Come on. Come on. I've almost got the key.
I just need a few more points, and... I can finally get it.
Hey, what's this button do?
It... resets... the game.
Whoops. Sorry.
Excellent. You get the key yet?
No.
I may never get it.
Piece of cake. I'll show you.
I don't see how you guys can get so into these dumb games.
I mean, they are just games.
Just games? They're like the battle between good and evil.
You've got to be smart and fast and always think three steps ahead,
and most of all, you've got to have a lot of patience.
Hurry up, it's my turn.
But I mean, it's not even like it matters if you win or lose.
All I wanted to do was get the key. Once.
Ah! Enough! Who's going tonight?
I am. Let's fight over this later.
Kristen's right. When you play a game like this,
it really doesn't matter whether you win or lose,
because all you have to do is press reset...
and you get a new game... and another chance.
But what if it really did count?
Imagine if you had to beat the game...
or the game was going to beat you,
and there were no resets, no replays,
and no second chances.
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society,
I call this story...
Attention, please. Will the parents of Timmy Bell
please come to the information counter?
[Frank] Ross Campbell was the kind of kid
who was on his own a lot,
so he knew how to take care of himself.
If there was something he wanted, he'd do everything he could to get it.
Ross did just fine for himself, but on this particular afternoon,
he was about to go a little too far to get what he wanted,
and unfortunately he was going to get it.
Give it to me! It's mine!
- No way! - Yeah! Look, I saw it first!
[man] Hey! What's going on down there?
Aw, here. You need it more than I do.
You stay right there.
Hey, Mr. Olson! You thought about it?
Thought about what?
The job. I want the job.
I'm not sure I want to hire any more kids.
Come on, Mr. Olson. I'd work cheap.
Besides, you could use a talented guy like me around here.
To do what? Play pinball all day?
It's the only talent you've shown me.
Hey, Mr. Olson, that's cold.
I've got plenty of talent, and you can trust me.
You'd never have to fire me like you did Steven.
No.
Hey, a new pinball game?
Hands off! Forget it!
Why?
Because it's a collector's item. It doesn't even work right.
It's missing a critical piece.
- Now, go play the games outside! - All I wanted to do--
Out! Out!
Let's go. I'm closing up.
Why? It's only 3:00.
I haven't had lunch yet. Come back in an hour.
Wait. This is perfect.
Eating lunch at 3:00 ain't exactly perfect.
No. Let me watch the store for you while you're out.
Forget it!
Give me a chance! What if a new customer comes by?
If I'm here, you won't miss out on the business.
- You can trust me. - All right.
Come on.
Sit down.
Don't move, don't touch the cash register,
and don't touch any of the merchandise,
escpecially that new game in the back.
Can I go to the bathroom?
No. I'm giving you a chance here, Ross.
If I can trust you, I might give you a job.
If not, you'll be out of here like Steven. Got it?
Got it.
Yeah. We'll see.
Whoa.
[music playing, bells ringing, whirring]
Three levels. Got to get up there.
[pinball machine music continues playing]
Mmm.
[tilt]
[customer bell ringing]
Aw, hold on. I'm coming.
Is Mr. Olson here?
Uh, no. Can I help you?
I left my music box here. It's supposed to be ready today.
It is?
Oh, yeah. Sure. It is.
Um... must be around here somewhere.
What's it look like?
- Do you really work here? - Yeah. I'm in charge...
- Sophie. - I'm Ross.
My music box?
Huh. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry.
- What's it look like again? - It's a throne in a gold box.
A throne. Got it.
- Must be here somewhere. - There it is.
Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Mr. Olson's always misplacing things.
I can never find them.
- Are you sure it's ready? - Well...
I'm sorry. I don't really work here.
I'm just watching the place for Mr. Olson.
He'll be back in an hour.
Ah, well. I've got some stuff to do,
so I'll come back.
- Thanks, Ross. - No problem.
[pinball machine whirs]
Ah, no! Zombies again... water.
This time, I'm going to crown the princess.
Yeah! Second level!
Oh, no! A witch! Where did she come from?
Third level.
