The Curious.
They say he collects strange tales,
and if you ever hear his whistle,
you know something creepy is about to unfold.
No one knows where he's from
or where he's going to,
but, somehow, he senses when a tale is about to happen.
He's drawn to them.
Have you ever wondered
what might be going on behind closed doors?
A door only just across the street
might have behind it
that you wouldn't get within a mile of.
Don't tell me you're still on that level.
And loving it.
You know what you need to do?
Yeah, win.
Zip it, Stu-pidio.
You should use the cheat code that I gave you.
And you should zip it.
You'll go straight to the coin fountain.
You won't need to fight the bank robbers.
Yeah, well.
We're not all cheaters like you,
little brother.
Hey!
I'm offended you would even suggest such a thing.
Anyway, it's not cheating.
It's winning without the pain.
If I don't practice on the bank robbers,
I won't have the skills for the coin fountain.
You can't cheat your way out of everything.
What are you doing?
Showtime.
Mum!
Oh, Stu, you look awful.
Yeah, you do look awful,
and so sudden.
I can make it.
I know I can.
No, don't be silly.
I'll work from home.
What's that doing up here?
That's mine.
It adds shine to your hair.
They say.
Really?
Apparently.
You just rest up.
You owe me big time, Stu-pidio.
I'll tell you what, I do owe you.
Cat killer strikes again.
1,2,3,4.
Yes!
Jackpot.
It's confusing him!
No, no!
How many cats does this woman have?
Weird.
What are you doing over there?
I don't want to get behind,
so I thought I'd catch up on some schoolwork.
Oh, that can wait, silly.
Now, I was saving this for your birthday.
But I thought you could do some cheering up.
It's a two-headed trick coin.
You know, heads always wins?
Stu!
It's great.
Thanks, Mum.
Whoa, false wall.
How's she so strong?
She's a freak.
What is she doing?
Stu?
Mum, something majorly weird is going on.
What are you doing in my room?
Mrs. McMurtle was carrying crates of cat food
bigger than her!
And she was pouring it into a cauldron
in a hidden space in the garage...
Well, you're all hot.
Just look, there's a false wall in the garage.
Oh, my days.
What?
What?!
This fever's worse than I thought.
Now you're hallucinating.
C'mon.
Bed...
But the wall!
Bed!
Ugh!
What is she doing?
Grim.
Oh, great.
"Steals your body."
What happened to sleeping?
Mum, she's a monster!
Who?
Mrs. McMurtle, look!
I just saw her turn into that.
Stu, stop this.
You're not well.
Look for yourself!
She's bathing in melted cat food.
This is the little old lady across the street
we're talking about?
She's also one of them.
I saw her change.
A Koekoeken.
Enough.
If you're well enough to be making up stories,
you're well enough to go to school.
Wait!
If she's not a monster, then maybe she's losing her marbles.
Why else would someone do that?
Well, maybe you didn't see what you think you saw.
What if I did?
And she needs help?
We should call the police.
They can go over and check it out.
She could be in danger.
I'm not calling the police over this.
I'll go over and check out the garage.
What?
No!
Mum, you can't!
Don't worry, I'm not gonna embarrass you.
I won't tell her you were spying on her
when you should've been in bed.
I'll just pretend I'm there to borrow her lawnmower.
Mum, please.
I don't want you going over there alone.
I think I can handle a little old lady.
Don't answer, don't answer.
Oh, no.
Mum, keep focused!
Man!
Be careful, Mum!
Don't answer the phone!
Hello?
She'll be back soon!
The wall, Mum, the false wall.
Keep looking. I know it's there.
Yes!
I knew it.
What?
No!
The bath, she's hidden it.
Turn around, Mum! Turn around!
Mum, behind you.
She's coming!
No!
Kidding me.
Look what "the monster" sent over for you!
She's perfectly sane, by the way.
Unlike some people.
That gardening stuff,
it... it must have been a false wall or something.
