Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997) s02e09 Episode Script

[music playing]
[theme music]
The line between
truth and falsehood
is very often invisible.
[music playing]
NARRATOR: "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]
The truth often lies
in the way you view it.
We've all heard the question
of whether the glass
is half full or half empty,
but take this cake on a plate.
Is there only one
slice taken out?
When viewed from
the opposite side,
there's only one slice left.
The same is true of the
stories you're about to see.
View from one way,
you may find the true.
Viewed from another--
total fiction.
We'll tell you which are
which at the end of the show.
In the meantime,
enjoy the stories
and then make your judgment.
That way, you can have
your cake and eat it, too.
[guitar chords]
The glamorous dream of
playing in a rock band--
some realize that dream,
but they often pay a price--
for instance, hearing loss.
Being close to speakers
like these night after night
can permanently damage the
delicate workings of the ear.
Earplugs-- highly recommended
for both musicians
and their audience.
Lyle was one of the best
rock musicians in the world,
but due to hearing
loss, he can't listen
to the thing he loves most.
And now to his story.
It goes a little like this.
[guitar music]
LYLE: My name's Lyle
Norman, and I've
owned Norman's Rare
Guitars Music Emporium
for the past 10 years--
ever since I suffered a
severe hearing loss after too
many years of too much volume.
Now the store's become
my only link to the music
that once was my life.
OK?
What's this?
I didn't ask for strings,
I asked for picks.
Uh-- I'm sorry.
What did you want?
How many times do
I have to tell you
I need picks, not strings?
Picks.
Could you say that again?
Just a little louder and--
Picks.
Picks.
Picks
GIRL: Are you deaf?
Not completely, but
pretty darn close.
Just give me a second.
If I could just tune
these up a little higher.
[high pitch feedback]
OW!
I don't have time for this, man.
I'm late for rehearsal.
Wait, wait, wait!
Just write down what you want.
I'll get it for you.
My hearing was getting
worse and worse.
I'd seen specialists,
but none could help.
The business was
going under and I was
in danger of losing everything.
[music playing]
You rock.
Oh, man, you're the best.
You're the man.
Oh, crank it up, man.
Let's see what this
baby can really do.
[guitar playing louder]
[guitar stops]
What happened?
You're way too loud, guys.
Even I could hear you.
What are you talking about?
You see the thing is, ears
are delicate little machines.
You can mess them up real easy--
forever.
If it ain't loud, it ain't
rock and roll, old man.
Oh, I know rock and roll, kid.
I sat in with all the greats--
Hendrix, Cream, Big Brother--
we played real loud, too.
Then my ears went.
Oh, it happens to a lot of guys.
If you're not careful, the
same thing could happen to you.
You're full of it.
I bet you never
even met Hendrix.
Yo, I bet you're just
some deaf old loser.
Let me hold the Axe, son.
OK, dad.
Be careful.
You might hurt yourself.
Uh-huh.
[guitar riff]
Learned that from Jimmy when he
played the whiskey back in '68
That was dope.
It was not that dope.
Yo, Austin, you couldn't
play that in your dreams, man.
Shut up, Thrax.
Come on, let's get
out of this dump
before we go deaf like Gramps.
[symbol clangs]
(LAUGHING) Hey, maybe you
ought to take up the drums.
LYLE: I didn't mean to
humiliate the kid so badly.
I just wanted to
teach them a lesson.
That night at closing
time, I was still
thinking about those two kids--
especially the one
fellow with the drums.
There was something
about his face
that went past embarrassment.
There was hate in his eyes.
Hate-- for are broken
down ex-rocker.
I stopped feeling
sorry for the kids
and started to feel
sorry for myself.
I wondered how long I'd be
able to keep my store open.
Without it, I'd have to go
on permanent disability.
I knew no one would
hire a deaf musician.
In the old days with the band,
I'd just be going to work now.
Then after the last
show, we'd sit around
and jam, play for ourselves, and
just try to impress each other.
[sighs]
[van muffler rumbling]
I don't know about
this man, all right?
Look, the old
guy's got it coming.
You saw what he did to me.
He made me fall
into the drum set.
