Original subtitles

Middleburg is a middle -sized town in the middle of the country.

But sometimes, in my dreams, it felt like someplace else.

Somehow familiar, but also very strange.

Middleburg is where I live.

And so did something...

Some people thought Middleburg was dull, that nothing ever happened here.

Well, they were very wrong.

Francis?

Francis, time to get up, honey.

My name is Francis Bacon McCausland.

I'm 14 years old.

That morning, I was extremely tired.

It's so dark.

Must be a storm front moving in. Not according to the barometer. Maybe it's

end of the world. It sure feels like it.

How would you know what the end of the world felt like?

You've never felt it before, have you? Maybe the clocks are wrong.

Hope springs eternal.

I always set our clocks by the Naval Observatory website.

I'll check it out. Bert, trash, and don't forget the paper.

Why do I always have to take out the garbage? With age comes responsibility,

Bert. When you go to college, your sister Frances will take the trash out.

want to get a dog so he can eat the garbage and he can fix the newspaper.

Dogs have germs.

What would you do with it when you're into college?

They don't allow dogs in the dorm room.

Maybe. You could put it on the roof.

Get real, Frances.

Go up, Bert. Get real, girl. Oh, jeez. What happened to the eggs? There were

dozen eggs in the fridge last night. Now there aren't any.

Cold cereal again.

I didn't do anything with them.

No one's blaming you, Frances.

I'm the one they always blame for everything.

That's because you have so much pent -up aggression.

I do not! I do!

You do. We're not talking about aggression right now. That's what family

for. Now we are simply trying to determine what has happened to the eggs.

It's 4 .23 a .m.

The clocks say 7 .23.

The clocks are wrong.

I told you, it was the end of the world.

It was hard to get back to sleep.

I kept wondering why all the clocks had been sped up.

But I knew there had to be a logical explanation.

Most kids my age go to middle school, but I skipped a grade. Hi, Bert.

You shouldn't waste a lot of time growing up.

Jo. Oh, hi.

Hi. So, um, why don't you want to take the bus to school?

Joanne, nobody rides the bus to high school.

It's just for children.

I wish I could skip a grade so I could go to high school.

Bert does have another year after this, doesn't he?

He's lucky.

Well, why do you care when Bert graduates?

Uh... Did I tell you that our alarm clocks went off three hours early this

morning? Really?

Yeah. And Mom says the neighbor's clocks were on, too.

Can you believe that?

Well, yeah. Our clocks did the exact same thing. They were all three hours

early. That's so weird.

Well, it's only weird because you don't have a logical explanation for it.

Um, why is that dog on the roof?

Now, that's weird.

Why would that make dogs get on the road? I was talking about the clock

wrong. Good morning, Francis.

Good morning, Mr. Kepler.

My biology teacher. He really likes me.

Does he make you put up frogs and stuff?

That is so gross.

Oh, I love biology.

See, yesterday we got to take this chicken...

He's tearing at us.

What?

Guys?

Well, he was just right there.

Okay, Francis.

I gotta get going, but I'll see you here after school, okay?

The egg, or ovum, may be surrounded by as many as three

protective membranes.

question, Frances?

Actually, I do, Mr. Kepler.

Did your alarm clock go off three hours early this morning?

How could you know that?

Oh, a lot of clocks were wrong.

And see,

I've been taking a statistically accurate sampling of the whole school,

names and addresses and phone numbers.

You know, to see if it only happened in one area.

Can I see that, please?

Oh, yeah.

in your science class? Not really in the class, just sort of sitting on the

shelf. He was what?

Oh, look, there's another one. Get out there in the first place, Charlie.

That is so weird.

Oh, what if the helicopter flew over so low that the dog stuck its car in and

chased it right up the roof?

That's a logical explanation, isn't it?

Sure, Jo.

Hi, Bert.

Have you got a crush on Bert?

No, I don't. Well, he is kind of cute.

You shouldn't be his groom.

If you think dissecting a frog's throat... I think it's really brave what

for your little brother.

All he had to do was lie there.

But I hear it really hurts when they stick those needles in you.

Must be really great to save someone's life.

It was the doctors who saved Arwen's life.

Well, you better not tell Bert anything about me thinking he's cute.

