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(siren)
(sound of heart beating)
Dad?
(woman) Zachary!
(dog barking)
(man) For those of you who do not know,
this is how it began.
Zachary Small was an ordinary little boy.
He lived with his ordinary father in an ordinary house
in an ordinary town.
What Zachary did not know, could not know,
was just how un-ordinary he was.
I had heard the stories of young Zachary and his fearlessness.
I had seen with my own eyes
his selfless acts of bravery and courage,
and I knew deep in my heart
that he would return to rescue me
when I was imprisoned in the dungeon that last time.
Just as the prophecy decreed,
he would restore me to my rightful place
to the kingdom he had long since abandoned.
But days turned into months, and months into years,
and my certainty faded until all that was left was despair.
Then again, stories are living things,
given to turns unpredictable.
Nothing could prepare Zachary for what was to come,
for what he would become.
Like all boys, he had grown older.
But had he forgotten his purpose?
Had he forgotten the prophecy? His destiny?
What follows is all I know to be true.
If there was a road leading Zachary back to himself,
it could only move in one direction:
through the very heart of Neverwas.
This place will kill me.
It never ends.
Dr. Reed?
It's really nice to meet you.
Can you hand me that... the whatchmacallit?
The bucket of patching stuff there on my desk? Oh, sure.
I'm at war with the ceiling.
And losing, by the looks of it.
Yeah, the whole building is conspiring to fall down around me.
Can I get your name?
I'm sorry. I'm Zach Riley. We spoke on the phone a few weeks back.
I speak to a lot of people.
I'm here about the psychiatrist position.
Oh, right. You're the... You're... Dr. Riley.
You were on staff at Cornell. Yeah.
Oh, thank you.
Sit down. Oh.
Just move those files, all right?
I love your clinic, Doctor.
It's got a certain amount of character
that you don't, uh, you don't find everywhere.
Can I speak honestly with you, Dr. Riley?
Yeah, call me Zach. And yes, absolutely.
This is not really the kind of opening
that you're looking for, Zach.
I read your proposal. It's very impressive.
MD at Yale. Clinical work at Cornell.
I just... I don't think you would make a good match here.
The AMA has declared that we're not even worthy of funding.
I'm surprised you even heard about it.
I'm sorry that you made a trip for no reason,
and if you'll excuse me now, I have group in a few minutes.
(chuckles) That-that's it? We're not even gonna talk?
On your way out of town, stop at the pub on Main.
They have a great Irish stew. Massive chunks of lamb.
You don't understand. I'm counting on a position at Millwood.
No one counts on a position here.
Dr. Reed, I'm really not gonna take no for an answer,
so please hear me out.
I had an acquaintance who was a patient at Millwood a long time ago.
Whatever treatment he received, it didn't do him much good.
So for me, coming back here is about giving the patients
what my friend never got.
I'm serious about this.
I mean, I've already rented a place in town.
Pretty confident.
I mean, what can I say? I want the job.
One month. I'll take it.
On trial. Fine.
No benefits. Deal.
Come with me.
Down here we have doctors' offices and intake rooms.
Most all our patients are low or nonfunctioning.
Sorry to say we no longer have an outpatient program.
All but one of my wards shut down.
Funding cuts, of course.
Development is what we're all about here.
I've got an insurance claim for you, Peter.
I look forward to it, Michael.
Hello, Bernadette.
(woman) Dr. Reed, would you sign this?
Yeah. If you could just give me a second, Zach.
Sure.
Just sign right over there.
(woman) Are you Zachary Pierson?
He's right down the hall.
(whispering voices)
(Dr. Reed) ...like you to handle group C.
You can introduce yourself.
I'm sorry? I'd like to introduce you to the group you'll be running.
I'm sorry I'm late, everybody.
Terrence, group.
(man) Come on, everybody, let's join the group.
Dick. Dick?
I'd like you to meet Dr. Riley.
Hello.
He will be taking the place of Karen.
I know you all miss Karen,
but I think we can give Dr. Riley a chance.
It's nice to meet you all.
As Dr. Reed said, my name is Dr. Riley,
but you can call me Zach if you like.
I'm looking forward to getting to know and talking to each of you.
This is Martin. He's one of our interns.
Hey. Welcome to the Mill.
Thank you very much. Good to meet you.
Maybe we should go around and introduce ourselves.
Gabriel, my man.
Feel like joining us today?
Well, Gabriel, if you do ever change your mind,
we would love to have you join us.
Hi, Gabriel. My name's Zach.
I'm gonna be here from now on.
I'm Eleanna.
Eleanna. That's a nice name.
Do you mind if I smoke? Jake, you know you can't smoke in group.
Dr. Riley doesn't mind if I smoke.
Dr. Riley doesn't know the rules.
(overlapping chatter)
I can't stand his looking at me anymore!
I can't stand it. He's on every layer of my fourth.
He's on the first layer of my fifth - communication and survival.
Blue protection shield. I'm not repeating anything in a way
that's not conducive to my own free will.
(Reed) Leave her alone. (babbling)
...body of glass. Sally.
Don't even think about it. Don't even think about it.
See what you did?
Can I get you something to eat?
