Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997) s02e05 Episode Script
The Land/Titan/The Diary/Town of Remembrance/The House on Barry Avenue
[music playing]
It's time once
again to cross over
the boundary between
the real and the unreal.
ANNOUNCER: Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.
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.
[music playing]
Sometimes to see the
truth, we have to look
at things from another angle.
Take this portrait
of a single class.
When viewed from a
different perspective,
it becomes an entire circus.
We encourage you
to view our stories
tonight with an open mind.
Examine them from a
variety of angles.
We'll tell you at the end
if they're true or false.
So follow the clown as
he turns the corner.
Our circus is about to begin.
What mysterious
forces cause some soil
to be fertile, while
other gardens yield
nothing but wilted dreams?
What is the secret
of the green thumb?
Joss Myrtle doesn't
possess a green thumb.
In fact, lately his efforts
to cause his land to bloom
are mostly all thumbs.
But Joss Myrtle loves his land.
And even though he has
no financial resources,
he is determined to
see it thrive again.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I was just a
teenager when it all happened.
I worshipped my father.
But he was putting our family
through terrible times.
Our farm was going under.
Nothing was growing.
But papa refused to admit it.
Joss, did you
hear what I said?
I heard you.
Well, look at it.
The land is worthless.
It's been barren for two years.
Your mortgage is about
to go into receivership.
HAROLD: Look, Joss, I understand
what you're going through,
but the best financial
advice I can give you
is to sell now, cut your losses,
and give your family a chance.
HAROLD: Paula, he's going under.
He's dragging you down with him.
When are you going to wake up?
You're my brother,
Harold, but I
won't have you talking
about my husband that way
in his own home.
HAROLD: Well, you're
going to lose your home.
You're going to lose everything.
Joss, I brought
the papers with me.
We're making you the
best offer you're going
to get I'm going to leave them.
I urge you to take
a Look at them.
I'm going to urge
you to accept--
Joss, I strongly urge
you to accept our offer.
You got to get
your farm out of--
He's hopeless.
HAROLD: He's utterly hopeless.
Papa.
Papa, are you OK?
This land means
everything to me, April.
It's been in our
family for generations.
It's been good to us.
It's given us life.
I owe this land my soul.
Uncle Harold says we're
going to have to leave.
JOSS: We're not leaving.
The farm stays in the family.
It's always been handed down.
And that's the way
it's going to be.
I'm going to make the land
rich again, so it'll grow.
How are you going
to do that, papa?
Don't you worry how.
Just know we're going to stay.
APRIL (VOICEOVER):
A few months later,
I was tossing and turning,
going in and out of sleep.
I lived on the farm
all of my life.
And the idea of giving it
up and moving somewhere else
frightened.
I didn't know any other life.
But as scared and
sad as I was, Papa
was going through a lot worse.
[tense music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I'm
not sure what made me
get out of bed at that moment.
Maybe it was the voices
I heard downstairs.
One voice sounded like
Papa's, but the other I
had never heard before.
JOSS: You got here quick.
MAN: You called.
I came.
What can I do for you?
Will you get my family
20 years of crops?
There's no saying
exactly what I'll do.
You're not the one who
calls the shots here, Joss.
Look, this means
everything to me.
But I don't go if I
can go through with it.
MAN: No or never, Joss.
Make up your mind.
JOSS: Do you have everything
you need to do this?
MAN: Just come with me.
[music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I wasn't
sure who the stranger was.
I thought maybe it was
Mr. Johnson, the rich man
who lived in the next county.
I'd seen someone
who looked like him
hanging around the barn once.
And that's who Papa
told me it was.
I couldn't help but
follow them out the door
to see what was going on.
It was really cold that
night, but I didn't even
think about getting a coat.
Nothing could take away
the chill I was feeling.
I had no idea what
they were doing.
And I was too far away to
hear what they were saying.
The only thing I do know is the
one thing I'll never forget.
That was the last time I
ever saw my papa alive.
[music playing]
Papa!
Papa!
Papa.
APRIL: I'm telling you I
went outside and I saw it.
He wasn't there.
I think he went away.
But he disappeared.
What do you mean
he disappeared?
It had to have been a nightmare.
No, it was a nightmare.
I know what I saw.
He's gone.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): Mama said
she didn't believe my story.
She said papa had
just up and left
and I was making the whole
thing up to ease her pain.
But I knew deep down she didn't
believe her story either.
[music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): When
she thought I had gone back
to sleep, she went out
to the part of the world
where I had seen Papa
and the man in black go.
And that's where she found it,
the pile of Papa's clothing.
The wind took care of the rest.
[music playing]
MAN: (WHISPERING) Stay.
Stay.
Stay on the land.
[wind blowing]
[door banging]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): The
wind never stop howling
for the rest of that night.
Mama and I kept hearing what
we thought was a voice, a voice
that sounded like Papa's.
Finally, we fell asleep
in each other's arms,
exhausted, scared, and
strangely at peace.
[birds chirping]
APRIL (VOICEOVER):
In the morning,
the wind had died down.
And when I opened my eyes, I
knew something was different.
I could feel Papa all around.
In fact, I was sure that
if I opened the door,
I would see him standing
outside in the field.
APRIL: Mama, mama.
Mama, wake up.
What-- what is it?
Is something wrong?
Nothing's wrong.
Come on.
[music playing]
Oh, my god.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): It
was the most beautiful
scene we had ever seen.
Fields were green and
the crops were growing.
I wanted Papa to see it, too.
But I had the feeling
he knew all about it.
Did Joss Myrtle
really disappear
and become part of his land?
Or did he simply go away
one night never to return?
Was his daughter
dreaming when she saw him
hit by lightning that night?
And how do you explain
the sudden greening
of the Myrtle farm?
And what about that
pile of clothes?
And who was the
mysterious stranger?
Is there truth blossoming here?
Or is it just another
home grown like?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): You'll
find out whether the
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a luxury liner hits
an ice berg on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
The luxury liner, very much
in our thoughts these days.
The image of a giant ship
cutting through the waters
combines our
fantasies of opulence
with the undeniable
romance of the open seas.
No wonder these
miracles of the waves
have a way of capturing
our imagination.
This next story of a
sea faring disaster
is set in a time earlier
than most of our tales.
But the inspiration
for its telling
is as fresh as tomorrow.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
It was a cold winter's morning
when Harris Fisher,
an author who
hadn't had a best
seller in much too long,
met with his publisher.
ZACHARY: It's a
good idea, Harris.
But it's just not what
people are reading.
True stories are where
interests lie nowadays.
Jack the Ripper,
that's what's selling.
I'm a writer.
I'm not a newspaper reporter.
The stories come
from my imagination.
And the tide will change.
Until it does, pick up a
paper, look at the headlines.
It's not me, Zachary.
Fiction is still
greater than anything
you could read in a newspaper.
