‐ I thought my daughter's imaginary world was harmless.
[bird caws]
I thought she was just bright and creative.
She was special.
‐ Please! [screaming]
‐ And she is all of those things.
Some kids' imaginations are harmless.
[sirens blare]
‐ Please stop!
‐ But my daughter's imaginary world
led her to do something I never could have imagined.
‐ We're gonna go get help!
♪ ♪
Please help us!
‐ Her obsession with the Suzerain
changed our lives forever.
♪ ♪
‐ Lord Suzerain, we need you!
[indistinct chatter]
‐ [sobs]
‐ I have already told one of your men
that Kaitlyn and Rachel, they're not in this house!
‐ [sobbing]
No!
‐ And I don't understand why you're here,
and you're not out there searching for our daughters!
‐ Please! Please help us!
‐ He's real. I know it.
I proved his location is here.
I swear, there's been signs everywhere,
missing people, kids, adults.
There's so many signs, like the eye and his fingers.
I swear he's here. He's real.
I just seen him.
His palace is waiting in the forest right back there.
He's got weird eyes and sharp teeth.
I'm on to something here.
All my evidence leads to this.
I'm gonna catch him,
and I'm gonna be rich and famous.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
Oh, my God. Go! Go! Go! Go!
[indistinct shouting]
‐ Rachel. ‐ [screams]
‐ Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, stop, stop.
It's me. It's me.
[sighs]
‐ You scared me.
‐ No, you scared me. What you doing in here?
‐ I was just looking at some videos online.
‐ [chuckles] Now come on.
‐ But I was just getting to the good part.
‐ No, no, no, no, no backtalk, come on.
‐ Sorry.
‐ It's getting late, come on.
‐ Kaitlyn, got to leave in ten minutes!
Here you go, buddy.
Okay, let's talk lunch.
What‐‐what are you thinking?
How do you feel about bologna in your sandwich today?
‐ Morning. ‐ Hey, good morning.
Here you go. ‐ Thank you.
‐ What? Huh?
Crap, crap. Ah, oh. Oh!
both: [whispered] Mommy burnt the toast.
‐ Shoot. ‐ [laughs]
‐ I hear what you're saying about the toast.
Here you go. Burnt toast. ‐ You eat the toast.
‐ Now Daddy's got to eat the toast.
‐ Kaitlyn!
‐ Can't take the baby dragons to school today, Sophie.
It's the first day.
Really, it's too soon for that.
‐ Kaitlyn, come on!
‐ Not ready yet! ‐ What's taking so long?
‐ Have you seen my other shoe, Sophie?
Oh.
‐ Kaitlyn.
‐ You shouldn't worry, Mommy.
I got this.
‐ I know you do, sweetheart.
‐ Mommy, please.
‐ All right, right, no hugging, got it.
‐ Mommy. ‐ Aww.
Have a good day, okay?
I love you. [sighs]
‐ I wish I never, ever had to go to school again.
‐ Fictitious dark lord called the Suzerain,
an Internet meme that went viral.
Befriending young children and inviting them to live
in his palace in the forest‐‐
‐ Oh, man, you breaking all the rules, kiddo.
Hey, hey, it's a middle school.
New kids, fresh start, and a blank slate.
‐ Not all new kids.
Some of them know me, some of the mean ones.
‐ All right, let me see your bag.
Come on.
What?
‐ Well, no one nice is going to this middle school.
‐ Oh, come on now, you gotta watch your words, please.
Because if you don't have nothing nice to say, then what?
Hmm?
‐ We don't say anything at all.
‐ That's right.
Hey, all right, look, look, look, look.
What I want you to do is just build up
a little more confidence under your belt,
and if any kid messes with you, I want you to stand up to them
and show them what you're made of
and that no one messes with Rachel Peters, okay?
‐ Okay.
‐ All right, your mother is gonna pick you up after school
and keep you with her until I finish up
at the recruiting station.
‐ Is Mom having dinner with us?
‐ You know your mom work nights down at the plant, Rachel.
Hey, look here, uh, the bus be here real soon.
You have two minutes. It's getting late.
[overlapping chatter]
[unsettling music]
♪ ♪
‐ Get out of the way, butt breath.
[laughter]
Why her face look like that?
[laughter]
Yeah, right, man. It's so funny.
‐ No, please.
‐ Weirdo.
‐ I'm Kaitlyn. ‐ I'm Rachel Peters.
It's my first time going to middle school,
sixth grade, I mean.
‐ Duh, that's when middle school starts.
‐ Yeah.
I like your gloves. They're really cool.
‐ Thank you.
I don't like to take them off ever.
Just so you know, I'm weird. You can ask anyone.
Do you read fantasy books? You should if you don't.
Don't tell anyone,
but I'm friends with baby dragons.
[bell rings]
For real?
‐ Yeah, my mom got it for me on my birthday.
‐ Hey, are these new wings? ‐ Yeah. I also got‐‐
‐ Oh, that's so cute. What fairy is it?
