The devil, they say,
Having so far failed to destroy the human race
With nuclear weapons, toxic waste, or elevator music,
Has finally devised his most cunning weapon—
Long-Term credit with fine print written...
In the twilight zone.
Evan, you help me with b.J.'s stroller, okay?
Fine.
Matthew, don't go too far!
Here you go, little fellow.
How you doing?
Yeah, yeah...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, come on.
Come on, there we go, there we go.
Here it is.
Here, this is it.
Get the door.
Sit down, sit down over there.
Hello. My name is linda wolfe.
I have an appointment with catherine foley.
One moment.
Ms. Foley, linda wolfe is here.
Put that down.
Yes, i'll tell her.
Ow!
Get away from me. No!
Ms. Foley, i did take care of all that
And we sent them over.
They'll be delivered in about a week.
Like this, do it like this.
Yes, ma'am.
Right away.
Ms. Foley will see you now.
Oh, thank you.
You boys wait here and behave yourselves.
Thank you.
Mrs. Wolfe, thank you for taking the time
To come in and see us.
Please sit down.
Well, it's not every day i get a phone call
Inviting me to be a credit card holder.
It's not every day we make the offer.
Would you like some coffee?
Oh, no, i'm fine, thank you.
Mrs. Wolfe, you have a very spotty credit record.
I know.
Amex, visa, mastercard
Have all canceled you in the past.
So have the department stores.
Even union 76.
Yes, well, that's the past.
I've really... I-I really think
I've learned my lesson.
Well, good. Maybe we can do some business.
What do you know about our card?
Nothing. Uh, until your call, i'd never heard of you.
Well, let's say that we understand
That modern life cannot be conducted
On a cash basis.
So we offer credit to those
Who can't get it anywhere elsewhere.
You're the credit card of last resort.
Exactly.
But because of that,
We have some very stringent and unusual requirements.
For example, we insist on a minimum payment
Within seven days of purchase
As opposed to the usual 30 days.
That's kind of rough, isn't it?
Most of our card holders don't seem to mind.
It's a small percentage, sort of a good faith gesture.
But there are severe penalties and service charges.
They're all spelled out right here
In the cardholder's agreement.
What do you say?
Where do i sign?
Right there.
Here's your card.
Thank you. (laughs)
Thank you very much. You're welcome.
Evan, take boris outside.
You know he makes daddy sneeze.
Daddy isn't here.
Yes, he is.
Come on, evan honey.
Take boris outside, outside please.
Hey. Come on. (cat meows)
Hey, babe.
Hi.
Don't tell me i forget our anniversary.
Very funny.
I just bought myself a little present, okay?
Well, you deserve a present.
What credit card is this?
Matt, since your brother had to take the cat out
You got to take the garbage out.
That's my new credit card.
Oh, really?
Are we gonna start fighting about linda's problem again?
No. No.
I don't think that'd be a good idea at all.
Good.
Please...
Honey, be careful.
Oh, brian, come on.
What are you burning for dinner?
Oh, no!
Man (on television): let's go!
Woman (on television): okay, $400. Lower.
$400...
Boris?
Don't! Don't!
Evan!
Evan, the back door was open.
Is the cat in the house?
What cat?
Our cat, boris. Remember?
Short, furry, four legs.
Okay, kids, come on, time for bed, huh?
Time for bed, let's go.
Let's go. Come on.
Boris! Hubba-Hub-Bub.
Boris!
Boris?
Linda. Linda.
Boris.
Linda, linda.
What is all this about a cat?
What do you mean, what is all this about a cat?
Linda, i cannot get them a cat.
I'm allergic to cats.
Well, i know. That's why we keep him on the porch.
You got a cat?
For god's sakes, brian, have you lost your mind?
All right, if we don't have a cat
Then tell me what's been eating out of this cat dish
And sleeping on this ratty old cushion?
Oh, i get it.
This is someone's idea of a joke?
Very funny, brian.
Really, very funny.
Boris?
I think you've made an excellent choice
With the new refrigerator/freezer.
Real top of the line, lots of volume.
Will this be cash or charge?
Oh, uh, charge, please.
Thank you.
You know, if you really
Want to get the kids a cat
There's a pet store on the way home.
