WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:03.220 When the fog creeps in, the nightmare begins. 00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:08.959 Over here. Don't be afraid. You seemed a little 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.599 lost out there in the fog. Good thing I found 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.760 you. Welcome, traveler. Step out of the mist 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.540 and warm yourself by the fire. Browse my wares, 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:20.620 if you like. Stories, mostly. I'm a teller of 00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:23.280 them. I'm Bragi. I'm sure you've heard of me. 00:01:23.659 --> 00:01:26.620 You haven't? Well, surely you've heard my stories. 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:31.620 No? Hmm. Then you're in luck. Tell me, would 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:35.159 you like a story? You would like a story. How 00:01:35.159 --> 00:01:38.180 exciting. Now, would you care for a drink while 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:41.480 you listen? Ale? Tea? Something to steady the 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:44.459 nerves? Tonight I bring you five tales of the 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.680 macabre. Of the past, the future, and the trembling 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:51.280 now. All born from the same fog in this city 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.019 of gold. Yes, yes, the shining city on the bay. 00:01:55.159 --> 00:01:57.939 Built on greed, broken dreams, and the ghosts 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:01.480 left behind. If you listen closely, you can still 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:03.680 hear the pickaxes echoing under the streets. 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:07.079 Now take a respite, rest your feet, and if you 00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:10.939 dare, listen. The first tale is a tale of obsession. 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:25.819 When Mira died, she left her best friend only 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:30.139 one thing, a small red comb. Mira's friend treasured 00:02:30.139 --> 00:02:32.939 it dearly. She combed her hair with it constantly. 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.680 Sometimes for hours at a time, the teeth scraped 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:41.139 her scalp. Scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch. 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.639 It became an obsession, a ritual. And then one 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:49.240 night, in the quiet, she froze. She swore she 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:52.280 heard it. A whisper so faint it could have been 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:56.659 the wind. Bring me back. Mira? She whispered 00:02:56.659 --> 00:03:01.280 back, trembling. Mira, is that you? From then 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:08.680 on, she combed harder. longer. When she styled 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:11.219 her hair just right, standing before the mirror, 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:13.759 she could almost see Mira's face looking back 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:17.460 at her. Her hands blistered, her scalp bled, 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:20.520 her hair fell out in clumps, and when it grew 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:23.240 back, it didn't match her old color or texture. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.620 It grew in black, thick, and glossy, just like 00:03:27.620 --> 00:03:31.460 Mira's. Soon, it wasn't only the hair. She changed 00:03:31.460 --> 00:03:34.469 everything. First her makeup, then her clothes, 00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:37.289 then her voice. Day by day, she stopped looking 00:03:37.289 --> 00:03:41.210 like herself and started becoming Mira. Her family 00:03:41.210 --> 00:03:44.349 begged her to stop. Mira's parents slammed the 00:03:44.349 --> 00:03:46.770 door in her face when she came to visit, both 00:03:46.770 --> 00:03:49.969 in anger and terror at what they had seen. But 00:03:49.969 --> 00:03:52.830 nothing reached her. She no longer remembered 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:57.530 who she was. Now she was just Mira. Scritch, 00:03:57.590 --> 00:04:02.460 scratch. Scritch, scratch. One night, As she 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:04.620 combed in the mirror, her reflection paused. 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:08.460 It did not move when she did. It only smiled. 