‐ It's a Regina fairy. [indistinct]
‐ They're cute. ‐ Thanks.
[indistinct chatter]
[bell rings]
‐ All right, the bell has rung,
so please take your seats.
Good morning, class.
all: Good morning.
‐ I'm Ms. McKinley, and I want to welcome you all
to Driftwood Hills Middle School.
‐ Neigh!
[laughter]
‐ Settle down, everyone,
and as lovely as they are,
horses aren't allowed in classes, okay?
This is sixth grade creative writing,
so please take out your textbooks
and open to the table of contents.
‐ "Head to your neighborhood record store or bathroom
"and look through the bins
until you find something that tickles your vajayjay."
[laughter]
‐ Mom! ‐ Ah!
Hi. ‐ This is Kaitlyn.
She lives, like, a three‐minute walk from Dad's house.
Cool, right?
‐ That's, like, totally cool. ‐ Yeah.
‐ Nice to meet you, Mrs. Peters.
‐ Just Jackie's fine.
‐ Bye, Rachel. See you tomorrow.
‐ Bye. Bye, Kaitlyn. ‐ Good‐bye. Come on, come on.
[both laughing]
‐ You should have an early dinner with me and Dad.
It'd be fun. ‐ Rachel, no.
‐ It‐‐it would be fun, and‐‐ ‐ Rachel, Rachel, I can't.
‐ I think Dad would like it. ‐ I have to work tonight.
I don't know that that's a good idea anyway.
Oh, come on. You're not upset?
Don't get upset, baby.
Hey, Dad said that you're signing up for soccer
or something like that?
I mean, that and vocal ensemble.
That sounds pretty rad.
Okay, look, please don't do this, all right?
Look, it's hard enough being away from you
with my work schedule.
I cannot deal with this right now.
Please, come on. Let's just‐‐
Let's just have a nice time, just us ladies, okay?
‐ Okay.
‐ Oh, hey!
Guess who got asked to model in a fashion show?
‐ You? ‐ Yep.
And guess who gets to watch her kickass mom
model some super funky dresses?
‐ Just me? ‐ Just my best girl.
I love you, Rachie Belle.
Come on, I'm gonna let you pick out the station. Ha ha!
‐ Good. I hate what you play. ‐ What did you just say?
‐ Sophie, you have to play nicely with the baby dragons.
Purr. Meow.
Purr.
Hey, be nice to kitty, Sophie.
[phone rings]
‐ Hey, Emily's on the phone.
‐ Kat, Emily's on the phone.
‐ Oh, hey, meow, Emily.
‐ Smells good, babe.
‐ ...regular weather. Residents are being‐‐
...winners were announced today.
‐ Oh, hey. ‐ Hey.
‐ Are you okay?
‐ Yeah, yeah, just head fuzzies,
cotton wool brain from my happy pills.
‐ Are you drinking water? 'Cause maybe you're dehydrated.
‐ Oh, yeah, drink water. Check.
‐ Yeah, I guess.
‐ Oh, you know what? I couldn't get away at lunch,
so I'll just, you know, pick up your refill
maybe before I go into work tomorrow.
‐ Yeah, thanks, babe. ‐ I'm trying to talk to Emily.
Hold on, I'm going upstairs. No privacy.
‐ Emily's got some competition. ‐ Yeah?
‐ Apparently Kaitlyn met a girl on the bus that lives
in our apartment complex, and they hit it off.
‐ Well, maybe we could have her over for a sleepover.
That'd be nice, right?
All right, look. Look at this.
I found this in her backpack.
‐ [muttering, laughs]
‐ How does she even know those words?
‐ That's pretty good. ‐ It's not funny.
They're gross.
‐ She's 11.
Puberty is primetime for grossness.
‐ Oh, my God, she's 11.
How did we‐‐ how did we get to be so old?
I feel like we have an almost‐teenager in our house,
and they were just babies.
Then I turn around, and‐‐
what do we do about this stuff?
I think it's maybe time for the talk.
‐ Ooh.
You're the mom, so I'm afraid that it's on you.
‐ I so wish you could be the mom.
‐ I'm so glad I'm not.
Listen, we don't have to rush into it.
We can feel it out, right?
‐ Yeah, yeah, okay.
‐ Hey, hey, thanks for cooking tonight.
I just couldn't get it together.
Bad day.
Too much chatter.
‐ I'm super mom. I can do it all.
‐ Rachel, it's bedtime, kiddo.
‐ Getting my PJs on!
[tense music]
♪ ♪
The Suzerain.
♪ ♪
‐ I told my parents about the Suzerain,
but they didn't believe me.
They said that I was making it up,
that it was in my imagination,
but I could hear him in my head whispering to me.
He told me that if he came to me,
my mom and dad wouldn't survive the visit.
I knew I had to go to him, run away to protect my family.
‐ Man... ‐ He can read your mind.
‐ This is intense. ‐ He says what he wants
from you so that only you can hear it.
‐ Oh, man, this can't be real.
