When I found your mother,
she was digging this.
Like she was trying to get to something.
♪
‐ How do we get down there?
♪ ominous music playing ♪
‐ Be honest:
what happens to Yen after this Keeper thing is done
using him as its puppet?
CARETAKER: That depends.
‐ On what? ‐ On what's left of him.
‐ Wow. You should give a TED Talk.
It's, like, truly motivating.
I'm tingling.
‐ You wanna give me some kind of broad idea
of what we're dealing with here?
Homicidal tendencies? Split personalities?
Laser beam eyes? You're the one who deals with this shit.
‐ Well, seeing as this thing convinced Chris Yen
to stroll through rat crap and medical waste
in his $1,300 Tom Ford loafers,
gonna say that it's pretty bad.
‐ Yeah, he also killed a guy, but‐‐
ANA: Oh yeah, that too.
‐ Uh, I think my sister and I can handle one Yen‐sized person,
so you wanna sit this one out?
[Caretaker chuckles]
Unless you got some other reason to wanna tag along?
‐ 'Course I do.
That Yen‐sized person,
I'm willing to bet that she values saving his skin a lot more than yours.
Or your mother's.
I think you need all the help you can get.
And I'm the one who deals with this shit, remember?
‐ Bryce?
‐ Who are you?
‐ My name's Gabriella.
I'm a friend of Professor Helstrom.
He asked me to see you.
‐ You a shrink?
‐ Not quite, no.
I'm a novitiate.
A nun in training.
‐ Great. So, he sends me an almost nun.
No, thanks.
‐ I can help you.
‐ I'm not much of a church person. That crap can't help me.
‐ Look, what you experienced goes way beyond the Church.
I know because I've seen it firsthand.
I know what Daimon‐‐ Professor Helstrom can do.
And I know about the demon.
‐ Yo, keep your voice down.
Look, just leave me alone, okay.
‐ You weren't the first.
That entity that possessed you, I faced it before.
‐ Before?
So, if it possessed someone before me
and it still survived, that means it's,
it's still out there?
It could come back? ‐ It's complicated.
What I'm trying to say is you're not alone in this.
‐ I can't go through that shit again.
You don't understand what it did to me.
‐ Then help me understand.
Help me stop this from happening again. Not just to you, but to others.
[monitor beeping]
♪ ominous music playing ♪
♪
‐ Nothing to be scared of, see?
When I was a little girl,
whenever the power went out during a storm,
my mother and I, we'd light as many candles as we could
and stay up all night, telling stories,
reading by the candlelight,
pretending like we lived in olden times.
And whenever I got scared of the thunder,
she'd say it was just God bowling up in Heaven.
‐ That's not what thunder is, Mom.
It's the noise from hot air expanding after a lightning strike.
We learned about it in science class.
‐ Well, thank you, Professor Helstrom.
I don't think that version is as comforting, though.
‐ But it's the truth.
And the truth is more important.
[thunder cracks] ‐ It's okay, sweetie.
Sounds like God just bowled himself a strike.
[floorboards creaking]
[ominous whispering]
[creaking continues]
What is that?
‐ Screw the candles.
I'm going to check the circuit breaker.
‐ Daimon, no!
We don't go in the basement. What is the matter with you?
‐ I'm just trying to help.
[pounding on door]
♪ ominous music playing ♪
‐ I can't see, Mom.
[breathing heavily]
[pounding continues]
[thunder rumbles] [lock rattling]
[thud] [Victoria gasps]
‐ Come here. [panting]
[thud]
[wood creaks]
[thud]
[glass shatters]
[monitor beeps rapidly]
[monitor beeps steadily]
‐ What's happening?
VICTORIA: Ana,
where's your brother?
Daimon?
[wood creaking]
Daimon?
[creaking continues]
DAIMON: I don't care what kind of power this thing has,
if it's killing Mom,
even by accident, then we're destroying it.
