[blowing]
- Where were you? - It's OK, Frank.
We're waiting for you.
We were supposed to come together.
Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sorry.
Forgot? Great. You know, thanks a lot!
Be careful with that. It's my father's.
I ought to make you eat this!
- What's the big deal? - Well, you see--
All right. Just forget it.
- Poor Frankie lost his flashlight. - Let it go, Eric.
- And what? - And he's afraid of the dark.
- What? - Not Mr. Tough Stuff.
It's OK.
I get scared in the dark sometimes, too.
I'm not afraid of the dark!
I just wasn't sure
I could find the clearing without a flashlight.
- You're gonna pay for this, man! - Don't kill him yet.
- He's telling the story tonight. - Yeah, and it's a good one.
There's a little boy in it who's afraid of the dark.
You're dead meat.
Sit down, Frank. Don't be strange.
- No. I'll stand. - Just tell the story.
Well, everyone knows
that there's nothing in the dark that can hurt you...
most of the time.
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society...
I call this story...
[fire hisses]
[Eric] Andy Carr wasn't doing so hot.
His folks got divorced, and his mom wasn't making much money.
He tried to help her as beat he could,
like with his paper route.
It gave him money to buy lunch at school.
Things were pretty tough.
Then, one day, it looked like his luck changed.
His mom inherited a big old house
from some uncle she could hardly remember--
Just like that. Didn't cost her a dime.
It was kind of old but a lot better than the puny apartment
they lived in.
It really looked like the Carrs' luck was changing,
except there are two kinds of luck,
and you don't always get the kind you want.
Aah!
Hey!
You mess with me, kid, and I'll deck you.
What?
Everybody was glad when your nut-bag uncle kicked.
- Then you had to show up. - I never even met the guy!
You're his family. It's the same thing.
If you get in my face again, you're history.
- Who are you? - I'm your new neighbor.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
[video game beeping]
Oh, I hate these things. They're so stupid.
- Mom? - Yeah?
- What was Uncle Niles like? - I don't remember.
Last time I saw him, I was Christina's age.
This is useless. Do me a favor.
Go down in the basement and see if he had a ladder.
The basement?
Yeah. There's a bunch of junk down there.
Uhh... I don't know.
What's the matter, Andy? Afraid of the dark?
No, I'm not afraid of the dark.
Be careful down there. It's a real mess.
Hey, somebody at the wall switch up there,
I need some power.
[Christina] Do it yourself.
- [static] - How's that?
- Good. Thanks. - [tuning stations]
[lively music playing]
[door rattling]
[music stops]
[tuning stations]
- [creaking] - I heard that.
[sigh]
[tuning stations]
- [rock and roll playing] - Yeah.
Who's there?
Hello, Andy.
- Come on in. - Aah!
- [crash] - Aah! Mom!
Ooh. Bogeyman in the basement.
I love it.
Uncle Niles may be dead, but he's not forgotten.
- Ooh! - Yeah!
You OK, Frank?
Frank?
- Where'd he go? - I didn't see him leave.
He couldn't take it. I told you he was chicken.
Keep going. He'll come back.
So, anyway, Andy freaked and ran up to get his mom,
and his worst nightmares were coming true.
[Andy] It was in there! It talked to me!
It said, "Come in, and I'll suck your blood,"
- or something like that. - Get lost!
Get back upstairs... now!
Uhh!
It... it was probably a rat or something.
- Rats don't talk. - Good.
I hate rats.
Andy...
Honey, come over here.
It's the root cellar. Ha ha ha!
I swear, Mom. There was something in here!
Well, maybe it was a rat... or the leaky old plumbing.
This house is falling apart.
What's this?
Oh, I was playing with the old radio and...
Well, there's your bogeyman.
Must have been something on the radio.
- [sigh] - I don't know.
Oh, honey, I know it's been tough, but I really need you
to be strong for me right now, OK?
- OK. - Yuck! That's my guy.
Let's get something to eat before Christina gets it all.
And don't give me no lip!
You want an allowance, you earn it!
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, man. You're gonna die.
Man. Oh, man.
You're mine!
- I got you! - [rattling]
I'm gonna get you, man! You can't stay in there forever!
Uhh!
I got to be strong.
Boo! What's the matter?