I've got the crown. I've got the throne.
Where's the princess?
[tilt]
Aw, they have it. I'm finished!
Mr. Olson?
Aw, Mom is going to kill me.
[telephone rings]
Keep ringing. Keep ringing.
[ring]
Hello. Hello?
Who's there?
- Look. I'm locked in this-- - [man] Got an umbrella?
[thunder]
Ha ha ha!
It's raining quarters.
Excuse me, sir.
Hey. Ah! Ah!
Water? They're afraid of the water.
[girl] Help! Help!
Sophie?
Ross, the tiara! Get the tiara from the vault!
Save the key!
Argh!
Open the vault?
What vault?
Vaults.
But this isn't a locker key.
Ugh!
[whoosh]
Ah.
[pinball machine makes scoring sounds]
- The quarters. - [Sophie] Ross!
- This way! - Sophie, wait!
What's going on?
- Ah! - Ah ha ha ha!
Ross!
Save the tiara! Get the throne!
[whoosh]
Ah ha ha ha!
[Sophie] Ross! Ross!
Sophie? Sophie?
[Sophie] Ross!
The music box! Get the music box.
[muffled shouting]
How'd you get here?
The chains, get them off. Uh, how?
The key-- did you get it?
What key? Oh, yeah.
- Hurry. - Are you OK?
- Where's the throne? - Wait. What's going on?
- Who are you? - My music box-- where is it?
It's out front. Who are all these people?
There's no time. I need you to get me through this.
Get through what? This is like a dream.
Now we have to get the tiara.
- Look, I'm not going-- - Argh!
What?
It's the witch.
Quick, open the box.
[music playing]
Aah! They must have the throne.
- What are you trashing it for? - We have to hide it.
If anything happens to us, we can't let them have both.
- Both? - The throne and the tiara.
We still haven't got the tiara.
Listen, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on.
Look out!
Argh!
The mace! You need the mace!
- Why? - You have to play the game.
Argh!
Come on!
Wait. This is a game?
We have to find the tiara so that I can be crowned.
There!
Quick, before they get here.
Perfect.
Aha! Fortune!
What do I do?
The marbles! Use the marbles!
- Aah! - Yes! Strike!
Aah!
Stand back, boy! The game is over!
Let her go!
The tiara! Get the tiara to the third level!
[clang]
He can't hurt me! Get it!
Now what?
I remember this.
It's the pinball game.
If I crown Sophie on the throne, I win, and it's over.
This can't be the throne. It's too small.
[rumbling]
Whoa.
That's more like it.
Ah ha ha!
Argh!
Going down?
Oh, no! I'm back at the beginning again.
Water.
This is way she said I needed this.
I'm going to win this game.
Ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
[Ross] Freeze!
Ross!
Don't be a fool, boy! You've lost!
Look. I don't know what's going on here,
and I don't know what you are, but if this is some kind of game,
you're playing with the wrong guy, because I never lose.
Argh!
It's over, Sophie. I beat them!
- Look out! - Ha ha ha!
The game isn't over unless all the characters die.
And I'm still here. Ha ha ha!
You shouldn't play the game, boy, unless you know the rules.
- But this isn't a game. - Ha ha ha!
It's real. And when it's real...
You can make up your own rules.
No!
- You are out of here. - No!
Aah!
You did it!
We won the game!
Not yet. There's one thing left.
Would you do the honors?
What happened?
I won! I shouldn't be back here!
[evil laughter]
You told me I could trust you, Ross,
but you had to play the game, didn't you?
Ha ha ha!
Hope you enjoy your free games.
You'll be playing them forever.
Ha ha ha!
[rumbling]
Uh-oh.
[Gary] When Ross saw that ball,
he knew that he would never get out.
The End.
Here you go, Dave. Still want to give it a go?
Uh, no. I think I've outgrown this.
It's all yours, Frank.
It's OK. You got it, Kiki.
No. You got it!
Um... how about you got it, Gary?
Whoever's got the game, just make sure the game doesn't get you.
Night, guys.
Bye.
Until next time.
Captioned by Grant Brown