Moondial (1988) s01e01 Episode Script

1 (EERIE MUSIC) (GATE CREAKS) (MUSIC ECHOES) ( DAVID FERGUSON: Moondial Theme) (MUSIC FADES) Mum! It's me! Of course! It's Tuesday.
How does she seem these days? Beginning to get over it? I suppose so.
Although I always hate the days when I know she'll be home first.
She'll be all right, Kate.
She's coping marvellously.
I know.
She didn't even mind when we had to move house.
I won't come in, not tonight.
- OK.
- Bye.
That's it.
Have a good holiday and drive carefully.
Goodnight.
Mum.
- TV: Hello.
Good evening.
- Thank you, darling.
a dry weekend with lots of warm sunshine in the south.
Now, there will be some rain in the northern half - We're managing all right, aren't we? - Course we are.
Dad would be proud of us.
Told him I'd look after you.
Soon be the holidays.
We've got to do something about you.
Post me off somewhere like a parcel.
- That's an idea.
Registered, of course.
- Of course! Wonder what it would cost.
What stamp you'd have to stick on me.
And where would you stick it? Somewhere appropriate.
I'm sure you would.
There is somewhere I could send you.
Timbuktu.
Belton.
To Aunt Mary.
Not really an aunt.
Only your godmother.
- But you'd love it there.
- Oh, Mum, no! You could help Aunt Mary in the shop.
Aunty Mary - ugh! I hardly even know her.
And what about you? You'll be lonely.
I shan't have time.
Too much work.
It won't be for ever, Minty.
I'll come up and see you whenever I can, I promise.
Oh, Mum, I shall miss you.
Sometimes I get frightened.
Since Dad died.
Things don't seem safe any more.
So there you are! I was beginning to wonder.
If you haven't grown another three inches! Five centimetres, actually.
I've been holding my breath to stop myself growing.
I think it's working.
Come along in.
I put her in the same room you used to have, Kate.
Oh, she'll like that.
We'll take these up.
You remember where it is? It's the door facing you at the top of the stairs.
Look at that view.
It's exactly as I remember it, the church and everything.
Views don't move, Mum.
Especially churches.
Oh, isn't it lovely! Don't you think so, Minty? Yes, lovely.
It's Aunt Mary's memory patchwork.
She made it herself from scraps of dresses, curtains from the old days.
They never threw anything away.
Some of these must have belonged to her mother, her grandmother even.
So it's full of memories for her.
You'd better be careful with it.
I've always thought of Belton as a - as a happening kind of place.
- Happening? Oh, it was ages ago, when I was little and stayed here, I always had the feeling I don't know.
As if something was happening.
Ghosts, you mean? Haunted? That sort of thing.
I never actually saw anything.
But I shall.
If there's anything here I shall know.
Nicer to have someone to cook for.
Oh, you'll find she's ever such a good little eater.
Not a bit fussy, eat anything.
Except fried worms and deadly nightshade.
Oh, Mum, do you have to go today? Couldn't you stay? Just for a bit? Minty You know I can't afford to take time off work.
Why don't we go and look at the church? I don't think I've seen it since I was a child.
(SOLEMN ORGAN MUSIC) Listen to this one, Minty.
George, grandson of William Monks, who died in infancy.
(MUSIC ECHOES) (MUSIC ECHOES) Minty? Do you feel cold? What? Today? In this particular place, I mean.
It's in the shade, I suppose.
More than in the shade.
The gardens are through there.
Shall we go in? No, not today.
A going-away present.
Oh, headphones! Thanks, Mum.
I didn't think Aunt Mary would want to listen to your sounds from morning to night.
Come to think of it, I'll rather miss them.
Come on.
It won't be for ever.
Bye-bye, sweetie.
Bye.
Now, be good.
(THEY LAUGH) (LOUD POP MUSIC) (SPEECH INAUDIBLE) Sorry.
Were you calling me? It's tea time.
- Sorry.
I couldn't hear with these on.
- Why not? I've been calling for ages.
What are those? They're headphones.
When I've got them on I can hear the music but nothing else.
Oh! Well It's tea time.
Oh! That looks so nice! I made a jelly.
Children like jellies.
Oh, I love jelly, especially orange.
(PHONE RINGS) Oh, do get started, dear.
Yes.
Oh! Oh, my God! Oh, yes.
Yes.
We'll wait here for you.
- Minty, dear - Is something wrong? Oh dear.
Oh dear, whatever shall I say? Never in all my life - Is something the matter, Aunt Mary? - It's dreadful, quite dreadful.
- I don't know - My mum? Something to do with my mum? - Yes, there's been an accident.
- (SHE SCREAMS) A lorry, he said.
(SHE SCREAMS) (SHE LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY) That was John.
A Mr Benson from your mother's office.
He's going round to the hospital now.
I want to go.
- Can I go? - Not for the moment, dear.
They're taking tests and things.
Head injuries he said.
That's the main trouble anyway.
Why can he go and not me? She's my mother.
I want to go! - Yes.
- I want to! Now, don't get yourself worked up, dear.
