Afterlife (2005) s01e05 Episode Script

(DOOR OPENING) (DOOR CLOSING) (ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) (GASPING) Have you tried breaking your routine? Sleeping in a different bed? Every bed in the house.
Vigorous exercise? Sport? Maybe you're not tired enough to sleep.
Could you just renew my prescription please? My doctor in Manchester didn't have a problem with that.
Well, to me, simply taking pills may address the problem, but it won't get at the underlying cause.
I just want to sleep, please.
(DOG BARKING) Sorry, he's only a puppy.
He won't hurt you.
Are you Alison Mundy? Hi, I'm Sandra, Sandra Petch.
Can I talk to you? -No.
-It's doing my head in, please? I don't know where else to go.
It started with strange feelings.
Ever since I moved in I knew something wasn't right.
First, it was piddling little things like losing your car keys, and they'd turn up in a really obvious place.
Moscow seemed to know in a weird kind of way, you know.
Next, it was the fridge.
I opened the fridge one day and all the food had gone rotten.
The guy came to fix it, couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Changed the plug.
It happened again, two weeks later.
I got on the phone.
They must've been thinking, ''Who is this mad person again''? You know? How did you hear about me, if you don't mind me asking? My friend's mother saw you at a psychic evening in Clifton.
Said you could see, hear Have you ever seen anything? Once.
In the bedroom.
This dark figure filling the doorway, out of the corner of my eye.
I locked myself in the bathroom.
Like the bathroom door is going to be any help.
Have you heard anything? Noises.
Mostly at night.
And crying.
A woman.
Really, really clear, likeshe's in the room with me.
Come in.
(ALARM BEEPING) (BEEPING STOPS) The heater's started to have a mind of its own too.
Roasting hot when you go to bed then you wake up in the middle of the night because it's so freezing.
(MAN TALKING SOFTLY) I didn't know that you shared the flat.
I thought you lived alone.
-Yes, I do.
-So, who's that then? No one.
There's no one in here.
It's just you and me.
(MAN TALKING) -Hi, I'm looking for the restaurant, please.
-Oh, yes.
It's just through there.
Thank you.
Brendan Page? -Pleased to meet you.
-Dr Bridge.
Please, don't call me Doctor.
It sounds like I'm trying to impress.
-Tea? -No, thank you.
Don't worry, I'm not gonna say I can see your Aunt Gertie over your left shoulder.
It's my day off.
What can I do for you? It's just that I knew you were coming to the conference.
It's to do with my research at the moment.
A book I'm writing.
Intriguing.
Fire away.
You call yourself a ''psychic medium''.
You run a very successful business.
My question is, how does someone learn to live with your kind of gift? -Not everyone can.
-That's true.
It used to be a nightmare.
I went right off the rails at one stage.
But, to be honest, I've discovered, if you learn to deal with stress levels, you keep the spirits at bay.
-Relaxation, those kind of techniques.
-Anything.
Everything.
And don't let them dominate every waking thought, or they'll suck you dry.
They'll kill you.
Alison.
Her name is Alison, isn't it? Tell Alison I said, ''Get a life''.
That's helpful, Brendan.
Thanks for your time.
I may catch you later.
Hi.
Don't look at what shouldn't happen, Robert.
Look at what does.
I don't know what I'll see.
I might not see anything.
Thank you.
Thanks for staying the night.
ROBERT: Her EEG results are normal, No sign of pathology of the brain, no sharp, spiky abnormalities like these which might indicate seizure disorders or cerebral lesions.
However, Alison displays all the key characteristics of fantasy-prone personality.
And it's been shown that 67% of students who are fantasy-prone met the criteria.
But you're not interested in percentages, are you? And you know what? Neither am I.
Are we gonna discover what's going on here by looking at charts or chewing on numbers, like accountants.
What do I know about this person? This medium.
Well, I know she's a fragile, courageous person who endured a terrifying near-death experience and survived.
Whatever her mind conjured up, it helped her to hold on.
I'll tell you what I think, why I'm constantly fascinated by people like her.
The big, unsolved question in science at the moment is, ''What is consciousness''? Well, maybe people like Alison, with their schizoid personalities and abnormal perceptions, might hold the key.
Her gift is, in fact, a gift to us because it may be the clue to questions about reality we've barely even asked yet.
If we just keep looking.
Maslansky, I heard your talk on psychics and lies.
-Still taking an Uzi to the paranormal, I see? -Still telling the truth.
For those who want to hear it.
More than I can say for some people I've heard.