You're right. Like I'm going to say anything to Bert about anything.

Promise? I promise.

Cross your heart and hope to die stick a needle in your eye.

Grow up, Joanne.

Look, I gotta get to swimming practice, but I'll see you tomorrow.

Okay. Oh, are you tying up for the high school team?

They're all older than I am.

Oh, it doesn't matter. It's swimming. That just means you're more streamlined.

Bye. Bye.

Are you following me?

Yeah, I'm talking to you.

You can see me?

Well, yeah.

Strange things were happening that day all over Middleburg.

Someone put a little gelatin in a school swimming pool.

A colony of bees colonized the

principal's office.

School buses developed unexplained...

And then there was the graffiti.

Nobody knew who was

responsible.

Nobody knew who to blame.

But they wanted to blame somebody.

Bert, do you know anything about the recycling bin?

Have you been playing in the garage?

Why you always got to blame me for everything?

It's called inductive logic.

Look, if you want everybody to know you skipped a grade, why don't you just wear

a sign?

Bert? She's the one that started it. No one's blaming anyone, Bert, for

anything. Of course not.

It's just that studies of various cultures show that pranks like these are

usually the work of adolescents.

You know, I remember.

When I was 15.

She rolled a yard of toilet paper.

We were just discussing whether any of the kids at school are talking about

anything. You know, like setting the clocks forward or putting something in

water at the pool.

What happened to all the gelatin?

Hmm?

I was going to make my wiggly fruit thing for dinner tonight.

Well, I didn't take it.

Well, no one's saying you did, Burt.

Well, if it's not in the cabinet, then somebody had to take it.

It's really a logical conclusion.

Parents are always ready to believe you've done something bad.

What?

It's like they never forget they had to change your diapers.

But at least your friends have more faith in you. Hi, Joe.

No, I didn't do this.

Get real, Francis.

If I thought it was strange at home, school was even stranger.

I'm telling you, she's the one who did it.

Is there something interesting about my locker?

Why is yours the only one without a B on it?

Maybe she's the one who did it.

Grow up, people.

Just because they skipped my locker doesn't mean I didn't do it.

Hey, did you really egg Creepy Kepler's car?

I told you that.

That's what everybody says. They said you did the lockers, too.

I think it's really cool.

It's not cool. It's vandalism.

What does B stand for?

You know, I did not put a B in all the lockers.

Well, who did?

I...

Find

out.

the situation.

I didn't know you could see me.

Why wouldn't I be able to see you?

Nobody else can.

Yeah, right.

All right.

Well,

that's stealing, you know. Well, he knows he shouldn't eat this stuff. It

his face break out.

Well, what's your name anyway?

Oh, I guess you were almost named after Harry, Houdini.

That's really funny. It's better than being named after four sisters. Bacon!

I don't like bacon.

Well, Houdini's not even a real name.

I'm not a real person.

I'm an imaginary friend. Thank you very much, thank you very much.

Well, that's really cute, but I do not have an imaginary friend.

See, I say I was your...

Imaginary friend? I don't think so, Miss Frances.

Well, if you're not my friend, then why are you following me around?

Are you sure I'm following you?

Maybe you're just imagining.

No. Seriously, Fran, do you know if I call you Fran? Yeah, actually, I do. I

think I must have been sent here to help you. That's probably why you can see

me.

Oh, you know, I don't need any help, real or...

Imaginary. Au contraire.

There's something very peculiar going down in this burg, Watson, and it looks

me like you're in the middle of it.

Look, I don't care what they said, but I did not egg Mr. Kepler's car.

I know you didn't.

Okay. I know who did.

It was the boogeyman.

The boogeyman?

Mm -hmm.

And I think he's got it in for you, Fran. I think you're being framed.

a B, correct?

Is there a bacon without a B?

Francis, it has been suggested that you might know something about the unusual

events that have been happening the past few days.

We have reason to believe that there was a plan among a large number of students

to set clocks to the wrong time as a sort of mass prank.

You had that list of students you were checking with to make sure they set

clocks forward.

You set them back in order to make the alarms go off earlier.

You set them forward.

It's like daylight savings time. Fall back, spring forward. No, fall forward,

spring back. Can we forget about the clocks for a moment?

