Storm of the Century (1999) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
1
Can I help you?
Put your hands together.
What's your name?
Andre Linoge.
We've got word there's been
a murder on the island.
Old Martha Clarendon.
Machias, this is Little Tall.
We have a police emergency.
Is Daddy safe?
Yeah.
Shut up!
You make him do that somehow?
Did you make him
write that note?
We could kill him.
[screaming, grunting]
Where could 200 people
disappear to?
Give me what I want,
and I'll go away
Tell them.
♪
Jenny's out.
-How long do you think?
-Hard to tell.
Since morning, anyway,
by the feel of it.
Snow probably piled up
and clogged the exhaust.
All right, Sonny, you and
Henry are on meat patrol.
Grab the big cuts of beef,
plus the turkeys and chicken.
The best stuff's
back in the freezer.
-Will it still be all right?
-Are you kidding me?
Let's get going.
Dark is going to come early.
We'll stick with canned goods
for this trip.
We'll come back later and get
the potatoes, bread
vegetables and milk.
Little kids have got
to have milk.
Hey, Mike.
Are you going to tell them
what the guy's name spells?
When we moved
the blocks around.
-What good would that do?
-I don't know.
God, Mike.
That gave me a chill.
Me too. But for now we're going
to keep that chill to ourselves.
We've got one more
night to get through.
-But Mike
-Come on. Canned goods.
Let's load up.
Angie Carver!
Billy Timmons!
[honking]
Angie Carver!
Billy Timmons!
Angie Carver!
-Ferd.
-What?
-Any sign?
-No. Wouldn't I tell you?
Just keep blowing that thing.
Here, you watch. Let me honk.
Your eyes are better.
[continues to honk]
Mrs. Kingsbury!
George! George Kirby!
I'm ok.
Go upstairs. Find your
husband and your little boy.
But the kids?
Who wants to play giant step?
[kids shouting]
Where's my mommy?
I'll just peek and see
if she's upstairs, shall I?
-Or your daddy?
-Yes. Please, Mrs. Beals.
-Where's Ralphie?
-I just saw him.
Oh, he must have chased Donnie
upstairs to get a doughnut, too.
I'll send them both down.
I don't know
what I'm going to do.
I've got to find her, Molly.
You know what it's
like out there, Jack.
I know she's out there.
Wandering around
freezing to death
in a whiteout 50 yards
from the building.
And if you go out there,
you'll be lost, too.
They'll hear the horns, same as
in a fog at sea. You know that.
Yeah.
I'll go spell Ferd.
-Hatch said if you go
-Alton Hatcher
can't tell me what to do.
It's my wife out there.
Just don't go past the truck.
Don't go wandering, Jack.
-Where's Ralphie?
-I don't know.
Didn't he
come upstairs with you?
He was picking up
with the rest of them.
What are you saying?
Ralphie's not down there?
-He's not with the others?
-I didn't see.
Kat started to cry
You were supposed to be
watching him.
I didn't see.
You were supposed to
be watching him.
Don't you yell at her.
One more trip.
Sonny, you and Henry
get the bread and rolls.
Everything off the shelves.
You want to grab at least
a hundred pounds of potatoes.
I'll get the milk.
Come on, let's go.
I want to get back as
soon as we can.
What the hell?
Oh my God, Mike.
It's Jane Kingsbury.
Ralphie?
-Did you see him?
-Ralphie!
Oh God, what now?
I told you he didn't go
upstairs with Donnie Beals.
Pippa! Pippa, where was Ralphie
when you last saw him?
Ralphie?
Mom. I'm in here.
[sobs]
Hey, Mom. What's up?
What are you doing in here?
You scared the life out of me.
The man was in here.
-The man?
-The one Daddy arrested.
Except I don't think
he's a bad man.
It's ok, honey.
Take him somewhere safe.
Jonas.
Molly.
What is it?
I don't know.
What is it?
-What the hell does he want?
-Oh God.
Ralphie.
Ralphie, where did the man go?
He must have disappeared
when I turned my back.
There's no door in there for
a guy to go out of, dumbkins.
Shut up, Don Beals.
What is this, Ralphie?
It's a present.
He gave me a present.
That's why I don't think
he's a bad man like on TV.
Because bad men
don't give kids presents.
Let Mommy see, ok?
Don't, Molly. Don't.
It's all right, Mom.
Don't be scared.
You mean you know
what's inside this?
You've already looked?
Sure, we even had a game,
me and Mr. Linoge.
He said that these are special.
And I should share them.
'Cause they're not only for me.
They're for everyone
on the island.
I don't think I'd open that,
Mrs. Anderson.
Given the dreams
we all had last night.
And the possible
nature of this
this man.
No, I suppose you wouldn't,
Reverend.
But since he's had his filthy
hands on my son twice
[muttering]
Just old Mrs. K.
None of the others.
Where do you suppose they are?
George.
And Angie?
Bill Timmons?
How did he get her down there?
Where's the dummy?
Anybody see the dummy
in the store?
How did he
get her down there in this?
Let it go, Sonny.
Why is this happening to us?
You're the lay reader
for Reverend Riggins
down at the Methodist church.
You always got a quote
from the Good Book handy.
You must have some idea
why this is happening.
Remember the story about Job?
In the Bible?
Uh-huh
Well, there's part of that story
that's never been written down.
After the contest
for Job's soul is over
and God wins,
Job falls to his knees
and says, "God, why have
you done this to me?"
All my life, I worshipped you,
and yet you
destroyed my livestock,
you blighted my crops, you
killed my wife and children
You gave me a hundred
horrible diseases.
And all because you had a
bet going with the Devil?
Well, okay but all
I want to know, Lord,
is all your humble servant wants
to know is, why me?
Job waits and just when
he's about convinced himself
that God's not
gonna answer him,
a thunderhead forms in the sky,
lightning flashes
and a voice calls down
"Job I guess there's
just something about you
that pisses me off."
Does that help you?
Me, either.
Angie!
Over here!
Angie!
Jack, get in, warm up
No! She's out here somewhere,
now keep hittin' the horn!
Take it easy, Jack,
we'll find her.
My wife is out here,
she's alive,
I can feel it!
So you just
keep hittin' that horn!
Hatch! Jack! Look!
Angie!
We've been worried about ya,
Buster's been worried sick.
My God, Angie
what'd he do to you?
Where did he take you?
We have to give
him what he wants.
What? What, honey?
Honey, I can't hear you
-Linoge?
-Yes, Linoge
We have to give him
what he wants.
He brought me back
so I could tell you
We have to give
him what he wants
Do you understand?
We have to give him
what he wants.
Angela?
Oh, my God.
What does he want?
Did he tell you?
He said he'd tell us tonight
He said we're gonna have
a special town meetin',
and he'd tell us then.
He said if some folk
don't want to go along,
don't want to do
what's best for the town,
they should remember
the dreams we had last night.
They should remember what
happened in Roanoke.
They should remember "Croaton",
whatever that is.
Jack!
Take me inside!
I'm freezing!
I wanna see Buster!
Yeah, sure
Hatch
Any sign of Bill Timmons?
Or George Kirby?
Nah.
No Mrs. Kingsbury, either.
Jane Kingsbury's dead.
My God.
[wind whistling]
♪
So the little puppy said
"I know where
my ball must be.
"That mean little boy
put it in his pocket.
"and took it away.
But I can find it
because my nose is"
I'm a little teapot,
short and stout ♪
Sally, honey,
you shouldn't be singing, now.
This is storytime
When I get all steamed up
What's going on, Kat?
I don't know.
I guess they wanna sing.
I'm a little teapot
All right, folks.
just settle down.
Everyone take a seat.
Mike?
-The kids are acting funny.
-Funny? What do you mean?
Now I know how easy it is
just to get yanked
out of the world.
I wish I didn't,
but I do.
Come on.
Ah!
I was just standin' there, see?
Watchin' the lighthouse.
Then, I was his.
It's okay, it's over.
I burned my fingers, see?
They're red.
but they're still cold!
Angie, do you want to
go someplace more private?
Because you can if you want to.
No, this is for everyone,
everyone should hear.
What happened to you,
Angie Carver?
We were watchin'
the lighthouse fall down,
then I was flyin'
backwards into the snow.
First, I thought it
was somebody's idea of a joke.
Then, I turned around,
and what had me
It wasn't a man.
It wore clothes like a man
and had a man's face, but
There was just blackness
where its eyes shoulda been!
And when it smiled at me
I saw it's teeth
I fainted.
First time in my life!
I fainted.
When I came to,
I was flying.
It that sounds crazy,
but it's true.
Ahead of us,
as if it was leading us
or it was holding us up,
there was a cane.
A black cane,
with a a silver wolf's head.
And as fast as we flew,
that cane was always
right ahead of us.
It was the island we saw.
The storm was over,
and the sun was out,
but there were cops
on snowmobiles everywhere.
Mainland cops, and state
cops and game wardens, too,
and newspeople, too.
From the local stations
and the networks.
They were all, all of 'em,
they were lookin' for us.
But we were gone.
Were were gone where
nobody could ever find us.
Like in the dreams.
Yeah Yeah, like that.
Then we stopped going up and
I could feel the clouds!
Not cold the way
you think snow clouds would be
but damp like
like wet cotton.
Oh, and George saw what
it meant to do.
He screamed
But that thing
just opened its right arm and
[screams]
I was in its left.
Then what happened, Angie?
He told me
he was bringin' me back.
Back through time
and back through the storm.
He was gonna let me live,
so I could come back
and tell you
tell everybody.
That we have to give
him what he wants
when he comes tonight.