-And what have you heard? -You give attention-seekers attention.
They love it.
News flash.
Play-actors like an audience.
-What if they're not play-acting? -I rest my case.
Maslansky, you're just as entrenched in your beliefs as the people you decimate.
My mind is open.
It's just not so open that my brains have fallen out.
It's understandable, of course.
I heard about your son.
I'm sorry for your loss.
(ROBERT SIGHING) (DOOR CLOSING) (DRYER HUMMING) (DRYER STOPS) (KNOCKING ON DRYER) (SIGHING) (WOMAN MOANING) (MAN AND WOMAN GIGGLING) (WOMAN GIGGLING) (WOMAN SCREAMS) I felt something all over me under the sheets.
Touching me.
I can hear crying.
(WOMAN CRYING) He's there.
He's stripped to the waist.
I can see tears on his cheeks.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) (WOMAN GASPING) I spoke to Brendan Page yesterday.
He's a very respected international medium, have you heard of him? No.
Well, he says the best way to get control of the spirits is to minimise your anxiety.
Oh, that's brilliant.
I just saw a Chinese woman smothered to death in front of my eyes.
Didn't do much to minimise my anxiety, I have to tell you.
I felt useless.
I couldn't do anything to stop it.
All I could do was watch.
It's like I'm not there to them.
It's like a replay, like a time-loop.
So, how do you break that cycle of violence when it's so imprinted, it's so indelible? I'd like to see this place.
Meet this Sandra.
Why? So that you can rubbish it like you always do? No.
Because I'm concerned about you.
-Hi, Jude.
-Hi.
-We've met, haven't we? Alison, isn't it? -Yes, that's right.
Hello.
-Well, enjoy your meal.
Catch up soon.
-Yeah.
-Hi, you okay? -How are you? Okay, that's the address.
What time do you finish at the university? -5:00, 5:30.
Are you sure you want me to come? -Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sure I want you to.
(DOORBELL RINGING) -Oh, Alison.
Hi.
-Hello.
Come in.
-Alison, this is Leo.
-Hello.
Leo is just buggering off.
Your wish is my command.
I know I'll get over it.
I just need to sort my head out.
I just can't.
You will.
Plenty more fish in the sea than that tosser.
Anyway, you are a fabulous-looking girl.
I like you.
You can come again.
It was bad, wasn't it? Leo likes things his own way.
Felt a bit threatened when he didn't get it.
Like a little boy.
I went out with a bloke like that once.
He didn't like things that didn't fit in with the little rules in his little head.
Anyway, bollocks to that.
It's all water under the bridge.
-Did he.
Was he violent? -Er, once.
Yeah.
But once was enough.
I didn't hang about.
I was out of there like shit off a shovel.
-How about you? Did Leo ever.
-Not any more.
Look at that.
What a team.
(BUZZER BUZZING) SANDRA: Hi, Come on up, (DOOR OPENING) Robert's speciality is explaining things away.
It keeps him happy.
That's unfair.
I'm not claiming these things don't happen to people, clearly they do.
Lots of people have experiences of some kind when they're recently bereaved.
I'm not bereaved.
The end of a relationship is a kind of bereavement, in a way.
Are you saying it's me? The question is, ''Do ghosts exist if nobody's there to see them?'' I don't think they do.
Certain factors can contribute to the ghost-seeing experience.
Fatigue, alcohol, the weather, your cultural or religious beliefs.
-I don't have any beliefs.
-Your levels of fear then, or expectation.
-Domestic stresses and strains.
-Robert, these spirits here are acting out the past.
They're like robots.
They don't need us to see them.
They're locked in a moment.
Trapped in a cycle of despair.
SANDRA: The bulbs are always blowing.
Five, six times a week.
A day even.
ALISON: Robert, are you listening to me? Perhaps tragedies, deaths leave a memory, a trace.
Like a cinema, showing a film over and over.
-Then why do some people see it and some don't? -Some have their eyes closed.
Some are too frightened to.
(SANDRA GASPS) That cup just moved.
I put it there and now it's there.
Did you see it? Shit! It's okay.
It's all right.
Home is a place where everyone should feel safe.
When I was a kid, I used to sing Ten Green Bottles over and over again in my head to keep the bogeyman away.
Sometimes I didn't realise I'd been singing it out loud and my mum would come up and tuck me in.
What was your mother like? Relationships always leave marks.
Wounds.
Maybe that's what rooms hold on to.
Like Pandora's box, waiting to be opened.
Tell me about Josh.
I won't say anything.
I just want to know.
