1
Kind friend,
beware as you pass by.
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now,
so you must be.
Prepare yourself to follow me.
Let the devil take his own.
Yeah?
Hold on.
Gunderson said you were gonna be here.
Wanted me to check on you,
see if you got everything working okay.
Yeah, I think I got it.
Oh, I'm Emery, by the way.
I live just right over there,
right across the field.
Saw you drive by last night.
Louis.
Louis.
Well, nice meeting you, Louis.
Hey, you picked a pretty isolated area
to come for a vacation, that's for sure.
I'm not really here on vacation.
Oh?
What you doing here?
I needed some place
to escape from the city,
some place quiet.
Figured I do a little fishing.
Ah, well, you couldn't have picked
a better spot.
There's not much to do around here,
but if you're into fishing,
oh boy, we got a couple o' nice lakes.
Round Lake is just up the road a bit.
Indian Lake is right back over there.
It's a little shallow.
I prefer Round Lake myself.
Bigger walleye.
Thanks for letting me know.
Yeah.
Well, it's good to see
someone staying here.
House is usually empty,
you know, come fall.
Gundersons, they like
to head down south early
to beat the winter.
It's a nice place.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now, you might see some local teenagers
driving around the property, drinking.
Don't mind 'em.
Just give 'em a shout and they'll go away.
They're used to nobody being here.
Well, thanks.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, if you need anything,
any help or anything, remember,
I'm just right over
there across the field.
So enjoy yourself.
Have a good one.
"Kind friend,
beware as you pass by."
"As you are now, so once was I."
Haven't seen
you around here before.
Yeah, I just got in last night.
Oh, where you from?
I live in the cities.
The cities?
What you do up there?
I write sports for the Tribune.
Well.
So what brought you down here?
Just needed to get away from
the cities for a little bit.
My friend's cousins with the Gundersons,
so staying out there.
Gundersons, they're
nice folks over there.
Hey, did you do any fishin'?
It's been a real good year for walleye.
Hell, I got a good one yesterday.
Did you really?
Had a real good sucker last night.
I'll bet you did.
Where'd you get 'em at?
Just off of the point.
Oh okay, yeah sure,
I was out there couple weeks ago.
I went out to Loon Lake today.
Catch anything?
Actually didn't do any fishing.
Just wandered around a little bit.
Found an old cemetery out there.
Oh, the old Loon Lake cemetery.
Haven't been out there in a long time.
I was out there one time this summer.
You were, what were you doing out there?
Not much.
"Not much."
I'm sure.
Yep.
Yeah, nobody goes out there
much anymore, 'cept Jeb.
Yeah, just Jeb.
Yeah, he goes out there
and he keeps the
headstones nice and clean,
and you know, he'll pick
weeds around the grave sites
and keeps the town kids away.
Used to be a church too,
but that burned down a
long time ago, you know.
It did?
I didn't know there was a church there.
Yeah, I saw a couple
headstones out there.
Like some of 'em died pretty young.
You must not know the story, then.
No, what story?
Oh, yeah?
Supposed to be a witch buried out there.
Mmhmm.
Really?
Yeah.
They say they beheaded her way back when.
Took three chops before her head came off.
They buried her out there,
along with the ax they used.
Isn't that something?
What was her name again?
- Maggie?
- Mill?
Milly?
Her name was Mary Jane.
- Oh, yeah.
- May Jane.
That was it.
- Mary Jane.
- Mary Jane.
Mary Jane Terlinden.
Story goes that she was a witch,
and she put a curse on our town
so the crops wouldn't grow.
They say she stole a baby, too.
Killed it in some kinda ritual.
Oh, poor baby.
Nobody knows for sure, though.
Yeah, people say a lotta things.
Yeah, they do.
Yeah, they say if you walk
over her grave three times,
she comes for you in
the middle of the night
and you die an accidental death.
Yeah, there he died of
carbon monoxide poisoning.
I always heard his
car was faulty, though.
Eh, could be.
There's another guy, they say he drowned,
but he was a real good swimmer.
So just buncha hearsay.
Yeah.
Just a good ghost story we
use to scare the kids with.
Stupid kids.
I hope you weren't too careless
when you were out there.
Yeah.
Yeah, let's hope not.