Yeah. I hear you guys have the Holy Grail of lamb stews.
You got it.
I don't believe it.
This is crazy.
Hi.
You Zach Pierson?
I could be. It's me.
Hello, you.
Oh, come on, man. Maggie? Maggie Paige?
Maggie... From when we were little.
I was a tomboy, freckles.
Jack Paige-- Jack Paige's little sister.
You guys lived at the Thompson house.
Yeah, my grandma. Oh, my... What ever happened to you guys?
Well, after that summer, we moved to Vermont,
in with my aunt, where we stayed. That's right - your parents.
I forgot about that. Yeah, no.
But I've been back here for a while,
staying at my grandmother's,
and I was just up in this area, doing some research...
I'm just over there. You wanna come sit with me for a minute?
All right.
The thing I remember most about you
is that you used to stand outside of our front gates.
Just stand there. Right?
Not exactly my proudest moment.
But, hey, what little kid didn't love your dad's books?
So, what do you do now?
I'm in grad school. Really?
And I'm working on my thesis.
It's good to see you, Maggie.
Yeah. You too.
So, um, do you wanna order something?
Actually, I gotta go.
I'm running a little bit late.
But, um, like I said, I'll be down at my grandma's for a while.
Well, I'm at Millwood now.
As a therapist, of course. Oh.
What?
Very interesting.
Yeah, I got decorated by a borderline schizophrenic.
She was having a bad day.
You have to go.
Right.
So, I'll be up in the area tomorrow,
doing some research.
I'll be here around the same time.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
Honey! Oh!
Do you know I've left you four messages?
Seriously, where have you been?
Uh... Yeah, Mom, I'm sorry. I just...
I've been busy. I'm sorry I haven't called. I...
You're not the only one.
I tell you, this has been the week from hell.
(chuckles) Why? What have you been doing?
(chuckles) Nothing.
Which, to my constant amazement, is absolutely exhausting.
You know, you need to get out of that house. Hmm.
Take a vacation.
So, tell me, darling, how's your new place?
I took a job today,
and don't get all dramatic when I say this, Mom, but...
I'm working at Millwood.
What?
Why would you go back to that terrible place?
Well, maybe to make it not so terrible.
You gave up your position at Cornell for Millwood?
Is this some kind of joke?
No, it's not a joke. It's a job.
Zachary, you know what day is coming up.
And you know how hard this time of year is for me always.
You know all this...
which makes your choice all the more cruel.
Of course, you're no stranger to cruelty when it comes to me.
You know what, Mom? I gotta go.
(dial tone)
OK, before our group sessions,
I wanted to meet with each of you individually.
I come from this real small town
It's the kind of place where people...
never really like to talk a whole lot.
I play the piano.
I mean, um... I used to.
Hi.
They were exposed, and he was too blind--
I would never have hurt those children.
And I know the CIA is sometimes watching me.
And the thing is, I have this fiancée,
and she wants to see me here.
And I don't know if she'll understand.
'Cause... I don't even understand.
(writing)
Hello, Gabriel.
Would you like to talk?
I know it's you.
(Reed) Gabriel Finch will be your first patient.
He's been in and out of hospitals for nearly 40 years.
Three months ago, the county brought him in.
He dismantled a few bulldozers on a construction site
in the mountains just north of here.
Gabriel has never uttered a word to any therapist
until today.
To you.
Huh? Oh, my God.
Gabriel, you standing there...
All right. Thank you for coming.
Messy office. Why don't you sit down
and we can get started? Mm-hmm.
So...
is there anything in particular
that you'd like to begin with?
Anything in particular?
You. Here.
Your cool indifference. Just give me that.
OK.
You've changed, boy. I've changed?
We've just met.
No, there's something gone missing,
something not right behind the eyes.
So, you think that I'm hiding something from you.
What would I be hiding from you?
Now, don't get me wrong, Zachary.
I understand the need for secrecy in this dungeon we find ourselves in.
I mean, you are talking to someone
who understands the vital need for discretion
in my-- our predicament,
but there hasn't even been the slightest sign or signal from you.
And I look for signs and signals,
given my position, my responsibility. You know that!
OK, Gabriel. You seem to be getting a little upset,
so let's just slow down for a little bit.
Now, I haven't gone by "Zachary" for a long time. You can call me Zach.
That's impossible!
You're taking this charade too far.
OK, help me understand what you mean.
Are you feeling calmer?
Are you feeling anything at all?
You know, why don't we start over?
Maybe we should talk about what brought you here.
What brought you here is a far more interesting question.
OK, well, I came here to help you.
I don't believe it. Of course!
(both chuckle)
Go on.
Yes. So much sense. Yes, clear as day.
Clear as day. Tell me about that.
Something's been done to you. It's a dark spell
to erase your thoughts and the memory of your youth.
To make you forget.
Good, good, good, good. What does that mean to you?
We'll stop here.
Statues made of stone, Zachary.
We don't have much time.
I'm almost done with it.
All right.
Hi.
(Maggie) "It wasn't until Friday morning
"that Zachary would find the map,
"leading him to the Mossy Rock on the other side of the mountain
"that was the entrance to Neverwas.
