The Twilight Zone (1959) s04e05 Episode Script

You unlock this door with the key of imagination.
Beyond it is another dimension- a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind.
You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas.
You've just crossed over into the twilight zone.
So "the undersigned, "having accepted the following propositions: "A, that prior to the inception of language, "man communicated by telepathic means; "and b, that this ability not only still exists "but can be redeveloped to its former effectiveness; "do hereby agree to the following precepts.
"One, that we shall henceforth dedicate "our professional and private lives "to the study of mental telepathy "and whatever extrasensory functions "may be supplemental to it.
"Two, that the findings of the study shall be applied "not only to ourselves, but to all our children.
"Three, that each family unit "shall reside in a location "calculated to prevent "the interference of society.
"Four, that monthly correspondence "shall be exchanged "until such time as they will establish "a joint colony "in which communication of every sort shall be exclusively mental.
" There are sure to be other details, of course, but for now, this should suffice to get us started.
Comments? More than sufficient, i think.
Most specific.
Karl? It is what we agreed upon.
That sounds very much like disapproval.
No, no, no.
Not at all.
I will be pleased to sign.
You are certain now? This should not be entered into unless with absolute assurance.
He is assured, holger.
His apparent uncertainty is only a sympathetic reflection of my own.
You are still uncertain? Not in the general concept, holger.
I agree with it, believe in it.
It is yet that i wonder, do we have the right to impose this study on our children, even those unborn? You speak as if we plan to harm our children.
Isn't it rather that we hope to bestow upon them a gift beyond price? Of course that is our hope, but we offer them no choice in the matter.
Is that just? I too am a mother, maria, devoted to the welfare of my child, yet i am convinced it is just.
It is more than just.
It's inevitable.
Destiny demands it.
Did you and holger decide definitely not to stay in europe? Yes.
There's a house in pennsylvania which was left to holger by an uncle.
We plan to live in it.
Oh, excellent.
What town is this? German corners.
What you're witnessing is the curtain-raiser to a most extraordinary play: To wit the signing of a pact, the commencement of a project.
The play itself will be performed almost entirely offstage.
The final scenes are to be enacted a decade hence and with a different cast.
The main character of these final scenes is ilse, the daughter of professor and mrs.
Nielsen, age two.
At the moment, she lies sleeping in her crib, unaware of the singular drama in which she is to be involved.
Ten years from this moment, ilse nielsen is to know the desolating terror of living simultaneously in the world and in the twilight zone.
Yeah? Sheriff wheeler? Yeah.
This is tom poulter.
The nielsen house is burning.
What? There's a fire at the nielsen house.
Big fire- hurry.
Right.
What is it? Fire at the nielsen house.
Did it just start? I hope so.
If it didn't max, it's harry.
There's a fire at the nielsen house.
Call the volunteers.
Get the truck out.
I'll be there in 10 or 15 minutes.
Got it? I told them when they first came here they shouldn't live so far out of town, but they wanted their privacy.
That girl that lovely girl we'll never put that out.
Never mind the house.
Keep the woods from catching.
Come on, let's check out back.
They're done for.
Poor kid.
Harry, over here, quick! Do you think she's is she burned? She's alive.
Are you all right? She's in shock, harry.
Get a blanket on her.
Bad off.
Can't talk, can't cry, can't do nothing.
She's not burned, though.
How could she get out without being burned? I don't know.
Is she hurt? Not physically.
I think she's in shock.
We'd better get her to bed.
We'll have to use sally's the other bedroom, cora.
All right.
Cora.
Oh, i'm sorry.
She's beautiful.
She looks just like sally.
Doesn't she? You want something to eat? No, i haven't got time.
Thought i'd take some coffee to the boys.
Are her parents? No way of knowing.
Can't get close to the house yet.
It's burning too hard.
Well, how? Tom poulter found her outside.
Outside? We don't know how she got there.
I expect her parents are dead, though.
It's an awful fire.
Poor child.
There's something wrong with her.
I know she's not deaf or dumb or retarded or anything.
Before she fell asleep, i tried to get her to talk.
She didn't say a word.
Not a word.
Even in shock, the powers of speech aren't completely gone.
It's as though she doesn't know how to talk.
Be careful.