You going across to
get something to eat?
Yeah.
Well, I'll come with you.
I haven't eaten, and I
could use the company.
Sure.
Evening boys.
- Emery.
- Hey Emery.
Gracie.
Hey.
Oh.
- Hey.
- Louis.
Hey, did you fine Round Lake all right?
Well, he found Loon Lake.
Yeah, yeah.
Ended up getting lost.
Really?
Well, I hope it was nice.
It was.
He went to the cemetery.
Well, good night Emery.
Good night, Gordie.
See you tomorrow, bud.
Goodnight, Gracie.
Goodnight, Gracie.
Nice meetin' ya, young fella.
Over here?
Mmhmm.
What was your name again?
So um, you just work down the street?
No, that's just my part-time thing.
I'm actually a nurse at
the hospital in Okaboji.
Oka, Oka-what?
Okaboji.
It's 20 minutes away,
across the border, in Iowa.
Iowa, huh?
You're married.
Yeah.
I am.
I mean, I was.
Oh, are you divorced?
She died.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
Here's your supper.
Thank you.
Thanks.
I almost got married once,
but then I caught him with another girl,
so there went that.
Yeah.
Well, here's to the ones we love.
There's a smile.
Welcome to Round Lake.
Hey, you want me to give you a ride?
Oh, oh, wait.
Whoa.
Oh, but I'm good.
You sure about that?
Why don't I give you a ride?
My sister lives close.
She can come get me.
Yeah, maybe that's a good idea.
Where are all the people at?
This is Round Lake.
I hope they didn't spook you too much,
talking about our local witch.
No.
I don't really believe
in ghosts and witches.
I really don't believe in anything.
I don't really believe any of it either,
but I still don't go walking
around Loon Lake alone.
Yeah?
What's the truth, then?
I don't know for certain,
but I do know a girl named
Mary Jane died a long time ago.
They said she was a witch,
and they buried her out by the lake.
You know, it was Emery's great grandfather
who had her executed.
Really?
My neighbor, Emery?
Mmhmm.
He doesn't like to talk about it,
but his great grandfather
was the town pastor.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah, there's one story that says
Mary Jane came back from the dead.
Oh, yeah?
The story goes, Pastor
Janson was out there
giving her last rites.
Father,
Son,
Holy Ghost.
Mary Jane,
may your sins be forgiven,
and may your soul rest in peace.
Give me strength.
Unclean spirit, I cast you out.
This is the Lord's house.
This is no one's house.
With three chops, you killed me.
With three strides across my
resting bones, you woke me.
And I will come for
thee, in three days time.
Get thee behind me, Satan.
The church burned down to the ground,
but what was crazy was Pastor
Jensen survived the fire.
He was severely burned,
and he just screamed
in agony for three days
before he finally passed.
And after that, everyone
avoided the cemetery.
I think you country folk
need to get out a little bit more.
Yeah, quiet, lonely places.
They make your imagination run wild.
There's no reception out here.
Yeah, it's bad.
Come on in, you can use the house phone.
Thank you.
You okay?
Yeah.
Man.
Phone's right over there.
Okay, thanks.
Hey, were you asleep?
Can you come pick me up?
I'm at the Gunderson's farm.
Left my car in town.
What?
No, everything's fine.
I'll tell you
about it when you get here.
Okay, see you soon, bye.
My sister'll be here soon.
Uh-huh.
She doesn't live far from here, so.
Okay.
I hate this.
My day.
You know, I've always
thought about moving
out to the twin cities.
Just get out of this small
town and go somewhere
where nobody knows your name,
your business.
The last time I was out there, actually,
we went to a Twins game
at the new stadium.
Hey.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry, my sister's here.
You fell asleep.
I didn't wanna wake you,
'cause you looked so peaceful.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Gracie.
Thanks for driving me home.
Yeah, you know, it's a small town.
It's what we do around here,
help each other out.
Um, here's my number if you need anything.
Thanks again.
Seeya 'round.
Kind friend,
beware as you pass by.
As you are now,
so once was I.
I finished for the day, pastor.
Your efforts are most
appreciated by the congregation.
Thank you.
Why do you not attend services?
You've been a member
of our little community
almost a year now.