You'll see.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Back in his apartment, Fisher
struggled once again with
the writer's block that was
crippling his creative process.
Story after story would start
in his head, only to go nowhere.
He knew his publisher's
suggestion of stealing a plot
from the headlines
was a good, especially
for a writer with no ideas.
But Fisher was determined to
come up with an original plot.
But then an article
caught his eye.
A grand story took shape in
front of him, a story as rich
as the day's headlines.
That's it.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Suddenly, it was all so easy.
The chains around
his imagination
seemed to be breaking
off link by link.
If it was a story that
came from the headlines
that people would buy,
then that was what
Fisher was going to give them.
Always one who worked better
from a visual concept,
he began to draw
on a sketch pad.
Fisher could see the
ship in front of him.
Like the Titanic, it would
be a giant luxury cruiser.
Like the Titanic, it would
have huge smokestack that
would tower above its decks.
There was no stopping the
direction that his mind was
heading now, so he let it go.
Yes, and like the
Titanic, the massive ship
would set sail from England.
This with the story
Fisher knew he could sell
and so this was the
story he would write.
Soon Fisher's
apartment was filled
with a sound it had not heard
in months, the furious clacking
of typewriter keys.
Fisher's imagination was
sailing as fast as any ship.
His story would follow the
same plot as the Titanic.
His ship would also be
traveling to the United States.
In fact, its destination
was New York.
Crowds would gather on
the docks to wish it
bon voyage, this wondrous,
unsinkable legend.
There were periods when
Fisher questioned his project.
Could he really get
away with this idea?
Wouldn't readers
reject the concept?
Yet it all seemed so clear.
Why not give into the words
that were crying to be let out?
After several hours
of inner struggle,
Fisher knew he had no choice.
He must go ahead with his book.
The similarities to the
Titanic were an intrinsic part
of Fisher's story,
right down to the name
he chose for his
ship, the Titan.
To the captain.
To the captain.
To the captain, the captain.
There was no
stopping Fisher now.
The world outside his
apartment ceased to exit.
[knocking]
- All right, I'm coming.
Coming.
I'm sorry to disturb
you, Mr. Fisher,
but I thought you'd want your
food brought up to you again.
Oh thank you, Mrs. Clark.
There's going to be a big
storm coming in tonight.
Do you have enough wood?
- Yes.
Yes, I'm fine.
You know, my husband and
I marvel at your talent.
Your stories are
always so original.
And--
Thank you, Mrs. Clark.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Back to his typewriter.
The parallels would continue.
Both the Titan and
the Titanic were
the same approximate
length and width.
Each ship had three propellers.
And each carried over
2,000 passengers.
Both ships were
the most expensive,
luxurious seagoing
structures of their time.
And the creme de
la creme of society
spent fortunes to book passage.
And then Fisher added his
most outrageous touch of all.
His ship, the Titan, would
be hit by an iceberg.
And like the Titanic,
great numbers
would die of exposure in the icy
waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
[knocking]
Harris, come in, come in.
I just wanted to stop by to
see if you read my story yet.
Please sit down.
[music playing]
Harris, a 70,000 ton
ship on its maiden voyage
carrying over 2,200 passengers,
and it hits an iceberg
and sinks?
Over 1,500 people die?
Come on, Harris.
It's not going to happen.
I told you.
People aren't
interested in fiction.
The only difference between
fiction and nonfiction
is that fiction
hasn't happened yet.
And this never will.
All right, Harris,
give it another try.
And in the meantime, I'll
give this another look.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Harris Fisher's story
was written in 1898.
The Titanic went down in 1912.
An amazing story,
especially when
you consider the Titan
was written 14 years
before the Titanic ever sailed.
Could Harris Fisher
really have imagined all
those parallels to the Titanic?
Was there some newspaper
article about plans
to build the Titanic that
he lifted his ideas from?
Or was it another example
of art foreshadowing life?
The same way Jules Verne
wrote of submarines
long before their
invention or da Vinci
sketched flying
machines centuries
before the Wright brothers.
Is our story of the ship
that hit an iceberg the truth
or is it simply a titanic hoax?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a diary predicts
disaster on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Once, private thoughts
were kept in locked diaries,
hidden away from prying eyes.
Today's high tech
generation are more than
likely to record their
deepest secrets on a computer.
Kim Maddox is a lonely girl,
who feels safe recording
her thoughts on a computer.
But what happens when outsiders
invade the private sanctuary
of her innermost feelings?
We are about to see the
frightening consequences.
[music playing]
KIM (VOICEOVER): I never fit in.
People think I'm weird because
I see things before they happen.
Can you believe that
little geek actually
had the nerve to talk to me?
What did she say?
Something about Brad's party.
This is it.
Let's go.
Hey, Kim.
Hey, Kim.
We've got something for you.
KIM (VOICEOVER):
I wasn't popular.
And Rasha and Daley were.
So I loved it when they
paid attention to me.
Loser.
[laughing]
Did you see the
look on her face?
We got her so good.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I
didn't hate them.
I hated myself.
I decided to take a walk.
[door opens]
Door.
Oh.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I realize now,
they must have been hiding.
The freak left
her computer behind.
Well, she must be
going someplace special.
Who cares where she's going.
I have a better idea, let's
take a trip into Kim world.
KIM (VOICEOVER): My
mind was so preoccupied,
I never remember to lock up.
I can only guess
what happened next.
Daley, do you
think anybody saw us?
No, no one saw us.
Come on.
Let's try the back door.
They really should
lock their doors.
There it is, her computer.
Hm, let's see what we have.
Go to Diary.
Yeah, let's see what's
on the little freak's mind.
Look, she's got stuff
about all the kids in school.
[laughing]
No way.
How does she know that?
Wait, are we in there?
March 13th, I saw Daley
and her boyfriend Travis
in the school hallway today.
I'm afraid they'll
be breaking up soon.
Poor Daley.
That is so not true.
Rasha is going to fail civics
and spend the summer in school.
Too bad she'd really rather
go to Europe with her parents.
Her teacher is so mean.
Please, just ignore it.
She's so weird.
DALEY: She's coming.
Let's go.
Come on.
KIM (VOICEOVER):
When I came back,
I didn't know they
had been there.
When I saw that the
computer was turned on,
I thought maybe I had
forgotten to turn it off.
But I wasn't sure.
It was a creepy moment
that I didn't like.
It's dumb luck.
Everyone knows I hate civics.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
Hi, Travis.
What?
What do you mean we need space?
DALEY: The only
reason why I went out
with you in the first place was
because I felt sorry for you,
you jerk.
That stupid idiot.
Daley.
What?
It's coming true.
Everything she
wrote in the diary.
Oh, yeah?
Well, let's find out
what else she knows.
I can't believe
we're just breaking in.
Shh.
Look, we're just going to
find out what the little witch
is the predicting this week.
