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Haunting of Sorority Row, The (2007)
It's Nikki Evans.
Look, I don't care. I told them I can't do it next week. I have to give a speech to the new pledges at my sorority. Hey, I'm a star alumnus, what can I say? I don't have a choice. I'm sorry, Dan, but I can't juggle 10 things at once. Look, I'm going to have to call you back. No! No! Jane! Why didn't you wake me? I tried. Oh, the alarm's been going off for 10 minutes! I know. You fell back asleep. Come on! I'll remind all of you once again, miss line up, pack your bags. Understood? - Yes. - Yes. This is the official start of pledge week, or better known as hell week. The next seven days will be the toughest, but most rewarding of your sorry little lives. If you survive, if you do what you are told, when you are told, without question... ...you will have the privilege of being asked to petition for membership at the Delta Phi Theta sorority. Only the best and brightest will be accepted into 42-19. Samantha Willows. Weeping Willows. Why do we call ourselves 42-19? Delta is the Greek number four, which represents the four initial members who founded the sorority in 1922. Phi is the number 21, representing the golden ratio, and Theta is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet. Which represents what? In classical Athens, it was used as an abbreviation for the Greek word "thanatos." Death. Used in reference to what? Rebirth. A new life. Whitney Seasons. You're Legacy, aren't you? Your sister's on that wall. Do you think that gives you any special privileges? No. You're right. Jane Horten... Horten hears a Who? You've got to be kidding. That's Horton with an "O." My name is with an "E." What's her name? Um, Nikki. Nikki Evans. And what's the significance of this wall? The bottom photos are current members, the others are alumni. Star alumni. Who is Nikki Evans? Assistant to the chairman of the Democratic National Party. The youngest in the history of the party. Wendy Taubin? Junior partner, Dunlap, Hennessy, Dunlap, consulting firm to Fortune 500 companies based in New York. Listen up, you sorry little bitches. You will memorize each and every one of these names. Many of them will come and speak over the course of the year. Why? Because they've achieved the goal of every sorority sister to ever pledge 42-19. Success. It's expected from each and every one of us, because we all have one thing in common. What is it? Delta Phi Theta! Delta Phi Theta! Delta Phi Theta! Day One. You will scrub every inch of this house. Bedrooms, bathrooms, toilets, kitchen. Each of you will have your own assignment. No helping one another. Sam... I will expect to eat off this floor. I have class all afternoon. Then I suggest you get started. Our next pledge meeting is in here... tonight. Have the rest of this memorized. Sam! Hold up! Hey... Hi. "Greek life on Campus?" More like geek life on campus. I mean, why are you even doing this? We hated people like that back in high school. We're not in high school anymore, Oliver. I've already made some great friends. It's different here. I know. It sucks. Hey, you know, there's this guy speaking at Miller Hall this afternoon, he's written a bunch of books on ESP, it's supposed to be amazing stuff. You want to go? Yeah, talk about geek life on campus... What? I can't. I have to pick up our president's dry cleaning, I have homework, I have to memorize this book by tonight, and on top of it, I have to sanitize the sunroom. I'm sorry. I-I just have to get through pledge week, and then I'll have more time. For me... or them? I hardly saw you before pledge week. I know, look... I have to go, okay? I'll call you. Tomorrow we will be hosting an off-campus party with Sigma Phi Kappa, our fraternity chapter here on campus. You will serve the guests. You will not speak to anyone. You will not make eye contact with anyone. No exceptions. You slip up, you're expelled. Even you, Legacy. And if you think you can get away with anything when we're not watching, you're wrong. Anyone can and will report you. Did any of you ever play truth or dare in high school? We like to play a game called truth... or bare. It's simple. We ask a question. You tell the truth. We find out you're lying, you will be required to walk naked from this house to the campus fountain. You think I'm joking. Ask Rachel. Our pledge year, she wasn't exactly forthcoming, were you, Rachel? No