If we have something
that this man Linoge wants,
why doesn't he just take it?
I don't think he can.
I think we have
to give it to him.
The next thing I was sure of,
I was stumbling around
in the snow in the whiteout,
and I could hear the horn,
and I thought
the lighthouse must not
have blown down after all,
'cause I can hear the foghorn
I tried to go toward it,
and I saw someone
come out of the snow
I thought it was him coming
to take me back up in the air
except this time
he was gonna let me drop.
But it wasn't!
It was you, Jack!
It was you.
Why?
Why us?
Maybe because he knows
we can keep a secret.
I brought these games
What?
What's goin' on?
Buster?
Heidi?
Pippa?
Ralphie, you okay?
Pip?
Pip?
Pip?
Pip, what's wrong, honey?
Pip? Pip what's wrong, honey?
Honey?
Pip!
What's wrong, honey?
What is it?
What's wrong with the kids?
I don't know but
but their eyes
there's
There's nothing there.
Pip wake up.
Wake up!
Come on, honey, wake up!
All of you wake up!
No
Hey, look!
It's got a doggie head,
a silver doggie head.
How cool!
A doggie!
Yeah, look at
the doggie head.
What are they
looking at?
Go get Mike.
Right now!
Go get Mike!
A doggie's head! Yeah!
[panting]
Why don't you see if you can
get her to lay down for awhile?
That's a good idea.
Mike!
Mike, there's something
wrong with the kids.
-Oh, Jesus.
-Buster?
There's something
wrong with Buster?
Angie, no
Maybe you shouldn't
-Angie!
-Buster!
Buster?
What're you doing?
[sobbing]
Melinda, what is going on?
What are they looking at?
Donnie, stop!
Let me go!
I wanna see the doggie head!
Pip, stop it! Stop it!
-No, Ralphie!
-Let me go, let me go!
No, Ralphie!
Hey
Neat.
Let me go!
I wanna see the doggie!
I wanna see the doggie!
Pippa, no!
No!
What's going on?
-Let me go you bitch!
-Ah!
Pippa!
Honey
They're dead!
He's killed them!!
[clamoring]
No, please God, no!
Not Sally. Not my Sally!
Ralphie?
Is he?
Is he?
-No.
-Oh, thank God.
Are they alive?
[clamoring]
Mr. Soames!
[screaming]
You're trampling him, stop!!
You're killing him!
-Is he asleep?
-I don't know
Come here, baby.
Come to mama.
-I need a doctor
-You'd be lucky, Beals.
The closest one's across
the Reach in Machias.
The wind's blowin' up
a hurricane.
Where's Ferd?
At least he has EMS training!
Ferd Andrews,
where the hell are you?
-I'm here!
-Get your ass over here
take a look at my son.
C'mon, people,
get out of his way!
That's enough!
Would you just shut up!
Don't tell me to shut up.
I've taken all the crap
I'm gonna take
Everyone, just shut up!
[crowd quiets]
Robbie, I don't think Don's
in any immediate danger
or Pippa, or Ralphie,
or any of them.
They're not dead?
-I think he's sleepin'.
-This isn't sleep
If they were asleep,
we could wake them up.
It's okay.
-He'll bring you back.
-Then, what is it?
I don't know.
♪
Having fun, kids?
[children cheer]
[hissing]
[wind blowing]
[engine sputtering]
Are we gonna lose
the generator, do you think?
Ayuh. It's a miracle it's run
as long as it has
with no one able
to keep it dug out.
Wind must have
kept the exhaust pipe clear.
But now it's shifted.
In a way that's good news,
means the storm's almost over.
Main meetin' hall?
Yeah, sure. Mike wants
that ready first.
A couple of
emergency lights in there,
but that's not enough for him.
Just caught a little bit of
the latest NWS bulletin
on the shortwave, they say
we might see the moon tonight.
-Oh, that's wonderful!
-Ayuh.
-Where's Ursula, do you know?
-She's downstairs with Sally
and the others
Sleepin', the last I saw.
But not like the kids'
sleepin', you know
They'll be all right,
they'll wake up
and be just fine,
you'll see.
I hope you're right,
Tavia Godsoe.
I pray you're right.
Can I help?
Well, you can
go down to the kitchen
and get the rest
of the candles if you want.
I'm afraid we're gonna
lose the generator.
♪
-Any change?
-No.
Any change in any of 'em?
Their respiration's normal,
reflexes are normal
And if you pull back an eyelid,
their pupils respond to light.
All that's good.
She's dreamin'.
They all are.
Where's Robbie, Sandra?
Don't know.
♪
[howling and rattling]
[engine dies]
Wanna help get some candles?
-Honey?
-Go ahead.
The radio says
the storm will pretty much
be over by midnight.
If Linoge intends
to do something
I think we can pretty much
count on that.
Oh! Dear.
Hello,
Joanna Stanhope
[gasps]
Glad the old bitch is dead,
aren't ya?
I did you a favor there,
didn't I?
You kept a straight face,
but inside,
you were dancing a jig.
I know.
I can smell it on you
like musk.
[shrieks]
Shh.
When this fella comes,
Michael,
we must give him
what he wants.
I've prayed on it,
and this is the guidance.
We'll listen to him,
and then we'll decide, okay?
There is a time
to be stubborn, Michael,
but there is also a time
to let go of the reins
and look toward the greater
good, hard as that may be.
"Pride goeth
before destruction
and an haughty spirit
before the fall."
Book of Proverbs
"Render therefore
unto Caesar the things
"which are Caesar's
and unto God
the things which are God's."
Book of Matthew.
Stay here, please.
We've got this under control.
I know you believe
that, Michael
but not all
of us are convinced.
Come in,
come in, boys.
Don't do that,
Constable Anderson,
unless you want to watch this
woman burn her face off.
Shall we watch it burn?
-No.
-Come in, then.
Having a little trouble with
the local witch doctor, are you?
Here's something you can
file away for later.
Always assuming, of course,
that there is a "later".
The Reverend Bobby Riggins
has a couple of
nieces over in Castine.
Eleven and nine, they are,
cute little blonds.
He likes them a lot.
Quite a lot.
They run and hide when they
see his car pull into the drive.
-In fact
-Let her down!
Unless you want to see
Mrs. Stanhope's impression
of the world's biggest
birthday candle,
I advise you not
to speak again
until you're invited to.
Hatch!
Close the door.
You don't like
knowing, do you?
Not your brand of it, no.
Perhaps you don't believe me.
I believe you, but the thing
of it is, you see only the bad,
none of the good.
By and large, Constable,
the good's an illusion.
Little fables folks
tell themselves
so they can get through their
days without screaming too much.
-I don't believe that.
-I know
A good boy to the last.
But I think you'll find yourself
on the short end this time.
Your town is full
of adulterers, pedophiles,
thieves, gluttons,
murderers, bullies,
scoundrels and covetous morons.
And I know every
last one of them.
"Born in lust,
turn to dust.
Born in sin,
Come on in."
What do you want, Linoge?
Everyone on those benches
an hour from now.
That will do for a start.
We're going to have
an unscheduled town meeting.
Nine o'clock pm, prompt.
After that
Well we'll see.
See what?
If I'm through
with this town
Or just beginning.
Nine o'clock, Constable.
You, Hatch,
her, Reverend Bobby.
Town Manager Robbie.
[wind howling]
Everyone.
[moaning]
He's the Devil!
He's the Devil!
Don't let him near me!
I'll do anything,
just don't let
him near me again!
Mike, what are we gonna do?
What can we do?
Listen to whatever else
it is he wants
If there's another way,
I just
I don't see it.
Come on, let's tell Robbie.
What about the children?
I'll watch them
I don't want to be where he is!
-Not ever again!
-Jo, no! He said everyone
that means you, too.
We'll, uh
We'll bring the kids up,
cots and all
put 'em in the back
of the meeting hall.
Yeah, that'll do.
[whimpering, shushing]
[bell tolls]
[chiming]
Ladies and gentlemen
Like you, I don't know
what we're waiting for
But, uh
Then why don't you sit down,
and wait like
the rest of us, Robbie?
Yeah, Robbie, sit down.
I just wanted to say,
Johnnie that I'm sure
that we can find our way
through this situation
if we stick together
like we've always stuck
together on the island.
[thump]
♪
Davey Hopewell
Your day off from
school would make
quite an English composition,
wouldn't it?
Your father's a thief
Over the last six years
or so he's stolen more than
$14,000 from that marine supply
company he works for.
He gambles with it.
He loses.
Dad?
I don't know who you are,
mister, but you lie.
-You lie!
-"Born in vice
Say it twice."
Eh, Davey?
At least twice.
Well Johnny Harriman.
The fellow who burned down
the planing mill
across the Reach
there in Machias.
-I never did that!
-Of course you did!
Two years ago,
right after they fired you.
And Kirk helped
didn't you?
After all,
what are friends for?
70 men lost their jobs,
but you got your payback
and that's all
that matters, isn't it?
There now, you dope, look at
the trouble you got us into!
Shut up!
You boys really oughta go see
that gay fella you beat up.
Jack, you'd get a kick
out of that paisley
eye-patch he wears.
Please, just stop it!
Fella lives in one of those
walk-ups on Canal street
behind Lisbon,
I can give you the address.
Maybe the three
of you would like to go
and take away
the rest of his light.
What do you say, Lucien?
Wanna poke out his other eye?
Finish the job?
Alex?
"Born in sin, come on in."
Robbie, why did I have to die
among strangers?
You still haven't
explained this.
Why did I have to die
calling for you?
