Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997) s01e01 Episode Script

[music playing]
You are about to enter the
world of a strange truth--
a world where the line
between fact and fiction
is almost imperceptible.
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: "Beyond belief--
Fact or fiction,"
hosted by James Brolin.
We live in a world where
the real and the unreal
live side by side,
where substance
is disguised as illusion,
and the only explanations
are unexplainable.
Can you separate
truth from fantasy?
To do so, you must break through
the web of your experience
and open your mind to
things beyond belief.
[theme music playing]
This word may look like
it spells false to you.
A closer look shows that
it can also be true.
The stories you will
see tonight will
challenge your power
to separate what
is true from what is false.
Each story may seem
to you beyond belief.
And in fact, some of them are
totally fictitious, created
solely for your entertainment.
But others are inspired
by actual events
that have been documented
as happening to real people.
We've changed the names
and certain details,
and yet, the basics of
the story remain the same.
At the end of the
program we'll tell you
which stories are
totally false and which
ones have true written on them.
Can you recall ever
seeing something
that wasn't really there--
a movement of a curtain
that looked momentarily
like an intruder; a figure
in the fog that turned out
to be a shadow; the mirage
of water on a distant stretch
of highway shimmering
in the heat?
Mona Watson has been
seeing things lately--
frightening things.
Will her visions turn
out to be reality--
[crash]
-or just another illusion?
[thunder]
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
The world seemed to be
closing in on me that spring.
Things weren't going
so well in my marriage.
Plus, I'd lost my mom and dad
within months of each other.
Years ago I had what everyone
called a nervous breakdown.
I was even hospitalized for it.
I'd come back from
that living hell.
But lately I've
been experiencing
a disturbing hallucination.
I only saw it when I
looked into the mirror
in our second floor hallway.
I was terrified
about my mental state
and about that
frightening image that I
couldn't get out of my head.
[sound of heavy wind blowing]
[thunder]
[suspenseful music playing]
[gasps]
MONA WATSON: What I'm
worried about, Dr. Hayes,
is having a relapse.
Mona, I really don't
think that's what this is.
Then why do I keep
seeing that woman?
Mona, you're working on
a lot of stuff right now.
Your mother just died, and
you're under a lot of stress.
You're not sleeping well.
But why does it only
happen with that mirror?
I'm scared to death.
I don't want to go
back into the hospital.
The chances of that
are so slim, Mona.
Look, you're stronger than that.
Well, what if we
got rid of the mirror?
[laughs]
I'm all for that.
I don't think the mirror
is the problem, Mona.
Now, look.
[sighs] I want you to go
home and get some sleep.
Call me tomorrow.
We'll talk about it some more.
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
That night I did everything I
could to delay going up to bed.
I knew the doctor was right.
I had to conquer my
own fears by myself.
But I just didn't want to
pass that mirror again,
so I rearranged the
things in the house,
because I couldn't rearrange
the thoughts in my head.
GEORGE: Mona!
I thought you said you
were coming to bed.
I'm coming right now.
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
George was already in bed.
My fear of the mirror
was doing nothing
to solve the very real problems
we had in our relationship.
Yet deep down I felt we
still loved each other,
and I wanted to be a
strong partner for him.
But I felt myself losing him
and my mind at the same time.
You forgot to turn
out the hall light.
Oh.
Do you want me to do it?
[chuckles]
No.
I'll get it.
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER): I knew
that George was trying to force
me to confront my demons.
He just didn't know how
real they were to me.
[eerie music playing]
[screams]
Don't worry.
I'm right here.
I'm here.
I'm here.
[thunder]
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
The bad weather
continued all month long.
And then a major storm hit
that was stranding commuters,
like George, in the city.
[phone ringing]
[thunder]
Hello?
Oh, George, hi.
Uh-huh.
Well, then when are
you going to be home?
Can't you come home tonight?
[sighs]
Are you-- are you sure?
Oh, George, please try.
No!
I'll be fine, yeah.