secrets. From this day on, we share everything. Trust is everything at 42-19. Got it? Horten hears a Who... You first. We want you to tell us something you've never told anyone. Well, if I've never told anyone, how can you tell if I'm lying? You're a smartass little bitch, aren't you? I'm sorry, but like my Aunt always said, it's better to be a smartass than a dumb ass. I don't have any secrets. Are you a virgin? You're joking. No, you're not. God... have you even been kissed? I'm a virgin. You? Please. I bet those high school boys couldn't keep their clumsy paws off you. No, I am. It was more my boyfriend than me, but... He wanted to wait. Is he gay? No. Are you? No, I actually thought it was sweet. We wanted to wait till we got married. Wait? Sex is amazing, and what if he's terrible? Trust me, chemistry is everything. Tell the truth now, Sam. Do you really want to wait... ...or does it keep you up at night, that urge, all those discoveries yet to make. To feel a man as he... Hmm, that's what I thought. Thank you for your honesty, Sam. Now be a good little pledge and get me some more wine. Looking for this? Oh, yeah... Thanks. Leslie's dad owns a vineyard. $500 bottle of wine. Welcome to your new life. Trust me, this is a long ways from my life. The only wine we ever had in my house came from a box. Well, that's the great thing about joining a sorority. It doesn't matter who you were, or where you came from. You can be anybody you want now, and trust me, being part of 42-19 definitely makes it better, especially when it comes to guys. They're kind of like fish in a barrel. Actually, I have a... I know. A high school boyfriend, and you're in love? Hmm, weren't we all, but, hey, don't worry about what the other girls say. Just be yourself. Well... The truth is, I have wanted to... you know, and all my friends have. Oliver is sweet, he's just... Starting to feel a lot like the town you grew up in. Small. I feel terrible. I mean, we've dated since we were sophomores. It's a whole new world, Sam. I mean, high-school boyfriends, they're a lot like high school. They're really great memories, but you just can't go back. Where the hell's my wine, Cherry? Coming! Sorry. Hey, don't worry about Leslie. She is all bitch and no bite. I will tell you this, though. You have a peanut allergy, right? How did you know? Because Leslie does her homework, and she would never want you to know this, but she made sure that there was no peanut products in the entire house, and her favorite meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Hi, you've reached the Willows' residence. Leave a message. Hey, Mom, it's me. I know you're at work. I just wanted to leave a message and say hi. I'm fine, everything's going really well. All right, I love you. I'll call you later. Bye. Hi. Cool box. What's in it? A memento. I'd rather not say just yet, if that's okay. Hey... Thanks for jumping in down there. I was really humiliated. You know, I... I think they get off on that. Hey... being a virgin is not an easy thing to admit these days. Can you keep a secret? No secrets, remember? I'm not a virgin. You lied? Jane, they were not kidding about making you walk naked across campus, and they can still kick you out. I know, and I really do want to get in. I was never a part of anything in high school. My mom and dad died in a car accident when I was eight, I was raised by my Aunt, and she was always drunk. That's awful. Do you think people deserve a second chance if they're really sorry for something? I guess so. The only way I could get boys to like me was to sleep with them. It... It pretty much got around my school that I was... but I'm not that person anymore. As far as I'm concerned, she never existed. So if you think about it, I wasn't lying. Just don't say anything, okay? I won't. I'm glad we're roommates, Sam. Me too. Sorry. Is this bugging you? It's freezing in here. Is the heater on? Yeah, it is now. Somebody must have turned it off. Old house. This is one of our new pledges. Samantha Willows. We call her Weeping Willows. You're excused. Wait! Go. She has the metabolism of a 10-year-old. We all hate her. Hey, thin is in. I got lucky. Hey, Sam! Look, somebody's calling your name. Sam? Sam, you okay? Better get over there. Uh, where's your invite? That's my girlfriend. Sam, you... what, are you mad at me? Hey, I haven't mastered mind reading yet, although I think I'm pretty close. Never mind. Just, uh, tell