"The monstrously hideous wizard, Ghastly Lapeer,
"had kidnapped Zachary's father
"to keep him from restoring the land
"to its former beauty and bright spirit.
"It fell upon Zachary to journey into Neverwas
"and rescue the king from Ghastly's dungeon.
"Only then could the king fight Ghastly's minions
"that were attacking his castle,
bent on destroying the last bright thing in Neverwas."
I love this book.
Me too.
(gasps)
(whispering) Wanna know a secret? (whispering) What?
(whispering) Someone's at the door right now, but don't look.
It's funny that you should say that, because I was just thinking
about that time there was a whole group of us kids playing in the woods.
I think you were there. And we-- Mm.
And we got totally lost. I was there.
I was tagging along, much to everyone's annoyance.
And we were lost out there for hours.
Yeah. You know the thing that I remember the most about that day?
Was that it was you.
You were the one that found our way back to the road. Remember?
Yeah, I guess I did get us out of there. Yeah.
Isn't that amazing how one summer so long ago
can just stand out amongst all the others?
So, what are you doing your thesis on?
The contrast between deciduous trees of the Upper Hudson.
I'm a botanist.
Before I forget, uh,
remember I told you how much I love your dad's book?
Yeah. Well...
I use it as a purse sometimes.
You've got to be kidding me.
No. You're a collector.
Since I was a kid. And look at this.
My parents gave this to me the Christmas before they passed away.
This is the most important thing that I own.
Excuse me.
Are you Zachary Small?
I'm sorry to have bothered you.
Come on, honey.
All right, I spilled the beans. I go by "Riley" now.
My mother's maiden name. I don't, uh, like to talk about my father's book.
Sorry. It's not a big deal.
It just really has nothing to do with me, so...
He wrote it for you. Yeah, well...
I mean...
It's not exactly great literature. It's a classic.
It's just a silly fairy tale.
Have you ever read it?
You've never read it.
Of course I've read it.
Why don't you skim through this? I think it'll do you good.
What, you're just gon--
I don't think I can talk to you until you've read it.
You're just gonna leave? I'm gonna call you.
I'll expect a book report.
Maggie!
Maggie.
Come on.
(man) "Zachary Small took off through the forest
"lain waste by Ghastly,
"a once good wizard turned ugly and diabolical
"by the use of black magic.
"Zach's best friend would be a flying pig named Sebastian,
"whose first language
was, of course, pig Latin."
Ahh, yeah.
Ah, my boy, my boy.
(Zach) Jake and I have just had a conversation,
and I think there's something
that Jake would like to say to the group.
Jake?
I wanted to say...
I have a fiancée.
She's coming up this weekend for a visit.
And I don't want her to see me like this.
Jake, maybe if you plan out what you're gonna say to her,
you would feel a little less frustrated.
I'm not frustrated.
I'm just tired. I'm-I'm tired.
"A truth that's told with bad intent
"beats all the lies you can invent. (snaps fingers rhythmically)
"It is right it should be so;
"Man was made for joy and woe;
"And when this we rightly know,
"Through the world we safely go.
"Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine."
(Zach's father) "Man was made for joy and woe;
"Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for his soul divine."
(Zach's mom) Thomas, don't let Zach hear.
Where's my joy, Katherine? Thomas--
That's what the hell I wanna know, huh?
Please don't let Zachary hear you.
He's just a little boy. It doesn't matter!
He knows I'm numb!
Zach doesn't judge me, Kate. He doesn't judge me at all!
There's no judgment!
(Thomas mumbles and cries)
Oh, Dad.
Gabriel?
I mean, don't ever creep up on me
when I'm making an entry.
I'm sorry. I thought you saw me come in.
Did others see you?
I don't know. Would that be a problem if they did?
You sound like a complete and utter fool.
Actually, I was wondering where you heard that poem that you recited earlier.
Your gods have completely disappeared.
Let's focus on the poem. This is not about me.
It has always been about you, especially now
at this moment of crisis, with just four days left.
Your bravery, I've seen it with my own eyes.
Let's save this for our session.
Oh, it's such a shame! Everything you ever were
has been replaced by total fear.
And your skin - you wear your skin as if it's three sizes too small
and barely stretched over your pointed bones. Gabriel, please!
You have to find what you love, Zachary!
For both our sakes!
( soft piano)
Zachary, look who's here.
Hi.
Well, don't just stand there like a bump on a log.
Come in. Hello, Mother.
Hello, hello, hello.
Maggie stopped by earlier.
She wanted your phone number, and it seems--
I said I was going to call you,
and then I realized that I didn't have your number, so...
I just told her to come back and ask you herself.
Um...
Well, you two catch up,
and, uh, I'll go make sure that everything is perfect.
(Maggie) Thank you.
I have always wished that they made a movie of Neverwas.
Oh.
Thomas would never give up the rights, ever.
No. He hated himself
for approving that merchandising that they did for a while.
I used to collect that stuff, all of it.
Maggie is Dad's biggest fan, Mom.
Oh, isn't that nice?
And what about a boyfriend?
No, I'm too busy for that. I'm a bit of a workaholic.
Ohh.
