Marchlands

Where were you, Ruth? Where were you?

You know where I was. Not where you should have been.

Stop.

I think I'd better go. You don't have to.

Hasn't changed much, has he? No.

Not like I have.

Come along, Olive. Don't you see? This is proof.

Proof of what? That Alice is real. She exists!

It's just a little girl's journal. It doesn't prove anything.

Bloody hell!

A-S-K-O-R.

Mum. Mm?

How do you know if you're really sick or...

whether it's just something you've done?

What?

Like...if you have a headache,

you could have a brain tumour or you could just have a hangover.

How do you tell?

I think most people could tell the difference.

How?

Does it feel different if you're really ill?

I don't know. Probably.

I don't feel different.

No, sweetheart. I feel fine.

But you keep saying that I need to get better.

And you are getting better. But how do you know?

I feel just the same.

Trust me, you're getting better. It just takes time.

How will you know when to stop?

The doctors will know.

So they'll know, but I won't feel any different?

No, that's not quite... What's the point of getting better,

if I just feel the same?

I hate being sick!

Thanks for your support.

Well, she's got a point.

You started that. Why are you talking about brain tumours?

Don't matter. Forget it.

You'll be OK.

Bye. See you next week, Father.

Father. Hello.

How are you both?

Very well, thank you, Father.

Ah, Paul. Ruth.

Father.

How are things? Fine, thank you.

Yes. Better. Good.

I'm glad to hear it.

You're both still in my prayers.

Thanks, Father.

Did you hear? Oh, I know.

Oh, hello, Mr Bowen, Mrs Bowen.

Disgraceful. No shame.

I was going to go visit Alice's grave.

Oh. Oh, right.

I can go another time.

I just thought it might be nice to walk back as a family.

OK. Let's do that, then.

No.

No. It's fine. You go. Are you sure?

I'll see you back at the house.

Paul, I'm not going to disappear.

That were my fault. I was only in Leeds.

I...just missed the last bus home.

I thought I'd lost you.

I came back.

They're waiting. You go ahead. I won't be long.

Ruth not walking with us?

She's got things to do. She'll be back later.

Later when? Wednesday?

Stop it, Mum.

I told you. That's done with.

Can I help you? Jesus! Oh.

Sorry.

Were you wanting confession by any chance?

No, Father. I was just...

I feel a bit daft now, to be honest.

But I don't know where else to go.

Am I supposed to guess, is that it?

Were you here in 1967? Yes.

Do you remember a girl called Alice Bowen?

Why do you ask?

She used to live at Marchlands.

I live there now, with my family.

Uh-huh?

I think Alice is still there.

Why don't we go somewhere a bit more private?

Maybe the monitor picked up a radio station or something.

But it was playing that tune.

Well, I don't know. I can't explain it.

You do believe me?

I believe you. But I know how little sleep you're getting.

I'm not imagining this. I didn't say that.

But when you're exhausted, it's easy to miss things.

Or connect things which aren't connected.

Your mind plays tricks. I know what I heard.

It's not my mind playing tricks. There's something about this house.

What? You're not here. You don't know what it's like.

It's an old house. You're tired. I think it's got something to do with Alice.

The baby?

The other Alice. The one who used to live here.

Oh. The other Alice!

The one you named our daughter after.

Now you think she's haunting the place?

I don't know. Maybe. For God's sake, Nisha! Listen to yourself!

It's ridiculous.

First it was some old photo, then that stupid mural.

Now it's a haunted music box! I'm just...

No. I don't want to hear it. Enough's enough.

I don't want to come home to this. But I...

No! I mean it.

There are better things to be worrying about!

Like what?

What are the "better things" I should be worrying about, Mark?

Amy's drawing. There's no way she could've known.

You said your daughter's receiving medical care?

Yeah. They think it's a psychiatric problem.

Have you spoken to her doctors about this?

My wife says they'd think I'm mad.

Ah.

And what does she think?

She agrees with them.

I'm not a doctor.

I don't interfere in medical treatment.

So you don't believe me, either.

I didn't say that.

What time is it? What are you doing?

I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd catch up on some paperwork.

Is it important? Just costing a job.

Oh, shit.

Give her here.

I can manage.

Look, leave it. I'll sort it.

Ah, there we are. Why don't you go back to bed?

And who's gonna look after her?

I don't have to be in first thing. I can take her for a bit.

OK, fine. You take her. I'll go out.

Out? Where? Wherever I want.

Oh...

Over here, Mummy! Over here!

Mummy!

Over here, Mummy! Over here!

Over here, Mummy! I'm over here!

Mrs Bowen. Are you lost? No. I know where I am.

This is where Robert left Alice the day she died.

Somewhere here, yes. It's very close to your house.

If she'd walked that way, things might've been very different.

But you didn't see anything?

No.

Mr Bowen came and raised the alarm. Then the police arrived.

But before that, nothing unusual? No...vehicles? No strange people?

No. Sorry.

I gave my statement to the police. There's nothing to add.

Excuse us. Come along, Olive.

I'll miss this.

I mean, being with you.

Like... Like this.

You'll meet loads of other girls.

But you were first. They say you never forget your first.

Will you miss me?

Only when you've actually gone. You're still here.

Yeah.

For now.

Now is all I want.

She's beautiful. She is, isn't she?

So how is it, being a dad?

Weird.

When I look at her, I can see my life fast-forwarding.

Walking. Talking.

School. Boyfriends. College.

Job. Wedding.

Grandchildren.

She's like a little time machine.

I can see myself in my seventies now cos of her.

Is that a bad thing?

It's a bit scary.

When I left here, I thought I was going to do everything.

See everything.

I thought I might end up on the other side of the world,

not the other side of the village.

Well, at least you left and came back.

Some of us never got to leave at all.

When do you go?

Tomorrow.

Gives me a week to settle in before classes start.

You're excited.

I'll give you the address. You can come visit if you like.

But I'd like to see you.

You'll have a whole new life.

This is your past. Your future's out there.

What about your future?

This is it.

Here. It doesn't have to be.

Mum's looked after me for so long.

She's going to need someone to look after her one day.

Who else is there?

Just doesn't seem fair.

Life's like that.

Go on.

Go now. Before we spoil it.