[suspenseful music]
[mysterious music]
[car approaching]
[car door opens, closes]
-Can I help you? -Miss Ballard.
I mean, are you Regina Ballard?
Who's asking?
It is you, isn't it?
Are you Aceso?
[unsettling music]
How did you find me?
It wasn't easy at all.
But there were some clues in your daughter's journal.
I was able to convince somebody at the…
well, at the institution, that I was a hospice care nurse.
They had a few forwarding addresses.
This is the third one I tried.
May I?
It was your daughter's, wasn't it?
It was.
[Julia] Where is Athena?
-I tried to find her-- -We don't speak.
I'm so honored to meet you.
I don't know if you know this, but your old home, it's a hospice now.
I'm a patient there. And I found this.
I found the hidden basement as well.
Your basement.
That house is special.
Oh, yes.
[sighs] I was so close.
My heart was pure. My offering was…
Correct.
In the end, I was undone by my own blood, my own daughter.
I think it's obscene what they did to you.
I know what things are like in those institutions,
what you must have endured there.
I'm surprised you want to meet with me.
I'm a pariah.
Haven't you heard? Crazy woman.
When they finally let me out, they said I was cured.
What do you think?
Do you think I'm cured?
I think their ideas of sick and well are backwards.
And I think you knew that…
better than anyone.
I'm sick.
I'm very sick.
And I want to live.
I think you might know how I can.
[uneasy music]
You know…
Pythagorean education has two forms of teaching,
exoteric and esoteric, both equally important.
I always wanted my daughter to be my pupil to carry on,
but she was too far gone, too brainwashed.
You, though,
you seem like they haven't ruined you yet.
Yes. [chuckles]
I can still see some light in your eyes.
Bright girl.
[chuckles]
Very well.
I can teach you, Julia,
because, yes, you can be healed.
Yes, the old gods and goddesses are still here.
And yes, they will still deal with us if we give them what they want.
It all depends on what you're willing to do.
I can teach you what I know.
How long do you have?
How long will you give me?
You stay the week.
At least, maybe longer.
But we have to talk about how you go back.
We'll get you a nightgown.
I want you to walk through the woods and get it good and muddy.
And when they ask you where you've been, you can't tell them about me.
-You understand? -Yes.
We'll come up with a great story. Hm?
Everybody loves a great story. [chuckles]
And then who knows, bright girl?
Maybe you'll do great things.
[sinister music]
What's it gonna be, Doc?
What's it gonna be?
[grunts]
Wait.
Stop!
[Dr. Stanton] Ilonka, just come over here and help me.
Let her go.
Do you know CPR?
-Yeah. -Okay.
[siren wails]
[unsettling music]
My friend at County Adventist, they're stable. All three of them.
Pump their stomach and they're going to have a rough week,
but they'll live.
Thanks in part to you.
But of course,
they wouldn't have been down there at all if it hadn't been for you.
So there's that to consider.
You know, there's a stairwell down in the basement,
fairly well hidden.
And when I came down,
I wasn't even surprised to see Julia there, to be honest.
But I was surprised to see you.
-You let her get away? -Of course I did.
There are people dying on the floor, and I'm a doctor, Ilonka.
You know, I've had Julia arrested three times over the years.
Trespassing, breaking and entering, harassment.
I wish you had respected me enough not to go behind my back.
That you would view her as a friend.
And me as…
whatever you view me as.
She's the reason I came here.
She beat it. She got better.
Whatever you think of her, whatever she's done since then,
you can't deny that.
There's something here.
There isn't at all.
She's no different than Sandra.
The thing about Julia and other people I've met over the years is…
they can't accept that they were just lucky.
But time comes around for everyone.
-What does that mean? -[Dr. Stanton] I think it was obvious.
The escalations, the break-ins.
She tried to poison you last night.
Not to save you.
To save herself.
She's sick again.
And whatever magic she thinks she discovered in '68,
it's worn off.
And so she's at it again using the Paragon playbook.
You said you didn't know anything about the Paragon.