So I'm going to blow out
what's left of his ears
and you're helping
me so shut up.
All right.
I'm here, OK?
All right.
[guitar playing]
[music blasting]
Yahoo.
Had enough [inaudible] dude?
That's the last thing
you'll ever hear!
That's enough, that's enough.
No.
No, it's not.
I'm going to show that
freak he can't mess with me.
[music blasts louder]
[glass breaks]
[screaming]
[music blares even louder]
[glass breaking]
[screaming]
[electrical buzzing]
[music stops]
Yo, he ain't moving.
I think we killed him, huh man?
No, man.
He ain't dead.
He's just deaf!
Ain't that right, old man?
How's the music now?
Is it loud enough?
You don't have to yell.
I can hear you just fine.
LYLE: My hearing miraculously
returned that night
and I was forced to close
Norman's Rare Guitars.
And I've even started
jamming with the band again.
[laughing]
Do you believe this story?
How could damaged ear drums
be repaired by high decibels?
Was there an obstruction
plugging up Lyle's hearing
that was loosened,
or even shattered
by the vibrations of the music?
If so, then why had no doctor
ever discovered it before?
Is it really a record
or a similar story
to this one taking place?
Or is this one only hearsay?
NARRATOR: We'll find out whether
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a farm house is
invaded by a haunted
bucket on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
To many of
today's children who
grew up in the
cities and suburbs,
milk only comes in a carton.
The old milk bucket is
still a familiar sight
on many of our nation's
farms and ranches.
It symbolizes a rural
lifestyle where neighbors
actually talk to each
other, even if they
live miles down the road.
But this particular bucket and
the story that goes with it
symbolize something
very different--
the unexplainable.
NED: My wife Maggie and I and
our 7-year-old daughter, Amy,
are part of a small, close-knit
community of farmers who share
and trade food among ourselves.
Gus is here.
NED: It's a simple
kind of life--
nothing very special
ever happens--
except for last spring.
That was something we'll
be talking about forever.
Hey, Gus!
How are you?
NED: It all started with
Gus Hobbs, a dairy farmer,
who lives down the road.
- Yeah, get that side, will you?
NED: He's been delivering
milk to our farm for years.
You getting thirsty?
I sure am.
NED: Every Sunday,
like clockwork,
Gus drops off a week's supply of
fresh milk in old dented metal
dairy bucket.
Sure was a wonderful
sermon this morning.
Oh, truly was.
Very uplifting.
You know, either this
bucket is getting heavier,
or I'm getting older.
Somehow, I don't think
it's the bucket, Gus.
Well, how you doing, Amy girl?
You sure was the prettiest
little thing in church today.
Hey, what is that
back of your ear?
Well, looky there.
Thank you, Gus.
Oh, don't thank me.
It's magic.
There's your empty, Gus.
See you next week.
- That's right.
Come hell or high water--
there's two things in this
life you can always count on--
Gus and taxes.
Gus, Gus.
I got something for you.
Hey, what's this?
Oh, it's just your favorite--
strawberry and rhubarb.
Well bless your
little heart, Maggie.
I'll probably start eating
this on the way home.
See you.
[thunder and rain]
O, Lord, let us
give thanks for what
we are about to receive.
NED: A week passed and a fierce
storm hit early on Sunday.
No one got to
church that morning.
MAGGIE: Well, The
last of the milk.
I really don't know if
Gus will be able to get
through in this weather.
It's blowing up a gale outside.
MAGGIE: Oh, you know,
it might clear up.
He might come later.
Look, Gus' bucket is shaking.
What are you talking about?
It was shaking.
I saw it.
Well, now we know that you
think that Gus can do magic,
but I don't think that his
bucket will move on its own.
OK.
OK.
But I saw it move.
It was probably
just the vibration
from the fridge motor.
Yeah, the storm's
starting to break.
Maybe we'll get some
milk today, after all.
[screams]
What was that all about?
Take it easy.
There's got to be a
simple explanation.
No, no, no.
Be careful, honey.
There's nothing inside.
Maybe the pressure built
up because of the storm--
although I will admit, it
does seem a little strange.
That ought to hold it.