‐ So we sacrifice our only weapon against Dad
for a woman who's been practically dead for years.
Got it.
‐ Yeah. She's right.
You want your father gone,
the skull's the only option.
‐ Oh wow,
you're taking her side?
Wonder why that is. Maybe because it's the side that benefits you the most.
‐ It benefits all of us.
‐ Hey, if you two are done measuring dicks,
you might want to check this out.
He was here.
‐ Are you sure?
‐ You know any homeless people with a taste for Yellerby Foie Gras?
♪
[footsteps]
Chris.
[rats squeaking]
‐ Well, well, well.
Somebody ran out of foie gras.
‐ Jesus!
Ana?
Ana.
[thunder rumbling]
ANA: In here, Mommy.
‐ Daimon? Where is he?
Did you see him?
‐ We can play a game while we hide.
‐ Button, we can't play now, we have to find your brother.
‐ No, we don't. You have to protect me.
[thunder cracks]
You let Daddy take me.
‐ Stop it, Ana.
‐ How could you, Mommy?
How could you let him take me?
‐ Stop this. Be quiet!
‐ Writing in your silly book all the time. You forgot about me.
You didn't care.
‐ How do you know that?
How do you‐‐ My journal was secret.
‐ You're weak! Stupid!
‐ You were already gone.
You couldn't know about that.
‐ Come drink your tea now, Mommy.
‐ You're not supposed to be here.
My Ana,
she never came home.
[pounding on door]
No! No!
No. No!
♪
It's you.
♪
[steam hissing]
[clattering]
BRYCE: You see this shit in movies, TV.
All these crazy stories my Bible‐thumping grandma used to tell.
But you never think it's real.
And I mean, it's not even like that, though. There's no...
devils with pitchforks. No green vomit, holy water.
It's just‐‐ ‐ So you knew what was happening to you?
‐ No,
I mean, not at first, but‐‐
‐ The demon itself,
did you ever see it?
‐ No.
‐ You're sure?
‐ I might've seen it‐‐
I felt him in there with me.
Always there but‐‐ ‐ Did you communicate with him?
‐ No.
‐ Or did he‐‐ ‐ I don't know!
‐ I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to‐‐
I just want to understand.
‐ Imagine waking up and reliving your worst moment
again and again.
That's what it was like.
And I'm not talking about the day your dog dies,
but when you were at your worst.
When you gave into the darkest parts of yourself.
That's what it made me see.
Made me feel. Again and again.
And if I tried to change what happened, it would just start all over.
It's like it knew exactly how to hurt me.
‐ It wasn't real.
It was‐‐ ‐ Torture.
‐ I have no doubt about that.
You think you know what's real.
You live your life believing the world is a certain way,
and then, suddenly it just isn't what you thought anymore.
Even when you try to help,
it only makes it worse.
You realize that sometimes there are no good answers.
It's going to be all right, Bryce.
Professor Helstrom and I won't let anything happen to you again.
‐ You sure about that?
[thunder rumbling]
[wood creaking]
‐ It's been you all along.
‐ Kthara.
At least that was my name for a time.
The person you see before you is the last form I took.
The last time I felt what it is to be alive.
Others denied me that existence, so I met a rather unpleasant end.
I thought appearing in a more pleasing form
might encourage cooperation.
If given the chance, you would surely try to protect your own daughter.
This time.
‐ How kind of you.
‐ Who I was before makes no difference now.
What's important now is that we help each other.
‐ You said protect you.
From what?
‐ From the one who did this to both of us.
Your husband.
‐ It is him.
Out there.
‐ Yes.
Which means we're both in danger.
[knocking on door]
I am not the enemy, Victoria.
He put me in here, with you, all those years ago.
This is my punishment, too.
[pounding on door]
‐ How long has this been going on?
‐ Long enough.
And now time is running out.
[rumbling]
‐ What's happening?
‐ He's trying to get in. To break you down.
‐ What do we do?