Do you know that, when I met Thomas,
I was studying to be an actress?
Mom has a flair for the dramatic.
And then of course, Zachary was born.
Maggie doesn't wanna hear this, Mom.
Sure, I do. Sure, she does.
I had never seen Thomas so happy.
Uh, I do believe, from that moment on,
Zachary was his only reason for living.
This torture can stop any time you want.
Why does that story upset you, honey?
Because it's not true. And lies upset me.
Zachary has conveniently blocked out
all happy childhood memories,
which make it almost impossible to reminisce.
Reminisce about what, Mom?
About the good times we had.
Oh, OK, the good times. Let's see. Um...
You after Dad died. I remember that.
I did the best I could, Zachary.
With what I had. I did the best.
Why don't you have some more wine, Mom? Stop it!
It's working at Millwood that's doing this to you, isn't it?
We can't possibly be having this much fun.
Honey.
Why don't you help me with the dessert?
I haven't seen you like this since before you left for college.
Look, let's just stop. I was out of line.
I assume you haven't been sleeping.
I can deal with it.
But you were doing so well for so long.
Don't jeopardize everything that you've accomplished.
Just tell me how you want me to act, and I will.
I want whatever... this is...
whatever we are... to be all right.
Well, then... (chuckles) let's have our cake.
(door opens)
(door closes)
(man, on TV) Mr. T.L. Pierson,
what an honor this is to have you as my guest.
(Thomas) Oh, thank you. (applause)
First, why don't you tell my audience that poem about Neverwas?
Neverwas, oh.
Neverwas on the surface is really quite simple.
In essence, it's the story of a little boy
whose mother has died
and who lives with his father Daniel, a janitor.
And although Zachary feels embarrassed about his father
- he thinks he's embarrassingly average -
it turns out that Daniel is the king of a once great land
called Neverwas...
which lies on the other side of a mountain
not far from where they live.
And...
Well... you should read the book.
Mr. Pierson, critics have speculated on the symbolism
held within your often bleak images.
You care to comment?
No.
As far as I'm concerned,
the work speaks for itself.
That's it.
I don't believe it.
I'd like to talk about this
in today's session, if you don't mind.
Neverwas.
Does that mean anything to you, Gabriel?
You remember. I figured it out.
I noticed that the symbol you drew... Yes.
...is the reverse image of the royal crest... Yes, yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
So it was my little clue that triggered your memory.
I knew it would. Amazingly simple,
but it removed Ghastly's spell.
I can see your strength returning.
You've come so far, Zachary.
But there's no time for celebration.
We need to discuss our plan.
OK, let's begin with what Neverwas means to you.
Have you lost your--
Then again, it could be an elaborate trick.
Can't be too careful.
You say you know about Neverwas? Right.
What does the fruit of the dribblebush taste like?
I wouldn't know. They're poisonous.
How long is the Twisted Neck River?
It runs from the Tourmaline Mountains
down to the Sea of Sleepless City.
And what's a Dralock? A lazy giant.
Ghastly Lapeer, how did he come?
He cast a spell on Zachary, which backfired, blowing him up.
He was pieced back together by the Starling minions.
Oh, my God! You remember!
The spell is lifted.
You've got to act quickly.
Let me explain.
Gabriel, please. I need you to listen.
Yes, just listen. Right. Absolutely correct.
A good plan needs a thoughtful discourse.
Proceed.
This might be hard for you to hear.
Could there have been, is it a possibility
that there was a book called Neverwas?
You have to stop this.
You're refusing to understand me.
I have so little patience left.
I need help.
And I really wanna help you. No, you don't!
I'm the only one taking the action, taking the risk.
It was me who blew up the Razor shops
on the edge of the Nightmare.
But it was a trap. Ghastly and his minions were waiting.
And they brought me back to this dungeon.
And why would they bring you here?
Because they wanted me gone, away from the castle,
so that I wouldn't be there to defend it when they attack,
which is in only three days time.
That's what the order has pronounced.
You see, we have to act quickly.
I can't do it on my own.
Help me understand why they want your castle.
Isn't that obvious by now?
I am the king!
I am the king of Neverwas.
Doctor, I'm running into some unexpected issues
with, um... with Gabriel's case.
What kind of issues?
I mean, for starters... he's completely delusional.
The subject of his delusion being a fairy tale.
One my father wrote.
Your father?
T.L. Pierson.
It's funny you didn't mention that.
I did say that I had an acquaintance.
Oh.
Go on.
I mean, the point is that Gabriel believes that he...
lives in Neverwas, that he's actually the king.
And I assume...
(chuckles)
...that he believes that I'm the boy sent to rescue him.
There's always some kind of transference
with patients with delusional or schizophrenic psychosis.
I don't know how to help him.
I will leave it up to you.
How long has it been since you slept?
Tell me.
I'll be fine, Doctor.
(woman) You look uncomfortable. You wanna sit on the couch?
No. I'm fine right here.
You're asking about the baby.
About your book, actually. Dedication to your son.
(Thomas) Zachary Small.
Good character.
People don't like him.
Thomas, I'm talking about your son, not the character.
What? Your son.
I don't know about... about that one yet.
Just trying to get to know you.