She must've moved the bath.
We're not talking about this anymore.
You are going straight back to bed
while I take care of something at the office.
Since when?
I got a call while I was at Mrs McMurtle's.
Don't worry. I've arranged a babysitter.
Thanks for the idea, by the way.
No more monsters!
Babysitter?
Oh, no.
Hello, Duck.
Aren't you going to invite me in?
So, your mum tells me you're ill?
What is it Duck, poorly head?
You need vinegar and brown paper.
Jack fell down and broke his crown.
Care for a mint, Duck?
Oh.
Your loss is my gain.
This old lady routine might work on my mum,
but you don't fool me.
Routine?
I saw you in the garage.
I know you did, Duck.
I made sure of it.
I got your attention with the delivery.
And I allowed you to see my show of strength
on the driveway.
And then, the garage.
You needed to see everything you saw today.
I wanted your mum to come over.
It only took one fake phone call...
..to get her out of the house.
Why?
So I could end up here.
With you.
Alone.
Do you think you're the only one
that spies on your neighbours, Duck?
I've seen you,
at the end of every term,
break into your poor father's study
and copy his exam questions.
I suppose you sell them on to fellow cheats,
with a price?
Bingo.
Why would you do all of this?
What would you do, Duck, if at the end of your life,
you could start all over
by taking a fresh new body?
I've taken many forms over the years.
When I acquired this body,
it wasn't much younger than you.
Acquired?
You mean stole!
Oh, no, Duck, I didn't steal it.
It was given to me.
Just like you are going to give me yours.
I'm looking forward to being a boy again.
You lookin' for this?
I expect you're wondering about the cat food.
It's the taurine inside.
We need it for nourishment.
Of course, five hundred years ago,
there was no cat food.
We had to boil up
cow's urine to sustain us.
Can you imagine?
I've written a letter, Duck.
All I have to do is post it.
What letter?
To your school.
Imagine what they'd say
when they find out that you've been selling exam questions.
You'd be expelled, instantly.
People would know that you're a cheat.
Your father's the vice principal.
He'd be fired.
And your loving sister, Kelly?
She works so hard for her grades.
Imagine if people thought she were involved, too.
I don't want to do that.
I just want you to play the game.
What game?
The Koekoeken are not without their morals, Duck.
I can't just take your body.
First, I have to win it.
How?
Best of three games of chance,
of the host's choosing.
And if you lose?
Then I stay in this body.
Sometimes the Koekoeken don't live forever.
It all depends on how well you play the game.
This game,
it can be anything I choose?
Mm-hmm.
Okay, the game is heads or tails.
I call heads.
Oh, now, Stu.
You know I see everything.
Including Mummy's little presents.
Choose another game.
I know.
Why don't we...
Play cards?
We both choose a card,
and the highest card wins.
So, all you have to do is to pick a card higher than me.
Easy.
Oh, my dear Duck.
What are the chances?
That's one nil to me.
Lose again
and you lose your body.
It's all down to the final game.
Winner takes all.
My turn to pick.
Oh, my.
You do know that the only thing
that beats a king, is an ace?
I don't want to play anymore.
If you don't play, you forfeit.
I win by default.
Boom!
No.
No!
You cheated!
It's not cheating;.
It's winning without the pain.
You...
Stu, breakfast is ready!
Finish up now! I can't be late this morning!
I'd show you a cool trick with those,
but I know you don't like cheating.
Oh, I don't know.
People can change, can't they?
Duck?
Turns out,
Kelly would do anything to protect you from being expelled.
Including playing a harmless little card game.
What have you done?
Thank you for teaching me that camera trick, Stu.
Otherwise, I might never have beaten Kelly.
But it isn't cheating,
right, Duck?
It's simply
winning without the pain.
A quick cheat,
a lifetime to regret.
So, next time you feel like
taking that shortcut to victory,
think twice.
You never know who might be watching.