‐ I have a plan,
but I need your help.
We have to hold out just a little bit longer.
‐ Why the hell would I help you?
‐ Because getting back to our children is the only thing that matters.
[pounding continues]
We are both prisoners.
If we survive this, Victoria, we will be free.
I will get to be with my children again,
and you will get to be with yours.
[rumbling]
We must move. It's not safe here anymore.
Victoria. It's okay.
DAIMON: Ana?
"We don't know what to expect. Could be dangerous.
We should stick together," and what's the first thing she does?
‐ Same thing she always does: her own damn thing.
‐ Don't you ever get tired of it?
Cleaning up after her?
You've had to do it a lot more than I have.
‐ Well, you can get used to almost anything.
But if anybody's tired, it's gotta be you.
Dealing with your mother all these years‐‐
[sighs]
How long you gonna keep doing it?
‐ As long as it takes.
‐ How long can Victoria, then?
‐ I don't see any bushes down here to beat around,
so if you wanna get to your point?
‐ There are other ways.
She doesn't have to suffer like this, and neither do you.
Or Dr. Hastings, for that matter.
There are ways to make your mother more comfortable.
At least until‐‐
Destroying that skull is not gonna save her, Daimon.
It is only gonna put other people at risk
and make your father that much harder to stop.
And if by some miracle, you manage to pull that demon out her,
it'll only be like winning a battle while sacrificing the war.
One we're close to losing.
‐ And all I have to do is turn her over to you?
You and the people you work for will take her off my hands
and provide the best possible care
for the family you've been trying to kill for decades.
‐ The family I've been protecting for decades!
Me and Louise.
‐ If you'd been "protecting" us, we wouldn't be down here
looking for a one‐eyed skull.
[thunder cracks]
[monitor beeping rapidly]
[glass shatters] [gasps]
[monitors beeping rapidly] ‐ She's spiking again.
[pounding on door]
[Kthara gasps] [Victoria whimpers]
KTHARA: Come on.
♪
ANA: Okay.
How much longer are we gonna do this?
If you don't have laser beams coming out of your eyes
by the time I find you, I'm gonna be really pissed.
[man yells]
[grunting and gasping]
[sobbing]
Chris‐‐
Oh Jesus.
‐ Ana. ‐ Hey.
Chris,
what are you doing?
Oh my god, look at you.
Oh, look at your shoes.
This isn't you.
‐ How would you know?
You have no idea who I am anymore.
Stay away!
‐ Whatever this thing is doing to you, we can stop it.
We can go back to normal.
‐ Normal?
You mean back to me being your errand boy?
‐ What? No.
No! What are you talking about?
Back off. I've got it. Back off.
Chris, listen to me.
Everything that's happened, I didn't want to lie to you.
I'm sorry.
My dad is back.
He's coming,
and the only thing that can stop him
is your new little friend.
So, the sooner you hand it over,
the sooner this shit ends,
and the sooner I can take you out
for a night on the town.
Couple bottles of... Cristal,
some caviar,
oysters.
What do you say, huh? Good old days.
‐ You don't understand.
I can't.
I have a job now.
He needs me.
You don't.
‐ I do need you.
But I really need that skull.
So please don't make me hurt my best friend
just to get it back.
‐ I'm not going back.
‐ Okay, my turn.
[grunts]
[yells]
[grunts]
‐ I said I had it.
‐ I am not gonna let him hurt Mom.
‐ And I'm not gonna let you hurt Yen.
‐ Get out of my way, Ana.
[rattling]
‐ He'll listen to me. So just back off.
‐ No!
There isn't time for this. Our Mom is up there, dying.
‐ Christ! It's not even our mother anymore.
Why can't you just let her go?
‐ Because it's my fault she was committed!
[rattling continues]
[steam hissing]
‐ Where's Chris?
[panting]
KTHARA: We'll hide down here until it's safe again.
‐ My son.
KTHARA: It isn't real.
It's only in your mind.