Yes, because we never need to talk about it again
or let those sick ideas loose in the minds of people like you,
who can be made desperate.
But I'm not like them.
-I'm not… I'm not stupid. -You're not.
These ideas, they're like…
They're like cancer.
Once they catch on,
it doesn't matter how old you are
or how smart you are or aren't.
All of us are at risk one way or another.
Please…
Please don't tell the others what I did.
Well, why not?
Shouldn't they know?
I think you'd want to know.
I think, um…
I mean, I think I'm… I'm going to go home.
My dad's going to be here today for family day.
I think I'm going to go back with him.
Well, of course, that's entirely up to you.
I'm just…
I'm really sorry.
[door opens]
[metal clanking]
What are you doing?
Um…
Nothing.
It's nothing.
[clanking]
Motor skills.
How's it going?
I've grabbed this thing pretty good, about seven times out of ten,
but sometimes, sometimes I miss it.
Come here.
I think my left eye. I…
I can't see that well up my left eye.
Okay.
-That's okay. -Oh, God, I knew that was coming.
Yeah.
It's just that it doesn't tend to take too long
after the vision starts.
I know.
And there's a blind spot.
Sure, there's that. And then…
it's growing…
great, but…
But there's…
There's a shadow.
There really is. It's-it's…
Corner of my eye right there.
It's kind of like, um…
Like what Tristan talked about.
What Anya talked about.
Yeah.
And I can see it moving…
like, closer.
And sometimes it looks like a person. Sometimes it looks like…
a shape, but it's…
It's there.
I can see it.
[sniffs]
Fuck.
Yeah.
Come here.
[tender music]
If you need anything, anything. Just call.
-Okay? I got your back. -Okay.
Don't be a stranger.
[soft chuckle]
I love you, weirdo.
[both sob]
I'm so fucking happy for you.
[crying]
Whenever you talk about being here,
I want you to come up with the biggest,
baddest, most insane story you can.
We love you.
[crying, laughing]
Hey.
[sighs] Let me look at you, one real good look, please.
[both laugh]
You're gonna see me again.
Sorry.
I'm not.
You focus on your treatments, okay?
That's what you can do for me.
Whatever you got, you kick its ass.
I don't know how to do this.
I don't want to go. [sniffles]
[car engine starts]
[somber music]
Hey, can I talk to you?
What's up with her?
[melancholic cello music playing]
-[knock on door] -[Mark] Knock, knock.
Wonder what they sent this time.
Uh, you want me to bring anything up for you?
Scrape together some snacks, a little, uh, family day staycation kit.
No, I'm good.
All right.
You know what?
-I think I want to join this time. -Yeah?
Yeah. My family's already here.
[upbeat music]
[Aunt Abir] The immigration lawyer said it could take a few more weeks,
but it's just down to paperwork.
They don't even know yet.
We tried calling them this morning, but they're still asleep.
It's past midnight there.
Are you sure?
You're completely sure?
-You're going to get to meet my parents. -[giggles]
-My parents are coming. -Yeah.
My parents are coming.
[in Japanese] You were right, he is cute when he smiles.
-[in English] Mom! -[chuckles]
[Spence] For real?
You're really going to teach me?
If you really want to learn, yeah.
You never struck me as a cello guy, but I'm happy to be surprised.
[Cheri] Holy shit.
Isn't that your mom?
Well, look what she did, friend.
[Spence] Hey.
-You made it? -Of course we did.
Hey.
This… It's a beautiful house.
It really is.
So, uh… This is…
This is my friend Cheri. [clears throat]
Hi. It's just awesome to meet you.
-Nice to meet you. -Likewise.
And I'm not just a friend. I'm his fiancée.
We're engaged.
[chuckles] Don't do that.
[knock on door]
Sorry to bother you…
Oh, Doc told me that you might be…
Yeah.
Well, sorry to interrupt. Uh, this is Rhett.
He was a close friend of Anya's.
Of course, yes.
He came to see about her things,
so we told him that he needed to talk to you.
-Yeah. Come on in. -[Rhett] Yeah.
-All right. -Thanks.
