Wickensburg (2022) Movie Script
1
You OK?
Elliot! Are you OK?
Elliot! Elliot, are you OK?
Hey. I know, I know.
Don't worry, I'm not looking.
How much further?
Uh... maybe 20 minutes.
This place might as well be
on the moon!
Alright, well, we'll stop for gas
soon,
um, cos I'm also sure that Sprocket
needs to get out
for a little bit of a break.
Hey, hey, hey!
Wait, Mom, stop the car!
Alright, what's wrong?
There's a woman.
She's just standing there.
A... a woman? Is she OK?
Don't go too far!
You looking for someone?
There was a woman. Looked scared,
black hair.
You oughta stay out the woods, son.
There's stuff out here maybe
you don't wanna meet. Like... what?
I am so sorry. My son thought
he saw something,
but I don't think so.
Where you headed? Wickensburg.
Wickensburg? Yeah.
Ain't nobody goes there.
Uh, well, we are.
See not even this weirdo
likes this place.
Stop. You're the new reporter.
Journalist. Yeah,
for the Wickensburg Herald.
Ain't nobody reads that.
Because the Deadhead can't read.
Just go in the car, please.
Sorry to bother you.
Huh.
What was that all about?
Why'd he think
no-one ever goes to Wickensburg?
I don't know,
but don't even worry about it.
He's... a very colourful local.
Oh, really?
I thought he was the next host
of 'Dancing with the Stars.'
And even the sign is weird.
OK, that's enough.
You know what? You really need
to learn critical thinking.
I don't know what that is,
but if we get into our new house
and I hear...
"Get out now,"
I am so outta there.
You know what?
Alright, it's not
'The Amityville Horror.'
Amityville Horror, yeah,
I'm gonna go with that.
Don't bother. Your grandmother
on your father's side
claimed to have dreams and visions
all the time.
So if anything bad was gonna happen,
you come from good stock.
That's strange, the GPS
just lost its signal.
I can't find our street.
Can you check your phone, please
and see if you can
pull up the address?
Yeah. No reception.
You gotta be kidding me.
We're in the Bermuda Triangle
of phone reception.
I am gonna just pull over
and I will ask.
OK, be right back.
Excuse me. Can you, um... tell...
They're not friendly...
Whoa!
Uh, hi, I'm Elliot Lucas.
My name is Willow Darkwood.
Welcome to Wickensburg.
You know, that's the nicest thing
anyone said to me
since we got here.
Why were you standing up there?
Because it's noon.
OK, is absolutely everything
in this town weird?
You can feel it too, can't you?
Dark soul of Wickensburg.
You know what? I... actually can.
Hey.
You OK? Yeah, uh, did you see...?
See who? Oh, never mind.
You find out where we're headed?
No, I didn't.
People are, uh...
Weird? Yeah.
Aha, Wahlbig Street.
25... 25.
There it is.
Oh, wow!
I mean, this is so much more
beautiful than the pictures.
OK, it is pretty nice.
OK.
Alright. I know.
This place is big.
Yeah, it's nice.
Elliot?
Boo! Oh, Uncle Dave!
Only you would do something
like this.
It's so good to see you. You too.
Wow, Elliot.
Come on, last time I saw you,
you were like this high.
Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you
that much.
I need fresh underwear.
I love this kid.
He's a crack-up. Put 'er there.
No hard feelings, right?
Uh, guess not. Well, you know what?
Most people would just
knock on the door, maybe bring us
a casserole.
How boring. I mean, come on,
you gotta admit
that was pretty brilliant. That was
pretty brilliant. Mind you,
holding that post for three hours
waiting for you wasn't much fun.
Well, now you can help us unpack.
And there is a pizza in it for you.
You say pizza?
Mm-hm. Yeah, deal.
Wow.
Elliot, are these your photos?
They're incredible. Hey, mine.
Sorry, it's... it's just something
I used to do with my dad.
No, it's fine. It's OK, I get it.
Hey. Thank you.
Pizza! Finally. I'm starving.
OK...
Alright.
OK.
Mmm!
It's so good.
Expected it to be like weird,
like the rest of this place.
So you, uh, noticed
Wickensburg has a few quirks.
What is it with these people?
They talk like
it costs a dollar a word.
Remember the guy in the woods?
"And nobody goes to Wickensburg."
Oh, and people in town,
they were looking at me
as if they were looking through me.
Like I wasn't even there.
Well, I don't know, I mean,
it used to be a big farming town
when I was a kid.
I guess all that stuff
kind of went away.
Why would it?
I mean, people need to eat.
Who knows?
But you might have come
at just the right time.
There's a big new depot
on the edge of town.
Maybe a few jobs for people.
Cheer the place up a bit.
Sure needs cheering up.
It's a small town, give it a chance.
People will warm up.
Yeah. I guess you've got
a new school to warm up to as well.
Yeah, I mean, we've done that a lot
when we moved around with Dad, so...
Well, I haven't written
for a small-town paper
since before you were born.
So why are you doing it now?
Because I need a job and one day
you'll understand that.
This job here?
Hey. Your mother's a great writer.
Better than this place.
Elliot, breakfast!
Coming, I'm coming.
Sleepy head! You usually get up
so early.
I couldn't really sleep much
last night.
Oh, don't tell me your Uncle Dave
got to you.
No, it's just... first night
in a new place.
No, no, no, no.
Don't give him bacon!
Don't give him bacon.
Why? Don't give him bacon!
OK, I have to go
meet my new boss, Mr. Wilson,
and I don't wanna be late.
But please can you please make sure
you at least unpack your room
for me?
OK, but I have to deal with this
first.
And then unpacking, OK?
Alright. Sprocket, you are
in charge. Make sure he does it.
Please unpack your room.
I will, I will. That's all I ask.
'Bye, I'll see you later.
Alright, 'bye.
Celine. Would you please come in?
Thank you.
Peter Wilson. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you. Please come in.
Thank you.
Have a seat.
Thank you.
So how are you settling in?
You and, uh...?
Elliot. Uh, you know, good,
actually,
we just got here yesterday.
But he's never been to a small town
before, so he thinks
everything is really weird.
Why would he think that?
Well, he's a teenager.
And if you meet him,
you'll understand why.
That would be nice. Uh,
I'm going to, uh, put you
on the news desk, but you know,
Elliot's right, it is a small town,
not much international action
and intrigue in Wickensburg.
Well, that's gonna be my job
to dig all that stuff up for you,
right?
And actually I heard
that they're starting a new depot
at the edge of town.
Ah, Northeast Engineering
and Shipping.
Yes, that one's a little tricky.
First new jobs around here
for years.
So if we say the wrong thing
and someone objects...
Yeah, but it's good news, though,
right?
Well, yes,
but let's just play it safe
and leave Northeast alone.
Why don't you, uh...
Oh, I, uh... I need to take that.
Oh, OK, go ahead.
Sorry, it's... it's very important.
Oh. Sorry.
Mrs. Johnstone will set you up
with payroll.
Mrs. Johnstone... OK.
'Because it's noon.' Oh, wow.
Why do you have a photograph of me?
I don't.
Yes, you do. I saw it
with my own eyes!
No-one can see my photos.
You took a picture of me.
I didn't even know.
Show me. Why should I?
Because it seemed
a flattering depiction.
A what?
Do you even speak English?
It's a nice photo.
My appearance
is generally abominable.
Bad. I usually look bad in photos.
It's... nice.
Elliot, right? Your mom's
the new reporter at the paper.
Yeah.
How do you know? Oh, brother...!
Who's this? The village idiot.
Hey, new kid.
You don't want to hang out with her.
Why not?
Cos this is her idea of fun.
Wearing black, being weird,
hanging around here
while... nothing happens.
Was fun till you showed up.
She told you yet?
Tell me what? What she is.
Chad, don't.
OK.
Yeah, I won't tell him anything.
But I bet he'll ask.
Just so you know, new kid,
we used to burn people like her
at the stake.
Hey, wait up. You can have
the photo.
Thanks.
So you want to know about the curse?
You really come out here every day?
Yes.
Well, when school's out,
and I have piano classes on Sundays,
and last week it rained a lot.
So it's a part-time curse.
Come with me.
What is this place?
It's a ship's bow. Can't you tell?
I love it here. So peaceful.
Uh, it's... kinda weird.
Is everything weird to you
just because you've never saw it
before?
Weird doesn't mean bad.
Am I weird?
Not in a bad way.
I should be. I'm a witch.
Uh, Willow, you're not a witch.
You better hope I am or this town
will be cursed forever.
Oh, right. Yeah, curse.
Back in colonial times,
the townsfolk drove out
a group of women they accused
of being witches.
The witches cursed the town
so no-one could ever leave.
And those who came
would be trapped here forever.
The people would be miserable,
the crops would fail
and the livestock would die.
And in 300 years an evil warlock
would come here
and destroy the town
and everyone who lives here.
A warlock?
Like a witch, only a guy.
I'm sorry. That is gotta be
the craziest thing I've ever heard.
