[audiobook psychologist] The foundation of our life is created in childhood.
[agent over phone] Hello? Is this Edmund Gaines?
We were able to track down that information about your sister.
-[audiobook psychologist] Stability. -Hi. I'm Dawn.
I'm Edmund.
-[audiobook psychologist] Family dinners. -She is not my real mother.
I spent the first three years of my life
in a foster home with an abusive
-psychopath. -[screaming]
Would you prefer that I left you there?
[audiobook psychologist] They are the floorboards
of a well-formed egoic structure.
If I ever see you in this neighborhood,
I will arrest you. Don't you ever come back here.
[Edmund] Everything you wrote about is exactly what I'm going through right now.
I'm not even sure what's real anymore. I don't even know who I am.
[audiobook psychologist] If children don't feel safe,
a kind of emotional rot creeps in.
Left untreated,
that mold can spread, infecting its host.
And in some cases,
lead to violent behavior.
[♪ Cristobal Tapia de Veer: "Gifted"]
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is ♪♪
[light switch clicks]
[rhythmic clanking]
[tense music playing]
[reporter over radio] This morning's top story concerns the death of a juvenile
while in the custody of an LAPD officer.
Spokespersons for the LAPD
have refused to comment, as well as the child's family.
[reporter 2 over radio] The boy, ten-year-old Benito Alvarez,
died two nights ago in the custody of LAPD homicide detective Dawn Reeve.
In light of the recent Rodney King beating,
there's a huge public concern about abuse of power within the police department
and a lack of accountability.
No fever.
Ma, I-I-I still feel cold.
You want to talk about it?
[inhales sharply] I don't know.
No one saw it.
I mean, it came straight towards me, and-and no one saw.
Saw what?
I mean, it was coming towards me,
slow at first, but then it was just so fast.
When I looked in its eyes...
I saw just...
...red hair.
-Ma, am I going crazy? -No.
No, you are not going crazy.
Ma, what if it comes back?
[tense, ominous music playing]
It won't.
I won't let it.
[telephone rings]
It's okay.
[telephone rings]
Hello?
[Corey] Hey. It's Corey.
I saw the news.
-[Dawn] I-I didn't. -[Corey] I know.
You don't have to say it.
I know you would never hurt that boy.
How you holding up?
Been better.
[Corey] And Kel?
I'm looking after him.
I'm scared, Corey.
I'm scared something's happening to him.
[Corey] Happening to him? What do you mean?
Do you need me to come down?
[Dawn] Yeah. Yeah, that would really help.
[Corey] Okay. I'll be there as quickly as I can.
[tense, ominous music playing]
Can I say hi to Kel real quick?
He's asleep right now, so...
[Corey] It's almost noon.
[Dawn] He ain't acting like himself, Corey.
I don't know what's wrong.
[Corey] Okay, okay, I hear you. Just tell him I'll see him soon.
Baby, you want some tomato soup?
I'm not hungry, Grandma.
[static over phone]
[Corey through static] Are-are you sure he's okay?
Hello?
You're passing up my world-famous tomato soup?
Just leave the tray. I'll-I'll eat it later.
[Athena] Come on, baby.
[distorted voice] It'll warm your bones.
[Dawn] Uh, Corey?
-[Corey speaking indistinctly through static] -Corey, you're breaking up.
[suspenseful, sinister music playing]
Eat your fucking soup.
[jarring, tense music playing]
[gagging]
Kel? Baby, what's wrong?
-Mom! -[Corey, breaking up] Come... later tonight.
-[Kelvin] Mom! -Hello?
-Baby. -[Athena] I-I just walked in,
and he started screaming.
My God, he's ice cold.
-Well, the soup will warm him up. -I don't want your fucking soup!
Okay. O-Okay. Mom, can you just set it down?
-And give him some space. -No, no, no, no. Not right there.
Okay. Ma, could you just take it downstairs?
-[stammering] -[Dawn] Please.
I'll heat up some blankets for him.
[Dawn] What's going on?
-What's wrong? -[Kelvin] I felt him.