them to let me in? Oh, I see... I wasn't invited. I'm not a frat boy. That's great, Sam. Man, look, she's pledging. I know. Like I told the hard of hearing, I'm her boyfriend. No, you don't get it. This is part of her pledge. She can't talk to anyone, or she gets kicked out. Are you serious? Yeah. Oh, that is so lame. Hey, Sam! Hey! Sam! Sam! Dude, what did I just say? Hands off me, brute. Fine, Sam! Have fun. I'll be, uh... by myself... if you care. See you later. Hey... hi. Um, I'm Spencer Bennett. You're Sam, right? Right, sorry. Look, I'm not trying to mess with you... I just... I want to make sure that the only reason you're not looking at me is because you're pledging. They have chopped peanuts in them. I figured you would have thought I was trying to trip you up if I yelled at you. Sorry. Guess you owe me one, and trust me, somebody's getting fired. You guys... Oh, you do realize you just got yourself expelled. We don't care who your sister is- Shut up! Something awful's happened. I just got off the phone with my sister. Nikki Evans died. What? She killed herself. You better not be screwing with us... I'm not! They found her in her car, in the garage with the engine running. When? Day before yesterday. Oh, my God... It's so weird. They were just talking about her. Did you think Leslie and Rachel's reaction was strange? I don't know. They seemed pretty upset to me. I know. It wasn't that. It was just... Never mind. Do you want anything from the kitchen? No, I'm good. She didn't say anything about being depressed. Why would she all of a sudden kill herself? What do you mean? ...exactly one year ago, Hell Week. I don't think that's coincidence, do you? No, she's right. She just couldn't handle it. Don't you guys think about Jena? Frankly, I don't. I've put it out of my mind, and so should you. Oh, so I can end up like Nikki when it's festered long enough- Shh! Keep it down. I think they're hiding something. What do you mean? When I went down for water, I heard them talking. Who's Jena? Jena? I think something happened here a year ago. Maybe Jena Thorne. Who is she? She was a pledge here last year. I overheard some of the girls talking. Couldn't hack pledge week. Just took off, but she never went home. There was a whole investigation, but nobody got into any trouble. What happened to her? I don't know. She just dropped out. Sorry. Is the light bothering you? No... Couldn't sleep? Nightmare? What idiot turned the heat off again? Nobody. It's set to 80. That's great. Where's the heater? In the basement. My dad was an electrician. I'll take a look. Really? My dad owned a screwdriver and pliers. We'll take care of it. Go back to bed. Power's out. The lights are on upstairs. We must have blown a fuse. What? What did you do? Nothing. It just turned on by itself. Are you allowed to speak to me? Yes. I'm sorry about last night. I acted like an idiot. This is a big thing for me, Oliver. It's one of the most prestigious sororities in the country, and I really like it. I know, I know. It's just that everything's changed since we got here. Shouldn't that be a good thing? Statistically, 92% of all high school relationships end in the first year of college. I thought we were going to get married. Oliver, I'm 18. I don't want to get married to anyone right now. I mean, my life is just starting. I want to make new friends, and go out and try new things, figure out who I am, and I don't want to feel like I have to apologize for that. Is it sex? Because, I mean, we can have sex. It's not sex. No, it's Darwinism. Right? Look at you. Look at me. The strong have to mate with the strong to ensure the survival of the species, and I'd be putting us all at risk. Don't say that. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I don't want any girl. Actually, I saw this coming a long time ago, Sam. ESP. Don't knock the paranormal. The kiss of death. I just need a little space, okay? That's a euphemism, and you know it. Okay? You really do believe in that stuff, huh? ESP, the paranormal? How can you not? The evidence is all around us, Sam. You just have to be open to it. I'll see you. Delta Phi Theta? Yeah. Do you know what they did to her? Jena Thorne. I'm her boyfriend. I don't know her. Something happened to her. One of their rituals. Hazing. Did you know that Jena was claustrophobic? I want to know what they did, only no one in your sorority talks, do they? I'm Collin. I asked her to marry