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:12.020 Her hand dropped, but the reflection kept combing, 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:28.339 and in Mira's voice, it whispered, Finally. Hey, 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:31.680 you alright there? You look a little pale. Can't 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:34.740 blame you. Obsession's a scary thing. It digs 00:04:34.740 --> 00:04:38.439 in and won't let go. Hold on a moment. Your face! 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.779 Mira? No, no, sorry. Thought you looked like 00:04:42.779 --> 00:04:44.740 her for a moment. The light must have tricked 00:04:44.740 --> 00:04:48.360 me. Anyway, back to the stories. This next tale's 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:51.379 older. Comes from the forest. Or what's left 00:04:51.379 --> 00:05:07.689 of it. There was once a boy who lived in a fine 00:05:07.689 --> 00:05:10.069 house with land that rolled out in every direction. 00:05:10.389 --> 00:05:12.730 He could run through the meadows and across the 00:05:12.730 --> 00:05:15.269 pastures till his lungs burned and still not 00:05:15.269 --> 00:05:18.430 reach the fences. It was the perfect place, save 00:05:18.430 --> 00:05:22.449 for one thing. Thud! He ran headlong into a tree. 00:05:22.629 --> 00:05:25.149 When he looked up from the dirt, a great weeping 00:05:25.149 --> 00:05:27.870 willow bent above him, its branches swaying in 00:05:27.870 --> 00:05:30.370 the wind. Everything else around his home was 00:05:30.370 --> 00:05:33.420 flat, from his window to the pond. From the pond 00:05:33.420 --> 00:05:35.699 to the hill, the ground stretched smooth and 00:05:35.699 --> 00:05:39.540 clean. Only that tree spoiled the view. The boy 00:05:39.540 --> 00:05:42.120 began to hate it. Wherever he turned his eyes, 00:05:42.259 --> 00:05:45.339 there it was, hunched and hanging, always in 00:05:45.339 --> 00:05:49.639 the way. Ugly thing, he muttered. I'll kick you 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.199 down. He kicked the trunk again and again, but 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.000 the tree did not stir. Its thin leaves trembled, 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.319 and when the rain came, they dripped like tears. 00:05:58.579 --> 00:06:01.439 That made the boy laugh. He came to love the 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.410 sound of it. his boot striking bark, the soft 00:06:04.410 --> 00:06:07.149 patter of water dripping from its leaves. Day 00:06:07.149 --> 00:06:09.930 after day he kicked and scratched and tore the 00:06:09.930 --> 00:06:12.170 bark away, until one morning his mother caught 00:06:12.170 --> 00:06:15.290 him at it. What's wrong with you, boy? she cried. 00:06:15.509 --> 00:06:18.310 Leave that tree be. We'll have no shade if you 00:06:18.310 --> 00:06:21.750 ruin it. But mother, I hate this tree. If you 00:06:21.750 --> 00:06:24.250 gave me father's axe, I'd fell it in one good 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:27.430 swing. You'd cut your own foot before the first 00:06:27.430 --> 00:06:31.120 chop, she said. No more of this talk. You are 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:34.199 not to touch that axe, do you hear me? The boy 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:36.660 groaned, but his mother only sighed and ran her 00:06:36.660 --> 00:06:39.660 hand over the willow's bark. See how it droops? 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.079 She said softly. It carries more weight than 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:45.839 it should. Don't make it worse by tearing at 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:48.699 its skin. Now off with you, before your father 00:06:48.699 --> 00:06:52.300 hears. For a time, he listened. But before long, 00:06:52.459 --> 00:06:54.660 the thought of that tree crept back into his 00:06:54.660 --> 00:06:57.500 mind. The way it spoiled his view. The way it 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:00.160 seemed to watch him. He could run to the top 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.259 of the hill and dive straight into the pond, 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:05.540 he thought, if only that tree were gone. Thud! 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.199 Crash! He broke into the shed and found his father's 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.560 axe hanging on the wall. He grinned. At last 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.279 he would have his space. The boy marched to the 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.680 willow and raised the axe high. Something dropped 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:21.379 from above and struck his head. He looked down. 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.699 A strange fruit lay at his feet. It was long, 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:27.639 fuzzy, and pale, but it smelled sweet as honey. 