When all I wanted
was a kiss.
Put that down!
Why don't you tell
these people
where you were
and what you were doing
when I died, Robbie?
I think your wife would be
especially interested,
-don't you?
-You shut your mouth.
Sandra, don't listen to her.
This is all lies.
Your eyes.
I'm going to eat your eyes
right out of your head!
Not to worry, folks, he'll
recuperate just fine, I'm sure.
In the meantime it's kind
of nice to see him
cowering quietly in a corner,
wouldn't you say?
Come on now!
Tell the truth!
And shame the devil!
Now we come to it,
don't we?
Let me lay things out for you.
Why'd you come here?
Why us?
Maybe there's just
something about us
that pisses him off.
I'm here because
island folk know how
to pull together for the common
good when they need to.
And island folk know
how to keep a secret.
That was true on
Roanoke Island in 1587
and it's true on
Little Tall Island in 1989.
Tell us! Quit dancin' around!
Tell us what you want!
Your children are here with you.
But they're not.
It's the same for me.
Because part of me
is with them.
Look
[gasping]
Jack! He's got our Buster!
That's all of them.
And if I drop them there
[shrieking, screaming]
They die here.
You'll see it happen.
They'll puff out
[exhales]
Like candles in the wind.
Please don't hurt
my Sally, mister.
She's all I got left
now that Peter's gone.
We will give you
what you want
if we have it to give
I swear we will.
Won't we?
[crowd agrees]
What is it?
Tell us.
I've lived a long time.
Thousands of years.
But I'm not a god,
nor am I one of the immortals.
[gasping]
So now you see me
as I really am.
Old and sick
Dying, in fact.
By the standards
of your mayfly existence,
I've long to live yet.
I'll still be walking the earth
When all but the freshest
and greenest among you,
Davey Hopewell, perhaps,
or young Don Beals
have gone to your graves.
But in terms
of my own existence
time has grown short.
You ask me what I want.
No no.
No.
I want someone to raise,
and teach
someone to whom I can pass on
all that I've learned
and all that I know,
someone who will
carry on my work
when I can no
longer do it myself.
I want a child.
One of the eight
sleeping back there.
No.
No. Never.
It doesn't matter which one.
All are just as
likely in my eyes.
Give me what I want,
and give it freely
and I'll go away.
Never.
We will never give you
one of our children!
Never!
-Get him!
-Let go of me!
For God's sakes, stop him!
Grab him unless you wish me
to drop the children,
and I will,
I promise you, I will.
-Let go!
-Michael!
Damn it! Let go of me!
Mike, we gotta listen to him.
No, we don't!
Listening to him's
the worst thing we can do.
Be still, Michael Anderson!
Let him have his say.
Molly?
Molly?
I don't think we have
a choice, Mike.
We have to listen.
In a matter such as this,
I cannot take
but I can punish.
I assure you.
I can punish.
Give me one of the babies
sleeping yonder
to raise as my own
and I'll leave you in peace.
He or she will see much,
and live long
Long after the others
sleeping there are gone.
Give me what I want,
and I'll go away.
Refuse me, and the dreams
you shared last night
will come true, the children
will fall from the sky,
and the rest of you will walk
into the ocean, two by two.
And when this storm ends
they will find this island
as they found Roanoke Island.
Empty Deserted.
I'll give you half an hour.
Discuss it
and then choose.
[chattering]
[gavel bangs]
I call this meeting
to order.
I think it's best if
we deal with this matter
as we would any piece
of town business.
After all, that's what this is,
isn't it? Town business?
Any objections to that?
[crowd]
No.
All right.
The item on the floor
is whether or not
to give to this
this thing
that has come among us,
one of our children.
He says that if we give him
what he wants, he'll go away.
And he'll kill us all,
including the children
if we don't.
Have I stated that fairly?
[crowd agrees]
All right.
How say you then, Little Tall,
will you speak to this?
I don't see what choice we have,
if we believe he can do
what he says he can do.
Do you believe him?
That's the first thing
I asked myself
I do I do.
Roberta Coigns has
a good point there, though.
How many of you believe
Linoge is telling the truth?
That he can and will
wipe out everyone
on the island
if we stand against him?
A show of hands
Mike, it's not a question
of what we're going to do,
not yet
It's just a question
I know what the question is.
Once we start
down that road,
every step of the way gets
easier, I know that too.
All right.
I guess we believe him.
That's one issue
out of the way.
Now, if there is
any discussion
of the main question
I have something
I'd like to say.
That's fine, you're a taxpayer,
sure enough, have on.
No. He's not a man.
I, uh I didn't vote,
but I agree
with that just the same.
I am your constable.
The man you elected
to enforce your laws.
And I saw what he did
to Martha Clarendon,
What he did to Peter Godsoe
And I've seen what he's
done to our children.
So I understand
as well as any of you
better than some, maybe,
the reality of what
he's threatening.
But folks, we don't we don't
give our kids away to thugs,
do you understand that?
We don't give away our children!
What's the choice, then?
What do we do, Mike?
What can we do?
We stand against him!
Side by side, we use our will
and tell him "no"!
In one voice!
We do what it says
over the door we use
to come into this place
We trust in God!
And in each other!
And then
maybe he goes away.
The way storms always do when
they've blown themselves out.
"Render, therefore unto Caesar
the things that are Caesar's."
Book of Matthew. You said that
to me yourself, Michael,
not an hour ago!
"Get thee behind me, Satan,
for thou savorest not
the things that be of God"!
Book of Mark!
Folks
If we give up a child
One of our own
How will we live
with each other?
Even if he lets us live.
By the grace of God.
We've all got
something to hide, Mike.
Or maybe you're different!
Jack, no.
No, I'm not different.
But this isn't like trying to
live with a test you cheated on,
or the memory of someone you
hurt when you were drunk.
We're talking about
a child!
Do you understand that, Jack?
Michael, Michael
Suppose you are right
about sending him away,
suppose we put our arms
around each other
and we gather our will
and we come out
with a bit collective "no".
Suppose we do that and
he just disappears.
He goes back
where he came from.
You saw our children.
Now, I don't know where
he actually has them,
but I have no doubt
that flying high
above the earth
is an accurate
representation of it
they can fall.
I believe that.
All he has to do is wave that
cane of his and they fall.
How are we gonna live
with ourselves if that happens?
He could be bluffing.
He's not, Michael.
And you know it.
You saw it.
You speak as though
he were going to kill
the child, Michael.
As though it were
some kind of human sacrifice.
It sounds more like
an adoption to me.
And a long life as well
If you believe him, that is.
After seeing him,
actually, I guess I do.
I just don't believe this
I don't believe this!
Linoge killed Martha Clarendon
with his cane!
He knocked the eyes
right out of her head!
And we are debating
whether or not to give
this monster a child?!
We might as well
give away our souls!
You wanna know the worst thing
I can think of, Michael?
Suppose you're half right
Suppose we live
and they die
How are we gonna
look at each other?
How are we gonna live
with each other then?
And how would we
ever live with you?
[crowd murmurs]
He said half an hour, people,
we have ten minutes left.
We can't do this!
Don't you understand that?
We cannot do this!
Don't you see?
We cannot allow
I think we've heard
your side of the story, Mike.
Take a seat, why don't you?
-Sonny
-Mike
Maybe you should
do what he say.
All right all right.
You need to think
about this, folks.
You need to think about this.
Very carefully.
I need to go
sit with Ralphie.
What do you say, folks?
What's your pleasure?
God help us, let's give
him what he wants.
Let's give him what he wants,
and send him on his way.
Even if it's Sally
Better she live
with a bad man than die.
My God, Michael Anderson,
where's your heart?
They're children!
We can't let him kill
all eight children!
Anyone else?
Don't.
Please.
Please.
Ursula please.
Hatch Jack
Robbie, all of you
Don't do this.
Don't do this.
Don't give in to this!
This is damnation!
All right, then let's
restrict the vote.
Let the parents vote
and the parents only!
-They're all residents
-No! That's not fair!
I raised her by myself.
Oh, I've had plenty of help
from folk on the island,
including you
and your wife, Mike.
But mostly by myself.
I shouldn't have to make
a decision like this
all by myself
What is a community for, if it
isn't supposed to help people
when something terrible happens?
When none of
the choices look good?
Couldn't have said it
better myself, Lin.
For God sakes,
let's vote and have done!
Call the question, Robbie.
Call the question!
[clamoring]
All right, fine.
But you understand this
My son is not a part of this.
All right?
Do you understand that?
My son is not a
part of this obscenity!
Yes, he is.
We have never shirked
our duty, Michael.
We have taken part in all
the life on this island
and we will take part
in this as well.
You don't mean that, Molly.
You can't mean that.
I do, Mike.
Well
Well, screw this!
Screw all of you!
I am taking my son and leaving!
You can't leave
we're in this together!
Let go of me!
[shouting, clamoring]
Stop it, you're hurting him!
[gavel bangs]
-That's enough.
-Michael, calm down
Calm down.
Michael, Michael.
All right.
Okay I'll sit.
Michael.
Mike, are you?
Get away from me!
-Mike
-Shut up, Hatch!
When you've had a chance
to think about it,
you'll understand
you'll come around.
It's the only thing
we can do!
What else is there?
Die for a principle?
Every one of us?
You have to think about it.
And if it's Pippa
Linoge ends up taking?
Well, then, I'll tell myself
she died as an infant.
It was crib death, something we
couldn't help or foresee.
And I'll believe it.
And Melinda and I
will both believe it.
[gavel bangs]
Oyez, oyez, oyez!
