Dead Places (2021) s01e01 Episode Script

1
-[waves crashing]
-[low droning music playing]
[man] The thing about life is,
you never know when it’s going to change.
A random moment,
a chance encounter, can alter everything.
Are our lives shaped by coincidence,
or are there other forces at play?
Who controls what comes through the door?
[low droning music continues]
[low breathing]
[low droning music continues]
[sharp inhale]
[clears throat]
Hey guys. I told you I’d get in.
Welcome to the Cape Town
edition of the "Dare Kelly livestream."
So this has to be up there
with some of the craziest stunts
that I’ve ever done.
But we’ve reached our target. Thank you.
And, a deal’s a deal.
The team at Ocean Clean-Up
will get some much-needed funding
and you guys get to watch me swim
with these majestic creatures.
I’m a little bit nervous,
but I’m mostly excited so…
I don’t know? I guess just, wish me luck!
[low droning music continues]
[soft sigh]
[soft sigh]
[intriguing music playing]
[underwater droning and breathing bubbles]
[mystical music playing]
[foreboding music playing]
[screeching added to music]
[sinister music playing]
[music ends]
[loud gasp]
I didn’t steal anything.
I’m just here to make a video.
You can check my pack.
[sinister music playing]
Hello?
-[sharp screech]
-[frightened gasp]
-[fast anxious music playing]
-[panting]
Shit.
[frightened scream]
Shit.
[fast anxious music continues]
Fuck.
[opening theme music playing]
[running water]
[sinister music playing]
-[woman] Hey, dad!
-[father] Huh?
-[woman] Smile.
-[man] What?
-[sighs] [chuckles]
-[camera shutter clicks]
[man] Hello, my boy.
-[in Zulu] Father.
-[in Zulu] My son.
[background singing in Zulu]
[radio static buzzing]
[imitating airplane sounds]
[imitating helicopter blades spinning]
[pills rattling in bottle]
[exhales]
[boy] Dad. What’s that over there?
[father] It’s uh a water tunnel, son.
It collects all the rainwater
and channels it out to all the rivers.
[in Zulu] Why?
[boy] Can we go see it tomorrow?
[father] No.
You don’t ever go there, boy.
Do you understand? It’s dangerous.
Why?
I want you to listen
to me very carefully, boy.
I want you to imagine that you're
imagine you’re playing in the tunnel.
The ground is dry.
You think everything is fine.
But what you don’t see is a great
big storm in the hills behind you.
[thunder and lightning]
And all of that storm water is channeling
and it’s feeding into that tunnel.
The tunnel that you’re playing in.
And it’s feeding, and it’s feeding,
and feeding,
and feeding like a great big snake.
And before you see it coming,
that snake
[water splashes]
swallows you up. Do you understand?
Do you understand, boy?
[grandfather in Zulu]
Those trenches are very dangerous, Willy
[in Zulu] It's a cursed place.
Do not ever go there, my Grandson
[voices singing eerily in the background]
[sinister music playing]
[radio static buzzing]
Just go switch off the radio.
It’s probably just the batteries, okay?
Go on.
[in Zulu] Hurry, boy.
[radio static buzzing]
[music playing on radio]
[loud buzzing]
[eerie vocal sounds]
[in Zulu] [eerie layered voice]
There is death in that tunnel.
[in Zulu] But it’s not what they think.
[in Zulu] Something hunts in the darkness.
[scream]
Sorry. You need to fasten your seatbelts.
Can I get you anything? You okay?
No, I’m fine.
[stewardess] Sorry.
So we’re not meant to do this
and I don’t want to bother you,
but I’ve read all your books.
I saw your name on the manifest
and I managed to get a copy
at the airport. Do you mind?
Not at all.
-What’s your name?
-Lucy.
To Lucy,
a diamond in the sky.
-It’s perfect. Thank you.
-You’re welcome.
[sighs]
You should get her number.
Give her a private reading. You know?
No, I don’t.
You’re so mysterious.
I’m just saying you should take
more advantage of your position. I would.
You already did.
That’s why you’re divorced. Remember?
Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s right.
[stewardess] Ladies and gentlemen,
we’ll be commencing our descent shortly.
If you’d like to reset your watches now,
a reminder that Cape Town
is currently one hour ahead of London.
So, what was it about?
-What was what about?
-Your dream.
Sounded like something was chasing you.
I don’t remember.
Maybe it was your sex drive.
Here’s a thought.
If you put some of that humor
into your writing
maybe your fans wouldn’t be digging
your books out of the bargain bin.