A short-Haired cat.
I don't want to talk about this anymore.
Two days ago, we had a cat.
And now you and the boys are convinced we never did.
Well, i didn't think it was funny to begin with
And i don't think it's getting any funnier.
Mrs. Wolfe...
Mr. Wolfe, there seems to be a problem
With your credit card.
Could you come with me, please?
Certainly.
Man #2: yeah, if we could just do that
Over nine months...
I didn't want to discuss this out there
But the credit card company refuses to approve the purchase.
Why?
Why don't you talk to them?
Hello?
Yes, this is mrs. Wolfe.
This is a very nice model.
Oh, it is. Oh, yeah.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, it's not your fault.
They're very strange.
Yeah, they are.
Oh, mr. Wolfe, the refrigerator should be at your house
Within seven days.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
What was that all about?
Oh, i forgot to make the first payment on the card.
I guess the slip got thrown out
With the box or something. I don't know.
Linda, you told you had that card
Only a week.
That's right. That's the way they operate.
Anyway, i wrote a check out for it right here.
I don't have any more money,
But the credit card people are happy.
If they're happy, i'm happy.
I don't, uh... I don't suppose you'd like to make me a loan,
Get me through the week?
I don't think that'd be a good idea.
Fine.
There we go. Bedtime.
I would like to help.
Oh, there.
Night, night, sweetie.
Hey, what's going on in here?
You guys aren't supposed to up.
It's past your bedtime. Come on.
Time for bed. Come on, matt.
Let's go, let's go, come on.
Come on. All right, all right.
Hey, scooby, off the bed.
Hop in.
That a boy.
Under the covers.
Let's go, come on.
Come on, help me out here.
There we go.
All right, good night, you guys.
Good night.
Now, mommy and daddy don't want to hear another word out of you.
All right?
Good night, guys.
Lights out.
I love you.
Night, daddy. Good night.
It's the linda wolfe account.
I know you made an acquisition.
She's late again.
Exercise your option.
Hmm.
Evan!
Mom!
What, mom?
You think the dog might like some hamburger in his friskies?
Where is the dog, anyway?
You guys got him out on the porch?
What's the matter? Cat's got your tongue?
Where's the dog?
What dog?
Evan wolfe, stop playing games!
Mom, i'm not playing games!
Well, somebody's playing games.
First boris disappears, and now scooby. Matt?
"scooby"?
Who took the dog food?
Scooby!
Well, the boys are finally in bed,
And b.J.'s sound asleep.
Good.
Linda, we have to talk.
I suppose the boys told you
That their mother is cracking up.
Imagining that we have a cat and dog
When obviously we don't.
When i came home, i found them hiding in their room.
They didn't say anything.
Look, you're cooped up here all day long by yourself
With two pre-School delinquents and a teething baby.
It'd be unusual
If you didn't get a little upset.
Oddly enough, i'm not cheered up by that.
Would you like to talk to someone else?
A professional?
A psychiatrist.
Would you like to?
Brian, i'm not cracking up.
I admit there's something weird going on here
But let's not make a federal case out of it.
Okay?
Okay.
Is this the credit card bill for the refrigerator?
I thought you had to make a payment within a week.
So?
So, we bought the refrigerator eight days ago.
Three of those days were weekends, honey.
They can't count that.
Okay, i'll mail it out tomorrow.
And i have no plans to use that card anymore.
Thank you.
That would be nice.
Tow driver: lady, at the very least
You're looking at a new water pump.
Parts and labor's gonna run you $300.
$300?
Plus, uh, 60 bucks for my tow.
Well, i...
I've only got, uh...
Twelve dollars.
Unhook it, bill!
Wait! Wait! Wait!
I, uh...
I have a credit card, okay?
Well, why didn't you say so?
Jack it back up, bill.
Let's get it out of here.
Jerk.
Yes?
She used it even though she was delinquent?
No. No, no.
We have no choice.
Do it now.
Brian?
Boys?
Anybody home?
Brian?
Hi. What happened to you?
Oh, the car broke down, i had to get it towed.
And then, they couldn't find the right water pump
So i had to wait forever.
Well, babe, why didn't you call?
