At Rebecca's house in Kingston
The scene opens to show an old house with a hearse parked out front. The place is filled with Sheriff's deputies They are placing a large man in handcuffs. The man is yelling, saying that he won't talk, and they are roughing him up pretty good. Covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, the Sheriff climbs up the stairs to a bedroom. There are several others around, also with their mouths covered. In the bed, there is the corpse of an old woman with long gray hair -- there is a white flower (a camellia, I think) resting on her pillow. Next to her, is a skeleton that has obviously been dead many, many years. The dead woman is holding the skeleton's hand, and there are spiders crawling about on her. During all this, it is possible to hear the man yelling downstairs. He is dragged away by the deputies, saying "God have mercy upon my soul!"
In San Francisco
Rachel is reading a letter from a lawyer (Mr. Harold Taggart) notifying her that she is the sole beneficiary of her estranged Aunt Rebecca's estate (in this scene, note the way that Nick is lounging on the table -- very cute). Rachel tells Derek, Nick and Alex that her mother Ruth (who was three years older than her sister) and her Aunt had had a falling out some years ago, and that she could hardly remember ever meeting her eccentric, Southern aunt (Why is it that little, old Southern ladies are always eccentric?). Derek appears to be troubled by this news. After touching the letter, Derek senses that Kat might be in danger and is shocked that Rachel wants to take her to the funeral. Rachel insists on going and taking Kat anyway. Derek later decides to send Nick to be with them.
In Kingston
After Rebecca's funeral, Mr. Taggart and Sheriff Parker try to convince Rachel to stay at a hotel in Savannah. Mr. Taggart tells Kat that she has her aunt's eyes. Rachel is determined to stay at Rebecca's house so that she can learn more about her aunt, and asks to speak to Simon (the man that was led away in handcuffs at the beginning of the episode) who worked for Rebecca. Simon is being held for questioning, and the sheriff says that he's "not quite right" and would rather stay safely in his prison cell.
Mr. Taggart suggests that he bring the will over to her tomorrow. At Rebecca's house, Rachel has an eerie feeling walking up the front steps. She and Kat retrieve the keys from the mailbox and enter the house. Kat tells her mother that the house is "weird." The inside of the house is very dark, and cluttered. They discover a music box sitting on the grand piano, and Rachel reacts strangely -- saying that she knows the tune from somewhere.
In the jail, Sheriff Parker is trying to get Simon to talk. He is trying to determine who the skeleton was. Simon will only say it was "a gentleman", and begs them not to send him back to Miss Rebecca's house. When he learns that Rachel and Kat are staying there, he becomes very upset and begins banging his head against the cell bars. He begins talking to himself, one minute saying "I must talk to her" and the next minute saying "Don't do it! Don't do it! Cut your tongue out! Simon says 'Shhhhhh'!"
While she is sleeping, someone places a white camellia on the pillow next to Rachel. She awakens when someone says her name. She finds the flower, and also a skeleton in the bed with her, but realizes that she is only having a nightmare.
The next day, Rachel is telling Derek on the phone about her nightmare. He tries to convince her to leave, but she insists on staying (of course!) He tells her that he is sending Nick to join her. Before he leaves, Derek tells Nick to be careful with Rachel because the situation could become uncomfortable for them.
Rachel
continues to hear her name whispered, and she investigates Rebecca's
room where she finds an old chest. Inside she finds an old bone pin
and pricks her finger while pinning it onto her clothing. Joined by
Kat, Rachel shows her a picture of her mother Ruth and Rebecca when
they were young. There is also a picture of her grandfather Joshua (with
his two daughters), and a picture of the adult Rebecca.
Mr. Taggart arrives at the house to discuss Rebecca's estate over tea. She had taught piano lessons many years ago, but in the last two decades had depended on investments from her income and had managed to save $97,000 (most of which will be used to pay taxes). He tries to suggest that Rachel sell the house, and his cup suddenly spills all over him and the documents. Rachel looks like him strangely, and tells him (with a slight Southern accent) to come back tomorrow.
Rachel goes to visit Simon at the jail. Simon agrees to talk with her as long as she stays as far away from the cell as possible. When the Sheriff leaves, Simon suddenly lunges at the bars and tells Rachel that if she had stayed close to the cell when he became "Not-Simon", she would've been hurt by him. Simon begins to weep, saying that the spider is toying with the fly. He once against tells himself to "Shhhhhhh." When asked about the skeleton, Simon tells her to get out of the house, and tries to grab her bone pin (which is pinned at her throat). He continues his ranting and raving.
