Once upon a midnight...
Once upon a midnight...
dreary,
while I pondered
weak and weary...
Get off of...!
Over many
a quaint and curious
volume of forgotten
lore...
While I nodded,
nearly napping,
suddenly there
came a tapping...
Damn you all.
Why do I keep having
these dreams, Grandpa?
Hmm, nothing to worry,
Lenore.
Dreams, they're just that...
dreams.
- Who is this man? I am afraid of him.
- What man?
He's bald and lives
in a medieval town.
How did you meet him?
He comes to me
every night, Grandpa,
every single night.
Oh, I'm beginning
to understand.
He is a part
of your dreams, hmm?
What exactly does
he want from you?
I don't know but I was told
that I might have to kill him one day.
Who...
who told you that?
- Edgar.
- Oh, I see. Well...
as you know, Lenore,
Edgar Allan Poe
has been dead
for quite some time.
But he speaks to me
every night.
Once upon a midnight...
dreary,
while I pondered
weak...
and weary...
Maybe I should stop...
stop reading
these stories for you.
No, Grandpa,
please don't stop.
All right then,
let me explain to you.
This bald man that appears
in your dreams...
he is part of a story
that I read to you.
"The Mask
of the Red Death,"
do you remember that?
You think so?
I know so, Lenore.
I don't want
to kill him, Grandpa.
But you don't
have to, Lenore.
You don't have to.
Unless, of course,
you do it in your dreams.
You think I'm beginning
to mix up
fantasy with reality,
is that it?
- There you go.
- Anyway, I'm not afraid
because the raven will
always protect me.
Exactly.
So stop worrying, Lenore.
The raven is always
on your side.
And he's a very
powerful bird, right?
Oh yes.
He is very very
very powerful.
And I am Edgar's Lenore,
so nothing can ever hurt me.
Mm-hmm.
You've got that right, Lenore.
Nothing will ever hurt you.
That's where I saw him
last year.
He was sitting on top
of that gravestone.
But I've come back here every week
and I've never seen him again.
Oh, he will be back,
I'm sure of that.
Plus don't ever forget,
Lenore,
the raven,
he's everywhere.
Everywhere you think.
Everywhere
you dream.
Everywhere you go.
And by the time you're 25,
your childhood will be nothing
more than a distant dream.
The future is yours,
Lenore,
and all the light
you shall seek,
and all the darkness
you might encounter.
Okay, Lenore, um...
you know, I hate
to tell you this, but...
I'm just not getting
what I need from you
for this song.
I need to get...
I need to get the emotion
and the interpretation
out of this thing and I need
to lay it down,
and I need you to do this.
I'm going to try harder.
I've got something in my head, I just
don't know how to put it down yet.
Lenore, where are you?
We need you here.
I know, I know.
I'm sorry!
- Hey!
- Finally!
Where have you been?
- This is ridiculous.
- Always "Lenore, where are you?"
Let's go, great.
## Thank heaven!
The crisis ##
## The danger is past ##
## And the lingering
illness ##
## ls over at last ##
## And the fever
called living ##
## ls conquered
at last ##
## In the dead
of the night ##
## When the light was
extinguished ##
## He covered my soul ##
## And he prayed
to the angels ##
## To keep me from harm ##
## To the queen
of the angels ##
## To shield me
from harm ##
## In the dead
of the night ##
## Oooh ##
## Ooh ##
## I can't keep
on living ##
## In this world
of loneliness ##
## Your dreams hidden
in the shadows ##
## Leave me
only emptiness ##
## Ooh ##
## Ooh ##
## But my heart,
it is brighter ##
## Than the stars
in the sky ##
## For it sparkles
like diamonds ##
## And it glows
with the light ##
## Of the love
that is in me ##
## As I dream
of the light ##
## In the dead
of the night. ##
- Excellent.
- Absolutely great! Great job.
- Whoo!
- Wonderful!
Beautiful.
I had always believed
that the black bird
was my protector.
What Grandpa had been afraid
to tell me was
that the raven had
a very dark side.
Death to all.
Skinner is back.
I don't think this
all-girl band's gonna fly.
Yeah, too many lesbians.
She's a lesbian?
I thought she was in love
with that... that guy.
What's he do?
What's he do?
He's fucking dead,
that's what he does.