So you could drag b.J. And the boys
Out to a gas station?
I had enough to deal with.
Who's b.J.?
Including this moron driving the tow...
"who's b.J.?"
Brian, "who's b.J.?"
Oh, no!
Oh, my...!
My baby!
Evan! Matthew!
Oh!
Brian...
Something's happened to the boys' rooms.
I don't know what you're talking about, honey.
The baby...
Brian, stop it, stop it, stop it!
Stop it! I need... I want my children! Stop it!
Wait a minute. Stop!
We don't have any children.
We never had any children.
We don't have a cat. We don't have a dog.
Look, linda, honey,
I can't do this all by myself.
I can't. I have to call somebody.
No, no, no, no, no, no, baby, please!
No, no, no! Don't call anybody, please!
I'll do it. I'll call somebody in the morning.
I promise i'll call a doctor. Please.
I'll be all right.
I just...
I just... Need to calm down.
I just need to relax.
I'll be all right. I'll be all right.
Okay. Please, just leave me alone.
Just go to bed. I'll be in in a while.
Please! Just... (sobbing) (muttering)
?
Evan!
Matthew!
?
I want my babies.
?
I want to see that foley person. I want to see her now!
Just one moment, please.
Ms. Foley, linda wolfe is in here demanding to see you.
My kids!
Those are my kids!
Matthew!
Oh! Evan!
My baby!
Evan! Matthew!
Bill, bill, take care of this, please.
My baby! You better let me in or i'll tear this place apart!
Come in here
With me, mrs. Wolfe.
Yes, those were your children.
Earlier this week we acquired your cat and your dog.
What seems to be the problem?
You've just taken my children away from me,
And no one even remembers that i had them!
Look...
We acquire the experiential matrix along with the principal.
It wouldn't be fair to give someone a cat or a person...
What are you saying?
Without the accompanying memories, would it?
What kind of people are you?
Well, you said it yourself.
We're "the credit card of last resort."
Now, you signed a business agreement with us.
And you failed to make the good faith payments.
And we collected. It's all in the cardholder agreement.
I don't give a damn about your cardholder agreement!
Assuming for the moment that i even understood
What you people are capable of doing,
That doesn't make it right.
You can't just take someone's children away!
We can take anything we like, mrs. Wolfe.
As long as you fail to make the minimum payment.
Oh! Now, if it's any consolation
To you, we make every effort to place the principal
In a better environment.
Oh, no! Our disbursement division is very good at that.
No, ma'am, my children don't need a better environment.
They need me, i'm their mother. Really?
You've already proven that you're a compulsive spender.
You demonstrated to me considerable irresponsibility,
Signing a contract that you didn't bother
To read or understand?
Okay, all right...
I'll go to your disbursement division.
I'll buy my children back.
With what? Your bank indicates
That your personal account is overdrawn.
This is on our joint checking account.
Is that enough?
Okay, when can i have my children back?
You do understand that this check must clear, of course.
If it doesn't,
There will be another penalty assessment.
That's no problem.
I'll be back.
I'll be back, and my children better be here.
Brian! Brian! Oh, brian! Thank god you're home.
I had to do something today, honey.
Where the hell have you been?
I wrote a check on the joint account.
I know. The bank called me.
What-What do you mean?
Linda, why don't you talk to me?
What did you do at the bank?
What's wrong with me?
What did you do?
What did you do at the bank?
I canceled the check.
No!
Hello. Yes, i need the number of the...
Brian!
Oh, my!
Brian!
?
You still here?
I'll come back and get my things
After my shift.
Yeah, well, you just might find 'em in the front yard.
Want breakfast?
Well, i was going to go up and eat at the cafe.
No, you don't.
Now, you can go and tell les and bobby and charlie
That i threw you out, but i ain't going to have you
Going to work eating cafe breakfasts. Here.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Hmm.
Melissa, melissa, look,
This whole thing just one big mistake, baby.
I swear that girl don't mean nothing to me.
She meant enough for you to go and sleep with her.
How many times i got to say it?
I am ashamed of what i did!
You ashamed of what you did,
Or you ashamed 'cause you got caught?
Well, what'd you want me to do, huh?
I mean, you want me to beg you for forgiveness
For the rest of my life?