‐ He's over there in the corner right now.
Now he's on the ceiling.
‐ Hello?
Who's there?
[breathing heavily]
Suzerain?
Is it you?
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
‐ Earth to Rachel.
You can wake up now.
Come on. I want you to meet Emily.
[indistinct chatter]
Rachel, meet Emily. Emily, meet Rachel.
‐ I like your wings.
‐ They're real fairy wings. My mom got them for me.
I have, like, five different kinds.
‐ That's cool. ‐ Good morning, class.
Please take your seats.
Now, yesterday we talked about
the three parts of writing a paper.
Who can tell me what those are? You?
‐ An intro, a body, and a closing.
‐ That's right, an intro, body, and a closing.
And what goes in the intro? Show of hands?
‐ Once upon a time...
‐ And it's called Fairy Time,
and my little sister's a presenter,
and we wear our fairy wings and invite real fairies
to come back and play with us in the fairy garden
we built in the back yard.
And did you know there's fairies for, like, everything?
Unicorn fairies, cupcake fairies,
forest fairies, garden fairies.
Have you ever wondered how rainbows are made?
Unicorn fairies!
They shoot rainbows out of their palms.
And have you ever seen a double rainbow?
Those are super cool.
Those are made from any unicorn twin.
Well, actually, it doesn't have to be a unicorn twin.
It can be any fairy twin. I like your earrings.
Maybe fairies should have earrings.
‐ So Emily...
she's kind of immature, I think.
A bit babyish?
‐ Emily's my best friend.
‐ Yeah, that's true.
‐ But only since second grade,
even though I've known her since kindergarten.
‐ That's, like, most of your lives.
‐ Yeah.
She's been my only friend for a long time.
‐ She sure loves fairies.
‐ Yeah, she likes fairies a lot, and cats and horses.
I do too.
‐ Me too. I mean‐‐
[distorted sounds]
What's wrong? You stopped talking.
‐ Nothing. I just thought I saw something.
Did you see it, Sophie?
‐ See what?
‐ Nothing. I wasn't talking to you.
Why do you look so tired, Rachel?
‐ I was just up all night looking at stuff online,
on the Creepystorypedia.
‐ What's that?
‐ It's a website where monsters live,
monsters like the Suzerain.
‐ Who?
‐ Well, he's really big and tall.
He has a big crown, big eyes,
and sharp teeth to eat you up,
and big claws, and he hears everything.
He's all poised and perfect
until he gets angry,
and he kills everyone who's near him.
And he'll strangle them, chop your head off, and kill you.
I can show you.
Here it is.
‐ If you're sane or have a good life,
don't watch this video.
‐ This is the Suzerain.
‐ Suzerain, an Internet meme that went viral,
befriending young children
and inviting them to live in his palace in the forest.
‐ He's real. I've just seen him.
His palace is way back there, way deep in the forest.
‐ He was created on the Internet
and lives forever on the Creepystorypedia,
a clearinghouse of bizarre, fan‐created horror stories.
‐ He's got weird eyes and sharp teeth.
‐ They said that I was making it up,
that it was in my imagination,
but I could hear him in my head whispering to me.
He told me that if he came to me,
my mom and dad wouldn't survive the visit.
I knew I had to go to him.
I can see him now.
He's over there in the corner.
‐ I swear, there's signs everywhere,
missing people, kids, adults.
‐ After the Suzerain marks you, you better watch out
because he's coming for you and your entire family.
‐ Oh, my God!
♪ ♪
‐ No!
‐ That's a creepy way to end a video.
[both screaming]
‐ Rachel!
[laughter]
Oh, man.
You ladies are having way too much fun in here.
‐ The Suzerain is watching you.
‐ As you guys know, the Suzerain is a‐‐
‐ [laughs]
‐ How do you know if what you're seeing is real...
‐ Did you think the Suzerain was secretly
sending us a message?
‐ He's worldwide... ‐ Yeah.
‐ From China to Japan, from Russia to Germany‐‐
‐ 'Cause he's always watching you.
‐ He is currently on...
‐ I mean, no matter what you do,
where you go, he sees you.
‐ Sometimes he comes in peace.
Sometimes he starts the fire for war,
but nobody knows if it's true or if it's not,
but I do.
The Suzerain is here.
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
[laughter]
all: ...rosie, a pocketful of posies.
Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!
‐ [snoring]
‐ Why were you going through my backpack?
It's private!
‐ Listen, your bag was open, okay?
And‐‐and sometimes parents see something that's not right,
and then the privacy rules are waived.
‐ Maybe.
‐ Well, honey, there's some very racy stuff in here,
and, I mean, some of it went right over my head.
I had to look up a few things, like vajayjay‐‐
‐ Ew, Mom. ‐ You wrote it.
‐ Stop.
‐ Okay, listen.
Sweetheart, I want you to be free
and to be able to express yourself and‐‐
[distorted sounds]
[eerie whispering]
...their parents might not understand.
Okay?
‐ Oka‐‐okay.
