(slow dramatic music) (fire crackling) (thunder rumbling) >>Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping- (door tapping) as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

>>'Tis some visitor tapping at my chamber door, only this, and nothing more.

>>Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow, vainly I had sought to borrow from my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore.

(fire crackling) For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore, nameless here for evermore.

(dramatic music) (raven cawing) And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me, filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before.

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating.

(heart beating) >>'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door, some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door, this it is, and nothing more.

(slow music) (door tapping) (thunder rumbling) (slow suspenseful music) >>Presently my soul grew stronger, hesitating then no longer.

>>Sir.

>>Said I.

>>Or Madam.

Truly your forgiveness I implore.

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, that I scarce was sure I heard you.

>>Here I opened wide the door.

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal's ever dared to dream before.

(slow music) But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, and the only word there spoken was the whispered word- >>Lenore.

>>This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore."

>>Lenore.

>>Merely this and nothing more.

(thunder rumbling) (slow suspenseful music) Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before.

(wind howling) >>Surely.

>>Said I.

>>Surely that is something at my window lattice.

Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore.

(slow suspenseful music) Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore.

(wind howling) (slow suspenseful music) (wind howling) (laughs) 'Tis the wind and nothing more.

>>Open here I flung the shutter.

(man gasping) (man groaning) When, with many a flirt and flutter, in there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.

Not the least obeisance made he, not a minute stopped or stayed he.

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door, perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door, perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling by the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

>>Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou- >>I said.

>>Art sure no craven.

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore, tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore.

>>Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

(thunder rumbling) (raven cawing) (slow music) Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore.

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door, bird or beast upon the sculpted bust above his chamber door, with such name as Nevermore.

But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only that one word, as if its soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing farther then he uttered, not a feather then he fluttered, till I scarcely more than muttered.

>>Other friends have flown before.

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.

>>Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken.

>>Doubtless.

>>Said I.

>>What it utters is its only stock and store, caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore, till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore of, "Never-nevermore."

>>But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door.

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore, what this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking- >>Nevermore.

(slow music) >>This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing to the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core.

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining on the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp light gloated o'er.

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp light gloating o'er, she shall press, ah, nevermore.

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

>>Wretch.

>>I cried.

>>Thy God hath lent thee, by these angels he has sent thee respite, respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore.

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore.

>>Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

>>Prophet.

>>Said I.

(slow dramatic music) >>Thing of evil.

Prophet still, if bird or devil.

Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted, on this home by horror haunted, tell me, I implore, is there, is there balm in Gilead?

Tell me, tell me, I implore.

>>Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

>>Prophet.

>>Said I.

>>Thing of evil.

Prophet still, if bird or devil.

By that Heaven that bends above us, by that God we both adore, tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore.

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore.

>>Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

(dramatic music) >>Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!

>>I shrieked upstarting.

>>Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore.

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken.

Leave my loneliness unbroken.

Quit the bust above my door.

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!

>>Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

(dramatic music) (man screaming) And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door.

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor.

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted nevermore.

(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) (slow dramatic music) (slow dramatic music continues) (slow dramatic music continues) (slow dramatic music continues) (footsteps thudding) (slow dramatic music) (slow dramatic music continues) >>True, nervous.

Very, very dreadfully nervous I have been, and am.

But how can you say that I am mad?

Disease had only sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them.

Above of was my sense of hearing acute.

I heard all things in the heavens and on earth.

I heard many things in hell.

How then am I mad?

Hearken and observe how calmly, how healthily I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.

Object there was none.

Passion there was none.

(glass shattering) (man sobbing) (man groaning) I know, I know.

There you go.

(man sobbing) ♪ Abide with me ♪ ♪ Fast falls the eventide ♪ ♪ The darkness deepens ♪ ♪ Lord, with me abide ♪ ♪ When other helpers fail and comforts flee ♪ ♪ Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me ♪ (slow music) I loved the old man.

He had never wronged me.

He had never given me insult.

For his gold I had no desire.

I think it was his eye.

Yes, it was this.

One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture, a pale blue eye with a film over it.

Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold.

And so by degrees, very gradually I made up my mind to take the life of the old man and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

Now this is the point.

You fancy me mad.

Mad men know nothing.

But you should have seen me.

You should have seen how wisely I proceeded, with what caution, with what foresight, with what dissimulation.

I went to work.

I was never kinder to the old man then during the whole week before I killed him.

(slow dramatic music) (slow dramatic music continues) (slow music) (slow music continues) (slow music continues) And this I did for seven long nights, every night, just at midnight.

But I found the eye always closed.

And so it was impossible to do the work.