How the hell you want your eggs?
Ba...
They told me i could have the night shift if i wanted to.
That way i'd never have to see another sunrise again.
Yeah, unless it's because you late.
Like you were this morning.
I'm not kidding, though, 'cause my boy jeffrey—
He's going to be all-Conference football
And basketball this year, and i'm not going to miss
One of his games.
Yeah, you betcha.
? Oh, my darling... ?
Oh, come on, don't start singing this early in the morning.
? Oh, my darling clementine... ?
Wilson, parker, you two guys hang on a second.
I'm taking you guys out of shaft 15 this morning.
That's great, schmidt. Hey, we get to work on our golf.
We need a crew in the junction.
Junction? What the hell for?
That's the oldest part of the mine, schmidt.
It was robbed before we was even born.
It's a good thing you guys aren't running this company.
We had a geophysical team from the university
Down here last month, and they say there's several million
Dollars' worth of coal in those trenches.
Gasification.
Yeah, coal gasification.
Got a pilot plant over in charleston
Starting up to do just that.
Get to it, boys.
And then they squish it all together,
You see, and they make gas.
Now, you make yourself enough gas, you see,
And the next time they raise them oil prices,
You can just tell those fellas
To go kiss your sweet patootie.
Now, we're not going to listen to this all morning, are we?
Yeah, gasification ain't important.
It's high school football.
What you say you read— i don't know about this.
Best that article tell you,
This part of the mine's about 100 years old.
Well, maybe it did, and maybe it didn't.
Charlie, maybe it's not too late to change shifts.
13-C.
13-D— that- That ain't right.
Now what's the matter, charlie? Something wrong?
Well, that last turn should've put us at pillar 11.
This says 13.
Well, maybe somebody changed the numbers
When they closed the junction.
No, more likely we took a serious wrong turn
Back there.
Uh, les, bobby, you track back to the shaft
And get old schmidt on the phone.
Okay. All right, and hey, charlie,
If we're not back by noon,
You start without us.
Get out of here. See you around.
We could be digging down here for the rest of our lives.
Why worry?
You're not going anywhere, john.
You could make this a home away from home.
Way i hear, you're going to need one anyway.
Charlie, you ought to take a look at this.
(grunts) hey, charlie, i think you ought to take
A look at this... John, look out!
Charlie? Charlie? Charlie?
Charlie!
Charlie! Charlie!
(coughs): help!
Help.
Charlie?
Charlie? Charlie!
Help!
Somebody there?
Who's there?
Somebody there?
Here.
I think i could use a hand.
Who's there?
Just hold it.
Boy...
Come on. Just close your eyes.
Get up. Come on.
Thanks.
No problem.
I think i broke my leg.
Yeah? Let me take a look.
Don't touch me.
Hey, come on, let me take a look at it.
Yeah, now, look, i think it is broken.
I'm going to make you a splint.
You ready? What's that?
What? On your wrist?
That's a wristwatch.
Come on, man, i need that. Now, you ready?
Yeah.
All right, hold on.
Just hold it.
When you're done,
You turn out that fire.
Huh?
Turn out the lamp.
It'll start an explosion.
This ain't going to cause no explosion.
I'm just hoping that the batteries'll hold out.
Now, you hold this for me.
Yeah. Right there.
No heat.
Hey, come on, man.
Right there.
What are you doing? That's our light!
I've never seen a lantern like this before.
Yeah, well, you can pick one up at any hardware store.
Cost you about 150 bucks.
$150?
That's three months' pay.
Did you say 150 bucks is three months' pay?
Uh-Huh.
Hey, they're still up there.
They got to be looking for us.
Yeah. Hey, hey! Somebody help!
We're down here! We're here!
Hey, you think they're still looking for us?
They always do.
Yeah, well, it sound like you been
Through a few of these.
I seen it happen.
I spent a lot of time digging my friends out of spots like this.
I can't understand it. I don't know what happened.
Well, i don't rightly know.
One minute, i was swinging a pick, and the next,
I was buried under there... A pick? You had a pick?
Where is it?
Somewhere up there.
(grunts): oh, god.
How could you lose a thing like that?
We could dig our way out of here!
