Original subtitles

[rattling]

(woman) Tom?

Tom?

- [screams] - [gasps]

There were two different people living in that house.

No!

(Tara) It was so far outside the realm of anything I could understand.

(Cooper) Get out!

(Caroline) It looked like my mother.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

[gasps]

(Tara) He suddenly took a really dark turn.

[people gasping]

I've never been so scared for my life.

(Cooper) You can't come here. [speaks indistinctly]

(Caroline) I thought that I was losing my mind.

[gasps]

I just wanted it to stop.

[faint whispers]

[indistinct PA announcement]

[missile approaching]

[explosion]

[gunfire and men yelling]

[man panting]

[man chanting and men yelling]

[man sobbing]

I'm so sorry. Sorry.

It's okay to cry.

You've been through a lot.

No, it isn't.

(Tara) I was just getting started in my career as a psychiatrist.

He doesn't like me coming here.

Who?

My roommate.

I'd gotten a government contract

with the local V.A. hospital treating veterans with PTSD.

That's how I met a patient. I'll call him Cooper.

Let's just focus on you, Cooper.

You should be surrounding yourself

with people who support you 100%.

But he's my only friend.

He just says really terrible things to me.

It's hard to step back into civilian life,

but the good news is, you get to make choices

that you couldn't make in the military.

Like who your friends are.

If he bothers you, ask him to move out.

You can't come here. You can't come here.

[speaks indistinctly]

Cooper?

Is there anywhere that you have to be?

Then why don't you stay for a minute?

You're my last appointment of the day.

I can make some tea, and we can talk about your roommate.

Okay?

Okay. I'll be back in a second.

(Tara voice-over) I'd just moved into my new house

and was working out of my home office.

The layout was perfect because I had a separate entrance

for my patients away from my living space.

[tea kettle whistling]

[whistling stops]

Oh!

Patients aren't allowed in my house.

The office is in your house.

That's different.

I just wanted to see if you needed help.

I will be with you in a moment.

Please wait in my office.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Cooper?

(Tara voice-over) My mentally unstable patient was out there somewhere

with a sharp knife,

and I had no clue what his intentions were.

Cooper's car was still parked on the street,

so he couldn't have gone too far.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

I'm calling the police!

- [whispering] Please don't. - [gasps]

- No, no, no. - I didn't mean to scare you.

What were you doing up in the attic?

I wasn't in the attic.

You took something from my kitchen.

Oh, God.

I'm sorry.

I came back because I wanted to put it back

before you noticed.

Were you gonna hurt somebody?

- Your roommate? - No.

Me?

No.

Were you gonna hurt yourself?

Do you have any knives at home?

Not anymore.

(Tara voice-over) I've never been so scared for my life.

I treated other soldiers who'd just come back from war,

but Cooper was different.

When he first came to see me, he was actually doing okay,

all things considered.

(Tara on recording) You get to make choices

that you couldn't make in the military.

(Tara voice-over) But then he suddenly took a really dark turn,

and it seemed that nothing I did was helping him.

(Tara on recording) If he bothers you, ask him to move out.

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

You can't come here. [speaks indistinctly]

(Tara on recording) Cooper?

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

[speaks indistinctly]

(Tara on recording) Cooper?

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

- [speaks indistinctly] - Cooper?

(Tara voice-over) It sounded like Cooper was saying a name,

but I couldn't make out what it was.

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

You can't come here. [speaks indistinctly]

[rustling]

(Tara on recording) Cooper?

Is there anywhere that you have to be?

Then why don't you stay for a minute?

You're my last appointment of the day.

[rustling]

I can make some tea, and we can talk about your roommate, okay?

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

You can't come here. [speaks indistinctly]

[Cooper speaks indistinctly]

- Cooper? - [speaks indistinctly]

[panting]

[screams]

He doesn't like me coming here.

Who?

My roommate.

[cassette tape rewinding]

(Cooper on recording) You can't come here.

[speaks indistinctly]

[rustling]

(Tara on recording) Cooper?

You can't come here. [speaks indistinctly]

[Cooper speaks indistinctly]

- Cooper? - [speaks indistinctly]

[panting]

(Tara voice-over) I'd seen shadows do weird things before

but never anything like that.

I figured my nerves were shot from what happened with Cooper

and that I just needed to get some sleep.

But I did make sure to lock the attic door behind me,

just in case.

