[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
during the years 1949 through 1970 dr. Jonathan Rankin conducted extensive
research in the field of psychic phenomena and catalogued hundreds of
events that defy rational explanation the most intriguing aspect of the
research was the discovery of an apparent relationship between many of
these events and certain cemeteries located throughout the United States
according to dr. Rankin 453 people directly involved in these strange
events were buried in only 23 separate cemeteries throughout the nation this
apparent final grouping of people who were touched by the unknown is referred
to in parapsychology as the Rankine cluster phenomena the following episodes
are based on supposedly true events described in dr. rankin's writing and
involving one of the mystery cemeteries [Music]
there are few thing is as strange as reality for reality comes to us wearing
many faces disguised as all manner of things
what is reality and what is illusion some things we think a real may be
merely wisps of smoke from our minds and some things we think illusion I'm really
cloaked in that guys so they may play their part without knowing what they
really are
[Music] did these events happen by coincidence
or by an unknown and unknowable calculation let's start by populating
this day's stage with some of the characters Randeep our three young men
college students all the boy next door all people we've known before brother
Taylor well meaning you know god-fearing marry blessed be the name of the Lord
and so Lord we come into the the earthly remains of John Davis
Johnny Davis the one who was the rather dubious place of honor at this gathering
and this is Camille Davis Johnny's mother the seventh daughter of a seventh
son does she have anything to do with our story perhaps that's unfolded he was cut down untimely would you and your
infinite wisdom know best take the soul of this young man Lord and may he dwell
in your hallways forever the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the
name of the Lord amen [Music]
listen you well to my word one buy land to buy sky look to the heptagon for it
is there seven times around with go the three of you and may your reward be just
and true look to the heptagon for it is there seven times around go the three of you and may your reward be just excuse
me sir would you like a break from when you drank ah
sir would you like another drink excuse me I think she's talking to you would
you care for something oh I'm sorry yes it would sorry father
guess I was pretty deep in thought I didn't even hear and we all get that way
sometimes deep thought is sometimes a bridge way across our problems
father do you believe in the supernatural
I'm sorry well I guess it sounds pretty silly but I was wondering if you
believed in the supernatural don't you realize the supernatural is my business you might say I'm a pro I do thought of
it that way I guess you're right I'm one of those many people who have a
supernatural boss he's a good boss gentle boss one who knows all the
answers sometimes doesn't tell you what they are what made you think of the
supernatural anyway oh nothing listen do well to my word one by land two by sky
well yes something now look father I'm not a Catholic it doesn't make any
difference no I guess it doesn't
something has been bugging me for the last couple of days and I really need
somebody to talk to about it so I've got two ears told well I guess I should begin at the beginning
it all started in this pool hall Randy pal this friend of mine and I and Dave
Terrell we're all roommates at state I'm sorry
father I'm Frank Cameron good to know you Frank keep all the
Dwayne good to know you too father [Music]
well anyway we were at this pool hall just having fun and there was this guy
there Johnny Davis we were just sort of kidding him around you know we didn't
mean any harm [Music]
sure she's ready don't you think so Dave sure she is man she was ready last night
[Music] you know what
I'll bet what you fix though Johnny I don't know man which might be a little tough for him
think Johnny who is she I don't know many girls she's the new kid just moved
it down the block she's about 17 and well you know hey
baby why don't you give her a call we didn't send ol Johnny over from right
here all right I'll just do that
[Music]
hello Tommy remember me this is Randy yeah I'm just going straight you are
look girl what are you doing tonight
yeah yeah I just bet you are hey look darling
David Frank over here we have a good friend named Johnny I'd like to have a
day with you you can that's terrific well you know what I mean don't you
Tommy yeah those long as we understand each
other well look this guy that's coming over tonight is a personal friend of
mine dig yeah so I want you take real good care okay yeah he'll be over in
about ten minutes okay yeah hey Joey
well she wants to see him what's what's address hey I forgot her name is dolly
[Music] okay Johnny get off
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause]
hey man what was that address she sent him to know know what Divis is a mate