Just don't tell me
you believe all this.
Then what's going on, Mr. Lucas?!
You can't deny it, you felt it too.
OK. OK.
If you're a witch... read this.
Where'd you get this?
Where'd you even find this?
It was in my sock drawer.
It... it was just lying there.
We just moved in.
Can you read it?
Well, this is in the town square,
but I've seen this writing...
somewhere. Come on.
Are we in a hurry?
The town is at stake!
Settling in OK? Yeah.
I'm going over these story leads
and - This town is deadsville?
Well, I was hoping it was
a slow news day.
Honey, every day
is a slow news day around here.
Hey, I heard there's a, um,
a new depot
starting up at the edge of town,
some sort of engineering company?
Is it worth looking into?
Uh, that's, that's Northeast
Engineering and Shipping.
They kinda wanna keep that quiet.
Plus their parent company
owns this paper.
Owns the paper? So what?
I mean, that's good news.
It's more jobs for the local people.
Yeah, but I'd be careful.
Do you notice that Peter
was all twitchy-like?
Yeah, actually I did, no offence.
His job is on the line,
as is yours and mine too.
So I'd leave that place alone.
OK, I will leave it alone.
Cup of coffee? Thanks.
Creamer? Sure. Okey-dokey.
Every time I come down here,
this fence gets bigger.
What is this place?
It's a nexus of eldritch phenomena
that's been a focus
for uncanny happenings
since colonial times.
It's a cave!
It's been a special place
for hundreds of years.
Now they're ruining it.
Special to who? Witches!
Come on, Willow.
Just come with me.
Look at this place.
Over here.
Oh. Oh, wow!
There was never enough of this
to read before.
So what does it say?
This is amazing.
Tell me what it says.
Oh, it says four riders will come
at 12.
I always knew that.
And then... I have...
.. absolutely no clue.
Uh, where's the other book?
What other book?
This is part two, where's part one?
I don't know.
What are those things?
What are these things? Hey,
you kids, what are you doing here?
Willow, run!
OK. Alright.
OK.
25 Wahlbig.
This is where Professor McAuliffe
used to live.
McWho? Uh, he ran the museum.
He had all kinds of crazy things.
He was really nice.
I worked there over the summer.
That's very you.
Yeah, OK. Where... where'd you find
the book?
Up in my room. Alright.
Uh, yeah, if...
if you wanna go up...
Wow.
I always wondered what boys had
in their rooms.
What is this? Hey!
Oh, who's this?!
This is my dog, Sprocket. Hi!
Ooh, is that your dad?
Yeah.
He's a pilot in like the Army?
That's amazing! Yeah, Air Force.
He, uh... he died.
Oh, like... what happened?
The engine on his jet failed.
He... he could have ejected,
but he stayed with it
to make sure it didn't crash,
you know... people.
Then it was too late.
Went into the ocean.
Then he was even more amazing.
Yeah.
Well, it is what it is. Come on.
Hi.
This is the attic.
I like attics.
Figures.
Ooh, potions.
Huh. Uh, kinda.
But there's a lot of junk.
Don't look, it's not finished yet.
OK, sorry.
Sorry.
Ooh.
These are cool. Watch this.
It's weird you know how to do this.
It's not weird. You can do it too.
Hm, give me.
Clearly you're not doing something
right.
I give up. I can't do it.
If I were a 300-year-old
mystical book, where would I be?
OK...
Please let this be a mummy.
You call me macabre...
Wait, wait, wait, hang on.
What?
Uh, may be nothing.
Where did you get that?
Oh, Professor McAuliffe
left it to me in his will.
It's volume one! It's what we need!
It's my mom.
Listen to me.
Can I have the book?
I think it's yours anyways.
Hey, kiddo. Oh, hey, Mom.
Oh, well, who's this?
Oh, Mom, Willow.
Willow, meet my mom.
Willow, it's so nice to meet you.
Good evening, Mrs. Lucas.
You can call me Celine.
We call Elliott's grandma
Mrs. Lucas.
Uh, you're a reporter.
Journalist. Yeah, is that something
maybe you would wanna do?
Oh no, I'm a -
She's gonna be in my class, yeah.
Oh, oh, oh, that's...
that's so nice. That's great.
Willow, would you like to stay
for dinner?
Oh, I need to be home. Sorry.
Oh, OK, that's fine. Um, Elliot,
could you please
show Willow out the door? Yeah,
for sure. It's so nice to meet you.
Uh, how do I contact you?
Are you asking for my number?
Well, it's just, you know -
It... just never happened before.
Seriously? I mean, uh -
Give me your cell. Yeah.
There. Thanks.
'Bye.
Hello?
It's me.
Willow, it's...
it's almost midnight.
Then we don't have much time.
Middle of the night might be
your favourite time of day -
Elliot, listen to me,
and you need to know this,
because that curse 300 years ago?
Uh-huh? It's 300 years tonight.
This is crazy. We'll be grounded
for like a month if we do this.
And if we don't,
the town will be destroyed
by an evil warlock.
Like I said, crazy.
Alright, what next?
Well...
Alright.
You see this?
Sure, what does it say?
It says four riders will come at 12.
And I always thought it said
at 12 noon, because you know,
horses, cowboys,
high noon. But it doesn't.
It says four riders
will come at 12 midnight.
You know what this is, Elliot?
These are the four curses.
It's the Four Horsemen
of the Apocalypse.
Hey, I dreamed about this.
You dreamed about what?
This, the monument,
a guy on a white horse
with a bow and arrow.
That's the first horseman.
That's Conquest. Look.
So... so what has this place
gotta do with conquest?
It's a monument to Francois Le Bois,
conqueror of the wilderness,
who in 1645 opened up the state
to settlement.
He was killed on the spot
by a grizzly bear.
I told you. I told you.
An actual conjuring
right in front of us!
It's... it's not magic.
It's just a piece of glass
or something
lined up to catch the moon
on this date.
Elliot, stop. What are you doing?
It's an amulet of warning.
Willow, don't creep up on people.
I'm a witch.
But... look, three of the gems
are missing.
That's why the town's so sick.
The amulet should be protecting us.
Four in total, three missing.
Hey, can you hear that?
It sounds like a steam train.
Is this place
normally open at 1 am?
It's been closed down
for years.
Good evening, sir.
Welcome to Wickensburg.
It's not the evening, Mr. Jenks.
It's the middle of the night.
And I think
we may have missed the event.
I am so sorry, sir.
It's these old steam engines.
Is it? Well...
.. let's take a look, shall we?
Believe me now?
Mr. Wilson?
Ah, thanks for coming in, Celine.
Can you do me up a piece
on the annual Founder's Day parade?
Oh, Mr. Wilson, with all due
respect, I know that I'm new,
but I was really hoping
that I would be able to report on,
you know, hard news.
If you can find any.
In case you haven't noticed,
we don't have a lot of hard news
around here.
Well, I was looking into the new
industrial compound outside of town.
Oh, no, no, Celine. Really,
we can't touch that.
No matter what we said,
we'd upset someone.
But the parade is a big deal
in this town.
And what's the number one thing
that makes a news story
a news story?
The number of people impacted.
Yes.
So I'd like the piece to include
some historical background.
You'll find the archives
in the basement.
I'm guessing the archives
haven't been digitised.
Digitised?
You big city reporters crack me up.
Journalists...
Oh, boy...
Hmm.
Hmm. Um-um-um.
I wonder what Woodward and Bernstein
would do in this situation.
What did you do to my truck?
Nothing. Oh yeah?
Well, then...
what are you doing here?
Are you asking the questions now?
What are you gonna do, huh?
Run me off the road
with your new truck?
I just nearly had that happen.
Maybe everyone in town
could take turns now.
What did you do, kid?
Put a hex on someone?
You're a kid too. Difference is,
one day I'll grow up.
Grow up?
Yeah, in that outfit
you look about ready to get buried.
Elliot, are you home? Open up!
Elliot, that guy's car
was chasing me.
Look at this. Did you see this?
It was... it was the car
we saw last night.
What is this thing behind you?
It was right outside here!
What is this? I didn't know
you could do spirit photography.
Yeah, neither did I.
Where's Sprocket?
I don't know, but he's fine. OK.
It's the curse, it has to be.
Willow, I don't know what
to believe right now.
We have all these books
and medallions - OK.
These books are all about
the history of the town
and the curse
which is placed on it.
It says, "On the 300th anniversary
of the day
the witches were driven out,
a powerful warlock will come here
and take revenge on the town."
Sure, curse, revenge, fine.
You see this? These are
the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
This is from the Book of Revelation.
So if we follow the clues
to each of them,
maybe we can find a way
to break the curse.
So if we got this from the monument
and we need... three more...
The next one would be war.
So where is it?
And I don't even know how long
we have now that the warlock
is actually here.
You were saying?
Jeez, Sprocket.
But, come on, he is not a warlock.
Elliot, you saw what he did
to that guy.
It just flew right into the window.
That poor thing.
What do we do with it?
We give it a proper burial.
