Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997–2024): Season 4, Episode 2 - The Doll - full transcript
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[droning music playing]
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate what
is true from what is false.
Five stories-- some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction.
To find out, you must
enter a world of both truth
and deception-- a world
that is beyond belief.
[music playing]
Can you really
believe your eyes?
Look at this checker
board design.
Your eyes will tell
you that this square
is darker than this one.
Now, let's take a closer look.
As you can see, both squares
are exactly the same shape.
So it is with our
stories tonight.
What might at first seem
to be black or white
may turn out to be
equal shades of gray.
And be very careful about
trusting us too much.
After all, we have
a checkered past.
Book signings are
pleasant rituals
for both authors and fans.
The writer gets an ego boost,
the reader a personal memento.
Of course, not every author
achieves the prestige
to warrant a book signing.
In fact, the clients of
agent Stan Trask never do.
But the next situation that
Stan will face is so monumental,
he can't possibly write it off.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Literary agent Stan
Trask has run his
own one man operation
for the past 12 years.
He specializes in
handling writers of pulp
fiction and romance novels.
No, no, no, no.
No, no.
I told you.
I told you.
I love it.
I think this is the best
thing you've ever written.
It made me cry.
Yeah, it did.
Yeah, I'm talking hardcover.
I'm talking paperback, a movie
deal-- seven figures, no less.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Being an agent
is not an easy profession--
a lot of late nights, and
competition is fierce.
But Stan's done very
well for himself, mainly
by ripping off his clients.
Right, so all I need
from you is another 5,000.
why?
Well there is printing.
There is publicity costs.
I can't keep going into my
own pocket on this, dear.
Right, we are so close.
Yeah, great.
Wonderful.
All right.
Listen dear, I need you to
make that check out in cash.
That's right.
Yeah.
Uhm, I got to go, hun.
I've got to go.
OK?
Let's have dinner soon.
Right, bye bye.
Mary-Jane, what
are you doing here?
We didn't have a
meeting set did we?
No, Stan, we didn't
have a meeting set.
Well, You sound
a little uptight.
What's happening
with "Love Tides?"
Your manuscript?
It's right here.
I love it.
I told you.
I think it's the best
romance novel I've ever read.
This made me cry.
Yeah, this one's going
to get published.
I guarantee it.
All I need from you is
another-- uh, 2,500.
That's all, Stan?
Only 2,500?
Do you know how much
money I've given
you since you became my agent?
Oh-- now look,
look Mary-Jane--
Almost $12,000.
And you haven't gotten one
thing of mine published.
OK, that's not my
fault. All right?
The other stories had problems.
This one is different.
This one's compelling.
This one is really great.
It's going to get published.
- Forget it, Stan.
- Honey--
- It's over.
Honey, listen--
what-- what do you mean?
I'm getting a new agent, Stan.
Somebody reputable, OK.
So I'd like my
money back please.
All of it, or else I'm
going to the authorities.
OK, look, you can't do that.
You can't.
Why not?
Just You're a thief
and you stole from me.
I'm not-- Now,
look, calm down.
You're getting excited.
Stan, stop telling
me to calm down.
And stop touching me.
- Well, listen to you.
- Goodbye, Stan.
Hang on a second.
- Just get out of my way!
- Let me talk to you--
That's it, OK.
It's over.
- Stop-- stop it.
- That's it!
Just shut up!
[ominous music playing]
Mary-Jane?
Mary-Jane?
Oh, look what you made me do.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Stan Trask
had never killed
anyone before, but he
took to it like a natural.
He buried the body in
a raised platter box
inside the buildings atrium.
There was only a small
mention in the newspaper about
Mary-Jane Layden being missing.
No one knew she was at
his office that night.
And Stan felt he had
gotten away with murder.
And then another
plan began to take
shape in Stan's twisted mind.
Mary Jane's manuscript
was good, and he was
sure he could get it published.
And with Mary Jane
out of the way,
Stan could keep all the money.
He created a fictitious author
by the name of Lucille Carns,
and sent "Love Tides"
to a publisher,
who bought it immediately.
On its release, "Love Tides" by
the non-existent Lucille Carns
became an instant best-seller.
No, no, no, no.
I told you she doesn't
do any book signings
or personal appearances.
Lucille Carns is a
very private person.
She wouldn't even let
us take her picture
for the book jacket.
[sighs] Look, what
can I tell you.
She won't do it.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Everything was going according
to plan, and then Stan got
a message that would haunt
him for the rest of his days.
[phone ringing]
An anonymous caller
informed Stan
of the impossible-- that Lucille
Carns was at Robin's bookstore
signing copies of "Love Tides."
MAN 1: Hey there, did
you get your book signed?
MAN 2: Yeah, I did.
WOMAN: I really
like the hard copy.
It's beautiful.
MAN 2: OK.
Well, you better hurry.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Stan
had to see who the impostor
claiming to be Lucille Carns
was.
[ominous music playing]
What is going on here?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
How could this be?
She looked exactly
like Mary-Jane Layden.
Excuse me, may I
look at your book.
OK.
Strange, isn't it.
Changing the name on the
cover to Mary-Jane Layden.
I asked her what it meant,
but she wouldn't tell me.
Look, she even signed
it on the inside--
Mary-Jane Layden.
Who do you think that is?
I don;t know.
This is impossible.
She's got to be here,
she's got to be.
[music intensifies]
[gasps]
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
The homicide division
had received an anonymous tip
to follow Stan Trask that day.
What they found was more
than enough evidence
to convict him of murder
in the first degree.
After serving only six
months of a life sentence,
ex-agent Stan Trask stepped off
a pile of books from the prison
library and hanged himself.
[music playing]
So who was the mysterious
woman at the book signing?
Was it the ghost of
Mary-Jane Layden?
Or was it just to look-alike?
If so, where did she come from?
Did Mary-Jane have a twin
sister bent upon getting revenge
against Stan, or was it
Stan's own guilty conscience
that caused him to imagine
the entire incident?
Is this story of the
ghostly autograph true?
Or does it bare the
signature of a lie?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
the story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next three students
are threatened
by the ghost of a Confederate
general on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Making movies
is easier than it's ever been.
There are thousands of
budding Steven Spielberg's
out there creating
their own film ideas
with the help of
equipment that's
both portable and affordable.
Zach Rothbard as a
bold young filmmaker,
with the energy and
courage of youth.
But for his latest film
project, he's going to need
all the courage at his command.
In fact, as a director,
he may discover a darker
meaning for the term "cut."
[intense music playing]
ERIC (VOICEOVER): There was a
new storm blowing in the night.
[thunder rumbling]
Zach, Matty, and I went
to the local cemetery
to do a student film
about Confederate General
Wesley Vanderborn.
The legend was that the General
rose from his tomb once a year,
and carved the letter
V for Vanderborn
on the bodies of his local
victims using his famous sword.
ZACH: Hey, hey,
what are you doing?
This place is
creeping me out, man.
I'm not even sure
we should be here.
Eric's right.
We never got permission.
Hey, you guys
agreed to do this.
You can't back out now.
Stop complaining and--
and-- and act scared.
Yeah, yeah.
That's perfect.
