Let's Scare Jessica to Death

I sit here, and I can't

believe that it happened.

And yet I have to believe it.

Dreams or nightmares.

Madness or sanity,

I don't know which is which.

I'll just take a minute!

- Don't worry, the farm'll be great for her.

Apartment was beginning to scare me, too.

- For the first time in months, I'm free.

Forget the doctors.

Forget that place.

I'm okay now.

We'll start over.

Ah!

Hey, Jess!

Come on, we gotta get moving!

Don't tell them, act normal.

Find anything good?

It's great!

What's it say?

- "Frail as the leaves that shiver on a spray.

"Like them we flourish,

"like them, decay."

See?

You're less frightened already.

Cast off!

What have you got in the case?

My mother-in-law.

I wished it was mine.

Where you folks going?

Other side of Brookfield.

It's a farm on Cove Road called the Old Bishop Place.

Do you know it?

Yes, I do.

Well, we'll be on the other side very soon.

- This is your new hometown, Jessica.

Was that it?

Wait, wait!

Can we go around again?

- Okay. Waltz us around again, Woody.

Don't blink or you're gonna miss it.

Look what they're driving.

Damn hippies!

Creeps!

Some welcoming committee.

I think maybe

it's our mode of transportation.

Look at those bandages.

I think these guys are left over from the Civil War.

It's cheaper than a station wagon.

Good riddance.

Oh God, it's fantastic!

The , I'm so excited.

The stuff for supper is on top

and the bedding and the sheets like that

are all in the very front.

Woman's work is never done.

- Jessica, why have you come here?

Get it open?

You okay?

Don't tell them.

They won't believe you.

Yes.

Well, let's go in.

Do you like it?

What's wrong?

It's okay, Jess, I saw it, too.

- Oh, I thought-- - What's the matter?

Someone's upstairs.

No kidding?

That's great, eh!

Stay here.

I really did see something.

I believe you.

We know you're in here, now come out.

That's a girl!

Hold it!

What are you doing here?

I mean, I'm sorry if we frightened you

but you just scared the hell out of us.

Oh, that's all right.

Who are you?

This place belongs to me now.

Oh, I just found this place,

and I thought it was abandoned,

so I just sort of moved in.

Then I saw this hearse coming up the drive.

- We must've scared you as much as you scared us.

Well, I'll get my things.

- And let's get the rest of the stuff, Woody.

Woody?

Yeah, yeah.

Is this your room?

Yes.

I mean no!

Where will you go?

Town?

Sounds good enough for me.

You don't care where you go?

Mm-mm.

Do you?

Well...

Yes , I think I do now.

Have you any transportation?

Mm-mm.

Well, how will you get to town?

It's a couple of miles, isn't it?

Look, why don't you stay and have dinner with us

and spend the night?

Oh, thanks, I guess I'll keep moving.

Please do.

We have plenty and we can drive you

into town in the morning.

Please.

Please.

Stay.

Well, why not?

Good.

I'm Jessica.

Hi, I'm Emily.

That's far enough.

It better be.

That's great.

You go to school?

I went and then I dropped.

Then I went again.

And if I like it around here, I plan to drop again.

I probably should go back to school,

but I don't know why.

What do I need a degree for?

But don't you live somewhere?

Oh yeah, sure, but.

I haven't been there for a long time,

and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back yet.

Nice.

Do you play?

No!

I can't even carry a tune.

He likes her.

- It's blood, Jessica, it's blood.

It's blood, blood.

Blood.

Bravo!

Wow!

He's terrific!

I mean, really.

He's an important man.

He was with the philharmonic.

- Are you gonna play somewhere around here?

Mm, no, he's gonna farm, raise apples,

have a garden, get back to nature.

He's a nut.

I'm the nut.

Coffee is being served in our living room.

Great to have a fire.

- Didn't you have a fireplace in New York?

In New York?

Have you ever been to New York?

No.

Oh, I've always wanted to go there.

- Oh? - Yeah.

It's a mad city.

Gosh, it's

How long have you been here?

Ages.

Did you ever get lonely?

Oh, sure. Sure.

But sometimes it's not lonely.

Sometimes,

I hear things.

Like, you know, when I'm alone

and it's very quiet, like now.

You can let your imagination go

and listen to the stillness

and watch it get dark,

and the shadows come to life.

You know what I mean?

Have you ever had anything like that happen to you?

Well.

Yes.

Like, like what?

Like,

once, I was going to your concert,

and I was afraid I was gonna be late,

and I was very exhausted around that time

because my father had just passed away.

And,

I woke up,

and suddenly I saw my father.

And I heard his voice.

He was calling to me.

"Jessica."

- It was probably me begging for her to be on time.

For a change!

Let's have a seance!

Why not?

Don't you believe in spirits?

Nothing's ever completely dead.