I'm a very spiritual person, pastor,
but my church is in nature,
though I am very happy to
serve the community here.
You are such a beautiful young woman.
I've found my gaze drifting to you
for some time now.
How has the Lord not
blessed you with a husband?
If I was your husband.
What are you doing?
What about your wife?
My wife?
Oh, my wife will not find
out about this, Mary Jane.
No.
I will scream.
Mary Jane.
I thought you were a man of God.
Spirit of the wind, bring forth
a storm to feed the earth.
We've been at this
for nearly three days now.
She hasn't confessed.
Perhaps she's innocent.
You saw her hidden in the woods,
practicing her evil ways.
The girl is a witch.
She has made a pact with Satan, I know it.
It is she who has cursed
our land and crops.
The girl has repeated her
innocence, and I believe her.
She's bewitched you, Larson.
Get out.
I am not a witch.
I am only a child of nature.
I have committed no crimes, please.
Please cut me down, please.
She attempts to blind us from the truth.
Find the devil's mark.
He's hidden it well in her flesh.
I have no mark of Satan upon me,
but I will remember your
devil's hand, Pastor Janson.
Find it.
Hey.
I saw you out there.
You're not scaring me, you little shits.
Come on out.
You think you're tough?
Huh?
Hiding in the corn?
You're not.
I'm comin' in.
Where you at, huh?
I know you're out here somewhere.
You little punks.
Why don't you come on out?
You think you're messing with me?
Huh?
Well, you're not.
You want some?
Huh?
Well I got Tito and Pepe
sitting here waiting for ya.
So why don't you come on out?
That's what I thought.
You know where I'll be.
You sure you didn't hear or see anybody
come into my place last night?
Nope.
I didn't see anything.
It was real quiet last night.
Was up late, too.
You sure?
Yeah, why?
There was a dead loon nailed to the tree
out in front of my house.
Oh, dammit.
Jesus.
Who would do a thing like that?
You can't kill loons,
they're the state bird,
for crying out loud.
I have no clue who did it.
You wanna go see?
No.
It's there.
Well, I believe you.
Kids are gettin' worse these days.
You know I just came here
for a little peace and quiet?
Get left alone.
Now I have to deal with all this shit.
Nobody comes here for peace and quiet.
In fact, nobody comes here at all.
I've seen that look.
You have in your eyes before.
It's never a good thing.
Son, what's bugging you?
I lost my wife in a car
accident about three months back.
I'm sorry.
I know it's not the same thing,
but my wife passed 'bout five years back.
Married almost 60 years.
I'm not gonna lie to you
and say it gets any better.
My faith gets me through it,
knowing I'll see here again one day.
We were gonna be parents.
When my wife died, my faith died with her.
I just can't stop thinking about that.
What if this is it?
What if there's nothing left after?
That's a sad way to look at life, son.
We have to believe that
there's more to life
than what we can see.
Right now, I just can't.
My heart breaks for you.
Should your mind drift
back to painful memories,
then you need to talk some more.
You know where I am.
Thank you.
Hey,
hey what are you doing in here?
Hey.
Get out of here.
Ashley.
Ashley.
Ashley.
Ashley.
Ashley.
Shit.
Dammit.
Louis.
Louis.
What are you doing here?
Well, I thought you hadn't eaten,
so I just brought some food.
Can I come in?
It's raining.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Let me put some clothes on.
Hey, it's your place.
Do what feels good.
Are you sure you didn't see anybody
run out of the house when you pulled up?
No.
Are you sure?
Not a woman?
Anybody?
No, I just saw the lights come on,
so I knew you were here.
I Heard somebody walking around up here.
Look at you, scared of a little wind
blowing through an old house.
You remind me of my nephew.
You heard me at the bar the other night.
I was out at that cemetery.
I think I might have
crossed that witch's grave.
Mary Jane's grave?
That's just a story.
Do you know how many
times when we were kids
we would jump across that grave?
There's no witch.
She was just some poor girl.
Who needs a witch to scare
me when I have you, huh?
Chicken shit city boy.
So, why didn't you
just go stay with family
instead of coming out here all alone?
I never knew 'em.
I was in and out of foster
homes my whole life.
I met Ashley in college.
She saved me.
She became my family.