‐ Is there anything that you would like to ask me about,
about your body or‐‐
‐ No. ‐ No? Okay.
‐ Um, can I go over to Rachel's?
She was at vocal ensemble practice,
but she should be home by now.
‐ Okay. I‐‐you know, it's‐‐it's a lot about Rachel these days.
I mean, you and Emily, you were so close.
I thought she was your best friend.
‐ She's‐‐
she's just kind of hard to play with.
‐ Okay, look, if‐‐
if you want to go play with Rachel, that's fine.
Please be home for dinner, okay?
[eerie music]
♪ ♪
[laughter]
‐ No.
Sophie, I don't want to look.
The Suzerain scares me.
♪ ♪
[eerie whispering]
♪ ♪
‐ Well, I'm not really sure how that went.
She didn't let me get very far.
She was more upset because I was infringing on her privacy.
‐ [chuckles]
‐ But, you know, like, what parent is in a hurry
for their kid to grow up, right?
‐ That'll happen soon enough.
‐ Are you all right?
‐ Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.
‐ Are you sure?
You just seemed a little off the last few days.
Have you been taking your‐‐ ‐ Yes.
I took them.
We wouldn't be sitting here like this if I hadn't.
You don't have to worry, okay?
‐ I do worry.
I think about it all the time.
What if one of the kids has it?
‐ Hey, we will cross that bridge when we‐‐
if we get to it.
You heard what the doctor said.
They're too little for us to worry about that stuff.
So let's not, okay?
‐ Okay.
‐ [giggles]
I don't know what it is,
but Dad says we're too young to have it.
[giggles] Stop it!
Stop tickling me, Sophie. I don't want to get wet.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ All right. Wait a minute.
You're gonna fall Just‐‐
[laughter]
‐ Okay, like, right?
Hey, sorry I got her home late from practice,
but we stopped and got hot chocolate
and we lost track of time, and‐‐
‐ Rachel, can you go to your room?
I'ma talk to your mom, okay?
‐ Kaitlyn's at the park.
Can I‐‐
‐ That's‐‐ hey, that's fine, sweetheart.
Go ahead. ‐ Aww.
‐ You‐‐you know, could have called.
‐ Hey, I'm‐‐I'm sorry. I should have called.
‐ Jackie, Jackie‐‐ hey, hey, you know,
I don't ask much, you know?
Just, you know, you get to be as free as you want,
and, you know, just kind of, you know, be on time, you know?
That's‐‐there's rules in this house for a reason.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And structure is important for Rachel, all right?
You know, we can't raise a child in chaos.
‐ Uh‐uh.
God, do you think this is how I want things?
Do you think I want to be working my ass off at a job
that I hate, by the way, while you're raising my kid, D,
in a new apartment that I help pay for?
I don't get to live in it. ‐ Hold on, now, you‐‐
you made the decision to step out‐‐
‐ It happened once!
‐ Okay, so why am I always the bad guy here, Jackie?
‐ I don't know.
‐ Come on, now. That's not fair.
It's not.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Look, hey‐‐hey, hey, look, you know,
you can always come back and be with the both of us.
I mean, that's always on the table.
‐ Yeah, and live under your thumb?
I think I'm good. ‐ Jackie, come on, please.
‐ It has been six months!
D, think about that, six months.
How do you expect Rachel to move on when you don't?
‐ Your daughter is doing fine. ‐ Yeah?
‐ Yeah, she's got friends. ‐ Great.
‐ She doesn't come home in tears like she did last year.
‐ And what is wrong with that? That is great.
‐ She keeps asking me, Jackie, what did she do wrong,
and I have to tell her it wasn't her.
It was her stepdad and her mom that messed stuff up.
‐ You know, I‐‐ I did not come here
to fight with you, not today.
‐ We're not‐‐Jackie, listen, we're not fighting.
We're not fighting. We're just talking.
‐ No, no, we're not. No, we're not.
[tense music]
‐ Jackie.
‐ My mom saw our Rad Riffs.
She actually said at least one of the words out loud.
‐ No, she didn't. That's so gross.
‐ Totally gross!
Rachel, do you ever‐‐
‐ You do that a lot.
‐ What?
‐ Not say stuff.
‐ Do you ever see things that aren't there and‐‐
I mean, things that aren't there for other people to see?
Like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus?
‐ Yeah, I guess.
Sometimes when I'm watching the Suzerain videos online,
I feel like I can feel him watching me.
I mean, I think I feel his eyes on me, watching me.
So yeah, I think so.
I think he's real, and I think he watches me.
‐ For real? ‐ For real, yeah.
What?
What? I told you.
‐ I've seen him in real life.
The Suzerain.
‐ No way.
He's‐‐he's real.
He's really real.
Oh, no.
He's real. He's really real.
I knew it!
‐ And he's not the only thing I see.
I see Sophie most of the time,
the baby dragons,
but especially Sophie.
‐ And you talk to them, and they talk back?
‐ Sometimes I can hear things that I can't see,
like voices talking to me,
weird sounds.
