Lisey's Story

-Hi, Darla. -Hey.

Amanda wants to know when you're coming to see her.

-Really? -No, not really. She's not talking.

I wanna know when you're coming to see her.

I'm-- I'm coming. I'm-- I'm coming as soon as I can.

Did you ask her if-- if she has Good Ma's cedar box?

Or did you forget?

What part of "she's not talking" do you not understand?

Yeah, I know.

Okay, I'm sorry.

Matter of fact, I did ask her,

and for a moment, she actually seemed to know I was in the room,

so maybe she does have it.

-Do you want me to bring anything? -Yes.

Some pj's.

That blue jumper thing they have her in is horrible.

Oh, and bring some Oreos. Those always seem to cheer her up.

Yeah, but is she allowed to have them? Do you know?

Did you ask the doctor if she's even allowed to have them?

I don't fucking know. I haven't memorized the loony bin rule book.

Don't call it that. It's not the loony bin. Don't call it that, Darla.

Yeah, it is. Just bring the cookies.

I'm sure if you ask, Alberness will let her have them.

You've been fucking his favorite writer half your life.

Hey.

It's just me.

Come on, Manda.

You feel different.

Where you going, honey?

It's me.

Why does your body feel so different?

Hey.

Chief Richards said you had some stuff on Dooley.

Yes, ma'am. His last known residence was Calumet City, Tennessee.

This is him at 22.

-And why was he arrested? -He never was.

But he did serve four years in a fruit farm.

Involuntary committal, because of this.

University of Georgia. Professor's name is Bernard Walsh.

-He was videotaping his lecture. -What can we say about Scott Landon,

who has never managed to write an original sentence?

Those who discover, to their dismay,

that the so-called cult of Landon is nothing but a fad, like Beanie Babies--

Liar! You're a liar!

The Pie of Death.

Beg your pardon?

It's from Relics, one of my husband's books.

The evil magician kills his enemies with the-- with the Pie of Death.

Fans love that one.

I love that book.

My husband had a lot of fans that weren't exactly, you know, wired together right.

He called them Deep Space Cowboys.

He-- He really liked most of them.

Respect!

-Respect! -Where was he committed?

In a place called Tushka in Western Pennsylvania.

He didn't have any problems there.

He was released cured.

Well, I think they might have made a little "mistooky" there.

This one's from last year.

Barbara Danton found this on Mr. Landon's website,

where fans can leave posts.

All right, campers. This is what I call my Landon wall.

This is what he won the National Book Award for. Relics.

The Library of America's award for Prophecy Dying,

and the cover of Literary Digest.

But the awards don't matter.

The stories matter.

Any person that's ever read a Scott Landon book, his life has changed.

And any person that says different,

that person is a black liar.

I was homeschooled. I never had much of an education.

And I never read much until Scott's books.

He taught me to read.

He taught me to think.

He taught me to feel.

He-- He shouldn't have died so young,

and he should've won all the big prizes, like the Pulitzer and the-- the Nobel one.

But he died too soon.

And they would still give him those awards if they could find those other stories.

Those other stories.

We are all campers.

We will love Scott Landon till we die.

You're the only reason I'm living.

Scott Landon forever. No wife.

Stay single.

-Holy shit. -Yeah.

At least I know what he looks like.

Well, I'm gonna let you go on with your business.

I'll be right out here, okay?

Oh, Amanda.

Oh, my God.

Bool.

Oh, Amanda.

"Dear Amanda. We got here in spite of the snow.

Wow, it's beautiful, and we are the only guests.

Love, Lisey."

Well, I thought we'd be dead empty all weekend. How'd you beat the snow?

Yeah, it was coming down hard.

Hey, you're the newlyweds.

Yes. We-- We have a reservation.

Looks like we might not need it though.

Yeah, slow time of year for us.

Folks we did have coming canceled 'cause of the storm. All except you.

Tell you what, since you have the whole place to yourself,

I'm gonna upgrade you to room 200, the honeymoon suite.

No extra charge. My wife, Mrs. Fenton, she loves newlyweds.

My wife is a fine cook.

Get settled, come down to the dining room for lunch.

Driving in the storm makes folks hungry.

I love you.

I love you.

Dessert?

I've got apple cobbler. I made it myself.

Or...

No, thank you. I'm so full. I couldn't eat another thing.

I believe my husband has something for you.

Little wedding present. Local, but not bad.

Wow, that's-- that's very kind.

-Thank you. -Thanks.

It-- It says there are paths?

Starts right around back, can't miss it.

Ends in a clearing about half a mile into the woods.

There's a view. It's not half bad.

Would you?

Wow.

Here.

Winter out there, summer in here.

Do you remember that night I cut myself and you asked me if I was crazy?

Yeah.

I have visions.

I write 'em down, people pay to read 'em.

'Cause you're a writer. That's what you do.

You asked about my family.

I never talk about my childhood.

How bad was it?

Pretty damn bad.

All right, Scott, I want you to know something.

This is on you. This is not me doing this. This is you.

If you ain't taking care of him, he ain't taking care of you.

I mean...

I'm sorry.

I don't wanna do this.

I don't wanna do this!

Jump, Scooter.

Jump.

You don't have to, Scotty.

You do have to.

You fucking do have to. You know why?

Because I've seen the gone in you. And I've seen the bad in him.

And I won't have it. I won't have it in my house.

Not my house.

It's in our blood. It's in the goddamn blood. Grandpa told me.

Scooter.

Just try me.

Don't think I won't.

Go on and test me, test me. See-- See if I'll do it.

So is that enough for you or...

want me do it again?

You don't have to, Scotty.

Take this knife.

Take it! Put it to my goddamn neck.

Come on, Paul. Do it. Do it. Do it.

Come on, do it.

He don't have to?

That's what I thought.

I'm gonna bleed it out.

Last chance, Scooter. It's your last chance.

Now you fucking jump, jump, jump.

And you're gonna jump off that goddamn barn if it's the last thing you do.

Go ahead. Try me. Test me. Test me, Scooter.

Come on, Scooter.

Scooter, you jump...

or I'm gonna cut this buggerlug right off his head.

You want me to do it? All right, no problem.

Where is he? Where's my brave boy?

There he is. I found him.

I did it.

Of course you did it. You're a Landon.

You ain't gone yet.

You can go.

But you ain't gone.

You think I cut you just to make him jump?

I don't know, Daddy.

You can do better, son.

A smart boy like you.

You had to let out the bad.

That's right, and what do we call that?

-A blood-bool. -That's right.

Because I've seen the bad in you.

And I've seen the gone in him.

And those who can go sometimes stay gone.

And they don't ever come back.

I ain't losing him, I ain't.

Daddy, he just likes to--

Scooter, you've seen the bad in him. Scooter.

You've seen the bad in him.

You've seen it clear as day.

Y-Yes, Daddy.

What's a demon? What-- What is a demon infestation?