[Music] who's there it's me Jeremy Johnny you
know Randy call [Music]
who do you want oh come on Darlene Oh put me down
just open the door there's no one here by that name
this is the Wilson residence bear named Darlene [Music]
no young man you've probably got the wrong address and besides that you're liable to get hurt walking up to a
strange house in the middle of the night why I've got my husband's pintle out and
I certainly don't want to hurt anybody [Music]
[Laughter] [Music]
it was just charming I I know that I shouldn't have had the gun in the house
but my husband insisted because he travels so much
Oh
it was just a job it's all right mrs. it was a tragic action now I'm sure there won't be any charges but you understand
you'll have to be at the station tomorrow I'll tell my husband
[Music] the boy John Davis lived about six
blocks is there any reason why he might have come here girl neighbor well that's how it happened father it hadn't been
for a damn fool trick Johnny would still be alive today Frank I know it's upsetting but a lot of times without
meaning to we set into motion things we can't control then maybe if you wait a
minute father I know what you're gonna say effort it
before but that's not the end of the story tact I'm not sure it's got an end
goal well we all went to the funeral not a
big town everyone doing like Johnny we could have cut our own throats anyway
after the funeral his mother turned to us and said the
strangest thing listening well to my word one buy land to buy sky look to the
heptagon for it is there seven times around go the three of you and may your
reward they just and true that can only tell you about the tone of her voice
look in her eye all right she had just lost her only
child you can't be too angry with her anger I know but it's what she said and
I looked up heptagon that means a seven sided figure and she said seven times around go the three of us what our
Father seven days after the funeral Dave and I
were going to chemistry lab we were in kind of a hurry
[Music]
yep
[Music]
the way it happened father exactly seven days love Frank
strange things happen to all of us you're upset because of a distraught
room marketed graveside made by a woman who'd lost her only child now you're
looking for reasons that don't exist the only reason is sheer coincidence
besides time will take it away I assume it was some time ago no it wasn't it was just last Thursday today's
Thursday I know it was one week ago today that makes this the 14th day and
14 is 2 times 7 oh stop it Frank you're letting a simple coincidence jar your
entire life a god works in strange ways but he doesn't deal in hexes or
witchcraft forget it you got a life to lead my advice is just to go back to
school sure father sure thanks for letting me bend your ear what else do you think we're here for
[Music]
well prank this is where I get off hope I've helped
you believe me father you have have a nice trip
[Music]
[Applause]
flight 180 crash look God where they taking
Vayner baby [Music]
[Applause] [Music]
right Frank
[Music] father
it's quite all right Frank it's not bug it's the 14th day remember
nothing more you can do father [Music]
[Applause]
father could I talk to you a minute something's bothering me well certainly
father doing shall we go inside no that's not necessary what I have to
ask is so strange and unreasonable that not only do I want God and you to hear
it I want the outdoors to hear it to be as
bad as that I'm probably not father but if you remember I had just gotten off of
flight 180 before that crash you recall seven
people were killed yes yes I do terrible thing was last Thursday wasn't
it yes seven days ago let me tell you the story that one of the more unfortunate people on that plane told me
[Music]
so father do you think such a series of coincidences can just happen well father
drain on our stator you know I know your heart is troubled and this would be the
21st day wouldn't it yes it would I don't know how I'm going to get this
out of my mind shall I tell you if you can father it's
really fairly simple as most things usually are you mentioned the third
boy's name and you know that he attends college at the State University why don't you just call him though I've been
afraid it's a good idea father I've been waiting for God to give me the answer
dad moves in strange ways and sometimes employs the most ridiculous messengers
[Music]
yeah Randy Randy Pausch nah let's to chose booth Holly ain't here it's sort
of important I'd like to talk to it oh I'm sorry sir I was just kidding Randy's
gone for the day but I can have him call you when he gets
in this evening no siree Scone skydiving [Music]
so Randy Powell went skydiving what was it that woman named Camille said won by
land and to my air didn't Frank say that he found a heptagon to be a seven sided
figure and didn't Dave died seven days after Johnny's funeral and Frank 14 days
after what is the reality and what is the illusion our story doesn't tell us
but I wonder if Randy knows that it's a 21st day
listen you won by land to buy sky for the hexagon for it is there
seven times around other three of you and two may your reward to be just and