I'll just sleep
with the lights on.
Mm-hmm.
I love you too.
Uh-huh.
Bye.
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
I was trembling inside,
but I was determined to
hold on to my sanity.
I don't know why I didn't
sleep downstairs that night.
I guess I didn't want George
to come home and find me there.
On the way upstairs
I made up my mind.
I would compromise.
I didn't care what
Dr. Hayes might think.
I was home alone,
and I was going to do
something to calm my fears.
[sound of heavy wind]
I've replayed that
night's events
over and over in my head.
And it's as real to me now as
it was on that terrible evening.
[sound of banging shutters]
[eerie music playing]
Oh, God.
[sound of shivering]
[sound of downpour]
[thunder]
[sound of glass crashing]
[gasps]
[screaming]
[grunting]
[screaming]
[gasps]
[screaming]
MONA WATSON (VOICEOVER):
I didn't know who he was,
but I knew he had seen the
lady in the mirror too,
and that's what saved my life.
[sound of wind blowing]
The prowler was picked
up a few blocks away
by the police
talking incoherently
about the woman in the mirror.
When his record
sheet was checked,
it was found that
in the last year
he had escaped from the police
after murdering a woman.
When they printed the
picture of the murdered woman
in the local paper, Mona
saw it and recognized it
as the same woman she had
been seeing in the mirror.
After that day she never
saw the image again.
Is this story inspired
by actual events
or merely smoke and mirrors?
NARRATOR: Fact or fiction?
We'll find out at the
conclusion of tonight's show.
Next-- a condemned man
faces his last moments
in a tale that's beyond belief.
How many of us take
our comfort for granted?
To be seated in a warm,
safe place as you are right
now is something we never
give a second thought.
But what if the circumstances
turned our world upside down?
What if we were
accused of a crime
for which we had no alibi?
Then would our comfortable seat
feel quite as safe and secure?
The electric chair is a
relatively simple contraption
composed of little
more than wood, leather
straps and electrical wiring.
Yet, it's one of
the most reliable
execution devices
of modern times,
as gruesome as it is effective.
[sound of buzzer]
GUARD: All right, buddy.
It's time.
PRISONER: Hang in there!
PRISONER: Be brave.
Hey, be brave!
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
Even the most
hardened criminal
can't escape the fear
of knowing he's about to die.
The man behind bars
would be next to take
that long, lonely walk.
But for now another man had
an appointment to keep--
an appointment booked
by a judge and jury.
The straps are to
keep the body down
to receive the powerful charge.
The blindfold goes back to
the days of the firing squad.
For electrocutions, it also
holds the eyes in place.
The final touch-- and
now all that remains--
is the lever.
GUARD: Time!
[sound of electric current]
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
Within days it
would be time for
this man to take
his seat in the death chamber--
Raymond Michael
Edmondson, convicted
of first degree murder.
It was attorney Lee Calvin's
first case as public defender.
He believed in the
innocence of his client,
but he couldn't
convince the state.
Ray Edmonson's execution
was drawing closer.
There was a meal and then a walk
back to his solitary cell where
he would have time to think
about the circumstances that
brought him to this point
and how much different
his future might have been--
a future that right now
had only a few hours left.
I'm sorry, Ray.
I did my best.
It's OK.
You did what you could do.
GUARD: OK, Ray--
back to the cell.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
Two eyewitnesses
had identified Ray as the man
they saw gun down the owner
of a convenience store.
There was no physical evidence.
The weapon used to commit
the murder was never found.
Ray had no alibi.
Calvin had no defense.
PRISONER: Yeah, they're coming.
They're coming.
PRISON WARDEN: It's time, Ray.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER): Ray
Michael Edmondson was a Vietnam
vet drafted out of school.
After he came back to the States
he lived on the streets-- one
of the thousands of homeless.
For months after his arrest he
had proclaimed his innocence.
Then gradually he started to
realize nobody was listening.
Now the only emotion
he had left was
the one he was trying to hide--
fear.
Test!