One year, for Christmas,
we decided to go to the Black Hills.
This huge blizzard came through.
We got snowed in for four days.
Nobody could get to us.
We couldn't get out.
But that didn't matter.
I'd give anything to have
those four days back.
How did she die, if
you don't mind my asking?
Car accident.
She was on her way home
from a church meeting.
I was still at work when it happened.
I lost everything I had
and loved, in seconds.
I don't know why.
If that's the way God
is, cruel and malignant,
I choose not to put my
faith in him any longer.
Do you believe in the devil?
I guess,
if I believe in God,
I'd have to say yeah,
the devil would exist.
Earlier, you said you thought
a ghost was disturbing you,
and if you believe ghosts are real
and that you disturbed
one down by the cemetery,
then you'd have to believe
that other forces, like God and the devil,
must exist too.
What are you getting at?
If you believe in nothing,
then you don't have anything
to be frightened of at all.
I don't hear thunder.
The storm must be passing.
Thanks for staying here with me.
As much as I want to be alone,
I don't think I could tonight.
It's okay.
Owen,
I have always respected you
as a pillar of the community
and a man of God,
but now when I hear you
speak the words of the Lord,
your faith isn't there.
Pay me no heed, Lena.
No, we cannot ignore this.
Something's infected you.
We all feel it.
It's as though something dark
has slithered into our lives
and coiled itself around you.
You are no longer the man that I married.
You were always so compassionate,
so forgiving, always looking
at the best in people,
and now there's something
in you that frightens me.
Do you know what our
son told me that night?
"There is no God."
"There is no God."
And then he took his life.
Why have you never told me that before?
Because I never believed,
yet still, after almost a year,
our youngest son's final words haunt me.
What if he spoke the truth?
Don't.
Don't say such things.
How can you say such things?
You're a servant of God.
Don't turn your back on
him after all these years.
What God sends madness into my child
and then burns his soul
to everlasting flame?
Samuel is our child.
How dare you be so selfish
as to think his death only affected you.
It's God's will.
He's testing us.
Don't abandon him.
You believe this is a test?
I must believe it,
and you, you of all men
must be believe it too.
No.
I cannot, any longer.
Then there's no hope for you.
You have forsaken your people.
This darkness that's descended on us,
it's all due to you.
Do not put that upon me.
I didn't.
You brought it on yourself
when you gave up your faith.
Bless us with rain.
Hear me now,
as I summon thee.
Bring us a storm,
to thrive once more.
What are you doing
in these woods?
God is everywhere in nature.
Can you not feel his
presence between us now?
I give an offering.
It's you.
You have brought this
plague upon our community.
You are why our crops grow no longer.
The only darkness here
is that which stirs within you.
Look upon yourself, pastor.
The leader of this community,
the shepard to this flock,
forsaken and corrupted.
And you blame me for the crops?
That day,
at the church,
it was you, you tempted me.
It was all your doing.
It was no sin of mine.
I offered no temptation.
It was your own free
will which desired me,
and which still desires me now.
The blood of this dead loon,
purified in the flames,
shall revitalize the soil,
and our crops shall grow once more.
Oh my God.
What have we done?
We have given an offering.
Soon the rains will come.
You witch, you've bedeviled me.
'Twas no bedeviling.
You were willing.
Your son, Samuel,
was always willing.
I will destroy you.
Go ahead.
If I am a witch, I will
do more harm to you
than anything that you could do to me.
Warn the town about me,
and I will burn your church to the ground.
Torture me, and you will know such pain
as you have never imagined.
Kill me,
and I will rise from the grave
and drag you back to Hell with me.
I rebuke you.
God is on my side.
Is he?
I thought you rebuked him.
We are the damned.
Are we not, Louis?
Gracie?
Gracie.
Ashley.
Can I come in, Louis?
I feel so cold.
What the hell is wrong with you?
Gracie.
No, stay away from me.
Just listen.
You're crazy.
Gracie, just let me explain, okay?
Gracie.
Gracie.
Let me explain.
I'm sorry.
Gracie.
Hey, everything okay?
I just saw Gracie's
car tearing out of here
like a bat outta hell.
You okay, son?
Emery, look at this.
Look.
Loon Lake.
Yeah, look, in the trees.