Spring forward.

Frances, do you have any knowledge about Mr. Kepler's car being vandalized? No.

Or about the graffiti on the lockers?

No. Don't forget the gelatin in the swimming pool. No!

How do you feel, Frances, about...

things. Do you have any insights?

Yes. Yes, actually, I do.

There's this boy, and he's been following me around.

Well, and he's really weird. He said his name was Larry Houdini.

Did he say he knew who was behind the pranks?

Well, actually... Well, there he is. He's right there.

Hey.

Get in the bass drum.

As a hiding place, you can't beat it.

I'm not trying to hide. I'm chasing you.

Friend, friend, friend.

You're making a big mistake, friend, if I was really sent here to help you.

Yeah, who sent you?

Do you ever hear a little voice inside your head telling you you should do

something? Actually, no.

Well, I did. And he told me to come to beautiful downtown Middleburg.

What you heard was just dissociation between the two sides of your...

Alleged brain.

No, no, no. It's the same guy that sings those stupid songs you can't get out of

your head.

No, that's Barry Manilow.

Francis!

In here!

He's in here!

So you get out of this one, Houdini.

Friend, friend, friend.

There he is, Larry Houdini.

I think this...

He's gone on long enough, Francis. What are you talking about?

He's right here. He's playing a saxophone. He's moonwalking.

I'm going to have to call your parents.

Why are you doing this to me? Why are you pretending that you can't... See

Would you like to lie down, Francis?

Would you say that Frances is unusually rebellious?

Oh, no, not at all.

Frances has always been very mature for her age, very, very well -adjusted, very

grown up. Starting high school can be traumatic, especially if she skipped a

grade. I understand that her younger brother had leukemia, and it says here

he was given bone marrow transplants from his sibling.

Well, yes.

That's true.

But Darwin is in remission. The doctors say there's every hope for a complete

cure. Oh, I've been developing a theory that Frances is acting out

repressed anger at having to donate her bone marrow to save her brother.

Well, that's interesting.

However, it was our elder son, Bert, Albert, who was the

donor. So...

Well, it was just a theory.

I am sure that there's a logical explanation for everything that's been

on. I know that you are far too mature to be playing childish pranks on people.

And you still think it was this boy, Larry, who put the gelatin in the

pool and threw the eggs on Mr. Kepler's car?

Eggs?

I'm sure it is all simply a misunderstanding, honey.

But, Francis...

I was just thinking about something, Ms. Riedel said, you know, about repressed

anger. Oh, Mom, no. Is there anything your father and I could possibly...

Please, please, let's not get Freudian, okay?

This is not some kind of adolescent... thing.

Well, honey... I didn't do it!

She ran into her room like she was still just a little child.

Oh, what if she's not emotionally mature enough to start high school?

Oh, come on. We have thought all the way through this.

I know, but what if we made a mistake?

Maybe she's unhappy, Michael. Maybe she's blaming us.

Oh. Oh. So you think our daughter's expressing her resentment towards us by

writing the letter B all through the town?

Let's be the adults here, Michael, shall we?

No, I mean, obviously.

She's not doing everything alone.

Well, obviously.

But if she is unhappy, that could make her vulnerable.

And maybe she got involved in some kind of... Oh, I don't know.

Mind control.

You know, she mentioned being hypnotized in the car on the way home.

And there are incidences of mass hypnosis that have occurred all over the

What if someone is controlling the minds of children all over Middleburg,

telling them to egg cars and set clocks back? So you're saying that someone is

coming into this house to control our children's minds.

How could they do that?

So remember, my friends, when you're ready to make that big step... We are

having an important discussion here, Bert. About Francis.

What, you guys think she's the one doing all that stuff?

That's what everybody at school says. She's supposed to be like the ringleader

or something.

This has got to be my hypnosis.

There's only possible explanations.

there isn't really a boogeyman.

What? Some kids at the park said there is.

But if you pull your covers over your head at night, the boogeyman can't get

you.

Darwin, the boogeyman is just something that somebody made up to scare children.

You know, somebody older and wiser needs to tell those kids the truth.

It was a big boy who told them about the boogeyman.

Well, he should be ashamed for scaring children like that.

He said his name was Larry.