Mother? Mother! Where are you, mother? Are you near me, father? Mother! Father! Where are you? No no! They're dead! They're dead! Ilse! Ilse, what is it? I'm not going to hurt you, ilse.
What's the matter, darling? They're dead.
They're dead! They're dead! They're dead! And there's no way of getting in touch with her relatives? Everything burned.
Tom poulter said the nielsens get three letters from europe the end of each month.
Maybe they're from relatives.
We can wait till the next batch arrives and write to the three addresses.
What'll we do with the girl until then? Well, we'll have to keep her here.
Only be for a week or so, cora.
Unless the girl can tell us something.
Nope.
You don't think she can talk, either? I tried everything i could to get her to.
That explains it.
What? The times miss frank and i tried to talk the nielsens into putting the girl in school, the answer was always no.
Maybe there's something physically wrong with her.
Well, we'll have doc steiger check her over.
I don't think he'll find anything.
I just can't understand it.
They were educated people.
They didn't even teach their own daughter how to talk.
They were strange people, too, cora.
They hardly ever spoke themselves.
We should put the girl in school while we're waiting for those letters- teach her how to talk, anyway.
Well, not right away.
She has to start sooner or later, doesn't she? Harry, she just lost her parents.
I didn't mean tomorrow or the next day.
You know, it's a crime, a girl that age not being educated, not even knowing how to talk.
Her father a professor, too- keeping his own child in ignorance.
Well, something's got to be done.
Somebody's got to undo what her parents did to her.
I'm not surprised- their decision to live out of town.
Why wouldn't they teach her how to talk? And there's no reason why she can't talk.
I don't understand it.
He says he just can't understand it.
There's nothing wrong with her.
He he checked everything.
What is it, ilse? You can tell us, darling.
Nobody's going to be angry with you.
Don't be afraid of us, ilse.
Don't be afraid of us.
Cora, leave her alone! Well, i can't just ignore her.
She's been here over a week now.
What's the use? There's just no way of getting through to her.
Well, i have to keep on trying.
Ilse.
Didn't they ever talk to you? I wish i could make you understand.
She was swimming in the lake it's it's almost as if you understand.
Bye, hon.
Bye-bye.
See you at lunch.
Hello? Yes, he is.
Harry.
Yeah? Yeah, tom.
All right, i'll be right over.
The letters from europe are in.
I'll see you in a little while.
Now they'll come and get me take me to the other children who are the way i am.
Did you get them? What? The letters.
Tom poulter couldn't let me have them.
It's against the law.
He's got to send them back.
All he could do was let me copy off the return addresses.
I'm going to write to them now.
It's all right, ilse.
You run along now.
Suppose you have to write them.
What do you mean? Thanks.
Nothing.
Wha what are you saying to them? About the fire, the nielsens dying, asking them if they're related to the girl or know where any of her relatives are.
Well what if her relatives aren't any better for her than her parents were? What are you talking about? It's my duty to find her relatives.
Who they are or what they are is none of my business.
The welfare of a child is everybody's business! We are not in a position to decide.
We're in a position just to send her away, just get rid of her.
Then maybe she won't ever talk.
Maybe she'll go through life just being afraid of shadows! Cora i understand.
Sally gone and another child in the house but she's not our child, cora.
We have no rights where she's concerned.
There's something wrong with her.
Our job is to make every effort is that why you want to get rid of her? I don't have to answer that, do i, cora? Now they'll come and get me.
Ilse! Ilse! They'll never find me now.
Never! Never! Oh, please, help me! I'm here, ilse nielsen! Help me, please! Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Leave her alone! Twilight zonewill continue after station identification.
Now, who could that be? Probably miss frank.
Well, aren't you going to let her in? Yes, cora, i asked her to come.
Hello, miss frank.
Mrs.
Wheeler.
Won't you come in? Thank you.
Afternoon, miss frank.
Glad you could come.
I thought it was my duty.
Don't put me in school, please.
Won't you sit down? Cora! As i told you a few days ago, i've written to these people in europe four or five weeks ago.
We just haven't had any answer.
We don't know what we're going to do with her.
While we're deciding, she ought to start getting an education.
She most certainly should.
It was positively criminal of her parents not to have started her education years ago.
The smugness of them.
The insufferable disdain.