The question
has been called.
Do we or do we not
give Mr. Linoge
what he wants pursuant to his
promise to leave us in peace?
How say you, Little Tall?
All those in favor
signify in the usual way.
I'm Harry's father
and I vote yes!
I'm his mother and so do I.
I vote yes.
-Carla and I vote yes
-Yes.
We have no choice.
No choice.
I vote yes
it's the only way.
Got to.
To lose one
in life is better
than to lose them all in death.
I vote yes.
Those opposed?
I count all in favor,
save one
The motion is carried.
♪
Have you reached
your decision?
We have.
We voted in favor.
Excellent.
You've made the right choice.
You've done a hard thing,
my friends.
And despite what the constable
may have told you,
it's also a good thing.
The right thing
The only thing, really,
That loving, responsible people
could have done
under the circumstances.
These are weirding stones.
They were old
when the world was young
and were used
to decide great issues
long before Atlantis
sank into the African Ocean.
There are seven white stones
in here and one black one.
You're eager for me
to be gone, I know
and I don't blame you.
Will one parent of each
child come forward, please.
Let's finish this.
It's perfectly simple.
You each draw a stone
from the bag.
Do not reveal your stone
until all have been chosen.
The child whose parent
draws the black stone
comes with me.
To live long, see far,
and know much.
Mrs. Robichaux? Jill
Will you start us off?
Go on, honey do it.
Mrs. Hatcher?
I can't, Robbie.
You.
Go ahead.
Draw.
Ladies?
You go first, Molly.
No. You.
Please.
Well, my friends,
so far it's gone very well.
Now then who has the courage
to show first?
To put fear aside,
and let sweet relief
rush in to take it's place?
Come come,
have you not heard
The gods punish
the faint of heart?
Buster
I love you!
Show it, Sandra
let's see!
I can't, Robbie!
I can't!
I know it's Donnie, I know it's
him. I've never been lucky.
White!
Please, dear God,
I beg of you
Don't take away my Heidi.
White.
Mrs. Robichaux?
-Jill
-I can't
I thought I could
go through with it,
but I can't.
I'm sorry!
[gasps]
[sobs]
Mr. Bright
Henry?
Would you favor us?
[sighs]
No! No!
-Michael, stop!
-No!
No!
[stone drops]
No! No!
Pip, Mama's comin',
Mama's comin', sweetheart.
Mama's comin' sweetheart.
Mike!
No, this This can't be!
You can't have my son!
I feel your grief keenly, Molly,
but you agreed to the terms.
I'm sorry.
No. You fixed it!
You fixed it somehow!
I assure you that's not so.
The game was,
as you'd say straight.
And since I believe
that long drawn out farewells
only add to the pain
No!
You can't do
Oh!
Ladies and gentlemen,
residents of Little Tall,
I thank you for your attention
to my needs
And I now declare this
meeting at an end.
With a suggestion.
The less you say to the outside
world about our arrangement,
the more happy
you are apt to be.
Although of course, such matters
are ultimately up to you.
With that,
I'll take my new protegé
and leave you to your thoughts.
May they be happy ones.
[howling]
Go, go
Go!
[clamoring]
Mike! Stop him!
For God's sake, do something!
I can't!
Stop him!
Don't let him take my son!
Sorry, Mrs. Anderson,
but we made a deal
♪
You tricked us!
Perhaps you tricked yourselves.
He'll never belong to you!
Never!
But he will.
He'll come to love me.
He'll come to call me "Father".
No!
[Molly sobbing]
Mike, I don't think you
should
Don't touch me!
Don't ever touch me
ever again! Any of you!
Any of you!
Ralphie!
Ralphie
Please Bring him back!
I'll do anything
anything you want
Bring him back
Please!
Bring him back!
Ralphie!
You and Mike haven't
slept together for how long?
Five months.
The last time was
the night before the big storm.
The "Storm of the Century."
When you lost your son?
Correct.
When I lost my son.
And Mike blames you
for that loss?
I think he's going
to leave me.
You're very afraid of that,
aren't you?
I think he's running out
of ways to stay.
You understand
what I mean by that?
Molly, tell me again what
happened to Ralphie.
Why? We've been through this.
What good would it do?
He's gone
What good can that do?
It was the second day,
we were in the Town Hall
where we took shelter.
The storm you can't
believe how bad it was.
I know,
I was here.
Yes, Lisa, you were here
on the mainland.
It's different on the island
everything's different
on the island.
It was a mistake
for any of us to go out
especially the children.
We underestimated the storm.
Several people wandered away
and were lost.
Ralphie was one of them.
Angie Carver
found her way back,
but none of the others ever did.
Mike?
You got something to say,
you better say it.
The ferry leaves in 20 minutes,
and I don't intend to miss it.
Where're you going?
Mike, don't.
Don't leave.
Would it do any good
to tell you
I haven't had a good night's
sleep since February?
Would it do you any
good to tell you
that maybe
we might have been wrong?
I've gotta go, Hatch.
Robbie says to tell you
the constable job's yours again
whenever you want it.
All you have to do is ask.
No, I'm done here.
I've tried 'til
I can't try anymore.
Molly needs you.
Have you seen the way she is
now, have you even looked?
You look for me, okay?
Ayuh.
Melinda's not doin'
very well either.
She takes a lot
of tranquilizers.
I think she
might be hooked on 'em.
That's too bad.
But you got your daughter,
at least.
You may not sleep so well
but you can go into
Pippa's bedroom
and watch her sleep.
Any night you want.
Can't you?
Good luck, Hatch.
[engine starts]
[Molly] He wandered
into the whiteout.
Maybe he was with Bill Timmons,
the gas-station man.
I'd I'd like to think so,
that he wasn't alone in the end.
They must have lost their
bearings completely
and gone into the sea.
They were the two
who were never found.
There's a great deal
of this story
you haven't told me,
isn't there?
Until you do,
until you tell someone
it will just keep festering.
It'll fester no matter
what I do.
Some wounds can never
be cleaned out.
I didn't understand
that before, but now I do.
Molly, why does your husband
hate you so?
What really happened
to Ralphie?
He wandered away.
People do, you know,
they get lost.
That's what happened to Ralphie.
He was lost in the whiteout.
He was
lost in the storm.
[Mike]
Nine years ago, that was.
I just gassed up my car
and left on the ferry.
I've never been back.
All I cared about was
I had to wear sunglasses
every night when
the sun went down.
That every mile on the odometer
was a mile further
away from Little Tall.
Moll got the bank accounts,
the insurance,
the store, the house,
and a little piece
of land we had in Vanceboro.
I got the Blazer,
and peace of mind
what was left of it.
I wound up here,
back on the water again.
Ironic, I guess.
But it's different,
somehow, the Pacific.
It doesn't have the hard glow
when the days start
to run down towards winter.
And it doesn't have
the same memories.
I went back to school,
got a degree in law enforcement,
and another one
in accountancy.
Thought about going after
a law degree,
then thought again.
Started out keeping store on an
island off the coast of Maine
wound up a federal marshal,
how do you like that?
Sometimes the island seems
very far away
and Andre Linoge
is just a bad dream I had.
Sometimes, when I wake up
late at night,
trying not to scream
It seems very close.
And as I said way back at the
beginning, I keep in touch.
Melinda Hatcher died
in October of 1990.
Local paper said
it was a heart attack.
Ursula Godsoe
sent me the clipping.
I don't know if there
was more to it or not.
35's young for your pump
to quit, but it happens.
[church bell tolls]
Molly and Hatch married in
May of 1993.
Ursula sent me that
clipping, too.
From what I hear, they've
been good for each other.
I'm glad.
I wish them every happiness.
I mean that with all my heart.
[camera clicks]
Not everyone on Little Tall
has been so lucky.
Jack and Angie Carver
divorced about two months
after Hatch and Molly
got married.
Jack fought for custody
of Buster.
It was pretty bitter,
I guess. And lost.
He moved off the island
to Lewiston,
rented a room
killed himself
there one night,
late in the summer of '94.
He left what little he had
to a fellow named Harmon Brodsky
who lost an eye in a
barroom fight back in the '80s.
Robbie Beals rebuilt the old
fish house on the own dock
and hired Kirk Freeman
to work there.
Kirk said Robbie's wife,
Sandra, came down there
early one morning
in the spring of 1996,
dressed in a yellow slicker
and red boots
and told him she wanted
to go for a little row.
Kirk made her put on
a life preserver.
He said he didn't like
the way she looked.
He said it was like she was
dreaming with her eyes open.
But what could he do?
It was a mild morning
No wind, not much
of a swell
and she was
the boss's wife.
They found the boat,
but they didn't find Sandy.
There was one strange thing
but they didn't know
what to make of it.
There were people
on the island
who maybe could've
helped them a little there.
But island folks
can keep a secret.
We kept our share
back in 1989.
And the people who live there
can keep them still.
This is a cash-and-carry world.
Pay as you go.
Sometimes you only
have to pay a little.
Mostly, it's a lot.
Once in a while,
it's all you have.
That's the lesson I thought
I learned nine years ago
on Little Tall during
the Storm of the Century.
But I was wrong.
I only started learning
during the Big Blow.
I finished just last week.
[humming
"I'm a little teapot"]
Ralphie?
Ralphie!
[hissing]
Ralphie!
♪
[Mike] I could have written
Molly and told her
I thought about it.
I even prayed about it.
When every choice hurts,
how do you tell
which one's the right one?
In the end, I kept silent.
Sometimes, mostly late at night
when I can't sleep
I think that was wrong.
But in daylight,
I know better.