Good!
Bring in the prisoner!
[SOLEMN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
PLAYING]
[sound of gate slamming shut]
Hold on, there's a moratorium.
It's all right.
He's ready.
[sound of clock ticking]
Time.
[sound of lever being drawn]
Check it!
All right.
Again!
[sound of lever being drawn]
[sound of breathing]
Take him back to his cell.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
What his lawyer couldn't do
had been accomplished by fate.
Edmondson was granted
a 24-hour reprieve.
Prison officials
worked all night
and found no electrical defect.
PRISONER: Is that right?
PRISONER: Take it, man.
It's time, Ray.
PRISONER: Ray!
PRISONER: Come on, Ray.
Get 'em.
PRISONER: Yeah, man.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
At the exact same moment
the execution failed, another
crime was taking place.
In the city where
Ray had been arrested
a gunman was caught
holding up a liquor store.
Detectives called to
the scene of the robbery
were the same ones who had
investigated Ray's case.
They were startled
by the resemblance
of the robbery suspect to Ray.
Even before the ballistic
tests were completed,
the gunman confessed
to the murder
for which Ray had spent more
than six years behind bars.
Two days before his 50th
birthday, Ray was free--
free to make something
of his life-- at last.
Could this story be true?
Could an electrical system that
was working flawlessly suddenly
fail at the moment
of execution--
twice?
And consider the fact that
Ray Edmondson was innocent.
Because of that some might
consider the power failure
to be divine intervention.
Or is the explanation as simple
as those mornings when your car
engine won't turn
over for several times
and then suddenly kicks right
in; or that bulb in your house
it only goes on
when it wants to?
NARRATOR: Is this
story true or false?
We'll tell you in the
final moments of our show.
Next-- a family reunion
with a surprise twist.
Those born with the
talent to entertain
others often find their lives
to be a series of tradeoffs.
The next story is
about such a woman.
The road offers her acclaim
for her singing every night,
but it also keeps her away
from her family far too
many nights a year.
So it's very important to
keep her family together
no matter how far away she is.
[applause]
VICKI: (SINGING) When I fall
in love, it will be forever.
Or I'll never fall in love!
In a restless
world like this is,
love has ended
before it's begun!
And too many moonlight kisses--
[phone ringing]
Yeah, this is Cal.
Interview on the 29th
should be no problem.
Let me just check the calendar.
CAL (VOICEOVER): That's
me behind the desk.
I'm in charge of
Vicki Sawyer's career.
I'm also her husband.
Vicki spends weeks at
a time on the road,
which means our daughter, Molly,
and I are left alone a lot.
It isn't always smooth
going for the two of us,
but since I started
to let Molly help out,
things are a lot better.
Hey, got it here--
29th looks perfect.
Now let me just check
it out with Vicki
once she gets to Jacksonville.
All right.
Talk with you then.
Thanks, Paul.
So how would you like to
keep mom company in New York?
MOLLY: Cool!
Could we stay at the Ritz?
Why not?
Could you take these to
the post office for me?
Sure.
It's the least I could so
since you're letting us
stay at the Ritz.
- [laughs]
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Yeah.
Vicki!
Oh, boy.
The connection is so bad
I can hardly hear you.
Oh, I love you too, hun.
What's going on?
You're kidding!
It's 11:15.
You should be in
Jacksonville by now.
Sure.
I can meet you.
Where?
[laughs] Sure, hun.
Yeah-- love ya.
CAL (VOICEOVER): The
place where Vicki
wants me to meet her is a
sentimental one for both of us.
A lot of what we are
today started out
as a handful of dreams in
our little neighborhood club.
I haven't been here in years,
but it's close to the airport--
a perfect spot for a quick
get together between planes.
Vicki is always
full of surprises,
and she did say she has
a special gift for me.
That's funny.
The place looks like it's
closed, but that can't be.
Hmm.
That's strange.
I wonder what that
gift's all about.
And she's probably going to
come out of some dark corner
and surprise me any minute.