"We do not wish our daughter to go to your school.
" Just like that.
In many ways, the fire was a blessing of her life.
What? I'm not referring to her lack of education, mrs.
Wheeler.
But to call such a hideous thing a blessing.
I'm sure i didn't mean it that way, mrs.
Wheeler.
The first thing she must learn to do, of course, is talk.
If i may see her now? I'll get her.
She's a very shy little girl, miss frank.
She'll need understanding.
She shall receive it, mrs.
Wheeler.
Come here, ilse.
Well, i think we're going to get along just fine, you and i.
Don't let her touch me.
Please.
No, not her.
No.
It'll be fun, darling.
Don't be afraid.
Come on.
Good morning, mrs.
Wheeler.
We were just about to start.
Good morning, miss frank.
I do hope everything will be all right.
Ilse's don't be afraid.
Now, you just leave her here, mrs.
Wheeler.
She'll feel at home in no time.
Well, i was wondering if i just couldn't stay for a little while.
As long as you're here, she'll be upset.
She can't begin to adjust until she's alone with us.
Believe me, it's the only way.
All right.
Good-bye, dear.
I'll pick you up after school.
Don't be afraid.
She's going to be fine, mrs.
Wheeler.
We'll take good care of her.
Right up front, now, ilse.
Class this is ilse nielsen.
We're going to have to be very patient with her, because her parents never taught her how to speak.
She doesn't understand one word of english.
But we're going to help her learn, aren't we? Yes.
We are going to work with her until she's exactly like everybody else.
Aren't we, class? Yes, miss frank.
Now, ilse, can you say your name, ilse? Try to say it.
Your name, child.
Ilse.
Try to say it, child.
Your name.
You'll learn.
"This is a boat.
A boat sails on the ocean.
" Ocean.
"The men who live "who live and work on the boat are called sailors.
" He's trying to tell about the boat, but the boat isn't words.
It isn't words.
Why don't they learn the way father taught me? You must pay attention, ilse.
If you do not pay attention, you will never learn.
I said, "get up, ilse.
" Up.
Now, we'll try again.
Say your name- ilse.
Your name- ilse.
Ilse nielsen.
Do you understand? I will help you to understand.
I will say your name for you.
Ilse, ilse.
Class, tell ilse her name.
On the count of three.
One, two, three.
Ilse.
Ilse, ilse, ilse don't push, children.
Be careful, be careful.
I want you to know you're not fooling me for one moment.
I know exactly what you are.
I know, because my father tried to force me into the same thing when i was your age, and after many years of concentrated effort, i overcame that sickness which my father had forced on me as i am going to help you overcome it, ilse.
It's true, isn't it? They've been training you to be a medium, trying to distort your innocent mind to communicate with the dead.
You've been trained to be a medium, haven't you? Haven't you? No, it isn't true.
That's not what they were training me for.
You understand me.
You know what i think.
Don't you see, ilse? You've proven my point.
You've proven it to me.
You are a medium.
No, i'm not.
You're wrong.
I'm not a medium.
I was wondering mrs.
Wheeler.
Oh, ilse, was it so bad? No, she's coming along nicely.
Oh, she was a little timid at first, but she's learning.
She's most definitely learning.
I'm so glad.
We'll see her tomorrow morning, then.
Yes.
Good-bye, miss frank.
Come along, dear.
The next day and the next day and the next day.
Please, sir.
Where could we find authority? Authority? Yes, uh how do you say it? The constable, the sheriff.
Oh, yes, yes.
The sheriff.
Turn around.
Bitte? Turn around.
That building.
Oh.
Danke.
Uh thank you.
Constable.
I feel so guilty, karl.
What else could we do? We simply could not get away any sooner.
We have our own responsibility to the project.
I know, but almost three months since we last heard from holger and fanny.
If they only hadn't chosen such a far-removed location for their work.
They are americans, karl.
We could not have expected them to reside in europe.
Do you still think that something bad has happened to them? Why else would they have failed to write? I hope you are wrong.
That lovely child.
And such a talent.
Their progress with her has been phenomenal.
It is almost as if as if she wasborntelepathic.
I think that of all the children, she had the most potential.
Yuck.
Hello? It's me, cora yes, dear? Well, what is it, harry? Harry.
The ones from europe are here, cora.