Keep that-- keep
that right there.
Stop it.
Stop it.
There's something out there.
[fly buzzing]
Maybe it was just a squirrel.
Yeah, maybe.
Or maybe it's General
Wesley Vanderborn,
ready to lop off a few
Yankee heads with his sword.
You know, a close friend
of my brother's best friend
actually knew somebody
that got murdered
with a Confederate sword,
right here, in this cemetery.
Yeah, I heard that story too.
It's an urban legend.
Yeah?
How do you know it's not true?
It's not true because there's
no such thing as ghosts.
Well, then there's nothing to
be afraid of there, is there?
[thunder intensifying]
[ominous music playing]
ERIC (VOICEOVER): Zach was
a creative genius with lots
of great ideas, but I
was beginning to think
this wasn't one of them.
ZACH: Go on.
Go check the door, Eric.
[music intensifying]
[sharp music playing]
That's weird.
Why wasn't it locked?
I don't know.
Maybe so the General can
get out and mutilates
somebody with his sword.
Stop it, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'm sorry.
I'm just-- just trying to
create a little mood here.
All right.
Go on.
Go on.
Go ahead.
[screeching sound]
[fly buzzing]
Man, this is so cool.
All right, man.
You've got you shot.
Now let's just leave.
No-- whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, hold on.
Hold on.
- What?
Open up the coffin.
I need to get a good
shot of the General.
No way.
Are you crazy?
Just-- just go on.
Do it, and then--
and then we'll leave.
OK?
I promise.
All right?
Go on.
Go ahead.
Come on.
Just do it, Eric.
And then we can get out of here.
[grunting]
- Yep.
[intense music playing]
- Ah!
Ah!
Turn that camera off!
Turn it off!
OK, OK, OK.
It's off.
[camera beeps]
- OK.
Somebody please tell
me how those moths
got into an air-tight coffin.
Maybe there's a
crack somewhere,
caterpillars crawled
in, laid the cocoons,
and then they hatched.
Or maybe Zach put them
in there to scare us.
No, I-- I've never been
in here before in my life.
I swear.
Look, I don't really care
how they got in there, OK.
I just want to
leave right now, OK.
And I'm serious this time.
Me too, Zach.
ZACH: Whoa, whoa--
wait, wait, wait.
We're here, I mean,
shouldn't we just
see what the guy looks like?
Huh?
Come on.
[ominous music playing]
[sharp music playing]
Oh, that is so gross.
Oh.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
ERIC: OK, man.
You got your shot,
now let's leave.
No, no.
What are you doing?
I'm taking the sword.
ERIC: You can't do that, man.
[bone cracks]
You're stealing from the dead.
You're desecrating
the body, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'll put the hand back, but
I am taking this sword, man.
- The General's head just moved.
- Oh, that is it.
[music intensifies]
- I am so out of here.
Wait, wait, where
are you going?
Hey--
[lid creaks]
Ah!
Ugh!
Help!
I can't get my arm out.
Help!
[grunting]
Help!
I'm stuck!
We've got to help him.
[music intensifies]
The door's locked!
You kid's
shouldn't be treating
the cemetery like a playground.
A crypt is a sacred place.
You should leave the dead be.
[keys rattling]
Oh, hurry, hurry.
Give me a hand.
Yeah.
[grunting]
[ominous music playing]
Oh, man, you're hands bleeding.
That's the General's mark.
He left that on
every man he killed.
You're lucky to be alive.
Oh, come on.
That's ridiculous.
The General's dead.
Look, the sword.
How did the sword get
back into his hand?
[music intensifies]
[music playing]
What do you believe?
Did the spirit of the
General actually come
to life to protect his crypt?
Or did Zach simply
panic and cause
his own terrifying problems?
But then how do you explain
the V cut into his hand?
Is this story of a civil war
ghost anchored in solid ground?
Or this time, is truth
gone with the wind?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, the teacher falls under
the spell of a mysterious child
on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
Dolls seem to have
their own personalities,
their own needs--
some would say their own souls.
Almost every little
girl has a favorite,
one that provides her with hours
of uncomplicated play time.
It's been a while since Susan
Franklin was a little girl,
but a special doll is
about to enter her life.
And the result is anything
but uncomplicated.
[ominous music playing]
[children talking]
SUSAN FRANKLIN
(VOICEOVER): It was
the end of my first
day as a teacher,
and I felt it went very well.
All the kids were great.
I was feeling exhilarated
and a little exhausted.
All I ever wanted was to be
an elementary school teacher.
See you tomorrow.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
And there I was.
Goodbye.
You're Ashley, aren't you?
You know, class is
dismissed, sweetheart.
You can go now.
Your mom's probably
waiting out front for you.
Can you please
give me my doll back.
Your doll?
What doll is that, Ashley?
Rebecca is wearing
her pink dress,
and she has long brown
hair, and a blinking eye.
[music playing]
I'm sorry honey, but
I don't have your doll.
Yes, you do.
And I want you to bring
her back tomorrow.
Ashley, maybe one of your
friends has your doll.
I don't.
- You do.
You do.
Why are you saying you don't?
[ominous music playing]
[door creaking]
Hi, mom.
Well, school must be out.
How was your first day, honey?
Oh, it was fine.
That's it?
Just fine?
I thought you'd be a
little more excited.
How did you like your students?
Well, this one little girl--
What about her?
[sighs] Nothing.
I don't know.
I'm just tired.
26 eight-year-olds
can be a handful.
Do you want some tea?
No, I'm all right.
Thanks.
[ominous music playing]
Is my doll collection
still in the garage?
I think so.
Why do you ask?
Just curious about something.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
I just couldn't
get Ashley off my mind.
What are you
looking for, Susan?
I'm not sure.
I just--
[intense music playing]
Mom, is this my doll?
Actually, it belonged
to a friend of yours.
Which friend?
Her name was Ashley.
[ominous music playing]
I had a friend named Ashley?
And this was her doll?
How come I don't remember her?
I remember all of my friend's.
Oh, Susan, I--
I was always afraid
this day would come.
What do you mean?
Um, OK, when you
were eight years old,
Ashley was your best friend.
You did everything together.
You were inseparable,
like sisters.
One day, Ashley was
over at the house
and you were playing tea party.
You both loved playing
with your dolls.
Anyway, it was getting
late and Ashley's mother
came to take her home.
Ashley wanted to leave
her favorite doll
with you because,
well, she was going
to be over the very next day.
But it never happened.
[ominous music playing]
Ashley and her mother
Lucille were killed--
[sobbing]
--by a drunk driver in
a head on collision.
I tried to explain it to
you, but Ashley's death
was so traumatic that
you refused to accept it.
The doctor said you blocked
the whole thing out.
I didn't know what to do.
So I never mentioned
Ashley again.
I--
Mom, now I remember.
Oh-- oh, it's OK.
It's good.
[whimpering]
It's good.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
I brought the doll
to school the next day.
I knew I would have
to show it to Ashley,
I just didn't know
how she would react.
[door closes]
[ominous music playing]
The playground
monitor told me that you
wanted to see me Ms Franklin.
Thanks for coming in Ashley.
Is this the doll that
you were talking about?
