Hello. I'm R.L. Stine.
I write the Goosebumps books.
Welcome to dead house. I think you're going to like your new house.
But before you move in, I have a few words of warning for you.
Better look under the bed at night
before you go to sleep.
And when you make new friends,
always check to see who's dead and who's alive.
Viewers beware. You're in for a scare.
And the weather for Dark Falls,
scattered thunderstorms tonight followed by more rain tomorrow,
with a chance of clearing in the afternoon.
That's a chance of sunshine in the afternoon.
- Dark Falls? - I don't wanna live in Dark Falls.
Then I don't know where you're gonna live.
But it's not fair!
Josh, do you know how lucky we are to have found this house?
I don't care. I don't wanna move.
Dark Falls. What a dumb name for a town.
I think it's charming and evocative.
I thought you loved small towns, Josh.
Whenever we passed through small towns on vacations, you used to say, "Why can't we live there?"
That was when I didn't know any better.
The real estate agent did admit
this town had lost some jobs recently.
Great. We're moving to a place that's totally dead.
That's why we got the house so cheap.
And fortunately, all your father needs to make a living is a room with a computer.
- I don't even need a room. - I liked it where we were.
Look at Amanda, Josh. You don't see her making a big fuss.
- She wants to move here. Don't you, Amanda? - Not really.
Come on, everybody.
It's an adventure. And wait till you see the house.
It's really something.
It's really something, all right.
Something ugly!
It won't be after we fix it up.
Come on. Everybody out.
Petey, what is it?
Mom?
I think I saw someone upstairs.
You saw someone upstairs?
I saw the curtains move. It must have been the wind, I guess.
It's an old house. There'll be lots of cracks and holes we have to patch up.
Petey!
Honey, get Petey, would you? Petey!
Josh, please get out of the car.
Please don't make everything more difficult.
Petey?
Petey!
Petey?
Petey.
I'm sorry I startled you.
Amanda? Oh!
Mr. Dawes.
It was so restful in the dark. I must have fallen asleep.
I'm sorry. I gave your daughter a start.
I'm Compton Dawes of Dark Falls Realty.
Oh. Hi. I'm Amanda Benson.
Mr. Dawes showed us the house when your father and I came down here last month.
I just have a few documents that need your signature.
Oh. Mr. Dawes.
Please. Compton.
This is Josh and Petey.
Where was he?
He was in another room sniffing at a closet door.
Oh, that dog!
Just let him go, Josh.
I, uh, hope your trip was pleasant.
We made it in good time... About nine hours.
- Come downstairs, Mr. Dawes. - Compton. I insist.
Compton. You can join us in a little family ceremony.
What family ceremony?
Here's the hammer.
I wish I knew what we were doing. You'll see.
Ah!
Honey, I thought we threw that out.
I would never throw this out. This wreath is a good-luck charm.
- Looks like garbage. - It's an antique.
It's been passed down from generation to generation in my family.
I've never seen it. Because your father wouldn't let me hang it in the old house.
- Thought we threw it out. - Well, we didn't.
I think it fits in perfectly with this style of house.
- Old and rotting? - Josh!
Honey.
Mmm.
Here's to good luck!
Shh!
Now, if I can just
get your signatures...
I, uh, think you'll like Dark Falls.
One of the pleasures of my job is, uh... is
bringing in new families into our community.
Ah, excellent! Well, you have my number if you need anything.
Congratulations on your new home. Thanks, Compton.
I'll, uh... I'll let myself out.
I hate this place.
Dear Jennifer, I picked out my room,
and now I'm sitting on a mattress on the floor writing to you.
The movers are coming tomorrow, so tonight is like camp.
It's hard to believe that my best friend is now 500 miles away.
Josh has been acting like a total brat, so it's up to me to make the best of things.
Lights out, honey.
Okay. Good night, Mom.
Good night.
Josh?
Was that you? What?
Did you just walk by?
No. I was brushing my teeth.
Well, I just saw someone. Who?
I don't know.
Mom? Dad?
I have looked in every room in the house, Amanda, including the attic.
Believe me,
there is no one here but us.
I saw him.
Come on, everybody. I think we're all a bit wound up from the move.
Let's get some sleep.
Good night.
Precious! Precious!
Bring it in this way.
It can go over there in the back corner.
Be careful with that. It's very valuable.
Good morning, Amanda. How did you sleep?
Not very well, thank you.
- Knock-knock! - Oh!
It's your friendly next-door neighbor popping in with breakfast.
Thank you. Uh, come on in.
I'm Penelope Benson. Agnes Thurston.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I met your, uh, husband outside.
- This is my daughter Amanda. - Hi.
Hello!
Aren't you lovely.
Wait till you meet my daughter Karen. She's 13.
She's gonna be just
thrilled that our new neighbors have kids.
And I thought I saw a boy.
- Oh! - There he is!
This is Josh. Say hello to Mrs. Thurston from next door.
Hi.
Oh, he's just mad because I didn't bring him anything.
Is that your husband doing all the sawing?
Oh, uh, yes.
Ever since the chemical factory closed,
he practically lives in that workshop of his.
Why don't you kids grab a muffin and then take Petey for a walk.
I think the rain's letting up.
Nice kids.
They're gonna love Dark Falls.
Nice weather.
Where is everybody?
Why would anyone want to live in Dark Falls, anyway?
Maybe they got their houses cheap, like we did.
Hi.
Friendly place.
Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.
What was that? What?
Something moved.
I don't see anything. You're losing it, Amanda.
Hi. Um...
I'm Amanda, and this is my brother Josh. We just moved here.
We're very glad that you did.
Hey, guys. What's going on?
- Do I know you? - I'm Ray.
You were in our house.
- I was in your house? - I-I saw you!