She, um…
She told us all about you.
[soft chuckle]
So…
And this, uh…
[Ilonka] This is it.
That was her bed.
You know, I tried calling you before her funeral.
She left your number but it was disconnected.
And I guess I never gave her the new number when we moved.
How do you… I mean, how… how are you here?
Her obituary.
-I wrote that. -You did?
I read it and I thought…
whoever wrote this, they…
they really knew her.
She talked about you a lot.
[sighs] Man, uh…
No, I'm… I'm sorry to hear that.
[laughs] No, it was good.
She, um…
she told me how you guys fell out.
-She took full responsibility, though. -I'm sure she did.
It wasn't that cut and dry.
I could have done better.
Shit. We could all do better.
And she was a stubborn bitch sometimes, no doubt.
[laughs]
But, uh…
she loved you.
Listen, um…
she left me some of her things, and, um…
I know she would want you to have some of her stuff.
There's not a lot.
She donated a bunch, but her other things…
[Ilonka sighs]
I didn't know what to do with them but you should have these.
She fixed it.
Hm?
The statue.
Man, she did a good job.
It doesn't even look like it was…
Can I see that?
[Rhett] This… this broke, like, a long time ago.
[sniffs] Like a long time ago and…
I mean, it looks like she didn't actually…
Got a new one.
[sniffs]
Doesn't actually look like it was repaired.
Just… just a new statue.
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah, I am.
She fixed it.
[wistful music]
[Tim] Oh, there you are.
Yeah, sorry. I, uh… I had to take care of some things.
Dr. Stanton said we should talk, but she didn't say what it was about.
You okay?
You want to tell me what this is all about?
So this is called a preneed.
I was supposed to fill it out weeks ago, but I… well, I didn't.
And, um, I… I want you to fill it out with me.
It's basically just a list of things that I wanted…
[Tim] Yeah, I know.
Um… I know… I know what a preneed is.
[Tim sighs]
I don't know that we need to go down this… this path.
It's time to…
I, uh… I found this book in the library.
It's called My Song for Him Who Never Sang to Me by Merrit Malloy.
And there's a poem in here called "Epitaph" that I…
I want you to read when the time comes.
[sighs] No, sweetie.
"When I die, give what's left of me away
To children and old men that wait to die
And if you need to cry
Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you
[Tim sighs]
And when you need me Put your arms around anyone
And give them what you need to give to me
I want to leave you something
Something better than words or sounds
Look for me in the people I've known or loved
And if you cannot give me away
At least let me live on in your eyes And not your mind
You can love me most By letting hands touch hands
By letting bodies touch bodies
And by letting go of children That need to be free
Love doesn't die, people do
So when all that's left in me is love
Give me away"
[tender music]
Oh, Dad.
[Tim crying, sighing]
[waves crashing in distance]
Hey.
-Where did you go? -Hey.
Sorry. I just needed some air.
It's really beautiful.
It really is.
Listen.
I think we need to talk.
Okay.
Of course, now that I said that, I don't know how to say
any of what comes next.
Oh.
So this is…
Yeah.
-What did I… -Nothing.
Nothing. You have to know that.
Ilonka was wrong to say what she said.
But it doesn't mean what she said isn't right.
You didn't do anything.
It has been coming for a long time.
But now that it's here, I don't…
I…
I really don't know how to do this.
[sniffles]
There's only one way, really.
Just one word at a time.
[tender music]
What time is it?
Um…
12:24.
[breathes deeply] Should we keep waiting?
No. I don't think she's coming.
I think it's just us tonight.
Well, I don't like empty chairs at the table.
Should we just put them away, pull them off to the side or something?
I think we should leave them.
So there's always a seat for them here.
There's going to be more empty chairs, dude.
There will be new faces too. There always are.
To those before, to those after,
to us now, and to those beyond.
[all] To those before, to those after,
to us now, and to those beyond.
Seen or unseen, here but not here.
You know what?
-I think I'm going to finish it tonight. -[Amesh] What?
-Finally. -About time.
-Thank you. -[Kevin] I think this story…
is over.
