FRIDAY THE 13TH #39 "The Playhouse" CLOSED CAPTIONED
(thunder crashing)
(phonograph powers up)
(slow ragtime jazz playing)
(mechanical creaking)
(chimes tinkling)
(thunder crashes)
(children crying, slap)
WOMAN: Shut up or I'll really give you something
to cry about. GIRL: Stop it!
BOY: We weren't in your room, Mom, I swear.
Shut up, Mike, I wasn't asking you.
Janine, where is my case?
I don't know.
I don't... (thudding)
Get up, you're not hurt!
Come on, get up! Leave her alone!
What?
Come here, damn you.
(screaming)
How dare you tell me what to do. Let go!
You're hurting me.
(crashing, screaming)
You can't blame me for that.
Go on and put some cold water on it.
(door slamming)
All right, who put my case in the bathroom?
You did.
Just get out of my sight.
Go on, get outside!
(boy mimicking battle noises)
(dog barking in distance)
(boy continues mimicking battle noises)
Hi.
Hello.
What you playing?
Space killers.
Yeah, is it fun?
Pretty fun.
You want to have a battle?
No, we're heading back to our playhouse.
It's really cool.
See you.
You guys have a playhouse?
What kind?
Tell him what kind, Janine.
It's the best in the world.
Yeah, it's magic.
You can do anything you want there.
You want to see it?
Sure, let's go.
Danny.
Where are you off to?
Just gonna play with...
(whispering): Mike and Janine.
Okay, but come straight home and don't talk to strangers.
I know.
Dinner's less than an hour,
and Grandma's coming over.
I made your favorite, spaghetti.
Oh, great. Bye, mom.
Bye, sweetie.
Mike, come on.
Come on.
(dog barking in distance)
DANNY: Neat, you guys.
Where did you get it?
Some jerk who was trying
to make points with our mom.
But she liked another jerk better.
Wow, what did your dad do?
He's dead, he...
He's not dead.
He left us.
(creaking)
How did the door open?
The wind did it.
You coming, Janine?
(dog barking)
Yeah.
♪ ♪
So, what do you guys do here?
This isn't it.
What do you mean?
We'll take you there.
Don't be afraid.
The playhouse will give you anything you want.
(grunting)
What's happening?
Help me!
Please!
Mom!
(screaming)
(creaking)
(footsteps)
DANNY'S MOM: Danny?
Danny!
Danny, where are you?
NEWSCASTER: Correspondents on the scene reported air strikes
along the front lines, as well as a missile attack
on a small desert village a few miles from the border.
Fighting on the ground is also reported to be heavy,
and in some areas, thought to be the bloodiest
since last winter's offensive.
The conflict between the two countries
has continued on a small scale for months
despite all UN attempts at peace.
One official was quoted as saying,
"The war is going to be a long, bloody affair."
Locally, another missing child has been reported
in the small community of Perkinsville.
Search parties made up of police and concerned citizens
have begun combing the area in an exercise
that is becoming terrifyingly familiar.
With a live report from the scene,
our special correspondent, Crystal Whinchel.
Once again, heartbreak and fear
has struck another family here in Perkinsville.
Nine-year-old Danny Green disappeared this afternoon
on the way to the corner market.
This is the ninth missing child reported here
in the last five months.
Police remain baffled since they can find no links
or any trace of those abducted children.
I have with me two of the last children who saw Danny:
Mike and Janine Carlson. Shh, shh, shh.
Could you tell me what happened?
Well, we were just playing on our front lawn and stuff.
And we got thirsty, and there was nothing good in the fridge.
And Danny said he would go to Sam's.
WHINCHEL: That's the little market down the street?
MIKE: Right.
So, we gave him our allowance money,
and he went off and he didn't come back.
We're not mad about the money part.
We just want him to come back, you know, safe.
And what about you, sweetheart?
Does this frighten you?
We're both scared.
We don't want to get taken away.
It's bad enough what's going on there,
much less putting those
terrified children on display.
Police Lieutenant Reitano has assured me
everything possible is being done.
All we can do is pray for the children's safe return.
This is Crystal Whinchel reporting.
What do those sickos want with those kids anyway?
I'm sure the police are doing the best they can.
Let's get our agendas organized for tomorrow.
Uh, Micki, you're seeing someone
about this top hat, aren't you?
Yeah.
Some businessman from Atlanta.
He's in town for a sales convention.
He's gonna bring it with him.
Uh-huh.