Rebecca, I missed you.
I missed you so much.
Are you absolutely sure
that that's your doll?
Oh, yes.
I know Rebecca,
and she knows me.
Right, Rebecca?
She said yes.
You know, Ashley,
there's a lot
of dolls with pink dresses,
and long brown hair,
and broken eyes.
I know, but they don't have
a big, red heart like Rebecca.
A big, red heart?
[music intensifies]
Don't you remember?
[laughter]
Bye, bye, Susan.
Thank you for taking
care of Rebecca.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
And suddenly I did remember.
And I couldn't help thinking
how this Ashley looked
just like my childhood friend.
[music playing]
What was the connection here?
Was Ashley really
the reincarnation
of Susan's friend?
Maybe not.
After all, there are
lots of little girls
named Ashley around.
But how could this Ashley have
possibly known about the doll
with the painted heart?
Could Susan's own mind have
been playing tricks on her?
Is this tale based on
plain or simple truth?
Or have we taken a
lie and dolled it up?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a strange curse hangs over
a factory on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
It's a wise craftsman
who knows his own tools.
But if you're the handyman
around your house,
you're probably used to
having your tools disappear.
Somehow, they vanish
mysteriously, like the matching
sock we're always looking for.
Hubert Woodcock uses
his tools for a living,
so he doesn't like
them to disappear.
In fact, if you borrow
one, you may be doing so
at some risk of your own life.
[music playing]
[buzz saw running]
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
It was my first day
on the job at Alice
Bainbridge Furniture Makers,
and I was excited.
They were known around the world
for their expert craftsmanship,
and I felt I had finally
found a company that
would appreciate my skills.
The crew seemed like
a great bunch of guys.
There was only one
who was a little odd.
his name was Hubert, and
he'd been there for years.
He was from London, and
everyone said he was a snob.
But I did my best to
get along with him.
That's beautiful work.
Thank you.
I'm George Remsen.
I hear you're from England.
That's correct.
I'm Hubert Woodcock.
Hi.
Well, don't let me interrupt.
[music playing]
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
Every place you work
has its own unwritten rules.
You sort of learn
them as you go along,
and I was about to
learn one big time.
You have got some
great tools here, Hubert.
[intense music playing]
No!
Oh, my goodness.
I'm so very sorry.
- Ouch.
Hey man, are you OK?
Uh, yeah.
I think so.
I apologize for not warning
you first about the curse.
The curse?
Hubert's curse.
[ominous music playing]
Oh, what the heck
is Hubert's curse?
Got to read the plaque.
"If this tool art
borrowed by a friend,
good fortune follows thou.
But if taken without
permission or pilfered from me,
woe unto thee because
Hubert's curse
shall be upon thine head."
You got to be kidding.
Actually, it's quite true.
You were just an
unfortunate victim.
I tried to warn you,
but it was too late.
So his tools are cursed.
- No, they are.
- Yeah.
Oh.
I come from a long line
of woodworker's dating
back to the fifth century.
One of my ancestors,
also named Hubert,
actually helped construct
King Arthur's Round Table.
No kidding.
No kidding.
My ancestor forged
a close friendship
with Merlin the Magician--
great admirer of his work.
To protect my
ancestors tools, Merlin
put a curse on anyone who
took them without permission.
The plaque was my uncle's idea.
He thought it only polite
to warn people first.
- And you guys buy into this?
- Oh, yeah.
Look what just happened to you.
Simply ask me first, and then
nothing bad will happen to you.
Guys, the head was
loose on the hammer.
There-- there's no
such thing as curses.
[ominous music playing]
There's not.
GEORGE (VOICEOVER): After
that, things went OK
for the rest of the week.
But then I decided to
stay late one night
to get a jump on the next day.
I couldn't help thinking about
what happened that first day
and Hubert's so-called curse.
I just didn't buy
into that whole Merlin
the Magician story.
I got to admit, temptation
got the best of me.
I couldn't help it.
I just had to test that curse.
I needed an electric
screwdriver,
and Hubert's was right there,
begging to be borrowed.
[screwdriver spinning]
Some curse.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Ah!
Ow.
DANNY: Good morning, Hubert.
Good morning, Danny.
Do you have a better
bit than this Danny?
What happened to your hand?
Oh, nothing.
I just cut myself.
George, were you
using my screwdriver?
Your screwdriver?
No, man.
I've got my own.
OK, fine.
I was using your screwdriver.
It's an electric screwdriver.
Why didn't you listen
to me and ask permission?
Be-- because it was
not your curse, Hubert.
It was a freak accident, OK.
Be careful, George.
You don't know what
you're dealing with.
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
For the next few days,
I kept to my own tools and
there were no accidents.
[music playing]
But then--
Oh, great.
Not now!
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
I was on a deadline,
and I really needed to finish
the table I was working on.
That's when I noticed
Hubert's ladder
leaning against his workbench.
Hey, uh, Hubert.
My light just blew out, could
I please borrow your ladder?
Of course, George.
Be my guest.
Thank you.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Ow.
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine, which is
amazing since I just fell
off the top of your ladder.
What happened?
I asked your permission.
I did what your plaque
said, so why did I fall?
Not
[sighs]
I'll tell you why, because
you're a crazy phony.
[sparks flying]
Oh, look at that.
[ominous music playing]
Now, see, if you'd have
touched that, you'd
have been electrocuted.
There's your answer.
You asked permission, George,
and good fortune followed.
The curse saved your life.
[music playing]
Do you believe
in Hubert's curse?
That it really cause George
Remsen injuries and then
protect him at the end?
Is the curse just a mind
game set up by Hubert,
or has it actually existed
for thousands of years?
In assembling this story, have
our writers used the tools
of their trade to fool you?
Or are they really
hammering home the truth?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a doctor's office
becomes the setting
for the unexplainable
on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
[tuning fork ringing]
Have you had your
hearing tested lately?
With all the loud
sounds were exposed
to throughout our lives, hearing
loss is more common than ever.
Fortunately, today's hearing
devices are smaller than ever.
Still, 10-year-old Katie
Conway has been refusing
to wear her hearing aid
lately, and the reason
may not lie inside her here.
It may reside within
the secrets of her mind.
[music playing]
DR. SPALDING
(VOICEOVER): After you've
been a doctor for a while, the
long, hectic days in the office
often run together.
But this day was going to be one
that would stand out forever.
Katie Conway-- she's
ready for you in room five.
That's odd.
Katie was just in.
Are you new?
I'm Sarah.
I'm a temp just
filling in for today.
[music playing]
DR. SPALDING
(VOICEOVER): Katie was
a quiet, bright little
girl that I'd been
treating for about a month.
[door opens]
Mrs Conway.
Dr Spalding.
How are you?
Just fine.
Question is how is
your princess today?
This is about
Katie's hearing aid.
Yes, I noticed
she's not wearing it.
And she knows she's
supposed to, but I--
I can't get her to keep it in.
Let's see.
Did you bring the unit with you?
- Yeah.
- May I see it?
Of course.
Katie knows how important
it is to wear it
for school and for
safety's sake when she's
playing or riding her bike.
[computer tone sounding]
Well, it seems to
be operating fine.
