The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985–1992): Season 1, Episode 5 - The Screaming Woman - full transcript

[theme music]

BRADBURY [VOICEOVER]:
People ask,

"where do you get your ideas?"

Well, right here.

All this is my
martian landscape.

Somewhere in this room
is an African veldt.

Just beyond, perhaps, is a small
Illinois town where I grew up.

And I'm surrounded on every
side by my magician's toy shop.

I'll never starve here.

I just look around, find
what I need, and begin.

I'm Ray Bradbury, and this is--



Well, then, right
now, what shall it be?

Out of all this, what do I
choose to make the story?

I never know where the
next one will take me.

And the trip, exactly
one half exhilaration,

exactly one half terror.

Don't I know you?

You're that crazy writer
fella, aren't you?

You're looking for new ideas?

Yes.

What's that?

That's a dowsing rod.

Can you find water with it?

Give it a try.

What do I look for?



It's not so much
what you look for.

It-- it-- it's the feel, feel.

Touch it.

That's it.
Touch.

Yeah.

There's more than
water down there.

All kinds of things are hidden.

All kinds?

All kinds of things are buried
there just under the grass.

Earthworms, trapdoor spiders,
deathwatch beetles, 17 year

locusts.

17 year locusts.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Oh no.

It can't be.

Got an idea for a story?

Yes, oh yes.

HEATHER: No, no.

I didn't mean to
spy on you, honest.

Stop.

I won't tell anyone.

Please, please.

[screaming]

Somewhere she heard
the sound of a wolf

that sent chills up her spine.

Then the sound of footsteps.

Then the sound of a
door scraping open.

When are you gonna learn
to put your things away?

Heather, look.

Supper is almost ready.

Now, I want you to
run down to the store

and get some ice cream for
your father, all right?

I have to wait
till the mummy comes.

Never mind about the mummies.

Your father's
gonna be home soon.

Oh, Heather, where do
you pick up these things?

The voice on the phone,
it sounded so familiar.

Well, I can't waste time
thinking about that now.

Whoa!

Hey, you, get out of here!

The sound inside the tomb was
especially eerie that night.

[screaming]

All you could see
was her hair blowing

in the wind, the night so dark.

She was terrified.

[screaming]

[screaming]

[sobbing]

Who's crying?

Who's crying?

[screaming]

Mom, Dad, there's
a woman screaming.

There's a woman screaming.

A screaming woman.

Never knew one that didn't.

Dad!

Sorry.

Sit down and rest.

Dad, I heard her.

Contralto or soprano?

Dad!

Her screams.

Were they sharp or flat?

Oh, Heather.

Look at this mess!

Ugh.

Mom, I heard her
screaming "help."

Uh-huh.

Help!

Heather!

That's what she said!

Come on, give me the magazine.

Come on.

Come on.
Let's go.

Let's look at this.

No, that's what she said.

"Help," she cried.

The mummy raised his
cloth-wrapped hand.

She screamed!

It's not a game,
Daddy, damn it!

MOTHER: Heather!

I'm sorry.

But you gotta believe me!

All right, I'll
make a deal with you.

You clean that
plate, and I'll walk

over to the woods with you.

Great.

Not so fast!

There's time.

I didn't sleep
a wink last night.

Charlie Nesbitt and that wife
of his, screaming and yelling.

They're always
fighting, those two.

Funny, this morning
they stopped.

Oh, I-- I agree that Charlie
is a little weird sometimes,

but Mary is a very nice person.

You should give
yourself a chance

to get to know her better.

I don't actually believe
you went out with that woman.

Do you know she
wrote me a song once?

Mary did?

Yeah, it wasn't bad either.

Let's see if I can remember it.

[singing] No, that's
something else, isn't it?

Well, you know what they say.

It's not whether you
remember the words,

but how you sing the song.

Let's go dish on
that lost soprano.

Good.

What about supper?

Oh, put it in the oven.

This is it.

This is the place.

Great.

Well?

Listen.

You know, I--

Shh!

Screaming woman!

Maybe she's tired
from screaming.

Maybe she's dead.

Don't say that!

Where you going,
to get a shovel?

Get a spoon.

What?

Eat my ice cream!