00:07:28.189 --> 00:07:31.550 His stomach growled. Trying to get on my good 00:07:31.550 --> 00:07:34.649 side, are you? He sneered. You can't fool me, 00:07:34.730 --> 00:07:38.209 you stupid tree. Still, the scent drew him in. 00:07:38.310 --> 00:07:40.910 He lifted the fruit, sniffed again, and took 00:07:40.910 --> 00:07:44.069 a bite. The taste burst on his tongue, soft and 00:07:44.069 --> 00:07:47.529 syrupy. He swallowed greedily. Maybe I'll let 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:52.290 you live, he said. For now. But one bite was 00:07:52.290 --> 00:07:55.790 not enough. He ate another, and another, until 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:58.560 his belly was full. When his mother called him 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.019 in for supper, he staggered toward the house, 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:04.920 steps heavy as stone. Mother, my stomach hurts, 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:08.519 the boy groaned. Did you eat something? I ate 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.500 the fruit from the willow tree. You what? she 00:08:11.500 --> 00:08:14.740 cried. That's no fruit, you foolish boy. It's 00:08:14.740 --> 00:08:17.620 called a catkin. It'll make you sick. The boy 00:08:17.620 --> 00:08:20.680 coughed until his ribs ached. That night, his 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.279 mother sat beside him, cooling his brow and wiping 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.480 his sweat. By morning, he was pale and weak. 00:08:26.970 --> 00:08:29.209 and when he stepped out, anger stirred in him. 00:08:29.769 --> 00:08:33.049 You did this to me, you wretched tree, he rasped. 00:08:33.149 --> 00:08:35.250 I should have chopped you down the first day 00:08:35.250 --> 00:08:38.509 I saw you. He snatched his father's axe and stumbled 00:08:38.509 --> 00:08:42.169 toward the tree. Rage gave him strength. He swung 00:08:42.169 --> 00:08:45.690 and swung until the willow split and folded to 00:08:45.690 --> 00:08:49.509 the ground. Only a stump remained. The boy laughed 00:08:49.509 --> 00:08:51.970 out of breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. 00:08:52.190 --> 00:08:54.769 He drove the axe into the trunk and leaned upon 00:08:54.769 --> 00:08:57.590 it, proud of his work. The air around him grew 00:08:57.590 --> 00:09:00.570 sweet, heavy with the scent of sap. He licked 00:09:00.570 --> 00:09:03.409 his lips. The taste of the fuzzy catkin clung 00:09:03.409 --> 00:09:06.970 to his tongue, though none were left. Still sick, 00:09:07.169 --> 00:09:11.429 he muttered, uneasy. He took a step, but his 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:14.830 legs felt heavy as stone. He looked down. The 00:09:14.830 --> 00:09:17.350 skin of his calves had hardened and turned the 00:09:17.350 --> 00:09:20.429 color of bark. He tore open his sleeves. His 00:09:20.429 --> 00:09:24.309 arms were green and veined like leaves. No, no, 00:09:24.389 --> 00:09:27.909 he whispered. What's happening? His voice broke. 00:09:28.129 --> 00:09:30.669 From his mouth spilled not words, but a sharp 00:09:30.669 --> 00:09:34.289 crack, as if something inside him split. Tiny 00:09:34.289 --> 00:09:37.450 twigs pushed through his skin. Bark crawled up 00:09:37.450 --> 00:09:40.210 his neck. He mouthed a scream as branches burst 00:09:40.210 --> 00:09:42.149 from his back, and his fingers stretched into 00:09:42.149 --> 00:09:45.210 slender shoots. The pain was terrible. He felt 00:09:45.210 --> 00:09:48.169 his bones twist, his blood thicken, the wind 00:09:48.169 --> 00:09:51.169 fill his lungs. He tried to run, but his feet 00:09:51.169 --> 00:09:54.129 had rooted fast in the soil. The sun rose and 00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:56.509 set, and by the next morning, the boy was gone. 00:09:57.110 --> 00:09:59.830 In his place stood a young willow, its leaves 00:09:59.830 --> 00:10:03.090 trembling, weeping. When his mother and father 00:10:03.090 --> 00:10:05.350 came looking, they found only the fallen tree 00:10:05.350 --> 00:10:07.710 and the axe buried in its trunk. Where'd that 00:10:07.710 --> 00:10:11.250 boy run off to now? His father grumbled. I told 00:10:11.250 --> 00:10:13.450 him not to touch this tree, his mother said. 00:10:13.789 --> 00:10:16.909 They searched a while, then went home. The new 00:10:16.909 --> 00:10:19.330 tree swayed and shook, but no words came from 00:10:19.330 --> 00:10:22.190 it. The old willow was hauled away, and the boy 00:10:22.190 --> 00:10:25.269 was left alone. No longer a boy, only a young, 00:10:25.330 --> 00:10:28.169 weeping willow swaying in the wind. Years passed. 00:10:28.529 --> 00:10:31.289 The house changed hands, and a new family moved 00:10:31.289 --> 00:10:34.769 in. They had a little girl. One afternoon, she 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:37.610 came running down the hill. Thud! She struck 00:10:37.610 --> 00:10:40.549 the willow and stumbled back. It shivered, and 00:10:40.549 --> 00:10:43.789 the leaves made a sound almost like crying. Stupid 00:10:43.789 --> 00:10:46.830 tree, the girl said, kicking its trunk. You're 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:50.230 in the way! What an annoying tree, she hissed, 00:10:50.230 --> 00:10:53.269 ripping off a branch. The young willow wept and 00:10:53.269 --> 00:11:06.429 wept, but no one heard, and no one cared. Hmm, 00:11:06.629 --> 00:11:10.950 you look a bit green. Still with me. Good. You're 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:13.429 safe here with me, so long as you stay a little 00:11:13.429 --> 00:11:18.399 longer. You hear that? The voices calling out? 