So Katie, I just
need you to tell me
if this hurts you in any way.
OK?
I'm-- I'm sure it's
uncomfortable at first,
but she-- she just--
she just has to wear it.
OK.
Katie, can you tell
me why you don't
want to wear your hearing aid.
Because I don't like it.
That's the same
answer I get at home.
You just have to tell
her she has to wear it.
I'm at my wit's end.
Mrs Conway, why don't
we step out for a moment,
give us a chance to talk.
Mm?
- Yeah, of course.
OK.
Thanks.
Sarah, would you stay with
Katie please and keep her busy.
Maybe she'd like to color.
Oh, I'd be happy to, Doctor.
[door closes]
[ominous music playing]
It may be a little bit
more comfortable to hide
up on the examination table.
Would you like to color?
Actually, it's kind
of cozy down here.
You know, while they're
gone, it will give us
a good chance to play a game.
Would you like that?
How about a guessing game?
You think of a number between 1
and 100, concentrate real hard,
and I'll try to
guess what it is.
OK?
Here.
OK.
Are you thinking?
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER): 22.
22.
22.
22.
That's it.
[ominous music playing]
How did you guess?
I don't know.
Are you sure that's
the right number?
You're not teasing me, are you?
No.
22, it's the number for the
yellow bus I ride to school.
Let's play again.
This time, you guess the
name I'm thinking off.
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER): Stephanie.
Stephanie.
Stephanie.
Were you thinking
of Stephanie?
Yes.
[ominous music playing]
Stephanie's my best
friend at school.
And you are the best person at
guessing games I've ever known.
Katie, why don't you like
to wear your hearing aid?
Sometimes-- a lot of the
time, I'm scared of what I hear.
With my hearing aid, I'm
afraid I'll hear it even more.
It hurts inside, right?
In your head?
Didn't you tell your mother?
I did at first.
But it made her so
scared she cried,
and I didn't want her to cry, so
I said it didn't hurt anymore.
But it does.
It hurts bad sometimes.
And I hear those awful sounds.
It's scary,
I know.
You heard them
too, didn't you?
You heard the sounds I hear?
I believe I did.
Can you make them stop?
Can you make the sounds go away?
Please.
[throbbing]
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
[sobbing]
[door opens]
[ominous music playing]
Oh, hey, little
one, are you OK?
Are you-- Oh, come on.
Get here.
Dr Spalding, I certainly
don't have your training
and experience, but I
highly suggest that you
order a CAT scan on Katie.
A CAT scan?
I believe that she has the
beginning signs of a tumor.
A tumor?
What makes you suspect that?
Let's just say Katie and I
had a very interesting visit.
[sobbing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER):
Don't ask me why,
but there was something
about that nurse I believed.
Uh, Dr. Spalding
I see that Katie
Conway was in again yesterday.
You ordered a CAT scan.
It picked up a tumor putting
pressure on her auditory nerve.
Early stages.
We're going to be
able to treat it.
Boy that was a lucky catch.
No kidding.
Um, the next time there's an
opening on the nursing staff,
you should try to
bring in the temp
who was working yesterday--
Sarah.
Uh, excuse me, Dr. Spalding,
no one was out yesterday.
We didn't bring a
temp into the office.
[ominous music playing]
That can't be.
Are you sure?
I'm positive.
KATIE (VOICEOVER): The next
time I saw Katie, she told me
everything that
happened between her
and Sarah, a nurse
we could never find
and never would hear from again.
[music playing]
Who was nurse Sarah?
Why was she there that day?
How was she able to make
the psychic connection
with little Katie?
Was she really able to hear
what Katie was hearing?
Or was she simply
just intuitive?
Is this story of nurse
Sarah, the angel of mercy,
based on truth?
Or is it merely here say?
[tuning fork ringing]
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: Next, you'll find out
which of our stories are fact
and which are fiction,
when Beyond Belief returns.
Now let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events
and which ones
are totally false.
Let's have one more
look at the agent
who tried to bury his client.
- Forget it, Stan.
- Honey.
It's over, OK.
Honey, listen--
what-- what do you mean?
I'm getting a new agent,
Stan-- somebody reputable.
OK?
So I'd like my money
back, please-- all of it,
or else I'm going
to the authorities.
- OK, look, you can't do that.
- Why not?
You can't.
You're a thief and
you stole from me.
I'm not-- now,
look, calm down.
Stan, stop telling
me to calm down.
- You're getting excited.
- And stop touching me.
- Well, listen to you.
- Goodbye, Stan.
- Hang on a second.
- Get out of my way!
- Let me talk to you--
- That's it, OK, it's over.
Stop-- stop it.
That's it!
Just shut up!
[ominous music playing]
Mary-Jane.
[music playing]
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Could be.
We made this one up.
And now, let's
have one more look
at the students who disturbed
a spirit's final resting place.
[ominous music playing]
Oh, that is so gross.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
OK, man, you got your shot.
Of let's leave.
What are you doing?
I'm taking the sword.
ERIC: You can't do that man.
You're stealing from the dead.
You're desecrating
the body, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'll put the hand back, but
I'm taking this sword, man.
[music intensifies]
The General's head just moved.
[music playing]
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Not this time.
It's a lie.
How about the
teacher who seemed
to encounter the reincarnation
of a childhood friend?
[ominous music playing]
Ashley, there's a lot of
dolls with pink dresses,
and long brown hair,
and broken eyes.
I know, but they don't have
a big, red heart like Rebecca.
A big, red heart?
Don't you remember?
[laughter]
[music playing]
If you thought this story
was based on a real life
occurrence, you're right.
A similar story happened to a
teenager in the Florida area
decades ago.
And what was your
opinion of the tool box
that came with its own curse?
[ominous music playing]
You have got some
great tools here, Hubert.
[music intensifies]
HUBERT: No!
- Oh, my goodness.
- I'm sorry.
I'm very sorry.
- Ouch.
Hey, man, you OK.
Uh, yeah, I think so.
I apologize for not warning
you first about the curse.
The curse?
Hubert's curse.
What the heck
is Hubert's curse.
Got to read the plaque.
"If this tool art
borrowed by a friend,
good fortune follows thou.
But if taken without
permission or pilfered from me,
woe unto thee because
Hubert's curse
shall be upon thine head."
[music playing]
This strange tale of the
tools has to be fake, right?
Wrong.
It's true.
A similar story happened
to a factory worker
on the Gulf Coast
about 15 years ago.
How about the story
of the mysterious nurse
who was able to
connect psychically
with the little girl?
[ominous music playing]
Can you make them stop?
Can you make the sounds go away?
Please.
[throbbing]
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
Is this story based
on a real happening?
Not this time-- it's fiction.
So do you still think
that fact and fiction
are polar opposites?
Or do they occupy
the exact same space?
And trying to find one
without encountering the other
is a challenge that is
truly beyond belief.
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
NARRATOR: The true
stories on tonight's show
were based upon
firsthand research
by author Robert Tralins.
This is Campbell Lane.
[theme music]
[droning music playing]
---
[droning music playing]
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate what
is true from what is false.
Five stories-- some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction.