Sometimes colors get all funny.
And people's faces, they‐‐
they get all weird even when I'm talking to them.
‐ Whoa. That's so cool.
What do your parents say?
‐ I told them, but...
they didn't believe me.
No one does.
‐ Kaitlyn,
Kaitlyn, I believe you.
‐ I think there might be something wrong with my brain.
‐ No. No, Kaitlyn.
The Suzerain's real. I feel it too.
Maybe if we prove he's real,
then he'll think we're cool or we're friends,
or he'll just leave us alone.
‐ He'll never leave me alone.
‐ He'll never leave either of us alone.
One night he's gonna come into our houses.
The claws are gonna pop out of his hands,
and he's gonna cut us to death,
and then‐‐and then he's gonna kill our families too.
He's gonna kill your mom and your dad and your brother
all in, like, four seconds.
‐ I can't let him do that.
‐ I can't believe he chose us, Kaitlyn,
out of everyone in the whole world.
Why us?
What makes us so special?
[knocking]
[glass shatters]
[rustling]
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[eerie whispering]
♪ ♪
‐ Sophie, I'm scared.
I know.
It's bad if he's revealing himself to Rachel too.
I thought it was just you, me, and the dragons.
[glass shatters]
Oh.
♪ ♪
[eerie whispering]
Mom!
♪ ♪
‐ Hey, Kat. Did you have fun at Rachel's?
‐ Yeah, it was fine.
[panting]
‐ Hey, Dani?
‐ [breathing heavily]
[knocking]
‐ Kaitlyn, are you okay?
Your dad said you ran up here like you were being chased.
Are you all right?
‐ Using the power of dragons.
No crying.
I'm fine.
No one was chasing me, Mommy.
‐ Well, did something happen between you and Rachel?
‐ No. What's for dinner?
‐ Well, um, I'm gonna try something new.
It's a‐‐it's a round dish,
and it's gonna have these little round things
on it called pepperonis, kind of crazy.
‐ Mom, it's called pizza.
You know that.
‐ I do know that, sweetheart.
[thunder rumbling]
‐ Hiya, Kat.
‐ Um, I‐‐
I was just getting some water before bed.
Goodnight.
‐ Goodnight, baby.
[eerie whispering]
‐ Suzerain?
Are you there?
[eerie whispering]
Sophie.
We need protection.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
[thunder rumbles]
‐ [snoring]
[indistinct chatter]
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
‐ What's that? ‐ The Suzerain.
‐ He's creepy.
‐ He's real,
and he wants us to come live with him
in his palace in the dark forest.
‐ No, he doesn't.
You're just trying to be all spooky to scare me.
[bell rings]
[overlapping chatter]
‐ This is the Suzerain. He's kind of a friend of mine.
He's pretty cool, huh?
‐ He's just an Internet urban legend.
‐ No way.
Just because you haven't seen him
doesn't mean he doesn't exist.
‐ Yeah, and I guess you probably have seen him.
‐ My friend Kaitlyn and I have totally seen him,
so I know what I'm talking about.
‐ You're so weird.
‐ Move over, please.
‐ Oh, sure.
‐ Oops.
Sorry.
[laughs]
‐ No, you're not.
Leave my friend alone! ‐ Oh, yeah?
[crowd oohs] ‐ Fight!
[excited chatter] ‐ He got hit by a girl!
‐ You better watch out or I'll send the Suzerain after you.
[tense music]
[excited chatter] ‐ Come on, hurry!
‐ You're an easy target, Kaitlyn, but I told him
I'd send the Suzerain after him if he messed with you again.
I really don't think he'll bother you anymore,
and if he does, I'll protect you.
They're so cool. They look just like him.
‐ You guys, stop acting like the Suzerain's real.
It's scary. You're scaring me.
‐ Well, you don't have to be here.
‐ Kaitlyn?
‐ Wow, Emily was being such a baby.
I think she cried.
‐ I read more about him online last night.
He's everywhere, Rachel, watching us all the time.
We're not safe anywhere.
‐ Yeah, I know,
and girls like Emily just don't get it.
‐ Look.
‐ Kaitlyn and Rachel, you‐‐
What is this?
The principal and I thought with Kaitlyn
getting a week's suspension that maybe you and I
should have a little talk about some of the other stuff
I've noticed in class.
There's the odd drawings, the imaginary friends,
the pretending to be an animal,
and she's also having trouble connecting to other students.
‐ Well, that's not true, because she has friends.
She has Emily, she has Rachel.
‐ She does, yes, and that's very important,
but I'm talking about classroom participation.
Honestly, the problem I'm having
is that I feel like Kaitlyn's fantasy life
competes with what we're doing here in the classroom.
‐ Well, we value vivid imaginations in our household.
We encourage her‐‐ ‐ That's not what I'm saying.
Look...
Kaitlyn is an incredibly bright and very creative girl,
but as an educator,
when I see some of the stuff like what I saw today,
it makes me question the home environment.
