Treasure Trackers (2024) Movie Script
1
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(CROWS CAWING)
(WOMAN HUMMING)
(CROWS CAWING)
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
(HUMS)
()
Wow, Aunt Cynthia really
has a thing for Halloween.
That's more like
all of Carterville.
But as the saying goes,
"New Year's in Times Square,
Christmas in Maine
and Halloween in Carterville."
Who says that?
I just made it up.
What do you think?
I gotta give it to them.
The spooky spirit is real.
What's the matter, dude?
You love Halloween.
Dad, I'm not 11.
(SCOFFS)
Oh, graduating from
treats to tricks now, are we?
I'm in middle school now.
I know you think you can
just pull me from Encinitas
and drop me in Carterville,
but it's actually kind
of a big year.
Look at it this way.
A new town means
new places to explore
and new rocks to turn over.
You know when you're my age,
you're not gonna remember
a single thing
from sixth grade.
That you, brother?
It sure is!
CYNTHIA:
Who's that little critter?
Smokes!
That Leah?
That's me.
The little critter.
I wasn't expecting y'all
for another two days.
Let's go say hi
to your Aunt Cynthia.
Come on.
Look at you!
(GASPS)
Oh, my goodness.
Beau!
Hey, Beau!
Get out here, Beau!
Darn it, Beau!
BEAU:
Come on, now. I just--
CYNTHIA:
I told you not to
touch my jerry rig.
BEAU:
Give me a second.
CYNTHIA:
The signal was perfect
before you touched it!
Forget that antenna, Beau.
Get out here
and say hello to my family.
BEAU:
Get over here.
(INDISTINCT SPEECH)
Okay! Okay! All right! Gosh.
Weavers!
Gotta love Weavers.
Go ahead.
Check out the room upstairs,
little critter.
I've got my own
responsibilities.
LEAH'S DAD:
Keep your voice down.
CYNTHIA:
I got mouths to feed.
Beau here eats
for six as it is!
BEAU:
Now, come on! You know, that--
LEAH'S DAD:
I will be back soon
and then we're heading
straight back to California.
Look, I just need some time
to get us back on our feet,
all right?
Just do me this favor, sis.
Please.
And have her
start all over again?
You think this is easy for me,
raising a girl without a mother?
LEAH:
You're ditching me?
Leah.
Leah, come on.
I'm not ditching you.
Leah! Leah!
(PANTS)
I was gonna tell you sooner,
but I just kept putting it off.
Whatever.
Go.
Leave. I don't care.
I got a job on a fishing boat.
It's gonna be good for us.
You ought to see this boat.
It's a 100-footer.
It's got dredge nets,
and we're gonna be
scooping up clams,
and oysters, and crab,
and honey, the money.
I mean, we are going to be set.
Ever since Mom died,
it's like I'm your friend!
I am your friend.
I don't want to
be your friend.
I want to be your daughter.
And someday, you may look back
and see that that's exactly
why I'm doing this.
I got you something.
I'll give you a hint.
Um, we saw that guy
at Moonlight Beach.
You said you wanted one,
and I told you
it was too expensive.
Keep your present.
(DOOR CREAKS, SHUTS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
LEAH'S DAD:
Leah?
Honey?
I'm leaving.
I'd love to say goodbye.
Bye!
LEAH'S DAD:
Okay.
Goodbye.
Love you.
(SNIFFLES)
(ENGINE STARTS)
(CAR LEAVING)
()
He'll be back
before you know it.
()
(CRINKLES)
()
(OWL HOOTING)
(CYNTHIA GRUNTS)
(MUNCHING)
CYNTHIA:
Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey.
(MUNCHING)
(SIZZLES)
CYNTHIA:
Pancakes.
Special touch.
(MUNCHING)
Here you go.
And here you go.
Oh.
No, thanks.
I'm not hungry.
Not hungry?
You can't grow
if you don't eat.
Hey!
I'm not done with you, Weaver.
Do you need a ride to school?
Point me
in the right direction
and I'll do the rest.
That's easy.
There's only one street.
(DISH CLATTERS)
(MUNCHES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
TEACHER 1:
Let's go.
()
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
BOY 1:
Marshy!
Hey!
Marshy!
What?
I thought you'd learn
by middle school,
you can't always
hide in a book.
How about this?
I'll take my life lessons
from my readings
of the great philosophers.
If I ever want to learn
the art of skinning possum,
I'll ask the guy who's
repeated sixth grade twice.
(STUDENTS CHUCKLE)
Sit down, Rhett.
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
TEACHER 2:
Class.
Quiet, please.
Rhett, please take your seat.
(EXHALES)
TEACHER 2:
You must be Leah.
Please welcome a new student,
Leah Weaver.
Everyone say hello.
CLASS:
Hello.
Go on and tell the class
a little something
about yourself.
Uh, right.
Well, I used to live in
Encinitas till yesterday.
My dad dropped me off
without warning me,
so now I'm stuck with my aunt
and uncle.
Ooh! Ooh!
I like to skate, surf.
Ooh!
Yes?
Have you ever seen
a Pacific gray whale?
No, I don't think so.
Yo!
Cool shorts, dude.
(CLASS CHUCKLING)
TEACHER 2:
Simmer down.
Simmer down now.
Go ahead
and grab an open desk, Leah.
Now let's pick up where
we left off
on yesterday's lesson.
If you did your reading,
you know we're getting
to the good stuff
on ancient Egypt.
(BELL RINGS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
MARSHY:
Hey, Leah!
(PANTS)
Don't worry about Rhett.
He'll get held back again,
and we won't have to
deal with him next year.
Hey, surfer girl.
Want some tips
on how to fit in?
First off,
don't speak to this loser.
Don't touch me!
BOY 2:
Fight!
STUDENTS:
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
Please?
STUDENTS:
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Whoa! (THUD)
(LAUGHING)
Smooth, dude.
I have a program called,
"After School Self-Reflection."
I think you'd be a great fit.
Do I have to?
Well, I double as the librarian.
You'll help me tidy,
organize books.
Sounds like detention.
After School Self-Reflection.
And you might even
meet some nice kids.
Right.
I know Carterville
can be cliquey.
Plus, starting sixth grade in
the middle of a semester.
Golly, I'd rather go toe to toe
with a Gallywampus.
A what?
Oh!
(SIGHS)
Is there anywhere
in Carterville
that doesn't have a spider
hanging from the ceiling?
Oh.
I get it.
We're not supposed to talk.
We can talk.
Oh.
Got you.
So, you don't
feel like talking?
So, what'd you do to land here?
MARSHY:
She dumped pumpkin guts
in Rhett Perry's locker.
Picked his lock,
filled it up
with three pumpkins' worth
of pumpkin guts.
You can probably guess
what happened after.
(CHUCKLES)
Seriously?
That is awesome.
MARSHY:
Awesome?
Lock-picking is a crime!
Marshy isn't even in detention.
He's just here to bother me.
That's not true.
I'm Mr. Bigsby's right-hand man.
Here we go again.
Beginning of the year...
(GRUNTS)
MARSHY:
I was given detention
for turning in an essay
in a code I created
which I refused to decode
as a matter of principle.
Mr. Bigsby
and I hit it off so well,
he invited me to be his
after school assistant!
There's no such thing.
Hey, I wish I could write
in code.
I can teach you sometime.
Wicked.
Wicked.
Wicked.
Wicked.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
VOICE 1:
Set me free.
Release me, Leah.
(FIREWORKS IN BACKGROUND)
What on earth?
Isn't even Halloween
and the pranksters are at it
already.
You know, I'm glad to have
you kids around
or else I'd start
to wonder if...
...the youth had all gone...
...rotten.
My library!
Who could've done this?
(GLASS TINKLES)
I'm sorry, Mr. Bigsby.
The firecrackers
were a diversion.
So it seems.
I don't get it.
Why would anybody
want to steal an old book?
That old book is Silas Carter's
own personal diary.
Silas Carter.
The statue with
the creepy dudes?
(CHUCKLES)
I reckon it's time you learned
about this town's namesake.
As the story goes,
there were two brothers.
Silas and Bob Carter
moved out here
in the summer of 1820
to seek their fortune in lumber,
but when they realized there
was no workforce to cut timber,
a little story started
to spread
about how they struck it rich
panning for gold.
But it was a con.
Just a rumor started by the
evil of the two brothers, Silas.
There was no gold
in these there hills.
(THUD)
What is all this?
Just some of
my personal research,
a little hobby of mine.
Little?
MR. BIGSBY:
Folks flocked to the place
we now call "Carterville",
chasing riches,
but since it was a lie,
the newcomers had
to either leave
or take work at the only
real business in town,
the Carter Brothers'
Lumber Mill.
Racked with guilt,
Bob began shouting
in his dreams
pleading for forgiveness
for not trying
to stop his brother's deceit.
Silas heard Bob
and took action,
stealing all the wealth
of the lumber mill
and converting it
into gold bars.
Bob told Silas his plan
to reveal the lie
that brought them their fortune.
What happened?
MR. BIGSBY:
Seeing red,
driven by greed,
Silas killed his own brother.
Silas died shortly after
when a tree fell on him,
ironically enough,
without ever revealing
the location of his gold.
So, all the clues
are still out there?
And the gold?
No one knows.
Plenty have tried to find out,
but I think the person
that took Silas' diary
thinks it holds the answer
to where the gold is hidden.
(GASPS)
(CLANKS)
And that's why Bigsby
thinks someone stole the diary
to find Silas Carter's
gold bars.
(CHUCKLES)
What's funny?
Everyone knows the story
of Silas and Bob Carter.
This is Carterville, after all.
Well, if everyone knows it,
then how come no one's
found the gold?
Bigsby probably didn't tell you
that Silas' gold
is forever cursed.
-Cursed?
-Oh, yeah.
Silas was cursed by this witch
who still lives in these woods.
-The Raven Witch.
-It's just a legend.
A myth old people use
to scare kids.
Maybe, or maybe not.
This is my stop.
See you tomorrow.
(INDISTINCT TV CHATTER)
So?
Day one and done.
How was it?
One of the teachers,
Mr. Bigsby, is cool.
He told me the story
of the Carter Brothers.
That guy's obsessed.
Nowheresville's
own town historian.
I think it's good to
know your history,
-where you came from.
-Sure.
What I got a problem with is
leading a man to digging holes
and searching treasure
for the rest of his darn life.
Mr. Bigsby is looking
for Silas' gold?
Well, he calls it
searching for artifacts,
but I don't think
he was looking for artifacts
when he was digging
in our back yard.
In your back yard?
BEAU:
Well, they say that Silas Carter
may have lived
on this very plot.
Some speculate that he hid
his gold in our own backyard.
(CHUCKLES)
(CLICKING)
(BEEPING)
(HOOTING IN BACKGROUND)
BEAU:
Sure is determined.
I'm gonna tell her.
It ain't nice.
Leah!
There ain't no treasure
out there.
Your Uncle Beau
was pulling your leg.
(GRUNTS)
(CHUCKLES)
(GRUNTS)
It's a good lesson.
Don't waste your time
chasing imaginary treasure.
And where do you think
you're going?
Home!
Back to California!
But that's a long way
to walk, don't you think?
Then I'll hitchhike.
Well, all right, now.
You just go blow off some steam,
but you come right back,
you hear?
She'll be back.
Why'd you have to go
and mess with her?
She's got it hard enough
like it is.
()
(CACKLING)
()
(HOOTING IN BACKGROUND)
VOICE 2:
End the curse.
Destroy Silas.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
Destroy Silas.
()
(PANTS)
(LEAH GASPS)
Tessa!
TESSA:
Oh my gosh.
You scared me!
What are you doing out here?
I'm camping.
What are you doing?
I'm walking to California.
It's a stupid idea,
now that I think about it.
Yeah.
Well, you're walking northeast,
so there's that.
(CHUCKLES)
I guess I just wanted
to get out.
I know how that feels.
It's terrifying
out here at night.