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:21.039 Don't answer them. That's how they find you. 00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:24.460 They can't reach us by the fire. Now let's continue. 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:40.279 Let them in. You ever hear of Manifest Destiny 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:44.679 Boy? The old miner asked his son, Sam. Sam nodded. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.000 He'd heard of it before. The push west, the promise 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.100 of land and gold, no matter who was in the way. 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:53.659 There's a reason we came here, his father said, 00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:56.840 tugging on his boots. This land's our God -given 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:00.820 right. But, Sam said softly, what about the people 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:03.299 who were here first? His father's head snapped 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:07.679 around. Who told you that? They did. Sam pointed 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:10.139 to the closet. The miner yanked the door open. 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:14.970 Empty. He slammed it shut. Every step you take 00:12:14.970 --> 00:12:18.190 on this ground is ours now, he barked. I don't 00:12:18.190 --> 00:12:21.070 want to hear that kind of talk again. He sighed, 00:12:21.070 --> 00:12:24.110 pulling on his coat. I'm off to work. Pray I 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:26.389 strike gold, or dinner's just soup and crackers. 00:12:26.950 --> 00:12:30.370 Then he left. Sam sat in the big drafty house. 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:33.129 It was supposed to be for the whole family, but 00:12:33.129 --> 00:12:35.490 Ma hadn't survived the trip west. Now it was 00:12:35.490 --> 00:12:38.350 just him and Pa. When night came, he started 00:12:38.350 --> 00:12:40.269 hearing what might have been voices inside the 00:12:40.269 --> 00:12:43.100 walls. He pressed his ear against them. If he 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:45.740 listened closely, the whispers were there, too 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:48.159 faint to understand, but full of something that 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.799 didn't want him there. That night, Pa didn't 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:54.279 return. Sam peered out the window. In the darkness, 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:59.919 eyes glimmered. Knock! Knock! Sam froze. He crept 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:01.940 to the door and pressed his face to the peephole. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:05.940 A tall figure loomed outside. Panicked, Sam opened 00:13:05.940 --> 00:13:12.639 the door. But no one was there. He shut it again. 00:13:14.360 --> 00:13:17.399 Breath brushed the back of his neck. He spun, 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.860 but the house was dark. Too dark. He struck a 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:25.539 match. A whisper came from somewhere below the 00:13:25.539 --> 00:13:28.840 floorboards. At first, it was only a hiss, like 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.340 wind sneaking through the planks. Then it shaped 00:13:31.340 --> 00:13:36.340 itself into words. Get out! Sam froze. Who's 00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:38.820 there? He crouched and peered through a narrow 00:13:38.820 --> 00:13:43.519 crack in the wood. A single red eye stared back. 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:48.059 A small voice drifted up. This is our home. You 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:52.240 stole it. Sam gasped and stumbled backward. The 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.919 match fell and went out. Whispers rose again. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.080 From the windows, the floorboards, the tiny seams 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.480 of the walls. Dozens of voices pleading. Let 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:06.299 us in. Let us in. Sam bolted. He crashed into 00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:09.360 his father outside. What the devil are you doing, 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.320 boy? Get back inside. But Sam screamed, Ghosts! 