Hey, hey, Darwin.

What did he look like?

The guy who told him about the boogeyman? I don't know. He said he was

basketball, but I couldn't see him.

Larry Houdini.

Are you mad about something?

Yeah, actually, I'm curious.

You had me thinking I was seeing things, or something, or telling me you're some

kind of evolutionary person. Friend, get it right. All you really did was just

hypnotize the principal and Ms. Riedel to make them think that they couldn't

you. What?

Yeah. Girl, I don't know how to hypnotize people.

I can do magic tricks.

There you go, friend.

If you're not for real, then why could the kids in the park see you?

Those were little kids, Fran.

They could see anything they want.

Just like I see these monkey bars.

You know, I want you to tell my parents and the principal and Miss Riedel. Are

you listening to me?

Larry!

They can't see me, Fran, okay?

The guy in my head. He sent me here. You don't listen.

I get it. I get it. You're trying to get me into trouble. You're trying to blame

everything on me.

What? What?

Can you hear me? No, I don't hear voices.

I just see things.

Have you seen this one yet?

Do you have a library card?

What?

The pirates have captured them.

Peter excitedly snatched up his sword. Ready and eager for the... What's up,

guys? Take care of that lizard.

How's that lizard?

But suddenly, he remembered what he was cautioned.

Not to forget his medicine.

I don't know what book I want. The guy in my head just said I needed a book. He

didn't say which one.

Why is it so bright in here?

Some people.

They like to read in here. Go figure.

What's with your eyes?

Okay, it's not that bright in here.

Eureka!

Do you believe in fairies? Do you?

Librarian, if you throw it out, you'll be quiet.

There came an echo of sound. Deliver the boogie.

The boogie book?

By who?

By guy in head.

Now, if this is supposed to convince me that you're for real... You mean not for

real. Read the dedication.

This book is dedicated to...

Larry.

For Larry. Okay.

So let's see what the head honcho has to say.

Head honcho? No, no. This doesn't prove anything.

Pull my book.

I think I'd like to check this out.

Oh, this is it, this is it, this is it.

Chapter 2.

50 Ways to Bust Your Boogie.

You know, you could be an astronaut from a galaxy far, far away, and you've got

this neural thing in your head that keeps you from seeing.

Although it doesn't work on really small children.

You know, what if that voice in your head, what if it...

What if it's some kind of transmission from a mothership?

Man, if we had a thermonuclear device, that boogeyman would be... You know,

if the boogeyman was really a creature from a distant planet?

It comes from under your bed. What?

Yeah, it says it right here. The boogeyman lives under your bed. It

which bed, but I figure if he's trying to ruin your life, it must be under your

bed.

Well, there is nothing living under my bed.

Oh, yeah, Francis? Yeah.

Have you looked lately?

Well, let's just go look right now.

No reason.

Okay.

Well, are you coming or... What?

Where have you been, Frances?

I just went to the library. You know you're not supposed to go out without

telling us first.

Okay, I'm sorry. I guess I forgot.

It's all right, Frances.

We're not angry. We're just very worried about you.

Can I go to my room now? Actually, we need to talk, Frances. Yes, you may go.

But just keep us informed next time, okay?

Okay.

Don't you want to know what's going on with her? Well, of course I do.

But we can't pressure her, Michael. She needs her space. She needs professional

help!

I am going to email that guidance counselor, Ms.

I'm going to invite her over to dinner tomorrow. She has experience dealing

problems like this. Besides, I have that roast I need to cook.

Not under there.

Now.

Okay, it says here there's this thing called temperature fuse that can make a

boogeyman harmless.

You've got your feet on my bed.

Oh, man, I think I can make one of these temperature fuse things.

Where do you get your clothes?

Well, hey, friend, it's got the instructions and everything. Look at

Have you washed your marbles?

Darwin.

They're not on the floor.

They're not Bert's. Hey, man, don't you recognize me?

How do you know Darwin?

You said they weren't his.

It's me.

Larry. Are they yours?

Do you see anybody else in here?

You don't have to be snotty about it. I don't want your old marbles anyway.

No, wait. Don't leave, Darwin.

Darwin.

Darwin, why won't you be my friend anymore?

You were Darwin's imaginary friend?