I've got an appointment
with the curator at the museum to find out more
about this Indian sacrificial knife.
Ryan, how are you doing tracking that playhouse?
The guy who bought it, Whitson...
he, um, sold it to a guy he worked with
at a garage sale named Brad Farrell.
Did you talk to him?
No, he got fired.
Whitson said he's living out of town somewhere.
Well, it looks like we'll get
at least one object in the vault tomorrow.
And that will be one less injustice in the world.
Let's get some supper and start early tomorrow.
(groaning)
What's to drink?
Nothing but beer.
Where's the sodas?
I hid them under the sink
in case the cops checked our story.
Here's a glass for you.
(shattering)
MOM: What the hell did you break now?
Nothing.
Don't tell me nothing!
Who did it?
I'm sorry.
I did it.
It slipped. Fine.
Then, you pay for it out of your allowance.
What allowance? You haven't given me any.
Don't you try to make me feel guilty.
You think it's easy trying to raise you two brats
on a waitress's salary?
Mom, what time you coming home tonight?
I've got a date-- I'm not coming home tonight.
I'll be going straight into work tomorrow.
Again?
You mean I can't have a life?
You know how tough it is to find a man
who wants someone with kids?
Your father was a lot smarter than me.
He got the hell away from you both.
Stay out of my room and be in bed before midnight.
You got it?
You got it?!
Got it.
Good.
(crashing)
What are you doing?
She'll beat us for that.
Come on.
We're spending the night in the playhouse.
It will feed us.
It will do whatever we want it to.
Jack, I got it.
Oh, congratulations.
He handed it right over--
no attachments whatsoever.
I wish the objects were all this easy to get back.
Well, I'm glad one of us is having some luck anyway.
What, no progress on the Indian knife?
The curator of the museum confirms that it is sacrificial,
but I still haven't got a clue... Shh.
I haven't got a clue to who's sacrificing what or why.
Thank you very much.
We'll see you in about an hour.
What did you find out?
Well, it seems our Mr. Farrell has done some drifting.
He settled down in the suburbs about six months ago.
But you did talk to him, didn't you?
Yeah. That was him. I think I woke him up, too.
Does he still got the playhouse?
No, he wouldn't say.
But he did give me his address.
I told him we'd be right over.
Hey, maybe we're gonna get two objects in one day. Yeah.
All right. I'm gonna put this in the vault.
Wait for me.
Come on, Janine.
We got lots of time to play before supper.
We're gonna have to find somebody else.
No. It's not being fair anymore!
It wants too much.
We're gonna get in trouble.
It won't let us in if we don't give it other kids!
Look, I don't care.
Come on, let's run away, far away.
No one else will ever take care of us like the playhouse.
Please, Mike.
It's all we have.
Let's make the playhouse happy.
Let's bring it some new friends.
You guys, look,
this is the area
all the kids been disappearing from.
Jack, you think this has anything to do
with the playhouse?
Which way is Farrell's place?
It's a right here.
MIKE: It's like this really cool place. I mean...
JANINE: It's a playhouse.
GIRL: A playhouse?
MIKE: Yeah. And you can do anything you want.
You can get anything... toys. It's like magic...
Toys? Yeah...
Toys... anything.
You can fly... you can do anything.
You can get candy.
Do you want to go?
Yeah. Yeah.
Now? Okay, come on.
Let's go.
It's like so great.
It's twice as good. Three times.
It's so neat.
Wait till you see inside.
Go on. Get in.
JANINE: Isn't it neat?
GIRL: What's going on?
I thought we were gonna play.
I want to go home.
(screaming)
I knew we shouldn't have come here!
Stop it! Stop it!
Stop it, please!
Stop it!
MIKE: Welcome.
See, there's nothing to be afraid of.
(Mike laughing)
(imitating Dracula): Here, you can be anyone you want.
(hissing)
And you can have anything you want.
Except you gotta be real nice to us,
or else.
(laughing)
What's the matter, don't you want any?
No thank you.
They're good.
Anything in the world can be yours here.
Isn't there something you've always wanted,
but your cheap parents wouldn't let you have?
Come on, don't be shy. What?
A pony.
A Suzy Rock Star with her complete wardrobe
and accessories and her concert stage set with all her friends.
Look.
Go on...
Wow! It's beautiful.
Are they really ours?
Can I ride him?
Sure.
Mike, can we all play together...
I mean, just for a while?
Yeah, of course.
Let's play.