Piss off, Ben.
Look, I’m just saying. Okay,
we’ve had a great run. A great run.
But times have changed.
It’s not enough
to just tell ghost stories anymore.
We need to mix it up a bit.
Make it less factual. Yeah?
Bullshit a little if you have to.
-Anything else?
-Yeah.
Why don’t you get me Lucy’s number?
[airplane engines roaring]
There was nothing exceptional
about the house or its history.
Neither the wife nor the husband
believed in the supernatural.
But just because you deny something,
doesn’t mean that you’re immune from it.
After a few months of living in the house,
faint apparitions began to appear.
Translucent spheres known as spirit orbs.
That’s when they called me in.
I set up some cameras
and here’s where things
get really interesting.
Now
some of you,
are going to see the orbs drift
across the front of the mirror.
Let’s consider it a test
of your psychic abilities,
or how open you are
to the spiritual realm.
If we just watch
you will see what happens.
[eerie music playing]
-[man] Ha!
-[audience gasps in fright]
[laughs]
Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
I couldn’t resist.
I have not done that in years. Anyway,
that’s all from me.
I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves.
Thank you, very much,
for er, coming out again.
[applause and cheering]
Thank you. Thank you.
I told him not to do it, but he never
listens to me and, really, why should he?
I only plucked him from obscurity
and turned him
into an international bestselling author.
So really what do I know?
[laughs]
It's a bit of humor. Er, so, uh,
apologies, I actually forgot
to read Will’s bio at the start. Uh,
but better late than never. So here we go.
Yeah.
Will was born in Johannesburg
to a Zulu father and Nigerian mother.
Both academics. Brainy.
After being awarded a bursary
to study in the UK,
that’s where I’m from,
he followed in his father’s footsteps
and spent several years in London.
His books have actually sold
17 million copies
and have taken him
to all far corners of the world.
So, the end.
Quite a, quite a global citizen is
our Will. You’re welcome. [laughs]
Er, so we do have a few minutes left, er,
anybody have any questions? For Will.
Uh, yeah.
[soft music playing]
-[woman] Thank you.
-[Will] That’s it Ben.
Yeah, yeah.
Hi.
-Um.
-Hello.
[clears throat] I was hoping
you could look at this?
-What is it?
-This is a screengrab from a video.
I shot the footage
and there was something standing there.
Something
[stammering]
-not human?
-Okay.
Okay, so I was hoping you could
tell me why it’s not there anymore.
Um
Like I said earlier on stage,
the camera is like a mirror.
So it’s just a reflection. Nothing more.
[stammering]
Sorry, what does that mean?
What do you see?
-Your book.
-No.
The book’s inside.
All you see is the cover.
Same sort of thing.
Uh, okay, look. Sorry, I’m not crazy.
I just…
I just need to know
what I’m dealing with here.
Please.
Okay. Why don’t we, erm, back it up.
Where was it taken?
[Kelly] At the aquarium.
You work there?
I don’t. I was just visiting.
And you’re sure about what you saw?
You weren’t on any sort of uh, well,
you know?
Drugs? No.
Did it see you?
What I mean to say is
did it know you were there?
-Try to hurt you?
-I didn’t exactly wait around to find out.
Okay. You want my advice?
It doesn’t matter what it is.
Just forget about it.
It might just be a harmless spirit.
But it could be something else.
And the ‘something else’
is a very good reason for you
to get on with your life. Believe me.
-That isn’t really an option.
-Why not?
Because whatever it is, it's
[whispers] it’s following me.
[eerie music playing]
[Ben] Joe.
How do I know I can trust you?
[sighs]
What? Don’t I look trustworthy to you?
Well I think I’m going to need
a bit more than that.
-Such as?
-Well, for starters…
How about a little thing
we call the truth.
Uh-huh.
Why didn’t you tell me
you were fired from the police?
[scoffs]
Well because then
you’d do what everyone else does.
Oh, yeah? And what’s that?
Make up your own mind.
So you didn’t drive over
to your captain’s house
and punch him in the head?
-Repeatedly?
-Oh, no, that happened. [laughs]
Believe me.
But that’s just my point.
I had my reasons.
And you don’t need to know what they are.
I just need to know if I can rely on you?
[sighs]
[people talking in background]
[sniffs] Hey!
You see that guy sitting at the bar?
Three o’clock? Don’t stare.
[sighs] Well, that guy's a real asshole.
-We’re going to teach him a lesson, hey?