me two days before, and she said yes. And then she just leaves in the middle of the night? Gone. Nobody knows where. She doesn't even say goodbye. Does that make sense? They've got money and connected families. I mean, who would suspect sorority girls of anything, right? Instead, I get questioned for three months. Look, if you see the ring on one of those girls' fingers, you let me know. It's a silver band, green emeralds, with two diamonds on either side of it. You can't miss it. Hey... Spencer. From the party? Oh. Are you okay? Yeah. I'm just going home. Oh. Could I walk with you? Okay. Okay. Everybody's pretty messed up about Nikki Evans, aren't they? Yeah, it's awful. She was nice. It's so weird that she'd kill herself, because she was always, like... on a mission or something, or something, you know? Yeah, I didn't know her. I just feel bad. They're all really upset. Hey, do you want to do something later? I mean, it must be kind of depressing being around here. I don't know, hang out, or go to a play or something? A play? Wow. I thought all you frat boys liked to go to pool halls and drink beer. Yeah, we do, but, uh, I actually like the theater. Just don't tell anybody. Oh, actually, I prefer pool halls and drinking beer, so... - Really? - Yeah. Well, maybe we'll make a compromise then. So? So... Oh, sorry, pledge duties. Right, right, um... Let me have your phone. Please. Okay. Call me. Okay. See you. "Detectives interviewed several students from Delta Phi Theta sorority... Jena Thorne hasn't returned home after dropping out of the sorority during pledge week. However, Jena's Aunt claims and has yet to return home. Former student's boyfriend held on suspicion..." Sam, what are you doing? Line-up's in three seconds! Oh, crap! Two, one... Are we interrupting your day? No, sorry. Nikki's funeral is this Saturday. We will be carpooling, for those of you who want to go. She was a great person and dedicated to this sorority. Which is why we will continue on with pledge week. So, for the next four nights, each of you will participate in a ritual that goes back 80 years. You will not ask questions, and you will swear an oath and take it to your grave. Can I talk to you? Don't you think this ritual is a little inappropriate, considering Nikki's funeral's on Saturday? I thought we were going to end it. End it? It's tradition. We have a responsibility to every woman who's come before us to carry on the legacy of this sorority. We're not just going to throw it all away because of... an accident. Right... and last year? Last year didn't happen. As I was saying... you will be required to be in your rooms, asleep, by 10:30 each night. That's all you need to know. I have a question. What is it? I was curious about what happened to Jena Thorne. She was the pledge who dropped out last year, right? Yes. She couldn't handle pledge week. It's not for everyone. Thursday, we will be doing a fundraiser here in the afternoon. I expect this sorority to once again raise the most money on campus. This year's charity is for breast cancer awareness. Attendance is required. Excuse me. I have a test on Friday, and two papers due... And you'll get an "A" on all of them, or you'll be expelled. I've never gotten As. We have very high standards, Horten. Live up to it, or live somewhere else. Fliers need to be put up at Columbia Hall, Miller Hall, and the Student Center. You're excused. I got to go. Where are you going? Danny's roommate's going out of town for a few days. I would kill for her metabolism. Where the hell is Amanda? I've called her three times. You know how she is with Danny. We won't see her until his roommate's back. Fine. Then she will be properly penalized for her absence. This night you spend in darkness, until the light of dawn. One life, good night, into the bright, and you shall be reborn. No, no! What happened to her? Nothing. That's not nothing. Nothing you need to worry about, okay, Horten? Just go in the there and look after her, and I'll be back in a little bit. Okay? Sam... are you okay? What happened? I felt it. Felt what? Death. It doesn't matter now, Sam. I'm obviously going to find out what they make us do soon enough. It's a coffin. They make us spend the night in a coffin. No way. There's no way. My neighbor was a mortician. I got shoved into a coffin when I was a kid. It already had a body in it. I can't! I could see her. See who? Jena. I think it was Jena Thorne. Has Amanda