Did you hear me? Yeah.
I'm going to have to bring them over to the house.
We'll be over in a little while.
If we'd only heard from you but not a word.
You can understand why we felt free to start adoption proceedings.
We understand completely, sheriff.
However, as i've said, we received no letters.
Just don't understand it.
Well holger and fanny dead.
I still can't believe it.
How horrible.
Even more horrible, the thought of ilse exposed to people who do not understand.
Cora, this is professor werner, mrs.
Werner.
My wife.
Mrs.
Wheeler.
How do you do? Won't you come in? Thank you.
They say they never received those letters i wrote to them.
Oh? That's odd.
Won't you sit down? Thank you.
She burned those letters, maria.
Yes, i know.
How terribly she suffers.
Frau werner, you came a long way.
Yes, we did.
Are we going to tell them anything about ilse? Not unless we have to.
May we see ilse? Well, i'm going to pick her up at school in a little while.
School? They should never have sent her to school.
Ilse? Ilse nielsen.
Stand up.
Stand up, ilse.
Come forward.
Face the class.
Straighten up.
Shoulders back.
Now, what is your name? Your name.
What is your name? Class we will do again what we've been doing for the past week.
On the count of three, think ilse's name.
Don't say it aloud.
Ready? One, two, three.
Ilse, ilse, ilse, ilse, ilse, ilse, ilse, ilse here they come.
Ilse this is professor and frau werner.
Hello, young lady.
Ilse, you must concentrate.
Your father was in contact with us.
Our children once were being trained just like you.
They're in germany.
Ilse, you remember the pakt, elkenbergs- us, the kalders, your father and your mother.
Dusseldorf, ten years ago.
The pact, the project about mental telepathy.
Germany, ten years ago.
The pact telepathy.
The werners are from europe, ilse.
They were friends of your parents.
Ilse- think! Ilse, where is your mind? Your mind, ilse.
Concentrate! My name is ilse.
My name is ilse.
My name is ilse.
My name is ilse.
My name is ilse! Don't cry, baby.
Don't cry.
I'm here, i'm here.
Don't cry, darling, i'm with you.
I'm with you.
You can't take her away from me! Cora! No! I won't let them.
I love her.
And she loves me, and sheneedsme.
You have no right.
You have no right! I want to apologize again for my wife and myself.
We thought we understand.
Naturally, you would think that we have come to take ilse back with us.
However, as i've said, we have no legal power to demand her being no relation.
Good-bye, sheriff.
Good-bye.
Good luck.
Uh and thanks again.
Your bus ought to be along in five or ten minutes.
I hope we have made no mistake letting them keep her, even though the nielsens did give us the legal right to i don't think so, karl.
To take her to the other children now would be terrible for her.
Her facility is gone.
Even with work, it might not return.
I suppose.
But all those years holger and fanny spent on her wasted.
Wasted? If they had not made her mind so receptive, how could they have led her out from the burning house, even though they were trapped? But the loss, the loss- it isn't right.
There is no right or wrong to it, karl.
They all meant well.
No one wanted anything but to help her.
But to lose everything? She has not lost everything.
She has gained something, karl.
Gained? We always knew that holger and fanny did not really care for her.
Maria.
They were not unkind.
They gave her what affection they had in them to give.
But the project always came first.
You know that, karl.
For them, ilse was less a daughter than she was an experiment in flesh.
She's going to be all right.
For now, she's loved, and that is so much more important than telepathy.
Isn't it? Yes, liebchen.
Much more important.
It has been noted in a book of proven wisdom that perfect love casteth out fear.
Well, it's unlikely that this observation was meant to include that specific fear which follows the loss of extrasensory perception.
The principle remains, as always, beautifully intact.
That of ilse nielsen, former resident of the twilight zone.
Mr.
Richard matheson lets his typewriter pay us a return visit next time out ontwilight zone with a story called "death ship.
" Now this one is for science fiction aficionados, ghost story buffs and any and all who file away clues with an eye toward outguessing the writer.
Next ontwilight zone, misters jack klugman, ross martin and fred beir take an extended trip through space on a death ship.
Captain.
Something glittered down there.
What is it? Something down there? Mason thinks so.
There was something.
We stay together.
No one takes any risks.
That's an order, mason.