I felt like I was being stalked.
You're lucky the Raven Witch
didn't get you.
So Marshy doesn't believe
in the witch,
but you do?
Believe is kind
of a strong word.
Even the craziest stories
have to come from somewhere.
I just read a whole volume
of Carterville history,
and there was zero mention
of any witch.
Here we go.
You read this one?
I was getting to it.
So, you want to know
the other side of the legend
or what?
"It was on All Hallows' Eve..."
the night when the
veil that separates our world
from the spirit world
is thinnest
when Silas killed Bob.
But Silas wasn't alone
that night.
The Raven Witch must've
smelled his wickedness,
'cause she saw
the whole thing.
And when the Raven Witch
witnessed Silas' evil,
she emerged.
"Arms like wings, skin saggy
and drooping
from living thousands of years
feeding on human souls.
That's when she put a spell
on Silas.
The Raven Witch trapped
Silas' soul
into his own gold bars forever."
(FLIPS)
"If the gold is ever found,
it would release Silas' soul
from the Raven Witch's curse
awakening his evil spirit.
Whoever awakens Silas would
become possessed by his spirit,
and use his riches
for his wicked deeds."
(CHUCKLES)
I have to walk back to my aunt's
alone through witch territory?
Relax, Leah.
I can walk you home
if it makes you feel better.
How do you know so much
about this legend?
When I was younger,
my grandma used to tell me
she met the Raven Witch.
Said she even showed her
a few magic tricks,
but I don't know.
If my grandma had
any supernatural powers,
we wouldn't be
living in a trailer.
But Grandma is able to
make strange things happen,
like making missing keys
appear out of nowhere.
Maybe you're right.
About?
Even the craziest stories
have to come from somewhere.
I heard something
in the library.
Whispers.
Ooh, spooky.
Whispers.
Like they were trying to
lead me toward the diary.
And I heard them again
here in the forest.
Like something was watching me.
And when I was cleaning up
the broken glass,
I found something.
A rolled-up metallic
gum wrapper.
Rhett Perry.
If Rhett stole Silas' diary,
he must be looking for the gold.
If anyone wouldn't give a darn
about awakening an evil spirit,
it'd be Rhett Perry.
We have to stop him.
Maybe we should tell Bigsby.
You need more than a hunch.
LEAH:
You're right.
We need more proof.
(THUDS)
(FIRE CRACKLES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
What'd I teach you about
hiding in your books, Marshy?
-(GRUNTS)
-(GRUNTS)
(CHUCKLES)
RHETT:
What do you want, surfer girl?
I don't got no beef with you.
Beef?
Tell him you're sorry
and I'll let you pass.
I'm incredibly sorry, Marshall.
You really don't know how
to pick your friends, do you?
Recognize this?
I found it in my dustpan
sweeping up some broken glass.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
But I think you do.
I had nothing to do
with that robbery.
Robbery?
Who said anything
about a robbery?
I'm on to you, Rhett Perry.
Watch yourself, surfer girl.
I'm starting to get how
he got held back twice.
()
This is so awesome, Tessa!
A month ago, it was just you
and me, which was fun
but I'm really starting to
think that Leah's becoming
a regular part of our clique.
Our clique?
Our squad!
Our posse!
You know, our crew!
Two's company, but three...
I feel like we need a name
or something.
What should we call ourselves?
Call ourselves?
How about
"The Three Carterville-teers"?
Doesn't quite
roll off the tongue.
The Outcasts?
We'll come up with a name later.
For now, let's just
enjoy this moment.
Tessa, you should've seen
Leah in passing periods.
She got right up in Rhett's face
when he knocked my book down.
Remember, Leah?
Speaking of passing periods,
I saw Rhett today at his locker
and I could've sworn
I saw this old book
that looked a lot like--
Silas Carter's diary?
Yup.
We gotta tell Bigsby!
LEAH:
We can't.
We don't know how far Rhett is
into his hunt
and if Bigsby gets on his case,
he'll know we're on to him.
We need to find a way
to outsmart him,
so we can beat him to the gold.
You mean the
supposedly cursed gold?
If we don't find it, then Rhett
or someone like him will,
and they might unleash
an ancient super pissed-off
spirit on planet Earth.
And my mom thinks I have
an overactive imagination.
But how do we know
what Rhett knows?
Take a page out of his book.
He's obviously up to something.
We just need to sniff out
his place in the hunt.
Like, spy on him?
I do live across the street
from the Perry house.
LEAH:
This is perfect!
I like what you're
thinking, Marshy.
Are you thinking
what I'm thinking?
I shouldn't have
opened my mouth.
Stakeout time.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Leah?
Tessa?
-LEAH & TESSA: Hi.
-Come on in!
Come in!
(DOOR CREAKS, SHUTS)
I just finished these.
I'm not sure of the size,
but they should fit.
Thanks, Mrs. Parker.
Whoa, these are awesome.
"The Carterville History Club?"
Wicked, right?
Wicked.
So, Marshy says y'all are
starting up
The Carterville History Club?
Remember,
our first meeting at 8:00?
-Oh.
-That's right!
Our 8:00 meeting.
Come on.
I'll show you guys
my coin collection.
Were the jackets too much?
Yup.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
TESSA:
How much do you think
Silas' gold is actually worth?
MARSHY:
Who knows?
The combined wealth
of a lumber empire,
adjusted for inflation...
Maybe a million bucks?
First thing I'd do is buy me
a tent with no holes
and a new fishing pole.
And then maybe a house
outside the trailer park.
A real house.
But it could be cursed,
remember?
TESSA:
I know.
Just saying if it wasn't.
With that much money,
my dad would never have
to take up some crazy job again.
That's what I'd do.
Give my dad the money.
That way, we could settle down
in California for good.
What's going on, man?
There!
It's go time, guys!
Rhett's making moves.
MARSHY:
You mean like sneak out?
-Yeah, what do you mean?
-We have to follow them.
But I don't want
to get in trouble.
Trouble?
We're gonna be
in a whole lot more trouble
if they beat us to the gold.
Leah, listen, this was fun,
but if Marshy doesn't want to
break his house rules,
I get that.
House rules?
Do you think Silas Carter's
evil spirit cares about
Marshy's house rules?
Guys...
...we can't let this chance
get away from us.
We don't even know if all
this cursed gold stuff is true.
And that's a chance
you're willing to take?
It's your call, Marshy.
Oh, jeez.
(GRUNTS)
Come on, let's go.
They're headed to the forest.
Come on.
I know a shortcut,
we can cut them off.
()
Come on! Come on!
Look.
Guys, this is crazy.
This is Old Man Abner's
property.
Everyone knows
Old Man Abner's insane.
And now, we're trespassing
on his land in the dark?
Shhh!
Let's just leave.
Let's check it out.
Or that's another option.
(BOY GRUNTING)
BOY 3:
I'm ready to call it a night.
Yeah, a little longer.
A little longer?
Dude, I'm exhausted.
My hands are all blistered.
There's nothing
for me to find here--
Suck it up, Owen.
Would you like to pitch in?
GIRL 1:
Pitch in?
OWEN:
Yeah, all you do is sit
over there and watch.
GIRL 1:
Oh, is that how you
talk to your girlfriend?
Silence!
OWEN:
How do you even know
you're reading the clue right?
Huh?
I mean, think about it.
How could Silas bury
his gold in his own grave?
I mean, that just seems,
you know, impossible.
Are you questioning
my deciphering skills?
(SNIFFS)
Dude, your...
My what?
Your breath.
(EXHALES)
Jalapeno cheddar pork rinds.
GIRL 1:
Chester, chill.
He was just kidding.
Right, Owen?
Yeah.
If you want to keep digging,
we'll keep digging.
Rhett, if you're
gonna be a tag-along,
make yourself useful
and read the clue again.
I am useful.
(CLICKS)
"Protect me in the night,
for by day, you are asleep.
Where my corpse will lie
is a hollow for your retreat."
"Where my corpse will lie."
Here's where Silas Carter's
corpse lies.
"A hollow for your retreat..."
(BRANCH SNAPS)
(GRUNTS)
Did you guys hear that?
It may be a deer.
Or one of those
pissed-off ghosts
in these graves.
GIRL 1:
Ghosts got nothing
to do with the gold.
CHESTER:
Oh, with this gold,
ghosts have everything
to do with it.
Lights.
Yeah, that's
enough for one night.
We'll be back again tomorrow.
Same time.
Let's go.
(SIGHS)
GIRL 1:
Move, Rhett.
Quick. Let's go. Let's go.
That was Clara Perry,
Rhett's sister
and her boyfriend, Owen.
High schoolers.
What about the dude
with the cheddar breath?
Chester Black.
High school senior-slash-record
holder for most suspensions.
And the Carterville resident
most likely
to achieve world domination.
(CHUCKLES)
Wow.
Sounds like a fun dude.
Check it out.
How could they dig up
Silas Carter's grave?
People do crazy things
for riches, I reckon.
Did you just say reckon?
Don't repeat it.
Looks like
they didn't find much.
(HOOTING IN DISTANCE)
Remember the clue they read?
"Where my corpse will lie
is a hollow for your retreat."
Maybe they didn't find anything,
because it wasn't
in the ground.
A hollow for your retreat!
-(SCREECHES)
-(GASP)
No way I'm putting
my hand in there.
Draw straws?
I'll do it.
MARSHY:
Be careful.
I think I got something, but...
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
(GRUNTS)
TESSA & MARSHY:
Leah!
She's stuck!
Tessa, help!
(GRUNTS)
Oh, jeez!
Come on!
Get me out of here!
Do you guys feel that?
(GRUNT)
OLD MAN ABNER:
Hey!
What are you kids doing?
Yup. Is that right?
All three, you say?
Well, you know,
kids will be kids.
Uh-huh.
All righty, then.
Really appreciate it.
Goodnight, now.
So, Rhett and Clara's dad say
they've been
in their bedrooms all night.
No way!
We saw them with Silas Carter's
stolen diary.
Right, guys? Come on!
All I know is I get a 10:00 p.m.
call from Old Man Abner
saying he found three kids
trespassing on his property.
And lo and behold,
the three kids that he think
he's seen aren't under my roof.
Abner said he's gonna
call the police next time.
Consider yourselves lucky.
But we only snuck onto Abner's
property, so we could find--
MR. PARKER:
Leah...
I know your father's
not around right now,
but I don't condone
this type of behavior.
I think it's probably best
you call your Aunt Cynthia
and she came to pick you up.
I also think it's best if Marshy
spent some time away
from the Carterville
History Club.
(BIRDS CHIRPING, DOGS BARKING
AND SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
LEAH:
Hey, guys. Wait up.
Thanks for having my back
last night with Marshy's dad.
You know Rhett stole
Silas' diary.
First of all, I'm grounded.
My dad doesn't care
about Silas' diary.
Yeah, you and me both.
My Aunt Cynthia is making me
look under every couch cushion
in the house
for coins to roll till
they hit 5 bucks.
Second of all, we don't even
have the diary,
so what's the point?
It's a dead end anyway.
(UNZIPS)
How's this for a dead end?
Where'd you get that?
From the hollow.
Marshy, you were right.
What's in it?
-What's it say?
-I can't exactly tell.
It's in some kind of strange,
jumbled language.
A code!
Looks like some of the spells
my grandma uses
to make keys reappear.
You think she can read this?
-Maybe. I--
-We have to visit her!
Marshy, are you free tonight?
Take a breather, Leah.
Marshy didn't want to sneak out
and we forced him to.
I'd say it's best
if we just take the night off.
You're right.
Let's just throw in the towel.
Why don't we just hand
this code over
to the high schoolers
while we're at it?
Give them Silas' gold
on a silver platter.
You only wanted the gold,
so you can buy a ticket back
to California anyway.
We were never really a crew.
If we were,
you wouldn't be in such a hurry
to leave Carterville.
It's not about buying a ticket.
It's about getting my dad back.