To find out, you must
enter a world of both truth
and deception-- a world
that is beyond belief.
[music playing]
Can you really
believe your eyes?
Look at this checker
board design.
Your eyes will tell
you that this square
is darker than this one.
Now, let's take a closer look.
As you can see, both squares
are exactly the same shape.
So it is with our
stories tonight.
What might at first seem
to be black or white
may turn out to be
equal shades of gray.
And be very careful about
trusting us too much.
After all, we have
a checkered past.
Book signings are
pleasant rituals
for both authors and fans.
The writer gets an ego boost,
the reader a personal memento.
Of course, not every author
achieves the prestige
to warrant a book signing.
In fact, the clients of
agent Stan Trask never do.
But the next situation that
Stan will face is so monumental,
he can't possibly write it off.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Literary agent Stan
Trask has run his
own one man operation
for the past 12 years.
He specializes in
handling writers of pulp
fiction and romance novels.
No, no, no, no.
No, no.
I told you.
I told you.
I love it.
I think this is the best
thing you've ever written.
It made me cry.
Yeah, it did.
Yeah, I'm talking hardcover.
I'm talking paperback, a movie
deal-- seven figures, no less.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Being an agent
is not an easy profession--
a lot of late nights, and
competition is fierce.
But Stan's done very
well for himself, mainly
by ripping off his clients.
Right, so all I need
from you is another 5,000.
why?
Well there is printing.
There is publicity costs.
I can't keep going into my
own pocket on this, dear.
Right, we are so close.
Yeah, great.
Wonderful.
All right.
Listen dear, I need you to
make that check out in cash.
That's right.
Yeah.
Uhm, I got to go, hun.
I've got to go.
OK?
Let's have dinner soon.
Right, bye bye.
Mary-Jane, what
are you doing here?
We didn't have a
meeting set did we?
No, Stan, we didn't
have a meeting set.
Well, You sound
a little uptight.
What's happening
with "Love Tides?"
Your manuscript?
It's right here.
I love it.
I told you.
I think it's the best
romance novel I've ever read.
This made me cry.
Yeah, this one's going
to get published.
I guarantee it.
All I need from you is
another-- uh, 2,500.
That's all, Stan?
Only 2,500?
Do you know how much
money I've given
you since you became my agent?
Oh-- now look,
look Mary-Jane--
Almost $12,000.
And you haven't gotten one
thing of mine published.
OK, that's not my
fault. All right?
The other stories had problems.
This one is different.
This one's compelling.
This one is really great.
It's going to get published.
- Forget it, Stan.
- Honey--
- It's over.
Honey, listen--
what-- what do you mean?
I'm getting a new agent, Stan.
Somebody reputable, OK.
So I'd like my
money back please.
All of it, or else I'm
going to the authorities.
OK, look, you can't do that.
You can't.
Why not?
Just You're a thief
and you stole from me.
I'm not-- Now,
look, calm down.
You're getting excited.
Stan, stop telling
me to calm down.
And stop touching me.
- Well, listen to you.
- Goodbye, Stan.
Hang on a second.
- Just get out of my way!
- Let me talk to you--
That's it, OK.
It's over.
- Stop-- stop it.
- That's it!
Just shut up!
[ominous music playing]
Mary-Jane?
Mary-Jane?
Oh, look what you made me do.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Stan Trask
had never killed
anyone before, but he
took to it like a natural.
He buried the body in
a raised platter box
inside the buildings atrium.
There was only a small
mention in the newspaper about
Mary-Jane Layden being missing.
No one knew she was at
his office that night.
And Stan felt he had
gotten away with murder.
And then another
plan began to take
shape in Stan's twisted mind.
Mary Jane's manuscript
was good, and he was
sure he could get it published.
And with Mary Jane
out of the way,
Stan could keep all the money.
He created a fictitious author
by the name of Lucille Carns,
and sent "Love Tides"
to a publisher,
who bought it immediately.
On its release, "Love Tides" by
the non-existent Lucille Carns
became an instant best-seller.
No, no, no, no.
I told you she doesn't
do any book signings
or personal appearances.
Lucille Carns is a
very private person.
She wouldn't even let
us take her picture
for the book jacket.
[sighs] Look, what
can I tell you.
She won't do it.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Everything was going according
to plan, and then Stan got
a message that would haunt
him for the rest of his days.
[phone ringing]
An anonymous caller
informed Stan
of the impossible-- that Lucille
Carns was at Robin's bookstore
signing copies of "Love Tides."
MAN 1: Hey there, did
you get your book signed?
MAN 2: Yeah, I did.
WOMAN: I really
like the hard copy.
It's beautiful.
MAN 2: OK.
Well, you better hurry.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Stan
had to see who the impostor
claiming to be Lucille Carns
was.
[ominous music playing]
What is going on here?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
How could this be?
She looked exactly
like Mary-Jane Layden.
Excuse me, may I
look at your book.
OK.
Strange, isn't it.
Changing the name on the
cover to Mary-Jane Layden.
I asked her what it meant,
but she wouldn't tell me.
Look, she even signed
it on the inside--
Mary-Jane Layden.
Who do you think that is?
I don;t know.
This is impossible.
She's got to be here,
she's got to be.
[music intensifies]
[gasps]
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
The homicide division
had received an anonymous tip
to follow Stan Trask that day.
What they found was more
than enough evidence
to convict him of murder
in the first degree.
After serving only six
months of a life sentence,
ex-agent Stan Trask stepped off
a pile of books from the prison
library and hanged himself.
[music playing]
So who was the mysterious
woman at the book signing?
Was it the ghost of
Mary-Jane Layden?
Or was it just to look-alike?
If so, where did she come from?
Did Mary-Jane have a twin
sister bent upon getting revenge
against Stan, or was it
Stan's own guilty conscience
that caused him to imagine
the entire incident?
Is this story of the
ghostly autograph true?
Or does it bare the
signature of a lie?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
the story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next three students
are threatened
by the ghost of a Confederate
general on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Making movies
is easier than it's ever been.
There are thousands of
budding Steven Spielberg's
out there creating
their own film ideas
with the help of
equipment that's
both portable and affordable.
Zach Rothbard as a
bold young filmmaker,
with the energy and
courage of youth.
But for his latest film
project, he's going to need
all the courage at his command.
In fact, as a director,
he may discover a darker
meaning for the term "cut."
[intense music playing]
ERIC (VOICEOVER): There was a
new storm blowing in the night.
[thunder rumbling]
Zach, Matty, and I went
to the local cemetery
to do a student film
about Confederate General
Wesley Vanderborn.
The legend was that the General
rose from his tomb once a year,
and carved the letter
V for Vanderborn
on the bodies of his local
victims using his famous sword.
ZACH: Hey, hey,
what are you doing?
This place is
creeping me out, man.
I'm not even sure
we should be here.
Eric's right.
We never got permission.
Hey, you guys
agreed to do this.
You can't back out now.
Stop complaining and--
and-- and act scared.
Yeah, yeah.
That's perfect.
Keep that-- keep
that right there.
Stop it.
Stop it.
There's something out there.
[fly buzzing]
Maybe it was just a squirrel.
Yeah, maybe.