called? No. We have to get rid of it. Don't be superstitious. There's something up there, Leslie. Sam felt it, I felt it. Please. Look, we all agreed last year the coffin was going to stay. If we had gotten rid of it, some of the other girls would have gotten suspicious. Nothing out of the ordinary, remember? Except something in this house is very out of the ordinary. The four of us swore an oath we'd take it to our grave. Right. Like Nikki? Rachel, where are you? Hi. Are you okay? Look, I'm really sorry for what happened last night. I have never seen anybody react that way before. Is that true? What do you mean? Is that why Jena Thorne dropped out? Jena? The pledge last year. I heard she was claustrophobic. Everyone's claustrophobic on some level, especially in a coffin. That's the point. No, not like that. A real phobia. Clinically diagnosed. Why are you asking about Jena? Because what I saw... I just want to know what happened. Okay? No secrets. She had claustrophobia. We didn't want the other pledges to know, but we told her she didn't have to go through with it, but she insisted. She didn't want to be treated any different. She couldn't handle it. We went up to let her out, and she wouldn't even talk to us, and the next morning, when we woke up, she was gone. All that was left was this note that said that she couldn't handle school, she couldn't handle pledging, all of it. We felt really bad. We should never have let her go through with it. And that's the truth? Yeah. And nobody ever thought it was strange that she never made it home, she didn't call her boyfriend? Her boyfriend's a nut. She told us that he was obsessed with her. In her note, she said that she wanted to travel, she wanted to get away from here and away from her Aunt. Any more questions? No. Look, we're dropping the ritual. Nobody needs to know why, okay? We have a big day, everybody. Today's the campus charity drive. Rachel, would you try Amanda again, please? She knows attendance is required. This is a list of your individual responsibilities. Amanda! Amanda! Amanda! Hey, you guys! Come down here quick! Hurry! Look- Nikki... Is this somebody's idea of a joke? You think this is funny? Who did this? You were the only one down here. I didn't do anything to it. It wasn't me. Wait, come here. Somebody was in my room. What are you talking about? And somebody was on my computer. Look. Look at what? It was there. I swear to God it was there. Somebody wrote that I... Someone was in my room and they were on my computer... I swear. Help! Help! What's going on? Rachel? Rachel? Open the door! Help! Help! Open the door! Rachel! What is going on? Rachel! What is going on? Rachel! Let us in. Rachel! Rachel? Oh, my God... Rachel. I can't see anything wrong with this water heater, ma'am. Matter of fact, the temp gauge is topped off at 110, and that's normal. It ain't hot enough to scald anybody. I don't care. I want it replaced. What are you still doing here? The University wants us out of the house by tomorrow night. Everyone else is gone. I have no way home until tomorrow. My mom lives in New York. Besides, I thought you would want some company. I still owe you one. What happened to Rachel's photo? I didn't want anyone more upset than they already were. Amanda's boyfriend called. She never showed up at his dorm. It won't end until the four of us are dead. Leslie, if you know who's doing this, call the police. We swore an oath. You wouldn't understand. Only a sorority sister would understand an oath like that. What do you mean? Three of four? Yes. And? I don't believe in ghosts. I'm not leaving. Okay. So, where are you going to live, then? I don't know. A dorm, I guess, till the University says the house is safe. I don't know, some of the girls dropped out for good. I don't blame 'em. I'd be freaked out too if something like that happened at our house. What do you know about the girl who dropped out last year? Jena Thorne? Just rumors. After the police came around and started asking questions, there was talk. What kind of talk? About hazing rituals. Secret, like all of ours. Somebody told me she had a nervous breakdown. And no one ever suspected? Suspected what? I don't know, that maybe it was more than just a nervous breakdown? Like what? Like, what if she died? No, no way. From what I heard, she was already a little unbalanced to begin with. What if something happened, and only a few people knew about it? And what