All that I am that's worth a damn is in those pages,
if you know where to look, if you can know how to find it.
What I'm saying...
What I know... is that sometimes
a story finds the storyteller.
Not the other way around.
I don't really like these, Dad.
No, no, no, Zach. These are good for me.
They make everything better.
They make me very, very happy.
You want me to be happy, don't you?
Zach, this is too hard for me.
You know that, don't you?
I need you here with me, fighting.
You know I can't do this without you. You know that, Zach.
No. Zach!
Zach.
Zach!
(pounding on door)
Zach!
Zach, open the door.
Zach!
(rattling doorknob and pounding)
Zach.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
Hey, Maggie.
It's me. It's Zach.
Zach. Hi.
I know it's late. No, no.
It's fine. I was up. Look, Maggie.
Let me ask you a question.
And this is hypothetically speaking, but...
what would you say if somebody - like a delusional person -
believed with every certainty
that he lived inside my father's book?
That they're a part of the story?
Yeah.
I guess I could think of worse places to be.
When I was a kid, I definitely spent some major quality time there.
It's not so bad.
(Zach sighs deeply) Nah, it's just strange.
I can't sleep and...
Talk to me.
I probably should've never gone back to Millwood.
I should've left it alone.
I should go.
Zach...
Can I see you tomorrow morning?
We really need to talk. (sniffles) Yeah.
Yeah, that would be nice.
Sometimes...
Sometimes I just want the night to be over.
You remembered how to get here.
Come on in. I'm not bothering you?
No. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to.
I was just working.
You look a little tired. Did you get some sleep last night?
Unfortunately not. It's killing me.
You've gotta try yoga. It's amazing.
It gets a little chanty and weird, but it's so relaxing.
I sleep like a baby afterwards.
You're not exactly the yoga type, are you?
It's a little too chanty and weird.
Right.
Thanks for the suggestion, though.
Well, I'm a good suggester.
( "Hollow Heart" by n. Lannon)
Wait.
We really need to talk.
This is really not working out like I thought it would.
(chuckles)
I think I like you, Maggie.
I think...
I've always liked you, Zach.
Well, if he wants that boat, he can just sue me, right?
I mean, I didn't make the rules.
Hon, you had an appointment. I know, Shirley.
I'm late. I'm sorry.
I was late today...
and that was wrong, Gabriel.
I was just thinking about my kingdom.
They're helpless without me.
And I am without them.
They are my one purpose, my reason for being.
It's a funny thing about being king, boy.
He's so much more than just station.
He's the very glue that holds the center together
so there can be peace.
I love that word.
"Peace."
Gabriel.
Can you tell me what it is about Neverwas that attracts you?
It's where I'm from.
It's where I belong.
Neverwas is where you belong,
where you will find your strength and your purpose.
(bell rings)
Your reason for being.
Dr. Riley, we need your help.
I'll be right back, Gabriel.
Get off of me! Aah! I wanna die!
Take him to Isolation. You'd like that, huh?
(continues yelling) (crying)
Jake, you've suffered a terrible blow.
I told her she shouldn't have come.
I told her that I wasn't who she thought I was.
And I couldn't be that anymore.
I have no place... anywhere.
And I don't know what happens to people who have no place.
Do you?
(beeping)
I gotta go, Jake.
You left this outside in your bag.
Gabriel looked through it and had a complete meltdown.
He broke away from the orderlies and he's barricaded himself in his room.
I don't want to, Zach, but I will.
(shouts)
Gabriel, you OK in there?
Who's that? Gabriel...
It's me, Zach Riley. Zachary.
Let me go in first! Please.
I don't know what you're waiting for, boy.
Gabriel, I am so sorry that you saw this b--
What is th--
The prophecy is about to be fulfilled,
and you still haven't completed your task, that which was promised.
(Reed) We'll take it from here. Oh, yes, you and your guards.
You can lock me up in this cage.
You can torture me with your poison pills and your electric shocks.
It's been done before. But I will not give in to you!
Hide them! Don't come too close. Do you hear me?
Through the dark! You!
Through the dark!
You don't know who I am or where I'm from.
Where did you get this? But Zachary knows. Zachary knows!
Zachary!
Don't let the guards take the journal! Zach.
Where'd you get it? You've done enough.
Stop now. Who gave it to you?
(Thomas) Dear Gabriel, of all the things one says and does,
I look back on what never was.
Then think of all that life could be
if I could capture what I see.
Gabriel, I hope life finds you well
and your kingdom remains at peace.
Your trusted friend,
Thomas.
1965.
"This journal is a historical document
"particularizing the details of the land of Neverwas -
its history, inhabitants and geographical points of interest."
(sighs)
Martin told me you were coming down here.
Gabriel's back in his room. We had to sedate him.
Look at this. This is Gabriel Finch's journal,
which gives detailed descriptions of the land of Neverwas
years before my father even thought of his book.
Almost a decade before.
And this letter he sent to Gabriel...
I wasn't even born yet.
Gabriel's been in and out of hospitals and clinics for 40 years.
He was at Millwood.
Well, that was before my time.
It's right here.
They were here together. Listen to this.