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.220 They say we stole their home! His father's face 00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:19.639 hardened. That's enough. He dragged Sam back 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:21.720 into the house and shoved him into the closet. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.659 Stay put. Sam trembled in the dark. Through the 00:14:26.659 --> 00:14:29.159 cracks, he saw his father slump into a chair, 00:14:29.299 --> 00:14:31.960 a bottle of liquor spilling at his side. The 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:34.980 liquor spread across the floorboards. Sam's match 00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:38.279 dropped earlier, still smoldered weakly, from 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:40.990 the crack beneath the floor. The small voice 00:14:40.990 --> 00:14:44.110 whispered again, We told you to get out. And 00:14:44.110 --> 00:14:48.389 with one puff of cold, dead breath, the house 00:14:48.389 --> 00:14:51.950 ignited. Flames devoured the walls, the ceiling, 00:14:52.070 --> 00:14:55.029 the miner snoring in his chair. Sam screamed 00:14:55.029 --> 00:15:01.470 as the flames closed in. They say if you come 00:15:01.470 --> 00:15:03.730 near that old house, you can still hear him. 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:06.870 The screaming never stops, and if you look through 00:15:06.870 --> 00:15:21.629 the peephole, they'll be waiting. Listen, do 00:15:21.629 --> 00:15:25.090 you hear it now? Not voices anymore, just a sound 00:15:25.090 --> 00:15:28.590 circling us, round and round. Can't quite tell 00:15:28.590 --> 00:15:32.090 where it began. You can run, you know. Most people 00:15:32.090 --> 00:15:35.169 do. But running won't save you. You'll only end 00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:38.549 up lost, and right back where you started. For 00:15:38.549 --> 00:15:54.929 better or for worse, you're stuck with me. On 00:15:54.929 --> 00:15:57.289 an ordinary afternoon, a mother drove her two 00:15:57.289 --> 00:15:59.649 children home. The fighting in the back seat 00:15:59.649 --> 00:16:02.429 was relentless. Kicking, scratching, shrieking. 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:05.450 She should have pulled over. She should have 00:16:05.450 --> 00:16:07.710 taken a breath. She should have kept her eyes 00:16:07.710 --> 00:16:11.110 on the road. Instead, exhausted, she turned and 00:16:11.110 --> 00:16:13.809 snapped. Enough! Her daughter screamed, Mom! 00:16:14.049 --> 00:16:16.549 Stop the car! The mother whipped her head forward 00:16:16.549 --> 00:16:19.269 and saw her daughter standing in the street. 00:16:19.409 --> 00:16:22.110 Her real daughter was still behind her. She slammed 00:16:22.110 --> 00:16:27.379 the brakes too late. Glass burst. The figure 00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:30.220 bent over the hood. Its face, her daughter's 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:33.080 face, stared at her blankly as it slid off the 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:37.200 car. From the backseat. Mom? Why aren't you stopping? 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:43.639 But the mother kept driving, numb, unable to 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:46.120 understand what she'd seen, or what she thought 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:49.279 she'd done. She turned onto a street she didn't 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.200 recognize. A quiet cul -de -sac. Perfect houses. 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:56.610 Empty windows. She circled once, then again. 00:16:56.830 --> 00:16:59.710 Each lap brought her past the same mailbox, the 00:16:59.710 --> 00:17:02.669 same cracked curb. The street seemed to narrow 00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:05.269 around her, every turn tighter than the last, 00:17:05.369 --> 00:17:10.049 the loop closing like a noose. She got out, dragging 00:17:10.049 --> 00:17:12.470 her confused children with her. They knocked 00:17:12.470 --> 00:17:16.089 on doors. Every home was open, hollow, deserted, 00:17:16.390 --> 00:17:19.950 uncanny. Wallpaper peeled in strips. Chairs lay 00:17:19.950 --> 00:17:22.769 overturned, as if everyone had vanished mid -breath. 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:25.880 Every back door led straight to the same winding 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:30.400 street. Her son collapsed first, too tired, too 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.500 scared. She tried to lift him, but her arms trembled 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:36.779 violently. Go, she told her daughter, voice splitting. 