-[Ben] What?
[shouts] Hey, buddy! Hey.
Hey, you! Hey! Yeah.
Tupac’s stunt double.
Yeah, I’m talking to you. Yes, you.
Do you mind keeping it down?
I mean some of us are trying
to have a conversation over here.
-What are you doing?
-Just shh.
-[man] I’ll call you back.
-Act tough.
Tough? I publish books for a living.
Grow a spine, man.
Who the fuck you think you are?
You see it doesn’t matter who I am.
[clears throat]
But you see my friend Benji here?
He’s from England.
Ex SAS.
And you are really starting
to annoy the shit out of him!
[laughs] No, no, no.
Please. Ignore my friend.
He doesn’t know
what he’s saying. He is so drunk.
No, no, no, no. I’m straight. Believe me!
Come on then, Benjamin.
Show this clown your stuff.
No, no. I don’t have any stuff.
Hey, hey, hey.
-Get your hands off me.
-[bouncer] You gotta leave.
I’m not going anywhere.
Why do we have to leave?
Huh? Some bullshit.
This is bullshit!
Why does he get to stay? This is--
-Huh.
-Gun!
Oh. Oh.
[comic music playing]
Now you see this is exactly
why your wife left you.
-That’s enough.
-You big, stupid--
Get your hands off me!
[Joe] Get your hands off me!
Get off! Get off!
[jazzy action music playing]
Stay away! Both of you!
You couldn’t pay us to come back.
What the hell were you thinking?
Were you trying to get us killed?
Is that what you think you saw?
[Ben] Oh, oh, sorry. Did I miss something?
-Clearly.
-Well, please enlighten me.
[sniffs] I don’t know about you, but
I don’t remember us
having to pay for lunch, do you?
Are you telling me that all of that
was for a free fucking lunch?
No, that was just me showing off.
I did it for this.
I had to hand mine in when I got fired.
I’ve been looking for a replacement.
[Ben] Wait!
Well done.
I get it. The job is yours.
I might have to have to
get back to you on that one.
Not quite sure if I can trust you yet.
Oh. Oh.
That’s great, yeah.
That’s great. Oh that’s wonderful.
We better sell a lot
of fucking books for this!
How was it? Did it work?
I think so.
Do me a favor.
Don’t put this up your nose.
Do something for your kid uh?
Fuck you, Joe.
Yeah.
Fuck you, Joe.
[quiet music playing]
[electronic ringing]
How are you, Will?
How does it feel to be home?
Better than I expected, actually.
-A lot’s changed.
-No surprises there.
Your trip’s long overdue.
When are you traveling to Johannesburg?
End of the week.
Have you made contact with your parents?
No, not yet.
But you, you will be reaching
out to them like we agreed?
Yes, I will. Like we agreed.
And, uh, the dreams? Anything new?
Not that I’m aware of.
I've got a feeling that’s about to change.
I’m glad you took my advice.
[phone vibrates]
Um
Listen, I need to take this call.
Can we do this later?
It’s all right. We’ll talk again.
Look after yourself.
Okay.
-What?
-What? Not even a "hello"?
No even a thank you,
Benji, for this amazing suite?
It’s not that amazing.
You’re spoilt, you know that?
I’m actually embarrassed for you.
Yeah, all right.
What is it you want, Ben?
Well, as usual, it’s not what I want,
but what I have done for you.
I got you that driver.
-He’ll run with security as well.
-What’s he like?
Good. Yeah, yeah. Very good,
very good. Ex-cop. Resourceful.
Maybe a little bit rough around the edges.
How rough?
Ah, let’s just say
the right amount for Africa.
I don’t like the sound of that.
Yeah, well you’re the one who wanted
this trip in the first place, okay? Yeah.
By the way,
have you decided if you’re going
to be helping out that woman?
Mmm.
Yeah. I’m gonna see her later.
[Ben] Oh! [laughs]
Willy! Willy!
Hey, you know what? Seeing as though
you’re helping her out,
maybe she can help you out?
You know? Bit of a trade,
bit of a trade exchange.
Ben, I hate to break this to you,
but you are a sad, sad little man.
I’ll call you when I land.
[Will] I will be staring at my phone
waiting to hear from you.
-[Ben laughs]
-[phone clicks off]
Oh. Oh. Ah. Sorry miss. Yeah. [laughs]
It’s Lucy, right?
Do you remember me?
Sorry, I don’t.
Oh, the author, Will Stone.
I’m his publisher.