(muffled roaring)
Actually,
I need to ask you girls something.
No, Mikey.
Not right away.
Wouldn't you want to stay here forever?
Yeah. That'd be great.
Good... I hate you!
I hate you! I hate you!
(playhouse growling) Say it!
Tell them, Janine!
Say it! It's either them or us! Say it!
I hate you!
We hate you!
(screaming) BOTH: We hate you! We hate you!
We hate you! We hate you!
(screaming) We hate you!
(children screaming)
(screaming recedes)
Help me!
(children moaning and wailing)
Hey, I know what we could play.
I'm Peter Pan, and you can be Wendy.
Off to Never-Never Land!
(laughing)
Yeah?
Mr. Farrell. Ryan Dallion.
I called you about an old playhouse.
Right. Could I see it?
It ain't here.
I used to go with this broad, she had a couple of kids.
I gave it to them. WOMAN: Hey, who is it?
None of your business!
Now take your shower and hit the road.
So, this playhouse must mean a lot to you.
Well, to be honest, my uncle sold it
without consulting my wife and I.
And we were kind of hoping to give it to our children.
You see, we're expecting...
Yeah, well, maybe I can get it back.
How much you willing to pay?
Whatever's fair.
How much do you want?
Nice car.
Must be doing pretty good, eh?
Oh, it belongs to my father-in-law.
He's had it for a long time and...
Five grand, take it or leave it.
Five grand?! I don't know if it's worth five grand...
Fine. Forget it!
Wait a minute.
I uh... just give me a chance to get it, huh?
Good. Cash only, okay?
You know where to find me.
WOMAN: Hey, where's the soap? What's your problem?
You got such a big mouth...
Well? Sorry. I blew it.
We gotta give him five grand or he won't tell us where it is.
$5,000?
Maybe there's another way.
You two could try talking to the parents of the missing kids.
I'll keep an eye on him.
MAN (on TV): Of course, my personal favorite thing
I've ever done in my whole life
is torturing a...
(loud banging)
I was in prison. Look at me.
I'm normal, healthy well-adjusted.
And it's because of that.
WOMAN: When did you start considering yourself normal?
Where the hell have you been?
In the playhouse. Don't lie to me, Michael.
I was out there twice and you weren't there.
You keep wandering the streets
you're gonna get kidnapped like those other fool kids.
Not that you would care.
What?
Nothing.
Mom, what's for dinner?
Nothing. I gave yours to Earl.
You care more about your jerk boyfriends than about us!
It didn't hurt.
(phone ringing)
Hello.
Yes.
Who?
Oh, Brad.
Yeah, I remember you.
How you doing? Yeah.
The playhouse?
Yeah, they still have it.
Yeah, by all means, you can take it back any time you like.
Yeah, it's still in the backyard, uh-huh.
All right, don't be such a stranger.
All right, bye-bye
Did that hurt?
Maybe now you'll show some respect for your mother.
Go on and enjoy it!
You're not gonna have your little hideout much longer!
Brad's coming right over!
(door creaks)
Which one is this one?
Danny Green. He just disappeared.
Let's hope this one's more willing to talk
than the last one.
Hello, Mrs. Green?
I'm so sorry to bother you at this time,
but we need to ask you
a couple of questions about what happened.
Who are you?
I'm Micki Foster, this is Ryan Dallion.
We're just concerned citizens.
We'd like to help.
Mrs. Green, does your son own a playhouse?
No. Why?
Do any of his friends?
Not that I'm aware of.
Wasn't your son playing with some other children
just before he disappeared?
Yes, but the police already spoke
with the Carlson children.
Where do they live?
Six doors up on the left.
What's this all about?
Do you know something?
Not yet. But as soon as we do, we'll let you know.
We just want to see the children home safely.
Thank you very much.
What do we do?
What do we do?!
I don't know!
I don't know.
Mikey, he's coming.
We gotta fight him.
The playhouse will tell us what to do.
(door creaks)
Ryan, maybe we should just go...
Shh. If it's here,
it'll be set up in the backyard, huh?
Hmm?
(woman squeals)
(man and woman laughing)
WOMAN: Earl, stop it!
(grunts)
Mike, Janine!
(Micki gasps)
You kids better have your butts in bed by the time I get home
or you'll have some real hell to pay!
Do you hear me?!
(car engine starts)
(car departs)
(sighs)
(whispers): Now what?
I don't know, but we're gonna need
a truck to get this thing out of here.