In daylight, I know better.
♪
Can I help you?
Put your hands together.
What's your name?
Andre Linoge.
We've got word there's been
a murder on the island.
Old Martha Clarendon.
Machias, this is Little Tall.
We have a police emergency.
Is Daddy safe?
Yeah.
Shut up!
You make him do that somehow?
Did you make him
write that note?
We could kill him.
[screaming, grunting]
Where could 200 people
disappear to?
Give me what I want,
and I'll go away
Tell them.
♪
Jenny's out.
-How long do you think?
-Hard to tell.
Since morning, anyway,
by the feel of it.
Snow probably piled up
and clogged the exhaust.
All right, Sonny, you and
Henry are on meat patrol.
Grab the big cuts of beef,
plus the turkeys and chicken.
The best stuff's
back in the freezer.
-Will it still be all right?
-Are you kidding me?
Let's get going.
Dark is going to come early.
We'll stick with canned goods
for this trip.
We'll come back later and get
the potatoes, bread
vegetables and milk.
Little kids have got
to have milk.
Hey, Mike.
Are you going to tell them
what the guy's name spells?
When we moved
the blocks around.
-What good would that do?
-I don't know.
God, Mike.
That gave me a chill.
Me too. But for now we're going
to keep that chill to ourselves.
We've got one more
night to get through.
-But Mike
-Come on. Canned goods.
Let's load up.
Angie Carver!
Billy Timmons!
[honking]
Angie Carver!
Billy Timmons!
Angie Carver!
-Ferd.
-What?
-Any sign?
-No. Wouldn't I tell you?
Just keep blowing that thing.
Here, you watch. Let me honk.
Your eyes are better.
[continues to honk]
Mrs. Kingsbury!
George! George Kirby!
I'm ok.
Go upstairs. Find your
husband and your little boy.
But the kids?
Who wants to play giant step?
[kids shouting]
Where's my mommy?
I'll just peek and see
if she's upstairs, shall I?
-Or your daddy?
-Yes. Please, Mrs. Beals.
-Where's Ralphie?
-I just saw him.
Oh, he must have chased Donnie
upstairs to get a doughnut, too.
I'll send them both down.
I don't know
what I'm going to do.
I've got to find her, Molly.
You know what it's
like out there, Jack.
I know she's out there.
Wandering around
freezing to death
in a whiteout 50 yards
from the building.
And if you go out there,
you'll be lost, too.
They'll hear the horns, same as
in a fog at sea. You know that.
Yeah.
I'll go spell Ferd.
-Hatch said if you go
-Alton Hatcher
can't tell me what to do.
It's my wife out there.
Just don't go past the truck.
Don't go wandering, Jack.
-Where's Ralphie?
-I don't know.
Didn't he
come upstairs with you?
He was picking up
with the rest of them.
What are you saying?
Ralphie's not down there?
-He's not with the others?
-I didn't see.
Kat started to cry
You were supposed to be
watching him.
I didn't see.
You were supposed to
be watching him.
Don't you yell at her.
One more trip.
Sonny, you and Henry
get the bread and rolls.
Everything off the shelves.
You want to grab at least
a hundred pounds of potatoes.
I'll get the milk.
Come on, let's go.
I want to get back as
soon as we can.
What the hell?
Oh my God, Mike.
It's Jane Kingsbury.
Ralphie?
-Did you see him?
-Ralphie!
Oh God, what now?
I told you he didn't go
upstairs with Donnie Beals.
Pippa! Pippa, where was Ralphie
when you last saw him?
Ralphie?
Mom. I'm in here.
[sobs]
Hey, Mom. What's up?
What are you doing in here?
You scared the life out of me.
The man was in here.
-The man?
-The one Daddy arrested.
Except I don't think
he's a bad man.
It's ok, honey.
Take him somewhere safe.
Jonas.
Molly.
What is it?
I don't know.
What is it?
-What the hell does he want?
-Oh God.
Ralphie.
Ralphie, where did the man go?
He must have disappeared
when I turned my back.
There's no door in there for
a guy to go out of, dumbkins.
Shut up, Don Beals.
What is this, Ralphie?
It's a present.
He gave me a present.
That's why I don't think
he's a bad man like on TV.
Because bad men
don't give kids presents.
Let Mommy see, ok?
Don't, Molly. Don't.
It's all right, Mom.
Don't be scared.
You mean you know
what's inside this?
You've already looked?
Sure, we even had a game,
me and Mr. Linoge.
He said that these are special.
And I should share them.
'Cause they're not only for me.
They're for everyone
on the island.
I don't think I'd open that,
Mrs. Anderson.
Given the dreams
we all had last night.
And the possible
nature of this
this man.
No, I suppose you wouldn't,
Reverend.
But since he's had his filthy
hands on my son twice
[muttering]
Just old Mrs. K.
None of the others.
Where do you suppose they are?
George.
And Angie?
Bill Timmons?
How did he get her down there?
Where's the dummy?
Anybody see the dummy
in the store?
How did he
get her down there in this?
Let it go, Sonny.
Why is this happening to us?
You're the lay reader
for Reverend Riggins
down at the Methodist church.
You always got a quote
from the Good Book handy.
You must have some idea
why this is happening.
Remember the story about Job?
In the Bible?
Uh-huh
Well, there's part of that story
that's never been written down.
After the contest
for Job's soul is over
and God wins,
Job falls to his knees
and says, "God, why have
you done this to me?"
All my life, I worshipped you,
and yet you
destroyed my livestock,
you blighted my crops, you
killed my wife and children
You gave me a hundred
horrible diseases.
And all because you had a
bet going with the Devil?
Well, okay but all
I want to know, Lord,
is all your humble servant wants
to know is, why me?
Job waits and just when
he's about convinced himself
that God's not
gonna answer him,
a thunderhead forms in the sky,
lightning flashes
and a voice calls down
"Job I guess there's
just something about you
that pisses me off."
Does that help you?
Me, either.
Angie!
Over here!
Angie!
Jack, get in, warm up
No! She's out here somewhere,
now keep hittin' the horn!
Take it easy, Jack,
we'll find her.
My wife is out here,
she's alive,
I can feel it!
So you just
keep hittin' that horn!
Hatch! Jack! Look!
Angie!
We've been worried about ya,
Buster's been worried sick.
My God, Angie
what'd he do to you?
Where did he take you?
We have to give
him what he wants.
What? What, honey?
Honey, I can't hear you
-Linoge?
-Yes, Linoge
We have to give him
what he wants.
He brought me back
so I could tell you
We have to give
him what he wants
Do you understand?
We have to give him
what he wants.
Angela?
Oh, my God.
What does he want?
Did he tell you?
He said he'd tell us tonight
He said we're gonna have
a special town meetin',
and he'd tell us then.
He said if some folk
don't want to go along,
don't want to do
what's best for the town,
they should remember
the dreams we had last night.
They should remember what
happened in Roanoke.
They should remember "Croaton",
whatever that is.
Jack!
Take me inside!
I'm freezing!
I wanna see Buster!
Yeah, sure
Hatch
Any sign of Bill Timmons?
Or George Kirby?
Nah.
No Mrs. Kingsbury, either.
Jane Kingsbury's dead.
My God.
[wind whistling]
♪
So the little puppy said
"I know where
my ball must be.
"That mean little boy
put it in his pocket.
"and took it away.
But I can find it
because my nose is"
I'm a little teapot,
short and stout ♪
Sally, honey,
you shouldn't be singing, now.
This is storytime
When I get all steamed up
What's going on, Kat?
I don't know.
I guess they wanna sing.
I'm a little teapot
All right, folks.
just settle down.
Everyone take a seat.
Mike?
-The kids are acting funny.
-Funny? What do you mean?
Now I know how easy it is
just to get yanked
out of the world.
I wish I didn't,
but I do.
Come on.
Ah!
I was just standin' there, see?
Watchin' the lighthouse.
Then, I was his.
It's okay, it's over.
I burned my fingers, see?
They're red.
but they're still cold!
Angie, do you want to
go someplace more private?
Because you can if you want to.
No, this is for everyone,
everyone should hear.
What happened to you,
Angie Carver?
We were watchin'
the lighthouse fall down,
then I was flyin'
backwards into the snow.
First, I thought it
was somebody's idea of a joke.
Then, I turned around,
and what had me
It wasn't a man.
It wore clothes like a man
and had a man's face, but
There was just blackness
where its eyes shoulda been!
And when it smiled at me
I saw it's teeth
I fainted.
First time in my life!
I fainted.
When I came to,
I was flying.
It that sounds crazy,
but it's true.
Ahead of us,
as if it was leading us
or it was holding us up,
there was a cane.
A black cane,
with a a silver wolf's head.
And as fast as we flew,
that cane was always
right ahead of us.
It was the island we saw.
The storm was over,
and the sun was out,
but there were cops
on snowmobiles everywhere.
Mainland cops, and state
cops and game wardens, too,
and newspeople, too.
From the local stations
and the networks.
They were all, all of 'em,
they were lookin' for us.
But we were gone.
Were were gone where
nobody could ever find us.
Like in the dreams.
Yeah Yeah, like that.
Then we stopped going up and
I could feel the clouds!
Not cold the way
you think snow clouds would be
but damp like
like wet cotton.
Oh, and George saw what
it meant to do.
He screamed
But that thing
just opened its right arm and
[screams]
I was in its left.
Then what happened, Angie?
He told me
he was bringin' me back.
Back through time
and back through the storm.
He was gonna let me live,
so I could come back
and tell you
tell everybody.
That we have to give
him what he wants
when he comes tonight.