I was sat in the seat over there
-on the way over here.
-Really?
I thought he was on his own?
Can I get you anything?
-Glass of water.
-Coming right up.
[talking in the background]
Very thirsty.
[jazzy music playing]
Joe. Is everything okay?
Yeah. Fine, thank you. How are you?
Good, I’m good. You sure?
I mean, you didn’t break down or anything?
So, you’re just late then?
You sure you’re not early?
Yeah. You want to know
how I know I’m sure I’m not early?
I’ve got one of these.
Nice. Do they make them for men?
Cute. Rough around the edges, hey?
What an idiot.
-[Joe] So where to, guv'nor?
-[Will] The aquarium.
-[Will] You know where that is, right?
-[Joe] Uh-huh.
[Joe] You got a light?
[traffic humming]
So tell me. This, uh, this ghost thing.
It’s a hustle, right?
I mean, it’s bullshit, right?
You mean my life’s work? No, it’s not.
Come on, man. Relax.
It’s not like I’m gonna rat on you
or anything.
I could give a shit, either way.
It’s not bullshit.
Really?
Really.
Okay. [chuckles]
I guess it’s not going to matter anyway.
Why’s that?
This is Africa, chief.
Ghosts are gonna be
the least of your problems.
[sinister music playing]
[fingers tapping]
-[whispers] Fuck.
-[eerie whoosh]
[thump]
[sinister music continues]
[thump]
-[screechy music notes]
-[gasp]
[knock on window]
Hey.
Hello. You all right?
I’m fine. I just
I haven’t really been sleeping.
I know the feeling. This is Joe.
He’s my driver.
Hi.
-What is that?
-Camera.
I thought you said
that cameras don’t work?
Thermal camera. It might help us.
All right. Are you okay with breaking in?
-Occupational hazard.
-[Joe snorts]
Okay. Shall we?
Lead the way.
Joe, this won’t take long.
You stay here, mate.
Yes sir, master!
Anything you ask,
old Joe here is gonna do.
I just wait here while you’re off there
handling your bullshit.
Pompous, pommie, prick.
Look, thanks for doing this.
Don’t thank me yet.
I haven’t done anything.
Thank me when I’ve done something.
Listen, if anything happens in there
you need to block out
what your body’s telling you to do
and listen to exactly what I say.
Okay?
Okay.
Good.
I’ll go in first.
[door opening]
Nice.
What’s going on?
Hey.
I’m feeling.
There is something but, it’s faint.
Right.
Come on.
[eerie monotonous music playing]
Now that will get your attention.
Yeah.
Something to do with you maybe?
-[soft moan]
-What?
What’s happening?
[gunshots]
-What’s wrong?
-I’m okay.
Something happened here.
What happened?
[ghostly music notes]
Get behind me.
[frightened gasps]
[low rumbling music playing]
What do you want?
Why did you imprint on this woman?
You need to leave her alone.
You deal with me.
[Joe] Oi, guv'nor!
Let’s go. Who are you talking--
-[Joe] No, fuck me.
-Joe, don’t.
Move. Move! I said move!
[gunshots]
[eerie ghostly screams]
Go! Go! C’mon, Joe. Run!
[gunshot]
[anxious music playing]
[Joe] Get out of my way!
[gasps]
[stammering]
Oh, Lord! I think I dropped my cigarettes.
Did you not hear me?
I told you to wait outside.
Oh, oh, that’s what you’re mad about?
What the fuck was that?
-What did it look like?
-Don’t you
-When I tell you to do something--
-When you tell me?
Let me rephrase that.
This is what I do.
Do you still think I’m bullshitting?
Yeah. I’ll call you when I need you.
[laughs]
Hey, Will.
-You okay?
-I’m fine.
Can you drive?
Yes, let’s go.
[low rhythmic music playing]
[Will] Poltergeists emit
a specific signature.
Here's something else.
Has elements of a funnel spirit
and some residual haunting.
But, doesn’t make sense.
Is there anything I can do to help?
-Get some rest. You’re exhausted.
-No, I’m fine.
Kelly. Get some sleep.
I’ll wake you up in a few hours.
There’s nothing for you to do here.
I have to go through this on my own.
You can help me later.
Okay.
But don’t let me sleep through.
Yeah, sure.
Okay.
[quiet music playing]
[soft sigh]
There’s a pattern.
There’s a pattern. Myers.
[energetic music playing]
It’s her.
[door creaks]
[drumbeat]
[sinister music playing]
[screaming]
[anxious action music playing]
It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s okay.