It says my father seems to be fixated
on the world of a young patient -
Gabriel Finch.
I mean, it doesn't make sense. Gabriel came up with Neverwas,
down to the name, before he even met my father.
No, he didn't come up with it. He lived it.
It was all very real to him, part of his elaborate delusion.
No, it's right here.
Gabriel's original admissions intake 30 years ago detailed
that he had a paranoid delusion that one day people would come
and take the land he is living on.
He said a wizard named Ghastly was sending an army to his castle.
Well, that's basically the plot of your father's book, if I remember.
He based his book on Gabriel's fantasy.
It's an A.A. Milne sort of thing.
What? Well, he wrote Winnie-the-Pooh.
He based the character of Christopher Robin
on his own son, Christopher.
The Hundred Acre Wood was a real forest.
Or Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in Wonderland.
He created the elaborate fantasy of Wonderland,
and Alice was based on a little girl that he knew.
Your father might have done the same thing.
Put me into Gabriel's delusion.
One man's insanity...
another man's children's book.
It's a fine line.
I have to talk to Gabriel about this. No.
That's impossible.
You have your own agenda for being here,
and it has nothing to do with my patients.
So not only am I taking you off Gabriel's case,
I'm forbidding you to ever speak to him again.
Did you hear what I was just saying?
To be honest, I'm more concerned about your own mental state.
I am well aware of my mental state, Doctor.
And I have everything under control.
Well, then, you can come up to my office tomorrow morning
and we'll discuss what we can do about it.
But for right now, I'm asking you to leave.
Get out of my clinic, Dr. Riley.
(rings doorbell repeatedly)
Maggie?
Hello?
Maggie?
(whispering) Maggie.
(reporter) Today the world mourns the loss of
children's book author T.L. Pierson.
Pierson gained national attention
with his children's book, Neverwas.
He is survived by his wife and young son.
(turns off tape)
(beep)
(Maggie) A piece commemorating the life of Pierson
on the 25th anniversary of his death.
Even though T.L. Pierson sold
over 15 million copies of Neverwas,
his son Zachary has never touched any of the royalty money.
I wanted to tell you.
Don't freak out on me. I'm just a friend.
You're my friend? Yes.
I wanted to tell you yesterday. I couldn't.
I got scared of you telling me that you couldn't see me anymore, and--
A reporter? Are you kidding me?
I just wanted to know who the real T.L. Pierson was.
I told you, I have nothing to do with my father's book.
Listen. Zach, wait. Please!
Zach, can you stop? Please wait. Please!
Everything that happened between us is real, everything.
Do you think I want this kind of complication,
this kind of confusion in my life? Well, I don't.
I like things to be nice and clean and simple, and this isn't.
I'm sorry if Neverwas meant nothing to you.
I'm sorry if it represents something dark and painful,
but for me and for millions and millions of other people,
that's all we had.
Zach, I needed something better than my life.
And your father, he gave that to me.
He gave me something hopeful. I wanted to write about that.
I wanted to write about the hope.
But there isn't any here, is there?
Get out of my way, Maggie.
(starts engine)
(siren)
(faint dispatch voice)
Dad?
(dispatch voices continue)
This gets weirder and weirder.
(Katherine) Zachary!
(door opens)
(door closes)
I didn't know where else to go.
You knew my father?
Yes, of course. Thomas was my friend.
He wrote to you. Yes, we wrote.
That letter you found is one of many.
He was a worthy counselor. He listened.
And he believed.
Believed in what?
What lies through the Mossy Rock.
Gabriel, please. What are you talking about?
Neverwas.
And he more than believed in it.
He often used to come and visit me there.
On the other side of the mountain.
My kingdom, boy. There.
That mountain?
That's where he used to go? For days, weeks?
I was beginning to doubt the truth of your coming.
And then I read the oracle.
I get the tips from the guards.
You don't understand.
Thomas, in these pages, wrote of your coming for me.
It's the secret oracle of Neverwas.
Gabriel, you talked about me coming to rescue you from our first session on.
I hoped and remembered.
You were to rescue him.
I hid and watched.
I saw you take him by the hand and lead him out of this dungeon
as if you were cloaked in invisibility.
Ghastly's guards wouldn't dare stop you.
Wow. I was just picking him up after a stay.
He w-- That's all. He was sick.
Ah. Poor Thomas. He was at the end.
Yes, he couldn't fight Ghastly's spell.
It destroyed him.
There was no spell.
I wish there was, but there wasn't.
You couldn't have stopped it, boy. Yes, I could have.
That night, Gabriel, he was outside of my room.
I wouldn't open the door.
I could see he just wanted to hear my voice,
to know that I loved him, that I needed him a little.
(crying) Maybe that would've been enough.
I let him die. Those are nightmares.
Dreams. I had them once.
Terrifying. The bottom of a dark hole.
Kept quiet, voice banned. No light.
Never seen.
But that wasn't real.
It was just a dream I once had.
Neverwas is real. You're real.
Saving me is real.
Read this.
You are innocent.
Now you must leave before the guards find you.
Tomorrow at the day's end, you must meet me
at the Mossy Rock at the edge of the kingdom.
And come alone. Don't be late,
or I'll be forced to battle the minions on my own.