Hey, check this out, man.
- Shit!
- That's probably
how she
killed Skinner.
I gotta pee.
...While I nodded,
nearly napping,
suddenly there came
a tapping...
As from someone rapping,
as from someone rapping,
rapping at my chamber door.
'Tis a visitor,'
I muttered...
'tapping at my chamber door.
Only this,
and nothing more.'
Ah, distinctly I remember
it was in the bleak December...
and each separate
dying ember
wrought it's shadow
on the floor.
Okay, girls, here's the bridge part.
So let's try this...
After Grandpa's passing,
I had stopped reading poetry
except for "The Raven,"
and I started writing
and composing,
trying to bridge the gap
between life and death.
By the age of 21,
I had become a singer
in an all-girls' band.
One, two, three,
it's as easy
as kill kill kill!
Lt's for you,
Mother Superior.
Thank you, Sister.
Hello?
Oh, hello, Lenore.
How are you, darling?
Oh, I'm sorry
to hear that.
Oh.
Oh, but of course.
Oh, I always have time for you.
And I was hoping
that the raven,
through his light
or his darkness,
would release me
from all earthly bonds.
It was then that a feeling
of unattachment overcame me.
And I was praying my life would
end rather sooner than later.
And when everyone around me
began to disappear,
I knew the messenger
of death
was getting closer
every day.
I've been praying,
but God's punishing me.
No, he's not.
Then why does he
allow this to happen?
People just don't
disappear.
There are some things for which
God gives us no reason.
I'm going to die.
I know I am.
Yes, you will someday.
But for right now,
let's pray.
Jesus Christ,
Our Lord and Savior,
forgive us.
You have to step
into the light, Lenore,
and cast away
the darkness.
The world you're looking for
is of the past.
It's of the dead.
It's not for you.
But I'm Lenore.
I can't change that.
Yes, but you're not
his Lenore.
How can you be sure?
I've known you since
you were a little girl,
and watched you grow
into a beautiful young woman.
You are not the prisoner
of someone else's poetry.
- Why won't it stay?
- It just needs a flash.
Anyway, should we get
a lighter?
- We should use a lighter instead...
- Wait, hold on.
...of matches.
- Hang on, I can do it.
- Sorta.
- Are you sure?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Ha, got it.
There we go.
- It went out again.
- I know.
- Gimme your lighter.
- I don't have a lighter.
That's the only problem.
None of us have a...
- My tooth hurts.
- Too much candy.
I'll take you
to the dentist.
It's giving me
a headache.
- I hate the dentist.
- Yeah, but...
it's better than having it
hurt all the time, right?
See this?
I'm breaking everything.
- Don't break my... shit.
- I didn't break it.
- God!
- Jesus.
Why do I keep you around?
Oh, I remember!
- Ha ha ha.
- You're so funny.
- I know.
- Jesus.
- Uh-huh. Yep.
- No.
- I don't like dentists.
- I'll drug you.
- You'll drug me?
- I'll drug you and take you.
You're drugging
enough there.
Um, with the flashing?
Kinda fucking up my high.
Don't you have to do
laundry or something?
Lan, come up.
You can't look too trashed
for tomorrow.
- Hey, that's what makes...
- We've got quite a few interviews,
don't forget.
- Hmm, yeah, I know.
- Do you want some?
Um, maybe.
I'll think about it.
- You're gonna take me tomorrow?
- Yeah.
- Definitely.
- Not you.
All right, I won't.
Um, we have to set that
appointment with the dentist
probably no later
than 11:00 a.m.,
- because we have to be...
- When does it end?
At 1:00.
And at 3:00 you've got
an interview
with your fans
and the press, so...
you've got to be there
right after.
You've got a long
busy day.
Well, if I have to do
all that shit tomorrow,
I'd better get
pretty damn high tonight.
- Not too high.
- Yeah yeah.
You gotta get up
early tomorrow.
You gotta take me
to the dentist, remember?
- Ugh.
- Looks like he's an expert here.
Buddy boy.
- Mr. Randy.
- Sorry.
Not too much.
It's all right.
You can't look
too trashed tomorrow.
Hope he gives me a lollipop.
- Are you going to take me tomorrow?
- Yeah.
So what time do you have to wake up
for the... to take her to the dentist?