[panting] She, she, she was here!
Will, she was here!
Okay, she’s gone.
Kelly, she’s gone. She’s not here.
[panting]
She’s gone. You’re safe.
Okay?
Okay.
I think I know what’s happening here.
Let me show you.
Oh my god! That’s her.
Maria Mmabatha. She’s a marine biologist.
She disappeared from the aquarium
three months ago.
Police questioned her colleague.
A maintenance worker.
But he was released.
I don’t get it.
What does she want with me?
There are only two reasons
an entity attaches itself to a person.
Either to possess them
or because they need their help.
I think she’s trying to show us something.
What?
Where her body's hidden.
Shit.
[sinister music playing]
[grunts]
Are you okay?
She’s here.
Keep your eyes open.
[menacing music playing]
We know what happened to you.
We’re here to help.
We don’t know her intention.
Okay.
-Easy.
-Okay, okay.
[quiet eerie music playing]
[door bangs loudly]
-[panicked breathing]
-Easy.
Okay.
[quiet eerie music continues]
[gasps] Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Hi.
Are you okay? Okay.
We’re here to help you, okay?
We’re going to get you out of here.
You’re safe with us now. Okay?
Can you hear me?
Yes? Can you stand up?
Okay. Okay.
One, two, three.
[Kelly grunts]
Okay, okay, I got you. Okay.
[panting]
[indistinct talking]
[panting]
Hey, no, no, no, stay awake. Okay?
-Will, this isn’t her.
-I know.
[Will] Whoa!
-Take it easy.
-Who are you?
We’re nobody.
Why don’t you put the gun down
and we can talk about it?
How did you know she was there?
We didn’t know anything.
We just heard a sound
and went to take a look. That was it.
You’re lying. Somebody told you!
Who was it?
Okay! Okay! You’re right. You’re right.
Somebody told us.
Yeah. It was Maria.
No, no, no, no, no! This is impossible.
[eerie screams]
-How are you doing this? Make it stop!
-I can’t.
Make it stop or you’re dead!
I can’t, for fuck’s sake!
-[gunshot]
-[Kelly] Shit.
[panting]
[groans]
Fuck, Joe.
I told you.
Out here ghosts are going to be
the least of your problems.
Yeah.
[eerie wind blowing]
[police radio chatter]
[female detective] So just make sure
you get the evidence [inaudible]
[woman] So, she was reported missing
two days ago.
According to her parents her and Myer
had been dating for a few weeks.
She tried breaking things off,
but he then convinced her
to give him another chance.
Look, Joe,
I’m still going to need you guys
to come down to the station.
-All of you.
-Yeah, I kind of figured.
How’s she doing?
She’s pretty banged up. Dehydrated, but
she’ll be okay.
Thank goodness you guys
found her when you did.
Thank you officer.
So listen. You didn’t hear this
from me, but…
when you guys give your statements just
leave out all that ghost business.
It'll save you guys in the long run.
Got it.
All right. I’ll be back.
[Joe] Thanks Max.
One thing I don’t get.
How’d you know to come back?
Emily!
[sharp exhale]
[deep breathing]
Now what?
It’s what I do.
And you’re welcome, by the way.
[Kelly] Joe.
Thank you.
[somber music playing]
It’s impossible to deny the link
between love and brutality.
The International Bureau for Violent Crime
claims that, outside of war,
seventy percent of all murder victims had
a close relationship with their killers.
That’s friends and family.
But despite how horrible it was,
a woman’s life was saved
and she gets to start over.
But how much damage has been done?
How deep are those wounds?
I hope she gets to heal.
Being trapped in the past
is just no way to live.
Believe me.
Most people think of trauma as an event.
As something
that happens to you and then passes.
But it’s not like that at all. It
it follows you around.
Haunting you.
And not all ghosts
are willing to let you go.
[Kelly] Anyway.
It’s been a crazy couple of days.
But thanks for watching.
[somber music playing]
[knocking on door]
Yes, I’m coming!
-You ready to go?
-Yeah, I’m ready.
[light playful music playing]
[Joe scoffs]
Looks like the spirit world
has blessed you well.
And all this from writing ghost books?
Wait, wait, wait, uh
Look.
With everything that’s gone down, um
It’s not always going to be like that?
Right?
No, of course not.
-Yeah.
-Some days it’ll be really shit.
That’s great.
I ain’t afraid of no ghost.
[music ends]
[somber bass note]
[woman sobbing]