if Jena Thorne has come back? Back from where? The dead. Don't laugh at me, all right? I mean, I don't believe in this stuff either, but there's something in that house. What if there is such a thing as ghosts? What? Are you serious? Look, Sam, Yeah, there's been some bizarre stuff going on lately, but it's all just... Just what? Coincidence. Look, you've got an alumnus who offed herself. That's pretty cut and dry, and a 100-year-old house with bad plumbing. The maintenance guy said there is no... no way that it could have scalded her that bad. Well, maybe... And how come it gets freezing cold in the house every night at 2:00 in the morning? And the photos? I keep hearing these noises, whispers... Whoa, whoa. Sam, you're hearing voices now? Look, college is hard enough without Hell Week. It's your first time away from home, new friends, breaking up with your high school boyfriend, and then you throw in all these freak accidents, that's a lot of stress. Am I right? Maybe. Well, let's hope so. I mean, a haunted house? An avenging ghost on a killing spree? You really want to join a sorority like that? I guarantee you there's nothing in that place. Come on, I'll walk you home. I promise. Leslie's not really functioning. I don't want to be alone. This is me. That's my side. Sorry. She's Felix, I'm Oscar. Isn't that the other way around? Oh, yeah. That's weird she left her schoolbooks here. Is that your mom? Yeah, I miss her. It's the first time I've been away from home this long. I could not wait to leave home. Oh, me too. Trust me, I was way ready, but we're still close, you know. My dad died when I was nine, so she had to work day and night to take care of my brother and me. Sorry about your dad. Yeah, it always made my mom a little over-protective, you know? She was so worried when I left for school, but now with all this... She's never going to let me out of the house again. I told you, nothing's going to happen. Are you cold? No. Well, you're shaking. Just a little nervous, I guess. If you don't want to do anything, that's totally cool. What frat are you from? Well... you do realize I'll probably have to make up something pretty impressive. Yeah. Do they know you like the theater? No. Do you have a girlfriend? I don't know. You tell me. Jane! I thought you went home. I thought you did too. Hey. Um... Oh, right on. This is Spencer. Yeah... I remember you drooling about him the other night. This is Jane. Hi, Jane. Hey, that's cool. I... I just forgot a few of my things, but I'll get them in the morning. Plenty of empty beds tonight. I'll see you two primates later. I am so embarrassed. Don't worry about it. My roommate gets it on with his girlfriend when I'm in the room. You're kidding. I wish I was. I know. Since when does a clock chime at 2:12 in the morning? Make it stop! Stop it! I'm trying! You guys... Amanda... And that's you. Look, the girl was a victim of a bad prank. That doesn't mean she's back to kill you with a meat hook. Like I said before, it's all just coincidence. It was more than just a nervous breakdown, wasn't it? We swore an oath... The hell with your oath! What does it matter? It was an accident. All the other girls are dead. What happened to her? She died. It was an accident. Tell us what happened. What does it matter now? Tell us. Yes, I want to hear. It was her turn to sleep in the coffin. Two of the girls had already done it. Everyone's done it. One night, six hours. No big deal. When she saw the coffin, she had a panic attack. Don't make me do that! No! She told us she was claustrophobic, and was on medication for it... No! No! No! But we forced her in anyway... ...told her she needed to face her fears. She was screaming and pleading for so long, and then it just stopped. We thought everything was fine. When we went back up to the attic in the morning, she was dead. She had been frightened to death. We didn't know what to do. It was Nikki who kept her head. It was her idea. We hid the body in the basement and waited until dark. We knew our lives would be ruined. Everything. Careers, families, it would have been over. So we buried her... outside in the woods. So if she's dead, then who's trying to kill you? She is. Come on. Nikki would never have killed herself, and explain to me how Rachel is burned to death in the shower, and-and what's happened to Amanda? What time did that clock start to chime? What time is it always freezing cold in the house? Jena