- Like 9:30.
- Oi.
Number four is done.
Skinner was here.
All that drilling
and blood goozing
in your mouth. Ugh.
High up in the mountains,
above all things alive,
the raven had his nest.
It's where he kept his prey.
It's where heaven
turns into hell.
My childhood dreams
had always been more real
than anything
in my real life.
So was the death
of Skinner,
which repeated itself
over and over
and became the cornerstone
of my guilt.
Redemption in paradise.
Paradise for me meant
to be in the arms
of a man who would
not leave me,
not abandon me, and that, of course,
would only be in death.
And it would most certainly
have to be Edgar.
I began to further distance
myself from all living things...
almost dead, in constant
yearning for Edgar.
And my soul from out
that shadow
that lies floating
on the floor
shall be lifted...
nevermore!
Ah, distinctly I remember
it was in the bleak December...
And each separate
dying ember...
it's shadow
on the floor.
- Got me a nice bike there.
- You like that one?
- I'm lovin' it.
- You like the skulls?
I love the skulls.
How'd you know it's my favorite color?
A test drive
would be awesome.
- I doubt it.
- I love my bike.
It better not
be worth over $20,000.
It's not worth
over $20,000.
That's nice.
- "Buy me this bike."
- That's why I picked my sugar mama.
That's right, baby.
Mama's got some money.
She loves always taking
care of me.
A beautiful bike.
Business or personal account?
Personal, of course.
Unless you've got it,
then maybe we have a deal.
For now, I'm gonna
have to let you go.
Yeah, a new bike
for her boytoy.
I told her nothing more
than $20,000... that's it, 20.
Will you stop it with that?
Lenore, we've got to talk.
Right now.
- I'll be back.
- All right, bye.
What?
- Are you sure about this?
- Yes, I am.
- You just met him.
- That doesn't matter.
- It's a Harley-Davidson.
- It's $20,000!
Lt's not $20,000,
I swear.
Don't you think
that's a little ridiculous?
No. I have the money.
I didn't just meet him, plus...
I mean, he's a great guy.
Great guy...
yeah, for $20,000.
- It's not $20,000.
- Think about it first.
Will you at least think
about it overnight?
I mean, what has he
really done for $20,000?
I just want to buy it for him.
Is that such a big deal?
- Yes, it is.
- It's my money.
No, it's not.
It's everyone's money.
I'm not taking it out
of the business account.
I'm taking it
out of my own...
Whatever goes to your personal
is from the business.
Lust is a deadly sin.
Let me look at you.
Oh, Lenore,
you are so pretty.
I can't believe you're
10 years old today.
It seems just like yesterday
you came to us as
a little tiny baby.
But I want you to know,
now that you're 10 years old,
I think
you're growing up
and there are probably some
things that you should know.
The man
that we called Grandpa...
that you called Grandpa...
was actually not your
real grandfather.
He is the man that gave you
the beautiful name Lenore.
When you came to us
as an orphan baby,
he was the one who found you
and loved you
and brought you to me
for me to keep for him.
You're okay with that,
aren't you?
He was a dashing
airline pilot,
and he got hurt
and lost sight in his eye
and could never fly again.
But he would hold you,
and kiss you and love you
and read you those beautiful stories
from Edgar Allan Poe.
Well, to tell you the truth
now you know,
when he passes on
to go meet Jesus,
he's left a will.
Do you know what a will is?
A will is a piece of paper
that allows an heir...
which you will
be his heir...
to collect all of his
worldly possessions.
That means when Grandpa
goes to meet Jesus,
that big house is yours
and nobody can ever
take that away from you.
You can live there forever.
The man in your dreams,
Lenore, grew up
just like you.
And one day
he became real.
But now you must
confront evil
and go back to the time
when you were 10 years old.
Turn him back into the playful
jester he once was.
Don't allow him to have
the power he's seeking.
Become who you were
destined to be
and continue to shape
your own future,
neither in poetry
nor in darkness.
And never give up on love.
The raven will show you
the way.
He alone knows
your destiny
in life, as in death.
I'm going to give you
a break for a minute.
I'm going to go and check
a patient in the other room.
- I'll be right back.
- Okay.
While I'm gone, they're gonna
take some x-rays on you, okay?
All right.