If we have something
that this man Linoge wants,
why doesn't he just take it?
I don't think he can.
I think we have
to give it to him.
The next thing I was sure of,
I was stumbling around
in the snow in the whiteout,
and I could hear the horn,
and I thought
the lighthouse must not
have blown down after all,
'cause I can hear the foghorn
I tried to go toward it,
and I saw someone
come out of the snow
I thought it was him coming
to take me back up in the air
except this time
he was gonna let me drop.
But it wasn't!
It was you, Jack!
It was you.
Why?
Why us?
Maybe because he knows
we can keep a secret.
I brought these games
What?
What's goin' on?
Buster?
Heidi?
Pippa?
Ralphie, you okay?
Pip?
Pip?
Pip?
Pip, what's wrong, honey?
Pip? Pip what's wrong, honey?
Honey?
Pip!
What's wrong, honey?
What is it?
What's wrong with the kids?
I don't know but
but their eyes
there's
There's nothing there.
Pip wake up.
Wake up!
Come on, honey, wake up!
All of you wake up!
No
Hey, look!
It's got a doggie head,
a silver doggie head.
How cool!
A doggie!
Yeah, look at
the doggie head.
What are they
looking at?
Go get Mike.
Right now!
Go get Mike!
A doggie's head! Yeah!
[panting]
Why don't you see if you can
get her to lay down for awhile?
That's a good idea.
Mike!
Mike, there's something
wrong with the kids.
-Oh, Jesus.
-Buster?
There's something
wrong with Buster?
Angie, no
Maybe you shouldn't
-Angie!
-Buster!
Buster?
What're you doing?
[sobbing]
Melinda, what is going on?
What are they looking at?
Donnie, stop!
Let me go!
I wanna see the doggie head!
Pip, stop it! Stop it!
-No, Ralphie!
-Let me go, let me go!
No, Ralphie!
Hey
Neat.
Let me go!
I wanna see the doggie!
I wanna see the doggie!
Pippa, no!
No!
What's going on?
-Let me go you bitch!
-Ah!
Pippa!
Honey
They're dead!
He's killed them!!
[clamoring]
No, please God, no!
Not Sally. Not my Sally!
Ralphie?
Is he?
Is he?
-No.
-Oh, thank God.
Are they alive?
[clamoring]
Mr. Soames!
[screaming]
You're trampling him, stop!!
You're killing him!
-Is he asleep?
-I don't know
Come here, baby.
Come to mama.
-I need a doctor
-You'd be lucky, Beals.
The closest one's across
the Reach in Machias.
The wind's blowin' up
a hurricane.
Where's Ferd?
At least he has EMS training!
Ferd Andrews,
where the hell are you?
-I'm here!
-Get your ass over here
take a look at my son.
C'mon, people,
get out of his way!
That's enough!
Would you just shut up!
Don't tell me to shut up.
I've taken all the crap
I'm gonna take
Everyone, just shut up!
[crowd quiets]
Robbie, I don't think Don's
in any immediate danger
or Pippa, or Ralphie,
or any of them.
They're not dead?
-I think he's sleepin'.
-This isn't sleep
If they were asleep,
we could wake them up.
It's okay.
-He'll bring you back.
-Then, what is it?
I don't know.
♪
Having fun, kids?
[children cheer]
[hissing]
[wind blowing]
[engine sputtering]
Are we gonna lose
the generator, do you think?
Ayuh. It's a miracle it's run
as long as it has
with no one able
to keep it dug out.
Wind must have
kept the exhaust pipe clear.
But now it's shifted.
In a way that's good news,
means the storm's almost over.
Main meetin' hall?
Yeah, sure. Mike wants
that ready first.
A couple of
emergency lights in there,
but that's not enough for him.
Just caught a little bit of
the latest NWS bulletin
on the shortwave, they say
we might see the moon tonight.
-Oh, that's wonderful!
-Ayuh.
-Where's Ursula, do you know?
-She's downstairs with Sally
and the others
Sleepin', the last I saw.
But not like the kids'
sleepin', you know
They'll be all right,
they'll wake up
and be just fine,
you'll see.
I hope you're right,
Tavia Godsoe.
I pray you're right.
Can I help?
Well, you can
go down to the kitchen
and get the rest
of the candles if you want.
I'm afraid we're gonna
lose the generator.
♪
-Any change?
-No.
Any change in any of 'em?
Their respiration's normal,
reflexes are normal
And if you pull back an eyelid,
their pupils respond to light.
All that's good.
She's dreamin'.
They all are.
Where's Robbie, Sandra?
Don't know.
♪
[howling and rattling]
[engine dies]
Wanna help get some candles?
-Honey?
-Go ahead.
The radio says
the storm will pretty much
be over by midnight.
If Linoge intends
to do something
I think we can pretty much
count on that.
Oh! Dear.
Hello,
Joanna Stanhope
[gasps]
Glad the old bitch is dead,
aren't ya?
I did you a favor there,
didn't I?
You kept a straight face,
but inside,
you were dancing a jig.
I know.
I can smell it on you
like musk.
[shrieks]
Shh.
When this fella comes,
Michael,
we must give him
what he wants.
I've prayed on it,
and this is the guidance.
We'll listen to him,
and then we'll decide, okay?
There is a time
to be stubborn, Michael,
but there is also a time
to let go of the reins
and look toward the greater
good, hard as that may be.
"Pride goeth
before destruction
and an haughty spirit
before the fall."
Book of Proverbs
"Render therefore
unto Caesar the things
"which are Caesar's
and unto God
the things which are God's."
Book of Matthew.
Stay here, please.
We've got this under control.
I know you believe
that, Michael
but not all
of us are convinced.
Come in,
come in, boys.
Don't do that,
Constable Anderson,
unless you want to watch this
woman burn her face off.
Shall we watch it burn?
-No.
-Come in, then.
Having a little trouble with
the local witch doctor, are you?
Here's something you can
file away for later.
Always assuming, of course,
that there is a "later".
The Reverend Bobby Riggins
has a couple of
nieces over in Castine.
Eleven and nine, they are,
cute little blonds.
He likes them a lot.
Quite a lot.
They run and hide when they
see his car pull into the drive.
-In fact
-Let her down!
Unless you want to see
Mrs. Stanhope's impression
of the world's biggest
birthday candle,
I advise you not
to speak again
until you're invited to.
Hatch!
Close the door.
You don't like
knowing, do you?
Not your brand of it, no.
Perhaps you don't believe me.
I believe you, but the thing
of it is, you see only the bad,
none of the good.
By and large, Constable,
the good's an illusion.
Little fables folks
tell themselves
so they can get through their
days without screaming too much.
-I don't believe that.
-I know
A good boy to the last.
But I think you'll find yourself
on the short end this time.
Your town is full
of adulterers, pedophiles,
thieves, gluttons,
murderers, bullies,
scoundrels and covetous morons.
And I know every
last one of them.
"Born in lust,
turn to dust.
Born in sin,
Come on in."
What do you want, Linoge?
Everyone on those benches
an hour from now.
That will do for a start.
We're going to have
an unscheduled town meeting.
Nine o'clock pm, prompt.
After that
Well we'll see.
See what?
If I'm through
with this town
Or just beginning.
Nine o'clock, Constable.
You, Hatch,
her, Reverend Bobby.
Town Manager Robbie.
[wind howling]
Everyone.
[moaning]
He's the Devil!
He's the Devil!
Don't let him near me!
I'll do anything,
just don't let
him near me again!
Mike, what are we gonna do?
What can we do?
Listen to whatever else
it is he wants
If there's another way,
I just
I don't see it.
Come on, let's tell Robbie.
What about the children?
I'll watch them
I don't want to be where he is!
-Not ever again!
-Jo, no! He said everyone
that means you, too.
We'll, uh
We'll bring the kids up,
cots and all
put 'em in the back
of the meeting hall.
Yeah, that'll do.
[whimpering, shushing]
[bell tolls]
[chiming]
Ladies and gentlemen
Like you, I don't know
what we're waiting for
But, uh
Then why don't you sit down,
and wait like
the rest of us, Robbie?
Yeah, Robbie, sit down.
I just wanted to say,
Johnnie that I'm sure
that we can find our way
through this situation
if we stick together
like we've always stuck
together on the island.
[thump]
♪
Davey Hopewell
Your day off from
school would make
quite an English composition,
wouldn't it?
Your father's a thief
Over the last six years
or so he's stolen more than
$14,000 from that marine supply
company he works for.
He gambles with it.
He loses.
Dad?
I don't know who you are,
mister, but you lie.
-You lie!
-"Born in vice
Say it twice."
Eh, Davey?
At least twice.
Well Johnny Harriman.
The fellow who burned down
the planing mill
across the Reach
there in Machias.
-I never did that!
-Of course you did!
Two years ago,
right after they fired you.
And Kirk helped
didn't you?
After all,
what are friends for?
70 men lost their jobs,
but you got your payback
and that's all
that matters, isn't it?
There now, you dope, look at
the trouble you got us into!
Shut up!
You boys really oughta go see
that gay fella you beat up.
Jack, you'd get a kick
out of that paisley
eye-patch he wears.
Please, just stop it!
Fella lives in one of those
walk-ups on Canal street
behind Lisbon,
I can give you the address.
Maybe the three
of you would like to go
and take away
the rest of his light.
What do you say, Lucien?
Wanna poke out his other eye?
Finish the job?
Alex?
"Born in sin, come on in."
Robbie, why did I have to die
among strangers?
You still haven't
explained this.
Why did I have to die
calling for you?