That feeling is
coming over me again.
RASHA: Something bad
is going to happen.
Smoke.
Lots of smoke at Daley's house.
[sirens blaring]
Oh, my god,
they're at my house.
KIM (VOICEOVER): My predictions
were just for me to read.
I couldn't control them.
They just came over me.
I was starting to feel
something really terrible
was going to happen
to Rasha and Daley.
I didn't know if I can
stop it from happening.
But I had to find
a way to warn them.
[door bell ringing]
DALEY: Hi, Kim.
Hi.
We just wanted to
come over and say hi.
Look, I know we haven't
always gotten along.
We just wanted to say
that we are sorry.
And that all is
forgiven, right?
Yeah.
Yeah, sure.
Do you want to come in?
Sure.
I'm glad you
guys stopped over.
My parents are going
away for the night,
and I was going to see a movie.
Would you like to come?
I really need to talk to you.
OK.
OK, yeah, we will
meet you there.
OK.
8 o'clock show?
Sure.
We'll see you there.
As if.
Freak.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I never told
them what I wanted to say.
Then they'd never
want to be my friends.
But I guess if they
were reading my diary,
they would find
out on their own.
Look, maybe we
shouldn't do this.
Come on, let's just
leave her alone.
We will.
We will.
But you know, you just
can't trust these computers.
They can get really sick.
Well, wait.
We should look and see
what she wrote first.
DALEY: I can't believe this.
We are going to
Brad's party anyway.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I knew
they would never make
it to the movies to be with me.
Brad's party was going
on at the same time.
The sad part was, I knew they'd
never make it there either.
I didn't wish anything
bad on Rasha and Daley.
It wasn't their fault
they were mean to me.
And it's not my fault that I
always end up the same way.
Alone.
Our story ends before we
find out the exact fates
of Rasha and Daley.
Sad to say that shortly
after reading Kim's diary,
they were involved in a
fatal traffic accident.
Was their untimely end
really predicted by Kim?
Or were they so frightened
upon reading the diary entry,
that they were driving in
a state of blind panic,
bringing about their own demise?
But then, how do you
explain the accuracy
of all those other
processes on Kim's computer?
This story may be fact.
Then again, it may be fancy.
What's your prediction?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a woman explores
the hidden secrets
of her past on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
The human brain, much
too complicated to be
understood by the human brain.
Repressed memory, total recall,
deja vu, all found here.
And all basically unexplainable.
Jane Doe has no
recollections of her past.
Yet on the blank
wall of her memory,
images appear that
she seems to remember.
You are about to enter her world
to experience a tale of amnesia
you will never forget.
[music playing]
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
After the accident,
I had completely lost my memory.
I hated the name Jane Doe, but
that's all they could call me.
Nobody knew who I was
or where I came from.
I had no identification
or records.
All I had were these
flashes in my brain.
And I was beginning
to get one now.
JANE: Stop.
Stop, stop the
car, Susan, please.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER): Susan was
an attendant in the hospital
where I was staying.
She was assigned to
drive me to a specialist
several hundred miles away.
But what I was
starting to experience
was more important than any
help a doctor could give me.
I was starting to
experience my past.
All of the sudden, I have
this funny feeling that I've
been in this town before.
And I think I've even
been in this diner.
SUSAN: Well, it
certainly is quaint.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
Something told
me there was a
counter area upstairs
that I had visited many times.
Good afternoon, ladies.
What'll it be?
I'd like a gardenia float.
A what please?
A gardenia float, please.
With extra whipped cream.
Kind of fancy for this place.
Two scoops of ice cream,
root beer, and some nuts
sprinkled on the top.
And it's served in a dish
that looks like a flower.
In all the years
I've been here,
I've never heard anybody
order a gardenia float.
Would you settle for a
piece of Bud's special pie.
Sure, why not?
It's going to be
all right, Jane.
Stop calling me Jane.
My name isn't Jane Doe.
She's suffering from
post-traumatic memory loss.
That's just a fancy way
of saying I've got amnesia.
Gosh, I'd really
like to help you out,
but I never seen you before.
Now, Annie here might
know more than I do.
After all, she's been
delivering mail in these parts
for about 100 years now.
Why don't you talk
to her while I go
freshen up in the ladies room.
Oh, it's just past
those two booths,
take a right and a left.
And it's across
from the jukebox.
That's exactly right.
I think I'll have my usual.
Lemonade with two sugars.
How'd you know that?
Did-- did you use--
did you use to buy lemonade from
a little girl on Spring Street?
Spring Street, that's--
that's part of the
I-90 interstate.
That's been gone for years.
Are, you OK, hon?
I don't know.
My head is splitting open.
I see flashes.
And then they just disappear.
What is it?
This table, there is
something special about it.
[music playing]
SUSAN: AW loves BP.
What does that mean?
Do you know those people?
- I don't know.
But it sounds familiar.
BP is Billy Palmer.
They said he was in
here all the time.
Poor kid.
He was killed in a bad crash
years ago on his way to elope.
It happened on the
bridge outside of town,
maybe around midnight.
Yeah.
Is the cemetery still across
the road in St. Mary's Church.
Hasn't moved.
Come on, Susan.
Thank you.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
There in the cemetery,
I was sure I would discover
the link to my past.
I stared at the headstone
of Billy Palmer,
praying that it would
open some closed door.
Who was he?
I felt if I stood there long
enough, it would become clear.
I had a few false hopes.
But in the end,
Billy's grave gave me
absolutely no answers at all.
I felt I was so close
to finding myself.
SUSAN: And?
Nothing.
Just a blank.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
I was so sure this
was going to lead somewhere.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Our Jane Doe
never knew the possible truth.
For only a few feet
from Billy's grave
was the grave of the girl who
died with him that same night.
Her photo, a dead
ringer for our Jane Doe.
Angela Wright born
1930, died 1950.
Did our Jane Doe
actually live a past life
in the town she was visiting?
Was it really her who died
in that accident years ago?
Or was that photograph
in the cemetery
just someone who
looked like her?
Is this the first time
you are being asked
to judge the truthfulness
of this tale,
or as that great philosopher
Yogi Berra once said,
is this deja vu all over again?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, spontaneous fires
invade a home on Beyond
Belief Fact of Fiction.
Many say that fire is
man's first great discovery.
For centuries, it has
allowed us to cook our food,
heat our dwellings,
and light our pathways.
And everything that has
been invented since, either
relies on fire or imitates it.
But fire is inspiring
something else
in the lives of Stuart and
Laura Freeland, the destruction
of their security.
And when we cannot control our
own safety, then all we have
left are the fires of fear.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Detective Harold Peters had
been a cop for over 20 years.
He has seen more than
he cares to remember.
But the only cases that
keep him up at night
are cases like this one.
That's why he's here today
searching through the rubble
for answers and remembering when
this was a dream house whose
dreams kept going up in smoke.