true
[Music]
it is tradition that ghosts and ghouls and various other citizens of the
grotesque wrapped themselves in malevolent mists and deep darkness
horror is a condition existing most often when morning seems farthest away
so it would seem unlikely that this bright spring day in nineteen six would
begin a horror that to this day wants a small community in southern Missouri a
boy and his dog chased dreams and butterflies back and forth across
Saturday
observe one man child and one man child's dog on their way to a uniquely
soul-shattering rendezvous with darkness a terrifying encounter with the unknown
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
you
jebel where is that boy he goes fishing plumb forgets about the time he's got
that dog with him so I guess it's alright I'm doing wish he'd hurry though
worried the pot liquor and the stews don't be thick as molasses gotta get
colder tonight
hey weather for this time of year fog will be second season
oh baby that pot vigor you better water down again ball sometimes that boys a
caution oh goodness give me a star anyplace and don't say
ain't Parkin finder we help me look songs here come home probably I'm tasting the Coon a rabbit
mom maybe the old girl found herself a new lover get your hands washed up
[Music]
hey lady pilly pilly
[Music]
dear lady your lady
[Music]
son it's me son what the world are you doing out here it's alright son it's alright beside you to come out here son
Jamal and I was worried son when you weren't home in bed
let your dog down in that hole I agree with you there
[Music]
anyway boy lost his dog yeah you remember lady
yeah we've used it rotten that seems the boy was fishing fell asleep the Dern dog
plumb disappeared and she ain't come back man kid after Potter help find the
dog but act yo he's it dog will come back and didn't pay it no more mine so
the boy went out looking for his dog in the middle of the night he's fine heck no that ain't the whole story come
on dr. Joe went out looking for her son found him near out of his mind at the
edge of a big hole in the ground what : about I don't know this some big
hole somewhere near Joe's place I'd imagine with all you heavy rains we've
been having it worse than opening the cave you know this count is full yeah
that's true underground rivers and places it fell into man you'd never get
out yeah the craziest thing was the sounds
coming out of that hole in the ground Joe and the boy both are crazy sounds
weird like like someone was in trouble in their first maybe an animal down in
there hmm I said it was problem doesn't know yeah they don't think so anyway Joe
is going up some constables trying to get him to go out there and check up on
keeping any your boys wanna go with us out the jealous place seems like there's
a new cave opening maybe anyway Joe seems to think there's something down in it moaning and groaning that's right
yeah we're her she'll go you know we haven't had as much excitement around here since what a joke got it in trouble
that poop sale all right let's go wouldn't want to miss this back later
I don't want them to leave me alright it is the constable and some other men gone
out to investigate a new cave where someone something's falling on it now go
on home
[Music]
what are you gonna do Paul somebody going down the hole don't know yet John
we haven't decided Constable's gonna look it open
[Music]
my wife didn't leave it
[Music] Wow Wow what do you think I don't know
Joe here let's try these
[Music] I don't think it could be the dogs
I never heard of noise monkey so one thing that we don't leave we're gonna
get soaked yeah you may be right Joe nothing we can do around here at least
why it's not about a robot boys [Music]
what about my dog paw you think it might be her down there
no don't give me the sound like that come on
[Music]
I don't know I think we should have stayed out there
let's stop raining a few minutes besides there might be somebody down there who
well how in the hell do I know anybody old boom but if there is someone down
there and I think we ought to go now and try to get him out you know a little
Christian attitude wouldn't hurt any of us around here oh no Richard the mayor about the toll could be she's flipped no
well I think the other guy got there tomorrow whatever's out there in that hole ain't human or animal it's a work
of that devil [Music]
maybe it's ER it's a warning
[Music]
son go settle the man ride into town and
get the constable ask him to get Hank and Ned and anybody else you can find
and meet me at the hole it's time we settle this thing [Music]
sure I wish you wouldn't go not tonight
anyways why don't you wait till tomorrow when you have more light what difference
does it make
have a worry about it Joe now look here woman you and your 4 warnings in
premonitions nonsense while the boy still thinks it has something to do with
this dog now I really don't think the dog is down there but we always suggest
to at least try don't you agree and that that wailing noise is getting serious
it could be danger you too there's no stopping you you be careful now year
[Music]