Vicki?
Vicki.
CAL (VOICEOVER): Our table--
the one where Vicki and
I would sit for hours
making plans for the future--
two kids who didn't know the
odds against her becoming
a star and didn't care.
[sound of door opening]
Vicki?
Dad?
CAL: What are you doing here?
I got this call from mom.
She said to meet up
with you guys here.
CAL: Did she say anything about
her flight being canceled?
Well, I asked
what the deal was.
I don't think she heard me.
She just said meet you.
Huh.
Gosh.
I haven't been here
since I was a kid.
Yeah, it's been a long time.
Yeah.
I don't even remember
why we used to come here.
I mean, was the food that good?
[laughs] No.
It wasn't the food.
This is where mom and
I had our first date.
It was in high school.
She always liked
coming back here.
It's where we fell in love.
How'd you know
you were in love?
It was how I felt the first
time she touched my hand.
I wanted to be with her
all the time, and I--
I miss her when
she's not with me.
Like now?
Yeah, like now.
It never bothers
you that mom's the one
that gets all the attention?
Nah.
Really?
Hey, your mom's
the talented one.
And she'd be the
first to tell you
that we've all helped and
sacrificed for her success.
You never get jealous?
You read her fan mail.
You go to her concerts.
And you see how those
guys look at her.
Yeah, yeah.
It-- it bothered me
at first, but hey,
we're way past that now.
I trust your mom,
and she trusts me.
[laughs] Do you
remember how you used
to always let me pick out
the songs in the jukebox
that was over there?
Oh, yeah.
Once you started dancing
we could never get
you to come back to the table.
[laughter]
Do you know what
else I remember?
I remember you, me, and
mom all dancing together.
God!
That was so great.
I want my kids to have
those kind of experiences.
They will, sweetheart.
You know, I remember
the night your mom
gave you one of the
earrings she was wearing.
[laughs] Yeah.
And she said together
they make a pair.
So long as we both have them,
we'd always be together.
[phone ringing]
Yes, this is Cal.
Oh, I can't hear you.
Hold on a second.
Yeah.
Who is this?
Hello?
Yeah.
Yeah, I can hear you now.
What's up, man?
Well, what kind of accident?
Oh, is Vicki OK?
Just tell me what happened.
Oh, my God.
Dad?
[laughs] Oh, my God!
You're not going
to believe this.
Look what I just found
over on the stage.
It's the same earring!
I swear it is!
What's wrong?
Mom called me at 11:15, and
I know I looked at my watch.
What time was it
when she called you?
Um-- I just got back
from the post office,
so it had to be before
11:30, because that's when
I left for here.
Why what-- who called?
It was Bill Morgan
from Jacksonville.
He said the plane with your mom
and the fellas from the band
crashed coming
into Jacksonville--
VICKI (VOICEOVER): (SINGING)
When I fall in love--
-10:30 this morning.
That-- that can't be.
There must be some
kind of mistake,
because we both talked
to her after 11:00.
And so--
VICKI (VOICEOVER): (SINGING)
-or I'll never fall in love.
She's gong to be OK, right?
They're all dead.
VICKI (VOICEOVER): (SINGING)
And the moment I can feel that--
CAL (VOICEOVER): So
that was the gift--
bringing us all
together one last time.
She's gone, baby.
MOLLY: [sobbing]
VICKI (VOICEOVER): (SINGING) -is
when I fall in love with you.
Both Molly and Cal
received their phone
calls after the fatal
plane crash took place.
Could they both have been
mistaken about the time?
And how do you explain
the earring that turned
up on the nightclub floor?
Was it another earring
someone else had lost--
or one last souvenir sent
by Vicki to her daughter
from the road?
Or maybe this story never
really happened at all.
NARRATOR: Was this story real?
We'll find out at
the end of our show.
Next-- a tale of lust and
revenge on "Beyond belief--
Fact or fiction."
The gun-- how
many stories of fact
and fiction are based
on its power to change
the course of human events?