At Rebecca's house, Rachel is playing the piano, seemingly in a trance. Kat tries to talk to her, but gets no response. Nick walks in, and Kat is thrilled to see him (I just loved the way he called her "sweetness" in this scene) giving him a huge hug and kiss. She tells him that Rachel won't stop playing the piano. Concerned, Nick approaches Rachel, who looks at him but sees the face of another man. The man is saying "Rebecca? It's me." Just before she kisses him, Rachel realizes that it's Nick, and she faints.
Later, in her bedroom, Rachel admits to Nick that she's embarrassed and that she must be more affected by her grief than she thought. He tries to convince her to leave, but she won't (sound familiar??). Nick calls Derek to fill him in. That night, Rachel dreams of Rebecca and the man she saw.
In the jail, Simon is babbling to himself and writing on a tablet -- he is writing a letter to the Sheriff. He is saying that Miss Rebecca wouldn't let him go, and that he was forced to commit damnable deeds for which he will be going to Hell. He says that he must tell Sheriff Parker everything so that he can save Rachel and Kat. Rebecca's spirit enters the jail. Simon is terrified, and Rebecca causes the tablet to burst into flame. Simon swears that he wasn't going to tell, and Rebecca grabs him by the throat and kills him.
The next morning, Rachel is sitting at the mirror, dreamily brushing her hair. She joins Nick downstairs who tells her that Simon has died of a heart attack. He shows her a forensics report on Rebecca that he found on the front porch. The autopsy of the skeleton says that it was a 30 - 40 year old man who's been dead for 40 years - his body mutilated for many years after his death. Nick faxes pictures of the skeleton (and a few other pictures) to Derek as Rachel starts playing the piano again.
In the hallway, Kat hears her name being called from Rebecca's room. Kat sees a wooden box on the bed. In the box is an old book of spells. The old Rebecca is sitting in the rocking chair, and tells her that they're going to be good friends.
Taggart arrives to discuss selling the house again with Rachel, who's once again acting strange and talking in a Southern accent. She tells him that she isn't interested in selling, and tells him that she might just stay there forever. (For some strange reason, she calls him "Matt" during this scene.)
Later that night, Taggart sees the young Rebecca outside his home. She grabs him by the throat and kills him. (Rebecca also calls Harold "Matt" during this scene -- weird).
In San Francisco
Derek and Alex are examining the pictures that Nick sent. He determines that the skeleton shows evidence of necromancy -- defiling corpses to control the future. He tells Alex that Matthew Cortland (now, how did he know the skeleton's name? Must've been on the autopsy report) must have meant a lot to Rebecca for her to use him in such a way after his death. While examining the picture of Rebecca and Ruth, Derek has a vision that shows Rachel in terrible danger -- he insists that he and Alex call Nick immediately.
In Kingston
Rachel is now speaking as Rebecca to her lover Matthew, saying that she had planned for them to have a child and family. Apparently, she was to have become pregnant during a satanic ritual, but he died during the ritual (I hate it when that happens). She says that now they have a chance to live again, and when Rachel looks in the mirror, she sees Rebecca's reflection.
On the telephone, Derek tells Nick about the necromancy, and tells him to look for an oval, bone pendant that gives Rebecca her power (the pendant was made out of the bone from Matthew's skull). While talking to Nick, the phone connection is cut off.
In Rebecca's room, Nick finds Rachel/Rebecca showing Kat her book of spells. She tells him that she wants him to take Matthew's place. Looking in the mirror, he also sees Rebecca's reflection. Rebecca tells him that they're going to stay together and become a family. She tells him that she was cheated out of a family when Matthew died before his time, and that she kept him around all these years because she loved him. She tells Nick that she wants Kat because she is of her blood, but becomes very angry and grabs Kat when Nick tells her that Kat is really of Ruth's blood. Rebecca hated Ruth because she had everything that she wanted (i.e. a family). Nick appeals to Rachel to realize that she's hurting Kat, and she releases her.
Nick tries to grab the brooch from Rachel, but she flings him across the room. He screams at her to destroy the brooch, and Rachel eventually throws it into the fire. This causes Rebecca to release Rachel from her power and disappear.
In San Francisco
Derek is waiting anxiously by the phone to hear from Nick. He is thrilled to hear that the spell is broken. After hanging up the phone, he studies the copy of the picture of Joshua, Rebecca and Ruth that Nick faxed him. From his desk, he pulls out another, different picture of Joshua, Rebecca, and Ruth and studies them with a troubled look upon his face.
Description last revised: 26 February 1997