He's coming here to fetch us both.
- When? - In about an hour, he said.
Now, come along, it may not be as bad as all that.
Now, why don't you watch television for a bit? Take your mind off things.
What can't be cured must be patiently endured.
Can I go out? Where? Where would you go? I don't know.
Anywhere.
Well, there's nowhere much to go.
There's miles.
But you mustn't go out of the village.
Not on your own.
Now, you must promise me that.
I'm responsible for you.
But I must do something.
Why don't you go over to the house? See if World's there at the lodge.
Nice, he is.
Likes children.
World? Well, Mr World to you, I suppose.
Right.
Hello there! Not one that's been left behind, are you? No.
I live here.
For a while, anyway.
With an aunt.
Mrs Byer.
Ah, yes, I've heard about you.
So what's your name? Minty.
Minty Cane.
That's a funny old name, Minty.
Short for Araminta.
At least it's not two a penny.
Oh, no, it's not that.
Come to meet the children, I dare say.
What children? That'll be for you to find out.
You mean there are children living in that house? I didn't think anyone lived there, not any more.
I didn't say anything about living.
You mean ghosts? I didn't say that either.
But the moment I set eyes on you I knew.
That's her, I thought.
That's the one to turn the key.
What key? To set 'em free.
Those children I've known for 60 year or more.
Only in snatches, mind, glimpses and voices crying.
Crying? Cos they're locked up and begging and crying to be set free.
I can hear their voices in the wind.
Sense 'em in the shadows.
And I feel aches sometimes because they're there, begging me, and I haven't got the key.
Now, you've come.
Yes.
I've come.
(KNOCK AT DOOR) Have you seen her? Is she all right? I'll get my bag.
Is she? Listen, Minty, she's going to be all right.
I'm sure she is.
- Did she ask for me? - No.
You see, she's not conscious yet.
You mean she didn't even know you were there? No.
It's not as bad as it sounds.
It's only a couple of hours since the accident happened.
I didn't want her to go.
I asked her to stay.
The nurse will come and fetch us in a couple of minutes.
I think I ought to warn you, Minty, what to expect.
You mean about You mean about the tubes and things? You won't find it easy to see Kate.
To see your mother.
Cos, you see, in a way she won't be there.
Just asleep.
No, not just asleep.
Much further away than that.
But you mustn't be frightened, Minty, because she is still there.
Of course she is.
It's marvellous what they can do these days.
And she'll probably know that you're there, somewhere deep down.
I'm sure that can't be true, not if she's still in a coma.
Mr Benson? I'll take you along, Minty.
It doesn't matter if you talk to her.
In fact, it's good if you do, but nothing too sudden.
What's your name? Minty.
Well, don't be frightened, Minty.
Talk to her if you want.
Her name is Kate.
Of course.
Oh, Mum, how could you? I think I want to go now.
I understand.
I know it all looks terrible.
It's not that.
Well, just say hello.
Just say a few words.
Hello, Kate.
Mum.
It's no good - I can't.
Come along, dear.
You'll feel better if you have something to eat.
I won't.
- Not with Mum - Come along, Minty.
Look, it's a beautiful day outside.
Why don't you want to talk about it? Well, there's no point.
No sense in getting morbid.
But I want to talk about it.
Look, when Dad died, Mum said we were to talk about it all we wanted.
And we did.
Sometimes it made us cry.
But it always got less and less bad.
It will be a long morning for you.
I think I'll go and explore the gardens.
World said I could go over there whenever I wanted.
If you're going to the gardens, will you post those letters for me? OK.
(CHILDREN CHATTING) - Boo! - (THEY LAUGH) The gardens! (DREAMLIKE MUSIC) One, two three, four five, six Seven.
A sundial! (MUSIC BECOMES EERIE) (DISSONANT MUSIC) (WHIRRING) (MUSIC FADES) (EERIE MUSIC PLAYS SOFTLY) (MUSIC SPEEDS UP) Sorry.
Blimey! (MUSIC STOPS) What's up with you? I ain't never seen one that talked before.
Who are you? Seen ghosts before, you know.
Bits and bobs of things anyway.
But in broad daylight, plain as the nose on your face? Nor me.
Hey, what do you mean ghosts? You're the ghost! Oh yeah! I'm a ghost all right.
That's why Cook just told me to run for some raspberries.
Run here, run there! Wish I was a blessed ghost! And I've just come over from my Aunt Mary's house and I don't think I imagined that.
Who's Queen then? Elizabeth, of course.
Ah! Victoria.
God bless her.
You're a bit of a let down for a ghost, ain't ya? I best be off getting them raspberries if I don't want a whacking.
Wait! I've got a brilliant idea.
What? Let's shake hands.
Why? Well, don't you see? Whichever of us is a ghost won't be able to.
Not properly.
Ghosts go through things.
They're not solid.
Don't like the idea of that.
Mine going straight through yours, makes you shudder.
It won't.
It'll be the other way round.
If I dare do it, why don't you? Blessed if I'd be beat by a girl.
In.
( DAVID FERGUSON: Moondial Theme)