Elliot, it's not even seven.
Yeah, well, you're a full-time witch
today.
Is there a statue of a soldier
holding an eagle somewhere?
Yeah, uh, up on Riverside. Why?
I saw the red horse
and the guy holding a sword.
The statue of a guy
holding an eagle.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
What? Ow, ow. No, not you,
it's just... I'll be there
in like minus-10 minutes. Ow.
Come on, slowpoke, let's go!
That's it, that's what I saw.
War, it's war for sure.
Whoa. OK, but now what? We just
have to do what we did last time.
Find the clue. OK. Uh, let's see.
There's one, two, three, four,
five pouches, two stripes.
So he was a corporal.
Hm... I don't know.
Hey, there's something here.
Where, what?
Check that out.
That's so cool!
Here, let me try something.
You have the medallion? Yeah.
Two down. Two to go.
'Morning, Celine. Good morning.
I have the daily police report.
Oh, great.
Is there anything good in there?
Well, uh, plans for Founder's Day,
a couple of DUIs.
Oh, and a couple of kids broke in
up at
the Northeast Engineering compound.
But like I said,
maybe leave that one alone.
Great.
Well, I have 142 small ads
that I gotta go type up.
OK. So... see ya.
See ya.
Knock, knock.
Come in.
What's up? Uh, well, I was going
through the archives, you know,
for the Founder's Day piece,
and I found this.
Does the Shippingport
atomic power station
mean anything to you?
Because there was something in there
about waste management
and Wickensburg. That was an idea.
An idea from 50 years ago to maybe,
maybe build a waste facility.
They never did. I wish they had,
then this place
might have some jobs
and some life and some hard news
for you to report.
Uh, I'll file this for you.
Um, well, OK.
Now... the Founder's Day piece?
I will make sure you get it.
OK.
We're gonna
have to take care of this.
You little...
OK.
Right, what next?
OK, so we have four horsemen.
We found Conquest, the white gem
and we've got War, the red gem,
so the next horseman is...
OK.
Famine. Famine, like crops failing?
He rides a black horse and...
So where's the statue of famine?
I have no idea.
Think, you live here.
So do you! Since Saturday!
Elliott? Mom, what's wrong?
Have you been up at the Northeast
Engineering compound?
N-n-n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o.
No. No.
Elliot, have you been
up at the compound?
Oh... that compound.
Yeah, that compound.
Maybe I should just... go.
Oh, no, no, young lady.
You are gonna stand right here
and you are gonna listen.
Did you two actually
break into an industrial site?!
What on Earth possessed you?!
It's not a possession!
It's a curse! Maybe even a haunting.
Look.
What is that supposed to mean?
Willow, don't.
This town has been under a spell
for 300 years and an evil warlock
arrived last night
and is going to make the curses
come true. That old mine
has something to do with it.
And it's really, really important.
And how do you know all this?
Because I'm a witch!
Willow... it's time for you to go
right now.
And you, young man,
you're grounded. Phone.
Hi, come on in. Hi.
Am I early? No, not at all.
Sorry about the mess.
No, it's OK. It's just... lots.
Hey, uh, is... is this one
of his photos?
Oh yes. And his little girlfriend
insists that this town
is under some witch's curse.
He thinks that this is a ghost or,
or she does, I don't know.
So, you know, witches, ghosts,
curses.
Um, yeah, so that's not a ghost.
It's radiation damage.
It's what? Radiation, you know,
from like a nuclear power plant
or something.
Yeah, it can damage film stock
like that.
See how the spotty pattern there...
um, what?
I taught high school physics, OK?
Hey, you know, they shouldn't
just be able to stroll into a place
like that and have this happen.
I know. Know where it was taken?
I don't know, but I can guess.
Hmm, which makes me think.
Hey, Mark. It's Celine.
I... I have a favour.
Run a search on Penelex Corporation.
That's P-e-n-e-l-e-x.
From the mid '60s.
I wanna see if it's connected
to Northeast Engineering
and Shipping.
It's a waste-handling company
and there may or may not
be something there,
but if there is, if you could please
give me a call,
I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks. 'Bye.
Hey, is everything OK? No.
Is there anything I can do?
Yeah, you can come with me.
Let's go.
Come on.
Let me grab my jacket.
So this is where you specifically
told Elliot never to go.
Yeah.
And your boss said to leave alone.
I think they're dumping
nuclear waste into this old mine.
What?! Yeah. And right now I can
either ignore it or get fired,
and neither one is a good option.
So... I need more evidence.
I'll be right back.
Mom? Mom?
Mom?
Hey, what are you doing?
Hurry up. What do you mean?
We gotta go. Let's go, let's go,
let's go. What's happening?
Come on...
What do you think, huh?
Mom?
Hey, who's there?
Willow! What are you doing?!
Trying to get your attention!
I'm not up there,
I am down here.
Yeah, I get that. Did you dream?
Yeah, but...
What's going on? A lot.
Get in here. Hide, hide.
Get in. Hide.
Ooh, a secret entrance. Hide! OK!
Oh, this place is cool.
I... didn't look at your photos.
Seriously, Willow.
It's fine.
Guess you can look.
You said hide, so I did.
Tell me about the dream.
I... I saw a big guy
on a black horse, a set of scales.
Famine, usually shown
on a black horse
with a set of scales.
He pointed to this tall monument,
big cross with a circle around it.
Looks like...
Oh, that's a Celtic cross.
So where did we find one of those?
I don't know.
I need to hit the library
or Gruber's.
What's that?
It's a antiques place.
I think they open at... 10.
Oh. I have to get these photos done
for my mom right away.
Uh, might be important.
Wanna watch?
Can I? Yeah.
Why's Sprocket dressed like that?
So I might have
kind of had an accident
last time I poured these chemicals.
Hi, Mark.
So they changed their name.
They changed their name
from Penelex Corporation
to Northeast Engineering
and Shipping in 1974.
They still involved in nuclear waste
removal and storage?
Biggest on the East Coast. OK.
Well, thank you.
OK. 'Bye-bye.
Watch this.
OK.
Whoa! That's actual magic!
No, that's science.
It... it's that place.
It's Northeast Engineering compound.
Yeah.
Do another one.
Oh, boy... It's him.
It's him!
It's the warlock.
Your mom took these photos?
Yeah. We have to warn her!
And say what?
That we snuck out
at one in the morning,
and saw him get off
a hundred-year-old steam train
at a disused station,
and then blast someone
with his magic cane?
I won't be grounded,
I'll be put in a home
for crazy people.
OK, we just have to find
the rest of the gems and complete
the amulet.
Meet me at Gruber's.
OK.
Hey. What's up?
Why are we here?
Wait, wait, hang on.
What is that?
Patty... Pebble.
Uh, looks like someone barfed up
a blob of pink frosting.
Your barf has hair and googly eyes?
OK, look, back in the '70s
they sold these big pebbles
for people to keep as pets,
right? Uh, big pebble? Yeah. As pet?
Yeah. They had cartoons
and trading cards.
Whoa. This here is a mint condition
1978 Patty Pebble limited edition.
Are you saying you've never heard
of the My Little Stony line of toys?
OK, who are you, and where's Willow?
Why are we even here?
You see this? This is a map of
the town in the days of the curse,
and it's lovely.
It is pretty cool.
What does it show us?
Look here, it's gotta be it.
It's in the woods
north of the old paper mill.
How much does this thing cost?
$1100?!
Technology to the rescue.
Patty, no!
Do you have a camera? Always.
Hey, Chad!
You little... Give me the camera!
I cannot believe that guy!
Hey, look who's talking. How many
of those things do you have?
It's a hobby. But I mean,
he used to talk about the cartoons
like years ago. Seriously,
I never knew he was still into it.
OK.
We should get going.
The Celtic cross. Yeah.
Is it in there? I don't know.
I can't get a signal.
Nah, forget it.
Let's just go look. Willow?
What? We still have two gems
to find, we can't stop now.
It's not like you to be scared.
Come on, seriously...
Hello?
I'm a witch. I'm not scared of you.
Yeah, OK.
Hey, it's that way.
What... what?
''
It's not like you to be scared.
Elliot, why would you even do that?!
Hey, these last few days
you told me nothing
except how spooky and weird
this place is.
There you go with the weird.
Wll, I thought you liked weird.
I do, just... Hey,
did you say you have signal?
Yeah.
Then let's go find this thing.
Here it is, here it is!
Great potato famine.
"This monument is in remembrance
of the Irish immigrants
who settled in the town
of Wickensburg in 1847
after leaving Ireland to escape
the Great Potato Famine."
The Great Potato Famine. I remember
reading about that in history.
It's a shame nobody keeps it up.
OK, but now what?
Hey. What... what?
It moved.
Look at that. It must be.
Whoa!
What is it?
Green? Uh, Irish memorial, I guess.
One left to find.
What is it? It's a map.
Yeah, and it's super-old-looking.
Uh, we should head back
and look at this properly.
Peter, do you have a minute?
Uh, no.
Well... just a minute.