[lids pops off with a pop]
[milk pail scraping the floor]
MAGGIE: Ned, do something!
Do something!
All right.
Everything's under control.
I want that thing out of
the house right now, Ned.
Yes.
No, no, no.
Take it back to
Gus because maybe
he can explain what's going on.
[suspenseful music playing]
[lid flies off with a pop]
[engine rumbles]
NED: I drove as quickly as I
could to Gus Hobbs' dairy farm.
It was only a short
distance down the road,
but with that mysterious
bucket next to me,
it seemed like the longest
10 minutes of my life.
Gus?
[gus groaning]
Gus--
NED: I was able to get
Gus to a local hospital
where they saved his life.
He had suffered a stroke that
certainly would have killed
him if I hadn't
shown up when I did,
thanks to that crazy bucket.
What could the
explanation for this be?
Where there gases trapped
within the milk bucket
that caused the activity?
Or was there some spirit using
the bucket to send a distress
signal on behalf of Gus Hobbs?
Is this story of the milk can
that seems possessed the truth?
Or are we simply taking
a lie and milking it
for all it's worth?
NARRATOR: We'll find out whether
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, the internet gives
a young woman the shock
of her life on "Beyond Belief--
Fact or fiction."
There's a tradition
at a wedding
that no single
woman can escape--
that point in the party when
the bride tosses the bouquet.
And as tradition holds,
the one who catches it--
is the next one who
will get married.
Lucy Robins has caught many
bouquets over the years,
but she still hasn't
been married herself.
But pay close attention.
Something strange and unusual
is beginning to blossom.
MINISTER: Do you Alan,
take Brenda to be
your lawfully wedded wife?
ALAN: I do.
MINISTER: Then, by
the power vested
in me by the State
of Florida, I now
pronounce you husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride.
[MUSIC - MENDELSSOHN, "WEDDING
MARCH"]
LUCY: It's an exciting
day for Brenda and Alan.
They met in high school
and immediately knew
that one day they'd marry and
spend the rest of their lives
together.
This is that glorious day.
I have been a bridesmaid
at five weddings this year.
And although I'm very
happy for my sister,
that's five weddings too many.
I'd much rather be a bride.
All right, everybody.
Come on, I'm going to throw it.
Get ready.
All you single ladies,
come out there.
LUCY: I've already caught the
bridal bouquet at three out
of those five weddings that
I've been in this year,
and I didn't even
get a date out of it.
Here it comes.
WOMEN: I've got it!
I've got it.
I've got it.
LUCY: Not blessed with my
baby sister's good looks,
I was beginning to come
to the painful realization
that a bridesmaid is
perhaps all I'll ever be.
[wedding singer singing]
Brenda and Alan enjoyed
two wonderful years
of blissful marriage.
Everything seemed to
be going their way,
but soon, tragedy would strike.
Alan would go on a sport
fishing trip in the Caribbean
with his boss and
several clients.
Their boat would be lost in a
storm, and everyone on board
would perish.
Brenda had a hard time
adjusting to the loss of Alan.
After a few months, I suggested
that she move in with me.
Hey, hey, hey.
This is going to be great.
We're going to get
through this together.
I love you, sis.
I love you, too.
LUCY: My sister wanted
some alone time,
so I decided to give her space.
Most of the time, you could
find me at the computer,
surfing the web.
Somehow, on the internet,
I could be myself.
I felt a freedom to
share that I never
felt face-to- face with people.
It was so easy to talk this way,
especially to my new friend,
Cory.
He seemed to be in tune
with everything I liked.
It made me feel good
to exchange my thoughts
and feelings with him.
No.
What are you doing?
I'm in this chat room.
I met this guy named Cory.
Want to try?
I don't think so.
Oh, come on.
It's fun.
You might enjoy it.
- I'm not ready.
I don't think I'll ever ready.
[sigh]
[computer sounds]
LUCY: I spent hours
communicating with Cory
in our own private chat room.
The conversation
was becoming more
and more intimate as the
days and nights passed.
A date and a place to
meet were finally set.
I couldn't wait to share the
good news with my sister.
That's great.
I'm so happy for you, Luce.
Just be careful, OK?
What do you mean?