But he sounded like Grandma.
-I'm telling the truth! -Okay. Okay, I know, I know.
I know, I-I know. I know. I know.
-I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. -[sobbing]
It's okay. Shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's okay.
Shh.
Mom.
Yes, baby?
One of us is gonna die tonight.
[electrical humming]
[rain pattering outside]
[dryer clicks on]
[dryer whirring]
[tense, ominous music playing]
[gasps]
[rattling loudly]
[rapid panting]
[panting] I was down in the basement.
There's someone in the house.
Stay with him. Lock the door.
[door bangs shut]
[suspenseful music playing]
[rain continues pattering outside]
[sinister music playing]
[electrical humming]
[whirring]
-[Dictaphone clicks] -[Dawn over Dictaphone] ...on the floor of the closet...
[Dictaphone rewinding]
[Dictaphone playing backwards]
[Dictaphone rewinding]
[Dawn over Dictaphone] ...35th Street, southeast corner...
[voice distorts]
[tense, suspenseful music playing]
[Dawn over Dictaphone] ...exterior lighting on,
closest streetlight's approximately 60 feet...
[high-pitched buzzing and humming]
[Dawn, distorted over Dictaphone] ...entry at the front door.
[Dawn's distorted voice plays indistinctly over Dictaphone]
...in the living room.
[Dawn's distorted voice continues indistinctly over Dictaphone]
...in the living--
...in the dining room.
There are mold spores.
[suspenseful music playing]
-[gasps] Stay inside, stay inside. -Baby, what's going on?
[Dawn over Dictaphone] There's a star-shaped clock
on the wall in the dining room,
stopped at 3:17.
Glass is cracked.
Sign of struggle?
[Dictaphone rewinding]
-The floor of the closet-- -[Dictaphone rewinding]
[Kia over Dictaphone] ...said I'm too old to play with dolls.
[Dawn over Dictaphone] What? That-that is not true.
When I was a little girl, I had an imaginary friend.
-[voice distorts] -[rewinds]
-...imaginary friend. -[rewinds]
...imaginary friend.
[rewinds]
...imaginary friend.
[rewinds]
-...imaginary friend. -[rewinds]
...imaginary friend.
[rewinds]
-...imaginary friend. -[rewinds]
...imaginary friend.
-[rewinds] -[Dictaphone clicks off]
[tense music playing]
Mom? Is he okay?
He's napping.
Are you okay? What's going on?
I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what's happening.
All these things...
That kid in the back of my car, I don't even know how
that even happened. It just...
What?
They all saw something.
And now Kel sees it, too.
First, that woman in the foster home...
[gasps]
Bernice Mott.
[gasps]
I saw her photograph in your office.
Oh.
Ma.
Ma, what is it? What do you know?
[Athena] His name is Edmund.
Who is Edmund?
[sentimental music playing]
[stammers] He's your twin brother.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Athena] Your daddy used to call you Frick and Frack.
You were inseparable.
And when you left the room,
he would just scream.
It was so hard on us.
And we tried to win you over with...
with love and... toys.
Who'd ever heard of a-a child not loving toys?
On your third birthday,
we threw a birthday party for both of you,
and Edmund came with this Raggedy Andy doll.
I wanted to replace it
with beautiful Black dolls.
I wanted you and Edmund to love and respect yourselves,
to know that you were so beautiful.
But he had a tantrum. He just tore the dolls up.
And he-he was just clinging to that dirty white doll.
I was so frustrated.
I took it, and I threw it away. [stammers]
I threw it away in the trash, and it was back the next day.
[sighs]
Then I took you to the park.
And William, he stayed home with him and...
And that's when his heart...
[sentimental music playing]
That's the day your daddy died.
We had come back home, and your daddy was lying on the floor,
and Edmund was holding his medication,
playing with it like it was a toy.
I tried not to be angry with him, but when I looked at him, that's all I could see.
And he-he became harder to handle.
I had no help.
I was alone.
I...
could never, ever, ever give you up.
But I couldn't...
I just...
couldn't keep him.