(Tara on recording) Is there anywhere that you have to be?

Then why don't you stay for a minute?

You're my last appointment of the day.

I can make some tea, and we can talk about this.

[pounding at the door] - [gasps]

(Tara on recording) Okay?

Come in.

(Cooper) Can't talk about my roommate.

And why is that?

'Cause it makes him mad, and he makes it worse for me.

Well, this is a safe place.

We can talk about whatever you want here.

- Besides, he-- - He's listening.

He followed you here?

(Tara) At that point I was convinced that this roommate of his

was just a device Cooper had created,

a way to project his hurt and confusion onto someone else.

If I could just get him to admit that,

I was sure it would accelerate the healing process.

If you truly believe that he is a danger to you,

we need to contact the authorities.

- No! - Cooper.

No!

Cooper, stop.

Get out of here.

Get out!

[panting]

(Cooper) I won't let you. You hear me?

You hear me?

[glass breaking]

I won't let you!

No, no, no, no!

[door closes]

(Tara voice-over) I couldn't understand it.

Nothing was broken or out of place,

and Cooper was nowhere to be found.

But then two black feathers just floated down from the ceiling.

I called Cooper to follow up and make sure he was okay,

but he didn't pick up the phone

or return any of my messages that night.

[screams]

[whimpering]

(Tara voice-over) I saw a dark figure in my doorway

with what looked like wings,

just like that shadow I saw up in my attic.

I'm a psychiatrist.

I knew what the mind was capable of,

so I rationalized it.

I was tired and stressed. It was dark.

A light probably cast a shadow in my doorway.

[phone line ringing]

Hey, it's Coop. Leave a message.

[beep]

Hi, it's Dr. Robbins... again.

Give me a call please.

You know that part of your discharge terms

was to attend these sessions.

[dialing numbers]

[phone line rings]

(man on phone) Pharmacy.

Hi, this is Dr. Tara Robbins.

I'm calling to check in on a prescription

that I sent in a few days ago.

(man) Can you tell me which medication?

Yes, an antidepressant for Cooper Matthews.

- Matthews. - Yes.

- Last name? - Last name Matthews.

(man) Oh, I see it now. 500 milligrams?

Yes, he's going through quite a transition.

(man) Well, it's not gonna help if he doesn't pick them up.

The prescription is still sitting here.

Okay.

[ominous music]

♪ ♪

(Tara voice-over) I was young and inexperienced,

and I was concerned about Cooper's safety,

so I went to check on him.

I was worried about him, and to be honest,

at that point, I was also worried about myself.

Cooper?

Anybody here?

(Tara voice-over) His house was a mess.

♪ ♪

But there was this other bedroom

that was perfectly clean and made up.

It was clear,

there were two different people living in that house.

- Doctor! - [gasps]

Cooper, did your roommate do this to--

[gasps]

You're gonna make this so much worse.

Please go.

I'm so sorry. I should not have let myself in.

I'm so sorry, Cooper.

I said go!

No, I--Cooper--

Go, now!

Okay. Sorry.

Please, I just want to ask you--

I just want to ask you one question before I leave.

What is it that your roommate does to you?

He talks to me. Now go.

About what?

I know that my house is a mess, and I know I missed work,

but I can do this on my own.

Please, go.

And what about our next session?

Go!

Whatever he is talking to you about is exacerbating your PTSD.

In my professional opinion,

either he needs to move out or you--

[both scream]

Can't talk about my roommate because it makes him mad,

and he makes it worse for me.

If you truly believe that he is a danger to you,

we need to contact the authorities.

No!

[screams]

[panting]

I know that my house is a mess,

and I know I missed work, but I can do this on my own.

Please, go.

And what about our next session?

Go!

Whatever he is talking to you about is exacerbating your PTSD.

In my professional opinion,

either he needs to move out or you--

[screams]

Okay. It was just the wind.

- No one is here. - [whimpers]

No one is here. It was just the wind.

I stayed with Cooper for a while to calm him down.

[whispers]

It was just the wind.

I promise you it was just the wind.

He's coming. He's coming.

And when I felt like it was finally safe

to leave him on his own, I did.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

I knew it was probably just Cooper,

but the light made it look like

those things I'd seen in my house.

[tea kettle whistles]

[tea kettle whistling]

♪ ♪

[panting]

(Cooper) No!

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

No, no alarm tripped. The house is clear.