Yet the greatest storyteller
of them all, Shakespeare,
seemed to do fine without it.
And although Shakespeare wasn't
above the use of violence,
he always made sure
his tragedies had
plenty of faith and irony too.
In our next story, faith
and irony play a major role.
But with apologies
to the Bard of Avon,
we could not have
told it without a gun.
[sound of typing]
SHARON'S BEST FRIEND:
You could always
find Sharon at her computer,
even during lunch break.
She was my boss, but
we were like sisters.
There was nothing we
wouldn't do for each other.
Are you still here?
Oh, I just wanted
to finish the offer
on the Chasin property.
- Oh, come on.
Everyone else has already gone
to the Valentine's Day party.
I-- I'm just going to be
a couple or a few minutes--
Don't give me that.
You have an anniversary
to celebrate.
What'd you wind up
getting him anyway?
[laughs] Airline tickets!
Are you serious?
Where are you going?
Paris.
[gasps]
We're finally going
on our honeymoon.
Wait.
John is going to be surprised.
[laughs]
[sound of dog barking]
SHARON'S BES
FRIEND: Sharon must
have known something
was wrong when she
saw the car in the driveway.
It wasn't supposed to
be part of the picture.
She probably should
have never gone inside.
But she couldn't help herself--
even with that police car
staring her in the face.
Honey?
John?
SHARON'S BEST FRIEND: Sharon's
husband John was a cop.
He trained other cops.
And he was well liked.
What's wrong?
I thought I heard something.
Oh, my God.
You think it's your wife?
No, no.
She-- she never gets
home before 6:00.
LOVER: Then where were we?
[moaning]
I'm sure I heard something.
I'll just check it out.
Oh my God!
Sh-- Sharon, I--
I-- I--
Get out!
Both of you get the hell out!
Just-- just give me
a chance to explain.
I-- I--
SHARON: No!
I want you out now!
Sharon?
Put down the gun.
SHARON: How could
you do this to us?
Sharon.
SHARON: It's our anniversary.
Put the gun down!
Freeze!
Sharon, just give me the gun.
Sharon!
SHARON: OK.
OK.
Give me the gun.
Sharon!
[sound of gunshot]
[gasps]
SHARON'S BEST FRIEND:
When the gun went off,
Sharon never had a chance.
They said that she
died within minutes.
To lose a best friend so young
is always a devastating blow.
But in this case, it seemed
so absolutely unfair.
The authorities cleared
John of any wrongdoing
and declared the case closed.
But the story doesn't end there.
Everyone was sure that
John got away with murder.
But then one day, somebody
paid John a visit--
somebody filled with
hate and revenge.
[sound of lawnmower]
As John worked alone in his
yard he was the perfect target.
But that day, fate
stepped in and took over.
In my heart, I knew
that one killing
never justifies another one.
[gunshot]
Thankfully, the shot missed.
John never even heard it.
John and his lover
eventually got married.
She never liked
Sharon's tree, so she
asked John to cut it down.
[sound of motor]
I guess it reminded
her too much of Sharon
and that terrible day.
[sound of motor]
[SOUND OF METAL CLANGING AGAINS
METAL]
Ah!
[groans]
John!
FIRST RESPONDER: All
right-- on three--
1, 2--
SHARON'S BEST FRIEND: At first
it seemed like a heart attack--
until the blood appeared.
The chainsaw blade had
somehow struck the bullet
and shot it straight
into John's heart.
[sirens]
FIRST RESPONDER: OK.
Let's go.
SHARON'S BEST FRIEND: I
guess fate has a funny way
of evening things out.
[SOUND OF VOICES OVER POLICE
RADIO]
Could a bullet
shot into a tree
be dislodged years later to
find its original target?
Unexploded landmines
first set in World War II
have gone off decades later.
And of course, a
bullet in our story
had been already fired once.
Could the chainsaw
blade have turned it
into a deadly projectile again?
Or maybe this is simply a
fable, and our writing staff
is guilty of firing blanks.