Well, you met him
on the internet.
I hear sometimes weird
things happen to people
who meet on the internet.
Oh, no, no, no.
Don't worry.
I always carry my
little can of pepper
spray and my police whistle.
I'm not kidding, Lucy.
Neither am I.
Have a good time.
I arrived early for
my date with Cory.
He was supposed to be
wearing a red polo shirt.
Cory?
Yes.
Lucy?
Alan?
What's wrong?
I'm sorry.
You look exactly like
my brother-in-law
and he died in a boating
accident six months ago.
I almost died in a boating
accident six months ago.
I have been suffering
from complete memory loss
ever since.
Your name is Alan--
Alan Weaver.
Alan
Weaver?
Yeah, you know I think that
you should come home with me
and meet my sister.
LUCY: Over the next
several months,
Alan slowly regained his memory.
He and Brenda fell in
love all over again,
and they decided to
rededicate their vows
in a full-blown ceremony.
And by the power vested in
me by the State of Florida,
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride.
[music playing]
[MUSIC - MENDELSSOHN, "WEDDING
MARCH"]
I have so many
feelings going on inside.
I haven't really tried
to deal with them yet.
Oh, by the way.
My friend is getting
married next week.
And guess who she asked
to be a bridesmaid?
Does this story seem possible?
Was the sister's husband
really the victim of amnesia,
or was he trapped in a lie?
And what about Lucy?
Is there still hope for
her or will her future hold
more disappointments?
Have we presented you with the
truth in this tale of a woman
who never walks down the aisle?
Or are we leading you
down the garden path?
NARRATOR: We'll find out whether
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, an unsolved murder, and
a witness that speaks from
the grave on "Beyond Belief --
Fact or Fiction."
An evidence bag--
all the pertinent information
from a crime scene
is gathered here.
The contents are then
removed and given
to a cadre of forensic
pathologists, whose job it is
to analyze each item, down
to the literal practice
of splitting hairs.
But the evidence in this
story we're about to see
is turning up no answers.
It's a dead end.
This bag is about to be dumped
in the unsolved cases bin.
But perhaps a witness will come
forward who must be believed,
even though the witness
herself is "Beyond Belief."
DOCTOR: I wasn't surprised
to see the detective
walking down the hall that day.
Ever since the young
nurse Lisa Ayobi
had been brutally murdered,
detectives were a common sight
around Camry County Hospital.
Lisa was found dead in
a hospital boiler room--
stabbed repeatedly
with a surgical knife.
No evidence was found
at the crime scene,
and there were no witnesses.
But there was another reason
I wasn't surprised to see
the detective that day.
I was the one who called him.
Dr. Moray?
Yes.
I'm Detective Dave Puma.
You called with
some new information
about the Lisa Ayobi case.
Yes, it's my wife, Evelyn.
She and Lisa were close friends.
Yeah.
I don't know to say this.
A week ago, she began speaking
obsessively about the murder.
It's as if she was
actually there.
You mean the murder scene?
Yes, in a way.
The strange thing
about it is she was
not speaking in her own voice.
It seemed to be the
voice of Lisa Ayobi.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about
channeling the dead woman
spirit, Detective Puma.
I know it's hard to believe,
but I heard it with my own ears.
Really?
Where is your wife now?
She's here.
She's the nurse on duty.
I'll page her.
Lisa was a close
friend of mine.
We went to nursing
school together.
And your husband
says you may have
some new information about
this case that could help me.
I only know what I've heard.
OK.
And what have you heard?
My friend was found in the
boiler room at this hospital--
stabbed to death.
What else?
The murderer
stole her jewelry.
She always wore this beautiful
bracelet and necklace.
They were given to
her by her mother.
Lisa and her mother
were very close.
I don't like to talk about it.
Thank you, Mrs. Moray.
If you can't think of
anything else, let me know.
Please, don't!
Stop.
Where are you talking me?
I don't want to go with you.
Stop!
You're hurting me.
No, no.
Help!
Somebody, help me!
Where are you, Evelyn?
I'm not Evelyn.
I'm Lisa.
I'm afraid.
Who are you afraid of?
Don't hurt me.
Please, don't hurt me.