My patient?

We sent a car by. Mr. Matthews was home.

He seemed lucid, and the engine of his car was cool.

There's no one inside your home besides you, ma'am.

Thank you.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[eerie noise]

[panting]

[whimpers]

(Tara voice-over) With everything I know about the human mind,

I started running through the worst-case scenarios.

After hearing Cooper talk about his own traumas and fears,

was I taking them on myself?

I'd heard about it happening to other psychiatrists,

but somehow this felt different.

It felt like something worse.

I always, always lock my bedroom door

before I go to sleep.

[eerie noise]

[whimpers]

I'm calling the police.

- [whispering] Please don't. - [gasps]

Oh, God.

(Cooper) I'm sorry.

[eerie noise]

[whimpers]

Red, bloody claw marks all along my arm.

I bandaged it up, but I couldn't understand how it happened.

[phone line rings]

(Cooper) Dr. Robbins.

Cooper?

I know, I should have called to cancel.

Day just... kind of got away from me.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I am.

I am.

- You sound different. - I...got to go.

(Tara voice-over) The medication I'd prescribed doesn't kick in that quickly.

[beep]

And even if his roommate had suddenly moved out,

issues like Cooper's don't resolve overnight like that.

I was really searching for any answers at that point.

(Tara on recording) If you truly believe that he is a danger to you,

we need to contact the authorities.

(Cooper on recording) No!

- Cooper. - No!

- Cooper, stop. - Get out of here.

(Cooper) Get out!

[door closes]

(Cooper) No.

- [distorted voice] - No!

- [distorted voice] - [whimpers]

[Cooper whimpers]

I won't let you, you hear me?

- [distorted voice] - No. No! No! Ah!

[clicks off tape recorder]

[knocking at the door]

Dr. Robbins, I told you I'm fine.

Well, I'm not.

I heard another man's voice on your session tapes.

You were able to hear it?

(Cooper) When I got out of the service, I was alone a lot.

Sometimes I would talk to myself out loud.

Then one day, he started answering.

It was a while before he started to tell me to do things,

bad things to myself.

But now, Doctor,

he's with you.

What?

He's with you.

What?

He's been around since way before you and me.

Cooper, wha-- what are you saying?

You've got to go.

[clatter]

What is going on?

He followed you back.

If I were you, I would leave while I could.

[crash]

Ah! [whimpers]

(Tara voice-over) I did what Cooper said, and I left.

I got a call the next morning from the V.A.

Cooper was found dead in his house.

He'd slit his wrists with a piece of broken glass.

When I got that phone call, I knew that whoever,

whatever had been tormenting Cooper

had been tormenting me too.

It was real, and I'd brought it right back to Cooper's doorstep.

I had to try and figure out what this thing was.

He's been around since way before you and me.

I looked in the conventional textbooks,

but I didn't find anything until I looked

in the last place I would ever think to look,

demonology.

[screams]

These demons show up in historical texts

taking the form of ravens,

tormenting people at their lowest point.

Somehow, Cooper and I had both experienced it,

and I can't ignore that.

He's coming.

- [panting] [Cooper shouting]

Maybe demons really do exist.

Maybe they are among us, preying on the weak.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

(Caroline) When I was 30 years old, my mom died.

Her death wasn't exactly a surprise,

but her sister, my aunt Beth,

was having a really hard time dealing with it.

My mom died of an overdose.

She'd been a drug addict for 30 years,

and she refused to get help.

It had been a long time since I'd talked to her,

but Aunt Beth stuck with her until the end.

Beth?

Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I didn't see you standing there.

Are you writing to Allison?

No, these are chain letters.

Aren't chain letters illegal?

Not if you're not asking for money, and I'm not.

(Caroline voice-over) Beth was a widow.

Her daughter Allison had gotten married

and moved out of here before,

so she was sad and lonely and bored.

Your mother is gone from this earth,

but she's not gone from my heart.

I'm sharing my stories as a way to grieve.

- A person needs to grieve. [phone ringing]

Jackson Insurance, this is Caroline.

(Caroline voice-over) Aunt Beth was definitely a little quirky,

but she was always there for me,

kind of like the mother I never had,

so I went to stay with her for a while

since I could pretty much do my job from anywhere.

I can bundle that for you with your auto.

Another time maybe.

Okay, well, I'm here if you need.

Thanks so much.

Okay.