I didn't know that was your brother.

Darwin, pull the covers over your head so you'll be safe, okay?

I mean, he doesn't even know I exist.

Well, he doesn't believe in things like imaginary friends.

I can't believe I'm having this conversation.

You're not really an imaginary friend.

I don't understand why he doesn't believe in me anymore.

Oh, well, look, I told him a long time ago that it was childish to believe in

things like that.

You did it.

You're the reason why he can't see me.

You told Darwin to stop believing in me. What's wrong with your eyes?

I must be allergic to something. I don't know.

Allergies don't make your eyes look like that.

You know what, friend? You just know everything, don't you?

That's why.

That's why you told Darwin to stop believing in me. To show him you knew

than he did.

No, he needs to believe in his doctors, okay?

Something real?

That's how you stop being afraid.

You wanted to help him?

Then why didn't you give him some of your bone marrow, huh?

I wanted to help him, but the doctor said Bert was the only one who could do

I bet that was a relief.

No, I wanted to do it.

Safe.

Larry. No, don't pretend with me, Fran.

I know all about pretending.

Fireman now?

You remind me of Darwin's action figure.

I don't see anybody.

It's a Christmas light.

But there is no boogeyman on the roof, okay?

I think you're making the whole thing up.

Hold this for me.

I'm going up.

Wait, wait, wait. What are you going to do? I don't know, okay? I don't know.

I guess I'll use my imagination.

Try using the ladder, okay?

There's one in the garage.

Larry?

It's kind of scary.

Don't you think so?

Do you see a friend?

Right.

It won't be long until she can see.

A boogie.

Just like me.

Do you see a friend?

Do you see a... And you'll see that new boogie, too.

Inside of the mirror.

You will see.

this morning, Michael. I am talking about this!

What? This is our house on the front page of the paper. We've got TV

outside right now!

Oh, cool.

Hello. Francis, you know we are not trying to pressure you, but even you

must admit that you have not adequately explained what you were doing with that

letter last night.

Francis... This has nothing to do with the...

Yep. What, Mom?

The chick from Channel 15 News is out there.

Oh, she's a hottie.

If you want to know about our family, visit our website.

Maybe we ought to get away from the house.

Why don't we take a family drive?

Oh, gee, I would love that.

Oh, but I've got this elective dental surgery.

Listen, Bert.

And I don't feel good. Can I stay home, too?

After what you were up to last night, young lady... Joe?

Uncle?

Nice catch.

You're all right.

Just all right?

And I thought I was great.

When you fell off the roof last night, I thought that you were get real,

Francis. If I can quote your friend Joanne.

Well, former friend, thanks to the boogeyman.

Are you sure you didn't do anything to make him mad?

Hello. I think I'd remember if I'd ever done anything to the boogeyman.

Okay, Francis.

Okay.

Are you saying because you're imaginary that you can't ever die?

I never have.

So what, you never get old?

You just stay young forever, like Peter Pan?

Our friends grow up.

Then they don't need us anymore.

So we go find new friends. Making new friends keeps you young, just like

aerobics, tableau, tachy, all that good stuff.

Well, then why didn't you get a new friend when Darwin stopped believing in

Because Darwin still needed me.

Well, what is this thing anyway?

Tentrifuge.

Oh.

How does it work?

Assuming it works.

Oh, it's so simple, a child couldn't understand it. In fact, a grown -up

couldn't understand it at all.

All right, if you spin the clock...

Clockwise, at the right RPM, it creates what you call a temporal fugitation

impulse. You take the fugitation impulse and you amplify it with these magnetic

fields, and then the speaker sends it through the vacuum chamber.

Well, that's Dad's vacuum cleaner!

Your dad does the vacuuming?

Yeah, he likes to do the housework.

This is starting to get unbelievable.

Anyways, after resonating the vacuum chamber, the impulses go through these

jumper cables and right into the boogeyman.

And? A boogeyman's got a very tightly wound biological clock. That's why they

only bother you when you're a little kid. By the time you grow up, the

is tired and retired.

No, no, no. Then why is he bothering me now?

That's a very good question, Fran.

Anywho, the temptation speeds it up.