Daddy!

That's my name!

HEATHER: Dippy!

Dippy!

Hey, Dippy.

Guess what.

I wanna get back to my movie.

This'll be better
than any stupid movie.

Wait, please.

Don't die.

Dig!

I don't dig unless
I hear screams.

Let's hear it now.

[screaming]

Pretty good trick.

Trick?

You got one of those little
cassette players under there.

Yeah, and I'll lend
it to you if you dig.

Well--

I'll give you
the darned thing.

OK!

WOMAN: Help me.

Did you hear that, Dippy?

She's wearing out.

She's gonna die!

Oh, sure.

Your batteries are
just running down.

Dig!

Hey!

What's going on here?

Mr. Kelly.

We were just--

Digging up my lot?

This is my private property
you're messing around with.

You two shovel fast and hard,
and fill that hole back up.

We can't.

We've got someone
we've gotta save.

DIPPY: Yeah.

Fill that hole back up.

And if I ever catch you around
here again, I'll call the cops!

You're the man.

What do you mean?

He's lying.

I mean, why would
he be so angry?

Why would he make us
fill up the hole, huh?

I bet you he killed Mrs.
Kelly and buried here there.

Yeah, but that
screaming lady's not real.

Dippy, I got an idea.

What do you see?

Doh.

We got it.

Let's go.

I can't get over this.

Yes, you can.

DIPPY: What do you see?

Shh!

What's going on
down there, Jack?

DIPPY: She's not
dead, you dummy!

I wonder who it is.

Think, Dippy.

Think.

The Nesbitts.

Yeah, the Nesbitts,
Charlie and Louanne.

What did my mom and dad say?
Yeah.

They were fighting all last
night, but today nothing.

I bet you it's Charlie Nesbitt.

That's it.

So long.

Dippy, come on!

Forget it.

Coward!

Oh, hello, Heather.

Hello, Mr. Nesbitt.

Um, Is your wife--

I mean, your wife home?

My wife?

What do you want with her?

The other day, she told me
to come get, um, a recipe.

For what?

For what?

For peach.

Yeah, peach.

Peach pie.

Well, she's not
here, uh, right now.

But she should be
back any minute.

Why don't you come
in and wait for her?

OK?

Come on.

Have a seat.

It's really nice to see you.

Did she go shopping?

CHARLIE: Yeah, she had
to get a few things.

Things?

For her hair.

Oh.

Um, I also want to tell
her something else.

What?

About the screaming woman.

What screaming woman?

She's buried underground.

And she's screaming, .

except nobody believes me.

Why don't you give me a try?

Well, you're just
like my dad, and he

doesn't believe me either.

Where did you say this
screaming woman was?

In Mr. Kelly's lot.

[gulp]

Except I think she's gonna die.

Really?

Well, nobody's gonna help me.

And her voice is getting weaker.

[chuckling]

You certainly have
a weird imagination!

How about a cold drink?

Did you say--

Heather?

Nobody believes me.

[humming]

Come on, Heather.

Time for sleep.

You've had a busy day.

Give me a kiss.

I tried to help her.

I really did.

I know you did, sweetheart.

Happy dreams.

What are you humming?

Well, it came back to me.

What did?

Well, you know that--
that song we were

talking about earlier today?

What song?

Well, the one that Mary
Nesbitt wrote for me.

Oh, that one.

Good night, honey.

Good night.

[humming]

What is it?

I'm not sure.

Heather.

Oh my God.

[screaming]

Down here!

Over this way.

She's gotta be OK.

I know.

WOMAN: Can you hear anything?

Oh my God

MAN: Take it easy.

That's it.

Jesus.

Oh my God.

Careful, careful.

Watch that tree.

FATHER: Heather, she's
gonna be all right.

You know Tom Fortam
and his pal, Joe Willis?

Well, according
to Mrs. Goodbody,

they're growing mushrooms
in their basement.

They got these mushrooms from
the mail about two weeks ago.

And four days ago, Mr.
Willis disappeared.

They say he was in New
Orleans on business,

but L according
to Mrs. Goodbody--

and I believe her-- he's
been captured by aliens.

And those aliens [inaudible]

[music playing]