‐ The home environment is fine.
‐ Maybe‐‐maybe we should reschedule this meeting
so that you and your husband can come in together.
I think Kaitlyn said he's at home during the day.
Maybe‐‐maybe he might have some insight.
‐ No, no, that's‐‐no. That's not a good idea.
He‐‐he can't‐‐he‐‐ he has a medical condition.
‐ Oh.
I‐‐I didn't realize.
‐ It's‐‐it's not bad.
He just has this chemical thing in his brain,
and, well, it just‐‐ it makes things hard on me
because I‐‐ I work all the time,
and then I'm taking care of the kids,
and I'm taking care of the house,
and I'm putting food on the table,
and Nathan, he does‐‐
he does the best that he can,
But it's‐‐it's just‐‐ it's a lot, you know?
It's a lot, and‐‐ and sometimes I feel like
I can't find my way out of any of it.
It just feels like so much.
Um, I should go.
Uh, I need to get Kaitlyn home.
[tense music]
[eerie whispering]
♪ ♪
Let's go, Kaitlyn.
What were you thinking?
‐ Dad, what do your pills do?
What happens if you don't take them?
‐ [laughs]
I'm not ever taking that off. I'm never taking that off.
‐ It's gonna stay up there forever.
‐ Are you laughing at me?
‐ Yeah.
And then this is me as a dragon.
I don't want to go back.
‐ Huh?
Oh. Yeah.
‐ It's better here with you.
‐ Hey, sweetheart, have you thought any more
about your birthday sleepover?
‐ I don't know. Maybe.
‐ Well, if you think about it, then we can make a plan.
‐ Um, maybe we could go roller skating.
‐ Yes, that sounds like a great idea.
You could invite Emily too.
You haven't played with her in a while.
‐ That's some real talent there, kiddo.
Is that for me? ‐ Yeah.
‐ Great job, hon. ‐ Thank you.
‐ Look at that. ‐ Wow.
‐ That's going on the fridge, you hear me?
Right in the middle. ‐ How about this?
‐ Well, that it is very good too.
[phone rings]
[indistinct chatter]
‐ I'll get it.
Hello? ‐ Hey, it's me.
‐ Hey, meow, Emily.
‐ I just wanted to say that my mom says
that the Suzerain isn't real,
and she said if you're my friend,
you'll stop talking about him all the time.
‐ Okay. I just hope he doesn't kill you in your sleep
'cause he does that sometimes. ‐ Stop it, Kaitlyn!
‐ Emily. ‐ Seriously.
‐ My mom's taking us roller skating for my birthday.
‐ That's cool.
‐ Emily, get off the phone. It's time for bed.
‐ Well, I've got to go get ready for bed.
‐ Okay. Bye, Emily.
[eerie music]
♪ ♪
‐ I almost don't want her to go back yet.
‐ Well, you know, she misses her friends.
‐ I know, but I worry about her.
‐ Hmm. Look, we had a great week.
I mean, Kaitlyn was a sweetheart.
We had fun. She's a really great kid.
‐ I just wish I had more time with her.
‐ Look, if there was something, anything, I'd see it.
I mean, I know you're not around
as much as you want from work, but I'm here.
I'm watching.
Maybe her teacher was right.
Maybe talking to a school therapist is a good idea.
‐ Yeah.
This whole thing has just been such a big wakeup call for me.
‐ Come here.
You're such a good mom.
[eerie whispering]
‐ Emily doesn't mean it.
[tense music]
She's just scared of you.
I'm scared of you too.
♪ ♪
‐ So you want to join the Suzerain's dark kingdom?
Become a member of his royal family?
He will start to speak with you in your mind.
As a member of his sovereign royal family,
you will do a special task for the Suzerain, a ritual.
The ritual is private.
You can't tell anyone else what you're doing,
and I mean anyone.
‐ I watched a video about a boy who didn't believe,
and his parents died.
‐ Yeah, I watched another one too.
"Want to join the Suzerain's dark kingdom?"
The girl totally knows the Suzerain, and she tells you
exactly how to complete his ritual to call him to you.
Then he becomes, like, your feudal overlord,
and you kind of have to do whatever he says.
‐ Whoa.
And‐‐and we'd belong to him?
‐ Yeah, I mean, we have to do something.
We can't just let him kill our families.
‐ I know.
‐ I don't want to die, Kaitlyn.
‐ Me either.
‐ So do you think we should join him then?
‐ Do you?
‐ Well, if we belong to him,
we could prove to everyone that he was real
and shut the boys up for good
and not die.
‐ And he really wouldn't hurt us or our families
because we'd be his princesses, and we'd be living with him.
‐ Totally, but we'd have to do a ritual,
something really serious and important,
like a blood sacrifice.
‐ To show our loyalty.
‐ To prove ourselves to him
and get him to reveal more of his powers to us.
‐ A blood sacrifice?
Like we'd have to kill something?
‐ Yeah, I think it might be necessary.
Maybe, like, a bird or a cat or something.