30 seconds on this baby. He's got a white long beard, walking with a cane,

eating some prunes. He's harmless.

Too old to boogie.

Can you expect me to believe all this?

It's in the book.

What do you want, a demonstration?

Yeah.

Say that.

It's too experimental.

I would have said ridiculous.

I'm going to pull the switch.

I thought that I was crazy at the university.

It's a lie.

But now I've told you.

Now you'll see who has the last laugh.

It's not funny.

Sorry.

You know, this stuff smells disgusting.

It's sour.

It's been fugitated. It's like two months old now.

I don't know why it went bluey like that.

The tempter fuse must be lactose intolerant or something. Ow!

You scratched me. Give me that.

I used to bite them.

So that's why they grow really fast now.

Man, there is something strange going on with you.

Like how would you know?

Have you known any other imaginary people?

I could be perfectly normal.

Yeah, right, and pigs could fly.

Look, I'm going to go take a cold shower.

Maybe that will wake me up from this nightmare.

Is that a zit?

Girl, you need to take care of your skin.

Great. I'm still dreaming.

Over here.

What are you doing in there?

Just pausing to reflect.

Get out. Okay, get out. It's creepy.

Oh. How long have you been in there?

I was just thinking, now that the boogeyman knows we're after him, he may

come out from under the bed for who knows how long. You know, lay low.

Why can't we just wait for him to come out?

What's the hurry?

Oh, no, no, there's no hurry. I just thought it'd be nice to get it over

you know, before something bad happens.

Bad? I mean, if it does.

So how do we get this over with?

It's all in the book.

There's this recipe called boogie goo.

Boogie goo?

Sure. Boogie men love this stuff.

It's going to take me a while to get the ingredients.

Why don't you try the supermarket?

Imaginary food section.

That is a good idea.

Fran, you are so smart.

That's a lovely little bust you have there.

Oh, thank you.

It's a reproduction, of course. You know, you don't get rich being a

anthropologist. Oh, tell me about it.

And what do you do, Michael?

I've got a Ph .D. in solid waste engineering.

Piled higher and deeper.

It's so caring of you to invite me into your home environment and give Frances

and I a chance to get to know each other.

Frances and me.

Uh -huh.

Can I be excused?

Yes, of course you may, Frances.

I'm going to go to my room environment.

What are you doing?

I think it's about done anyway.

What's in that?

Some rotten eggs, burnt sugar, jalapeno peppers,

Limburger cheese, some anchovies, bacon grease.

One of those guys?

Your daily requirement of iron.

A couple of slugs, some leftovers from the school cafeteria.

Sick! Yeah!

Don't you hate leftovers?

Oh, and, um, I needed some week -old sweat, so I ran one of Bert's gym socks

through the blender.

Well, you did wash it out when you were done, didn't you? I did. You did wash it

out!

Pudding, Miss Riedel. Oh, thank you. It looks delicious.

Excuse me, I think I smell something strange.

We can pour a trail of boogie goo and lead the boogeyman straight to the fuge.

Why and

what in the world are you doing?

You are not taking it home.

That's why I'm cooking it at home.

I think everyone should learn how to cook it.

This does not smell like food, Francis.

telling each other the truth, young lady.

Now, Mom?

Yes, now.

Francis, your father and I both know that something is going on with you and

that you are involved somehow with what's going on in Middleburg. Mom, we

want to punish you, Francis. Can we move?

We just want to understand why you are doing it.

I can't help but feel that your father and I are partially responsible.

that maybe we forced you to grow up too fast.

This has a very interesting flavor.

Do I detect a hint of nutmeg?

Just a little bit.

That looks like Bert's gym sock.

Oh, what we went through with Darwin must have been very hard for you.

We almost lost him, and that was very scary, even for the grown -ups.

What kind of cookbook is this, honey? Because I'm just a little... Oh,

Now, don't go, because we've got to start now.

What are you doing in there?

I got hungry.

Get out.

Get out!

Um,

can you help me?

Can you help me?

You eat that stuff.

It kind of tastes like chicken with a hint of nutmeg.

What is going on with you, Larry?

First your eyes, your fingernails, now you're eating boogie goo.

Look, I'm not turning into a boogeyman, okay?

Taking deep breaths, Ms. Riedel.