I'm not gonna let you out of here, Gabriel.
I promise you'll get help.
That's all I'd ever wanted from you.
Your help, Zachary.
It's inhuman that they don't let you outside at night.
Well, come on, then!
(laughs) Out of this dungeon! Come on!
All of you!
Feel the night air again.
Yes.
It begins.
(Thomas) Dear Gabriel,
I write to you in hopes that you are in good health
and your kingdom is in safe hands.
This, regrettably, might be my last letter I write to you.
I feel ashamed of who I have become,
ashamed that I can no longer fight this battle.
I have been emptied.
This black hole I have lived in for so long
is growing darker,
even as love for my son grows deeper.
I missed you.
A lot.
How can this impossible human paradox exist?
(tires screeching)
The wizard, Gabriel,
he has won.
He has banned me from your world and mine.
I existed because I dreamed.
I dream no more.
I just wanted to explain to him and...
(woman) Well, what do you wanna explain?
I...
I love him.
Sometimes...
I just wanna hold him.
But it's in vain.
I walk around with him and tell him
that everything's gonna be all right.
And that... that I'll be there for him.
I'll always be there.
It's in the pages. In the forest.
It's waiting for him.
(phone rings)
(answering machine beeps)
Mom, it's me.
Pick up.
Mom?
I wanna talk to you about Dad.
About that morning.
I know this day is always hard for you.
Are you there?
I love you, Mom.
(dial tone)
"Zachary's father screamed."
"Neverwas is real."
That's my favorite sentence in the book.
Zach, could I please come in?
I wanted to show you the article
that the magazine's going to print.
Would you please take a look at it?
Why don't you read it to me?
OK.
"Fall leaves on the Hudson.
"Where to go to see the best changing leaves in New England."
Should I go on? No.
No. That's pretty good.
Thanks.
I think the world knows enough about T.L. Pierson.
The rest...
The rest belongs to you, Zach.
I miss him, Maggie.
(phone ringing)
Hello? Dr. Riley, it's Martin.
Hey, Martin.
Look, the cops are here. Gabriel escaped last night.
They're saying that he jumped in the back of a logging truck
heading up the mountain north of here.
OK. He's going back to the forest. There's a warrant out for him.
They're sending sheriffs to go look for him
around that construction site he messed with. What's going on?
What is the name of the company that own that land?
Dominion.
Did your dad write down anything to look for?
Nothing. No signs, no turnoffs.
He just penciled in this road.
I mean, this is impossible.
No, it's not going to be impossible.
He told me to meet him before sunset at the Mossy Rock,
the entrance to Neverwas.
It's just forest out here.
Wait a minute. Look.
(Maggie) This is unbelievable.
Where are you going? Maggie?
Look in the book. It's the Pumpkin Pine.
What is it?
Come on!
It's Pumpkin Pine! Look!
OK. Come on.
Come on where? Come on.
I think I know which way to go.
For what?
Don't ask questions. Just follow me.
Come on! It's this way!
Oh, look.
You've just gotta trust me.
Through here.
I'm telling you, this map is the key to finding Neverwas.
The Twisted Neck River's just up ahead.
Here. Thanks.
No way.
(Maggie) The River Knight.
It's incredible.
It's real.
The Mossy Rock is just behind those trees.
He wants me to come alone. Forget it.
No. You have to do something for me, Maggie.
No. Please, I've come this far. I need to--
No, you've got to go. I set something in motion,
and I need your help. Call my lawyer.
He'll tell you what do to. Thank you.
Wait.
I don't believe it.
I knew you'd come.
Oh, G-- You scared me.
Well, you scare easily.
We have to talk, Gabriel.
Right now. About the minions.
About what I know you're thinking about doing to them.
Oh, well, I've already been to the castle and back.
All reinforcements have been made, all precautions taken.
Why are you waiting?
Neverwas lies here, on the other side.
You wanna talk? You must come through the rock!
Gabriel!
The first step is a tricky one.
Thanks for the heads-up.
Can you see them?
What?
Grace fairies.
They're flying all around. You see?
(Gabriel chuckles)
They missed you, Zachary.
Gabriel, listen to me.
I need you to come back with me.
Back? No, there's only forward from here.
That is, if you're going to see what your father saw.
Yes, sir, you breathe it in, boy. That'll bring you back.
Gabriel!
Still with me?
Yes.
Only forward from now.
Come on, boy. Keep up.
It's here.
Oh, yes. Go on.
Zachary, my boy!
(Gabriel laughs)
That's...
home.
You must be famished.
Come on.
Good boy.
You just look around, boy.
Ah. Safe.
Make yourself at home. I'll get something to eat.
Yes, now.
Makings of a feast.
(birds twittering)
The moments before the battle always seem quieter than usual.
Gabriel, that's what I wanna talk to you about.
You mustn't worry about the details.
No. I wanna apologize to you.
What for?
Well, because you were under my care,
and I let my own issues cloud my judgment.
I never meant to help you escape.
It was your destiny.
I'm afraid, if they come, when they come,
you or somebody else will get hurt.
The minions? You're worried about them?
You talk as if they're human. They are.