Dusty always knew this was coming.
The voices in his head had given him his next victim.
It was Sheila.
Deep down, he always knew
he'd end up hurting the one that he cares about the most.
Because he hurts them all.
In the end.
[foreboding music]
[in singsong] Sheila.
Sheila.
Shei…
I'm sorry I'm late.
I had a really hard day.
[Spence] That's okay. Pull up a chair.
Kevin's going to end it.
You're just in time.
-Is that right? -[Kevin] Yep.
You all did it. You all stayed alive
just long enough to hear the exciting conclusion.
Well, I'm sorry to interrupt.
Dusty knew what he had to do.
[grunts]
[panting]
-[dial tone] -[phone dialing]
[line ringing]
[Sheila] Hello?
[ghostly whispers]
Hey. Oh.
I need you to come over.
It's important.
[Sheila] What's going on?
[ominous music sting]
It's about Nancy.
I think I know what happened to her.
[Sheila] I'll be there in 20.
[sinister music]
[ghosts growling]
[knock on door]
-[door opens] -[Sheila] Hello?
[door creaking]
Hello?
Dusty?
Dusty, I'm coming in.
[door closes]
[grim music]
[sinister music]
[ominous music sting]
[exhales]
[Dusty] There you are.
[Sheila] I, um…
This symbol…
Yeah, I saw that too.
That's why I called you.
I know who killed Nancy.
And we've got to stop them.
Come on. You won't believe this.
What is it?
See for yourself.
[Sheila] This is an Einstein chat session.
Wait.
NANCEPANTS81. That's Nancy.
Who's LEDZEPPEFAN?
Oh, my god.
Is he the killer?
Yeah.
[ghostly whispers]
So who is it? Who's the killer?
My grandfather.
[Sheila] Oh, my god.
He's been talking to her for weeks.
He's pretending to be a student at the Velt.
[suspenseful music]
And my mother.
She's the killer, too.
What?
And me.
[suspenseful music rising]
Dusty?
[ghostly whispers]
I won't do it!
[ghosts growling]
[grunts] I… I won't…
I won't do it.
[in singsong] Sheila.
Sheila.
[sinister music]
[growling]
[Dusty screams]
[groans]
[thumps]
[Dusty's mom panting]
Dusty.
I'm so sorry.
I love you.
Mom?
Nancy.
[somber music]
I'm so sorry.
I tried to find you.
[mystical music]
[Dusty] I don't know how this all started.
All I know is whatever it was in her…
she got it from my grandfather.
When his body became too old to lift the hammer,
it passed into her.
And when she had her stroke and couldn't move her hand anymore,
she started pouring it into me.
You didn't have a choice.
You didn't know what you were doing.
That's the thing, though.
I did.
[convulsing, panting]
[huffing]
[gurgling, gasping]
[foreboding music]
[sinister music]
At last.
[in devilish voice] So young…
[bones cracking]
So strong.
No.
I know he's still in there.
I know Dusty wouldn't hurt me.
I know he wouldn't hurt me.
Dusty's gone, child.
I know you won't hurt me.
[ghostly whispers]
-[thumps] -[groans]
[grunts, moans]
Please.
I don't want to hurt you.
Just kill you.
Swing! Swing hard!
[Kevin] He didn't feel it.
Didn't feel the hammer, didn't feel himself hit the floor.
But if he had ever wondered how Sheila felt about him,
if he ever had doubted,
it was clear.
Clear by the way she pulled her punch.
Clear by the way she slowed the hammer at the last second,
sparing his miserable life.
He told the whole truth to the police and to the DA.
And he was found not responsible for reasons of insanity.
Words he could never bring himself to agree with.
They found dozens of bodies in that cave.
Some of them were killed even before his grandfather was born.
No easy answers in this case, and no one wanted to believe
in an immortal serial killer.
But that didn't matter.
The important thing was that she was safe.
He was never going to hurt another girl ever again.
Can I…
Can I have my music now, please?
[faint music playing]
A little bit louder, please.