[music playing]
LAURA: Stuart, help!
STUART: Honey.
Honey, get back.
Get back.
What the heck.
Turn off the electricity.
You folks have
somewhere to stay tonight?
STUART: Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't understand it.
We just bought the house.
They said everything
checked out fine.
FIREFIGHTER: Well, I've
never seen flames shoot
out from an outlet before.
I'm sure an electrician will
be able to figure it out.
Good luck.
You sure this
is the right one?
Yes, of course.
I can't figure it out.
I mean, it looks brand
new, not even scorched.
I don't understand.
I don't know, the insurance
company wants me to change
it and check out the wiring.
If there's a problem with
the electrical, I'll find it.
[music playing]
God, Stuart.
Honey, what's that smell?
I don't know.
But it just started
getting really bad.
It's in here too.
Where's Where's it coming from?
I don't know.
[explosion]
STUART: Call 911.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): The fire
department confirmed the
overwhelming odor of sulfur.
By now they had been called
to the Freeland's residence
on five different occasions.
Another fire, and
another dead end.
That's when Police
Detective Harold Peters
was assigned to the case.
Stuart Freeland.
Nice to meet you.
Mind if I ask you
a few questions?
No.
You name is Stuart
Freeland, you say?
Yes.
And your name?
Laura Sloane Freeland.
Was there and Ethan Sloane?
No.
Detective, what's
this all about?
Why the police?
Well, we're trying to
figure that out, Mr. Freeland.
I mean, the fire department
can't keep coming out here.
I will tell you what's
baffling here, though.
There are no scorch
marks on this wall here.
And when a fire
touches the wall,
you figure it's going to
leave a mark, but nothing.
Right, the
insurance company has
sent inspectors, electricians,
even soil specialists.
No one can figure it out.
Shame.
Where do you work, Mr. Freeland?
Tech Aerospace.
And business good?
Yeah, it's good.
What are you saying, Detective?
That we have something
to do with this?
Oh, no, no, no.
Let me be honest with you.
I can't figure this out.
I mean, there are
no scorch marks
on the floor or the walls.
I mean it's the damnedest
fire I've ever seen.
For the fire department, too.
What do you
think we should do?
Damned I know.
Maybe you ought to get
yourself a psychic.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
The next day, the Freeland's
called Dr. Lloyd Cameron, a
man with an incredible success
record in spirit and
demon possessions.
Well, there are no
fluctuations in temperature
or energy levels.
What does that mean?
It means that I don't
see anything in this house.
There is another answer.
Maybe the energy has attached
itself to one of you.
Come on, that's crazy.
How-- how could that happen?
Something somebody
has done, something bad.
Oh, God.
What?
It's me.
When I was nine, my brother
Scott and I set fire
to the woods next to our house.
It got out of control and
it burned the whole lot.
My father said that whoever did
it would be followed by fire.
He scared us so bad we
never said anything.
I never told anyone.
Now you have.
What does that do?
Well, it clears
the conscience.
And it releases the spirits.
Repression and denial
are the fountain
head of paranormal activity.
It's over, Mr. Freeland.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
But it wasn't over.
The fires continued to
burn inside the house.
Finally, the insurance company
determined that the blazes
were caused by
undetectable gases
and ordered the house torn down.
The same day, Stuart and Laura
Freeland moved to another town.
But something was left behind.
Hey
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): A member
of the wrecking crew
found it and handed
it over to Detective Peters.
At first, it seemed
like a useless memento.
But it turned out
to be much more.
It was an old scrapbook filled
with memories, memories that
should have been
discarded long ago,
but were saved like
some horrible lesson you
don't want to remember,
yet are afraid to forget.
The book showed that Laura
Sloan Freeland as a little girl
was involved in an
incident of criminal arson.
The fire she started
killed several people.
So the psychic was right.
Only it wasn't the husband
that the evil energy
had attached itself to.
It was the wife.
Detective Peters had his answer.
The question was,
did he believe them?
Did this story have
actually taken place?
Can spontaneous combustion occur
with no scientific explanation?
Or could the fires have been
caused by some repressed spirit
sent to punish a woman who
had crossed the gods of flame
in the past?
Is this story real or unreal?
That is the burning question.
ANNOUNCER: Coming up, we'll
find out which of our stories
tonight were fact and
which were fiction
when Beyond Belief returns.
And now let's find out
if you able to separate
fact from fiction tonight.
And how about the farmer who
vanished into thin air and then
seemed to use his spirit
to replenish his land?
How do you judge this one?
[music playing]
If you guessed this was a work
of fiction, you guessed right.
We made this one up.
What about the
author who foretold
the tragedy of the Titanic
14 years before it sailed?
A 70,000 ton ship
on its maiden voyage,
carrying over 2,200 passengers,
and it hits an iceberg
and sinks?
Over 1,500 people die?
Come on, Harris, it's
not going to happen.
I told you people aren't
interested in fiction.
If you guessed this was
a story based on reality,
you were correct.
It's fact.
Let's take another
look at the story
of a student whose
electronic diary
seemed to predict the future.
Look, maybe we
shouldn't do this.
Come on, let's just
leave her alone.
We will.
We will.
But you know, you just
can't trust these computers.
They can get really sick.
Well, wait.
We should look and see
what she wrote first.
I can't believe this.
We are going to
Brad's party anyway.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I knew
they would never make
it to the movies to be with me.
Brad's party was going
on at the same time.
I didn't wish anything
bad on Rasha and Daley.
It wasn't their fault
they were mean to me.
And it's not my fault that I
always end up the same way.
Alone.
Was this story based
on an actual incident.
Yes, it was.
It happened.
And now it's time
to decide the honesty
of the tale of amnesia
and a life lived before.
Let's see a brief reprise.
I think I'll have my usual.
Lemonade with two sugars.
How'd you know that?
Did you use--
did you used to buy
lemonade from a little girl
on Spring Street?
Spring Street that--
that's-- that's part
of the I-90 interstate.
It's been gone for years.
Are you OK, hon?
I don't know.
My head is splitting open.
I see flashes and
they just disappear.
Was this story of
a woman whose memory
was based on a past life true?
Not this time.
It's fiction.
Let's Let's look at the
strange story of the house
invaded by flames.
Real or not?
My father said
that whoever did
it would be followed by fire.
He scared us so bad,
we never said any.
I never told anyone.
Now you have.
What does that do?
Well, it clears the conscience
and it releases the spirits.
Repression and denial
are the fountain
head of paranormal activity.
It's over, Mr. Freeland.
This story of
fire that couldn't
be controlled or explained is
inspired by a similar incident.
So where is the line
between fact and fiction?
Who among us can
see it so clearly
that there was never a
question of what is true
and what is beyond belief?
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
ANNOUNCER: Join us with
more stories on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
[theme music playing]
It's time once
again to cross over
the boundary between
the real and the unreal.