‐ Kill something to protect our families
and to prove to everyone that he's real.
‐ Yeah, maybe, something like that.
[distorted sound, eerie whispering]
‐ Rachel?
You see him now, don't you?
‐ Oh, my God.
I see him.
He looks so scary.
[eerie whispering]
‐ I think he wants us to do it
to someone that doesn't believe in him.
‐ That makes sense.
I get that.
[eerie whispering]
‐ I think we might have to kill Emily.
[tense music]
‐ Emily doesn't believe.
[gentle piano music]
♪ ♪
all: ♪ Hush‐a‐bye, don't you cry ♪
‐ Do you ever wonder why he chose us?
‐ Because we're special?
‐ No one else thinks we're special.
‐ It doesn't matter what they think.
The Suzerain knows we're special.
♪ ♪
‐ It matters what Emily thinks, I guess,
or the Suzerain wouldn't have chosen her.
‐ It's not what she thinks.
It's 'cause she doesn't believe.
‐ I used to be able to talk to D,
but then he got really sad and busy too.
I think it's 'cause my mom doesn't love him anymore.
‐ The Suzerain is always listening, not like my mom.
Sometimes I think she loves her work more than her family.
Even when she's home, she never really listens.
She's always busy.
all: ♪ All the pretty little horses ♪
‐ I want to prove our loyalty to him.
‐ We have to prove it.
The Suzerain will kill your parents
and your brother if we don't.
all: ♪ All the pretty little horses ♪
‐ He's saying we have to do it.
We have to kill Emily.
all: ♪ Horses ♪
It's the only way to save everyone else we love.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ And then after we go skating, we'll be at my sleepover,
and then we'll wake up, and Emily will still be asleep.
‐ We just have to get through today.
‐ And then we do it tonight.
I'll set the alarm so we wake up at midnight,
the witching hour.
‐ Happy birthday, Kaitlyn!
We're gonna have so much fun at your sleepover tonight.
Bye!
‐ I just don't want it to hurt too much.
‐ Well, once we put the pillow over her face,
she'll just go to sleep.
‐ That's okay then.
If she's already asleep, she won't really know she's dying.
‐ Yeah.
No matter what happens,
they can never take us away from each other.
[bell rings]
Happy birthday.
‐ Thanks.
‐ ♪ Baby ♪
♪ Then you've got to shout out scream it loud ♪
♪ Tell 'em what it's all about ♪
♪ Bring it ♪
♪ Don't wait another minute ♪
♪ You could lose it all ♪
♪ Push it to the limit ♪
♪ Yeah you've got shout out scream it loud ♪
♪ Tell 'em what it's all about ♪
‐ I'm gonna go get a hot dog. We can share it.
‐ That's okay, Emily. We're not hungry.
Come on, Kaitlyn, let's go.
It's necessary.
all: ♪ Happy birthday dear Kaitlyn ♪
‐ Cha, cha, cha.
all: ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
‐ Whoo!
‐ Yay! Whoo‐hoo! ‐ Yay!
‐ What'd you wish for?
‐ I can't tell you, or it won't come true.
‐ [snickers]
‐ Okay, okay, okay, so, uh, let's cut the cake.
You, babe, you do it. I don't want to do it.
I wreck it every time. ‐ Got it.
‐ All right. Who wants cake?
[overlapping talking from videos]
‐ I'm sorry.
Ow!
I said I was sorry.
[indistinct talking from videos]
‐ [scoffs]
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
‐ Happy birthday, sweetheart.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ Midnight.
♪ ♪
How come you didn't set the alarm?
‐ I forgot.
‐ Really?
‐ Not really.
‐ Are you scared?
‐ Yeah.
‐ Me too.
‐ Maybe we could just put it off forever.
‐ Yeah, okay, maybe.
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
[excited chatter]
‐ Hey. Hey.
Morning.
‐ Hey. Morning.
‐ Kaitlyn seems happy.
Honey, I think‐‐I think the girls had fun last night.
‐ Oh, they definitely had fun, all three of them.
It's good, right?
‐ Yeah.
All right, I'm gonna go make breakfast.
Okay.
‐ I'll be down in a minute.
♪ ♪
[unsettling music]
♪ ♪
[eerie whispering]
‐ No. Please.
♪ ♪
‐ I think we have to do it after all.
The Suzerain said he'll kill our families if we don't.
It's time.
‐ For the ritual?
A princess's blood for the Suzerain.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
Then we need a new plan.
We know that Emily can't really swim, right?
So we could go to the lake, to the park, and‐‐
and we could...
tie her arms and legs up so she can't swim away.
‐ Yeah. Yeah, we could do it there.
‐ Do what?
What are you guys talking about?
‐ Nothing.
‐ I'm a warrior king,
and I'm going to destroy the princess.
[laughter]
‐ Did you know that each sprinkle is a fairy seed?
‐ What's a pink one? ‐ Uh, it's a garden fairy.
‐ Oh, 'cause I have, like, four on my hand.
Mommy, can we go to the park?
