[Child's laughter]
Hey, guys.
Hey. Hey.
Hey! What's the rush, Slick?
Betty Ann's up tonight.
I told him Betty Ann tells really weird stories,
and he's been looking forward to it ever since.
Ooh! Pressure's on. This better be good.
I'll see what I can do.
A doll? You're telling a doll story?
Weak!
Siesta time, man.
Wake me up if it gets good.
Come on, Tuck!
It's OK.
Let him sleep.
Most people think dolls are just toys.
But they're really like perfect little people.
Sometimes, they're so lifelike,
that it's almost as if the dollmaker took a person
and shrunk him down to doll size.
But that's not how dolls are really made.
Or is it?
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society,
I call this story...
Ever since she could remember,
Melissa spent weekends now and then
at her aunt and uncle's house in the country.
The first few visits,
it was pretty much a total drag.
But then the Hendersons
moved in next door.
Even though they only saw each other a few times each year,
Melissa and Susan Henderson quickly became best friends.
Where's Susan? Thought she'd be here waiting for me.
You told her when I was coming, didn't you?
I'm sorry, Melissa, but...
The Hendersons moved back to town early this spring.
But why? They love this place!
Well--
We don't exactly know why, hon.
Come on. Let's get you settled in.
You must be famished!
Yeah.
OK.
No, Mom. The trip was fine.
But the Hendersons have moved.
Susan Henderson? Remember?
We hung out all the time.
Now I've got nothing to do all weekend.
Aunt Sally and Uncle Pete don't even have cable.
OK, OK.
I love you, too.
Yeah. Bye. Bye.
Bye!
Hurry up, sweetie.
We don't want to be late for bingo.
Bingo!
Hey, Melissa,
I got some work to do on the septic tank.
Wanna lend a hand?
Septic tank.
Gee, sounds like fun,
but, uh... No thanks.
[Chuckles] Suit yourself.
Hello?
Anybody here?
Hello.
Anybody up there?
Hello?
Anybody here?
Hello?
[Creaking]
Anybody here?
Hello?
[Creaking]
Oh, cool!
Oh, wow!
[Gasps]
Oh, probably just a mouse.
[Coughing]
Melissa!
I really don't think you should be snooping around up here.
Now come on!
I'm not snooping around.
The front door was unlocked,
so I just...
I thought maybe Susan had come back.
What on earth would make you think that?
I saw someone in the window.
Oh...
You probably saw me.
Now come on!
Come on!
Now I want you to give me your word
that you won't ever come over here again.
Why not?
Because the Hendersons asked us to watch over the place,
and it's not a responsibility I take lightly.
They left a lot of precious things behind.
Like what, a bunch of old furniture and stuff?
Well, that dollhouse alone must be worth a fortune.
It's nothing for a child to play with.
Can I look at the dollhouse, please?
Oh, Melissa, I don't know.
I'd rather you kept away after what happened.
After what? What happened?
Aunt Sally, what happened?
Aunt Sally!
I suppose you had to find out sooner or later.
Melissa...
The Hendersons didn't just move away.
Last winter...
Susan disappeared.
What do you mean, disappeared?
No one knows what happened to her.
One minute she was there,
and the next...
She was gone.
The whole town came out.
We searched everywhere.
Her parents were heartbroken.
They wanted to stay in case she came back, but...
In the end, they couldn't stand
to live in that house any longer.
Too many memories.
They're keeping it, though,
just in case she ever comes back.
Come on, sweetie.
Let's go in.
Pete: You shouldn't have lied to her
about the Henderson girl in the first place.
I didn't want to ruin her weekend.
You didn't tell her what Marge Henderson
said about the house, did you?
Shh! She might hear you! No, of course not.
Anyway, Marge was beside herself with grief.
She didn't know what she was saying.
Maybe not, but she said it pretty clearly.
It was the house that got her!
That's what she said.
[Girl's voice whispers] Melissa.
Melissa, help me.
Cool.
Melissa?
Susan!
Melissa?
Susan, you're going the wrong way!
Melissa?
No!
Aah!
Uncle Pete!
Melissa, are you all right?
Yes, but it's Susan--
she's still here in the house!
Melissa...
Please let me go! I saw her!
Melissa, listen to me!
Come here.
Look.
Lord knows why that door was ever up there
in the first place.
They should have boarded it up long ago.
I'm sure I saw her... at the end of a long corridor.
There was this weird light...
Honey...
I know finding out about Susan
was a shock.
I wasn't dreaming or sleepwalking.
It was as real as--
[hammering]
If Uncle Pete boards up that door,
Susan will never be able to get out.
Melissa! Listen to what you're saying.
What on earth would she be doing in the attic
after all this time?
I don't know.
Susan?
Susan, are you in here?
Susan, where are you?
Susan?
[Thud]
[Loud footsteps]
[Thud]
My god!
The dollhouse!
I'm in the dollhouse.
Aunt Sally?
Aunt Sally, back here, in the dollhouse!
Please! No, wait! In the dollhouse!
It's no use.
She can't hear you.
Susan?
I knew you'd come.
What's wrong with you? You look just like...
A doll! But how?
What's happened to you?
You've turned into a doll!
The dollhouse did this to you?
OK, look. You sit there.
I'll be right back.
It's the attic.
Yes. I'm going to take you back to the attic.
The attic.
Yes. The attic. Don't worry.
Everything's going to be all right.
My god! The door!
It was right here!
My hands!
There's gotta be another way out of here.
2 doors on this side. One on the other.
Stairs over there.
Just like Susan's house.
OK. That means there should be
a closet right here
with a ladder leading up to the--to the attic!
That's what she meant! Not the real attic--
the dollhouse attic!
[Grunting]
The bureau, right?
We've gotta move it to get to the attic!
The bureau's too big! You've gotta help me!
I can't.
You have to!
If we don't move that bureau, we can't ever get out of here!
I'll try again.
Yes!
There it is, in exactly the same place.
OK. Here we go!
OK. Nice and easy.
Oops.
Susan? Can you hear me?
Oh, no!
Don't worry. Just a couple more seconds,
and everything'll be OK.
But... that's impossible.
The dollhouse is in their attic, not outside.
This has to be it!
Ready?
OK.
Here goes nothing!
It's my fault.
No, it's not your fault.
Don't go overreacting.
I'm sure she'll turn up safe and sound.
It's the same as Susan.
Exactly the same.
Maybe it was someone else who broke into the house.
For all we know,
Melissa could be out going for a walk.
Oh, Peter.
Look!
Aunt Sally!
Uncle Pete!
Melissa!
Oh!
I was so worried you'd disappeared...
Just like Susan.
But I did!
What do you mean, sweetheart?
I disappeared just like Susan, and I found her!
What are you saying?
Look!
Come on.
That very night,
Melissa's uncle burned the dollhouse
in a big bonfire in the backyard.
As it went up in flames,
Melissa wondered
where the door in the Hendersons' attic would lead
now that there was no dollhouse left.
The end.
Yeah...
Where would it lead to?
Oh? You awake?
Yeah, yeah. Not bad for a doll story.
I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed.
Good night, everybody.
Yo, bet, you forgot your doll.
This thing looks just like...
You!
Where'd she get that?
That's a whole other story.
Captioned by Grant Brown