Thorne stopped screaming. Then it's probably somebody else. Maybe her ex-boyfriend, but it's not a ghost! It's her! She is dead! Shut up! Both of you. It's over. Call the police. I can't. Either you call or I will. You stand a much better chance if you volunteer the information. Hello? She's right here. Who is it? Collin. Jena Thorne's ex-boyfriend. Why is he calling here? Wait... ...put it on speakerphone. Hello? I'm sorry to call so late. I-I couldn't let it wait. I owe you an apology. Excuse me? About Jena. All the things I said, that I accused you of... Jena just left me a message. She's in California. She... she said she felt overwhelmed and confused about our relationship, and after what happened, she needed to get away. She says she's sorry for causing so much trouble. Yeah, that's great, jackass. Maybe now you can stop your harassment. It's gotten a little out of hand. I don't know what you're talking about. Look, I said I was sorry. That's all I have to say. We buried her. Outside in those woods. She was dead. Are you sure? Leslie, let's call the police! Tell them everything! If she's alive, then there wasn't a murder. She's not alive. It's all part of her plan. Leslie... Let's not do this! Amanda... She's here. She's here. Jena's here. Leslie! Leslie! Sam! Sam, help! Jane? Jane? Jane! Sam! We can't leave her! Jane! Get inside! Now! Come on! Jane! The front door. There's no dial tone. There's no signal. How can there be no signal? Call the police. Call the pol- Leslie, what are you doing? Getting out of here. Forget that stuff! I think she knows what you did last summer. We have to find Jane. No, look, wait. You can't go outside. Jena's still out there. No, she was dead. We buried her in the ground. Well, obviously not deep enough, because she's not dead. Maybe... she's not totally dead. Can you explain that, please? Can you explain any of this? No. Except you're the last one on the list. Get out. It's not just her anymore. What about Jane? We have to stay together. All right. Oliver... Get in. Did you call the police? No, you just said call, and your phone's off. There's no signal. I was writing, "Call the police." My computer froze. Well, the message I got said, "Help. Call." I'm not a mind reader, Sam. Yet. Why? What's going on? You're not messing with me? Does it look like we're having a slumber party here? This is incredible. I mean, this just doesn't happen every day. You have to tell me again, and you have to be very accurate. When you thought she was dead, did any of you actually check her pulse? No. I told you, she wasn't breathing. And you know this how? The fact that she wasn't frickin' breathing. It was pretty obvious. So just by looking at her you determined she was dead. You know why certain religions have wakes? Do you know where that comes from? For hundreds of years, it wasn't uncommon for people to be buried alive. Okay, coffins would be dug up, and they would find scratches inside, fingernails ground to the bone. You see, people were too ignorant to know whether someone was actually dead. Sometimes breathing is so shallow it's undetectable without instruments. That's what a wake was for, so people could watch the body for three days to make sure it didn't wake before somebody put it in the ground. Okay, so I think we have a consensus here that our girl might not actually be dead... or mostly dead. Based on what you've told me, I agree. I mean, this is great. Other than the killing stuff, but this proves so many things that we don't have answers to, okay? God, life after death, the paranormal... Is this amusing for you? Yeah, Oliver... Right. Sorry. I've been doing some research. From what you've told me, I think we're dealing with a spirit wraith. You see, it's a question of degree of death... Is this a joke? Just hear me out, okay? Jena Thorne went through a horrible, traumatic experience. You thought she was dead, but what if she was only brought to the brink of death, cheated it at the last possible moment, but had already gone too far to come all the way back? Look at this... 1968... Murdered... Mmm... Not quite murdered. Local police believed a"non-living entity" caused the mysterious deaths of the three men who killed Janelle exactly one year after her death. Four other people who came to the defense of the men were also killed. Now, a witness to this event, a university professor, no less, theorized, quote, "It was a spirit wraith, needing