♪ I swear I left it safe and sound ♪
♪ I need… ♪
Perfect.
♪ To make it to the river ♪
♪ And leave this old Nebraska town ♪
There you go.
That's it.
-That's the end. You may all go die now. -[chuckles]
I don't know about that ending.
I don't think I like that ending.
Well, you're one to talk, Pawluk. You left us all hanging with "Witch."
Come on. Let's wrap it up tonight.
See if you can stick the landing.
Okay.
If you remember, Imani was a witch.
And she'd scried at night.
And had a vision of the future.
A boy was going to die.
But she stopped it.
At a horrible cost.
And got her friend Scottie shot in the process.
Help!
[Ilonka] By changing the future,
she had stretched the universe all out of whack.
And now, the universe was snapping back.
[unsettling music]
Please.
[suspenseful music]
[gunshot]
[Imani] Help!
Help me! Someone?
Please.
[Ilonka] If only.
There probably aren't two words in the English language more useless,
more helpless than "if only."
If only she'd done this or thought that
-or realized this sooner. -[heart monitor flatlines]
That's the thing.
The answer is always the same.
The universe isn't moved by "if only."
You can say it all you want.
If only it wasn't this way.
But the answer is always… "but it is."
Imani had tried to change the future,
but the future's just as set as the past.
She couldn't change the past.
Couldn't change the future.
You should still be here.
But maybe, just maybe…
she could fix a mistake.
[mystical music]
Mom?
Where are we?
Home.
I don't recognize any of these trees.
Because you've never come this deep into the woods before.
Don't you remember the way we came?
No.
I don't remember.
Tell me what you remember.
My head feels funny.
Why does my head feel funny?
Let's go back the way you came.
It's so nice here.
Do you know where we are now?
Yeah.
It's okay.
Look down. It's safe.
[mystical music]
[Imani] Am I dead?
[Imani's mom] You're still alive, but you've taken a step out of life.
And I've taken a step toward it to meet you here.
You can't heal her, not by yourself.
I need your help.
You're asking without knowing what you're asking.
No one can bring back the dead, Imani.
-But she's not dead. -I'm not talking about her.
I will die if I heal her.
You don't have to do this, Imani.
Yeah, you messed up.
We all do.
But you have a whole life ahead of you.
You're here to talk me out of it.
Of course I am. I'm your mother.
I've made up my mind.
I'm not going to change it.
Of course you're not.
You're my daughter.
[tender music]
It's so good seeing you.
I'll be in those woods.
I'll be dancing with the fireflies, honey.
I'm waiting for you.
So if you're going to ask…
Ask me now.
Help me, Mom.
Help me heal her.
[mysterious music]
[mystical music]
Thank you.
You have to go back now, Imani,
or both of you will die.
The only way back is through. It's cold and it's deep.
Best if you jump.
Now go.
And I'll see you when I see you.
[suspenseful music]
[heart monitor beeping]
[light buzzing]
Imani?
How did you get here?
I… I couldn't leave you out there by yourself.
I've been… trying to get back for…
days, maybe longer, I…
Mine looked like that in the beginning.
But now…
It's been fading away.
I think once it's gone, I…
I float away.
Why are you here?
You aren't supposed to die.
It's okay.
And it is not your fault.
[sobs]
The more I hold on to this thing,
the more I realize it's okay to let go.
I came here for a reason,
and I need you to just…
let me do this, okay?
Take it.
What will happen to you?
I'll be dancing with the fireflies.
[sniffles]
Will I remember this?
I don't know.
But if you can try to, please…
remember me.
[Ilonka] I'm sorry, I can't.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I… I can't. [sniffles]
I just can't do it.
Scottie opened her eyes.
She couldn't see clearly at first and hadn't used her eyes in days.
But as her sight came back…
she saw Imani.
[Cheri] She just looked asleep,
except for that tiny, tiny smile on her face.
Scottie was already forgetting everything that had just happened.
It was fading away already, like a breath on a mirror.
Even as she tried to hold on to that memory,
it slipped through her fingers like water.
Scottie insisted on accompanying Imani's body all the way to the morgue.