scary sound
well I'll say it again there ain't nothing neither human or animal in that
hole you may be right you know I say we're gonna drop the stick of dynamite
down that hole and blow it to kingdom come oh no the dog might be down there
[Music] what's what I'm here nothing I must have walked I guess yeah I remember reading
about a cave like that most of these big room went back for miles
I mean miles all on the ground mind you like a city almost room after room of
these crazy pillars of rocks a million different colors some different some
crazy some of the pillows even upside down hanging from the ceiling somebody
ought to go down there hell no you bust the rope what I think we all do it Joe
he might be hurt too and how'd you ever get out
I don't likely to have anything to do with the gold well if it means so much
to you I'll go down here leastways to take a look I'm sure not
gonna let you do it bill so you can throw that rope over that limb let her
hang down right here
I gave me a million dollar and I wouldn't want you to go down that hole in the end of Monroe I went down there I
wouldn't want you on the top end neither do you man hold on tight to the end of
that rope it's plenty deep maybe water down there too all right let's get it
over with shut that lantern ready
[Music]
ciao thank you so tom we're in the hell have you been
I got here as soon as I could well Cole got the handle this rope we're letting Joe down in the hole
why didn't you say something I think it's mom gotta lay them down there
[Music]
he like something heavy is y'all y'all be on the end of this broke we're ready
to pull Joe
[Music]
he's still breathing help my mother
here put this under his hand he's still breathing
God look at his eyes
[Music] funny weather at this time we do any
place they'll settle the man right into town and get to console it's time we
settle this thing what do you think we ought to do a job I'll do it pop it just might be lady I
don't want to get her back it means so much to you
[Music] he's alive
[Music]
agent out eating
[Music]
no one knows what happened down in that cave Joe is a strong intelligent man who
had lived his entire life close to the earth never before had he intruded upon
the affairs of that godless society that dwells deep within the buck but he did
leave him after a manner of speaking somehow through this wild experience he
had lost his mind he was insane and spent the rest of his life in the state
insane asylum
[Music]
there is a bridge in our mind that leads
through time and memory from what we know - sure is beyond knowing it sways
high in tightly dangerous above the canyons of our disbelief like some
spectral spans spun by Devils for us to tread to walk this bridge is to accept
all kinds of possibilities especially the most exciting possibility of all the
possibility of impossibility some tales of the impossible so capture the
imagination that they quickly spread over much of the country the girl in the
bridge is such a tale countless variations of this story are told and
retold in North Carolina it is the Lydia story in Illinois it's the specter of
the mists and in Texas it's called the White Rock lady dozens of interviews and
hours of newspaper research traced the story's origin and consequence spread
across the country from Central Arkansas beginning in 1929 come now and explore
the possibility of the impossible come stand beside the girl on the bridge
[Music]
[Applause]
best messy all right you're hurt
are you okay
are you hurt [Music]
No I'm not hurt
would you take me home of course I'll take you home
like but what happened to you are you here all alone
[Music]
I don't know
I'm afraid so are you sure you were all right
please just take me home of course I will where do you live
[Music] 3802 Cavanaugh near the park now come on
let me help you into the car I'll see that you get home
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause]
what happened are you sure you're all right I have to go home my father
worried about me huh I want to talk to you sit down again
father
Susan I told you to stay away from that boy and I mean it but I'm not him that
isn't true know what love is don't I Father no you don't and I want
you to get rid of that boy or I will I love and I want to marry him don't talk like a fool Susan I never
want to see that boy around here again
and besides he could never support you and Wesley Carver could it's that it
father yes he could give you everything you've
always wanted everything you've always wanted
I'd rather see you dead and married to that boy
John
John yes wait why do you have to talk to her like that because she's my daughter
and I love her because I don't want to see her ruin her life
can you think that loving and marrying Paul will ruin her life Emma you know
what that boys family's like you always before you know that boy works very hard
at making something of himself he reminds me of someone I used to know
when did money start to be more than your family
it doesn't really you're willing to sacrifice your daughter's happiness for
it you're breaking her heart and I am ashamed for you she'll get over it good