When all I wanted
was a kiss.
Put that down!
Why don't you tell
these people
where you were
and what you were doing
when I died, Robbie?
I think your wife would be
especially interested,
-don't you?
-You shut your mouth.
Sandra, don't listen to her.
This is all lies.
Your eyes.
I'm going to eat your eyes
right out of your head!
Not to worry, folks, he'll
recuperate just fine, I'm sure.
In the meantime it's kind
of nice to see him
cowering quietly in a corner,
wouldn't you say?
Come on now!
Tell the truth!
And shame the devil!
Now we come to it,
don't we?
Let me lay things out for you.
Why'd you come here?
Why us?
Maybe there's just
something about us
that pisses him off.
I'm here because
island folk know how
to pull together for the common
good when they need to.
And island folk know
how to keep a secret.
That was true on
Roanoke Island in 1587
and it's true on
Little Tall Island in 1989.
Tell us! Quit dancin' around!
Tell us what you want!
Your children are here with you.
But they're not.
It's the same for me.
Because part of me
is with them.
Look
[gasping]
Jack! He's got our Buster!
That's all of them.
And if I drop them there
[shrieking, screaming]
They die here.
You'll see it happen.
They'll puff out
[exhales]
Like candles in the wind.
Please don't hurt
my Sally, mister.
She's all I got left
now that Peter's gone.
We will give you
what you want
if we have it to give
I swear we will.
Won't we?
[crowd agrees]
What is it?
Tell us.
I've lived a long time.
Thousands of years.
But I'm not a god,
nor am I one of the immortals.
[gasping]
So now you see me
as I really am.
Old and sick
Dying, in fact.
By the standards
of your mayfly existence,
I've long to live yet.
I'll still be walking the earth
When all but the freshest
and greenest among you,
Davey Hopewell, perhaps,
or young Don Beals
have gone to your graves.
But in terms
of my own existence
time has grown short.
You ask me what I want.
No no.
No.
I want someone to raise,
and teach
someone to whom I can pass on
all that I've learned
and all that I know,
someone who will
carry on my work
when I can no
longer do it myself.
I want a child.
One of the eight
sleeping back there.
No.
No. Never.
It doesn't matter which one.
All are just as
likely in my eyes.
Give me what I want,
and give it freely
and I'll go away.
Never.
We will never give you
one of our children!
Never!
-Get him!
-Let go of me!
For God's sakes, stop him!
Grab him unless you wish me
to drop the children,
and I will,
I promise you, I will.
-Let go!
-Michael!
Damn it! Let go of me!
Mike, we gotta listen to him.
No, we don't!
Listening to him's
the worst thing we can do.
Be still, Michael Anderson!
Let him have his say.
Molly?
Molly?
I don't think we have
a choice, Mike.
We have to listen.
In a matter such as this,
I cannot take
but I can punish.
I assure you.
I can punish.
Give me one of the babies
sleeping yonder
to raise as my own
and I'll leave you in peace.
He or she will see much,
and live long
Long after the others
sleeping there are gone.
Give me what I want,
and I'll go away.
Refuse me, and the dreams
you shared last night
will come true, the children
will fall from the sky,
and the rest of you will walk
into the ocean, two by two.
And when this storm ends
they will find this island
as they found Roanoke Island.
Empty Deserted.
I'll give you half an hour.
Discuss it
and then choose.
[chattering]
[gavel bangs]
I call this meeting
to order.
I think it's best if
we deal with this matter
as we would any piece
of town business.
After all, that's what this is,
isn't it? Town business?
Any objections to that?
[crowd]
No.
All right.
The item on the floor
is whether or not
to give to this
this thing
that has come among us,
one of our children.
He says that if we give him
what he wants, he'll go away.
And he'll kill us all,
including the children
if we don't.
Have I stated that fairly?
[crowd agrees]
All right.
How say you then, Little Tall,
will you speak to this?
I don't see what choice we have,
if we believe he can do
what he says he can do.
Do you believe him?
That's the first thing
I asked myself
I do I do.
Roberta Coigns has
a good point there, though.
How many of you believe
Linoge is telling the truth?
That he can and will
wipe out everyone
on the island
if we stand against him?
A show of hands
Mike, it's not a question
of what we're going to do,
not yet
It's just a question
I know what the question is.
Once we start
down that road,
every step of the way gets
easier, I know that too.
All right.
I guess we believe him.
That's one issue
out of the way.
Now, if there is
any discussion
of the main question
I have something
I'd like to say.
That's fine, you're a taxpayer,
sure enough, have on.
No. He's not a man.
I, uh I didn't vote,
but I agree
with that just the same.
I am your constable.
The man you elected
to enforce your laws.
And I saw what he did
to Martha Clarendon,
What he did to Peter Godsoe
And I've seen what he's
done to our children.
So I understand
as well as any of you
better than some, maybe,
the reality of what
he's threatening.
But folks, we don't we don't
give our kids away to thugs,
do you understand that?
We don't give away our children!
What's the choice, then?
What do we do, Mike?
What can we do?
We stand against him!
Side by side, we use our will
and tell him "no"!
In one voice!
We do what it says
over the door we use
to come into this place
We trust in God!
And in each other!
And then
maybe he goes away.
The way storms always do when
they've blown themselves out.
"Render, therefore unto Caesar
the things that are Caesar's."
Book of Matthew. You said that
to me yourself, Michael,
not an hour ago!
"Get thee behind me, Satan,
for thou savorest not
the things that be of God"!
Book of Mark!
Folks
If we give up a child
One of our own
How will we live
with each other?
Even if he lets us live.
By the grace of God.
We've all got
something to hide, Mike.
Or maybe you're different!
Jack, no.
No, I'm not different.
But this isn't like trying to
live with a test you cheated on,
or the memory of someone you
hurt when you were drunk.
We're talking about
a child!
Do you understand that, Jack?
Michael, Michael
Suppose you are right
about sending him away,
suppose we put our arms
around each other
and we gather our will
and we come out
with a bit collective "no".
Suppose we do that and
he just disappears.
He goes back
where he came from.
You saw our children.
Now, I don't know where
he actually has them,
but I have no doubt
that flying high
above the earth
is an accurate
representation of it
they can fall.
I believe that.
All he has to do is wave that
cane of his and they fall.
How are we gonna live
with ourselves if that happens?
He could be bluffing.
He's not, Michael.
And you know it.
You saw it.
You speak as though
he were going to kill
the child, Michael.
As though it were
some kind of human sacrifice.
It sounds more like
an adoption to me.
And a long life as well
If you believe him, that is.
After seeing him,
actually, I guess I do.
I just don't believe this
I don't believe this!
Linoge killed Martha Clarendon
with his cane!
He knocked the eyes
right out of her head!
And we are debating
whether or not to give
this monster a child?!
We might as well
give away our souls!
You wanna know the worst thing
I can think of, Michael?
Suppose you're half right
Suppose we live
and they die
How are we gonna
look at each other?
How are we gonna live
with each other then?
And how would we
ever live with you?
[crowd murmurs]
He said half an hour, people,
we have ten minutes left.
We can't do this!
Don't you understand that?
We cannot do this!
Don't you see?
We cannot allow
I think we've heard
your side of the story, Mike.
Take a seat, why don't you?
-Sonny
-Mike
Maybe you should
do what he say.
All right all right.
You need to think
about this, folks.
You need to think about this.
Very carefully.
I need to go
sit with Ralphie.
What do you say, folks?
What's your pleasure?
God help us, let's give
him what he wants.
Let's give him what he wants,
and send him on his way.
Even if it's Sally
Better she live
with a bad man than die.
My God, Michael Anderson,
where's your heart?
They're children!
We can't let him kill
all eight children!
Anyone else?
Don't.
Please.
Please.
Ursula please.
Hatch Jack
Robbie, all of you
Don't do this.
Don't do this.
Don't give in to this!
This is damnation!
All right, then let's
restrict the vote.
Let the parents vote
and the parents only!
-They're all residents
-No! That's not fair!
I raised her by myself.
Oh, I've had plenty of help
from folk on the island,
including you
and your wife, Mike.
But mostly by myself.
I shouldn't have to make
a decision like this
all by myself
What is a community for, if it
isn't supposed to help people
when something terrible happens?
When none of
the choices look good?
Couldn't have said it
better myself, Lin.
For God sakes,
let's vote and have done!
Call the question, Robbie.
Call the question!
[clamoring]
All right, fine.
But you understand this
My son is not a part of this.
All right?
Do you understand that?
My son is not a
part of this obscenity!
Yes, he is.
We have never shirked
our duty, Michael.
We have taken part in all
the life on this island
and we will take part
in this as well.
You don't mean that, Molly.
You can't mean that.
I do, Mike.
Well
Well, screw this!
Screw all of you!
I am taking my son and leaving!
You can't leave
we're in this together!
Let go of me!
[shouting, clamoring]
Stop it, you're hurting him!
[gavel bangs]
-That's enough.
-Michael, calm down
Calm down.
Michael, Michael.
All right.
Okay I'll sit.
Michael.
Mike, are you?
Get away from me!
-Mike
-Shut up, Hatch!
When you've had a chance
to think about it,
you'll understand
you'll come around.
It's the only thing
we can do!
What else is there?
Die for a principle?
Every one of us?
You have to think about it.
And if it's Pippa
Linoge ends up taking?
Well, then, I'll tell myself
she died as an infant.
It was crib death, something we
couldn't help or foresee.
And I'll believe it.
And Melinda and I
will both believe it.
[gavel bangs]
Oyez, oyez, oyez!
The question
has been called.