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:41.200 You have to keep going. Find help. Her daughter 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:44.119 shook her head, crying. Mom, I don't want to 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:48.220 leave you. Go. The child ran, wiping tears with 00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:51.000 the back of her hand. The mother sank beside 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.599 her unconscious son. guilt eating through her 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:56.420 like rot. She watched her daughter grow smaller 00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:59.279 and smaller in the distance, and saw a road open 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:03.119 ahead of her. Headlights. Her own minivan approached. 00:18:03.380 --> 00:18:05.859 A different version of her sat behind the wheel, 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.140 her hands steady, unaware. In the passenger seat, 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:12.279 her healthy son. In the back, her daughter. All 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:16.319 alive, all whole. The mother gasped. No, no, 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:19.579 please. Up ahead, her daughter stepped into the 00:18:19.579 --> 00:18:23.880 road, oblivious. Mom! Stop the car! The minivan 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:28.960 did not stop. The mother screamed as her daughter 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.799 was struck again, bones twisting, body folding 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:35.599 into the pavement. The minivan sped on, rounding 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:41.940 the corner once more. And suddenly, she understood. 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:45.400 This place wasn't trapping her. It was making 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:48.559 her watch. For every time she didn't look at 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:50.859 the road, For every moment she thought she could 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:53.200 handle everything, the loop punished her again, 00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:56.779 and again, and again. Her daughter dying, her 00:18:56.779 --> 00:18:59.839 son watching, her own hands on the wheel. Over 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:16.529 and over. Forever. Poor mother. Round and round 00:19:16.529 --> 00:19:19.569 she went, trying so hard to escape, and still 00:19:19.569 --> 00:19:22.130 ended up right where fate wanted her. What does 00:19:22.130 --> 00:19:24.849 it mean to be human? All that stumbling forward 00:19:24.849 --> 00:19:27.529 only to end up where you started. All that trying. 00:19:27.750 --> 00:19:32.450 All that wanting. Oh, me? I'm human too. Of course 00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:36.369 I am. Just like you, friend. Humans are fascinating, 00:19:36.630 --> 00:19:39.890 aren't they? The things we do for love or greed. 00:19:40.490 --> 00:19:43.769 Now then, one last story for the night. Stop 00:19:43.769 --> 00:19:47.130 looking so frightened. I believe in you. Ready? 00:19:47.390 --> 00:20:04.789 Let's begin. There's gold in them waters. This 00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:07.789 gold's driven everyone mad, Tommy's mother said, 00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:11.049 squinting into the dying firelight. One thing's 00:20:11.049 --> 00:20:14.039 for darn certain. The earth gives enough, but 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:17.900 man wants more. What did she mean by that? wondered 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:20.539 young Tommy. Little Tommy lived alone with his 00:20:20.539 --> 00:20:23.220 mother, and they took care of each other. Their 00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:25.460 little patch of land had fruit trees, a coop, 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:27.900 a shelf of old books, everything they needed, 00:20:28.019 --> 00:20:31.460 except fresh water. They lived by the sea, but 00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:33.460 the town was four miles yonder, and the wells 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:37.680 had run dry. Now, little Tommy, she said, handing 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.160 him a bucket, go down to the river and fetch 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:42.819 what water you can. We ain't got enough for washing 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:45.680 or drinking. And be careful of those minor folk. 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:48.500 You can't trust them. If they offer you gold, 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:51.680 you hear me? Don't take it. We don't need that 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:55.180 to take care of ourselves. Yes, ma 'am. Get on 00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:57.500 now, and remember what I told you. Greed knows 00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:00.579 no bounds. Tommy nodded and started down the 00:21:00.579 --> 00:21:03.200 dusty trail, past the orchard, over the hills, 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.339 to where the sunlight burned between the valley 00:21:05.339 --> 00:21:07.839 ridges. Plenty of folk had come west chasing 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:10.380 gold, but Tommy and his ma had no use for it. 00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:16.119 They had each other, and that was enough. When 00:21:16.119 --> 00:21:18.359 he reached the river, voices stopped him cold. 