I had to put him back.
[crying] Lord have mercy. I had to put him back into that place.
[sniffles]
[sighs]
And you would just...
scream for him.
And I held you and I held you,
night after night.
Until one night...
[sighs]
I had to tell you...
your brother wasn't real.
-I told you he was your imaginary friend. -My imaginary friend.
[Dawn, echoing] Imaginary friend. Imaginary friend.
Imaginary friend. Imaginary friend.
[telephone line ringing]
-[Diaz over phone] Hello? -[Dawn] It's Reeve.
[Diaz] Hey. Uh, how are you holding up?
[Dawn] I need your help.
I need...
I need information from that Mott registry.
I have a twin brother named Edmund, and--
[Diaz] I know.
I tried to tell you the day we went to Benny's.
-You looked into him? -Yeah. Edmund Gaines.
[stammers] I need to find him. Do you have an address?
Okay.
Okay. I know...
I'm sure you were told not to talk to me, but I need that information.
You need to tell me where I can find him.
I can tell you where he's buried.
He died two years ago.
[somber, ominous music playing]
I'm sorry, Detective.
I-I didn't want to have to tell you like this.
[voice distorting] Detective?
Detective Reeve?
Detective?
[shudders]
[Kelvin] Mom?
[Dawn] Yes, baby?
Can I ask you a question?
Yeah. Sure. What's up?
Did you enjoy fucking him?
What?
[quiet, tense music playing]
[voice distorts] Did you enjoy fucking Reggie?
What?
He must've had that good dick, huh?
He must've.
-You were never home. -[banging at door]
-Was he better than Daddy? -[muffled shout]
-Was he? -[muffled shout]
[giggles] Was he?
Kel, s-stop.
Was he?! [laughs]
[Kelvin] Mom!
[intense, suspenseful music playing]
[Dawn, voice shaking] Oh, God. Kel.
Mom, Mom. He's trying to kill me.
No. It's okay, it's okay.
-[crying] -I got you.
I'm here. I got you. I got you.
I'm here. I'm here.
[fire crackling]
[ticking]
[tense, ominous music playing]
[telephone ringing]
[ticking stops]
[telephone continues ringing]
Hello?
[Kyong-ah over phone] Athena, it's me.
Kyong-ah?
Sorry I fired you.
I overreacted.
Come to the store. Tonight.
-For what? -[voice distorts, static crackling]
Who's this?
[distorted voice] If you want your precious daughter to live,
come to the store.
[ominous, pulsing music playing]
[hangs up phone]
♪ ♪
[door creaking open]
[slow, tense music playing]
Edmund!
Edmund.
Edmund, leave my family alone.
[♪ "A Raggedy Ann and Andy World"]
♪ In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world ♪
♪ It's a wonderful place to be ♪
♪ You learn to live by what you feel ♪
♪ And not just what you see ♪
♪ In a Raggedy Ann and Andy world ♪
Edmund?
♪ It's a marvelous place to start ♪
♪ You learn to listen with your ears ♪
♪ And also with your heart ♪♪
[groaning]
Oh...
[William] 'Thee...
My... pills.
[groaning] My pills.
[demonic voice] How does it feel, Mommy?
[panting, whimpering]
Open it.
Can't you see he's dying?
[tense music playing]
[gasps softly]
[screams]
[grunting]
You motherfucker!
[yelps, groans]
[both grunt]
[whimpering]
[screams]
You sent me back.
You knew she would hurt me.
Didn't you?
No, I didn't. I'm sorry.
[Athena screaming]
Answer me!
[crying]
[tense, atmospheric music playing]
[panting]
[screams]
[♪ Cristobal Tapia de Veer: "Gifted"]
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
-[no audible dialogue] -♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
Mom!
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
Mom!
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
Mom, Mom, what's wrong?
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪
[Kel] Where's Grandma?
♪ What is untitled love? ♪
[Kel] Mom, what's-what's wrong?
Mom!
♪ What is untitled love? What is untitled love? ♪♪
[tense, atmospheric music playing]
♪ ♪