I'm going to get some anti -nausea medicine and a wastebasket.

Can I have an excuse?

I heard the people barf.

You

are

turning into a boogeyman, aren't you?

What makes you say that?

Where did a boogeyman come from, Larry?

Is it in the book?

If a child stops believing in an imaginary friend

too soon, the imaginary friend may turn into a boogeyman.

That's what's happening too, isn't it?

Because I made Darwin stop believing in you too soon.

Larry, I'm trying to help you. Just go away, okay? You can't help me.

Don't say I can't help, okay?

It's a terrible thing to say.

Who are you talking to?

Darwin, I'm trying to have a private conversation here.

Does that mean you're talking to yourself?

Will you just please leave me alone for a little while?

It's my room.

Please. Okay, then I get your room.

Would you give this to Don for me? He's looking all over for it.

Maybe you could give it to him yourself.

You know, maybe I could talk to Darwin and I could get him to believe in you

again. It's a little late for that, Fran.

Larry.

Oh, there you are.

Mister, he's a dino. He can go on rides on his back.

He might even be doing a few swimming lessons.

Oh, he's really heavy.

Do you smell something?

Hey, how are you doing?

Now watch.

Boogie Goo.

I think I must have spilled it on the kitchen floor.

And you... I didn't step in any Boogie Goo, okay?

How did it get up here?

Breathing like that?

There's something in mine.

There's something in my throat.

Must be downstairs.

Oh, that's awful.

What'd you expect?

The boogeyman licked his shoe.

Are you telling me that the boogeyman's got Darwin?

It must be after his soul.

It's got boogie goo on it.

I looked under the bed, and Darwin is not under there. No, no, no, no. He's

under there.

You just can't see him.

Fred, Darwin's in the boogie world now.

I'm going to go get my tempter fugue, all right?

Boogie world?

No, no, no, no. Yes.

Now you have gone too far.

Okay, you know... I refuse to believe in some invisible place called the boogie

world. Come on, Fran.

You believe in the boogeyman, don't you? I haven't seen him.

You didn't see him on the roof last night?

All I saw was you and a lot of blinky lights.

Besides, it's hard to believe in something you can't see.

You mean like electricity?

Oh, come on. Atoms, molecules, gravity?

Okay, okay.

If there was...

Boogie world.

How do we get into it? We don't.

This job is for a professional.

Look, I am not going to sit up here and do nothing, okay?

You have no idea how hard it was when Darwin was sick and I couldn't do

to help him. And you told him he should stop believing in me. You were a big

help then, Fran.

Why are you being so mean?

What do you expect?

I'm going with you.

Fred, what if I boogie down the rest of the way while you're in there? You may

get trapped in boogie world just like Darwin.

I'm not worried about what happens to me. I am.

Okay, I am.

Larry.

What?

What you said about me being relieved when I couldn't be a donor.

It's true.

I was glad I had to be bird because I was scared.

Real people get scared friend.

It's perfectly logical

not do that, Dad?

Francis, did you put a gym sock in the blender?

Dad, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now.

Well, it's just going to have to wait because I am not leaving here until I

the truth about everything.

Okay.

It was the boogeyman.

Okay? The boogeyman.

You know, and he's got Darwin under the bed right now. And he has been the cause

of everything that has been happening around here.

Maybe you would be more comfortable speaking with your mother about this.

Sure.

Especially when you started yanking my cord.

Where are we?

Under your bed.

Sort of.

You believe in the boogie world.

Now, abuse.

This isn't happening.

It's so big.

Imagine if you had a queen -size bed. Now that's big.

How are we going to find Darwin in this?

Well, we can walk.

Boy, take the car.

Is that Darwin's toy car?

Yeah. You should have seen me trying to get it out of my pocket.

Do you think that the boogeyman would hurt Darwin? No, no, no, no, no.

You're the one he's after. I figure Darwin's just baiting to get you under

bed. See, you better watch your back, your front, your side, your right, your

left. Over your head.

an imaginary friend?

No.

Never.

Maybe it's just a boogie thing.

Oh, sick.

Okay, we gotta push the car to get it started.

Uh, hello, why don't you just use the jumper cables on your back?

Uh, jumper cables only work on real cars.