It's moments from the past. You have to ignore them.
[Ana screams] VICTORIA: No!
ANA: Oh god! ‐ No, not again.
I won't let you take her again!
‐ It isn't real!
You can't change what happened! She's gone!
‐ But I could have‐‐ I could've done something.
‐ Victoria, we have to hide.
[door rattling]
That door won't last forever.
‐ I should have seen what he was!
‐ Victoria, you have to help me.
We must be strong for our children.
In this moment.
‐ Help you?
Why would you need my help?
[pounding and rattling]
You have controlled what has gone on
in my head for so long,
but now, you're weak.
[pounding and rattling continue]
That's why all of this is falling apart.
‐ Victoria‐‐ ‐ No. All you care about is yourself.
A real mother... sacrifices for her children.
‐ There's no time for this.
[pounding]
‐ That's not my husband out there, is it?
It's something else.
Something you are truly frightened of.
Something you can't control.
‐ You do what I tell you!
Make me, bitch.
[screams]
I didn't do anything back then,
but that doesn't mean I can't do something now.
Free them of this burden.
‐ No, no, no, no. Victoria, please don't go!
‐ Like you said, I die, you die.
‐ No! No, Victoria, please.
♪ ominous music playing ♪
♪
Please.
No!
No! No! No! No!
‐ Shit! Dead end.
‐ Look!
♪
‐ Oh shit!
[monitor beeping rapidly]
‐ She's going into tachycardia!
[indiscernible]
[groaning]
Victoria, stay with me!
[breathing heavily]
[thunder rumbling]
[door buzzes]
NURSE: That's right.
[monitor beeping rapidly]
[indiscernible conversations]
[grunts]
♪
[breathing heavily]
[rumbling]
[rattling]
[monitor beeping rapidly]
[monitor flatlines]
♪
‐ Stop!
[breathing heavily]
‐ Mom?
‐ Kthara?
‐ It's okay, we don't have to do this now.
‐ That's what she called herself.
Whoever,
whatever this thing is,
she's terrified of it.
It weakened her,
took control,
but I don't know how,
or how long. I‐‐
‐ All that matters is that you're back with us now.
‐ She used you against me.
Or the... "you" I remember, anyway.
You've both grown so tall.
[laughing softly]
I never thought I'd see you again.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[breathing heavily]
‐ I need it.
It needs me!
Bring it to me.
Now!
Please!
HASTINGS: This is the best thing for him at the moment.
‐ The effects of that skull's going to take some time to wear off.
‐ It needs me.
‐ My best friend's brain is mush, but...
hey, at least it worked out great for Mommy Dearest.
‐ Hey.
So, how'd it go with the kid?
[sighs]
‐ These people need more help than any of us realize.
They need to talk about their experiences.
There's more going on with them than you know.
‐ I‐‐ I know it now, believe me.
It's, uh... it's a long story, but
my mom is back.
The demon's been placed under house arrest.
Temporarily, um, at least.
‐ That's... a miracle.
‐ I don't know about that, but it's a start.
‐ Listen, um‐‐
There's something I need to show you.
‐ Can I raincheck?
I‐‐ I feel like I really need to stay around here,
all things considered,
and unless it's a matter of life and death...
‐ It is.
[bell dings]
‐ How many are there?
[sighs]
Gabriella.
♪ ominous music plays ♪
♪
‐ I should have told you sooner.
♪
Now we're too late.
♪ Kendra McKinley's Fine as a Vine ♪
♪
‐ ♪ I went out walking down by the bay ♪
♪ Yesterday ♪
♪ There I saw a man whose ponderous smile ♪
♪ Did entertain ♪
♪ I said, "Tell me all that you know! ♪
♪ "Can you please? ♪
♪ "'Cause I'm getting lost in a fog ♪
♪ Of uncertainty" ♪
♪ He said, "I'm feeling fine as a vine ♪
♪ In the sunshine" ♪