Let's see if it'll come apart.
Help me.
(both grunting)
They're trying to take the playhouse!
Mikey, I'm scared.
Let's get 'em.
We need some tools.
Let's go out.
Ryan!
No!
(both scream)
Who are they?
It doesn't matter.
Now they've entered our world.
They're gonna play by our rules.
Let's have some fun with them.
Then the house can have them.
(laughs)
(horns honking, music blasting, indistinct chatter)
Oh, this is it?
Oh, this is perfect. That's just what I need.
Yeah, okay, thanks, guy.
I really appreciate you lending me your truck like this.
I'm gonna make some serious money on that playhouse,
and I'll cut you in for it 50-50, okay?
I promise.
♪ ...was a drunken broken man... ♪
You following me?
Mr. Farrell, it's very important
we get our hands on that playhouse.
Yeah? Well, don't think you're gonna get it
without paying my price.
We're not going to cheat you.
That's right.
And you're not gonna follow me either.
(horn blaring)
(tires squeal)
(grunts)
Micki!
Where are we?
I don't know.
What happened?
Hello.
Who are you?
How did we get here?
MICKI: Let us out!
We can't do that.
You'd miss all the fun!
It's a special day here in the playhouse.
Untie us! Come on, please!
You can't leave!
We're having a party
in your honor.
(musical fanfare plays)
These are specially for you.
MIKEY: Mr. Bunny!
Your own private clown!
And more, much more!
(laughs)
(Mikey laughing)
Oh, it's great!
Let us out of here, kid!!
What's the matter?
Not having a good time?
Of course, you're not.
You haven't had your cake yet!
This isn't funny, kid!
Neither's trying to steal our playhouse.
This thing is evil.
Only bad can come of it.
Yeah, bad for you!
(gasps)
Get 'em! (laughs)
(growling)
(whimpering)
(motor revving)
(giggling)
Get 'em! Get 'em! That's it! Get 'em!
Stop it! Come on!
Stop it! Stop it!
Come on! It isn't funny!
(clanking)
Brad! Come on, Janine.
(grunting)
How the hell did you get in there?
Get out of here! This is ours!
You got a sales slip? Proof of purchase?
But you gave it to us.
Yeah, and I'm taking it back.
I just found out it's worth a lot.
Certainly more than I ever got from your old lady.
You wanna know why it's worth so much?
Come inside, we'll show ya.
Get out of here!
I'll find out for myself.
What'll we do?
You gotta help.
We've gotta stop him.
Get away from it!
Get out of here, kid! I said beat it!
Leave it alone!
Will you shut up?!
Help!
Get out of here!
I don't know, officer.
Maybe they were legitimately concerned,
but being strangers and asking all these questions
about if Danny had a...
MIKEY: Help!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Request for backup, South River.
No! Stop him!
I'm gonna tear your little...
Freeze! (gun cocks)
Let go of the children, put your hands behind your head.
Whoa, hold on there, pal.
You're reading this all wrong.
Let go of the children.
Get those hands behind your head.
Now!
(dog barking in distance)
Look, I'm sure this looks suspicious, but...
That man, he wants to hurt us.
Make him go away.
Shh. It's all right. You're gonna be fine.
He said he was gonna kill us.
(sirens approaching)
That's a lie!
These kids know me.
I-I know their mother.
Please don't let him hurt us.
Don't worry, he won't. Cuff him.
Looks like we finally caught the scumbag.
Come on, guys. I didn't do nothing!
What're you doing?!
Let me go! (grunting)
Let me go! Come on!
Let me go!
(indistinct radio transmission)
I assure you, Lieutenant.
If I knew any more, I'd tell you.
Are you sure?
That's what he told me.
Can you come down to the station in about an hour and make an ID?
Certainly. You found him?
We believe so.
We also think he's our child abductor.
Where'd they nail him?
142 South River.
He was arrested for trying
to pull some kids out of their own backyard.
Kids okay?
Well, they were. But now they can't find the kids.
(engine starts)
OFFICER: Okay, folks, please, let's clear a way.
WOMAN: I'm just wondering...
Just stand back.
It's all over. It's all over.
Nothing to see. Please, all go home.
Please, sir. Sir?
Please stand back. Thank you. Thank you very much.
(door creaks)
Come on. Don't you see this place is evil?
It doesn't care about you!
RYAN: It's just using you to gain its power.
(kids' voices wailing, crying)
You're letting it keep those children against their will!