Look at these.
So do we still say this isn't
an industrial waste-dumping
operation?
Celine - Don't worry, this was
on my own time,
but this is what I found
just from last night.
Celine.
How can you ignore this?
Please! I need
the Founder's Day piece.
You have it.
It's in your email.
I sent it yesterday.
Did you, uh, speak to Lou yet?
No, because I don't know who Lou is.
Lou Dodds.
Didn't I send an email?
He lives over on Forest, number 27.
Old friend of mine.
He organises the parade.
Are you serious?
Oh, I am serious, Celine.
I've asked you to do this
as a colleague.
Now, as your boss, I'm telling you
to speak to Lou about the parade.
I'm talking to him at lunchtime.
I'll expect him to have seen you.
OK, you got it. Fine.
I did what I could, OK? You're going
to have someone at the house
to meet her.
There was nothing else I could do,
right? I'll see to it personally.
But...
Is there something else?
What... what are you gonna... do?
Mr. Wilson, whatever happens
to that woman,
you sent her there,
you are in this up to your neck.
Pray it remains
attached to your body.
What are you doing?
Checking we weren't followed.
OK, get this.
What? You know
what the fourth horseman represents?
No, what?
Death.
Please, come in.
Are you Mr. Dodds?
No.
But please come in.
Thank you.
This way, please.
I recognise you. You were
at the Northeast Engineering
compound.
Well, I'm guessing
that we're not discussing
the Founder's Day parade,
and I am very busy,
so if you'll excuse me.
Um, yep, just like I thought.
Please take a seat.
Well, I am not one to refuse
hospitality.
Mrs. Lucas, I am Mr. Hexenmeister.
Hexenmeister. As in warlock?
Very good, Mrs. Lucas.
Well, I knew those four years of me
taking German in high school
would pay off one day.
You're the owner of Northeast
Engineering and Shipping.
I am.
Formally Penelex Corporation.
Few people have ever made
that connection.
You are a very talented reporter.
Journalist.
Oh, of course, I'm so sorry.
That's OK. Let's see how good I am.
In the late '60s,
Penelex won the contract
to dispose of nuclear waste
from the new Shippingport atomic
power station in Pennsylvania.
Go on.
Instead of spending the money
and disposing of the waste properly,
you came across the legend
of the curse on Wickensburg.
Radiation, poisoned the soil,
damaged the crops, killed livestock,
and people in the town
just put it down to the old legend.
So you have told me
everything you know,
and yes, you do know everything,
but it cannot become public.
So you leave me no choice.
Mr. Warlock, with all due respect,
my husband was in the Air Force,
we travelled the world.
I have interviewed everyone
from the mafia, drug lords,
uh, terrorists,
and even politicians.
And I'm supposed to be afraid
of you?
I'm afraid of myself sometimes,
Mrs. Lucas.
But now
we are going to take a nice drive
up to our new facility.
But first, you must call your son.
Hi, Mom. Hey, hon.
Uh, listen, I'm gonna be away again
tonight.
Uh, same thing as last night.
So can you please, uh,
make yourself some dinner?
Yeah, sure, no problem.
And don't stay up too late, OK?
OK. And Elliot,
if you have any problems,
you call your Uncle John, OK?
Uh... sure.
And like I said,
same place as last night.
Right.
I love you. I love you too, Mom.
'Bye.
She's in trouble.
What? How do you know?
My dad was a pilot.
Yeah? If someone
in the military was captured
the bad guys might force them to,
I don't know, talk on the radio.
Maybe trick a rescue team
into a trap.
So if they're not free
to say what they want,
they have code words to use.
Words like what?
I don't have an Uncle John.
Someone made her make that call.
Um, who?
I don't know.
Well, she wanted us to know
she'd be in the same place
as last night, right?
The old mine works
where she took those photos.
The warlock guy was at the mine.
So if your mom's there now,
he's the one who has her.
Gotta be. He's not a warlock.
Come on. We can't. What?
We have to find the monument
to death.
Every monument is just a monument
to someone who died. Come on.
But we only have three stones.
So? It's just a piece of jewellery.
What are we gonna do when we meet
this guy and all we have is this?
Nothing, it's a toy! Who cares?
I... I thought you cared.
Willow... you're not a witch.
He's not a warlock.
There... there is no curse.
It's just a game made up by,
I don't know,
the museum guy
who used to own his house.
It's not real.
This guy has my mom.
Do you get it? That's real.
Then you'd better go.
This way, please.
Uh, where's death, where's death?
Where'd you bury people
300 years ago?
Oh, boy.
Hey, Chad, I need a favour.
Guys, uh, does it say "losers,
this way" on the back of my truck?
So what are you doing here?
Well, I thought
I'd tell your little buddies
about my collection,
since you're so keen on yours.
My what? Hmm, your collection.
Guys, I'm gonna need a minute.
What do you want?
Hop in.
Look out!
(NEIGHS
Hey, get up, we've gotta go.
Thanks, William. I'm fine.
I know where the last monument is.
So do I, and what it looks like.
Wow. And now we're even.
What?
Well, you've seen MY underwear.
Hey!
Did you know, Mrs. Lucas,
that a sect of European colonists
believed this place
had magic potentials?
They may even have made sacrifices.
So take heart, when you die
down here,
you'll be maintaining
a local tradition.
People will be looking for me.
No, Mrs. Lucas.
Soon, my engineers
will fire explosives
linking these tunnels
to the ones above,
which contain
a hundred thousand tons
of liquid nuclear waste.
Nobody with a desire to live
will come down here
within a hundred million years.
And your radiation-scorched bones
will act as a silent warning
for every other nosy reporter.
Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Obarski here
reminds me
that you are a journalist.
Maybe this will make a good story.
Well, that's new.
Drive.
I can't, there's a gate.
We have to get in there.
No way.
No, it would total my truck.
Chad, I will give you
my blue-haired Rocky Rockwell
from the '82 cereal packet giveaway.
Does the voice box work?
'Rocky Rockwell loves her cereal!'
I'm sorry.
Goodness gracious.
Where are we going?
The cemetery.
You go first.
No, you, you're the witch.
Part-time, part-time,
part-time, part-time, part-time.
Go, go.
It has to be the one.
That's what I saw!
Don't leave me.
Oh. "Joseph Mays,
born September 2nd, 1831,
died April 5, 1886."
Great, can we find the gem now?
I can't find anything.
What about the map?
Look, here's the graveyard.
Look, look at these letters.
YMSA.
Huh?
YMSA. I got it, I got it.
Look, "Mays." Oh.
I did it, I did it!
Cool! Oh. What's in there?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Hey, check that out.
This is the most amazing thing
I have ever seen.
OK, now what?
We have to get
all the way over here.
Uh.
This has to be it.
We can't go any further.
But there's nothing here.
Look everywhere!
There!
Just try it, quick!
I don't believe it.
Well, we've come this far.
Let's go, come on.
I think it's that way.
Come on.
Wait up, I'm coming.
What is this place? I have no idea.
Mom?
Celine, are you there?
Mom?
Mom?
Celine?
Mom!
Celine?
Elliot! What?
Celine, hold on.
Mom. Thank you.
Are you OK? I'm fine,
but we have to get out of here,
and I know how to get out.
Come on, I know the way out.
Celine, you won't believe
how we found you.
We have... we have this medallion,
and this map, and -
OK, well, I'm glad you found me.
Thank you. Alright.
Going somewhere?
Get out of our way. No, this place
must have its sacrifice.
In the name of my ancestors,
for the sake of 300 years
of suffering,
I smite you!
What is that, little girl?
Wow, Mom, the front page!
Congratulations. Thank you.
And your photo is pretty good too.
'Morning. 'Morning.
What?
"Billionaire industrialist
Wilhelm Hexenmeister
was arrested on charges
of dumping untreated nuclear waste
under the town of Wickensburg."
Wow.
He's alive? Uh, sort of. They fished
him out of liquid nuclear waste.
It says, "The operation was exposed
by former Chronicle journalist
Celine Lucas."
Wow, Mom, it says your name
right there.
But El, how did you know?
About what? Like what to do
with the camera flash.
Oh, well, I mean,
I just figured
who wears sunglasses inside
other then a guy who's really bad
with bright light or a warlock?
Uh, he's not a warlock.
And I think
I'm maybe not really a witch,
not even part-time.
I... I could take a better picture
of you.
I mean, I kinda got something new
I'm doing.
OK. Think of Patty Pebble.
# Some time to rethink this #
# It's like
I'm falling and I'm sinking
# What if I made the decision?
# What if these feelings
are too instant?
# Instant love
# Instant love
# Instant love
# And I knew it, yeah, I knew it
# Cos it was instant
# When I realised
# That I was thinking
# Of you all the time
# It almost seemed like
# You tricked my mind
# Into thinking
# That I was blind
# I might need some time
to rethink this
# It's like
I'm falling and I'm sinking
# What if I made the decision?
# What if these feelings
are too instant?
# Instant love
# Instant love
# Instant love
# And I knew it, yeah, I knew it #
You OK?