So, you can go home, right?
Isn't that what
this is all about?
Tessa, wait.
You seem cool,
but Marshy's right.
You're getting out of here
and we're stuck.
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
I'm stuck, too.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
(PHONE VIBRATES)
Dad?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Leah, honey.
How are you?
I can barely hear you.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Yeah, crap service.
Can drop any minute.
How's Carterville?
Carterville's okay.
When are you coming back?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Soon, very soon.
Hey, you get a chance
to put my present to use?
Yeah, actually.
I'm trying to find
Silas Carter's gold.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Yeah? Find anything good?
Well, I'm staring at this
ancient clue right now,
but it's in a coded language.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Coded language?
How cool is that?
Send me a pic.
I want to see.
And sent.
Did you get it?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Leah.
Leah, can you hear me?
Hello?
Dad?
(CALL DROPS)
()
Hey, Leah!
What do you want?
Aren't you cheerful?
I'm not in the mood,
so if you've got something
to say, just say it.
Sheesh.
I was just gonna ask if you
wanted to come over and skate.
I didn't know you skated.
I'm still learning,
but I just finished building
a ramp in my backyard yesterday
and I've been looking for
someone to help me test it.
Obviously, I thought of you.
Hold on.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Your turn.
(CHUCKLES)
Whoa, whoa!
(RHETT GRUNTS)
RHETT:
Come on.
CLARA:
Leah?
Leah Weaver?
You're the new girl, right?
Come inside for a second.
Hmm.
You must have been
like all day,
just like, surfing
and tanning in California, huh?
When you get to high school,
the guys are gonna be
all over you.
But don't worry,
I'll look out for you.
Put 'em together.
Here.
I heard you guys had a little
run-in with Old Man Abner.
Yeah. (CLEARS THROAT)
He just doesn't like us running
through his fields, I guess.
That's not how I heard it.
I know you and your friends
have been looking
for Silas' gold.
I want us to be able
to work together.
Haven't people been looking
for the gold for 200 years?
So?
So, why would you want
to partner with the new girl?
I know you dug up
the clue, Leah.
It was in a tree.
-Excuse me?
-I didn't dig up anything.
-It was in a tree.
-Dumb luck.
-Hand it over.
-Dumb luck?
You thought Silas' gold
was in his own grave.
What do you want, Leah?
You want to go home?
Carterville isn't for everyone.
Small town folks like us.
CHESTER:
Rhett says you want a ticket
back to California.
Maybe that could be arranged.
CLARA:
What do you think?
All we need is the clue.
I appreciate the offer,
but I'm not in it for the gold.
I'm in it to destroy it.
(CHUCKLES)
You actually believe
that bogus legend?
Where is the diary?
Admit you stole it,
and then maybe I'll tell you
about the clue.
Search her.
-Empty her pockets.
-No. Get off me!
(GASPS)
Oh, you little...
She's recording us.
Oh!
Would you look at that.
She was foolish enough
to take a photo of the clue.
All right, Leah.
As you wish.
-Leave.
-It's not fair.
Just wait till you
get to high school.
You can steal the clue,
but you can't stop me
from hunting the gold.
Have fun.
Dumb luck won't happen twice.
(CHUCKLES)
Let me see it.
(BEEPING)
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
()
VOICE 1:
Leah...
Release me, Leah.
()
(BEEPING)
VOICE 2:
That curse destroyed Silas.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
VOICE 1:
Release me, Leah.
()
(LEAH PANTS)
Hi.
I'm so happy to see you.
The weirdest thing happened.
I heard those whispers again,
but it was different this time.
Like someone was watching me
or following me.
And I ended up
in that creepy place
where those trees
grow in a perfect circle.
The Witching Circle.
Old-timers say
it's where witches test spells.
That's why nothing grows.
But my grandma says that's
where they used to have parties
when she was young.
Something smells good.
Chickweed, wild onions,
and chanterelles.
I've never met someone
who foraged her own dinner.
You don't have to be here
if you think it's lame.
I meant it as a compliment.
What are you doing here, Leah?
Now that
I'm no longer terrified?
I'm trying to apologize.
You're just trying
to get your dad back.
I get it.
What kid doesn't
want their dad around?
Apology accepted.
(BUMP)
There's something
I gotta tell you.
The high schoolers cornered me.
I was trying to get a confession
out of them about Silas' diary,
but they found a picture
of the clue on my phone
and stole it from me.
And now they're, like probably
cracking the code as we speak.
Well then, we'll just have
to crack it first, won't we?
We need Marshy.
Hi, Tessa.
Leah.
We know Marshy's grounded,
but we were hoping
you might give him a pass.
I don't know if that's
such a good idea.
He snuck out without asking.
If he asked, it wouldn't
really be sneaking out.
Ow.
Marshall!
You have visitors.
MARSHY:
I don't feel good!
Guess he doesn't feel good.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(KIDS CHATTER)
Do you really think your
grandma will be able to read it?
There's only one way
to find out.
But I should warn you,
my grandma is kind of crazy.
TESSA'S GRANDMA:
Gone for now,
but soon you'll see
these keys of mine,
return to me!
Tessa!
Have you seen my keys?
I can't find my keys anywhere.
Have you tried one
of your spells?
Alas, yes.
I am defeated!
Oh, I've exhausted all of them.
Oh.
TESSA:
Grandma...
This is my friend, Leah.
You have a glow about you,
don't you, little one?
We wanted to
show you something.
Tessa said you might
be able to translate it.
It's a spell code,
isn't it, Grandma?
What do you know
about Silas Carter?
He hid his gold
and then killed his brother.
Hm, that's right.
And the tree just
magically fell on him.
The Raven Witch?
(THUDDING)
(WHIRRING)
TESSA'S GRANDMA:
The Raven Witch was
the Carter Brothers' mentor
in magic, you see?
And they were pupils
of the paranormal.
Whoa.
But Silas was drawn
to dark magic.
And through his own
private studies
he discovered a portal
to the underworld.
But upon hiding his gold bars
in the underworld,
Silas used
a forbidden enchantment
to slay his poor brother, Bob.
The Raven Witch discovered
his knowledge of the portal.
She struck him down
and trapped his soul
inside his beloved gold.
So, while she stands
guard over the veil
between Earth
and the underworld,
someone crafty enough
might still retrieve the gold
to destroy Silas' evil spirit
and forever close
the portal to the underworld
or release his dark evil!
()
(SHUTS)
We've got company,
Grandma Elise.
These high schoolers
are trying to find Silas' gold.
And I'm seriously tripping
that they'll accidentally
unleash Silas on the world.
Well, you should be tripping.
Silas is a maniacal,
magical master
and he surely isn't happy
having been trapped for so long.
That's why we're trying
to beat them to it first.
Will you help us
crack this code?
How about a barter?
I'll translate your code,
but only if
you fetch for me
an iced tea from
the corner store?
Deal!
(FLIPPING)
CHESTER:
What have we here,
Silas Carter?
Hm.
"I am the mad demon
with yellow eyes."
"Crawling out from water
under darkened skies."
"While my eyes might feed
on human souls..."
"It's my ancient bones
that ate the next clue whole."
TESSA:
Do you know what
that means, Grandma?
Not the faintest idea.
(SIGHS)
LEAH:
"I'm the mad demon
with yellow eyes"
crawling out from waters
under darkened skies."
Yellow eyes, darkened skies...
Does it swim?
Maybe like a fish?
Search, "Yellow eyes,
human soul."
"While my eyes might
feed on human souls,
it's my ancient bones that
ate the next clue whole."
We've read it a thousand times.
Not everything can be
found on the internet.
Sometimes, you need a book to
complement your online research.
Marshy!
-You're--
-Un-grounded.
I guess you left an impression
on my mom and dad.
We've literally checked out
every book
with the words demon
and yellow eyes.
The Animalia Paradoxia!
A taxonomy of
mythical creatures.
There!
What?
TESSA:
The Gallywampus.
Looks like a panther,
but has slimy skin
like a salamander.
A long time ago,
a bunch of hogs got eaten
and everyone went hunting
for the Gallywampus.
You can read about it
in old newspapers.
You're a genius, Marshy!
But where the heck
are we gonna find
the ancient bones
of a Gallywampus?
What's the matter, Marshy?
The Carterville Historical
Museum
had this terrifying skeleton
on display.
My parents took me there
when I was little.
Said it was a Gallywampus.
It kept me up for like,
three years.
And you're just
saying this now?
I'm not trespassing again, guys!
Trespassing?
Since when is going
to our town's
historical museum trespassing?
Besides, the museum's
never locked.
Yeah, 'cause of something
called the "honor system".
You know, we have honor,
so you don't go digging around
for clues.
I promise you, Marshy.
We will only behave honorably
while inside the Carterville
Historical Museum.
Here we go again.
(CREAKS)
()
(GRUNTS)
(DOOR CREAKS)
Where are you, Gallywampus?
TESSA:
I guess they're remodeling?
()
Guys?
"My ancient bones ate
the next clue whole."
What the?
It's a raccoon skull.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER IN DISTANCE)
What do we do?
Hide!
There's no room!
(GRUNTS)
CLARA:
Some museum.
This place is a dump.
OWEN:
I'ma check over here, babe.
CLARA:
Okay.
Here, Gallywampus.
Where are you, boy?
Ski-oooh.
CLARA:
What is that?
OWEN:
That's my Gallywampus call.
CLARA:
Okay. Well, can you
not do it anymore?
OWEN:
Yeah.
(PANTING)
Owen.
I found it.
Okay.
Look.
Ate the whole thing whole.
Okay, but where's the clue?
(OWEN CHUCKLES)
OWEN:
Got it.
Aha.
Give that to me.
Well, I felt like Chester
might want to hold on to it.
Well, then Chester
should have come himself.
He thinks that we're his
servants, did you know that?
Plus, it's safer
with me anyway.
I'll just keep it in my locker.
Come on.
Whatever.
Did this shake?
CLARA:
Hey, come on!
Let's go.
Whatever.
I'm coming. Okay. Okay.
CLARA:
What are you doing?
Why did you take
so long in there?
They're gone?
Mm-hmm.
They stole it!
Yep.
The whole clue.
Some honor system.
TESSA:
We've gotta work faster.
They're beating us
left and right.
Work faster?
They got the clue, Tessa.
We're toast.
MARSHY:
Clara said it herself.
She's going to
keep it in her locker.
So, why don't we just take it?
You mean steal it?
They broke the honor system,
so it's more like returning it.
Tessa, you can
pick locks, right?
-Duh.
-Good.
'Cause the Halloween
hoedown's tomorrow
and I've got a plan.
These fools think
All Hallows' Eve is about
candy and costumes.
CLARA:
What's it about?
The mingling of the earthly
and the supernatural.
Go away.
Come on, let's go.
MARSHY:
This better work.
Come on, hurry.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
CHESTER:
Let's get out of here.
They're here.
We got company!
TESSA:
Are you sure
this is her locker?
Oh, hey dudes!
What are you doing here?
Uh, it's a candy offering
from the middle school.
Oh, bro, you
gotta try this stuff.
Uh, thanks, but no thanks.
No, here.
Oh. Oh.
CLARA:
Leah, please.
LEAH:
I'm sorry.
TESSA:
Yes!
LEAH:
I'm so sorry.
Clara, where's the clue?
Look!
(GRUNTS)
Bail!
Hey! Hey!
Stop!
()
(GROWLING)
()
Got you!
Dude, get off of me!
I don't have it.
Guys.
(GRUNTS)
Let's go!
CHESTER:
New girl.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
It's been an hour.
Leah's never late.
What if something happened?
(PANTS)
You do the honors.
RHETT:
Hold it right there,
surfer girl.
Is that a slingshot?
-(SHATTERS)
-(GASP)
RHETT:
It was cute how hard you
guys tried
to destroy Silas' gold.
Believing that old garbage
curse our parents told us
to scare us when we were kids.
Too bad for you,
it's all horse crap,
except the gold.