Or maybe it's General
Wesley Vanderborn,
ready to lop off a few
Yankee heads with his sword.
You know, a close friend
of my brother's best friend
actually knew somebody
that got murdered
with a Confederate sword,
right here, in this cemetery.
Yeah, I heard that story too.
It's an urban legend.
Yeah?
How do you know it's not true?
It's not true because there's
no such thing as ghosts.
Well, then there's nothing to
be afraid of there, is there?
[thunder intensifying]
[ominous music playing]
ERIC (VOICEOVER): Zach was
a creative genius with lots
of great ideas, but I
was beginning to think
this wasn't one of them.
ZACH: Go on.
Go check the door, Eric.
[music intensifying]
[sharp music playing]
That's weird.
Why wasn't it locked?
I don't know.
Maybe so the General can
get out and mutilates
somebody with his sword.
Stop it, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'm sorry.
I'm just-- just trying to
create a little mood here.
All right.
Go on.
Go on.
Go ahead.
[screeching sound]
[fly buzzing]
Man, this is so cool.
All right, man.
You've got you shot.
Now let's just leave.
No-- whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, hold on.
Hold on.
- What?
Open up the coffin.
I need to get a good
shot of the General.
No way.
Are you crazy?
Just-- just go on.
Do it, and then--
and then we'll leave.
OK?
I promise.
All right?
Go on.
Go ahead.
Come on.
Just do it, Eric.
And then we can get out of here.
[grunting]
- Yep.
[intense music playing]
- Ah!
Ah!
Turn that camera off!
Turn it off!
OK, OK, OK.
It's off.
[camera beeps]
- OK.
Somebody please tell
me how those moths
got into an air-tight coffin.
Maybe there's a
crack somewhere,
caterpillars crawled
in, laid the cocoons,
and then they hatched.
Or maybe Zach put them
in there to scare us.
No, I-- I've never been
in here before in my life.
I swear.
Look, I don't really care
how they got in there, OK.
I just want to
leave right now, OK.
And I'm serious this time.
Me too, Zach.
ZACH: Whoa, whoa--
wait, wait, wait.
We're here, I mean,
shouldn't we just
see what the guy looks like?
Huh?
Come on.
[ominous music playing]
[sharp music playing]
Oh, that is so gross.
Oh.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
ERIC: OK, man.
You got your shot,
now let's leave.
No, no.
What are you doing?
I'm taking the sword.
ERIC: You can't do that, man.
[bone cracks]
You're stealing from the dead.
You're desecrating
the body, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'll put the hand back, but
I am taking this sword, man.
- The General's head just moved.
- Oh, that is it.
[music intensifies]
- I am so out of here.
Wait, wait, where
are you going?
Hey--
[lid creaks]
Ah!
Ugh!
Help!
I can't get my arm out.
Help!
[grunting]
Help!
I'm stuck!
We've got to help him.
[music intensifies]
The door's locked!
You kid's
shouldn't be treating
the cemetery like a playground.
A crypt is a sacred place.
You should leave the dead be.
[keys rattling]
Oh, hurry, hurry.
Give me a hand.
Yeah.
[grunting]
[ominous music playing]
Oh, man, you're hands bleeding.
That's the General's mark.
He left that on
every man he killed.
You're lucky to be alive.
Oh, come on.
That's ridiculous.
The General's dead.
Look, the sword.
How did the sword get
back into his hand?
[music intensifies]
[music playing]
What do you believe?
Did the spirit of the
General actually come
to life to protect his crypt?
Or did Zach simply
panic and cause
his own terrifying problems?
But then how do you explain
the V cut into his hand?
Is this story of a civil war
ghost anchored in solid ground?
Or this time, is truth
gone with the wind?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, the teacher falls under
the spell of a mysterious child
on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
Dolls seem to have
their own personalities,
their own needs--
some would say their own souls.
Almost every little
girl has a favorite,
one that provides her with hours
of uncomplicated play time.
It's been a while since Susan
Franklin was a little girl,
but a special doll is
about to enter her life.
And the result is anything
but uncomplicated.
[ominous music playing]
[children talking]
SUSAN FRANKLIN
(VOICEOVER): It was
the end of my first
day as a teacher,
and I felt it went very well.
All the kids were great.
I was feeling exhilarated
and a little exhausted.
All I ever wanted was to be
an elementary school teacher.
See you tomorrow.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
And there I was.
Goodbye.
You're Ashley, aren't you?
You know, class is
dismissed, sweetheart.
You can go now.
Your mom's probably
waiting out front for you.
Can you please
give me my doll back.
Your doll?
What doll is that, Ashley?
Rebecca is wearing
her pink dress,
and she has long brown
hair, and a blinking eye.
[music playing]
I'm sorry honey, but
I don't have your doll.
Yes, you do.
And I want you to bring
her back tomorrow.
Ashley, maybe one of your
friends has your doll.
I don't.
- You do.
You do.
Why are you saying you don't?
[ominous music playing]
[door creaking]
Hi, mom.
Well, school must be out.
How was your first day, honey?
Oh, it was fine.
That's it?
Just fine?
I thought you'd be a
little more excited.
How did you like your students?
Well, this one little girl--
What about her?
[sighs] Nothing.
I don't know.
I'm just tired.
26 eight-year-olds
can be a handful.
Do you want some tea?
No, I'm all right.
Thanks.
[ominous music playing]
Is my doll collection
still in the garage?
I think so.
Why do you ask?
Just curious about something.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
I just couldn't
get Ashley off my mind.
What are you
looking for, Susan?
I'm not sure.
I just--
[intense music playing]
Mom, is this my doll?
Actually, it belonged
to a friend of yours.
Which friend?
Her name was Ashley.
[ominous music playing]
I had a friend named Ashley?
And this was her doll?
How come I don't remember her?
I remember all of my friend's.
Oh, Susan, I--
I was always afraid
this day would come.
What do you mean?
Um, OK, when you
were eight years old,
Ashley was your best friend.
You did everything together.
You were inseparable,
like sisters.
One day, Ashley was
over at the house
and you were playing tea party.
You both loved playing
with your dolls.
Anyway, it was getting
late and Ashley's mother
came to take her home.
Ashley wanted to leave
her favorite doll
with you because,
well, she was going
to be over the very next day.
But it never happened.
[ominous music playing]
Ashley and her mother
Lucille were killed--
[sobbing]
--by a drunk driver in
a head on collision.
I tried to explain it to
you, but Ashley's death
was so traumatic that
you refused to accept it.
The doctor said you blocked
the whole thing out.
I didn't know what to do.
So I never mentioned
Ashley again.
I--
Mom, now I remember.
Oh-- oh, it's OK.
It's good.
[whimpering]
It's good.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
I brought the doll
to school the next day.
I knew I would have
to show it to Ashley,
I just didn't know
how she would react.
[door closes]
[ominous music playing]
The playground
monitor told me that you
wanted to see me Ms Franklin.
Thanks for coming in Ashley.
Is this the doll that
you were talking about?
Rebecca, I missed you.
I missed you so much.
Are you absolutely sure
that that's your doll?
Oh, yes.
I know Rebecca,
and she knows me.