(Beth) Caroline, I missed the mailman. Can you catch him for me?

(Caroline) Hey!

Tom. That's my name, not hey.

Sorry, Beth wanted me to get these in the mail today.

Yeah, well, you know, nobody writes letters anymore.

It's kind of sweet.

I don't know if sharing depressing feelings

with strangers is sweet.

What do you know about loss?

(Caroline) I was young, but loss was something

I already knew a lot about.

My dad died in a car crash

right before I graduated college.

My mother was driving.

My father didn't know she was high,

and I've never forgiven her.

[wheels rattling]

Ah!

Okay.

[wheels rattling]

Ah!

[gasps]

[panting]

(Caroline voice-over) It looked like my mother

but this strange, terrifying, distorted image of her.

I mean, I had dreamt of her before,

but never anything like that

and not since long before she died.

Caroline, how about you take a break from your work

and come and join me?

Write a few letters.

Talk about your mother.

I think I'll pass.

Not healthy to keep your sorrow bottled up, you know.

This isn't for me, honey. This is for you.

(Caroline) I'd been using a P.O. box

ever since I moved in with my aunt.

No one knew they could reach me at her address.

There's no return address and no stamp.

Well, open it.

Oh, great.

"Share a memory with 10 people within the next 24 hours,

"and you will have a blessed year.

Do not and you will pay for a lifetime."

It's best just to do it.

I'm not superstitious.

(Caroline voice-over) But I was confused,

and I tried to convince myself

that my aunt must have sent it to me.

But she hadn't left the house in weeks,

and it wasn't her handwriting.

After that, the chain letters kept coming,

but I couldn't figure out who was delivering them.

It really started to scare me.

Let me just consult my notes here.

Okay.

Mr. Lee, can I give you a call right back?

Thank you.

[beep]

(Caroline voice-over) The mail had already been delivered that day.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Oh, same as yesterday?

Why do these keep coming for me instead of you?

Well, I guess you're the one who needs 'em.

Did you send those letters off?

Of course not, you saw me tear that up.

"Share a memory with 10 people within the next 24 hours,

"and you will have a blessed year.

Do not and you will pay for a lifetime."

They added a new line.

"Denial builds a prison stronger than iron bars."

Who's sending these?

[scoffs] I don't know.

Just do what they say.

Not happening.

(Caroline voice-over) Maybe it was my aunt sending those letters,

maybe it wasn't, but it didn't matter.

I wasn't gonna write some stupid chain letter to grieve.

♪ ♪

[ominous music]

♪ ♪

"Share a memory with 10 people within the next 24 hours,

"and you will have a blessed year.

Do not and you will pay for a lifetime."

It's best just to do it.

I'm not superstitious.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

(Caroline voice-over) I tore up that letter and threw it in the trash.

At that point, I was seriously wondering

if this was all my aunt

trying to get me to grieve over my mother.

(man in the distance) I tell you what,

I'll come by tomorrow, and I'll...

(man) Let's just keep this between us.

Are we good?

Beth?

♪ ♪

Read the letter.

[gasps]

It was my mother, just like I saw her in that dream.

Or maybe it wasn't a dream.

I don't know, it didn't make any sense.

♪ ♪

I thought that I was losing my mind

or having some sort of belated breakdown over her death.

[wheels rattling]

Tom?

Tom?

Tom!

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

It was my mother.

And then it hit me.

All of this started after I got that first chain letter,

and I just wanted it to stop.

So I was finally desperate enough to take it seriously.

"Share a memory with 10 people within the next 24 hours,

"and you will have a blessed year.

"Do not and you will pay for a lifetime.

"Denial builds a prison stronger than iron bars.

You need to feel what you feel, Possum."

"I can't leave until you do."

Mom?

(Caroline voice-over) My mom called me Possum when I was a kid.

Nobody knew about that nickname except for the two of us.

It was one of the only good memories I had of her.

I thought my mother was terrorizing me,

but I realized I was doing it to myself.

[sobs]

I was seeing her the way I wanted to.

I couldn't forgive her. I just couldn't let it go.

[sobs]

She had moved on.

Now I needed to.

So that night, I wrote down every good thing

I could remember about my mom.

After that, the chain letters stopped,

and I never saw my mother in the house again.

I do dream about her sometimes, but she's not scary anymore.

She looks beautiful and happy,

the way I've decided to remember her.