For it was not the old man who vexed me, but his evil eye.

(slow dramatic music) (dramatic music) (singers vocalizing) (dramatic music continues) (glass shattering) (footsteps thudding) ♪ Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day ♪ ♪ Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away ♪ ♪ Change and decay in all around I see ♪ ♪ Oh, thou who changest not, abide with me ♪ ♪ In life, in death, oh Lord ♪ ♪ Abide with me ♪ (heart beating) (door creaking) (slow suspenseful music) (slow suspenseful music continues) (slow suspenseful music continues) (voices whispering) I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise when he had turned in the bed.

His fears had been ever since growing upon him.

He'd been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not.

He'd been saying to himself- >>It's nothing but the wind in the chimney.

>>Or.

>>It's only a mouse running across the floor.

>>Yes, he's been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions, but he had found all in vain.

(slow suspenseful music) (slow suspenseful music continues) (voices whispering) (voices continue whispering) (dramatic music) (man screaming) >>No, no.

No!

(woman grunting) (man groaning) (dramatic music) (woman breathing heavily) (heart beating) (slow dramatic music) (slow dramatic music continues) (woman breathing heavily) (woman continues breathing heavily) (clock chiming) (footsteps tapping) (woman breathing heavily) (woman grunting) (woman breathing heavily) (clock ticking) (knife slashing) (footsteps tapping) (woman grunting) (wood creaking) (hammer thudding) (clock chiming) (doorbell ringing) >>May I help you?

>>Yes, madam.

There have been reports of a disturbance here.

>>Screams heard coming from inside.

Oh, we've been deputed to search the premise.

>>Certainly, gentlemen.

Come right in.

It was a dream, of course, a terrible nightmare befell me and I woke up screaming.

It felt so real, kept me up most of the night.

I could hear it chasing me, this growling sound.

I saw a light around the corner and woke up.

By the time I realized it was a dream I'd been screaming for several minutes.

>>And the old man?

>>Absent.

In the country.

I'm afraid I'm not used to an empty house and quite unaccustomed to being alone.

>>Whereabouts did you say?

>>The country.

>>Yes, the country.

How did you say he got there?

>>By train.

Yes, he took the train.

It's faster than a horse, of course.

>>Yes, it's true.

It used to take two months to cross this great country of ours, but now you can do it in 18 days.

>>My father and I once made it to California and back in and out of a summer.

>>Impressive.

Very impressive.

Although everything is just rush, rush, rush now.

I don't know about you, but when I'm in a hurry I always seem to forget something.

There's a saying, "Haste makes waste."

I think that's how it goes.

>>You know, that reminds me of a case we had a few years back, a murder.

(slow dramatic music) The man was a lawyer, a good citizen.

So it seemed.

He had a wife, lots of pets, you know like cats, dogs, even a monkey in that big house.

Till one day he buried an ax in his wife's head.

Came at her hammer and tongs.

Hm.

Never gave a reason, a real one anyway.

Tried to say the cat cast a spell on her.

Swore he wasn't crazy.

Makes you wonder, how long did he have that in his head?

Had he been that way for years, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike?

Or maybe his wits snapped all together.

>>Terrible story.

Like I said, we've bothered you enough, ma'am.

You have a nice- >>My point is, he would've gotten away with it.

But he was in such a hurry to get rid of the body that he left the cat- >>Cronenshield.

R. Cronenshield.

I think that was his name.

Are you familiar with the story?

>>I have so many duties around the house, I don't concern myself with horror stories.

>>(laughs) Horror stories.

You know, there are too many of those happening nowadays.

How many murders were there last year?

>>Too many.

>>I agree.

You know, this country is changing so much.

A man killing his wife with an ax.

You know, my grandfather always used to say- (dramatic music) (speech distorting) (voices whispering) >>You been listening?

>>Yes, sir, of course.

>>Because you seem distracted.

Maybe there's, you've had some other thought, something else has come to mind?

Madam, are you all right?

(slow dramatic music) (man screaming) Are you mad?

(woman grunting) (officers laughing) >>Hey, hey look at me!

Look at me!

Why can't you see me?

(woman screaming) Villains, dissemble no more.

I met the deed.

Tear up these planks.

(grunts) Here is the beating of his hideous heart.

(dramatic music) (baton thudding) (woman grunting) (slow dramatic music) (slow dramatic music continues) (slow dramatic music continues) (slow dramatic music continues) ♪ Did you ever meet someone with the filmy blue eye ♪ ♪ And when he looks at you, it's kind of hard to describe ♪ ♪ You even like this man, but you know he's got to die ♪ ♪ And so you carry out a plan in the middle of the night ♪