Hand over the clue, Leah.
Never.
Did you not just see what
he did with that slingshot?
Here.
What's it open?
You're so clever, Rhett.
Why don't you
figure it out yourself?
RHETT:
It was a pleasure
doing business with you.
One move,
and I fire.
(CHUCKLES)
Something funny, Leah?
I swapped the clues
on my way over, just in case.
Rhett has a leather pouch
I swiped from my aunt's house.
What about the key?
It's just a piece of junk
I found with my metal detector.
Good thinking, Leah!
So, what's it say?
Scooch.
"If the gold is near, then
the spirits must mingle."
"The portal will arise under
an All Hallows' Eve moon's
twinkle."
RHETT:
I got it!
Guys, I got the clue!
Now who's the tag-along?
Whatever.
A key?
What the heck is this?
The next clue to Silas' gold!
It must open something,
but I can't figure out what.
(CHUCKLES)
How about this, Rhett?
You work on cracking whatever
this useless rusty key opens
and we'll go track down
those children
and find the actual clue.
The actual clue?
The clue was etched
on leather, you fool.
There was no key!
Let's go.
Let's go!
I'm making
a friendly jack-o'-lantern.
There aren't enough
friendly ones in the world.
Mine will be absolutely wicked.
Now this is the type of
wholesome fun I like to see.
Carry on, kids.
So, I've been thinking.
The drawing...
-The Witching Circle?
-Yes!
It looks just like it, right?
Where your grandma said
she used to go partying.
Those whispers I heard,
I think that's Silas' soul
begging for someone
to release him.
"On All Hallows' Eve,
when spirits mingle..."
The portal will reveal itself
at the Witching Circle
on Halloween!
Tessa, do you think you could
guide us to the Witching Circle?
A skip, hop,
and a jump from my camp.
Could you find it at night?
By the light of the moon?
No doubt.
We're talking about
an All Hallows' Eve hike
to a place where
witches test spells.
When the real
and spirit worlds mingle.
Got it.
Serious question, guys.
Do you know what you're being
for Halloween?
()
(ZIPS)
A little old to go
trick or treating, ain't you?
Yeah, I actually have
a pretty good idea
where Silas Carter's
gold might be,
so me and my friends
are gonna try to destroy it
before these high schoolers
unleash his evil spirit
on the world.
Well, don't be out
all night again, all right?
I won't.
What's up with you Weavers?
A loony bunch.
Thanks, mom.
Remember, Marshall.
No more than four candies
or you'll be up all night.
MARSHY:
I know.
(PANTS)
-Hey.
-Hey.
You are?
The Gallywampus!
I like it.
And you're?
(GROANS)
Zombie surfer?
Yeah.
Righteous, dude.
Yeah.
Oh.
So, what are you
supposed to be?
Thurgood Marshall.
The first African-American
justice of the Supreme Court!
-Now I know.
-Oh.
You guys ready?
Let's do this.
I'll do it.
No, no, no.
Ow!
(OWL HOOTING)
What's wrong?
You hear something?
We follow this trail.
()
Check this out.
When I was out here with
my metal detector,
I found this.
I think the three of us
can pull it together.
One, two...
Three!
(GRUNTING)
(HIGH SCHOOLERS CHUCKLING)
Who's there?
(CHUCKLING)
Shut up, Owen.
Playtime's over,
Carterville History Club.
CLARA:
Quiet, Rhett.
We'd still be
trying to find out
what that useless key does
if you hadn't--
CHESTER:
Silence.
Silas Carter's diary.
Watch and learn.
(CHESTER GRUNTS)
-Here, let me.
-Stand back.
"Where the witches
test under moonlit skies.
When I lift this clamp,
the ground shall rise."
All right, come on.
Here we go.
Phew.
-(CLANGS)
-(CHESTER GRUNTS)
(GASPS)
(CLANGS)
CHESTER:
It's a map.
CLARA:
To where?
Time shall tell.
Thank you, children.
Now, if you pursue us
a single step--
You'll breathe
pork rinds on us?
CHESTER:
That's cute, new girl.
(EXHALES)
Yeah.
(CLARA & FRIENDS CHUCKLING)
CHESTER:
Nice one, Owen.
Stupid kids.
We were so close!
I'm afraid that won't mean much
when they release Silas.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)
The whispers.
They're still here.
What are you talking about?
Silas, he's still trapped here
just like the drawing shows.
You literally just saw Chester
take off with the next clue.
Yeah, and I saw Rhett
take off with a rusty key, too.
MARSHY:
Look!
That's not a portal.
-MARSHY: That's a--
-A mirror.
Why a mirror?
Let me see the drawing.
()
It's a little off.
Help me push this thing.
(GRUNTING)
()
Whoa!
Holy...
Do we?
Yeah.
Let's do this.
Oh, no.
Marshy.
Just a story old people used
to scare kids, right?
Go time.
You got this.
You got this.
Wait up!
I'm coming!
()
Where are we?
Look.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(RAVEN CAWS)
What is this place?
(CAWS)
Welcome Treasure Trackers
to this mingling membrane
of reality
and the supernatural.
These final riddles are
all that separate you
from what Silas held dear.
Know the answer,
press the brain.
No gold for you
would be quite a shame.
(CAWS)
(GASP)
RAVEN:
You've gone to the cemetery.
You've dug up my grave.
The hole is now
3 by 6 by 4 feet.
How many clues did you find?
I never paid attention in math.
It's multiplication, right?
Three by--
Zero.
None.
Zip.
There was no clue in the grave,
only in the tree hollow.
Press the brain, Marshy.
Zero.
The clue was in
the tree hollow.
Correct.
Second question.
Okay.
A clever ruse sees this
slimy beast in quite the fix
lured through a one-way door
not by hogs and human souls,
but the scent of what
nocturnal omnivore?
Hogs, human souls,
aka Gallywampus.
A clever ruse, a one-way door.
Like a trap.
But what do you use
to bait a Gallywampus?
A raccoon!
What the Gallywampus
swallowed whole.
That's how you
bait a Gallywampus.
A raccoon.
Correct.
Last question.
Yes, Tessa.
Okay, one more, guys.
We got this.
The day is tomorrow.
You've got the gold.
You tell your friends
how far you came.
How many clues did you
solve to enter the next chamber?
Three?
This is the third clue.
What about everything else?
The cemetery, the cipher,
the Gallywampus.
The raccoon skull,
the Witching Circle.
One.
The answer's one.
All the puzzles we solved,
all the work we did,
it's behind us.
Just one clue.
One answer separates us
from the chamber.
One.
We did it, guys.
And I guess you're gonna say
we have to go down there, huh?
You've got that right.
(DOOR CREAKS)
RAVEN WITCH:
Beware, beware,
while cursed gold draws
your attention,
there may be dangers at play,
which I should probably mention.
Now listen closely,
this is your final warning.
The portal will vanish
come the first
light of morning.
I'd say we got
15 minutes till first light.
I'll keep my eye on the time.
()
12 minutes, guys.
()
Whoa.
Wicked.
Calcium carbonate deposits.
Where to next?
Down there.
MARSHY:
These are stalagmites
and stalactites.
You can remember,
'cause stalagmites go up
from the ground
and stalactites go down
from the ceiling.
Get it?
G and C?
TESSA:
We get it, Marshy.
MARSHY:
They take hundreds of
thousands of years to form.
And one human touch
can stunt their growth.
TESSA:
Really?
One human touch?
Yes, Tessa.
One human touch.
They're rocks.
I think they can take
one little human poke.
-No, don't!
-Don't what?
Don't touch the formations!
What, you mean don't do this?
(RUMBLING)
What did you do?
I told you not to touch it!
Run!
Looks like we're going in.
(RUMBLING)
What did I say, Tessa?
I said don't touch
the stalactite!
It's a stalagmite.
G for ground.
MARSHY:
Whatever!
-You just had to touch it!
-Please, Marshy!
Can we talk about this later?
(RUMBLING)
It's right behind us!
(PANTING)
This way!
(PANTING)
Did you hear that?
(EXPLOSION)
(SCREAM)
(EXPLOSIONS)
(GRUNT)
(EXPLOSION)
That must be it.
Eight minutes, guys.
I'm gonna make a go for it.
Okay.
Be careful, Leah.
(GRUNTING)
(GASP)
()
(GRUNTS)
Oh, thank goodness.
VOICE 2:
Leah.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
VOICE 2:
Destroy Silas.
Leah!
VOICE 1:
Gold.
Gold.
Don't open it, Leah!
It's cursed!
I won't.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
VOICE 2:
Close the portal, Leah.
VOICE 1:
Set me free.
No!
Who is she talking to?
Six minutes, Leah.
Come on!
VOICE 1:
Leah.
Gold.
TESSA:
Leah, no!
Don't open it!
VOICE 1:
Gold.
Set me free!
TESSA:
Don't listen to him!
Snap out of it, Leah!
I'm going in!
Right behind you!
MARSHY:
Hold on!
We're coming!
(GRUNTS)
(PANTS)
TESSA:
We're running out of time!
Four minutes!
Leah!
-MARSHY: Leah!
-VOICE 1: Leah.
TESSA:
Leah, we're coming!
Fight it, Leah!
Leah, hey!
Leah!
Snap out of it, Leah!
VOICE 1:
Set me free!
(GRUNTS)
(SCREAMS)
()
LEAH:
No!
(GRUNTS)
TESSA:
Leah!
TESSA & MARSHY:
Pull!
(GRUNTING)
Pull!
MARSHY:
Pull!
(GRUNTING)
Three minutes, guys.
We got a deadline,
don't forget.
There!
(PANTING)
(SCREAMS)
(PANTING)
We did it.
We made it!
(GRUNTING)
()
Is that?
The Raven Witch.
What is that?
LEAH:
Silas Carter's diary.
We've already been here.
We've been walking
in circles all night.
You want to give up?
Go ahead.
Give up?
Halloween's over.
We missed our window again.
(OLD MAN ABNER CLEARS THROAT)
(RADIO CHATTER IN BACKGROUND)
()
(MR. BIGSBY SNORING)
I couldn't have survived
Carterville without you guys.
We wouldn't even have been
on the hunt for Silas' gold
if it wasn't for you.
I'm not just talking
about the hunt.
I'm talking about
you guys being my friends
while I've been staying
with my aunt and uncle.
Right.
You're leaving.
Yeah.
Let's just enjoy
this moment then.
Because who knows
when we'll have to defeat
another 200-year-old
evil spirit.
Good idea.
Let's enjoy it.
You guys think
I'll be grounded again?
TESSA:
Yeah, Marshy.
You're definitely
gonna get grounded.
()
Come on!
We're gonna miss her!
Got a long drive ahead of us.
Bye, now.
()
(WAVES CRASHING)
Dude!
This thing is so wicked!
(BEEPING)
Check this out!
My Christmas gift to you.
Don't spend it all
in one place.
(CHUCKLES)
Thanks, Dad.
So, what do you say?
One more body surf sesh?
Yeah.
Let's do it.
Okay, that's my
sixth read-through
and I've decided you're right.
It's a bunch of hogwash.
And I see you're
still trying to crack it.
Something about it feels,
I don't know.
Something's missing.
MR. PARKER:
Kids?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
No sneaking out, now.
Leah!
(CHUCKLES)
()
What the heck
are you doing here?
What do you mean?
I live here.
I thought you
went back to Cali!
I did.
Got some surfing in.
It was cool, but...
(SIGHS)
...didn't feel like home.
I told my dad I got too many
good friends here to leave,
so I'm starting next semester
here in Carterville.
-TESSA: No way!
-Seriously?
I see you got the same gift.
Let me guess, same note?
Same book, same note.
So, I take it you didn't try
reading your gifts
out loud then.
No.
Why would we read it out loud?
()
"Neewollah no niago esir..."
"ton seod repooc
salis epoh su tel."
Whoa!