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:21.839 Three rough men circled an old prospector. This 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:24.839 post here marks my claim, the old man shouted, 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:28.299 pointing to a crooked sign. The mustache banded 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:30.880 in the middle grinned. Well, I think you are 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.160 mistaken, good fellow. Funny thing, this whole 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.880 stretch is mine, from the mountain down. He kicked 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.960 the post clean over and stepped across it. See? 00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:45.200 No man's land now. And look what I find standing 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:50.019 on it. A trespasser. He whistled. More shadows 00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:52.940 moved in the brush. Bandit stepping out. Guns 00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:56.460 drawn. Well now, the leader said, handing the 00:21:56.460 --> 00:21:59.480 old man a dented bucket. Put this bucket over 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:01.980 your head, or so help me I'll send you to meet 00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:07.019 your maker. Please. Oh, I feel ill. The prospector 00:22:07.019 --> 00:22:10.240 stammered. You're well enough to stand. the bandit 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:13.039 said, raising his gun. Now raise that bucket 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:17.259 high. A hole punch cleaned through the bucket. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:20.660 The old man yelped and danced aside as the bandit 00:22:20.660 --> 00:22:23.460 shot more bullets at his feet. The bandits laughed, 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:26.779 the sound echoing through the hills. Get to work, 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.240 the leader ordered. If you dig up something shiny, 00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:33.420 maybe we'll let you keep your hide. One of the 00:22:33.420 --> 00:22:36.799 men snorted. We really gonna pay him, boss? The 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:39.670 leader spat into the river. We'll see how useful 00:22:39.670 --> 00:22:42.569 he is. The bandit heard rustling in the brush. 00:22:42.789 --> 00:22:46.910 He rested a hand on his gun. Show yourself! Young 00:22:46.910 --> 00:22:50.390 Tommy trudged out, bucket in his hands. The bandit 00:22:50.390 --> 00:22:54.069 grinned. Ooh, well look what we got here. Get 00:22:54.069 --> 00:22:57.930 over here, boy! Tommy stepped forward. Now, are 00:22:57.930 --> 00:23:00.730 you trying to take our land too? No, sir. I'm 00:23:00.730 --> 00:23:05.710 just here for water, sir. Water, huh? Well, I'll 00:23:05.710 --> 00:23:09.069 tell you what. Come stand over here, boy. Now, 00:23:09.309 --> 00:23:12.910 Tommy froze. Lift that bucket over your head, 00:23:12.990 --> 00:23:18.990 boy. Don't make me ask twice. Tommy obeyed. Two 00:23:18.990 --> 00:23:21.430 holes tore clean through the bucket. The bandits 00:23:21.430 --> 00:23:24.130 burst into laughter. Tommy set the bucket down, 00:23:24.250 --> 00:23:27.670 trembling. Please, sir, I need the water. We 00:23:27.670 --> 00:23:29.609 don't have any and this is the closest river. 00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:32.890 And how's that my problem? I'll do anything, 00:23:33.049 --> 00:23:36.690 sir. The bandits' grin widened. Well then, boy, 00:23:36.849 --> 00:23:40.670 come with me. We got a job for you. In the hot, 00:23:40.690 --> 00:23:42.910 grueling sun, they made him work the rest of 00:23:42.910 --> 00:23:45.910 the day. He stood knee -deep in the shallow river, 00:23:46.049 --> 00:23:49.269 swirling a pan of gravel and muck hour after 00:23:49.269 --> 00:23:51.869 hour, waiting for gold flakes to settle at the 00:23:51.869 --> 00:23:56.269 bottom. Don't breathe this stuff here, one warned, 00:23:56.410 --> 00:23:59.630 holding up a jar of white crystals. Cyanide or 00:23:59.630 --> 00:24:03.130 potassium, one whiff will drop you dead. Tommy 00:24:03.130 --> 00:24:05.039 didn't know much about mining. but he could tell 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.220 it was poison. By sunset, his hands were raw. 00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:11.680 The mustache bandit tossed him a nugget. Here, 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.599 boy, you work hard. That's enough to buy you 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:17.420 all the water you want from town. Thank you, 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:20.000 sir, but I don't need gold. I just want some 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:23.299 water for my ma. Water? You don't want gold? 