Thank you.
- Jackie, how are you doing today?
- Good. How are you?
All right. We were going to do a filling
on the lower left side.
- Okay.
- Are you up for that?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
It's my first cavity.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- I'm gonna lower you back.
- Okay.
Okay, open real big.
This stuff kinda tastes
like pina colada here.
- Are you all right?
- Just close like that...
...and then it's gonna
go to sleep.
- See, that wasn't so bad, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- And you don't feel anything.
- Huh-uh.
- It'll be good.
- I can close my mouth, huh?
Yeah.
- You'll be fine.
- Okay.
- All that sugar.
- I know.
- You've been eating a lot of carbs.
- Thanks to all the tours.
You don't throw it up.
Getting so numb.
- You getting there?
- Yeah.
Starting to, like, not be able
to feel your face?
Oh, it's actually numb.
What do you feel?
You hear it though.
The sound's weird, but...
- Ugh, I hate the drilling.
- Yeah, it sucks,
but you won't feel it,
so that's good.
And when you go back
and you're drinking
over at the house,
you'll be drooling all over yourself.
If you feel any of this,
just make a noise,
- and I will stop.
- Okay.
All right, Jackie, I can't watch this
part. I'll freak out, so...
I'll be out in
the waiting room.
Okay.
- That wasn't too bad, was it?
- Huh-uh.
- Okay.
- Not too bad.
Okay, Johnny,
we're gonna be doing
a cleaning on you today.
How's everything going?
That's an interesting
collar you got there.
Okay, open real big.
- Does that hurt at all?
- No, it's fine.
Eye for an eye.
Tooth for a tooth.
You're dead meat.
- I'll be right back.
- Okay.
Jackie, we're gonna get...
Jackie?
He came out of nowhere...
Get off!
...and went into nowhere.
He raped you.
You killed him.
You were forgiven.
Eagerly I wished
the morrow;
vainly I sought to borrow
From my books
surcease of sorrow...
sorrow for the lost Lenore...
I know you, Skinner,
and you can't hurt me.
You are the ugly man
from my dreams
and I should have killed you
a long time ago.
But even though you might be able
to kill everything in your path,
you will never be able
to kill me.
I am the innocent Lenore
that nobody can kill, ever.
I am Lenore
in life and in death.
- Are you sure?
- Yeah.
You're playing
the rock star.
Bitch.
Skinner kills
all bitches.
Nothing happened to her.
Let's not jump the gun.
Didn't you say she was
going to the bathroom?
Are you sure?
Girl, it's messing
with your head now.
- I didn't hear anything.
- It's nothing.
Why can't people
just let me know where they're going,
so I can just not freak out?
They know
that I'm freaked out
about everything
so why can't they say,
"Hey, I'm going here"?
Don't worry about it. I'm sure she just
stepped outside for a minute.
Mm-hmm.
Doree.
Doree.
Doree?
Did you see something?
Yeah, I'm sure
you're just overworked.
You know, we've been
driving so hard
trying to get this recording done
and getting all the girls together.
You know how spacey
they can be.
I could have sworn
I saw him the other night.
It freaked me out.
I know. I know
you're freaked out,
but we're gonna go out
and have some fun tonight.
Forget about the girls.
They're just missing.
They've disappeared
for a day or so
just because
they've been partying,
but they always come back
and they always call me.
Yeah yeah. I mean, I check in
with you guys all the time,
but you know how spacey
they can be though.
I mean,
they're out,
they're running around,
everybody's got a man on the side.
I mean, whenever they go out and party
and stuff, it's fine.
Yeah.
Well, we'll all
get together soon
and everyone will be
in one place
and we'll know what's going on.
It'll be fine.
Don't worry so much.
I know it's...
it'll be okay though.
It seems weird, but he's gone.
He's gone.
And the girls,
they're gonna show up
and we're gonna
get back to recording
and you're gonna
finish this single.
It's gonna be great.
It's gonna be awesome, okay?
You're gonna
get your record done.
You should go in there,
get something good,
get something fun,
get some Go-Go's
or some wild Patti Smith
or something chill like
some Brahms you can relax to
and clear your head
and get back to your music,
get back to your writing.
You're gonna be great.
Thanks.
I love you.
I love all you girls.