Elliot! Are you OK?
Elliot! Elliot, are you OK?
Hey. I know, I know.
Don't worry, I'm not looking.
How much further?
Uh... maybe 20 minutes.
This place might as well be
on the moon!
Alright, well, we'll stop for gas
soon,
um, cos I'm also sure that Sprocket
needs to get out
for a little bit of a break.
Hey, hey, hey!
Wait, Mom, stop the car!
Alright, what's wrong?
There's a woman.
She's just standing there.
A... a woman? Is she OK?
Don't go too far!
You looking for someone?
There was a woman. Looked scared,
black hair.
You oughta stay out the woods, son.
There's stuff out here maybe
you don't wanna meet. Like... what?
I am so sorry. My son thought
he saw something,
but I don't think so.
Where you headed? Wickensburg.
Wickensburg? Yeah.
Ain't nobody goes there.
Uh, well, we are.
See not even this weirdo
likes this place.
Stop. You're the new reporter.
Journalist. Yeah,
for the Wickensburg Herald.
Ain't nobody reads that.
Because the Deadhead can't read.
Just go in the car, please.
Sorry to bother you.
Huh.
What was that all about?
Why'd he think
no-one ever goes to Wickensburg?
I don't know,
but don't even worry about it.
He's... a very colourful local.
Oh, really?
I thought he was the next host
of 'Dancing with the Stars.'
And even the sign is weird.
OK, that's enough.
You know what? You really need
to learn critical thinking.
I don't know what that is,
but if we get into our new house
and I hear...
"Get out now,"
I am so outta there.
You know what?
Alright, it's not
'The Amityville Horror.'
Amityville Horror, yeah,
I'm gonna go with that.
Don't bother. Your grandmother
on your father's side
claimed to have dreams and visions
all the time.
So if anything bad was gonna happen,
you come from good stock.
That's strange, the GPS
just lost its signal.
I can't find our street.
Can you check your phone, please
and see if you can
pull up the address?
Yeah. No reception.
You gotta be kidding me.
We're in the Bermuda Triangle
of phone reception.
I am gonna just pull over
and I will ask.
OK, be right back.
Excuse me. Can you, um... tell...
They're not friendly...
Whoa!
Uh, hi, I'm Elliot Lucas.
My name is Willow Darkwood.
Welcome to Wickensburg.
You know, that's the nicest thing
anyone said to me
since we got here.
Why were you standing up there?
Because it's noon.
OK, is absolutely everything
in this town weird?
You can feel it too, can't you?
Dark soul of Wickensburg.
You know what? I... actually can.
Hey.
You OK? Yeah, uh, did you see...?
See who? Oh, never mind.
You find out where we're headed?
No, I didn't.
People are, uh...
Weird? Yeah.
Aha, Wahlbig Street.
25... 25.
There it is.
Oh, wow!
I mean, this is so much more
beautiful than the pictures.
OK, it is pretty nice.
OK.
Alright. I know.
This place is big.
Yeah, it's nice.
Elliot?
Boo! Oh, Uncle Dave!
Only you would do something
like this.
It's so good to see you. You too.
Wow, Elliot.
Come on, last time I saw you,
you were like this high.
Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you
that much.
I need fresh underwear.
I love this kid.
He's a crack-up. Put 'er there.
No hard feelings, right?
Uh, guess not. Well, you know what?
Most people would just
knock on the door, maybe bring us
a casserole.
How boring. I mean, come on,
you gotta admit
that was pretty brilliant. That was
pretty brilliant. Mind you,
holding that post for three hours
waiting for you wasn't much fun.
Well, now you can help us unpack.
And there is a pizza in it for you.
You say pizza?
Mm-hm. Yeah, deal.
Wow.
Elliot, are these your photos?
They're incredible. Hey, mine.
Sorry, it's... it's just something
I used to do with my dad.
No, it's fine. It's OK, I get it.
Hey. Thank you.
Pizza! Finally. I'm starving.
OK...
Alright.
OK.
Mmm!
It's so good.
Expected it to be like weird,
like the rest of this place.
So you, uh, noticed
Wickensburg has a few quirks.
What is it with these people?
They talk like
it costs a dollar a word.
Remember the guy in the woods?
"And nobody goes to Wickensburg."
Oh, and people in town,
they were looking at me
as if they were looking through me.
Like I wasn't even there.
Well, I don't know, I mean,
it used to be a big farming town
when I was a kid.
I guess all that stuff
kind of went away.
Why would it?
I mean, people need to eat.
Who knows?
But you might have come
at just the right time.
There's a big new depot
on the edge of town.
Maybe a few jobs for people.
Cheer the place up a bit.
Sure needs cheering up.
It's a small town, give it a chance.
People will warm up.
Yeah. I guess you've got
a new school to warm up to as well.
Yeah, I mean, we've done that a lot
when we moved around with Dad, so...
Well, I haven't written
for a small-town paper
since before you were born.
So why are you doing it now?
Because I need a job and one day
you'll understand that.
This job here?
Hey. Your mother's a great writer.
Better than this place.
Elliot, breakfast!
Coming, I'm coming.
Sleepy head! You usually get up
so early.
I couldn't really sleep much
last night.
Oh, don't tell me your Uncle Dave
got to you.
No, it's just... first night
in a new place.
No, no, no, no.
Don't give him bacon!
Don't give him bacon.
Why? Don't give him bacon!
OK, I have to go
meet my new boss, Mr. Wilson,
and I don't wanna be late.
But please can you please make sure
you at least unpack your room
for me?
OK, but I have to deal with this
first.
And then unpacking, OK?
Alright. Sprocket, you are
in charge. Make sure he does it.
Please unpack your room.
I will, I will. That's all I ask.
'Bye, I'll see you later.
Alright, 'bye.
Celine. Would you please come in?
Thank you.
Peter Wilson. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you. Please come in.
Thank you.
Have a seat.
Thank you.
So how are you settling in?
You and, uh...?
Elliot. Uh, you know, good,
actually,
we just got here yesterday.
But he's never been to a small town
before, so he thinks
everything is really weird.
Why would he think that?
Well, he's a teenager.
And if you meet him,
you'll understand why.
That would be nice. Uh,
I'm going to, uh, put you
on the news desk, but you know,
Elliot's right, it is a small town,
not much international action
and intrigue in Wickensburg.
Well, that's gonna be my job
to dig all that stuff up for you,
right?
And actually I heard
that they're starting a new depot
at the edge of town.
Ah, Northeast Engineering
and Shipping.
Yes, that one's a little tricky.
First new jobs around here
for years.
So if we say the wrong thing
and someone objects...
Yeah, but it's good news, though,
right?
Well, yes,
but let's just play it safe
and leave Northeast alone.
Why don't you, uh...
Oh, I, uh... I need to take that.
Oh, OK, go ahead.
Sorry, it's... it's very important.
Oh. Sorry.
Mrs. Johnstone will set you up
with payroll.
Mrs. Johnstone... OK.
'Because it's noon.' Oh, wow.
Why do you have a photograph of me?
I don't.
Yes, you do. I saw it
with my own eyes!
No-one can see my photos.
You took a picture of me.
I didn't even know.
Show me. Why should I?
Because it seemed
a flattering depiction.
A what?
Do you even speak English?
It's a nice photo.
My appearance
is generally abominable.
Bad. I usually look bad in photos.
It's... nice.
Elliot, right? Your mom's
the new reporter at the paper.
Yeah.
How do you know? Oh, brother...!
Who's this? The village idiot.
Hey, new kid.
You don't want to hang out with her.
Why not?
Cos this is her idea of fun.
Wearing black, being weird,
hanging around here
while... nothing happens.
Was fun till you showed up.
She told you yet?
Tell me what? What she is.
Chad, don't.
OK.
Yeah, I won't tell him anything.
But I bet he'll ask.
Just so you know, new kid,
we used to burn people like her
at the stake.
Hey, wait up. You can have
the photo.
Thanks.
So you want to know about the curse?
You really come out here every day?
Yes.
Well, when school's out,
and I have piano classes on Sundays,
and last week it rained a lot.
So it's a part-time curse.
Come with me.
What is this place?
It's a ship's bow. Can't you tell?
I love it here. So peaceful.
Uh, it's... kinda weird.
Is everything weird to you
just because you've never saw it
before?
Weird doesn't mean bad.
Am I weird?
Not in a bad way.
I should be. I'm a witch.
Uh, Willow, you're not a witch.
You better hope I am or this town
will be cursed forever.
Oh, right. Yeah, curse.
Back in colonial times,
the townsfolk drove out
a group of women they accused
of being witches.
The witches cursed the town
so no-one could ever leave.
And those who came
would be trapped here forever.
The people would be miserable,
the crops would fail
and the livestock would die.
And in 300 years an evil warlock
would come here
and destroy the town
and everyone who lives here.
A warlock?
Like a witch, only a guy.
I'm sorry. That is gotta be
the craziest thing I've ever heard.
Just don't tell me
you believe all this.