What was he like? He had blond hair.
-He.
-Robert, don't tell me what he looked like.
Tell me something that you remember.
When he was about four, we went to a carnival on the Downs.
He was desperate to get his face painted.
He had his heart set on this photo of Spider-Man.
''I want to look like him.
'' And the poor guy did his best, but, to be honest, he didn't look much like Spider-Man.
He didn't look much like anything, really.
And Josh looked in the mirror and looked at the photo and looked at the mirror and looked at the photo.
(ROBERT SIGHING) Do you ever feel him near you? No.
(MOSCOW GROWLING) (DISTANT POLICE SIREN) (WOMAN MUTTERING) Darling, not now.
I'm tired.
(WOMAN MUTTERING) Alison? (LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING) Jesus Christ! (GASPING) It's all right.
Alison, you're awake.
Thought I'd go in early.
Put a rocket up Wobbly Ken.
Make sure he isn't turning away good punters and letting his mates in.
How's the migraine? Don't worry.
It's probably just a brain tumour.
-Don't look at me like that.
-Like what? If you want to worry, worry about looking gorgeous.
You used to be good at that.
You should be so lucky.
(ZIPPING) Don't go out.
Don't invite anybody in.
Don't make any phone calls.
If you do, I'll know.
Don't answer the phone.
Don't use the stereo.
If you eat.
Wash the plate and leave it out for you to check before putting it away.
Think you can manage that? Good.
Hey give your husband a kiss.
(GASPING) It's all right.
Alison, you're awake.
(DOOR OPENING) ROBERT: You suffered what's called sleep paralysis.
-Hypnagogic hallucination isn't unknown.
-Robert, will you just.
Sandra, you can't stay here.
You have to leave here right now.
(ALARM BEEPING) -Good morning.
I was going to bring you this up.
-I don't think I could face anything.
-Did you sleep all right? -Like a baby.
Glad one of us did.
What time do you have to be in work? Do you know what? I'm sorry, I never asked you.
What is it that you do? Shoe shop, Broadmead.
I'll call in sick.
They'll be cool about it.
Right.
Well, I'm going to have a bath and then head up to the shops.
Do you mind if I stay here for a while? I just need to sort myself out.
Of course.
Be my guest.
Hello, Jude.
He's not in today.
I know.
Actually, I wasn't looking for him, I was looking for you.
-Have you got a minute? -Absolutely.
I know it's none of my business, but this woman, Alison, is she a girlfriend? Is it serious? No, no, God.
It's professional.
His interest is in.
He tests certain kinds of people, you know that.
It's.
-Look, maybe this isn't the best time, just now.
-Why are you being so cagey, Barb? I'm not.
I don't like her, that's all.
I don't think she's a good influence on him.
I don't know why.
Yes, you do.
You know exactly why, don't you? (BOYS CHATTING) -Hello, Mr Bridge.
-Charlie.
Blimey, you're a giant.
I didn't recognise you.
How is Storming Norman? Still got egg stains on his tie? I don't have Mr Norman any more.
He teaches the little kids.
-Oh, yes, of course he does.
-I'm in juniors now.
Are you? Of course you are.
That's great, that's exciting.
-Don't work too hard.
-My dad says I have to.
You don't always have to listen to your dad, do you? Well, goodbye.
(SIGHING) -Hiya.
-Hi.
Listen, I've phoned some mates.
They're going to let me stay there for a while.
-I'm not going back.
-Oh, good.
That's great.
Yeah.
Talking to you made me realise I mustn't be weak.
I've got to find the strength to sell the flat and move on, whatever's ahead of me.
-What about the spirits? -Maybe it's impossible to help them.
Maybe the bad choices you make in life are never undone.
You have to try and make positive ones.
-It was a bad place for you to be in, Sandra.
-I know.
-Thank you.
Thanks for your help.
-That's okay.
-Bye-bye, Sandra.
Take care.
-I will.
Bye, Moscow.
See you.
(ALARM BEEPING) (ACID JAZZ PLAYING ON STEREO) ROBERT: Sit down.
Let me get you a coffee or something.
What's happened? Is it Clive? What is it you get up to with this woman? This Alison.
-How often do you see her? -Whoa! I'm writing a book about her.
I'm studying her.
What do you want me to write about? Taxation? Detergent? It's what I do.
And what does she do, Robert? She contacts the dead, correct? It's sick.
She's sick.
No, you're sick.
Is this your twisted way of dealing.
-No! It isn't.
-Look, I know that you feel grief, -blame, self-hate, but consulting a.