ANNOUNCER: Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.
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.
[music playing]
Sometimes to see the
truth, we have to look
at things from another angle.
Take this portrait
of a single class.
When viewed from a
different perspective,
it becomes an entire circus.
We encourage you
to view our stories
tonight with an open mind.
Examine them from a
variety of angles.
We'll tell you at the end
if they're true or false.
So follow the clown as
he turns the corner.
Our circus is about to begin.
What mysterious
forces cause some soil
to be fertile, while
other gardens yield
nothing but wilted dreams?
What is the secret
of the green thumb?
Joss Myrtle doesn't
possess a green thumb.
In fact, lately his efforts
to cause his land to bloom
are mostly all thumbs.
But Joss Myrtle loves his land.
And even though he has
no financial resources,
he is determined to
see it thrive again.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I was just a
teenager when it all happened.
I worshipped my father.
But he was putting our family
through terrible times.
Our farm was going under.
Nothing was growing.
But papa refused to admit it.
Joss, did you
hear what I said?
I heard you.
Well, look at it.
The land is worthless.
It's been barren for two years.
Your mortgage is about
to go into receivership.
HAROLD: Look, Joss, I understand
what you're going through,
but the best financial
advice I can give you
is to sell now, cut your losses,
and give your family a chance.
HAROLD: Paula, he's going under.
He's dragging you down with him.
When are you going to wake up?
You're my brother,
Harold, but I
won't have you talking
about my husband that way
in his own home.
HAROLD: Well, you're
going to lose your home.
You're going to lose everything.
Joss, I brought
the papers with me.
We're making you the
best offer you're going
to get I'm going to leave them.
I urge you to take
a Look at them.
I'm going to urge
you to accept--
Joss, I strongly urge
you to accept our offer.
You got to get
your farm out of--
He's hopeless.
HAROLD: He's utterly hopeless.
Papa.
Papa, are you OK?
This land means
everything to me, April.
It's been in our
family for generations.
It's been good to us.
It's given us life.
I owe this land my soul.
Uncle Harold says we're
going to have to leave.
JOSS: We're not leaving.
The farm stays in the family.
It's always been handed down.
And that's the way
it's going to be.
I'm going to make the land
rich again, so it'll grow.
How are you going
to do that, papa?
Don't you worry how.
Just know we're going to stay.
APRIL (VOICEOVER):
A few months later,
I was tossing and turning,
going in and out of sleep.
I lived on the farm
all of my life.
And the idea of giving it
up and moving somewhere else
frightened.
I didn't know any other life.
But as scared and
sad as I was, Papa
was going through a lot worse.
[tense music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I'm
not sure what made me
get out of bed at that moment.
Maybe it was the voices
I heard downstairs.
One voice sounded like
Papa's, but the other I
had never heard before.
JOSS: You got here quick.
MAN: You called.
I came.
What can I do for you?
Will you get my family
20 years of crops?
There's no saying
exactly what I'll do.
You're not the one who
calls the shots here, Joss.
Look, this means
everything to me.
But I don't go if I
can go through with it.
MAN: No or never, Joss.
Make up your mind.
JOSS: Do you have everything
you need to do this?
MAN: Just come with me.
[music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): I wasn't
sure who the stranger was.
I thought maybe it was
Mr. Johnson, the rich man
who lived in the next county.
I'd seen someone
who looked like him
hanging around the barn once.
And that's who Papa
told me it was.
I couldn't help but
follow them out the door
to see what was going on.
It was really cold that
night, but I didn't even
think about getting a coat.
Nothing could take away
the chill I was feeling.
I had no idea what
they were doing.
And I was too far away to
hear what they were saying.
The only thing I do know is the
one thing I'll never forget.
That was the last time I
ever saw my papa alive.
[music playing]
Papa!
Papa!
Papa.
APRIL: I'm telling you I
went outside and I saw it.
He wasn't there.
I think he went away.
But he disappeared.
What do you mean
he disappeared?
It had to have been a nightmare.
No, it was a nightmare.
I know what I saw.
He's gone.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): Mama said
she didn't believe my story.
She said papa had
just up and left
and I was making the whole
thing up to ease her pain.
But I knew deep down she didn't
believe her story either.
[music playing]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): When
she thought I had gone back
to sleep, she went out
to the part of the world
where I had seen Papa
and the man in black go.
And that's where she found it,
the pile of Papa's clothing.
The wind took care of the rest.
[music playing]
MAN: (WHISPERING) Stay.
Stay.
Stay on the land.
[wind blowing]
[door banging]
APRIL (VOICEOVER): The
wind never stop howling
for the rest of that night.
Mama and I kept hearing what
we thought was a voice, a voice
that sounded like Papa's.
Finally, we fell asleep
in each other's arms,
exhausted, scared, and
strangely at peace.
[birds chirping]
APRIL (VOICEOVER):
In the morning,
the wind had died down.
And when I opened my eyes, I
knew something was different.
I could feel Papa all around.
In fact, I was sure that
if I opened the door,
I would see him standing
outside in the field.
APRIL: Mama, mama.
Mama, wake up.
What-- what is it?
Is something wrong?
Nothing's wrong.
Come on.
[music playing]
Oh, my god.
APRIL (VOICEOVER): It
was the most beautiful
scene we had ever seen.
Fields were green and
the crops were growing.
I wanted Papa to see it, too.
But I had the feeling
he knew all about it.
Did Joss Myrtle
really disappear
and become part of his land?
Or did he simply go away
one night never to return?
Was his daughter
dreaming when she saw him
hit by lightning that night?
And how do you explain
the sudden greening
of the Myrtle farm?
And what about that
pile of clothes?
And who was the
mysterious stranger?
Is there truth blossoming here?
Or is it just another
home grown like?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): You'll
find out whether the
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a luxury liner hits
an ice berg on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
The luxury liner, very much
in our thoughts these days.
The image of a giant ship
cutting through the waters
combines our
fantasies of opulence
with the undeniable
romance of the open seas.
No wonder these
miracles of the waves
have a way of capturing
our imagination.
This next story of a
sea faring disaster
is set in a time earlier
than most of our tales.
But the inspiration
for its telling
is as fresh as tomorrow.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
It was a cold winter's morning
when Harris Fisher,
an author who
hadn't had a best
seller in much too long,
met with his publisher.
ZACHARY: It's a
good idea, Harris.
But it's just not what
people are reading.
True stories are where
interests lie nowadays.
Jack the Ripper,
that's what's selling.
I'm a writer.
I'm not a newspaper reporter.
The stories come
from my imagination.
And the tide will change.
Until it does, pick up a
paper, look at the headlines.
It's not me, Zachary.
Fiction is still
greater than anything
you could read in a newspaper.
You'll see.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Back in his apartment, Fisher
struggled once again with
the writer's block that was
crippling his creative process.