You're wrong. They all said they wanted to stay here forever.
So either you do what we say,
or you'll fry like a couple of hot dogs.
(laughs)
(rumbling)
Do you feel that?
What?
There's somebody in the playhouse.
Right.
Let's teach 'em about trespassing.
(whooshing)
(grunting)
(groans)
Who are you?!
(whooshing) (gasps)
Answer me!
Who are you?!
(weakly): Jack Marshak.
What are you doing in our playhouse?
RYAN: Jack!
Jack, they're gonna kill us!
So, you're all together.
What's going on? Tell me!
We're just antique dealers, son.
We heard about this old playhouse,
and we wanted to buy it.
Liar! You know what power it has
and you want to take it from us, don't you?!
MICKI: Mike,
Mike, why can't we be friends?
We care about you.
You don't care about us. Nobody does.
And you know what?
We don't care, do we, Janine?
But you know what does care?
This playhouse.
We give it all those stupid happy kids,
and we get anything we want.
Watch this.
(rumbling, wailing noises)
(wailing, shrieking)
Janine, it needs to be fed.
No! Don't do it!
I told you. I was gone less than an hour
and I'm very aware of everything my kids do.
If they are not in their room,
they're out in this damn playhouse.
We already checked the playhouse, ma'am.
Well, let's check again.
(kids' shrieking voices)
(echoing): Help us!
We gotta hurry before it gets mad at us.
I hate you.
I hate you!
(wailing)
Come on!
I hate you!
BOTH: I hate you! I hate you!
I hate you! I hate you!
Take them!
It won't take them. They're not children!
Your men obviously let the children disappear
in the first place.
And I would call that poor police work.
Well, maybe you'd like to tell me why
you weren't there to look after them.
I'd call that neglect.
I've already read two reports
on how much you care for your children.
You find anything?
Was that there before?
No, sir.
You can't fool the house.
It only wants children.
What do you want?!
(loud whooshing)
No!
Not her!
It's what it wants, Mike.
Mike!
Mikey!
You have to give it what it wants.
Jack, what are you saying?!
Mike knows the deal.
As long as you don't care,
the house will give you anything.
Hate keeps it alive.
We'll go get other kids!
It's too late for that!
JANINE: No!
Mike, help!
You have no choice, Mike.
Tell your sister you hate her... and regain your power.
Mikey, help!
Mike!
Mike, help me!
No! It can't have you!
I love you!
It's gonna destroy us!
Not if we rob it of its power,
and its power is hate.
Mike, you've got to tell those children that you love them.
That you really care.
(kids screaming)
But I don't.
Mike, you can't be afraid to give love
if you're ever expecting anyone to give it to you back.
I'm not afraid.
I care about all of you.
I love you.
You see, Mike? It's working.
Come on. We can beat it.
We care.
We love all of you.
Say it, Mike.
Say it.
I care.
I really do care about you.
(voices wailing)
(wailing ceases)
I'm going to file a suit against the city for...
Look, Mrs. Carlson, you can't do that.
Oh, no?
Lieutenant Reitano. Sir, look!
CARLSON: How did you get in there?
You two are gonna pay big time for this little stunt.
I'm afraid you're wrong.
What these children need is love.
Since you don't seem to be capable,
I'm sure the courts will find someone who is.
I believe you have some very joyful calls to make.
(groans)
I don't want to go through
questioning like that ever again.
I thought I'd never get out of there.
What time is it anyway?
Uh, what would you like for breakfast?
Jack, you think the police actually believed our story?
All I know is, they don't think that we're involved
and they'll be assembling and disassembling that playhouse
a dozen times before returning it to us.
What do you think they're going to tell the press?
Oh, some story about the kids hiding in the playhouse
and creating a little world of their own.
That's not too far from the truth--
at least as far as Mike and Janine are concerned.
Well, thank goodness those kids have no memory
of what really happened.
Well, fortunately, or unfortunately,
people never really listen to children
or quirky antique dealers.
What about Mike and Janine?
What do you think's gonna happen to them?
Like most child-abuse cases,
there'll be a hearing, and then the court will try
and find them a good foster home.
Believe me, I'm going to stay on this until they do.
Jack, I'm glad I know you.
Me, too.
Well, that's very nice and it's very reciprocated,
but I think we really ought to get some sleep.
(groans)
You know, the power of a child's imagination
can be really incredible.
When the child is unloved,
that power can be truly terrifying, can't it?
Good night.