()
()
()
()
()
(CROWS CAWING)
(WOMAN HUMMING)
(CROWS CAWING)
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
(HUMS)
()
Wow, Aunt Cynthia really
has a thing for Halloween.
That's more like
all of Carterville.
But as the saying goes,
"New Year's in Times Square,
Christmas in Maine
and Halloween in Carterville."
Who says that?
I just made it up.
What do you think?
I gotta give it to them.
The spooky spirit is real.
What's the matter, dude?
You love Halloween.
Dad, I'm not 11.
(SCOFFS)
Oh, graduating from
treats to tricks now, are we?
I'm in middle school now.
I know you think you can
just pull me from Encinitas
and drop me in Carterville,
but it's actually kind
of a big year.
Look at it this way.
A new town means
new places to explore
and new rocks to turn over.
You know when you're my age,
you're not gonna remember
a single thing
from sixth grade.
That you, brother?
It sure is!
CYNTHIA:
Who's that little critter?
Smokes!
That Leah?
That's me.
The little critter.
I wasn't expecting y'all
for another two days.
Let's go say hi
to your Aunt Cynthia.
Come on.
Look at you!
(GASPS)
Oh, my goodness.
Beau!
Hey, Beau!
Get out here, Beau!
Darn it, Beau!
BEAU:
Come on, now. I just--
CYNTHIA:
I told you not to
touch my jerry rig.
BEAU:
Give me a second.
CYNTHIA:
The signal was perfect
before you touched it!
Forget that antenna, Beau.
Get out here
and say hello to my family.
BEAU:
Get over here.
(INDISTINCT SPEECH)
Okay! Okay! All right! Gosh.
Weavers!
Gotta love Weavers.
Go ahead.
Check out the room upstairs,
little critter.
I've got my own
responsibilities.
LEAH'S DAD:
Keep your voice down.
CYNTHIA:
I got mouths to feed.
Beau here eats
for six as it is!
BEAU:
Now, come on! You know, that--
LEAH'S DAD:
I will be back soon
and then we're heading
straight back to California.
Look, I just need some time
to get us back on our feet,
all right?
Just do me this favor, sis.
Please.
And have her
start all over again?
You think this is easy for me,
raising a girl without a mother?
LEAH:
You're ditching me?
Leah.
Leah, come on.
I'm not ditching you.
Leah! Leah!
(PANTS)
I was gonna tell you sooner,
but I just kept putting it off.
Whatever.
Go.
Leave. I don't care.
I got a job on a fishing boat.
It's gonna be good for us.
You ought to see this boat.
It's a 100-footer.
It's got dredge nets,
and we're gonna be
scooping up clams,
and oysters, and crab,
and honey, the money.
I mean, we are going to be set.
Ever since Mom died,
it's like I'm your friend!
I am your friend.
I don't want to
be your friend.
I want to be your daughter.
And someday, you may look back
and see that that's exactly
why I'm doing this.
I got you something.
I'll give you a hint.
Um, we saw that guy
at Moonlight Beach.
You said you wanted one,
and I told you
it was too expensive.
Keep your present.
(DOOR CREAKS, SHUTS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
LEAH'S DAD:
Leah?
Honey?
I'm leaving.
I'd love to say goodbye.
Bye!
LEAH'S DAD:
Okay.
Goodbye.
Love you.
(SNIFFLES)
(ENGINE STARTS)
(CAR LEAVING)
()
He'll be back
before you know it.
()
(CRINKLES)
()
(OWL HOOTING)
(CYNTHIA GRUNTS)
(MUNCHING)
CYNTHIA:
Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey.
(MUNCHING)
(SIZZLES)
CYNTHIA:
Pancakes.
Special touch.
(MUNCHING)
Here you go.
And here you go.
Oh.
No, thanks.
I'm not hungry.
Not hungry?
You can't grow
if you don't eat.
Hey!
I'm not done with you, Weaver.
Do you need a ride to school?
Point me
in the right direction
and I'll do the rest.
That's easy.
There's only one street.
(DISH CLATTERS)
(MUNCHES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
TEACHER 1:
Let's go.
()
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
BOY 1:
Marshy!
Hey!
Marshy!
What?
I thought you'd learn
by middle school,
you can't always
hide in a book.
How about this?
I'll take my life lessons
from my readings
of the great philosophers.
If I ever want to learn
the art of skinning possum,
I'll ask the guy who's
repeated sixth grade twice.
(STUDENTS CHUCKLE)
Sit down, Rhett.
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
TEACHER 2:
Class.
Quiet, please.
Rhett, please take your seat.
(EXHALES)
TEACHER 2:
You must be Leah.
Please welcome a new student,
Leah Weaver.
Everyone say hello.
CLASS:
Hello.
Go on and tell the class
a little something
about yourself.
Uh, right.
Well, I used to live in
Encinitas till yesterday.
My dad dropped me off
without warning me,
so now I'm stuck with my aunt
and uncle.
Ooh! Ooh!
I like to skate, surf.
Ooh!
Yes?
Have you ever seen
a Pacific gray whale?
No, I don't think so.
Yo!
Cool shorts, dude.
(CLASS CHUCKLING)
TEACHER 2:
Simmer down.
Simmer down now.
Go ahead
and grab an open desk, Leah.
Now let's pick up where
we left off
on yesterday's lesson.
If you did your reading,
you know we're getting
to the good stuff
on ancient Egypt.
(BELL RINGS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
MARSHY:
Hey, Leah!
(PANTS)
Don't worry about Rhett.
He'll get held back again,
and we won't have to
deal with him next year.
Hey, surfer girl.
Want some tips
on how to fit in?
First off,
don't speak to this loser.
Don't touch me!
BOY 2:
Fight!
STUDENTS:
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
Please?
STUDENTS:
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Whoa! (THUD)
(LAUGHING)
Smooth, dude.
I have a program called,
"After School Self-Reflection."
I think you'd be a great fit.
Do I have to?
Well, I double as the librarian.
You'll help me tidy,
organize books.
Sounds like detention.
After School Self-Reflection.
And you might even
meet some nice kids.
Right.
I know Carterville
can be cliquey.
Plus, starting sixth grade in
the middle of a semester.
Golly, I'd rather go toe to toe
with a Gallywampus.
A what?
Oh!
(SIGHS)
Is there anywhere
in Carterville
that doesn't have a spider
hanging from the ceiling?
Oh.
I get it.
We're not supposed to talk.
We can talk.
Oh.
Got you.
So, you don't
feel like talking?
So, what'd you do to land here?
MARSHY:
She dumped pumpkin guts
in Rhett Perry's locker.
Picked his lock,
filled it up
with three pumpkins' worth
of pumpkin guts.
You can probably guess
what happened after.
(CHUCKLES)
Seriously?
That is awesome.
MARSHY:
Awesome?
Lock-picking is a crime!
Marshy isn't even in detention.
He's just here to bother me.
That's not true.
I'm Mr. Bigsby's right-hand man.
Here we go again.
Beginning of the year...
(GRUNTS)
MARSHY:
I was given detention
for turning in an essay
in a code I created
which I refused to decode
as a matter of principle.
Mr. Bigsby
and I hit it off so well,
he invited me to be his
after school assistant!
There's no such thing.
Hey, I wish I could write
in code.
I can teach you sometime.
Wicked.
Wicked.
Wicked.
Wicked.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
VOICE 1:
Set me free.
Release me, Leah.
(FIREWORKS IN BACKGROUND)
What on earth?
Isn't even Halloween
and the pranksters are at it
already.
You know, I'm glad to have
you kids around
or else I'd start
to wonder if...
...the youth had all gone...
...rotten.
My library!
Who could've done this?
(GLASS TINKLES)
I'm sorry, Mr. Bigsby.
The firecrackers
were a diversion.
So it seems.
I don't get it.
Why would anybody
want to steal an old book?
That old book is Silas Carter's
own personal diary.
Silas Carter.
The statue with
the creepy dudes?
(CHUCKLES)
I reckon it's time you learned
about this town's namesake.
As the story goes,
there were two brothers.
Silas and Bob Carter
moved out here
in the summer of 1820
to seek their fortune in lumber,
but when they realized there
was no workforce to cut timber,
a little story started
to spread
about how they struck it rich
panning for gold.
But it was a con.
Just a rumor started by the
evil of the two brothers, Silas.
There was no gold
in these there hills.
(THUD)
What is all this?
Just some of
my personal research,
a little hobby of mine.
Little?
MR. BIGSBY:
Folks flocked to the place
we now call "Carterville",
chasing riches,
but since it was a lie,
the newcomers had
to either leave
or take work at the only
real business in town,
the Carter Brothers'
Lumber Mill.
Racked with guilt,
Bob began shouting
in his dreams
pleading for forgiveness
for not trying
to stop his brother's deceit.
Silas heard Bob
and took action,
stealing all the wealth
of the lumber mill
and converting it
into gold bars.
Bob told Silas his plan
to reveal the lie
that brought them their fortune.
What happened?
MR. BIGSBY:
Seeing red,
driven by greed,
Silas killed his own brother.
Silas died shortly after
when a tree fell on him,
ironically enough,
without ever revealing
the location of his gold.
So, all the clues
are still out there?
And the gold?
No one knows.
Plenty have tried to find out,
but I think the person
that took Silas' diary
thinks it holds the answer
to where the gold is hidden.
(GASPS)
(CLANKS)
And that's why Bigsby
thinks someone stole the diary
to find Silas Carter's
gold bars.
(CHUCKLES)
What's funny?
Everyone knows the story
of Silas and Bob Carter.
This is Carterville, after all.
Well, if everyone knows it,
then how come no one's
found the gold?
Bigsby probably didn't tell you
that Silas' gold
is forever cursed.
-Cursed?
-Oh, yeah.
Silas was cursed by this witch
who still lives in these woods.
-The Raven Witch.
-It's just a legend.
A myth old people use
to scare kids.
Maybe, or maybe not.
This is my stop.
See you tomorrow.
(INDISTINCT TV CHATTER)
So?
Day one and done.
How was it?
One of the teachers,
Mr. Bigsby, is cool.
He told me the story
of the Carter Brothers.
That guy's obsessed.
Nowheresville's
own town historian.
I think it's good to
know your history,
-where you came from.
-Sure.
What I got a problem with is
leading a man to digging holes
and searching treasure
for the rest of his darn life.
Mr. Bigsby is looking
for Silas' gold?
Well, he calls it
searching for artifacts,
but I don't think
he was looking for artifacts
when he was digging
in our back yard.
In your back yard?
BEAU:
Well, they say that Silas Carter
may have lived
on this very plot.
Some speculate that he hid
his gold in our own backyard.
(CHUCKLES)
(CLICKING)
(BEEPING)
(HOOTING IN BACKGROUND)
BEAU:
Sure is determined.
I'm gonna tell her.
It ain't nice.
Leah!
There ain't no treasure
out there.
Your Uncle Beau
was pulling your leg.
(GRUNTS)
(CHUCKLES)
(GRUNTS)
It's a good lesson.
Don't waste your time
chasing imaginary treasure.
And where do you think
you're going?
Home!
Back to California!
But that's a long way
to walk, don't you think?
Then I'll hitchhike.
Well, all right, now.
You just go blow off some steam,
but you come right back,
you hear?
She'll be back.
Why'd you have to go
and mess with her?
She's got it hard enough
like it is.
()
(CACKLING)
()
(HOOTING IN BACKGROUND)
VOICE 2:
End the curse.
Destroy Silas.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
Destroy Silas.
()
(PANTS)
(LEAH GASPS)
Tessa!
TESSA:
Oh my gosh.
You scared me!
What are you doing out here?
I'm camping.
What are you doing?
I'm walking to California.
It's a stupid idea,
now that I think about it.
Yeah.
Well, you're walking northeast,
so there's that.
(CHUCKLES)
I guess I just wanted
to get out.
I know how that feels.
It's terrifying
out here at night.
I felt like I was being stalked.
You're lucky the Raven Witch
didn't get you.