Where?
Right there.
What?
I don't know what you're looking at.
There was someone in the trees.
I don't see anything.
You okay?
What's wrong?
That witch at Loon Lake,
I think she's after me.
I think I walked across her grave.
There's no witch out there.
That's not what I've heard.
They filled your head with nonsense,
at the bar, didn't they?
Yeah, I knew it.
You wanna know the truth?
Please.
It was a drought year.
The crops were dying,
animals were diseased.
My great-great-grandfather
was a pastor back then,
and he and the rest of the
township, I'm sorry to say,
accused some poor, misunderstood
girl of witchcraft,
saying she cursed the land.
So they killed her,
buried her out at the lake,
thinkin' it would solve their problems.
But it didn't.
I rid the community of her evil, Lord.
For you.
Now she is dead.
I cannot believe my son burns in eternity.
I cannot.
Oh, God.
Do you hear me, God?
Are you listening?
Are you listening?
If you hear,
God,
then please,
I beg you,
stop your house
from burning to the ground.
Everybody blamed Mary Jane and her curse
for the church burning down.
They've been spreading ghost
stories about them every since.
I wish they would stop.
The whole thing was tragic.
But people have died, Emery.
It's all coincidence,
superstition, ignorance.
But...
When I was a kid,
someone dared Bill Hopkins
to walk across the witch grave
three times, so he did it.
Three days later, he died.
Three days?
Yes, but it wasn't Mary Jane who did it.
That night, he was drunk, as always.
Ran his car into a telephone pole.
There's nothing supernatural about that.
But he still died, Emery.
There's something out there, okay?
I know it.
How can I be seeing all
this shit in my head
if it's all just
superstitions and stories?
There's no such thing as witches.
You know, what people can't understand,
they fear, call it evil.
Mary Jane was an outsider.
People punished her
because she was different.
Fear does crazy things.
Your mind's playing tricks on you.
You're right.
I've been overreacting.
Yeah.
I think I'm gonna go lie down.
Good idea.
Yeah.
Can I help you gentlemen?
Yes, you can.
Heard you attacked my sister.
Huh?
That shit don't go around here.
Shit don't go around here.
Look, all right,
that's not what happened.
I don't care what you say happened.
She says you hurt her.
All right, if we could just
talk about this for a little...
Stop.
Leave him alone.
Gracie, shut up and
get back in the truck.
- This is between me and him.
- I said he didn't mean it.
We're gonna show this city
boy how we work around here.
Come here, guy.
Why are you doing this to me?
If only they had left me alone.
If only you hadn't woken me.
But I didn't do anything.
I don't deserve this.
I didn't deserve it either.
Why are you showing me these visions?
So that you will understand.
I don't care what happened to you.
I just want this to end.
It shall all be over soon.
I feel the strength
returning to me already.
I can make your pain all go away.
And now,
it is sealed.
Kind friend, beware as you pass by.
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you must be.
Prepare yourself to follow me.
Oh my God.
Ashley.
Louis.
I'm so sorry.
I should have been there with you.
You can't blame yourself.
I have you now.
I'm gonna keep you safe.
You can't.
But I can save you.
"Kind friend, take heed,"
"as on this path, you must proceed."
"If this grave has thrice been tread,"
"call her forth from the undead."
"Take up an ax, which failed at first,"
"and with one swing, remove the curse."
Believe, Louis.
Mary Jane, come for me.
I'm ready for you.
I'm right here.
Mary Jane.
I love you, Ashley.
I miss you so much.
If this is real,
this is really happening to me,
help me, Ash.
How am I gonna do this?
Okay.
Hey.
You okay?
You were right.
It's just a story.
I overreacted.
I guess this quiet solitude
doesn't agree with me.
I'm gonna head back to Minneapolis.
I'm sorry to see you go.
You're a good man.
Take care of yourself, okay?
I will.
Thanks again, Emery.
So long.
Louis.
Emery.
What's wrong?
You were wrong.
It's not just a story, it's true.
Here's the proof.
It's Mary Jane's necklace.
No, no, that's not real.
Bullshit, Emery.
Bullshit.
I'm outta here.
Louis.
Oh my gosh.
Never believed all
the stories, you know.
He was a good man.