Right, Rebecca?
She said yes.
You know, Ashley,
there's a lot
of dolls with pink dresses,
and long brown hair,
and broken eyes.
I know, but they don't have
a big, red heart like Rebecca.
A big, red heart?
[music intensifies]
Don't you remember?
[laughter]
Bye, bye, Susan.
Thank you for taking
care of Rebecca.
SUSAN FRANKLIN (VOICEOVER):
And suddenly I did remember.
And I couldn't help thinking
how this Ashley looked
just like my childhood friend.
[music playing]
What was the connection here?
Was Ashley really
the reincarnation
of Susan's friend?
Maybe not.
After all, there are
lots of little girls
named Ashley around.
But how could this Ashley have
possibly known about the doll
with the painted heart?
Could Susan's own mind have
been playing tricks on her?
Is this tale based on
plain or simple truth?
Or have we taken a
lie and dolled it up?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a strange curse hangs over
a factory on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
It's a wise craftsman
who knows his own tools.
But if you're the handyman
around your house,
you're probably used to
having your tools disappear.
Somehow, they vanish
mysteriously, like the matching
sock we're always looking for.
Hubert Woodcock uses
his tools for a living,
so he doesn't like
them to disappear.
In fact, if you borrow
one, you may be doing so
at some risk of your own life.
[music playing]
[buzz saw running]
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
It was my first day
on the job at Alice
Bainbridge Furniture Makers,
and I was excited.
They were known around the world
for their expert craftsmanship,
and I felt I had finally
found a company that
would appreciate my skills.
The crew seemed like
a great bunch of guys.
There was only one
who was a little odd.
his name was Hubert, and
he'd been there for years.
He was from London, and
everyone said he was a snob.
But I did my best to
get along with him.
That's beautiful work.
Thank you.
I'm George Remsen.
I hear you're from England.
That's correct.
I'm Hubert Woodcock.
Hi.
Well, don't let me interrupt.
[music playing]
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
Every place you work
has its own unwritten rules.
You sort of learn
them as you go along,
and I was about to
learn one big time.
You have got some
great tools here, Hubert.
[intense music playing]
No!
Oh, my goodness.
I'm so very sorry.
- Ouch.
Hey man, are you OK?
Uh, yeah.
I think so.
I apologize for not warning
you first about the curse.
The curse?
Hubert's curse.
[ominous music playing]
Oh, what the heck
is Hubert's curse?
Got to read the plaque.
"If this tool art
borrowed by a friend,
good fortune follows thou.
But if taken without
permission or pilfered from me,
woe unto thee because
Hubert's curse
shall be upon thine head."
You got to be kidding.
Actually, it's quite true.
You were just an
unfortunate victim.
I tried to warn you,
but it was too late.
So his tools are cursed.
- No, they are.
- Yeah.
Oh.
I come from a long line
of woodworker's dating
back to the fifth century.
One of my ancestors,
also named Hubert,
actually helped construct
King Arthur's Round Table.
No kidding.
No kidding.
My ancestor forged
a close friendship
with Merlin the Magician--
great admirer of his work.
To protect my
ancestors tools, Merlin
put a curse on anyone who
took them without permission.
The plaque was my uncle's idea.
He thought it only polite
to warn people first.
- And you guys buy into this?
- Oh, yeah.
Look what just happened to you.
Simply ask me first, and then
nothing bad will happen to you.
Guys, the head was
loose on the hammer.
There-- there's no
such thing as curses.
[ominous music playing]
There's not.
GEORGE (VOICEOVER): After
that, things went OK
for the rest of the week.
But then I decided to
stay late one night
to get a jump on the next day.
I couldn't help thinking about
what happened that first day
and Hubert's so-called curse.
I just didn't buy
into that whole Merlin
the Magician story.
I got to admit, temptation
got the best of me.
I couldn't help it.
I just had to test that curse.
I needed an electric
screwdriver,
and Hubert's was right there,
begging to be borrowed.
[screwdriver spinning]
Some curse.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Ah!
Ow.
DANNY: Good morning, Hubert.
Good morning, Danny.
Do you have a better
bit than this Danny?
What happened to your hand?
Oh, nothing.
I just cut myself.
George, were you
using my screwdriver?
Your screwdriver?
No, man.
I've got my own.
OK, fine.
I was using your screwdriver.
It's an electric screwdriver.
Why didn't you listen
to me and ask permission?
Be-- because it was
not your curse, Hubert.
It was a freak accident, OK.
Be careful, George.
You don't know what
you're dealing with.
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
For the next few days,
I kept to my own tools and
there were no accidents.
[music playing]
But then--
Oh, great.
Not now!
GEORGE (VOICEOVER):
I was on a deadline,
and I really needed to finish
the table I was working on.
That's when I noticed
Hubert's ladder
leaning against his workbench.
Hey, uh, Hubert.
My light just blew out, could
I please borrow your ladder?
Of course, George.
Be my guest.
Thank you.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Ow.
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine, which is
amazing since I just fell
off the top of your ladder.
What happened?
I asked your permission.
I did what your plaque
said, so why did I fall?
Not
[sighs]
I'll tell you why, because
you're a crazy phony.
[sparks flying]
Oh, look at that.
[ominous music playing]
Now, see, if you'd have
touched that, you'd
have been electrocuted.
There's your answer.
You asked permission, George,
and good fortune followed.
The curse saved your life.
[music playing]
Do you believe
in Hubert's curse?
That it really cause George
Remsen injuries and then
protect him at the end?
Is the curse just a mind
game set up by Hubert,
or has it actually existed
for thousands of years?
In assembling this story, have
our writers used the tools
of their trade to fool you?
Or are they really
hammering home the truth?
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a doctor's office
becomes the setting
for the unexplainable
on Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction.
[music playing]
[tuning fork ringing]
Have you had your
hearing tested lately?
With all the loud
sounds were exposed
to throughout our lives, hearing
loss is more common than ever.
Fortunately, today's hearing
devices are smaller than ever.
Still, 10-year-old Katie
Conway has been refusing
to wear her hearing aid
lately, and the reason
may not lie inside her here.
It may reside within
the secrets of her mind.
[music playing]
DR. SPALDING
(VOICEOVER): After you've
been a doctor for a while, the
long, hectic days in the office
often run together.
But this day was going to be one
that would stand out forever.
Katie Conway-- she's
ready for you in room five.
That's odd.
Katie was just in.
Are you new?
I'm Sarah.
I'm a temp just
filling in for today.
[music playing]
DR. SPALDING
(VOICEOVER): Katie was
a quiet, bright little
girl that I'd been
treating for about a month.
[door opens]
Mrs Conway.
Dr Spalding.
How are you?
Just fine.
Question is how is
your princess today?
This is about
Katie's hearing aid.
Yes, I noticed
she's not wearing it.
And she knows she's
supposed to, but I--
I can't get her to keep it in.
Let's see.
Did you bring the unit with you?
- Yeah.
- May I see it?
Of course.
Katie knows how important
it is to wear it
for school and for
safety's sake when she's
playing or riding her bike.
[computer tone sounding]
Well, it seems to
be operating fine.
