- [yelp] - What was that?
- What? - I thought I heard something,
- like an animal or something. -[squawking]
[clucking]
- Nobody here but us chickens. - Very funny.
Here, let me do it.
I can do it. Give me the matches.
- Where's Kristen? - She'll be here.
Don't get your shorts in a knot.
Yeah, after the work is all done.
She wouldn't want to break her fingernails.
Ouch!
We're going to have to make a rule about latecomers.
[howl]
- What was that? - Sounded like a hound dog.
- Maybe it was Kristen. - She's no dog.
[bark]
[barking]
Kristen.
Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up Elvis.
- And who's Elvis? - He ain't nothing but a hound dog.
My dad says Elvis the King.
Kristen, are you going to tell us a story,
or are you just going to sit there scaring us with Elvis?
I have a tale that will have you shaking in your little booties.
Ooh!
Elvis is here for the sound effects.
I'll need some help with the dust, Dave.
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society,
I call this story...
[Kristen] On rainy days,
Pam like to rummage around in her musty old attic.
Her mother never threw anything away.
There was stuff from Pam's grandparents,
from relatives and ancestors who'd been dead for years.
One summer, Pam's Cousin Amy was visiting from the city.
Amy, come here.
Look at this. Isn't this great?
Grandpa wore this at his wedding.
Just think-- My mother and your father
were just a twinkle in his eye.
- But I guess Aunt Dora came first. - [thump]
Amy?
Come here. Look at this.
Amy, where are you?
Amy?
Hello, Charles.
- Who's Charles? - The guests are arriving, dear.
It's nearly time for the wedding.
This isn't funny.
There are more things on heaven and earth
- than you ould ever dream of. - Says who?
Hamlet-- his father's ghost made him do things
- that he didn't want to do. - Like what?
Like kill his uncle for marrying his mother.
- Nice. - Glad we're not in that family.
I don't believe in ghosts anyways.
What's this?
I didn't know you could ride.
I can't. Mom won't let me.
This is Aunt Dora, and that's her horse-- Mirage.
- She sure looked like you. - [squeaking]
- Let's go. - No, no. It's coming from in there.
Well, come on. Help me.
Look. There's a name.
Dora Pease, 1963.
[squeaking]
Come on. This is to creepy.
It's probably just a mouse.
No. We shouldn't touch it.
Mom says "Let the dead rest in peace."
[squeaking]
Look. There's a little mouse hole.
- [ahem] - Hey, in there.
Tell us the combination, and we'll let you free.
[woman] Pam! Amy! Come on down now.
It's time to feed the dog. Let's go.
[squeaking]
I can't believe that I have to spend my entire summer here.
What do you do for fun, anyway?
Promise you won't tell? Let's go.
His owners live in the city. The only come here on weekends.
- Does it bite? - Nah, he's just a big baby. Watch.
Come here.
- Oh, good boy. - So he's like a big dog. So what?
Watch this.
[engine approaches]
[car horn]
Oh!
Pam!
Are you all right?
The animals are dangerous.
I told you never to go near them.
It wouldn't be dangerous if I knew how to ride.
Can't I just take some lessons?
No, and I wish you wouldn't bring the subject up again.
It's dinnertime. Let's go home.
But it's safe in a ring.
- I don't want to discuss it. - Mom, it happened 30 years ago.
Seems like yesterday to me.
I think you better give it a rest.
Won't work with just one person.
This is feeble.
Don't you do anything around here except play games?
What are we going to do next, Jethro?
Shuck some corn?
Come on. Humor me.
I found it in the attic.
The spirits are supposed to give us messages from the other world.
Maybe they can tell us where to get pizza.
- Amy. - I'm sorry.
Let's visit the far side.
Mom said that she and Aunt Dora
used to do this when they were kids.
- You're doing this, right? No.
L... E...
T...
M...
E... O...
U... T...
- LETMEOUT. - No. It spelled "Let me out."
Let me out?
Maybe it's that rodent calling from Aunt Dora's box.
1... 4...
9...
What if it works?
We're just going to open it up and tak a look.
What's the big deal?
Yeah, but you saw how upset my mom got.
It's like she's haunted by her sister.
- If she catches us-- - [squeaking]
If it can fit through that mouse hole,
it's not big enough to hurt us.
Yeah, but what if it's something else?
Like what? Now, what were those numbers?
1-4-9. I'm telling you, this isn't going to work,
and I don't even believe in this stuff.
Then you shouldn't be scared.
[squeaking]
Whoa, wait a minute! Wait a minute!
What are we running from? A mouse?
You're the country cousin. What are you scared of?
Ohh... Cool. It's all her riding stuff.
It's all covered with dirt and grass.
Yuck.
Looks like they never washed it after the last time she wore it.
What are you doing?
Are you...
Night?
It's not night.
What is this?