We're going to have to push it backwards.

I bet you aren't an educational toy.

Come on, let's just find Darwin.

Come on, friend, put your back into it.

I am.

What? Are you trying to, uh, stop something?

Yes.

You.

Say goodbye.

come uncurled.

And now you're powerless in boogie world.

Don't worry, Larry.

I won't hurt you.

It's much more fun to just convert you.

I'm not a boogeyman yet. There's still time to bust you.

There you go.

me to care.

He

You won't answer.

I hate to be the one to tell you, but it's not too late for me to nail you!

It didn't work.

to be my fault.

Are you okay, Darwin?

I got sock fudge in my mouth.

Francis?

Are you okay, Francis? We heard a strange noise.

I... A vacuuming.

Under the bed.

You didn't change the bag first?

Encouragement, Michael. encouragement.

Francis?

Honey, we came upstairs to apologize.

Your father just logged on to the internet news. The same things that were

on here just started happening last night in Centerville. They think the

people are responsible.

But most important, we know that you are not responsible.

Oh, sweetheart.

We are so sorry that we didn't believe you. It's okay. It's okay, Mom.

You were just looking for a logical explanation.

It was the boogeyman.

Darwin, you know there's no such thing as the boogeyman.

Yeah, but I saw him. He's so deep and clocked. Darwin, it's past your bedtime.

You tell him, Darwin.

He won't go away, will you?

Well, of course he won't go away, honey. She's your sister.

I'll be here whenever you need me. That's what friends are for.

I'm glad I can believe in you again.

I believe in you too, Francis.

Yes, honey.

We all do.

Good night, sweetheart.

Good night.

Um, so what's the story on the boogeyman here?

Actually, it's a boogie person.

Yeah?

So who are you, personally?

It's Zoe.

Zoe's my imaginary friend.

You told me you never had an imaginary friend.

She lied.

Wise up, Blair. Just because you hang around with a seven -year -old doesn't

mean you have to be naive.

Zoe and I used to play all the time when I was little.

Then Darwin got sick.

And when we couldn't do anything to make him better, that's when I decided I had

to grow up.

I had to stop believing in what wasn't real.

And you started to turn into a boogeyman.

Boogie person.

I'm so sorry I stopped believing in you, Zoe.

Shh.

The guy inside us had.

That explains the echo.

On my way, big guy.

Gotta go, friend.

Go where?

Centerville. You heard what your dad said about the weird things going over

there? They've got a boogie man who needs busting.

I'd better go with you.

I've seen you in action, Lair, and I don't think you could handle a full

boogie by yourself. You know what?

I think I liked you better when you were a boogie... person.

It was

wonderful to see you

again, Fernie.

Sorry about all the trouble I caused. I didn't want to be a boogie. I just

couldn't help it. It's okay.

Everything's all right, and we can be friends again, just like before.

You won't be seeing us anymore, Franny.

Well, you told Darwin you wouldn't go away.

She means we won't be coming back to see you.

No, no. Only real friends last forever, like Joanne.

But I believe in you. I believe in both of you.

The time to believe is when you're little, like Darwin.

When you still need us.

I don't want to lose you again.

You won't lose me, Franny, not as long as you remember me.

What's up, friend?

You know you're too grown up to have an imaginary friend, don't you?

Well, no.

I mean, I can see you guys right now, and that proves logically that...

I'm not turning into a boogeyman anymore. You don't need sunglasses.

Yeah, but they make me look cool.

Hey, Fran.

Maybe I am too grown up.

Now, Fran, just because you're getting older doesn't mean you have to get old.

I can't speak.

I'm kind of scared.

I'm in.

You know, the only way the boogeyman could hurt you is by making you afraid.

Yeah.

Francis? Uh -huh?

I'm not really scared of the boogeyman. I saw how you handled it.

I'm worried about getting sick again.

Have you talked to Larry about it?

He said you could help me. That you could tell me how grown -ups keep from

scared.

Well, I guess they know that being afraid doesn't help.

So they don't let being afraid make them act afraid.

Kind of like pretending you're not scared?

Yeah, I guess.

Pretty soon you're not afraid anymore.

I guess it takes a lot of imagination to become a grant.

Sure does, sweetie.