Otherwise I wouldn't be
working for you, you know?
I love you guys so much.
You're gonna be great.
I love you too.
Thank you.
Okay.
Hey, Sharon. It's me, Loom.
Yeah, I'm with her now.
She went in
to get some records.
I'm trying to chill her out.
She's really anxious,
but everything will be okay.
I'm gonna get her there.
We're gonna
continue this record.
And hopefully, you know,
the other girls
are gonna make
an appearance,
and it's gonna be
all right.
Yeah. Yeah. No no no,
she'll be ready.
She'll be ready
for the interview.
It's weird.
Yeah, but she's
gonna be okay.
I promise you,
I'm gonna take care of our girls.
Okay.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, I'll have them there,
I promise.
You know I've got it.
Okay.
Yeah, everyone's having
that feeling.
Yeah yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, they'll be all right.
All right, bye.
They had nothing
but crap.
Loom?
Loom.
Lizzie was just
watching TV.
Doree then went
to the refrigerator.
Nicole just came in here
to fix her hair.
"I command you,
unclean spirit,
wherever you are,
along with all your minions,
now attacking this
servant of God...
By the mysteries
of the Incarnation, Passion,
Resurrection, Ascension
of Our Lord Jesus Christ...
By the descent
of the Holy Spirit,
by the coming
of our Lord for judgment...
I bid you tell me
by some sign
your name and the day and hour
of your departure.
I command you, moreover,
to obey me to the letter,
I, who am a minister of God,
despite my unworthiness.
Nor shall you be emboldened
to harm in any way
this creature of God,
or the bystanders,
or any of their
possessions...
Amen.
It's time to wake up,
Lenore.
You cannot always dream.
It's Halloween,
your favorite night of the year.
Remember when you
were 10 years old,
the old house
across the street?
Well, it's still there.
Mother Superior often took
you to the cemetery
on All Hallows' Eve
and Grandpa would
read you stories
from Edgar Allan Poe.
Later that night,
after you fell asleep,
the evil man
would come and visit you.
Today all of this
is a faint memory,
but Halloween
returns every year,
and with it
darkness and fear.
The time has come, Lenore,
to face your demons.
What are you doing?
Oh my God.
I can't believe you,
Annette.
Damn it.
I should just let you
starve to death next time.
You're such
a little brat.
This is disgusting.
By the way,
I have news from Lenore.
- How is she?
- She has a pact with the devil.
Didn't you know that?
You got a lucky break
when you had that car accident.
Otherwise you'd still
be a backup singer in Lenore's band,
and that's a one-way
ticket to hell.
A bit unusual
for this time of year,
don't you think?
What the hell?
I do not discriminate.
Nothing is sacred.
All bitches must die.
Lenore, my sweet Lenore,
only death shall bring
what you seek in life.
But death comes
when death will.
When the time has arrived,
you shall become
the Lenore he created,
the Lenore
only one man knows.
When that moment
has come,
your longing for love
shall no longer be fantasy and illusion.
You wish to undo
what you did, Lenore,
but you can't.
You have chosen
your destiny.
Evil always enjoys
death and destruction.
The man in your dreams
must have told you that.
It's a game
of cat and mouse.
And love...
love is nothing more
than a game to him,
like "I love you,
I love you not.
I love you,
I love you not."
What will it be
for you,
my sweet Lenore?
And his eyes
have all the seeming
of a demon's
that is dreaming...
And the lamp-light
o'er him streaming
throws his shadow
on the floor...
And my soul
from out that shadow
that lies floating
on the floor
Shall be lifted...
nevermore!
I'm freezing.
I'm going inside.
Good night.
You think you can get away?
Think again.
No.
She's mine.
It was at this point
that something
very very rare occurred.
Hate and revenge
were finally conquered by poetry
and the evil man
suffered.
He suffered
in his own hell,
ashamed to find out
that love can conquer everything,
even the messenger of death,
who had to realize
that "An eye for an eye
would make
the whole world blind."
And I, Lenore,
finally became the Lenore
in Edgar's poem.
Wake up, Lenore.
Now that your dreams
have all vanished,
it's time to live.
No more nightmares.
You have redeemed
yourself.
From now on the raven shall once more
be your protector,
as it was always
meant to be.
Die.
From hell I came,
to hell we go.