I haven't been in that house in a long time.
I-in a long time?
I used to... live in that house.
- You did? - When I first moved to Dark Falls.
Well, where do you live now?
My mom told me we had new neighbors.
I'm Karen Thurston. Oh!
Hi!
We met your mom this morning.
She's really nice.
She's okay.
Do you play baseball? I love baseball.
- We were thinking of having a game. - Great.
I play first base.
Not right now. It's not a good time.
But the sun's just coming out.
Maybe tomorrow. Come on. Let's go.
I'd better go.
- Bye. - Bye.
Get away. Get out while you can.
Get away.
- Amanda, what is it? - I saw someone! - Who?
I don't know. It was a girl, but it wa... It was like... It was...
- Like what? - Like she was dead!
- Dead? - But she wasn't.
- Like a ghost? - No. I don't know. I can't explain it.
I think you had a bad dream, sweetheart.
No, I didn't. I saw her.
Her face, it was... It was horrible!
Told you this place stinks.
Your first few nights in a strange house,
I'm not surprised you had a nightmare.
- But I was awake, Mom. - I've had bad dreams like that.
Dreams that seemed so real you could've sworn they happened.
There's a hole in the wall, and the wind whistles right through here.
You must have heard the wind whistling and it made you have a dream.
No, I... I saw her.
I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll patch that hole tomorrow. It'll be fine.
I'll stay with her until she falls asleep.
Everyone else, back to bed.
We never should have moved.
And that's all I'm gonna say.
Come on, Josh. Let's go.
Close your eyes, sweetheart. I'll be right here.
That oughta keep the boogey man out.
Or boogey girl.
It was a joke, honey.
I know.
You're not liking it here, are you?
It's just that everyone thinks that I'm seeing things or I'm dreaming things.
I'm telling you, Dad, something is wrong with this house.
Honey, you said you saw someone on the first night.
But I checked everywhere, and there wasn't a soul around.
It's not just that, though.
This whole town is weird.
I mean, it's always dark,
there's never anyone out on the streets,
and those kids we met yesterday...
They didn't seem like normal kids.
Sit down.
This town's had a tough time.
I didn't realize it at first,
but most of the people around here are out of work.
We're lucky we got this house so cheap.
That means we can live for quite a while on the money we got from selling the old house.
You know what that means for me, don't you?
It means you get to work on the book you're writing.
That's right.
Just...
Try to remember we're more fortunate than most.
Will you do that for me, Amanda? I'll try.
That-a-girl.
Hmm.
We need to shim it out. I'll get to it later.
Dad really needs to do some tree trimming back here.
It's so dark.
This whole town seems dark.
Hey. Dark Falls.
Yeah, creepy Dark Falls.
Creepy, boring Dark Falls.
Do you remember that girl I saw last night?
You mean your nightmare?
It wasn't a nightmare, Josh.
That girl was in our house.
First you thought you saw that Ray kid in our house,
and now it's the dead girl.
Well, don't you think it's a little weird
that I imagined Ray,
and then we met him?
You're freaking me out, Amanda.
I wish you'd just quit seeing things.
Hey, money!
I can't help seeing things that are there.
What are you doing? Look at this.
Petey, did you do this?
Pete couldn't have done that. You know what he's like.
Man, that's really in there.
Oh, a quarter.
Who's there?
What is it? I didn't look.
Do you think I'm stupid? It's probably an animal.
Are you sure you didn't have another bad dream?
This wasn't a dream!
Amanda, wait.
Oh, it's just some junk. It fell when she opened the door.
There's a fresh hole here, all right.
Hey! Petey! What's he got?
I don't know! I couldn't see! Petey!
Where'd he go?
Here he is.
Petey? What have you got?
What is it?
It's... It's a newspaper.
The Dark Falls Daily.
Look at the date. It's from years ago.
Listen to this headline:
"Accident at chemical factory kills workers."
Why didn't you tell us about this?
It was three years ago.
What about pollution? What if dangerous chemicals are still in the environment?
No, no, no, we tested the soil and water. There is no danger whatsoever.
- I still think it's something you should've told us about. - Perhaps I should have.
Well, I'd better get going.
Wait a minute. Wait.
What about the closet? What about it?
Something tore a hole in the drywall. Could be raccoons.
We have some excellent exterminators here in Dark Falls.
Good day.
Hi. Oh, hi.
What are you doin'?
Um, I'm just writing a letter to my friend.
You feeling okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
I guess I just wish we picked a different house to live in.
Yeah, I felt the same way when I moved in.
You mean, you lived in this house too?
No, I meant my house.
Oh.
You mind if we go in?
Oh. No, no.
Come in.
Would you like something to drink?
Not right now.
What's that thing over your fireplace?
Oh. My mom put that up. It's an old good luck charm.
It's supposed to protect us.
Protect us from evil!
Petey, let's eat! Come here, boy!
Petey?
Karen, there is something bothering me.
It's... It's like I keep seeing things...
And hearing things,
like people are trying to get into this house.
Why would they want to do that? I don't know.
But it's scaring me.
I don't wanna scare you even more,
but that... That thing over your fireplace...
- What about it? - It gives me a creepy feeling.
What do you mean?
I'm not sure.
Forget it. I'm sure it's nothing.
Petey!
Come on, Karen. What are you saying?
It's... It's just a feeling. You know?
Sometimes you look at something and it just gives you a bad feeling.
Yeah?
Well, it's just like in those scary movies...
When the family brings something old into the house and bad things start happening.
Well, it's probably just a coincidence,
but...
All that strange stuff started happening just after we hung that thing up.
It did? Yeah, it did.
If I were you,
I'd get rid of it
before something really bad happens.
Mom! Dad!
Come here quick! Something's wrong!