Story after story would start
in his head, only to go nowhere.
He knew his publisher's
suggestion of stealing a plot
from the headlines
was a good, especially
for a writer with no ideas.
But Fisher was determined to
come up with an original plot.
But then an article
caught his eye.
A grand story took shape in
front of him, a story as rich
as the day's headlines.
That's it.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Suddenly, it was all so easy.
The chains around
his imagination
seemed to be breaking
off link by link.
If it was a story that
came from the headlines
that people would buy,
then that was what
Fisher was going to give them.
Always one who worked better
from a visual concept,
he began to draw
on a sketch pad.
Fisher could see the
ship in front of him.
Like the Titanic, it would
be a giant luxury cruiser.
Like the Titanic, it would
have huge smokestack that
would tower above its decks.
There was no stopping the
direction that his mind was
heading now, so he let it go.
Yes, and like the
Titanic, the massive ship
would set sail from England.
This with the story
Fisher knew he could sell
and so this was the
story he would write.
Soon Fisher's
apartment was filled
with a sound it had not heard
in months, the furious clacking
of typewriter keys.
Fisher's imagination was
sailing as fast as any ship.
His story would follow the
same plot as the Titanic.
His ship would also be
traveling to the United States.
In fact, its destination
was New York.
Crowds would gather on
the docks to wish it
bon voyage, this wondrous,
unsinkable legend.
There were periods when
Fisher questioned his project.
Could he really get
away with this idea?
Wouldn't readers
reject the concept?
Yet it all seemed so clear.
Why not give into the words
that were crying to be let out?
After several hours
of inner struggle,
Fisher knew he had no choice.
He must go ahead with his book.
The similarities to the
Titanic were an intrinsic part
of Fisher's story,
right down to the name
he chose for his
ship, the Titan.
To the captain.
To the captain.
To the captain, the captain.
There was no
stopping Fisher now.
The world outside his
apartment ceased to exit.
[knocking]
- All right, I'm coming.
Coming.
I'm sorry to disturb
you, Mr. Fisher,
but I thought you'd want your
food brought up to you again.
Oh thank you, Mrs. Clark.
There's going to be a big
storm coming in tonight.
Do you have enough wood?
- Yes.
Yes, I'm fine.
You know, my husband and
I marvel at your talent.
Your stories are
always so original.
And--
Thank you, Mrs. Clark.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Back to his typewriter.
The parallels would continue.
Both the Titan and
the Titanic were
the same approximate
length and width.
Each ship had three propellers.
And each carried over
2,000 passengers.
Both ships were
the most expensive,
luxurious seagoing
structures of their time.
And the creme de
la creme of society
spent fortunes to book passage.
And then Fisher added his
most outrageous touch of all.
His ship, the Titan, would
be hit by an iceberg.
And like the Titanic,
great numbers
would die of exposure in the icy
waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
[knocking]
Harris, come in, come in.
I just wanted to stop by to
see if you read my story yet.
Please sit down.
[music playing]
Harris, a 70,000 ton
ship on its maiden voyage
carrying over 2,200 passengers,
and it hits an iceberg
and sinks?
Over 1,500 people die?
Come on, Harris.
It's not going to happen.
I told you.
People aren't
interested in fiction.
The only difference between
fiction and nonfiction
is that fiction
hasn't happened yet.
And this never will.
All right, Harris,
give it another try.
And in the meantime, I'll
give this another look.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Harris Fisher's story
was written in 1898.
The Titanic went down in 1912.
An amazing story,
especially when
you consider the Titan
was written 14 years
before the Titanic ever sailed.
Could Harris Fisher
really have imagined all
those parallels to the Titanic?
Was there some newspaper
article about plans
to build the Titanic that
he lifted his ideas from?
Or was it another example
of art foreshadowing life?
The same way Jules Verne
wrote of submarines
long before their
invention or da Vinci
sketched flying
machines centuries
before the Wright brothers.
Is our story of the ship
that hit an iceberg the truth
or is it simply a titanic hoax?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a diary predicts
disaster on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Once, private thoughts
were kept in locked diaries,
hidden away from prying eyes.
Today's high tech
generation are more than
likely to record their
deepest secrets on a computer.
Kim Maddox is a lonely girl,
who feels safe recording
her thoughts on a computer.
But what happens when outsiders
invade the private sanctuary
of her innermost feelings?
We are about to see the
frightening consequences.
[music playing]
KIM (VOICEOVER): I never fit in.
People think I'm weird because
I see things before they happen.
Can you believe that
little geek actually
had the nerve to talk to me?
What did she say?
Something about Brad's party.
This is it.
Let's go.
Hey, Kim.
Hey, Kim.
We've got something for you.
KIM (VOICEOVER):
I wasn't popular.
And Rasha and Daley were.
So I loved it when they
paid attention to me.
Loser.
[laughing]
Did you see the
look on her face?
We got her so good.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I
didn't hate them.
I hated myself.
I decided to take a walk.
[door opens]
Door.
Oh.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I realize now,
they must have been hiding.
The freak left
her computer behind.
Well, she must be
going someplace special.
Who cares where she's going.
I have a better idea, let's
take a trip into Kim world.
KIM (VOICEOVER): My
mind was so preoccupied,
I never remember to lock up.
I can only guess
what happened next.
Daley, do you
think anybody saw us?
No, no one saw us.
Come on.
Let's try the back door.
They really should
lock their doors.
There it is, her computer.
Hm, let's see what we have.
Go to Diary.
Yeah, let's see what's
on the little freak's mind.
Look, she's got stuff
about all the kids in school.
[laughing]
No way.
How does she know that?
Wait, are we in there?
March 13th, I saw Daley
and her boyfriend Travis
in the school hallway today.
I'm afraid they'll
be breaking up soon.
Poor Daley.
That is so not true.
Rasha is going to fail civics
and spend the summer in school.
Too bad she'd really rather
go to Europe with her parents.
Her teacher is so mean.
Please, just ignore it.
She's so weird.
DALEY: She's coming.
Let's go.
Come on.
KIM (VOICEOVER):
When I came back,
I didn't know they
had been there.
When I saw that the
computer was turned on,
I thought maybe I had
forgotten to turn it off.
But I wasn't sure.
It was a creepy moment
that I didn't like.
It's dumb luck.
Everyone knows I hate civics.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
Hi, Travis.
What?
What do you mean we need space?
DALEY: The only
reason why I went out
with you in the first place was
because I felt sorry for you,
you jerk.
That stupid idiot.
Daley.
What?
It's coming true.
Everything she
wrote in the diary.
Oh, yeah?
Well, let's find out
what else she knows.
I can't believe
we're just breaking in.
Shh.
Look, we're just going to
find out what the little witch
is the predicting this week.
That feeling is
coming over me again.
RASHA: Something bad
is going to happen.
Smoke.