So Marshy doesn't believe
in the witch,
but you do?
Believe is kind
of a strong word.
Even the craziest stories
have to come from somewhere.
I just read a whole volume
of Carterville history,
and there was zero mention
of any witch.
Here we go.
You read this one?
I was getting to it.
So, you want to know
the other side of the legend
or what?
"It was on All Hallows' Eve..."
the night when the
veil that separates our world
from the spirit world
is thinnest
when Silas killed Bob.
But Silas wasn't alone
that night.
The Raven Witch must've
smelled his wickedness,
'cause she saw
the whole thing.
And when the Raven Witch
witnessed Silas' evil,
she emerged.
"Arms like wings, skin saggy
and drooping
from living thousands of years
feeding on human souls.
That's when she put a spell
on Silas.
The Raven Witch trapped
Silas' soul
into his own gold bars forever."
(FLIPS)
"If the gold is ever found,
it would release Silas' soul
from the Raven Witch's curse
awakening his evil spirit.
Whoever awakens Silas would
become possessed by his spirit,
and use his riches
for his wicked deeds."
(CHUCKLES)
I have to walk back to my aunt's
alone through witch territory?
Relax, Leah.
I can walk you home
if it makes you feel better.
How do you know so much
about this legend?
When I was younger,
my grandma used to tell me
she met the Raven Witch.
Said she even showed her
a few magic tricks,
but I don't know.
If my grandma had
any supernatural powers,
we wouldn't be
living in a trailer.
But Grandma is able to
make strange things happen,
like making missing keys
appear out of nowhere.
Maybe you're right.
About?
Even the craziest stories
have to come from somewhere.
I heard something
in the library.
Whispers.
Ooh, spooky.
Whispers.
Like they were trying to
lead me toward the diary.
And I heard them again
here in the forest.
Like something was watching me.
And when I was cleaning up
the broken glass,
I found something.
A rolled-up metallic
gum wrapper.
Rhett Perry.
If Rhett stole Silas' diary,
he must be looking for the gold.
If anyone wouldn't give a darn
about awakening an evil spirit,
it'd be Rhett Perry.
We have to stop him.
Maybe we should tell Bigsby.
You need more than a hunch.
LEAH:
You're right.
We need more proof.
(THUDS)
(FIRE CRACKLES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
What'd I teach you about
hiding in your books, Marshy?
-(GRUNTS)
-(GRUNTS)
(CHUCKLES)
RHETT:
What do you want, surfer girl?
I don't got no beef with you.
Beef?
Tell him you're sorry
and I'll let you pass.
I'm incredibly sorry, Marshall.
You really don't know how
to pick your friends, do you?
Recognize this?
I found it in my dustpan
sweeping up some broken glass.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
But I think you do.
I had nothing to do
with that robbery.
Robbery?
Who said anything
about a robbery?
I'm on to you, Rhett Perry.
Watch yourself, surfer girl.
I'm starting to get how
he got held back twice.
()
This is so awesome, Tessa!
A month ago, it was just you
and me, which was fun
but I'm really starting to
think that Leah's becoming
a regular part of our clique.
Our clique?
Our squad!
Our posse!
You know, our crew!
Two's company, but three...
I feel like we need a name
or something.
What should we call ourselves?
Call ourselves?
How about
"The Three Carterville-teers"?
Doesn't quite
roll off the tongue.
The Outcasts?
We'll come up with a name later.
For now, let's just
enjoy this moment.
Tessa, you should've seen
Leah in passing periods.
She got right up in Rhett's face
when he knocked my book down.
Remember, Leah?
Speaking of passing periods,
I saw Rhett today at his locker
and I could've sworn
I saw this old book
that looked a lot like--
Silas Carter's diary?
Yup.
We gotta tell Bigsby!
LEAH:
We can't.
We don't know how far Rhett is
into his hunt
and if Bigsby gets on his case,
he'll know we're on to him.
We need to find a way
to outsmart him,
so we can beat him to the gold.
You mean the
supposedly cursed gold?
If we don't find it, then Rhett
or someone like him will,
and they might unleash
an ancient super pissed-off
spirit on planet Earth.
And my mom thinks I have
an overactive imagination.
But how do we know
what Rhett knows?
Take a page out of his book.
He's obviously up to something.
We just need to sniff out
his place in the hunt.
Like, spy on him?
I do live across the street
from the Perry house.
LEAH:
This is perfect!
I like what you're
thinking, Marshy.
Are you thinking
what I'm thinking?
I shouldn't have
opened my mouth.
Stakeout time.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Leah?
Tessa?
-LEAH & TESSA: Hi.
-Come on in!
Come in!
(DOOR CREAKS, SHUTS)
I just finished these.
I'm not sure of the size,
but they should fit.
Thanks, Mrs. Parker.
Whoa, these are awesome.
"The Carterville History Club?"
Wicked, right?
Wicked.
So, Marshy says y'all are
starting up
The Carterville History Club?
Remember,
our first meeting at 8:00?
-Oh.
-That's right!
Our 8:00 meeting.
Come on.
I'll show you guys
my coin collection.
Were the jackets too much?
Yup.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
TESSA:
How much do you think
Silas' gold is actually worth?
MARSHY:
Who knows?
The combined wealth
of a lumber empire,
adjusted for inflation...
Maybe a million bucks?
First thing I'd do is buy me
a tent with no holes
and a new fishing pole.
And then maybe a house
outside the trailer park.
A real house.
But it could be cursed,
remember?
TESSA:
I know.
Just saying if it wasn't.
With that much money,
my dad would never have
to take up some crazy job again.
That's what I'd do.
Give my dad the money.
That way, we could settle down
in California for good.
What's going on, man?
There!
It's go time, guys!
Rhett's making moves.
MARSHY:
You mean like sneak out?
-Yeah, what do you mean?
-We have to follow them.
But I don't want
to get in trouble.
Trouble?
We're gonna be
in a whole lot more trouble
if they beat us to the gold.
Leah, listen, this was fun,
but if Marshy doesn't want to
break his house rules,
I get that.
House rules?
Do you think Silas Carter's
evil spirit cares about
Marshy's house rules?
Guys...
...we can't let this chance
get away from us.
We don't even know if all
this cursed gold stuff is true.
And that's a chance
you're willing to take?
It's your call, Marshy.
Oh, jeez.
(GRUNTS)
Come on, let's go.
They're headed to the forest.
Come on.
I know a shortcut,
we can cut them off.
()
Come on! Come on!
Look.
Guys, this is crazy.
This is Old Man Abner's
property.
Everyone knows
Old Man Abner's insane.
And now, we're trespassing
on his land in the dark?
Shhh!
Let's just leave.
Let's check it out.
Or that's another option.
(BOY GRUNTING)
BOY 3:
I'm ready to call it a night.
Yeah, a little longer.
A little longer?
Dude, I'm exhausted.
My hands are all blistered.
There's nothing
for me to find here--
Suck it up, Owen.
Would you like to pitch in?
GIRL 1:
Pitch in?
OWEN:
Yeah, all you do is sit
over there and watch.
GIRL 1:
Oh, is that how you
talk to your girlfriend?
Silence!
OWEN:
How do you even know
you're reading the clue right?
Huh?
I mean, think about it.
How could Silas bury
his gold in his own grave?
I mean, that just seems,
you know, impossible.
Are you questioning
my deciphering skills?
(SNIFFS)
Dude, your...
My what?
Your breath.
(EXHALES)
Jalapeno cheddar pork rinds.
GIRL 1:
Chester, chill.
He was just kidding.
Right, Owen?
Yeah.
If you want to keep digging,
we'll keep digging.
Rhett, if you're
gonna be a tag-along,
make yourself useful
and read the clue again.
I am useful.
(CLICKS)
"Protect me in the night,
for by day, you are asleep.
Where my corpse will lie
is a hollow for your retreat."
"Where my corpse will lie."
Here's where Silas Carter's
corpse lies.
"A hollow for your retreat..."
(BRANCH SNAPS)
(GRUNTS)
Did you guys hear that?
It may be a deer.
Or one of those
pissed-off ghosts
in these graves.
GIRL 1:
Ghosts got nothing
to do with the gold.
CHESTER:
Oh, with this gold,
ghosts have everything
to do with it.
Lights.
Yeah, that's
enough for one night.
We'll be back again tomorrow.
Same time.
Let's go.
(SIGHS)
GIRL 1:
Move, Rhett.
Quick. Let's go. Let's go.
That was Clara Perry,
Rhett's sister
and her boyfriend, Owen.
High schoolers.
What about the dude
with the cheddar breath?
Chester Black.
High school senior-slash-record
holder for most suspensions.
And the Carterville resident
most likely
to achieve world domination.
(CHUCKLES)
Wow.
Sounds like a fun dude.
Check it out.
How could they dig up
Silas Carter's grave?
People do crazy things
for riches, I reckon.
Did you just say reckon?
Don't repeat it.
Looks like
they didn't find much.
(HOOTING IN DISTANCE)
Remember the clue they read?
"Where my corpse will lie
is a hollow for your retreat."
Maybe they didn't find anything,
because it wasn't
in the ground.
A hollow for your retreat!
-(SCREECHES)
-(GASP)
No way I'm putting
my hand in there.
Draw straws?
I'll do it.
MARSHY:
Be careful.
I think I got something, but...
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
(GRUNTS)
TESSA & MARSHY:
Leah!
She's stuck!
Tessa, help!
(GRUNTS)
Oh, jeez!
Come on!
Get me out of here!
Do you guys feel that?
(GRUNT)
OLD MAN ABNER:
Hey!
What are you kids doing?
Yup. Is that right?
All three, you say?
Well, you know,
kids will be kids.
Uh-huh.
All righty, then.
Really appreciate it.
Goodnight, now.
So, Rhett and Clara's dad say
they've been
in their bedrooms all night.
No way!
We saw them with Silas Carter's
stolen diary.
Right, guys? Come on!
All I know is I get a 10:00 p.m.
call from Old Man Abner
saying he found three kids
trespassing on his property.
And lo and behold,
the three kids that he think
he's seen aren't under my roof.
Abner said he's gonna
call the police next time.
Consider yourselves lucky.
But we only snuck onto Abner's
property, so we could find--
MR. PARKER:
Leah...
I know your father's
not around right now,
but I don't condone
this type of behavior.
I think it's probably best
you call your Aunt Cynthia
and she came to pick you up.
I also think it's best if Marshy
spent some time away
from the Carterville
History Club.
(BIRDS CHIRPING, DOGS BARKING
AND SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
LEAH:
Hey, guys. Wait up.
Thanks for having my back
last night with Marshy's dad.
You know Rhett stole
Silas' diary.
First of all, I'm grounded.
My dad doesn't care
about Silas' diary.
Yeah, you and me both.
My Aunt Cynthia is making me
look under every couch cushion
in the house
for coins to roll till
they hit 5 bucks.
Second of all, we don't even
have the diary,
so what's the point?
It's a dead end anyway.
(UNZIPS)
How's this for a dead end?
Where'd you get that?
From the hollow.
Marshy, you were right.
What's in it?
-What's it say?
-I can't exactly tell.
It's in some kind of strange,
jumbled language.
A code!
Looks like some of the spells
my grandma uses
to make keys reappear.
You think she can read this?
-Maybe. I--
-We have to visit her!
Marshy, are you free tonight?
Take a breather, Leah.
Marshy didn't want to sneak out
and we forced him to.
I'd say it's best
if we just take the night off.
You're right.
Let's just throw in the towel.
Why don't we just hand
this code over
to the high schoolers
while we're at it?
Give them Silas' gold
on a silver platter.
You only wanted the gold,
so you can buy a ticket back
to California anyway.
We were never really a crew.
If we were,
you wouldn't be in such a hurry
to leave Carterville.
It's not about buying a ticket.
It's about getting my dad back.
So, you can go home, right?
Isn't that what
this is all about?
Tessa, wait.