Then what's going on, Mr. Lucas?!
You can't deny it, you felt it too.
OK. OK.
If you're a witch... read this.
Where'd you get this?
Where'd you even find this?
It was in my sock drawer.
It... it was just lying there.
We just moved in.
Can you read it?
Well, this is in the town square,
but I've seen this writing...
somewhere. Come on.
Are we in a hurry?
The town is at stake!
Settling in OK? Yeah.
I'm going over these story leads
and - This town is deadsville?
Well, I was hoping it was
a slow news day.
Honey, every day
is a slow news day around here.
Hey, I heard there's a, um,
a new depot
starting up at the edge of town,
some sort of engineering company?
Is it worth looking into?
Uh, that's, that's Northeast
Engineering and Shipping.
They kinda wanna keep that quiet.
Plus their parent company
owns this paper.
Owns the paper? So what?
I mean, that's good news.
It's more jobs for the local people.
Yeah, but I'd be careful.
Do you notice that Peter
was all twitchy-like?
Yeah, actually I did, no offence.
His job is on the line,
as is yours and mine too.
So I'd leave that place alone.
OK, I will leave it alone.
Cup of coffee? Thanks.
Creamer? Sure. Okey-dokey.
Every time I come down here,
this fence gets bigger.
What is this place?
It's a nexus of eldritch phenomena
that's been a focus
for uncanny happenings
since colonial times.
It's a cave!
It's been a special place
for hundreds of years.
Now they're ruining it.
Special to who? Witches!
Come on, Willow.
Just come with me.
Look at this place.
Over here.
Oh. Oh, wow!
There was never enough of this
to read before.
So what does it say?
This is amazing.
Tell me what it says.
Oh, it says four riders will come
at 12.
I always knew that.
And then... I have...
.. absolutely no clue.
Uh, where's the other book?
What other book?
This is part two, where's part one?
I don't know.
What are those things?
What are these things? Hey,
you kids, what are you doing here?
Willow, run!
OK. Alright.
OK.
25 Wahlbig.
This is where Professor McAuliffe
used to live.
McWho? Uh, he ran the museum.
He had all kinds of crazy things.
He was really nice.
I worked there over the summer.
That's very you.
Yeah, OK. Where... where'd you find
the book?
Up in my room. Alright.
Uh, yeah, if...
if you wanna go up...
Wow.
I always wondered what boys had
in their rooms.
What is this? Hey!
Oh, who's this?!
This is my dog, Sprocket. Hi!
Ooh, is that your dad?
Yeah.
He's a pilot in like the Army?
That's amazing! Yeah, Air Force.
He, uh... he died.
Oh, like... what happened?
The engine on his jet failed.
He... he could have ejected,
but he stayed with it
to make sure it didn't crash,
you know... people.
Then it was too late.
Went into the ocean.
Then he was even more amazing.
Yeah.
Well, it is what it is. Come on.
Hi.
This is the attic.
I like attics.
Figures.
Ooh, potions.
Huh. Uh, kinda.
But there's a lot of junk.
Don't look, it's not finished yet.
OK, sorry.
Sorry.
Ooh.
These are cool. Watch this.
It's weird you know how to do this.
It's not weird. You can do it too.
Hm, give me.
Clearly you're not doing something
right.
I give up. I can't do it.
If I were a 300-year-old
mystical book, where would I be?
OK...
Please let this be a mummy.
You call me macabre...
Wait, wait, wait, hang on.
What?
Uh, may be nothing.
Where did you get that?
Oh, Professor McAuliffe
left it to me in his will.
It's volume one! It's what we need!
It's my mom.
Listen to me.
Can I have the book?
I think it's yours anyways.
Hey, kiddo. Oh, hey, Mom.
Oh, well, who's this?
Oh, Mom, Willow.
Willow, meet my mom.
Willow, it's so nice to meet you.
Good evening, Mrs. Lucas.
You can call me Celine.
We call Elliott's grandma
Mrs. Lucas.
Uh, you're a reporter.
Journalist. Yeah, is that something
maybe you would wanna do?
Oh no, I'm a -
She's gonna be in my class, yeah.
Oh, oh, oh, that's...
that's so nice. That's great.
Willow, would you like to stay
for dinner?
Oh, I need to be home. Sorry.
Oh, OK, that's fine. Um, Elliot,
could you please
show Willow out the door? Yeah,
for sure. It's so nice to meet you.
Uh, how do I contact you?
Are you asking for my number?
Well, it's just, you know -
It... just never happened before.
Seriously? I mean, uh -
Give me your cell. Yeah.
There. Thanks.
'Bye.
Hello?
It's me.
Willow, it's...
it's almost midnight.
Then we don't have much time.
Middle of the night might be
your favourite time of day -
Elliot, listen to me,
and you need to know this,
because that curse 300 years ago?
Uh-huh? It's 300 years tonight.
This is crazy. We'll be grounded
for like a month if we do this.
And if we don't,
the town will be destroyed
by an evil warlock.
Like I said, crazy.
Alright, what next?
Well...
Alright.
You see this?
Sure, what does it say?
It says four riders will come at 12.
And I always thought it said
at 12 noon, because you know,
horses, cowboys,
high noon. But it doesn't.
It says four riders
will come at 12 midnight.
You know what this is, Elliot?
These are the four curses.
It's the Four Horsemen
of the Apocalypse.
Hey, I dreamed about this.
You dreamed about what?
This, the monument,
a guy on a white horse
with a bow and arrow.
That's the first horseman.
That's Conquest. Look.
So... so what has this place
gotta do with conquest?
It's a monument to Francois Le Bois,
conqueror of the wilderness,
who in 1645 opened up the state
to settlement.
He was killed on the spot
by a grizzly bear.
I told you. I told you.
An actual conjuring
right in front of us!
It's... it's not magic.
It's just a piece of glass
or something
lined up to catch the moon
on this date.
Elliot, stop. What are you doing?
It's an amulet of warning.
Willow, don't creep up on people.
I'm a witch.
But... look, three of the gems
are missing.
That's why the town's so sick.
The amulet should be protecting us.
Four in total, three missing.
Hey, can you hear that?
It sounds like a steam train.
Is this place
normally open at 1 am?
It's been closed down
for years.
Good evening, sir.
Welcome to Wickensburg.
It's not the evening, Mr. Jenks.
It's the middle of the night.
And I think
we may have missed the event.
I am so sorry, sir.
It's these old steam engines.
Is it? Well...
.. let's take a look, shall we?
Believe me now?
Mr. Wilson?
Ah, thanks for coming in, Celine.
Can you do me up a piece
on the annual Founder's Day parade?
Oh, Mr. Wilson, with all due
respect, I know that I'm new,
but I was really hoping
that I would be able to report on,
you know, hard news.
If you can find any.
In case you haven't noticed,
we don't have a lot of hard news
around here.
Well, I was looking into the new
industrial compound outside of town.
Oh, no, no, Celine. Really,
we can't touch that.
No matter what we said,
we'd upset someone.
But the parade is a big deal
in this town.
And what's the number one thing
that makes a news story
a news story?
The number of people impacted.
Yes.
So I'd like the piece to include
some historical background.
You'll find the archives
in the basement.
I'm guessing the archives
haven't been digitised.
Digitised?
You big city reporters crack me up.
Journalists...
Oh, boy...
Hmm.
Hmm. Um-um-um.
I wonder what Woodward and Bernstein
would do in this situation.
What did you do to my truck?
Nothing. Oh yeah?
Well, then...
what are you doing here?
Are you asking the questions now?
What are you gonna do, huh?
Run me off the road
with your new truck?
I just nearly had that happen.
Maybe everyone in town
could take turns now.
What did you do, kid?
Put a hex on someone?
You're a kid too. Difference is,
one day I'll grow up.
Grow up?
Yeah, in that outfit
you look about ready to get buried.
Elliot, are you home? Open up!
Elliot, that guy's car
was chasing me.
Look at this. Did you see this?
It was... it was the car
we saw last night.
What is this thing behind you?
It was right outside here!
What is this? I didn't know
you could do spirit photography.
Yeah, neither did I.
Where's Sprocket?
I don't know, but he's fine. OK.
It's the curse, it has to be.
Willow, I don't know what
to believe right now.
We have all these books
and medallions - OK.
These books are all about
the history of the town
and the curse
which is placed on it.
It says, "On the 300th anniversary
of the day
the witches were driven out,
a powerful warlock will come here
and take revenge on the town."
Sure, curse, revenge, fine.
You see this? These are
the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
This is from the Book of Revelation.
So if we follow the clues
to each of them,
maybe we can find a way
to break the curse.
So if we got this from the monument
and we need... three more...
The next one would be war.
So where is it?
And I don't even know how long
we have now that the warlock
is actually here.
You were saying?
Jeez, Sprocket.
But, come on, he is not a warlock.
Elliot, you saw what he did
to that guy.
It just flew right into the window.
That poor thing.
What do we do with it?
We give it a proper burial.
Elliot, it's not even seven.