Lots of smoke at Daley's house.
[sirens blaring]
Oh, my god,
they're at my house.
KIM (VOICEOVER): My predictions
were just for me to read.
I couldn't control them.
They just came over me.
I was starting to feel
something really terrible
was going to happen
to Rasha and Daley.
I didn't know if I can
stop it from happening.
But I had to find
a way to warn them.
[door bell ringing]
DALEY: Hi, Kim.
Hi.
We just wanted to
come over and say hi.
Look, I know we haven't
always gotten along.
We just wanted to say
that we are sorry.
And that all is
forgiven, right?
Yeah.
Yeah, sure.
Do you want to come in?
Sure.
I'm glad you
guys stopped over.
My parents are going
away for the night,
and I was going to see a movie.
Would you like to come?
I really need to talk to you.
OK.
OK, yeah, we will
meet you there.
OK.
8 o'clock show?
Sure.
We'll see you there.
As if.
Freak.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I never told
them what I wanted to say.
Then they'd never
want to be my friends.
But I guess if they
were reading my diary,
they would find
out on their own.
Look, maybe we
shouldn't do this.
Come on, let's just
leave her alone.
We will.
We will.
But you know, you just
can't trust these computers.
They can get really sick.
Well, wait.
We should look and see
what she wrote first.
DALEY: I can't believe this.
We are going to
Brad's party anyway.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I knew
they would never make
it to the movies to be with me.
Brad's party was going
on at the same time.
The sad part was, I knew they'd
never make it there either.
I didn't wish anything
bad on Rasha and Daley.
It wasn't their fault
they were mean to me.
And it's not my fault that I
always end up the same way.
Alone.
Our story ends before we
find out the exact fates
of Rasha and Daley.
Sad to say that shortly
after reading Kim's diary,
they were involved in a
fatal traffic accident.
Was their untimely end
really predicted by Kim?
Or were they so frightened
upon reading the diary entry,
that they were driving in
a state of blind panic,
bringing about their own demise?
But then, how do you
explain the accuracy
of all those other
processes on Kim's computer?
This story may be fact.
Then again, it may be fancy.
What's your prediction?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a woman explores
the hidden secrets
of her past on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
The human brain, much
too complicated to be
understood by the human brain.
Repressed memory, total recall,
deja vu, all found here.
And all basically unexplainable.
Jane Doe has no
recollections of her past.
Yet on the blank
wall of her memory,
images appear that
she seems to remember.
You are about to enter her world
to experience a tale of amnesia
you will never forget.
[music playing]
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
After the accident,
I had completely lost my memory.
I hated the name Jane Doe, but
that's all they could call me.
Nobody knew who I was
or where I came from.
I had no identification
or records.
All I had were these
flashes in my brain.
And I was beginning
to get one now.
JANE: Stop.
Stop, stop the
car, Susan, please.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER): Susan was
an attendant in the hospital
where I was staying.
She was assigned to
drive me to a specialist
several hundred miles away.
But what I was
starting to experience
was more important than any
help a doctor could give me.
I was starting to
experience my past.
All of the sudden, I have
this funny feeling that I've
been in this town before.
And I think I've even
been in this diner.
SUSAN: Well, it
certainly is quaint.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
Something told
me there was a
counter area upstairs
that I had visited many times.
Good afternoon, ladies.
What'll it be?
I'd like a gardenia float.
A what please?
A gardenia float, please.
With extra whipped cream.
Kind of fancy for this place.
Two scoops of ice cream,
root beer, and some nuts
sprinkled on the top.
And it's served in a dish
that looks like a flower.
In all the years
I've been here,
I've never heard anybody
order a gardenia float.
Would you settle for a
piece of Bud's special pie.
Sure, why not?
It's going to be
all right, Jane.
Stop calling me Jane.
My name isn't Jane Doe.
She's suffering from
post-traumatic memory loss.
That's just a fancy way
of saying I've got amnesia.
Gosh, I'd really
like to help you out,
but I never seen you before.
Now, Annie here might
know more than I do.
After all, she's been
delivering mail in these parts
for about 100 years now.
Why don't you talk
to her while I go
freshen up in the ladies room.
Oh, it's just past
those two booths,
take a right and a left.
And it's across
from the jukebox.
That's exactly right.
I think I'll have my usual.
Lemonade with two sugars.
How'd you know that?
Did-- did you use--
did you use to buy lemonade from
a little girl on Spring Street?
Spring Street, that's--
that's part of the
I-90 interstate.
That's been gone for years.
Are, you OK, hon?
I don't know.
My head is splitting open.
I see flashes.
And then they just disappear.
What is it?
This table, there is
something special about it.
[music playing]
SUSAN: AW loves BP.
What does that mean?
Do you know those people?
- I don't know.
But it sounds familiar.
BP is Billy Palmer.
They said he was in
here all the time.
Poor kid.
He was killed in a bad crash
years ago on his way to elope.
It happened on the
bridge outside of town,
maybe around midnight.
Yeah.
Is the cemetery still across
the road in St. Mary's Church.
Hasn't moved.
Come on, Susan.
Thank you.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
There in the cemetery,
I was sure I would discover
the link to my past.
I stared at the headstone
of Billy Palmer,
praying that it would
open some closed door.
Who was he?
I felt if I stood there long
enough, it would become clear.
I had a few false hopes.
But in the end,
Billy's grave gave me
absolutely no answers at all.
I felt I was so close
to finding myself.
SUSAN: And?
Nothing.
Just a blank.
JANE DOE (VOICEOVER):
I was so sure this
was going to lead somewhere.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Our Jane Doe
never knew the possible truth.
For only a few feet
from Billy's grave
was the grave of the girl who
died with him that same night.
Her photo, a dead
ringer for our Jane Doe.
Angela Wright born
1930, died 1950.
Did our Jane Doe
actually live a past life
in the town she was visiting?
Was it really her who died
in that accident years ago?
Or was that photograph
in the cemetery
just someone who
looked like her?
Is this the first time
you are being asked
to judge the truthfulness
of this tale,
or as that great philosopher
Yogi Berra once said,
is this deja vu all over again?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): We'll
find out whether this
story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, spontaneous fires
invade a home on Beyond
Belief Fact of Fiction.
Many say that fire is
man's first great discovery.
For centuries, it has
allowed us to cook our food,
heat our dwellings,
and light our pathways.
And everything that has
been invented since, either
relies on fire or imitates it.
But fire is inspiring
something else
in the lives of Stuart and
Laura Freeland, the destruction
of their security.
And when we cannot control our
own safety, then all we have
left are the fires of fear.
[music playing]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Detective Harold Peters had
been a cop for over 20 years.
He has seen more than
he cares to remember.
But the only cases that
keep him up at night
are cases like this one.
That's why he's here today
searching through the rubble
for answers and remembering when
this was a dream house whose
dreams kept going up in smoke.