-I'm not consulting anybody.
It's work.
-Don't tell me you haven't talked about Josh.
-We haven't.
I haven't.
-Do you think I'm an idiot, Robert? -No.
Look, I have tried so hard to be kind, to be helpful to you.
But I can't let your feelings have a hold on my life any more.
-It's not fair.
-I'm not asking you to.
I never asked you to.
Look, if you were screwing her, I wouldn't mind.
I'd be glad.
But this is a betrayal.
Don't you see that? It's not betraying me, you're betraying Josh.
The good memories that we have of Josh you just abused them.
No.
I have to go.
I have to get out of here.
Don't go, Jude, please, don't go like this.
-Why? -Please.
You know I wouldn't hurt you for the world.
What can I do? Tell me.
If Josh means anything to you, you'll promise me you won't see her again.
I do.
I promise.
-You signing autographs? -Sorry? You signing autographs, now? I think you've got me mixed up with Cameron Diaz, mate.
-Can I look at that? -Yes.
-Get out of my way.
-Would you like to defend Alison? -Or yourself perhaps? -She trusted you.
What evidence did you find of a haunting, Dr Bridge? You think you've proved something? You haven't.
You conned her with a cheap trick, that's all.
-You're the fraud.
You're despicable.
-Don't play the high and mighty, Robert.
Come on.
You've written about this stuff, and you think it's a load of bullshit, just like me.
No, I'm not like you, Sandra, or whatever the hell your name is.
It's Nichola.
The difference is, Nichola, I want to find the truth.
You don't.
You just want to sell newspapers and you don't care who you hurt in the process.
Alison hurts people, weak, gullible people, not me.
If this wrecks her reputation and stops her, I'm glad.
-Go to hell.
-Unquote.
Thank you.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) -ROBERT: Alison, it's me.
-Go away! (KNOCKING ON DOOR) Leave me alone! -Come on, Alison, open the door.
-Oh, go away, Robert.
-Please, open the door.
-Go away! Alison.
(BANGING ON DOOR) All right! Welcome to my world.
-I can see you're busy.
-Yes, I am.
Would you care for a wee dram? I'd love to see what happens when Dr Robert Bridge gets completely rat-arsed.
-Do you think this is going to help? -It's gonna help me.
-Why did I come here? -How the hell should I know? I'm not psychic.
I'm not psychic.
I'm not psychic.
It's no use getting upset.
We may as well face up to the fact that we've been had.
-She made fools of us.
-No, she made fools of them.
You were suggestible and so was I.
We both saw and heard things -that couldn't possibly have existed.
-No, I know what I saw.
Alison, come on.
-It's there in black and white.
-Well, I don't care.
'Cause I saw that man bending over me.
I felt that pillow on my face.
It was make-believe.
She made us believe.
''My plan was simple.
''To invent a ghost and see if a medium would nevertheless see it.
'' She must have picked up on something that was there.
There were no ghosts.
There couldn't possibly be any ghosts.
''The block was built in 1 967 and my mum lived in there up until two months ago ''and she never saw or heard anything.
''No one died there or even lived there except for her.
'' Shut up! Shut up! What are you doing? Have you finished? Why can't you cope with reality? Why can't you do something to help yourself? I came here.
Yeah, why? Why did you come here, Robert, why? I told you what Brendan Page said about removing stress from your life -and you ignored me.
-Do you know what? Just go.
Just go away.
Go home.
Because I don't want you here, Robert.
Go.
The truth is, you don't want to be helped, do you? -You don't want the spirits to leave you alone.
-They won't leave me alone! Your dead son won't leave me alone! I didn't approve of what Sandra did or how she did it, but you know what? It's what I've been trying to tell you all along.
Josh is lost, he's in limbo, Robert, and the only person who can help him move on is you.
No.
What keeps him here is your insanity.
What kind of father are you, Robert? Did you go to him in the night when he cried? Well, he's crying now.
He cries all the time.
-He just cries and cries and I can hear him here.
-Shut up! Shut up! Don't you push me! Damn you.
I think I made him mad, Josh.
I think I made him angry, Joshie.
I think our professional arrangement has come to its natural end.
-I want it to end.
-No, you don't.
I do.
It's over.
Don't reject him.
I'm not rejecting him.
I'm rejecting you.
Please, Robert, don't.
Please don't let him suffer just because you and I.
(ALISON CRYING) (CHILD CRYING) (DOOR OPENING) We're going to be happy here.
This is a happy place.
(MAN AND WOMAN GIGGLING)