Yeah, well, you're a full-time witch
today.
Is there a statue of a soldier
holding an eagle somewhere?
Yeah, uh, up on Riverside. Why?
I saw the red horse
and the guy holding a sword.
The statue of a guy
holding an eagle.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
What? Ow, ow. No, not you,
it's just... I'll be there
in like minus-10 minutes. Ow.
Come on, slowpoke, let's go!
That's it, that's what I saw.
War, it's war for sure.
Whoa. OK, but now what? We just
have to do what we did last time.
Find the clue. OK. Uh, let's see.
There's one, two, three, four,
five pouches, two stripes.
So he was a corporal.
Hm... I don't know.
Hey, there's something here.
Where, what?
Check that out.
That's so cool!
Here, let me try something.
You have the medallion? Yeah.
Two down. Two to go.
'Morning, Celine. Good morning.
I have the daily police report.
Oh, great.
Is there anything good in there?
Well, uh, plans for Founder's Day,
a couple of DUIs.
Oh, and a couple of kids broke in
up at
the Northeast Engineering compound.
But like I said,
maybe leave that one alone.
Great.
Well, I have 142 small ads
that I gotta go type up.
OK. So... see ya.
See ya.
Knock, knock.
Come in.
What's up? Uh, well, I was going
through the archives, you know,
for the Founder's Day piece,
and I found this.
Does the Shippingport
atomic power station
mean anything to you?
Because there was something in there
about waste management
and Wickensburg. That was an idea.
An idea from 50 years ago to maybe,
maybe build a waste facility.
They never did. I wish they had,
then this place
might have some jobs
and some life and some hard news
for you to report.
Uh, I'll file this for you.
Um, well, OK.
Now... the Founder's Day piece?
I will make sure you get it.
OK.
We're gonna
have to take care of this.
You little...
OK.
Right, what next?
OK, so we have four horsemen.
We found Conquest, the white gem
and we've got War, the red gem,
so the next horseman is...
OK.
Famine. Famine, like crops failing?
He rides a black horse and...
So where's the statue of famine?
I have no idea.
Think, you live here.
So do you! Since Saturday!
Elliott? Mom, what's wrong?
Have you been up at the Northeast
Engineering compound?
N-n-n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o.
No. No.
Elliot, have you been
up at the compound?
Oh... that compound.
Yeah, that compound.
Maybe I should just... go.
Oh, no, no, young lady.
You are gonna stand right here
and you are gonna listen.
Did you two actually
break into an industrial site?!
What on Earth possessed you?!
It's not a possession!
It's a curse! Maybe even a haunting.
Look.
What is that supposed to mean?
Willow, don't.
This town has been under a spell
for 300 years and an evil warlock
arrived last night
and is going to make the curses
come true. That old mine
has something to do with it.
And it's really, really important.
And how do you know all this?
Because I'm a witch!
Willow... it's time for you to go
right now.
And you, young man,
you're grounded. Phone.
Hi, come on in. Hi.
Am I early? No, not at all.
Sorry about the mess.
No, it's OK. It's just... lots.
Hey, uh, is... is this one
of his photos?
Oh yes. And his little girlfriend
insists that this town
is under some witch's curse.
He thinks that this is a ghost or,
or she does, I don't know.
So, you know, witches, ghosts,
curses.
Um, yeah, so that's not a ghost.
It's radiation damage.
It's what? Radiation, you know,
from like a nuclear power plant
or something.
Yeah, it can damage film stock
like that.
See how the spotty pattern there...
um, what?
I taught high school physics, OK?
Hey, you know, they shouldn't
just be able to stroll into a place
like that and have this happen.
I know. Know where it was taken?
I don't know, but I can guess.
Hmm, which makes me think.
Hey, Mark. It's Celine.
I... I have a favour.
Run a search on Penelex Corporation.
That's P-e-n-e-l-e-x.
From the mid '60s.
I wanna see if it's connected
to Northeast Engineering
and Shipping.
It's a waste-handling company
and there may or may not
be something there,
but if there is, if you could please
give me a call,
I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks. 'Bye.
Hey, is everything OK? No.
Is there anything I can do?
Yeah, you can come with me.
Let's go.
Come on.
Let me grab my jacket.
So this is where you specifically
told Elliot never to go.
Yeah.
And your boss said to leave alone.
I think they're dumping
nuclear waste into this old mine.
What?! Yeah. And right now I can
either ignore it or get fired,
and neither one is a good option.
So... I need more evidence.
I'll be right back.
Mom? Mom?
Mom?
Hey, what are you doing?
Hurry up. What do you mean?
We gotta go. Let's go, let's go,
let's go. What's happening?
Come on...
What do you think, huh?
Mom?
Hey, who's there?
Willow! What are you doing?!
Trying to get your attention!
I'm not up there,
I am down here.
Yeah, I get that. Did you dream?
Yeah, but...
What's going on? A lot.
Get in here. Hide, hide.
Get in. Hide.
Ooh, a secret entrance. Hide! OK!
Oh, this place is cool.
I... didn't look at your photos.
Seriously, Willow.
It's fine.
Guess you can look.
You said hide, so I did.
Tell me about the dream.
I... I saw a big guy
on a black horse, a set of scales.
Famine, usually shown
on a black horse
with a set of scales.
He pointed to this tall monument,
big cross with a circle around it.
Looks like...
Oh, that's a Celtic cross.
So where did we find one of those?
I don't know.
I need to hit the library
or Gruber's.
What's that?
It's a antiques place.
I think they open at... 10.
Oh. I have to get these photos done
for my mom right away.
Uh, might be important.
Wanna watch?
Can I? Yeah.
Why's Sprocket dressed like that?
So I might have
kind of had an accident
last time I poured these chemicals.
Hi, Mark.
So they changed their name.
They changed their name
from Penelex Corporation
to Northeast Engineering
and Shipping in 1974.
They still involved in nuclear waste
removal and storage?
Biggest on the East Coast. OK.
Well, thank you.
OK. 'Bye-bye.
Watch this.
OK.
Whoa! That's actual magic!
No, that's science.
It... it's that place.
It's Northeast Engineering compound.
Yeah.
Do another one.
Oh, boy... It's him.
It's him!
It's the warlock.
Your mom took these photos?
Yeah. We have to warn her!
And say what?
That we snuck out
at one in the morning,
and saw him get off
a hundred-year-old steam train
at a disused station,
and then blast someone
with his magic cane?
I won't be grounded,
I'll be put in a home
for crazy people.
OK, we just have to find
the rest of the gems and complete
the amulet.
Meet me at Gruber's.
OK.
Hey. What's up?
Why are we here?
Wait, wait, hang on.
What is that?
Patty... Pebble.
Uh, looks like someone barfed up
a blob of pink frosting.
Your barf has hair and googly eyes?
OK, look, back in the '70s
they sold these big pebbles
for people to keep as pets,
right? Uh, big pebble? Yeah. As pet?
Yeah. They had cartoons
and trading cards.
Whoa. This here is a mint condition
1978 Patty Pebble limited edition.
Are you saying you've never heard
of the My Little Stony line of toys?
OK, who are you, and where's Willow?
Why are we even here?
You see this? This is a map of
the town in the days of the curse,
and it's lovely.
It is pretty cool.
What does it show us?
Look here, it's gotta be it.
It's in the woods
north of the old paper mill.
How much does this thing cost?
$1100?!
Technology to the rescue.
Patty, no!
Do you have a camera? Always.
Hey, Chad!
You little... Give me the camera!
I cannot believe that guy!
Hey, look who's talking. How many
of those things do you have?
It's a hobby. But I mean,
he used to talk about the cartoons
like years ago. Seriously,
I never knew he was still into it.
OK.
We should get going.
The Celtic cross. Yeah.
Is it in there? I don't know.
I can't get a signal.
Nah, forget it.
Let's just go look. Willow?
What? We still have two gems
to find, we can't stop now.
It's not like you to be scared.
Come on, seriously...
Hello?
I'm a witch. I'm not scared of you.
Yeah, OK.
Hey, it's that way.
What... what?
''
It's not like you to be scared.
Elliot, why would you even do that?!
Hey, these last few days
you told me nothing
except how spooky and weird
this place is.
There you go with the weird.
Wll, I thought you liked weird.
I do, just... Hey,
did you say you have signal?
Yeah.
Then let's go find this thing.
Here it is, here it is!
Great potato famine.
"This monument is in remembrance
of the Irish immigrants
who settled in the town
of Wickensburg in 1847
after leaving Ireland to escape
the Great Potato Famine."
The Great Potato Famine. I remember
reading about that in history.
It's a shame nobody keeps it up.
OK, but now what?
Hey. What... what?
It moved.
Look at that. It must be.
Whoa!
What is it?
Green? Uh, Irish memorial, I guess.
One left to find.
What is it? It's a map.
Yeah, and it's super-old-looking.
Uh, we should head back
and look at this properly.
Peter, do you have a minute?
Uh, no.
Well... just a minute.
Look at these.