I thought you weren't afraid of the dark.
What are you doing down here?
Playing. Boy, you're such a wuss.
Don't come down here alone anymore.
Yeah. The bogeyman might get me.
[video game beeping]
And now... the fireplace.
- Mom? - Yeah?
Who was Uncle Niles? Like, what did he do?
Oh, he was a stranger guy.
He never left the house but somehow got filthy rich.
Nobody knows where the money came from.
From what I hear, the neighbors didn't like him too much.
They thought he was kind of looney.
- How did he die? - He was old and just stopped living.
They found him in the basement at the bot--
Ha ha ha. Let's chance the subject.
Chris, go down and put the clothes in the laundry for me, OK?
- [video game beeping] - Christina.
- Mom! I'm busy. - [sigh]
- Oh, Mom. - I'm filthy.
Please.
Remember, there's nothing down there.
[rock and roll playing]
[creaking]
Hi, Andy. Won't you come play with me?
We can have lots of fun.
Just come with me.
Andy?
[Mrs. Carr] Everything OK?
Hurry. Please hurry.
Hey, you.
What are you doing?
- [music stops] - Aah!
Andy? [echoing] Andy...
- What? - Are you OK?
Yeah. Sure.
[Eric] Andy was, like, hypnotized.
He didn't remember anything that happened,
which means he didn't know enough
to never go down in the basement again.
[unlocks door]
"Hi, honey. I'll be at the store till 5:00.
"Do me a favor and throw these traps in the wash."
[guitar music playing]
[static]
[carnival music playing]
[tuning stations]
[creaking]
[carnival barker] Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Step right up for the time of your life.
We've got games. We've got rides.
We've got prizes like you've never seen.
That's right, son. Don't delay.
We've got all kinds of surprises in here.
[carnival music continues]
Oh, don't stop now, son. You're almost...
- here! - No!
What's the matter, Andy? Don't you want to have some fun?
Ha ha ha ha!
Oh, yeah!
This is going to be some show! Ha ha ha ha!
[silence]
Music!
It's music!
[music playing]
[turns music off]
[music playing]
- I got to tell Mom! - [turns music off]
Nice day for a ride, isn't it?
Stop! I've got to go find my mom.
Your mom's not going to help you now, kid.
Uh! Oh!
Get used to it, kid.
I'm going to beat on you for the rest of your life.
[truck horn honks]
Don't!
- Don't! - [honks horn]
Now you've got to deliver your stupid papers by foot,
and you'll never get away from me.
Howdy, neighbor.
When you're done, come over and clean my house.
- You make a good maid. - You're dead!
Kid, you are toast.
Hey! Hey, let me out!
Let me out, you little freak!
Let me out! I'm gonna kill you!
You're gonna die!
- [knocking] - What's the matter, Koda?
You're not afraid of the dark, are you?
I'm gonna kick your butt, Carr! I swear!
I don't know.
I think your butt-kicking days are over.
[heavy metal music playing loudly]
Aah! Oh!
- Aah! - [music continues]
Aah! Aah!
[music stops]
Koda?
[door creaks]
Had enough?
You mess with me, I'll do this to you again.
[guitar music playing]
[deep voice] It's yours, Andy.
I'll give you anything you want, just like I did for your uncle.
- Who are you? - [deep voice] Anything you want.
You only have to do one thing.
What's that?
Feed me. Feed me.
[Christina] Andy, I'm home.
Mom says you have to make me dinner,
and it better be good, or you're gonna get it.
[deep voice laughing]
He didn't feed his own sister to the thing, did he?
No, but he made sure that she didn't bother him anymore.
Cool.
I'd have done it. The little brat deserved it.
Great story, Eric.
Well, it's getting late. We got to go.
I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed.
Hey, where's Frank with my father's flashlight?
I got to take that thing home.
So wait for him. He'll be back.
Wait? Here? Alone?
Why can't you wait with me, Kristen?
What's the matter, Eric? Afraid of the dark?
Hey, no problem. I'll wait.
I am not afraid of the dark.
I'm not afraid of the dark.
Frank! Frank, let's go!
It's getting late! Come on!
[softly] # I'm not afraid of the dark #
Aah!
Paybacks are sweet!
[Frank laughing]
Captioned by Grant Brown