neither food, nor sleep, using telekinetic powers caused by extreme rage to enact revenge. She was able to manipulate the physical plane, including... her physical appearance." What do you mean by physical appearance? Spirit wraiths are shape-shifters. This girl was able to change how she looked. She walked among them, blending in so they didn't recognize her. The professor says here, "When she looked these men in the eye, she made them see their own death. She took their souls." You're not making this up? Dude... I'm into this stuff. It's all here, and your girl fits the profile. Turns out, Jena Thorne had a MySpace blog. Pretty pathetic stuff. Uh, she lived with her Aunt. Mom and dad killed in a car accident. No friends. She wrote a whole bunch of stuff about wanting to start over. One more traumatic event in her life was bound to have serious consequences. Oh, yeah, get this... she lived next to a funeral home. Some kids shoved her into a coffin with a body inside. Guess whose body? Her mom's. No wonder she was claustrophobic. Jane told me the same thing happened to her, and she told me that her mom and dad died in a car accident. Look at these. They're all empty. She hasn't been to a single class. Is this her journal? Yes. She's always writing in it. She never sleeps. What are you looking for? Her keepsake box. What's in it? I'm not sure, but I know it's something important to her. I can't open it. Here. My grandmother gave me one of these. A ring... What? It's Jena Thorne's engagement ring. Wait... You said she could change her physical appearance. Jena... Thorne. It's an anagram. Jane... Horten. Look, guys, you're forgetting... Jena called her boyfriend. She was in California, and Jane was with us the whole time in the room. It could have been Jane on the phone. I already told you, dude, she can manipulate her surroundings. This is great. You know, you hear horror stories about college roommates, but this one, this takes the prize. The undead spirit has a different perception of time. She was waiting, observing for the right moment to avenge her death. But you said she wasn't dead! She was supposed to die! That's the point. That is her only purpose, to avenge her death. Come on, let's get the hell out of here. We have to help her! Look, we will get help, all right? We'll call the frickin' Ghostbusters. Let's just get out of here now. I can't. Do you think Leslie would do the same for you? She killed that girl. She buried her, and then acted like nothing happened. She deserves what's coming to her. I know. Then why do you want to help her? Because I owe her. Oliver, you can go. And miss my chance to fight a wraith? But you said her only purpose was to avenge her death. That means letting Leslie die. She just has to set her spirit free. It could be something else. Something that reminds her of her old life, of who she was before her heart was poisoned by anger. How do we do that? I don't know. I thought we were friends, Sam. Your friends can't help you. You know what they did to me. You felt it, and now you want to save her life? She saved mine. She took mine. You were all a part of it. No... You left me to choke... on dirt and worms. It was an accident. It was murder. Leslie's turn to spend the night in the coffin... ...to feel what I felt. When they find her, they're going to think she's dead. She will feel herself being embalmed. She will hear them at her wake, but she will not wake, and then she will know only darkness, and silence, and cold. And so will you. It wasn't me. You were my friend. You chose her. No! No! You're one of them. So are you. It meant everything to you, Jena. You wanted to be one of them so badly. Sam! Sam! What happened poisoned your heart. You weren't like this. Second chances, remember? Everyone deserves a second chance. So do you. He's alive. What about her? What made you think of the ring? What you said. Reminding her of the goodness that was in her heart, and according to wedding lore, the ring finger has a vein that leads straight to the heart. Good thinking. You do see the irony in all this, don't you? No, not seeing any irony. Paranormal, ghost... ESP. You were the one with the connection to her, not me. You just had to be open to it. How are we going to explain all this? Can we leave the spirit wraiths out of it? Good thinking. Except for one thing. What? Leslie may not totally be dead. |
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