Save your breath! It's under a ton of rock.
I don't believe i know you.
I didn't know we had colored working in the mine.
Yeah, well, we're all over the place, buddy.
And i don't think i know you, either.
I ain't never seen you, not on the day shift.
You work the day shift, and you don't know ray dobson?
No, i don't!
I'm the senior man here.
Are you, ray? And making what you make?
Well, you ought to talk to your union rep, man.
The only union men in this mine are dead men, sir.
Now, ray, this is stupid.
We got a hell of a lot more to worry about,
Instead of you and me down here fighting.
You're right.
Yeah, right.
I'm sure your daddy told you the same thing that mine told me.
Just like religion and politics,
You don't ask a man what he makes.
I wouldn't know. My pappy died when i was born.
Cholera got him in 1877.
Yeah, well, i'm s...
Did you say 1877?
I did.
Yeah, well, ray, that makes you about 109 years old, buddy.
On my last birthday, i was 35.
Now, come on, ray!
I wasn't that good in math,
But i do know that if you was born in 1877,
And you just turned 35, well, that just brings you
Out to 1912.
That's right. September 16,
1912.
There you are, dotty.
Did we ever get that letter from the school board?
Why are you looking at me like that?
Reverend bailey, it is not my place
To tell you exactly how to do your job.
Oh, come on, dotty,
Why should you be any different?
I thought you were going to deliver this letter
To melissa parker yesterday.
Well, i was going to do just that, dotty,
When mrs. Ritter's husband called about her stroke.
I had to spend the rest of the day
At the hospital with the poor woman.
Oh, i understand. I-I'm just...
Dotty, this thing's
Been sitting here how long?
60-Some years?
Since 1912.
And for all we know, it's just some kind of prank.
I mean, no one's ever steamed it open
To see what was inside it.
I don't believe anyone's ever bothered to tell
Melissa parker it exists.
So it's...
So it's a day late.
Reverend...
Reverend!
Reverend bailey, this letter was entrusted
To the church because the instructions
Were to be followed.
And besides,
Until their wedding several years ago,
There was no melissa parker.
(sighs): i'm duly chastened, mrs. Clark.
Of course instructions should be followed.
Although i must confess, i see no reason to worry
That it was delivered a day late.
(horn sounding) oh.
There must've been an accident at the mine.
Yeah, that might work.
What the devil?
Come on. You're the one that was worried about flames.
Now, you just leave that alone.
What's this?
The last time i checked,
It was a five-Dollar bill.
Oh, yeah?
What do you call this?
Counterfeit.
This is a perfectly good silver certificate.
Are we going to sit here and talk about this,
Or are we going to try and dig our way out of here?
You can dig till doomsday,
If you want, but you still won't get
Five feet from where you're standing.
Besides, you're using air.
Why don't you sit down and rest?
Save your strength.
Somebody is coming.
Trust in the lord.
The lord helps those who help themselves.
I don't like this.
Maybe i ought to be dead.
Maybe i'm already dead.
Then what does that make me?
You're another ghost.
Yeah.
There's been a lot of cave-Ins down here.
Maybe you died in 1912.
Well, maybe you're the devil himself.
D-13! We want it in d-13.
Oxygen in d-13.
The whole tunnel collapsed.
We're trying to get the men out.
Keep them out of there so we can get the work done.
We'll let 'em know them who's safe as soon as we can.
Now, move out, boys.
Bobby, bobby!
Who's with you?
Just les.
What about charlie and the parker kid?
They were way back in the junction
When the whole thing came down.
Damn it!
Watch out! Stretcher coming through.
Hey, did you see johnny down there?
Did you find parker, too?
We were lucky to find this one.
The whole thing is down!
Great. Gotta search
For one man whose air's running out
In a hundred square yards of tunnels.
We may never find him in that.
What are you going to do, give up?
No. We've got a few tricks.
Hirsch...
Get the rescue team over to the junction.
Bobby will show you the way.
Les, pull that crew out of shaft six.
Get 'em over to the junction from the other side.
Have 'em get some picks and shovels.
That's the only way.
Let's move, people.
Ray, this air is getting stale.
Tastes like coal.
Got to take it easy.