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:26.079 Gold can buy you buckets and buckets of water. 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.660 No, sir, it's just water. The bandits laughed. 00:24:30.339 --> 00:24:33.079 Suit yourself. We'll take care of your gold for 00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:36.609 you. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. Now 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:39.890 hurry up and get gone, or maybe we'll pay your 00:24:39.890 --> 00:24:43.829 ma a visit. Tommy ran home. His mother was waiting 00:24:43.829 --> 00:24:47.390 on the porch. Where have you been, Tommy? Say 00:24:47.390 --> 00:24:51.210 something. Tommy's eyes watered. I listened to 00:24:51.210 --> 00:24:54.990 you, Mama. I didn't take no gold. Oh, Tommy. 00:24:55.230 --> 00:24:57.970 She hugged him tight while he cried. I can get 00:24:57.970 --> 00:25:01.869 the water next time, she murmured. No! Tommy 00:25:01.869 --> 00:25:06.039 barked, startling her. Don't go! All right, Tommy, 00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:09.500 all right, soothed his mother. We'll find another 00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:13.119 place for water, she said. But Tommy didn't sleep 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:16.720 that night. The next morning, Tommy went back. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:19.819 The old prospector was barely holding on, the 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:24.920 bandits kicking him on the ground. Rage burned 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:27.599 through the boy. He slipped to the shed where 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:30.230 the cyanide of potassium was stored. grabbed 00:25:30.230 --> 00:25:32.490 the biggest barrel he could carry, and poured 00:25:32.490 --> 00:25:36.789 it all into the river. The water shimmered pale 00:25:36.789 --> 00:25:40.069 and strange. Later, he brought the men tin cups. 00:25:40.730 --> 00:25:44.730 Boiled it for you, he said. They sniffed. Smells 00:25:44.730 --> 00:25:48.690 funny. Must be a fish died upstream, Tommy said 00:25:48.690 --> 00:25:52.170 with a grin. The bandits laughed and drank. A 00:25:52.170 --> 00:25:55.869 minute later, one coughed. Then another. Choking. 00:25:56.230 --> 00:26:00.130 Gasping. They dropped one by one. Tommy watched, 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:03.910 unmoved, until the river was quiet. Then he ran 00:26:03.910 --> 00:26:07.009 home. He approached his mother and sighed. Out 00:26:07.009 --> 00:26:09.690 of breath, he said, I stopped those miners, Ma. 00:26:10.230 --> 00:26:13.609 They won't trouble us no more. That's good, son. 00:26:14.130 --> 00:26:17.250 Sit, eat your supper. I got water from town, 00:26:17.309 --> 00:26:20.190 so you don't need to go back there anyway. Tommy 00:26:20.190 --> 00:26:23.210 sighed in relief. He sat down at the table. His 00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:25.230 mother told him about her trip into town, all 00:26:25.230 --> 00:26:27.089 the gossip, and the bothersome folks she'd met 00:26:27.089 --> 00:26:29.789 along the way. For a while, they ate and laughed 00:26:29.789 --> 00:26:32.170 together. The sound of their voices fill in the 00:26:32.170 --> 00:26:34.809 small house. Then a cough broke her laughter. 00:26:36.369 --> 00:26:40.170 She clutched her throat. His mother coughed harshly. 00:26:40.869 --> 00:26:45.029 Tommy froze as his own chest tightened. Ma, where'd 00:26:45.029 --> 00:26:48.250 you get the water? The river downstream, by the 00:26:48.250 --> 00:26:52.990 town. She collapsed. Tommy coughed and coughed. 00:26:52.990 --> 00:26:55.349 He struggled to breathe and clawed at his throat. 00:26:55.589 --> 00:27:00.160 But nothing came. Outside, the poison river shimmered 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:14.680 gold under the moon. Fascinating. You listened 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:18.359 to every word. Did you enjoy yourself? Good. 00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:22.400 How wonderful. The clock is ticking. The fog 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:25.259 is thinning. The lights in the city of gold are 00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:27.849 flickering awake again. Calling you back to your 00:27:27.849 --> 00:27:31.569 world. I must take my leave, but the city the 00:27:31.569 --> 00:27:35.210 city never truly sleeps This place calls for 00:27:35.210 --> 00:27:38.009 souls who love a good story if you ever want 00:27:38.009 --> 00:27:40.710 to hear more You know where to find me just step 00:27:40.710 --> 00:27:41.309 into the fog