‐ Well, I know it's your birthday,
but is that what everybody wants to do?
‐ Yeah. ‐ Okay, sounds good.
‐ I love you, Mommy.
‐ I love you too.
Happy birthday.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ You guys, we were supposed to be racing!
Come on!
‐ This is really happening.
♪ ♪
[all laughing]
‐ Hey, Emily, look what I brought.
‐ What is it?
‐ Let's play fairy princess,
and I'm the evil warrior who's kidnapped
and tied up the princess, and that's you, Emily.
‐ No thanks. I don't really want to play that now.
‐ Come on.
We all want to play fairy princess,
especially Kaitlyn, and it is her birthday.
‐ What will you be, Kaitlyn?
‐ Um, uh.
‐ She'll be the big, bad dragon
who wants to eat you up.
‐ Okay.
‐ Uh‐oh, the princess has been tied up by the evil warrior.
‐ And I'm gonna eat you.
‐ I won't let you eat me.
[laughter] ‐ Come on.
‐ Where are we going?
‐ Somewhere fun.
My secret evil warrior hideout.
I had her close her eyes because when you look
into a person's eyes, you can see yourself,
and you don't want to be killing yourself.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
‐ Ahh!
‐ You have to go and push her head under the water.
‐ What? I can't do that. I'm too scared.
You push her head under the water.
‐ What was that for? It really hurt,
and you know how much I don't like the water.
‐ I'm sorry, Emily. It was an accident.
Just like when you kicked me in the face last night.
‐ I told you I was sorry.
‐ It was just an accident, Emily.
‐ Well, it really hurt.
‐ You should go up to where the backpacks are.
We'll be there in a minute.
‐ You guys are acting really weird today.
‐ It's okay, little princess dragon.
Shh. Shh. Shh.
Let's go deeper into the woods.
‐ We're gonna play dragon eats fairy princess now.
Kaitlyn will count to ten so we can start running.
‐ No, I don't want to play that now.
‐ It is my birthday.
‐ Yeah.
Okay.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ One, two,
three, four,
five,
six,
seven,
eight,
nine,
ten.
I'm coming to eat the fairy princess!
‐ Be a dragon chasing its prey!
‐ Whoa, look at these flowers.
So pretty.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ You do it.
You know where all the good spots are.
‐ You do it. Go bananas.
Take her down.
‐ Give me your permission.
♪ ♪
‐ Kaitlyn!
Go for it!
[eerie whispering]
♪ ♪
‐ [screams]
Ow! Please, Kaitlyn!
[screaming] Stop! Stop!
Stop! Please!
Kaitlyn! Stop it!
[eerie whispering]
What are you doing? What are you doing?
Please, Kaitlyn.
You hurt me.
No, please!
[sobbing]
‐ No!
‐ Ow! [sobbing]
[screaming]
Ow! Ow!
‐ Emily, Emily‐‐
‐ [screaming]
Stay‐‐stay here, and don't move!
We're gonna go get help!
[indistinct yelling]
[both panting, sobbing]
‐ Run. Run. Run.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ We just keep walking. That's the rule.
Just keep walking until the Suzerain finds us.
♪ ♪
Do you think she's dead yet?
‐ I don't know. Probably.
‐ I want to go home!
I want to call D! I want him to take us home!
‐ No, you can't do that!
He'll call the police!
We'll go to prison forever!
‐ You did it!
You wanted to do it!
‐ Lord Suzerain!
Please, please, we need you.
Please!
We need you!
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
‐ ♪ It's long hard fall ♪
♪ Down to the bottom ♪
♪ And it's so cold ♪
♪ So cold on the way down ♪
♪ And I never thought we'd become ♪
♪ Those kind of people ♪
♪ But it just happened ♪
♪ It happened, it turned out that way ♪
♪ We're not perfect ♪
♪ We're not the same ♪
♪ We're just imperfect ♪
♪ But it hurts the same ♪
♪ Will you still love me ♪
♪ No matter what ♪
♪ Will you still love me ♪
♪ No matter what ♪
♪ It's a long hard fall ♪
♪ Down to the bottom ♪
♪ And it's so cold ♪
♪ So cold on the way down ♪
♪ ♪
‐ I'm scared.
‐ Don't be, all right?
You're safe now, but your parents
are waiting for you down at the station.
‐ They're alive.
Everything's gonna be okay now.
‐ Sophie says everything's gonna be okay.
‐ I thought my daughter's imaginary world was harmless.
I thought she was just bright and creative.
She was special,
and she is all of those things.
Some kids' imaginations are harmless,
but my daughter's imaginary world
led her to do something I never could have imagined.
As a community, how do we know
when children's play takes a serious turn?
[indistinct chatter]
We pretend that it's not an issue
for our friends and family,
and then when we do finally acknowledge it,
it's often with fear or anger.
Today we're working with my daughter
to get her medication right
so that someday she can rejoin the world,
and when she does, I am gonna be there for her,
but this time with my eyes wide open.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