Stretch out the supply.
Can we talk at least?
If you can't talk, you might as well die.
Anyway, i was seeing abby carter at the time.
She had this sister, sarah, her twin.
They was always pulling the switch on me.
Just so happened, they pulled it the very night
I was going to propose to abby.
I guess i was so nervous i couldn't tell the difference.
I went right ahead and proposed to sarah.
She said yes.
Abby was so mad at me,
She wouldn't talk to me for weeks.
Which one is that?
Is that abby or sarah?
It's sarah, of course.
She's the one that said yes.
She looks like a good woman to me.
Yeah.
Married, john?
Yeah. Been married several years.
Her name is melissa.
She was my high school sweetheart.
Sarah and i have been married five years.
Five happy years, i hope.
We had our ups and downs.
Well, right now i'm having one of my downs.
I've been making mistakes—
Mistakes i'll be paying for the rest of my life.
My mama used to say
Every night when the sun went down
It was the death of the sky.
But at dawn, it's reborn.
She's beautiful.
Thank you.
There is color in this picture.
Mrs. Parker?
Melissa parker?
I'm not ready to see you yet, reverend.
This has nothing to do with the mine.
I been looking for you.
It's about a letter addressed to you.
I don't understand.
It's old.
74 years old, to be exact.
What is this?
No one knows.
But you're melissa parker, as it says.
I was supposed to deliver this letter to you yesterday,
So you could open it.
Go ahead.
"dear mrs. Parker,
"this will strike you as madness,
"but there's no other way to put it.
"if you are reading this on september 15, 1986,
"then you must stop your husband john
"from going to the cassutt mine.
"on september 16,
He will be trapped in a cave-In."
I don't want excuses.
I want equipment and i want it here right now!
Melissa's on her way in here
And she's got the reverend with her.
That guy works fast.
What about the vent shaft?
Can't we check those?
Junction's an old dig, bobby.
They didn't drop as many vent shafts as we do now.
We're just gonna have to face facts.
Our chances of finding parker are nonexistent.
I'm sorry, melissa.
Please, listen to this.
"john parker is trapped in a junction
"in a tunnel opened september 2, 1912,
Approximately 25 yards north of pillar 11."
Let me see that.
Where did this thing come from?
It's been in a safe at my church for some 70 years.
Reverend watts showed it to me when i took over.
Good god, reverend,
I can't pull my crews out of shaft 12 right now.
You don't just pick up and move a crew like that
On some goofball idea.
Parker is dying down there.
Do it.
Do what the letter says.
Melissa...
You're the one who sent him down there.
Ray. Ray.
Ray, do you hear that?
What is it?
That sound. Listen.
There's somebody up there.
We're here! We're here!
We're here.
Come on. Keep coming.
We're alive.
We're here.
We've got him.
I'm down here!
You've got to go back down there.
I'm telling you you've got to go down.
He's still in there.
Will you listen to me?
I'm telling you, he's still down there!
What's he talking about?
He's the only one missing.
Too much dust, i suppose. Makes him see things.
Oh, ray, you're safe. Thank god. Oh, god.
Sarah...
Sarah, this man saved me.
His name is john parker.
He didn't know me.
He didn't have to help me.
But he's still down there.
No, ray, it's all right.
You're safe now.
We can go home.
I can't just leave him down there.
Ray, they say that you were the only one
Down there.
No. Here's a picture of his wife.
He told me all about her.
The picture is painted.
I know this sounds crazy, honey.
But this man's from the future.
And somewhere... Somehow...
She's worrying about him just like you worried about me.
I've got to help him, honey,
Even though it may mean
Interfering with the lord's plan.
Ray...
No.
Will you get me a pencil
And a piece of paper?
I don't understand any of this,
But i love you and i will help you.
"your husband saved my life, mrs. Parker.
"and if you believe that a man facing death
"thinks only of those things that are important and true,
"you should know that john was thinking of you.
"he's too good a man
"to spend his life begging forgiveness.
Sincerely, ray dobbs."
This guy will do anything
To get out of work for a day.
You done real good.
It's okay, melissa.
I'm all right.
Melissa...
I'm sorry.
I'm so...
Uh-Uh.
Let's go home.