time I think I know what's best for her
she's not to see Paul again I don't understand why she doesn't like that
Carver boy like him John she does like him he just happens to believe you
should love somebody in order to marry them
to them I never want to see that boy around here again
I love
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
remember the first time we came I mean the time I forgot the lunch
[Laughter] [Music]
I want to go swim
[Music] [Applause]
[Music] you
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
I don't
[Music] honey why do you have to go to that
party anyway you know father worries about us
breaking my date with Rachel um help and neither will being life we better go
[Music]
you shouldn't have said you'd go with him anyway you know I had nothing to say
about that [Music]
I told you I need you in the gazebo [Music]
they're comin with Westwick Harvard so I thought she was in love with Paul she is but her father's published the cars were
murdered he's not Monday Wesley nation our Father tried to keep it from daily
tall but just changing the gazebo
[Music] oh it was easy
I love you
[Applause]
what are we gonna do I know what we could do we could run away you don't
even know what love is don't worry thing I'll take care of you
he could never support you [Music]
maybe we could talk to father again and he could give me some eyes we tried that
you know it our only chance is to go away together
you love me [Music]
do you really really love me you work it out we might not have much we will have
each other we would happy wouldn't you know you
[Music] [Applause]
there's no other way is there what other way is there
[Music]
let's get married today yesterday let's get married now right now alright you
mean it you really mean it [Music]
[Applause]
hey where you going [Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
good evening sir yes I hate to do bother you like this sir but my name is Senator
Brooks plan I have a young lady in the car who says she listed this address now
she's quite upset seems to have been of an accident just made a mistake
[Music] [Applause]
[Music] you're willing to sacrifice your
daughter's happiness for it you're breaking her heart I am shaped for you must never long at
first she's gone I don't know I'm sure going to find out
[Applause] [Music]
[Applause] I don't want my wife button set again I don't understand any of this
I'd often was in the back on wood
by the old bringing right that's where we found her but how
did you know let me try to me
she was standing there you stopped to help
and she asked you to bring her for this address
well it's right yes there's only one thing wrong senator that accident
happened many years ago
what to
ah
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
you can we could go back to yesterday
I know that if we had the time things changed
[Music]
wish I still had the kind of [Music]
before the lights were like the car
[Music]
if there were only something I could do it say
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
understood
you had to
and change [Music]
[Applause] [Music]
it has been said that our lives are merely bridges through time but what a
death we know where death begins but across what does it spend where does it
lead these are questions Susan could easily answer if we could but find her
and this too is possible for dozens of people including the senator say she
still stands upon the bridge waiting perhaps Ryu the passer away once more
[Music]
do we make these memorials to the dead to help us remember surely we would
never forget those we once loved then is there some other reason some obscure force buried deep in the racial memory
of man that makes us create a ceremony whenever one of us crosses over to the
next portion of eternity can we measure that force the force released by a death
and do we know what form it may take we know what energy is released by a
birth by the start of a life in this plane we celebrate it joyously at every anniversary but what about its opposite
the energy released in this plane of existence when a life comes to an end doesn't some portion of it pass for
those who loved him haven't you noticed that the ones left behind
seems somehow stronger even in the midst of their grief
look at the dead boy's mother her occult powers never manifested before our
almost irresistible listen.you well - my word one by land
two by sky look to the heptagon for it is there seven times around go the three of you and may reward be just now what
about Johnny's death the accident that set in motion this whole train of events
was it an accident was his death the climax of some unfathomable plan rather
than a mindless happy his mother remember was the seventh
daughter of a seventh son her powers were real even if unknown to her until
Johnny's death before you dismiss this as an unfortunate accident consider for
a moment the incredible chain of coincidental conditions that had to be
met an address to send Johnny to chosen at random a woman at home alone who
opened her door to a stranger at night a careful husband who left his wife a