NARRATOR: The truth
about this story
will be revealed
in our final act.
Next-- an eerie tale of
a house and a haunting
dream on "Beyond belief--
Fact or fiction."
For most of us, the
purchase of a home
is the most important
investment we'll ever make.
It's a transaction that
includes much more than money.
It also ties in our emotions,
our hopes, and our dreams.
Alicia Adams wasn't
just seeking a house--
she was searching
for something more--
fulfillment of a haunting dream.
ALICIA ADAMS (VOICEOVER): It
was one of those days that
don't come around very often.
The air was crisp and
clean, and the sun
was warm without being too hot.
The smell of freshly
cut grass mixed
with the fragrance of flowers,
and the beautiful house
completed the picture.
It felt like the
first day of spring
and the start of Indian
summer rolled into one.
There was absolutely nothing
wrong with this ideal scene--
except for one thing.
[sound of alarm]
It was only a dream.
All right.
Up and at 'em, kiddo.
We got a lot of houses
to look at today.
I found the perfect house.
I had a dream about
it last night.
It was beautiful, Daniel--
two stories, a huge
yard, wonderful trees.
It could only be
your dream house.
We're looking for a
starter home, remember?
Mm.
Hey.
Alicia?
Come on.
Honey, let me guess--
no curb appeal.
You didn't like the backyard.
It was fine.
Well, what then, babe?
The kitchen is too small.
The bedroom?
The house is fine, Daniel.
It's just not--
It's not the dream house.
Come on, Alicia.
The dream house is a
figment of your imagination.
[mumbling]
ALICIA ADAMS
(VOICEOVER): That night
was like every other night I
dreamed about the house again.
And as always, it was a
lovely, beautiful dream.
The home was so inviting.
I was drawn inside.
Everything was just the
way I wanted it to be.
As my mind traveled
from room to room,
I knew that this was
a house I could turn
into a loving, wonderful home.
And I knew that
somehow, someway,
this house would be my house.
ALICIA'S HUSBAND: Alicia.
Hey, you OK?
You were talking in your sleep.
Oh, I--
I had another dream
about the house.
This time I went inside.
[sighs] Oh, it
was so beautiful--
hardwood floors, french
doors opening onto a garden.
It was perfect for us--
just the place we
are meant to have--
ideal for raising a family.
And some day we'll
buy one just like it.
But for now let's focus on
a place we can afford, OK?
Hey, OK?
I got to get to work.
I love you.
Bye.
[sound of door closing]
One more house in our range.
It's on Glenco.
[sighs] Didn't we look in
that neighborhood last week?
Yeah, but it's a new listing.
I'm sure it's not your
dream house, though,
so don't get your hopes up.
You can make light of
it, but I can't believe
I'd be dreaming about the
same place night after night
if there weren't a reason.
You know, I can't
believe we've spent a month
passing up house after--
- Daniel!
Stop!
Stop!
That's it!
That's the house I've
been dreaming about!
I can't believe it.
Look at the yard!
Honey.
Oh!
The garage.
Oh!
Hurry, Daniel!
- Yes, it's beautiful.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Hold on, Alicia!
- This is it.
You can't do this!
This is not our home!
Oh, Daniel.
Alicia, wait.
We're not barging
into someone's home!
Oh, the floors-- the
woodwork-- it's all here--
even the French doors!
Beautiful.
Let me show you the kitchen.
Sweetheart, wait.
Wait.
Slow down.
Oh, look at all this storage.
It's perfect.
Honey.
Oh, look at the glass!
Oh-- the built-ins--
the built-ins!
- Easy.
- The cooking island--
remember?
I told you about this!
Oh, this oven!
A picture window!
Can I help you folks?
I'm Margaret.
I'm the agent representing
this property.
Oh.
Daniel Alden; my wife, Alicia.
ALICIA: Hi.
- Hi.
Sorry.
We're house hunting.
Well, you're in luck.
This place is going
on the market today.
Oh, Daniel!
Like me to show you around?