[music playing]
LAURA: Stuart, help!
STUART: Honey.
Honey, get back.
Get back.
What the heck.
Turn off the electricity.
You folks have
somewhere to stay tonight?
STUART: Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't understand it.
We just bought the house.
They said everything
checked out fine.
FIREFIGHTER: Well, I've
never seen flames shoot
out from an outlet before.
I'm sure an electrician will
be able to figure it out.
Good luck.
You sure this
is the right one?
Yes, of course.
I can't figure it out.
I mean, it looks brand
new, not even scorched.
I don't understand.
I don't know, the insurance
company wants me to change
it and check out the wiring.
If there's a problem with
the electrical, I'll find it.
[music playing]
God, Stuart.
Honey, what's that smell?
I don't know.
But it just started
getting really bad.
It's in here too.
Where's Where's it coming from?
I don't know.
[explosion]
STUART: Call 911.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): The fire
department confirmed the
overwhelming odor of sulfur.
By now they had been called
to the Freeland's residence
on five different occasions.
Another fire, and
another dead end.
That's when Police
Detective Harold Peters
was assigned to the case.
Stuart Freeland.
Nice to meet you.
Mind if I ask you
a few questions?
No.
You name is Stuart
Freeland, you say?
Yes.
And your name?
Laura Sloane Freeland.
Was there and Ethan Sloane?
No.
Detective, what's
this all about?
Why the police?
Well, we're trying to
figure that out, Mr. Freeland.
I mean, the fire department
can't keep coming out here.
I will tell you what's
baffling here, though.
There are no scorch
marks on this wall here.
And when a fire
touches the wall,
you figure it's going to
leave a mark, but nothing.
Right, the
insurance company has
sent inspectors, electricians,
even soil specialists.
No one can figure it out.
Shame.
Where do you work, Mr. Freeland?
Tech Aerospace.
And business good?
Yeah, it's good.
What are you saying, Detective?
That we have something
to do with this?
Oh, no, no, no.
Let me be honest with you.
I can't figure this out.
I mean, there are
no scorch marks
on the floor or the walls.
I mean it's the damnedest
fire I've ever seen.
For the fire department, too.
What do you
think we should do?
Damned I know.
Maybe you ought to get
yourself a psychic.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
The next day, the Freeland's
called Dr. Lloyd Cameron, a
man with an incredible success
record in spirit and
demon possessions.
Well, there are no
fluctuations in temperature
or energy levels.
What does that mean?
It means that I don't
see anything in this house.
There is another answer.
Maybe the energy has attached
itself to one of you.
Come on, that's crazy.
How-- how could that happen?
Something somebody
has done, something bad.
Oh, God.
What?
It's me.
When I was nine, my brother
Scott and I set fire
to the woods next to our house.
It got out of control and
it burned the whole lot.
My father said that whoever did
it would be followed by fire.
He scared us so bad we
never said anything.
I never told anyone.
Now you have.
What does that do?
Well, it clears
the conscience.
And it releases the spirits.
Repression and denial
are the fountain
head of paranormal activity.
It's over, Mr. Freeland.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
But it wasn't over.
The fires continued to
burn inside the house.
Finally, the insurance company
determined that the blazes
were caused by
undetectable gases
and ordered the house torn down.
The same day, Stuart and Laura
Freeland moved to another town.
But something was left behind.
Hey
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): A member
of the wrecking crew
found it and handed
it over to Detective Peters.
At first, it seemed
like a useless memento.
But it turned out
to be much more.
It was an old scrapbook filled
with memories, memories that
should have been
discarded long ago,
but were saved like
some horrible lesson you
don't want to remember,
yet are afraid to forget.
The book showed that Laura
Sloan Freeland as a little girl
was involved in an
incident of criminal arson.
The fire she started
killed several people.
So the psychic was right.
Only it wasn't the husband
that the evil energy
had attached itself to.
It was the wife.
Detective Peters had his answer.
The question was,
did he believe them?
Did this story have
actually taken place?
Can spontaneous combustion occur
with no scientific explanation?
Or could the fires have been
caused by some repressed spirit
sent to punish a woman who
had crossed the gods of flame
in the past?
Is this story real or unreal?
That is the burning question.
ANNOUNCER: Coming up, we'll
find out which of our stories
tonight were fact and
which were fiction
when Beyond Belief returns.
And now let's find out
if you able to separate
fact from fiction tonight.
And how about the farmer who
vanished into thin air and then
seemed to use his spirit
to replenish his land?
How do you judge this one?
[music playing]
If you guessed this was a work
of fiction, you guessed right.
We made this one up.
What about the
author who foretold
the tragedy of the Titanic
14 years before it sailed?
A 70,000 ton ship
on its maiden voyage,
carrying over 2,200 passengers,
and it hits an iceberg
and sinks?
Over 1,500 people die?
Come on, Harris, it's
not going to happen.
I told you people aren't
interested in fiction.
If you guessed this was
a story based on reality,
you were correct.
It's fact.
Let's take another
look at the story
of a student whose
electronic diary
seemed to predict the future.
Look, maybe we
shouldn't do this.
Come on, let's just
leave her alone.
We will.
We will.
But you know, you just
can't trust these computers.
They can get really sick.
Well, wait.
We should look and see
what she wrote first.
I can't believe this.
We are going to
Brad's party anyway.
KIM (VOICEOVER): I knew
they would never make
it to the movies to be with me.
Brad's party was going
on at the same time.
I didn't wish anything
bad on Rasha and Daley.
It wasn't their fault
they were mean to me.
And it's not my fault that I
always end up the same way.
Alone.
Was this story based
on an actual incident.
Yes, it was.
It happened.
And now it's time
to decide the honesty
of the tale of amnesia
and a life lived before.
Let's see a brief reprise.
I think I'll have my usual.
Lemonade with two sugars.
How'd you know that?
Did you use--
did you used to buy
lemonade from a little girl
on Spring Street?
Spring Street that--
that's-- that's part
of the I-90 interstate.
It's been gone for years.
Are you OK, hon?
I don't know.
My head is splitting open.
I see flashes and
they just disappear.
Was this story of
a woman whose memory
was based on a past life true?
Not this time.
It's fiction.
Let's Let's look at the
strange story of the house
invaded by flames.
Real or not?
My father said
that whoever did
it would be followed by fire.
He scared us so bad,
we never said any.
I never told anyone.
Now you have.
What does that do?
Well, it clears the conscience
and it releases the spirits.
Repression and denial
are the fountain
head of paranormal activity.
It's over, Mr. Freeland.
This story of
fire that couldn't
be controlled or explained is
inspired by a similar incident.
So where is the line
between fact and fiction?
Who among us can
see it so clearly
that there was never a
question of what is true
and what is beyond belief?
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
ANNOUNCER: Join us with
more stories on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
[theme music playing]