The nurses said no at first, but not for long,
because trust me,
when I say she could be a real stubborn bitch
-when she wanted to be. -[laughter]
The funeral was huge.
Packed, the auditorium,
but none of it felt quite right to her friends.
Her real friends.
Who decided to do one better.
-[Imani's girlfriends] Imani and Ben. -[Randy] Put a heart around it.
They knew each other for, like, five seconds.
[Amesh] So, time is an illusion. And those two were feeling it.
Put a goddamn heart around it.
Oh, yeah. A few more days
and there would have been a mini-Imani or baby Ben running around.
No sense of romance, Cheri.
Let me take it home. I'll show you how it's done.
[Amesh] They built a beautiful memorial.
And they left things close to their hearts.
Also, Luke and Becky were there.
Dude, Becky died.
It was like a whole thing.
They're in love now, and, uh, it's not about them anyways.
[Amesh] It's about honoring friends, honoring those who've gone before,
which they did.
One trinket, one memory,
one gesture, one laugh,
one tear at a time.
[Natsuki] That wasn't all.
Scottie did one more thing for her friend.
She knew where she'd want to be more than anything.
[Natsuki] This idea had come to Scottie in a dream.
Though in the moment, that dream had felt so real.
"Maybe all dreams are real," she thought.
"Maybe they're just windows."
Guys?
Do you see that?
[Natsuki] It was a window to another world.
[Amesh] An alternate dimension.
[Cheri] A liminal space.
[Spence] The great beyond.
[Kevin] Some might call it the afterlife.
Thank you. [sniffles]
Thank you.
[breathes deeply]
Whatever it was, whenever it was,
wherever it was…
[Ilonka] Imani didn't feel dead.
In fact, she felt pretty all right.
And she wasn't alone.
Her mom was there.
And Ben too.
Because sometimes, you don't get a shot at love in life.
But that doesn't mean the game is over.
And there were many faces there Imani didn't know.
But somehow, her heart knew them all.
And so the path continued.
And Imani continued.
Because that's what people do. They go on.
Her friends would never know for sure
if what they saw was just their imagination.
But if it was a dream, it was one they all shared.
And nothing is more real than that.
I have something to tell you guys.
Last night, I, uh…
I did something very wrong.
But I'll get to that.
Earlier today, I had a visitor.
Anya's friend, Rhett. You guys remember Rhett?
He came to the room and…
I thought that he should have some of her things.
And she had this statue of a ballerina,
and the leg was missing.
But when I found it, it was fixed.
It was put back together.
[indistinct chatter]
[wistful music]
Hey. Um…
I think I'm gonna take the long way up.
Want to join?
Yeah, I do.
-I loved your story. -I loved yours.
[Kevin chuckles]
Just not the ending.
Except that…
I don't know.
I feel like you were a little hard on Dusty.
The idea that he'd be alone for the rest of his life…
So he wouldn't hurt the people he cares about.
Because he always hurts the people he cares about.
I don't know if it's possible not to hurt the people you care about.
It doesn't mean you have to be alone.
I broke up with Katherine.
-Sorry. -No, it was right.
It wasn't fair to either one of us.
Besides, there's…
There's someone else, and I can't lie about it anymore.
Even after I put all of us in danger?
You did what you did out of hope.
Because that's who you are.
You're hope, and you have been ever since you got here.
And what else could Anya's sign mean?
What else could the statue mean
if not hope?
So you were right.
-You were always right. -But, Kevin, I…
I mean, I don't…
I don't know how we could just…
I'm going to die.
Me, too.
But I've been thinking that dying is a really shitty reason not to live.
[somber music]
[door lock clicks]
[sighs]
["Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming" playing]
♪ Come where my love lies dreaming ♪
♪ Dreaming the happy hours away… ♪
[ominous music]
♪ Fleeting joys of day ♪
♪ Dreaming the happy hours ♪
♪ Dreaming the happy hours away ♪
♪ Come where my love lies dreaming ♪
♪ Sweetly dreaming the happy hours away ♪