Here.
Take it.
Take it.
Take everything.
Please.
Who's hurting you, Lisa.
Who is it?
Do you know his name?
Jeffrey-- Jeffrey
Weagen. My back!
Ah!
The pipe is burning my back.
Help me!
Stop, stop!
Stop!
It's all right, Evelyn.
It's all right.
It's going to be all right now.
She knew about the
burn on Lisa's back?
That information
was never released.
She's never said the
murderer's name before.
- Do you know Jeffrey Weagen?
- Yes, I do.
He's an orderly here.
It's OK, Evelyn.
It's all right.
WOMAN: (FAINTLY) Jeffrey.
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey.
Jeffrey.
Why did you kill me?
What are you talking about?
Who are you?
You know who I am.
I'm Lisa Ayobi.
You're not Lisa Ayobi.
She's dead and dead
people don't come back.
I did.
Who are you?
What are you trying to pull?
You took me down
into the boiler room.
I gave you my jewelry, but you
pushed me against the hot pipes
and burned my back and you
stabbed me over and over again.
How do you know all this?
There was nobody
there-- except me.
And me.
Murderer.
Stop it.
Murderer.
Stop it.
Murderer
[screaming]
Stop it!
It's over, Evelyn.
It's over.
DOCTOR: I asked my wife, Evelyn,
why she was so willing to risk
her life to trap Lisa's killer?
She told me she had no choice.
Lisa was making all
the decisions for her.
What's the truth here?
We've all heard of
people who claim
to channel the voices and
thoughts of the spirit world.
Did the murdered woman's
spirit choose Evelyn
Moray to trap her murderer?
Or was Evelyn just a clever
actress who had somehow seen
the whole thing and chose
an extraordinary way
to communicate it?
Have you been listening
to a story based on fact,
or have you been hearing
the voice of deceit?
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, two old friends play
a mysterious game of life
and death on, "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction"
Many generals have
planned their battles
over boards, such as these.
But chess is more than
a microcosm of war.
Relationships force over a chess
board have a special quality.
The dual of wits is
encased in a time warp.
Hours pass in which
nothing exists but you,
your opponent, and the board.
Chester and Walt were
friends who played chess
together for the last 20 years.
They know each other's
moves inside out,
but the next move
belongs to fate.
Walt, I feel particularly
cagey this afternoon.
How do you feel?
Devious, Chester.
Real devious.
Have a good game, you
two-- and no fighting.
Oh, it wouldn't be a
game without a good fight.
Oh, you're the
fighter, not me.
Right.
There goes Mr. Perfect.
MARY: For as long
as I can remember,
my husband, Chester, and
his best friend, Walt,
have spent their
Saturday afternoons
having lunch at our house,
followed by a cantankerous game
of chess.
You always grab
the white ones first.
You are a creature of habit.
I am not.
Now, if you don't mind, I'd
like to make my first move.
You always go first.
That's because I'm
white always goes first.
Ho, ho, ho.
What a surprise--
King Pawn to King Four.
Just once, I'd like to see you
make a different first move.
I could understand if
you won, occasionally,
but you always lose.
I've won a few.
You just don't want to remember.
What did you do?
Take a bath in that cheap
bay rum cologne of yours?
Why don't you
stop sniffing at me
and make your move before
the millennium comes in.
I think you just distract
me so I can't think.
You don't need me
to help you not think.
MARY: How I used to love
those Saturday mornings.
That evening, Chester and
I received a phone call.
On Walt's way home
from the chess game,
he was involved in a
terrible car accident.
Chester's beloved
friend, Walt, was dead.
As the weeks passed, the
death of his best friend
weighed more and more
heavily on Chester.
He wasn't sleeping
or eating well.
In some strange way, he blamed
himself for Walt's death.
I knew that was nonsense, but
the steady decline of Chester's
health was very real.
Chester, you've got to stop
doing this to yourself.
Look, I been thinking
and I've got an idea.
How about you and I
playing chess together?
I love you Mary, and I know
what you're trying to do,
but it just won't be the same.
No, it won't be the same
but let's try it anyway.
MARY: It was a strange game.
Black and white pieces
separated by themselves.