Pam!
Pam, come on. Let's go back, OK?
[barking]
It must be time for dinner.
Don't you have to feed the dog or something?
OK. Ha ha! Good job.
You've totally creeped me.
OK. I deserve it. I've been a pain.
Now let's go back.
Oh, no.
Paul Pease.
Noel Pease.
It's all our family for 100 years.
"As you are, so was I.
As I am, so will you be."
Nice thought.
Aunt Dora's grave.
Why did you bring me here?
What is that? A bone?
- Mon Petit Rouge. - What?
- Mon Petit Rouge. - What is happening to you?
It's a gift from the fox.
He leaves me presents.
Very nice. Now...
let's go.
I called him Mon Petit Rouge--
my little red one. I fed him each day.
He looked at me through the cage with his little golden eyes.
I know. Let's travel back to earth now, OK?
I didn't want the hounds to tear him apart,
but they were ravenous and howling for the hunt.
The day of the hunt, I got up before dawn
to see Mon Petit Rouge.
He was shivering in his cage.
I opened the door, and I let him run free in the barn.
The hounds could hear him, and they could smell him.
- They were going crazy. - I know the feeling.
I opened the barn door, and he seemed to smile at me,
and then he ran away.
The hounds were furious.
I wanted to ride after him before the hunters came,
so I saddled up Mirage, and we raced over the hills.
But...
but then something startled him, and he shied before a jump...
And he tripped. And...
and we fell together.
Pam, your imagination is running away with you.
You are Pam. You're not Dora.
Hello, Dora.
I was wondering when you'd get around to your chores.
I've come to feed the hounds.
You should have fed them while they were alive.
- I couldn't get back until now. - I was all torn up when you died.
Ohh...
My little Dora.
She is not Dora.
When I found them, they were nearly starved.
They leapt at me. I couldn't keep them down.
I... I got away, but my heart...
- my heart! - I'm sorry, Giles.
Why didn't you feed the hounds?
The barn! Run!
- [growl] - What was that?
I can't see a thing!
[barking]
What was happening to you back there?
- Who was that guy? - Giles was the stablekeeper.
[door locks]
[dog barks]
What's the matter, Elvis? Smell a fox?
Maybe he's scared.
- Maybe he's hungry. - Ha ha ha!
Who locked the girls in the barn?
It might have been Giles, or it might have been another ghost
from the family graveyard.
[rattling door]
There's got to be another way out of here.
I have to feed the hounds.
Don't get strange on me again. Please?
They're trapped in there, starved, and it's all my fault.
You listen to me.
You are not Dora. You're Pam.
It's not your fault, and it wasn't her fault, either.
It's that jacket. Take off the jacket!
Dora, listen to me.
- [barking] - We're your nieces.
- You're inside Pam's body. - Nonsense. I have no nieces.
My brother and my sister are 10 years old.
Now, I've got to feed those hounds.
They're starved before a hunt, you know.
- What if they attack us? - They must be fed.
Pam! Dora, don't open that door!
Let me go. I have to feed the hounds.
Not until you let Pam back into her own body.
Forget it. I'm going for help.
- No! - You don't know the way.
I'll show you if you let me feed the hounds.
What are you going to feed them? Me?
Kibble. Now let me out, and I'll get it.
No way. Tell me where it is.
[growling]
If you don't tell me, we're both dog meat.
Over there by the ladder.
The ladder.
Pam! No!
- They're so hungry. - [dogs whining]
Wait till I get the kibble over there!
- We'll throw it to them. - [growling]
Bounder, Rexy, Helga,
Brutus, you can come out now.
I have something for you.
Pam!
Dora, don't open that door!
No!
[door opening]
Mon Petit Rouge! He saved us!
Pam?
Pam, where are you?
Pam?
Wait!
Come back!
What am I going to tell Aunt Beth?
- Tell her about what? - Pam! Are you OK?
Yeah, I'm fine.
It's just my allergies and all this dust.
Let's go downstairs. This place is haunted.
I thought you didn't believe in ghosts.
Come on. I got to go feed the dogs.
What dogs? You only have one.
That's what I said. I have to feed the dog.
You said dogs. You said, "I have to feed the dogs."
- Did not. - You did too.
- Did not! - Did too!
Who cares what I said? What's wrong with you?
Nothing. Nothing. I'm fine.
I'm OK.
OK. Rexy's hungry, and I'm going to go feed him now.
OK.
I have just the thing.
After that, Pam tried one more time
to convince her mother to let her take riding lesson,
and it finally worked because her mom no longer haunted
by her sister Dora,
and Dora's ghost was no longer tormented
by the howling of the hungry hounds.
The End.
[Elvis whimpers]
I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed,
and don't forget to feed your dog,
or he may have a bone to pick with you.
Ohh...
Captioned by Grant Brown