No.
You're going to
love the backyard.
It's got a pool.
You've always wanted
a pool, Daniel.
Wait till you see the view.
Your wife-- she's
been here before?
ALICIA ADAMS (VOICEOVER):
Even though we
knew it was out of our range, I
insisted that we put in a bid.
Daniel was sure we
didn't have a chance,
but my heart was beating
so loud I could hear it.
Honey, would you relax?
You're making me nervous.
I want this house, Daniel.
It's perfect.
Come on.
You've got to believe me now.
What can I say?
And it is very beautiful.
Honey, there's no way they're
going to accept our bid.
It's way, way too low.
Wow!
It looks like you've
bought yourself a house!
[laughs]
Daniel!
But I-- I don't understand.
The house is worth a lot--
MARGARET: A lot more.
I know.
What can I say?
The owner instructed me to
take the first offer-- period.
Wait.
Oh, there's nothing
wrong with a house--
nothing structurally.
It's just-- well, the
owners are convinced
that the place is haunted.
I don't care what
the owners think.
We're taking this house--
[chuckles] period.
Oh, Mrs. Signs!
I'd like you to meet the young
couple who bought your home.
[gasps]
It's you.
You are the ghost.
You are the one haunting house!
You were here every night!
ALICIA ADAMS (VOICEOVER):
I was here every night,
but that was only in
my dreams, wasn't it?
Did Alicia have an
out-of-body experience?
Obviously, the owner of the
dream house was under stress.
She had been experiencing
abnormal activities
in her home.
She claimed to have seen
the image of a woman
roaming her property.
And when she saw
Alicia, she immediately
connected to her as that woman.
That could have been her
mind playing tricks on her,
but the question remains.
How could Alicia know
every detail of the house
without having
been there before?
Unless, of course, we
made the whole thing up.
NARRATOR: Next, we'll find
out which stories are inspired
by actual events and
which are fabrications
on "Beyond belief--
Fact or fiction."
[suspenseful music playing]
Let's look back
on tonight's stories
and see how good we are at
separating fact from fiction.
Remember, some stories are
inspired by actual events,
and others are
completely fictitious.
Have we been able
to fool you tonight?
Let's find out.
Our first story
was about the woman
who was haunted by the
apparition in the mirror.
[thunder]
[screams]
[grunting]
Did this seem like
something that you might
have read about in the papers?
Well, you might have.
The events took place.
And what about the
condemned man who
was saved from certain death
by an electric chair that
wouldn't work?
[sound of clock ticking]
Time.
Did this story seem
impossible to you?
Congratulations.
It's total fiction.
Vicki?
JAMES BROLIN
(VOICEOVER): Then there
was the story of
the family brought
together by a message that may
have come from the other side.
CAL: What's up, man?
Well, what kind of accident?
Oh, is Vicki OK?
Just tell me what happened.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER): Did
this story seem to be real?
Did you think it
was based on truth?
Not this time.
It's fiction.
And how about our tale
of the wronged wife,
the philandering husband,
and the avenging bullet?
[sound of chainsaw motor]
[sound of metal hitting metal]
Did you think this
story was false?
You're absolutely wrong.
The bullet did find its mark.
Our final plot told
of the couple who
were searching for
their dream house
and found something
totally unexpected.
Oh, Mrs. Signs.
I'd like you to meet
the young couple
who've bought youre home.
[gasps]
It's you.
You're the ghost.
JAMES BROLIN (VOICEOVER):
Do you think that you've
got this one figured out?
Did the events take place?
Yes.
They did.
So how did you do at
separating the real
from the unreal tonight?
Three of our stories were
inspired by actual events,
and two were complete
works of fiction.
We hope you've found
tonight's stories
both entertaining and
thought-provoking.
And the next time you sense
something is an absolute lie,
at least take a
moment to consider
it might just be strange truth.
Good night.
NARRATOR: Join us next
time on "Beyond belief--
Fact or fiction."
This is done live on tape.
[theme music playing]