You seem cool,
but Marshy's right.
You're getting out of here
and we're stuck.
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
I'm stuck, too.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER)
(PHONE VIBRATES)
Dad?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Leah, honey.
How are you?
I can barely hear you.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Yeah, crap service.
Can drop any minute.
How's Carterville?
Carterville's okay.
When are you coming back?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Soon, very soon.
Hey, you get a chance
to put my present to use?
Yeah, actually.
I'm trying to find
Silas Carter's gold.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Yeah? Find anything good?
Well, I'm staring at this
ancient clue right now,
but it's in a coded language.
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Coded language?
How cool is that?
Send me a pic.
I want to see.
And sent.
Did you get it?
DAD: (ON PHONE)
Leah.
Leah, can you hear me?
Hello?
Dad?
(CALL DROPS)
()
Hey, Leah!
What do you want?
Aren't you cheerful?
I'm not in the mood,
so if you've got something
to say, just say it.
Sheesh.
I was just gonna ask if you
wanted to come over and skate.
I didn't know you skated.
I'm still learning,
but I just finished building
a ramp in my backyard yesterday
and I've been looking for
someone to help me test it.
Obviously, I thought of you.
Hold on.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Your turn.
(CHUCKLES)
Whoa, whoa!
(RHETT GRUNTS)
RHETT:
Come on.
CLARA:
Leah?
Leah Weaver?
You're the new girl, right?
Come inside for a second.
Hmm.
You must have been
like all day,
just like, surfing
and tanning in California, huh?
When you get to high school,
the guys are gonna be
all over you.
But don't worry,
I'll look out for you.
Put 'em together.
Here.
I heard you guys had a little
run-in with Old Man Abner.
Yeah. (CLEARS THROAT)
He just doesn't like us running
through his fields, I guess.
That's not how I heard it.
I know you and your friends
have been looking
for Silas' gold.
I want us to be able
to work together.
Haven't people been looking
for the gold for 200 years?
So?
So, why would you want
to partner with the new girl?
I know you dug up
the clue, Leah.
It was in a tree.
-Excuse me?
-I didn't dig up anything.
-It was in a tree.
-Dumb luck.
-Hand it over.
-Dumb luck?
You thought Silas' gold
was in his own grave.
What do you want, Leah?
You want to go home?
Carterville isn't for everyone.
Small town folks like us.
CHESTER:
Rhett says you want a ticket
back to California.
Maybe that could be arranged.
CLARA:
What do you think?
All we need is the clue.
I appreciate the offer,
but I'm not in it for the gold.
I'm in it to destroy it.
(CHUCKLES)
You actually believe
that bogus legend?
Where is the diary?
Admit you stole it,
and then maybe I'll tell you
about the clue.
Search her.
-Empty her pockets.
-No. Get off me!
(GASPS)
Oh, you little...
She's recording us.
Oh!
Would you look at that.
She was foolish enough
to take a photo of the clue.
All right, Leah.
As you wish.
-Leave.
-It's not fair.
Just wait till you
get to high school.
You can steal the clue,
but you can't stop me
from hunting the gold.
Have fun.
Dumb luck won't happen twice.
(CHUCKLES)
Let me see it.
(BEEPING)
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
()
VOICE 1:
Leah...
Release me, Leah.
()
(BEEPING)
VOICE 2:
That curse destroyed Silas.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERS)
VOICE 1:
Release me, Leah.
()
(LEAH PANTS)
Hi.
I'm so happy to see you.
The weirdest thing happened.
I heard those whispers again,
but it was different this time.
Like someone was watching me
or following me.
And I ended up
in that creepy place
where those trees
grow in a perfect circle.
The Witching Circle.
Old-timers say
it's where witches test spells.
That's why nothing grows.
But my grandma says that's
where they used to have parties
when she was young.
Something smells good.
Chickweed, wild onions,
and chanterelles.
I've never met someone
who foraged her own dinner.
You don't have to be here
if you think it's lame.
I meant it as a compliment.
What are you doing here, Leah?
Now that
I'm no longer terrified?
I'm trying to apologize.
You're just trying
to get your dad back.
I get it.
What kid doesn't
want their dad around?
Apology accepted.
(BUMP)
There's something
I gotta tell you.
The high schoolers cornered me.
I was trying to get a confession
out of them about Silas' diary,
but they found a picture
of the clue on my phone
and stole it from me.
And now they're, like probably
cracking the code as we speak.
Well then, we'll just have
to crack it first, won't we?
We need Marshy.
Hi, Tessa.
Leah.
We know Marshy's grounded,
but we were hoping
you might give him a pass.
I don't know if that's
such a good idea.
He snuck out without asking.
If he asked, it wouldn't
really be sneaking out.
Ow.
Marshall!
You have visitors.
MARSHY:
I don't feel good!
Guess he doesn't feel good.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(KIDS CHATTER)
Do you really think your
grandma will be able to read it?
There's only one way
to find out.
But I should warn you,
my grandma is kind of crazy.
TESSA'S GRANDMA:
Gone for now,
but soon you'll see
these keys of mine,
return to me!
Tessa!
Have you seen my keys?
I can't find my keys anywhere.
Have you tried one
of your spells?
Alas, yes.
I am defeated!
Oh, I've exhausted all of them.
Oh.
TESSA:
Grandma...
This is my friend, Leah.
You have a glow about you,
don't you, little one?
We wanted to
show you something.
Tessa said you might
be able to translate it.
It's a spell code,
isn't it, Grandma?
What do you know
about Silas Carter?
He hid his gold
and then killed his brother.
Hm, that's right.
And the tree just
magically fell on him.
The Raven Witch?
(THUDDING)
(WHIRRING)
TESSA'S GRANDMA:
The Raven Witch was
the Carter Brothers' mentor
in magic, you see?
And they were pupils
of the paranormal.
Whoa.
But Silas was drawn
to dark magic.
And through his own
private studies
he discovered a portal
to the underworld.
But upon hiding his gold bars
in the underworld,
Silas used
a forbidden enchantment
to slay his poor brother, Bob.
The Raven Witch discovered
his knowledge of the portal.
She struck him down
and trapped his soul
inside his beloved gold.
So, while she stands
guard over the veil
between Earth
and the underworld,
someone crafty enough
might still retrieve the gold
to destroy Silas' evil spirit
and forever close
the portal to the underworld
or release his dark evil!
()
(SHUTS)
We've got company,
Grandma Elise.
These high schoolers
are trying to find Silas' gold.
And I'm seriously tripping
that they'll accidentally
unleash Silas on the world.
Well, you should be tripping.
Silas is a maniacal,
magical master
and he surely isn't happy
having been trapped for so long.
That's why we're trying
to beat them to it first.
Will you help us
crack this code?
How about a barter?
I'll translate your code,
but only if
you fetch for me
an iced tea from
the corner store?
Deal!
(FLIPPING)
CHESTER:
What have we here,
Silas Carter?
Hm.
"I am the mad demon
with yellow eyes."
"Crawling out from water
under darkened skies."
"While my eyes might feed
on human souls..."
"It's my ancient bones
that ate the next clue whole."
TESSA:
Do you know what
that means, Grandma?
Not the faintest idea.
(SIGHS)
LEAH:
"I'm the mad demon
with yellow eyes"
crawling out from waters
under darkened skies."
Yellow eyes, darkened skies...
Does it swim?
Maybe like a fish?
Search, "Yellow eyes,
human soul."
"While my eyes might
feed on human souls,
it's my ancient bones that
ate the next clue whole."
We've read it a thousand times.
Not everything can be
found on the internet.
Sometimes, you need a book to
complement your online research.
Marshy!
-You're--
-Un-grounded.
I guess you left an impression
on my mom and dad.
We've literally checked out
every book
with the words demon
and yellow eyes.
The Animalia Paradoxia!
A taxonomy of
mythical creatures.
There!
What?
TESSA:
The Gallywampus.
Looks like a panther,
but has slimy skin
like a salamander.
A long time ago,
a bunch of hogs got eaten
and everyone went hunting
for the Gallywampus.
You can read about it
in old newspapers.
You're a genius, Marshy!
But where the heck
are we gonna find
the ancient bones
of a Gallywampus?
What's the matter, Marshy?
The Carterville Historical
Museum
had this terrifying skeleton
on display.
My parents took me there
when I was little.
Said it was a Gallywampus.
It kept me up for like,
three years.
And you're just
saying this now?
I'm not trespassing again, guys!
Trespassing?
Since when is going
to our town's
historical museum trespassing?
Besides, the museum's
never locked.
Yeah, 'cause of something
called the "honor system".
You know, we have honor,
so you don't go digging around
for clues.
I promise you, Marshy.
We will only behave honorably
while inside the Carterville
Historical Museum.
Here we go again.
(CREAKS)
()
(GRUNTS)
(DOOR CREAKS)
Where are you, Gallywampus?
TESSA:
I guess they're remodeling?
()
Guys?
"My ancient bones ate
the next clue whole."
What the?
It's a raccoon skull.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER IN DISTANCE)
What do we do?
Hide!
There's no room!
(GRUNTS)
CLARA:
Some museum.
This place is a dump.
OWEN:
I'ma check over here, babe.
CLARA:
Okay.
Here, Gallywampus.
Where are you, boy?
Ski-oooh.
CLARA:
What is that?
OWEN:
That's my Gallywampus call.
CLARA:
Okay. Well, can you
not do it anymore?
OWEN:
Yeah.
(PANTING)
Owen.
I found it.
Okay.
Look.
Ate the whole thing whole.
Okay, but where's the clue?
(OWEN CHUCKLES)
OWEN:
Got it.
Aha.
Give that to me.
Well, I felt like Chester
might want to hold on to it.
Well, then Chester
should have come himself.
He thinks that we're his
servants, did you know that?
Plus, it's safer
with me anyway.
I'll just keep it in my locker.
Come on.
Whatever.
Did this shake?
CLARA:
Hey, come on!
Let's go.
Whatever.
I'm coming. Okay. Okay.
CLARA:
What are you doing?
Why did you take
so long in there?
They're gone?
Mm-hmm.
They stole it!
Yep.
The whole clue.
Some honor system.
TESSA:
We've gotta work faster.
They're beating us
left and right.
Work faster?
They got the clue, Tessa.
We're toast.
MARSHY:
Clara said it herself.
She's going to
keep it in her locker.
So, why don't we just take it?
You mean steal it?
They broke the honor system,
so it's more like returning it.
Tessa, you can
pick locks, right?
-Duh.
-Good.
'Cause the Halloween
hoedown's tomorrow
and I've got a plan.
These fools think
All Hallows' Eve is about
candy and costumes.
CLARA:
What's it about?
The mingling of the earthly
and the supernatural.
Go away.
Come on, let's go.
MARSHY:
This better work.
Come on, hurry.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
CHESTER:
Let's get out of here.
They're here.
We got company!
TESSA:
Are you sure
this is her locker?
Oh, hey dudes!
What are you doing here?
Uh, it's a candy offering
from the middle school.
Oh, bro, you
gotta try this stuff.
Uh, thanks, but no thanks.
No, here.
Oh. Oh.
CLARA:
Leah, please.
LEAH:
I'm sorry.
TESSA:
Yes!
LEAH:
I'm so sorry.
Clara, where's the clue?
Look!
(GRUNTS)
Bail!
Hey! Hey!
Stop!
()
(GROWLING)
()
Got you!
Dude, get off of me!
I don't have it.
Guys.
(GRUNTS)
Let's go!
CHESTER:
New girl.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
It's been an hour.
Leah's never late.
What if something happened?
(PANTS)
You do the honors.
RHETT:
Hold it right there,
surfer girl.
Is that a slingshot?
-(SHATTERS)
-(GASP)
RHETT:
It was cute how hard you
guys tried
to destroy Silas' gold.
Believing that old garbage
curse our parents told us
to scare us when we were kids.
Too bad for you,
it's all horse crap,
except the gold.