Isn't that odd?
Yeah, it sure is.
I ended up with the
black ones, anyway.
[sniffs]
What are you doing?
Are you wearing Bay Rum?
No, I'm wearing
my usual perfume.
MARY: Then things
really got strange.
There's something wrong here.
Yeah.
I think we should
put the game away.
Yeah, put it away.
Images have been known to be
picked up on camera that cannot
be seen by the naked eye.
MARY : I hired an expert
in the paranormal.
After performing a series
of extensive tests,
she concluded that there were no
signs of para-psychic activity
in our house.
You know, all I
can think is perhaps
there was a slight earth tremor
that afternoon, which caused
the movement of the pieces.
Or maybe, one of you
accidentally bumped
the table without realizing it.
You're probably right, doc.
I think I did kick the table.
Well, this makes me
feel a lot better.
I'm glad you're so sure.
Thanks for coming around, doc.
And with all due
respect to my wife,
she believes in all
this paranormal stuff,
but I have my doubts.
Well to each his
own, Mr. Higgins.
You know, my dad
used to wear Bay Rum.
Is that what you have on?
Yes, yes, that's what I have on.
You ate everything.
And you're looking
so good lately.
Oh, I love you, baby.
Oh, Walt says hi.
Hi, Walt.
I'm going to
leave you two alone.
You have a good game.
Oh, I don't want to
hear any fighting.
Your move.
You never change.
I know, I know.
Hurry up, hurry up.
MARY : How I love
Saturday mornings.
Could this story have
really taking place?
Was Chester just imagining his
friend was moving the pieces?
Is there a hoax
at work here or is
it possible that
the spirit of Walt
had returned to the place
where he was most happy?
Do you think the story of
friends playing chess is true,
or are we playing a game
of cat and mouse with you?
NARRATOR: Next, we'll find
out which of our stories
tonight were fact, and
which were fiction,
when "Beyond Belief" returns.
And now it's time to
see which of our stories
tonight are inspired
by actual events,
and which are works of fiction.
Let's take another look at
the story of the former rock
musician with a hearing loss.
[music blasting]
Yo, he ain't moving.
I think we killed him.
No, man.
He ain't dead-- he's just deaf.
Ain't that right, old man?
How's the music now?
Is it loud enough?
You don't have to yell.
I can hear you just fine.
Did an event like
this actually happen?
Not this time.
It's a fake.
What about the story
of the milk bucket
that sent the
mysterious SOS signal?
Yeah, the storm is
starting to break.
Maybe we'll get some
milk today, after all.
[screaming]
What was that all about?
Did the story of the exploding
milk bucket really happen?
A similar story did take place.
What about the bittersweet
tale of the kind-hearted woman
fated to be a bridesmaid?
All right, everybody.
Come on, I'm going to throw it.
Get ready.
All you single ladies,
come out there.
Here it comes!
ALL: I've got it!
I've got it!
Did this story of unrequited
love actually take place?
Yes, it's fact, according to
firsthand interviews conducted
by author, Robert Tralins.
What about the tale
of the woman who
was channeling the voice of a
murder victim she never knew?
Please don't stop.
Where are you taking me.
I don't want to go with you.
Stop, you're hurting me.
No, no.
Help!
Somebody help me!
Where are you, Evelyn?
I'm not Evelyn.
I'm Lisa.
I'm afraid.
Who are you afraid of?
Who hurt me?
Please, don't me.
Here.
Take it.
Take it.
This story of a crime solved
with help from the beyond,
is it based on reality?
Yes, it is.
Let's review the story
of the chess players
who could not be
separated, even in death.
Isn't that odd?
Yeah, it sure is.
I ended up with the
black ones, anyway.
[sniffing]
What are you doing?
Are you wearing Bay Rum?
No.
I'm wearing my usual perfume.
Did you think we
made up the story
of a paranormal chess game?
You're wrong.
It happened.
What does your score
card show this time?
Were you able to spot
the truth among the lies?
Or did you find our final
conclusions to be ultimately--
"Beyond Belief."
I'm Jonathan Frakes.
NARRATOR: Join us for
more stories next time on,
"Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction."
[music playing]