Do we or do we not
give Mr. Linoge
what he wants pursuant to his
promise to leave us in peace?
How say you, Little Tall?
All those in favor
signify in the usual way.
I'm Harry's father
and I vote yes!
I'm his mother and so do I.
I vote yes.
-Carla and I vote yes
-Yes.
We have no choice.
No choice.
I vote yes
it's the only way.
Got to.
To lose one
in life is better
than to lose them all in death.
I vote yes.
Those opposed?
I count all in favor,
save one
The motion is carried.
♪
Have you reached
your decision?
We have.
We voted in favor.
Excellent.
You've made the right choice.
You've done a hard thing,
my friends.
And despite what the constable
may have told you,
it's also a good thing.
The right thing
The only thing, really,
That loving, responsible people
could have done
under the circumstances.
These are weirding stones.
They were old
when the world was young
and were used
to decide great issues
long before Atlantis
sank into the African Ocean.
There are seven white stones
in here and one black one.
You're eager for me
to be gone, I know
and I don't blame you.
Will one parent of each
child come forward, please.
Let's finish this.
It's perfectly simple.
You each draw a stone
from the bag.
Do not reveal your stone
until all have been chosen.
The child whose parent
draws the black stone
comes with me.
To live long, see far,
and know much.
Mrs. Robichaux? Jill
Will you start us off?
Go on, honey do it.
Mrs. Hatcher?
I can't, Robbie.
You.
Go ahead.
Draw.
Ladies?
You go first, Molly.
No. You.
Please.
Well, my friends,
so far it's gone very well.
Now then who has the courage
to show first?
To put fear aside,
and let sweet relief
rush in to take it's place?
Come come,
have you not heard
The gods punish
the faint of heart?
Buster
I love you!
Show it, Sandra
let's see!
I can't, Robbie!
I can't!
I know it's Donnie, I know it's
him. I've never been lucky.
White!
Please, dear God,
I beg of you
Don't take away my Heidi.
White.
Mrs. Robichaux?
-Jill
-I can't
I thought I could
go through with it,
but I can't.
I'm sorry!
[gasps]
[sobs]
Mr. Bright
Henry?
Would you favor us?
[sighs]
No! No!
-Michael, stop!
-No!
No!
[stone drops]
No! No!
Pip, Mama's comin',
Mama's comin', sweetheart.
Mama's comin' sweetheart.
Mike!
No, this This can't be!
You can't have my son!
I feel your grief keenly, Molly,
but you agreed to the terms.
I'm sorry.
No. You fixed it!
You fixed it somehow!
I assure you that's not so.
The game was,
as you'd say straight.
And since I believe
that long drawn out farewells
only add to the pain
No!
You can't do
Oh!
Ladies and gentlemen,
residents of Little Tall,
I thank you for your attention
to my needs
And I now declare this
meeting at an end.
With a suggestion.
The less you say to the outside
world about our arrangement,
the more happy
you are apt to be.
Although of course, such matters
are ultimately up to you.
With that,
I'll take my new protegé
and leave you to your thoughts.
May they be happy ones.
[howling]
Go, go
Go!
[clamoring]
Mike! Stop him!
For God's sake, do something!
I can't!
Stop him!
Don't let him take my son!
Sorry, Mrs. Anderson,
but we made a deal
♪
You tricked us!
Perhaps you tricked yourselves.
He'll never belong to you!
Never!
But he will.
He'll come to love me.
He'll come to call me "Father".
No!
[Molly sobbing]
Mike, I don't think you
should
Don't touch me!
Don't ever touch me
ever again! Any of you!
Any of you!
Ralphie!
Ralphie
Please Bring him back!
I'll do anything
anything you want
Bring him back
Please!
Bring him back!
Ralphie!
You and Mike haven't
slept together for how long?
Five months.
The last time was
the night before the big storm.
The "Storm of the Century."
When you lost your son?
Correct.
When I lost my son.
And Mike blames you
for that loss?
I think he's going
to leave me.
You're very afraid of that,
aren't you?
I think he's running out
of ways to stay.
You understand
what I mean by that?
Molly, tell me again what
happened to Ralphie.
Why? We've been through this.
What good would it do?
He's gone
What good can that do?
It was the second day,
we were in the Town Hall
where we took shelter.
The storm you can't
believe how bad it was.
I know,
I was here.
Yes, Lisa, you were here
on the mainland.
It's different on the island
everything's different
on the island.
It was a mistake
for any of us to go out
especially the children.
We underestimated the storm.
Several people wandered away
and were lost.
Ralphie was one of them.
Angie Carver
found her way back,
but none of the others ever did.
Mike?
You got something to say,
you better say it.
The ferry leaves in 20 minutes,
and I don't intend to miss it.
Where're you going?
Mike, don't.
Don't leave.
Would it do any good
to tell you
I haven't had a good night's
sleep since February?
Would it do you any
good to tell you
that maybe
we might have been wrong?
I've gotta go, Hatch.
Robbie says to tell you
the constable job's yours again
whenever you want it.
All you have to do is ask.
No, I'm done here.
I've tried 'til
I can't try anymore.
Molly needs you.
Have you seen the way she is
now, have you even looked?
You look for me, okay?
Ayuh.
Melinda's not doin'
very well either.
She takes a lot
of tranquilizers.
I think she
might be hooked on 'em.
That's too bad.
But you got your daughter,
at least.
You may not sleep so well
but you can go into
Pippa's bedroom
and watch her sleep.
Any night you want.
Can't you?
Good luck, Hatch.
[engine starts]
[Molly] He wandered
into the whiteout.
Maybe he was with Bill Timmons,
the gas-station man.
I'd I'd like to think so,
that he wasn't alone in the end.
They must have lost their
bearings completely
and gone into the sea.
They were the two
who were never found.
There's a great deal
of this story
you haven't told me,
isn't there?
Until you do,
until you tell someone
it will just keep festering.
It'll fester no matter
what I do.
Some wounds can never
be cleaned out.
I didn't understand
that before, but now I do.
Molly, why does your husband
hate you so?
What really happened
to Ralphie?
He wandered away.
People do, you know,
they get lost.
That's what happened to Ralphie.
He was lost in the whiteout.
He was
lost in the storm.
[Mike]
Nine years ago, that was.
I just gassed up my car
and left on the ferry.
I've never been back.
All I cared about was
I had to wear sunglasses
every night when
the sun went down.
That every mile on the odometer
was a mile further
away from Little Tall.
Moll got the bank accounts,
the insurance,
the store, the house,
and a little piece
of land we had in Vanceboro.
I got the Blazer,
and peace of mind
what was left of it.
I wound up here,
back on the water again.
Ironic, I guess.
But it's different,
somehow, the Pacific.
It doesn't have the hard glow
when the days start
to run down towards winter.
And it doesn't have
the same memories.
I went back to school,
got a degree in law enforcement,
and another one
in accountancy.
Thought about going after
a law degree,
then thought again.
Started out keeping store on an
island off the coast of Maine
wound up a federal marshal,
how do you like that?
Sometimes the island seems
very far away
and Andre Linoge
is just a bad dream I had.
Sometimes, when I wake up
late at night,
trying not to scream
It seems very close.
And as I said way back at the
beginning, I keep in touch.
Melinda Hatcher died
in October of 1990.
Local paper said
it was a heart attack.
Ursula Godsoe
sent me the clipping.
I don't know if there
was more to it or not.
35's young for your pump
to quit, but it happens.
[church bell tolls]
Molly and Hatch married in
May of 1993.
Ursula sent me that
clipping, too.
From what I hear, they've
been good for each other.
I'm glad.
I wish them every happiness.
I mean that with all my heart.
[camera clicks]
Not everyone on Little Tall
has been so lucky.
Jack and Angie Carver
divorced about two months
after Hatch and Molly
got married.
Jack fought for custody
of Buster.
It was pretty bitter,
I guess. And lost.
He moved off the island
to Lewiston,
rented a room
killed himself
there one night,
late in the summer of '94.
He left what little he had
to a fellow named Harmon Brodsky
who lost an eye in a
barroom fight back in the '80s.
Robbie Beals rebuilt the old
fish house on the own dock
and hired Kirk Freeman
to work there.
Kirk said Robbie's wife,
Sandra, came down there
early one morning
in the spring of 1996,
dressed in a yellow slicker
and red boots
and told him she wanted
to go for a little row.
Kirk made her put on
a life preserver.
He said he didn't like
the way she looked.
He said it was like she was
dreaming with her eyes open.
But what could he do?
It was a mild morning
No wind, not much
of a swell
and she was
the boss's wife.
They found the boat,
but they didn't find Sandy.
There was one strange thing
but they didn't know
what to make of it.
There were people
on the island
who maybe could've
helped them a little there.
But island folks
can keep a secret.
We kept our share
back in 1989.
And the people who live there
can keep them still.
This is a cash-and-carry world.
Pay as you go.
Sometimes you only
have to pay a little.
Mostly, it's a lot.
Once in a while,
it's all you have.
That's the lesson I thought
I learned nine years ago
on Little Tall during
the Storm of the Century.
But I was wrong.
I only started learning
during the Big Blow.
I finished just last week.
[humming
"I'm a little teapot"]
Ralphie?
Ralphie!
[hissing]
Ralphie!
♪
[Mike] I could have written
Molly and told her
I thought about it.
I even prayed about it.
When every choice hurts,
how do you tell
which one's the right one?
In the end, I kept silent.
Sometimes, mostly late at night
when I can't sleep
I think that was wrong.
But in daylight,
I know better.
In daylight, I know better.
♪