loaded automatic with the safety off who's there it's me Johnny Johnny you
know Randy call
[Music]
who do you want oh come on Darlene no put me down
just open the door there's no one here by that name this is the Wilton residence they're
named Darlene [Music] no young man you've probably got the
wrong address and besides that you're liable to get hurt
walking up to a strange house in the middle of the night why I've got my
husband's pistol out and I certainly don't want to hurt anybody death sudden
violent this is the trauma that will reinforce the thrust of the mind turn loose the death force that strange
parallel to the life force where will that force go do you know and are you
all together sure you would want to know let us consider witchcraft for a moment
genuine witches are difficult to identify they operate without a license
they're not required to register anywhere but witchcraft is booming in
America and England thousands of people are dabbling in black or white magic
surely then witches must reveal themselves from time to time if only to
keep the faith of the coven fresh and strong witchcraft began
apparently with earliest mankind once it was called the old religion probably
tribal fertility rites forced underground by religious persecution
experts in occult matters claimed to trace the origins of black magic to
migrations from a lost continent of Atlantis the last of which reached Egypt
where the powerful secret diagrams were recorded in the Egyptian Book of the Dead
the Egyptian Book of the Dead famous is the source of most of today's rituals in
the occult in a matter of magic whether white or black the key ingredient is
belief and who can measure the power of suggestion which is where belief begins
remember this suggestion by Johnny's mother was reinforced by the boy's death if a victim is at all susceptible to
suggestion and knows a curse was put on him
the knowledge alone may be enough to do him in one way or another
whatever is out there in that hole ain't human or animal work of the devil what
do you believe because belief will make itself the power of man's mind the power
of his belief is only now beginning to be understood be careful above all of what you decide
you want the wise man said because you will probably get it
these men are making ready to explore an unknown but they have already convinced
themselves of the nature and quality of what they will find there they are
expecting evil anticipating enemy rather than friend danger rather than promise I
ask you what did you expect them to find because they did
if I gave you a million dollars I wouldn't want you to go down that hole
in the end of Monroe when I went down there I wouldn't want you on the top end
either do you man hold on tight to the end of that rope it's plenty deep I may
be water down there too all right let's get it over with got
that linen ready what was the exact moment when Joe decided to say goodbye
to his wife by dropping the photograph from the wall or was that something Joe
decided was it a voluntary thought powered by the extreme fear that gripped
him or involuntary the last lucid flash before his sanity went
we remain baffled by the power of rational thought by the hidden sources of creativity by the marvels the human
mind can conceive and achieve we have attacked the brain with scalpel drugs
electricity but the suspicion grows that its secrets are beyond us is the mind
more than the brain it is beginning to appear that there is almost nothing the
mind cannot do from controlling the subtle nuances of our own bodies to
hurling unlikely technical complexities across the galaxies may it not then preside over its own death in some
peculiar fashion we may never understand some fashion we may never want to
understand what understanding bring greater fear but we must work our way
past fear if mankind is to go on the next great step in the evolution of man
is to learn about his mind his brain not only where it came from
we make educated guesses about that but more important where can it possibly go
given the courage to overcome fear what can we learn about ourselves the girl on
the bridge is a classic ghost story classic because it is a keystone of our culture the dear departed who do not
quite depart why can't they let go is it because we can't let go of them is our love the anchor that holds some part of
them Lear [Music]
miss Missy warrant maybe it is something even stronger than love more enduring
like obligation the belief that there is something you must do and remember in
the enchanted room in the unique miracle of the mind what you believe to be true
either is true or your mind will make it so Randy Powell when sky died
what was it that woman named Camille said won by land and to my air didn't
Frank say that he found a heptagon to be a seven sided figure and didn't Dave die
seven days after Johnny's funeral and Frank 14 days after what is the reality
and what is the illusion our story doesn't tell us but I wonder if Randy
knows that it's a 21st day
[Music] one by a land to by sky before the
hexagon for it is there seven times around other three of you and to may
your reward to be just and true [Music]