So Katie, I just
need you to tell me
if this hurts you in any way.
OK?
I'm-- I'm sure it's
uncomfortable at first,
but she-- she just--
she just has to wear it.
OK.
Katie, can you tell
me why you don't
want to wear your hearing aid.
Because I don't like it.
That's the same
answer I get at home.
You just have to tell
her she has to wear it.
I'm at my wit's end.
Mrs Conway, why don't
we step out for a moment,
give us a chance to talk.
Mm?
- Yeah, of course.
OK.
Thanks.
Sarah, would you stay with
Katie please and keep her busy.
Maybe she'd like to color.
Oh, I'd be happy to, Doctor.
[door closes]
[ominous music playing]
It may be a little bit
more comfortable to hide
up on the examination table.
Would you like to color?
Actually, it's kind
of cozy down here.
You know, while they're
gone, it will give us
a good chance to play a game.
Would you like that?
How about a guessing game?
You think of a number between 1
and 100, concentrate real hard,
and I'll try to
guess what it is.
OK?
Here.
OK.
Are you thinking?
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER): 22.
22.
22.
22.
That's it.
[ominous music playing]
How did you guess?
I don't know.
Are you sure that's
the right number?
You're not teasing me, are you?
No.
22, it's the number for the
yellow bus I ride to school.
Let's play again.
This time, you guess the
name I'm thinking off.
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER): Stephanie.
Stephanie.
Stephanie.
Were you thinking
of Stephanie?
Yes.
[ominous music playing]
Stephanie's my best
friend at school.
And you are the best person at
guessing games I've ever known.
Katie, why don't you like
to wear your hearing aid?
Sometimes-- a lot of the
time, I'm scared of what I hear.
With my hearing aid, I'm
afraid I'll hear it even more.
It hurts inside, right?
In your head?
Didn't you tell your mother?
I did at first.
But it made her so
scared she cried,
and I didn't want her to cry, so
I said it didn't hurt anymore.
But it does.
It hurts bad sometimes.
And I hear those awful sounds.
It's scary,
I know.
You heard them
too, didn't you?
You heard the sounds I hear?
I believe I did.
Can you make them stop?
Can you make the sounds go away?
Please.
[throbbing]
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
[sobbing]
[door opens]
[ominous music playing]
Oh, hey, little
one, are you OK?
Are you-- Oh, come on.
Get here.
Dr Spalding, I certainly
don't have your training
and experience, but I
highly suggest that you
order a CAT scan on Katie.
A CAT scan?
I believe that she has the
beginning signs of a tumor.
A tumor?
What makes you suspect that?
Let's just say Katie and I
had a very interesting visit.
[sobbing]
KATIE (VOICEOVER):
Don't ask me why,
but there was something
about that nurse I believed.
Uh, Dr. Spalding
I see that Katie
Conway was in again yesterday.
You ordered a CAT scan.
It picked up a tumor putting
pressure on her auditory nerve.
Early stages.
We're going to be
able to treat it.
Boy that was a lucky catch.
No kidding.
Um, the next time there's an
opening on the nursing staff,
you should try to
bring in the temp
who was working yesterday--
Sarah.
Uh, excuse me, Dr. Spalding,
no one was out yesterday.
We didn't bring a
temp into the office.
[ominous music playing]
That can't be.
Are you sure?
I'm positive.
KATIE (VOICEOVER): The next
time I saw Katie, she told me
everything that
happened between her
and Sarah, a nurse
we could never find
and never would hear from again.
[music playing]
Who was nurse Sarah?
Why was she there that day?
How was she able to make
the psychic connection
with little Katie?
Was she really able to hear
what Katie was hearing?
Or was she simply
just intuitive?
Is this story of nurse
Sarah, the angel of mercy,
based on truth?
Or is it merely here say?
[tuning fork ringing]
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: Next, you'll find out
which of our stories are fact
and which are fiction,
when Beyond Belief returns.
Now let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events
and which ones
are totally false.
Let's have one more
look at the agent
who tried to bury his client.
- Forget it, Stan.
- Honey.
It's over, OK.
Honey, listen--
what-- what do you mean?
I'm getting a new agent,
Stan-- somebody reputable.
OK?
So I'd like my money
back, please-- all of it,
or else I'm going
to the authorities.
- OK, look, you can't do that.
- Why not?
You can't.
You're a thief and
you stole from me.
I'm not-- now,
look, calm down.
Stan, stop telling
me to calm down.
- You're getting excited.
- And stop touching me.
- Well, listen to you.
- Goodbye, Stan.
- Hang on a second.
- Get out of my way!
- Let me talk to you--
- That's it, OK, it's over.
Stop-- stop it.
That's it!
Just shut up!
[ominous music playing]
Mary-Jane.
[music playing]
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Could be.
We made this one up.
And now, let's
have one more look
at the students who disturbed
a spirit's final resting place.
[ominous music playing]
Oh, that is so gross.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
OK, man, you got your shot.
Of let's leave.
What are you doing?
I'm taking the sword.
ERIC: You can't do that man.
You're stealing from the dead.
You're desecrating
the body, Zach.
OK, OK, OK.
I'll put the hand back, but
I'm taking this sword, man.
[music intensifies]
The General's head just moved.
[music playing]
Did a similar story
to this one take place?
Not this time.
It's a lie.
How about the
teacher who seemed
to encounter the reincarnation
of a childhood friend?
[ominous music playing]
Ashley, there's a lot of
dolls with pink dresses,
and long brown hair,
and broken eyes.
I know, but they don't have
a big, red heart like Rebecca.
A big, red heart?
Don't you remember?
[laughter]
[music playing]
If you thought this story
was based on a real life
occurrence, you're right.
A similar story happened to a
teenager in the Florida area
decades ago.
And what was your
opinion of the tool box
that came with its own curse?
[ominous music playing]
You have got some
great tools here, Hubert.
[music intensifies]
HUBERT: No!
- Oh, my goodness.
- I'm sorry.
I'm very sorry.
- Ouch.
Hey, man, you OK.
Uh, yeah, I think so.
I apologize for not warning
you first about the curse.
The curse?
Hubert's curse.
What the heck
is Hubert's curse.
Got to read the plaque.
"If this tool art
borrowed by a friend,
good fortune follows thou.
But if taken without
permission or pilfered from me,
woe unto thee because
Hubert's curse
shall be upon thine head."
[music playing]
This strange tale of the
tools has to be fake, right?
Wrong.
It's true.
A similar story happened
to a factory worker
on the Gulf Coast
about 15 years ago.
How about the story
of the mysterious nurse
who was able to
connect psychically
with the little girl?
[ominous music playing]
Can you make them stop?
Can you make the sounds go away?
Please.
[throbbing]
[intense music playing]
[computer tone sounding]
[buzzing]
Is this story based
on a real happening?
Not this time-- it's fiction.
So do you still think
that fact and fiction
are polar opposites?
Or do they occupy
the exact same space?
And trying to find one
without encountering the other
is a challenge that is
truly beyond belief.
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
NARRATOR: The true
stories on tonight's show
were based upon
firsthand research
by author Robert Tralins.
This is Campbell Lane.
[theme music]
[droning music playing]