So do we still say this isn't
an industrial waste-dumping
operation?
Celine - Don't worry, this was
on my own time,
but this is what I found
just from last night.
Celine.
How can you ignore this?
Please! I need
the Founder's Day piece.
You have it.
It's in your email.
I sent it yesterday.
Did you, uh, speak to Lou yet?
No, because I don't know who Lou is.
Lou Dodds.
Didn't I send an email?
He lives over on Forest, number 27.
Old friend of mine.
He organises the parade.
Are you serious?
Oh, I am serious, Celine.
I've asked you to do this
as a colleague.
Now, as your boss, I'm telling you
to speak to Lou about the parade.
I'm talking to him at lunchtime.
I'll expect him to have seen you.
OK, you got it. Fine.
I did what I could, OK? You're going
to have someone at the house
to meet her.
There was nothing else I could do,
right? I'll see to it personally.
But...
Is there something else?
What... what are you gonna... do?
Mr. Wilson, whatever happens
to that woman,
you sent her there,
you are in this up to your neck.
Pray it remains
attached to your body.
What are you doing?
Checking we weren't followed.
OK, get this.
What? You know
what the fourth horseman represents?
No, what?
Death.
Please, come in.
Are you Mr. Dodds?
No.
But please come in.
Thank you.
This way, please.
I recognise you. You were
at the Northeast Engineering
compound.
Well, I'm guessing
that we're not discussing
the Founder's Day parade,
and I am very busy,
so if you'll excuse me.
Um, yep, just like I thought.
Please take a seat.
Well, I am not one to refuse
hospitality.
Mrs. Lucas, I am Mr. Hexenmeister.
Hexenmeister. As in warlock?
Very good, Mrs. Lucas.
Well, I knew those four years of me
taking German in high school
would pay off one day.
You're the owner of Northeast
Engineering and Shipping.
I am.
Formally Penelex Corporation.
Few people have ever made
that connection.
You are a very talented reporter.
Journalist.
Oh, of course, I'm so sorry.
That's OK. Let's see how good I am.
In the late '60s,
Penelex won the contract
to dispose of nuclear waste
from the new Shippingport atomic
power station in Pennsylvania.
Go on.
Instead of spending the money
and disposing of the waste properly,
you came across the legend
of the curse on Wickensburg.
Radiation, poisoned the soil,
damaged the crops, killed livestock,
and people in the town
just put it down to the old legend.
So you have told me
everything you know,
and yes, you do know everything,
but it cannot become public.
So you leave me no choice.
Mr. Warlock, with all due respect,
my husband was in the Air Force,
we travelled the world.
I have interviewed everyone
from the mafia, drug lords,
uh, terrorists,
and even politicians.
And I'm supposed to be afraid
of you?
I'm afraid of myself sometimes,
Mrs. Lucas.
But now
we are going to take a nice drive
up to our new facility.
But first, you must call your son.
Hi, Mom. Hey, hon.
Uh, listen, I'm gonna be away again
tonight.
Uh, same thing as last night.
So can you please, uh,
make yourself some dinner?
Yeah, sure, no problem.
And don't stay up too late, OK?
OK. And Elliot,
if you have any problems,
you call your Uncle John, OK?
Uh... sure.
And like I said,
same place as last night.
Right.
I love you. I love you too, Mom.
'Bye.
She's in trouble.
What? How do you know?
My dad was a pilot.
Yeah? If someone
in the military was captured
the bad guys might force them to,
I don't know, talk on the radio.
Maybe trick a rescue team
into a trap.
So if they're not free
to say what they want,
they have code words to use.
Words like what?
I don't have an Uncle John.
Someone made her make that call.
Um, who?
I don't know.
Well, she wanted us to know
she'd be in the same place
as last night, right?
The old mine works
where she took those photos.
The warlock guy was at the mine.
So if your mom's there now,
he's the one who has her.
Gotta be. He's not a warlock.
Come on. We can't. What?
We have to find the monument
to death.
Every monument is just a monument
to someone who died. Come on.
But we only have three stones.
So? It's just a piece of jewellery.
What are we gonna do when we meet
this guy and all we have is this?
Nothing, it's a toy! Who cares?
I... I thought you cared.
Willow... you're not a witch.
He's not a warlock.
There... there is no curse.
It's just a game made up by,
I don't know,
the museum guy
who used to own his house.
It's not real.
This guy has my mom.
Do you get it? That's real.
Then you'd better go.
This way, please.
Uh, where's death, where's death?
Where'd you bury people
300 years ago?
Oh, boy.
Hey, Chad, I need a favour.
Guys, uh, does it say "losers,
this way" on the back of my truck?
So what are you doing here?
Well, I thought
I'd tell your little buddies
about my collection,
since you're so keen on yours.
My what? Hmm, your collection.
Guys, I'm gonna need a minute.
What do you want?
Hop in.
Look out!
(NEIGHS
Hey, get up, we've gotta go.
Thanks, William. I'm fine.
I know where the last monument is.
So do I, and what it looks like.
Wow. And now we're even.
What?
Well, you've seen MY underwear.
Hey!
Did you know, Mrs. Lucas,
that a sect of European colonists
believed this place
had magic potentials?
They may even have made sacrifices.
So take heart, when you die
down here,
you'll be maintaining
a local tradition.
People will be looking for me.
No, Mrs. Lucas.
Soon, my engineers
will fire explosives
linking these tunnels
to the ones above,
which contain
a hundred thousand tons
of liquid nuclear waste.
Nobody with a desire to live
will come down here
within a hundred million years.
And your radiation-scorched bones
will act as a silent warning
for every other nosy reporter.
Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Obarski here
reminds me
that you are a journalist.
Maybe this will make a good story.
Well, that's new.
Drive.
I can't, there's a gate.
We have to get in there.
No way.
No, it would total my truck.
Chad, I will give you
my blue-haired Rocky Rockwell
from the '82 cereal packet giveaway.
Does the voice box work?
'Rocky Rockwell loves her cereal!'
I'm sorry.
Goodness gracious.
Where are we going?
The cemetery.
You go first.
No, you, you're the witch.
Part-time, part-time,
part-time, part-time, part-time.
Go, go.
It has to be the one.
That's what I saw!
Don't leave me.
Oh. "Joseph Mays,
born September 2nd, 1831,
died April 5, 1886."
Great, can we find the gem now?
I can't find anything.
What about the map?
Look, here's the graveyard.
Look, look at these letters.
YMSA.
Huh?
YMSA. I got it, I got it.
Look, "Mays." Oh.
I did it, I did it!
Cool! Oh. What's in there?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Hey, check that out.
This is the most amazing thing
I have ever seen.
OK, now what?
We have to get
all the way over here.
Uh.
This has to be it.
We can't go any further.
But there's nothing here.
Look everywhere!
There!
Just try it, quick!
I don't believe it.
Well, we've come this far.
Let's go, come on.
I think it's that way.
Come on.
Wait up, I'm coming.
What is this place? I have no idea.
Mom?
Celine, are you there?
Mom?
Mom?
Celine?
Mom!
Celine?
Elliot! What?
Celine, hold on.
Mom. Thank you.
Are you OK? I'm fine,
but we have to get out of here,
and I know how to get out.
Come on, I know the way out.
Celine, you won't believe
how we found you.
We have... we have this medallion,
and this map, and -
OK, well, I'm glad you found me.
Thank you. Alright.
Going somewhere?
Get out of our way. No, this place
must have its sacrifice.
In the name of my ancestors,
for the sake of 300 years
of suffering,
I smite you!
What is that, little girl?
Wow, Mom, the front page!
Congratulations. Thank you.
And your photo is pretty good too.
'Morning. 'Morning.
What?
"Billionaire industrialist
Wilhelm Hexenmeister
was arrested on charges
of dumping untreated nuclear waste
under the town of Wickensburg."
Wow.
He's alive? Uh, sort of. They fished
him out of liquid nuclear waste.
It says, "The operation was exposed
by former Chronicle journalist
Celine Lucas."
Wow, Mom, it says your name
right there.
But El, how did you know?
About what? Like what to do
with the camera flash.
Oh, well, I mean,
I just figured
who wears sunglasses inside
other then a guy who's really bad
with bright light or a warlock?
Uh, he's not a warlock.
And I think
I'm maybe not really a witch,
not even part-time.
I... I could take a better picture
of you.
I mean, I kinda got something new
I'm doing.
OK. Think of Patty Pebble.
# Some time to rethink this #
# It's like
I'm falling and I'm sinking
# What if I made the decision?
# What if these feelings
are too instant?
# Instant love
# Instant love
# Instant love
# And I knew it, yeah, I knew it
# Cos it was instant
# When I realised
# That I was thinking
# Of you all the time
# It almost seemed like
# You tricked my mind
# Into thinking
# That I was blind
# I might need some time
to rethink this
# It's like
I'm falling and I'm sinking
# What if I made the decision?
# What if these feelings
are too instant?
# Instant love
# Instant love
# Instant love
# And I knew it, yeah, I knew it #