No, they're not. They're evil, Zachary.
I need you to listen to me.
They're all ghosts, not natural beings.
(siren)
They're here.
(dispatch voices)
They've crept in like snakes in the grass.
(man) You'd better come with me.
Gabriel Finch! This is Sheriff Williams
from Saranack County.
I'm serving you with your court-ordered eviction.
I will never give you my kingdom!
You will never have it!
You have to vacate the premises.
I will never leave!
Shh! Gabriel, stop it.
Don't be afraid, Zachary.
The castle is reinforced.
Gabriel, those are sheriffs. If you don't let me go out there
and talk to them, they'll break in. They have guns.
I would rather die where I stand
than give the kingdom to you! Do you hear me?
I want you to think about what you're doing, Mr. Finch.
It'll be the end for you and your kind!
That's for certain!
Gabriel, let me handle this.
Zachary, you come stand here out front.
You keep watch. You warn me when they charge.
Get the ram. Yes, sir.
You need to let me out of here, Gabriel. Let me speak to them.
(Williams) Gabriel, I'm asking you to come out on your own.
You keep watch! Almost time for my plan.
What plan, Gabriel? Well, finally, boy, a question worth asking.
What have you done, Gabriel?
I've been reinforcing my castle for three decades now,
waiting for this moment.
Moments are set and waiting.
Stay back! Stay away!
Get away, everybody! Get away, please!
Stay back!
Do you hear me? Stay back! No, get-- Get back!
Gabriel, I want you to come out the front door.
Don't make us break the door down.
If you're ready to go in... Yes, sir.
Gabriel, if you blow these bombs, I promise you
they'll put you back in the dungeon, and they'll never let you out.
Gabriel, you can't do this!
(Maggie) Sheriff? Sheriff!
Maggie... Sheriff!
Zach! Zach!
Maggie, stay away. Get back!
(policeman) You need to wait, ma'am. Stop!
Maggie, get back! Maggie! Statues made out of stone, Zachary.
When will you understand us? You can't do this, Gabriel!
I want you to get on the floor and put your hands on your head!
Your death is assured! That you can count on!
There are people out there. I have a friend out there.
Do you understand that? Someone I care about.
You're supposed to protect this kingdom as much as I do!
Because Neverwas is yours as well as it's mine.
(loud thud)
Is that the best you monsters can do?
You don't need to do this.
Hold on.
Time, boy!
Gabriel, please.
You were born in the land of brightness, you and I.
And no matter what Ghastly does to try and take it from us,
here is where be belong.
Listen to me.
Some things are worth dying for, boy.
I've been here...
many times.
Why did you come here, boy?
I needed some hope.
(man's voice) Gabriel! Gabriel!
(Zach) You told me you were kept in a hole,
where your voice was banned, where nothing made sense. (man) Gabriel!
But like you said, that was just a dream. Gabriel!
Zachary... where are you hiding them?
We're hiding. (Williams) Gabriel!
(Zach) Gabriel, listen to me. That wasn't real.
This is real. I'm real. (man) Gabriel!
Do you understand?
You don't have to be scared anymore.
You can stop hiding now.
Let me help you.
Hold it, hold it. (Maggie) Please.
Gabriel!
I have nowhere to go.
I can't survive anywhere else, Zachary - only here.
It's the only home...
I've ever known.
Don't let them take me from home.
I won't.
Oh, Zach, boy.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Billy? Yes, sir.
Go in the court, check on a stay of eviction
for Gabriel Finch.
What use has this world got for a king without a kingdom?
It needs him.
I'm afraid.
You don't need to be anymore. I'm here.
And we're gonna go out there, you and me, into the light.
Like I did with my father. Remember?
Me first, then you,
the way it's always been, Gabriel.
The way it's always been.
(Zach) You can always avoid a minion slaughter
by dousing the beast with sugar water.
Gabriel, the bombs...
they were nothing but sugar water.
Of course, boy.
Zach.
Be careful.
My name...
is Zachary Small.
I came through the Mossy Rock
to rescue the king from his dungeon,
to help defend his castle.
To stop you.
All of you.
The time for you all to leave is now.
And this land...
and this castle...
is the king's.
It has always been the king's.
Stand down, boys. Stand down.
You see, Zachary?
Nothing to fear.
Nothing at all.
Will you come and visit me?
It can be lonely from time to time.
Of course I'll come, Gabriel.
You're a good boy, Zachary.
As un-ordinary as they come.
Hi.
I thought you were gonna go back this morning. I am.
I just wanted to drop something off.
Oh, yeah? I heard this is a pretty good book.
It's not bad for a trade fairy tale.
I thought this was the most important thing in the world to you.
It was.
You can wait for me? Of course. Forever.
Ohh. I'll see you real soon.
Fantastic job, everyone.
(Gabriel) And so it ends as it began -
with the promise of freedom
and a prophecy now fulfilled.
I will never be sure of what Zachary did
to drive the minions away forever,
but in the end, there were no more dark decrees.
And as I always knew he would,
he returned Neverwas to the king.
But the spirit of Neverwas,
that was returned to the boy.
My kingdom is at peace.
Once again, I live as I dreamed.