Hand over the clue, Leah.
Never.
Did you not just see what
he did with that slingshot?
Here.
What's it open?
You're so clever, Rhett.
Why don't you
figure it out yourself?
RHETT:
It was a pleasure
doing business with you.
One move,
and I fire.
(CHUCKLES)
Something funny, Leah?
I swapped the clues
on my way over, just in case.
Rhett has a leather pouch
I swiped from my aunt's house.
What about the key?
It's just a piece of junk
I found with my metal detector.
Good thinking, Leah!
So, what's it say?
Scooch.
"If the gold is near, then
the spirits must mingle."
"The portal will arise under
an All Hallows' Eve moon's
twinkle."
RHETT:
I got it!
Guys, I got the clue!
Now who's the tag-along?
Whatever.
A key?
What the heck is this?
The next clue to Silas' gold!
It must open something,
but I can't figure out what.
(CHUCKLES)
How about this, Rhett?
You work on cracking whatever
this useless rusty key opens
and we'll go track down
those children
and find the actual clue.
The actual clue?
The clue was etched
on leather, you fool.
There was no key!
Let's go.
Let's go!
I'm making
a friendly jack-o'-lantern.
There aren't enough
friendly ones in the world.
Mine will be absolutely wicked.
Now this is the type of
wholesome fun I like to see.
Carry on, kids.
So, I've been thinking.
The drawing...
-The Witching Circle?
-Yes!
It looks just like it, right?
Where your grandma said
she used to go partying.
Those whispers I heard,
I think that's Silas' soul
begging for someone
to release him.
"On All Hallows' Eve,
when spirits mingle..."
The portal will reveal itself
at the Witching Circle
on Halloween!
Tessa, do you think you could
guide us to the Witching Circle?
A skip, hop,
and a jump from my camp.
Could you find it at night?
By the light of the moon?
No doubt.
We're talking about
an All Hallows' Eve hike
to a place where
witches test spells.
When the real
and spirit worlds mingle.
Got it.
Serious question, guys.
Do you know what you're being
for Halloween?
()
(ZIPS)
A little old to go
trick or treating, ain't you?
Yeah, I actually have
a pretty good idea
where Silas Carter's
gold might be,
so me and my friends
are gonna try to destroy it
before these high schoolers
unleash his evil spirit
on the world.
Well, don't be out
all night again, all right?
I won't.
What's up with you Weavers?
A loony bunch.
Thanks, mom.
Remember, Marshall.
No more than four candies
or you'll be up all night.
MARSHY:
I know.
(PANTS)
-Hey.
-Hey.
You are?
The Gallywampus!
I like it.
And you're?
(GROANS)
Zombie surfer?
Yeah.
Righteous, dude.
Yeah.
Oh.
So, what are you
supposed to be?
Thurgood Marshall.
The first African-American
justice of the Supreme Court!
-Now I know.
-Oh.
You guys ready?
Let's do this.
I'll do it.
No, no, no.
Ow!
(OWL HOOTING)
What's wrong?
You hear something?
We follow this trail.
()
Check this out.
When I was out here with
my metal detector,
I found this.
I think the three of us
can pull it together.
One, two...
Three!
(GRUNTING)
(HIGH SCHOOLERS CHUCKLING)
Who's there?
(CHUCKLING)
Shut up, Owen.
Playtime's over,
Carterville History Club.
CLARA:
Quiet, Rhett.
We'd still be
trying to find out
what that useless key does
if you hadn't--
CHESTER:
Silence.
Silas Carter's diary.
Watch and learn.
(CHESTER GRUNTS)
-Here, let me.
-Stand back.
"Where the witches
test under moonlit skies.
When I lift this clamp,
the ground shall rise."
All right, come on.
Here we go.
Phew.
-(CLANGS)
-(CHESTER GRUNTS)
(GASPS)
(CLANGS)
CHESTER:
It's a map.
CLARA:
To where?
Time shall tell.
Thank you, children.
Now, if you pursue us
a single step--
You'll breathe
pork rinds on us?
CHESTER:
That's cute, new girl.
(EXHALES)
Yeah.
(CLARA & FRIENDS CHUCKLING)
CHESTER:
Nice one, Owen.
Stupid kids.
We were so close!
I'm afraid that won't mean much
when they release Silas.
(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)
The whispers.
They're still here.
What are you talking about?
Silas, he's still trapped here
just like the drawing shows.
You literally just saw Chester
take off with the next clue.
Yeah, and I saw Rhett
take off with a rusty key, too.
MARSHY:
Look!
That's not a portal.
-MARSHY: That's a--
-A mirror.
Why a mirror?
Let me see the drawing.
()
It's a little off.
Help me push this thing.
(GRUNTING)
()
Whoa!
Holy...
Do we?
Yeah.
Let's do this.
Oh, no.
Marshy.
Just a story old people used
to scare kids, right?
Go time.
You got this.
You got this.
Wait up!
I'm coming!
()
Where are we?
Look.
(DOOR CREAKS)
(RAVEN CAWS)
What is this place?
(CAWS)
Welcome Treasure Trackers
to this mingling membrane
of reality
and the supernatural.
These final riddles are
all that separate you
from what Silas held dear.
Know the answer,
press the brain.
No gold for you
would be quite a shame.
(CAWS)
(GASP)
RAVEN:
You've gone to the cemetery.
You've dug up my grave.
The hole is now
3 by 6 by 4 feet.
How many clues did you find?
I never paid attention in math.
It's multiplication, right?
Three by--
Zero.
None.
Zip.
There was no clue in the grave,
only in the tree hollow.
Press the brain, Marshy.
Zero.
The clue was in
the tree hollow.
Correct.
Second question.
Okay.
A clever ruse sees this
slimy beast in quite the fix
lured through a one-way door
not by hogs and human souls,
but the scent of what
nocturnal omnivore?
Hogs, human souls,
aka Gallywampus.
A clever ruse, a one-way door.
Like a trap.
But what do you use
to bait a Gallywampus?
A raccoon!
What the Gallywampus
swallowed whole.
That's how you
bait a Gallywampus.
A raccoon.
Correct.
Last question.
Yes, Tessa.
Okay, one more, guys.
We got this.
The day is tomorrow.
You've got the gold.
You tell your friends
how far you came.
How many clues did you
solve to enter the next chamber?
Three?
This is the third clue.
What about everything else?
The cemetery, the cipher,
the Gallywampus.
The raccoon skull,
the Witching Circle.
One.
The answer's one.
All the puzzles we solved,
all the work we did,
it's behind us.
Just one clue.
One answer separates us
from the chamber.
One.
We did it, guys.
And I guess you're gonna say
we have to go down there, huh?
You've got that right.
(DOOR CREAKS)
RAVEN WITCH:
Beware, beware,
while cursed gold draws
your attention,
there may be dangers at play,
which I should probably mention.
Now listen closely,
this is your final warning.
The portal will vanish
come the first
light of morning.
I'd say we got
15 minutes till first light.
I'll keep my eye on the time.
()
12 minutes, guys.
()
Whoa.
Wicked.
Calcium carbonate deposits.
Where to next?
Down there.
MARSHY:
These are stalagmites
and stalactites.
You can remember,
'cause stalagmites go up
from the ground
and stalactites go down
from the ceiling.
Get it?
G and C?
TESSA:
We get it, Marshy.
MARSHY:
They take hundreds of
thousands of years to form.
And one human touch
can stunt their growth.
TESSA:
Really?
One human touch?
Yes, Tessa.
One human touch.
They're rocks.
I think they can take
one little human poke.
-No, don't!
-Don't what?
Don't touch the formations!
What, you mean don't do this?
(RUMBLING)
What did you do?
I told you not to touch it!
Run!
Looks like we're going in.
(RUMBLING)
What did I say, Tessa?
I said don't touch
the stalactite!
It's a stalagmite.
G for ground.
MARSHY:
Whatever!
-You just had to touch it!
-Please, Marshy!
Can we talk about this later?
(RUMBLING)
It's right behind us!
(PANTING)
This way!
(PANTING)
Did you hear that?
(EXPLOSION)
(SCREAM)
(EXPLOSIONS)
(GRUNT)
(EXPLOSION)
That must be it.
Eight minutes, guys.
I'm gonna make a go for it.
Okay.
Be careful, Leah.
(GRUNTING)
(GASP)
()
(GRUNTS)
Oh, thank goodness.
VOICE 2:
Leah.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
VOICE 2:
Destroy Silas.
Leah!
VOICE 1:
Gold.
Gold.
Don't open it, Leah!
It's cursed!
I won't.
VOICE 1:
Leah.
VOICE 2:
Close the portal, Leah.
VOICE 1:
Set me free.
No!
Who is she talking to?
Six minutes, Leah.
Come on!
VOICE 1:
Leah.
Gold.
TESSA:
Leah, no!
Don't open it!
VOICE 1:
Gold.
Set me free!
TESSA:
Don't listen to him!
Snap out of it, Leah!
I'm going in!
Right behind you!
MARSHY:
Hold on!
We're coming!
(GRUNTS)
(PANTS)
TESSA:
We're running out of time!
Four minutes!
Leah!
-MARSHY: Leah!
-VOICE 1: Leah.
TESSA:
Leah, we're coming!
Fight it, Leah!
Leah, hey!
Leah!
Snap out of it, Leah!
VOICE 1:
Set me free!
(GRUNTS)
(SCREAMS)
()
LEAH:
No!
(GRUNTS)
TESSA:
Leah!
TESSA & MARSHY:
Pull!
(GRUNTING)
Pull!
MARSHY:
Pull!
(GRUNTING)
Three minutes, guys.
We got a deadline,
don't forget.
There!
(PANTING)
(SCREAMS)
(PANTING)
We did it.
We made it!
(GRUNTING)
()
Is that?
The Raven Witch.
What is that?
LEAH:
Silas Carter's diary.
We've already been here.
We've been walking
in circles all night.
You want to give up?
Go ahead.
Give up?
Halloween's over.
We missed our window again.
(OLD MAN ABNER CLEARS THROAT)
(RADIO CHATTER IN BACKGROUND)
()
(MR. BIGSBY SNORING)
I couldn't have survived
Carterville without you guys.
We wouldn't even have been
on the hunt for Silas' gold
if it wasn't for you.
I'm not just talking
about the hunt.
I'm talking about
you guys being my friends
while I've been staying
with my aunt and uncle.
Right.
You're leaving.
Yeah.
Let's just enjoy
this moment then.
Because who knows
when we'll have to defeat
another 200-year-old
evil spirit.
Good idea.
Let's enjoy it.
You guys think
I'll be grounded again?
TESSA:
Yeah, Marshy.
You're definitely
gonna get grounded.
()
Come on!
We're gonna miss her!
Got a long drive ahead of us.
Bye, now.
()
(WAVES CRASHING)
Dude!
This thing is so wicked!
(BEEPING)
Check this out!
My Christmas gift to you.
Don't spend it all
in one place.
(CHUCKLES)
Thanks, Dad.
So, what do you say?
One more body surf sesh?
Yeah.
Let's do it.
Okay, that's my
sixth read-through
and I've decided you're right.
It's a bunch of hogwash.
And I see you're
still trying to crack it.
Something about it feels,
I don't know.
Something's missing.
MR. PARKER:
Kids?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
No sneaking out, now.
Leah!
(CHUCKLES)
()
What the heck
are you doing here?
What do you mean?
I live here.
I thought you
went back to Cali!
I did.
Got some surfing in.
It was cool, but...
(SIGHS)
...didn't feel like home.
I told my dad I got too many
good friends here to leave,
so I'm starting next semester
here in Carterville.
-TESSA: No way!
-Seriously?
I see you got the same gift.
Let me guess, same note?
Same book, same note.
So, I take it you didn't try
reading your gifts
out loud then.
No.
Why would we read it out loud?
()
"Neewollah no niago esir..."
"ton seod repooc
salis epoh su tel."
Whoa!
()