Charles starts narrating before the scene even begins.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I've always loved dolls.
INT. OLD DILAURENTIS HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
LITTLE CHARLIE is all alone, sitting on the floor and playing with some dolls. Suddenly, a baby starts crying somewhere in the house and the child raises his head.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And from the day mom brought you home, I knew you would be the most perfect of them all, Ali. There was just one little problem: your crying.
INT. OLD DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Charlie carries BABY ALI, who is now crying even louder, as he approaches the bathtub filled with hot water. Once there, he drops his sister into it and stares at her impassively.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Because dolls don't cry… unless you want them to. So I had to fix it.
The bathroom door bursts open and Kenneth enters. He pushes his son out of the way, pulls the baby out of the tub and takes a few steps away from Charlie, watching him with a mixture of anger and terror on his face.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And that's why I was sent here.
INT. RADLEY - CHARLES' ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
An OLDER CHARLIE, with the same physical appearance as "Cousin Freddie", is sitting on the bed next to JESSICA DILAURENTIS.
CHARLES (V.O.)
At first I was allowed to go out on weekends, until one day I hurt your arm and was forbidden. I didn't get to see you again until Freddie's birthday, and then Mom gave me an amazing present.
The woman takes a photograph out of her pocket and hands it to her son. It shows a blonde girl who looks familiar.
INT. HOUSE OF THE TWINS - KITCHEN - DAY (FLASHBACK)
This is the story Alison told Hanna on Halloween 2008. The girl in the photo, LITTLE BETHANY, is sitting at the table and fighting with her sister ALICE over a doll.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mom told you that story, didn't she? Apparently, Bethany didn't get along too well with her sister, and things got out of hand.
When Alice takes the doll away from Bethany, the latter gets up from her chair and walks over to a drawer. Opening it, we see her face reflected in a knife.
INT. RADLEY - COMMON ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
There are quite a few patients here, most of them reading, drawing or talking to each other. A few are just staring into space.
Charles sits at the piano, looking the same as he does today, except for his blond hair and deep blue eyes.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mom told me that Bethany would be my doll. That she would live here with me and I could play with her whenever I wanted. But it wasn't that easy.
After playing a couple of notes, he turns his head to the side and, a few feet away, sees Jessica talking to BETHANY YOUNG, now also older. Her mother looks delighted as she strokes her cheek, but the girl is less than pleased.
CHARLES (V.O.)
At first, I thought the same as you: that mom was spoiling her so much because of the affair with her father. But the truth is that she had become so obsessed with her that she began to see her as another daughter. Another Alison.
INT. RADLEY - BASEMENT CORRIDOR - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Charles, who is walking alone, stops when he hears sobbing coming from a room to his left.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I didn't really care about any of that, though. I already had other... distractions.
INT. RADLEY - BATHTUB ROOM - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
The boy enters the same place in which he would later lock Jason and Kenneth. At this point there are a few more tubs, and as he looks to the back of the room, he sees a GIRL WITH BROWN HAIR sitting against the wall and decides to approach her.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Poor Spence... You said you'd hurt some girl called Kendra Santoni, and that your father had brought you here to "fix" you. God knows what you did to Kendra, but at least you didn't kill her. Peter paid a good deal of money to her family, and they left town soon after.
As Charles stands in front of the girl, he notices that she has a completely blank stare. She is also soaking wet and barefoot, so he takes off his slippers and sets them aside. He then crouches down to stand at her level and runs a hand through her hair.
CHARLES (V.O.)
It was great meeting you so soon, you know? And then, when I found out we share a brother... Well, we're practically family.
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Charles is reading a book on the couch, with the TV on in the background. Wheel of Fortune is on.
CHARLES (V.O.)
A few weeks later, Mom decided she couldn't let my father come to visit me and find out about Bethany, so... she killed me.
Jessica enters the room in a black funeral dress, complete with veil, and Charles frowns at the sight of her.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And she put on quite a show. In fact, you saw her yourself one of those nights, Ali, but she convinced you it was just a dream.
EXT. CAROL'S HOUSE - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Mother and son descend the porch stairs.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I wish I could have stayed there. Even before I was committed, Aunt Carol always brought me lots of candy and took me to really fun places. She also taught me to love animals, something I will be forever grateful for.
As they walk away from the house, the boy turns his head to look at the upstairs windows.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And she didn't die years ago, by the way, but months. The poor thing had dementia, and mom kept her locked in her own house so she wouldn't go off on anybody.
INT. RADLEY - THE CHILDREN'S WARD - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Charles and Jessica are in a room cluttered with junk. Looking down at the floor, the young man sees a rather dusty toy horse.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Anyway, when it became clear that I wasn't going to live with her, there was only one option left: the same hell as before, only this time I would have an entire ward to myself.
His mother moves toward a half-hidden door in the opposite wall and takes a key out of her pocket.
INT. RADLEY - SECRET ROOM - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
They both enter a place almost identical to the Dollhouse playroom, where Spencer saw Charles' spelling blocks.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I don't know how she managed to pull that off without arousing suspicion, but she thought of everything.
EXT. RADLEY - ROOFTOP - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Charles is standing very close to the edge, with a lit cigarette in his hand and EDDIE LAMB at his side. The two of them stare at the horizon in complete silence.
CHARLES (V.O.)
He even paid up a nurse to keep an eye on me. It was a shame to force Eddie to leave a few months ago, because we had some very good moments together.
Suddenly the rooftop door opens, and Eddie and Charles, startled, run to hide behind some ventilators.
From there, they spot Bethany, who seems very upset and walks quickly until she reaches the edge.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And very revealing too.
The door opens again and MARION CAVANAUGH appears. As soon as she sees Bethany, she approaches her briskly. It is immediately clear that she is trying to calm her down, but the girl is getting more and more nervous.
Finally, Bethany lets out a scream and pushes Marion away, causing her to lose her balance and plunge into the void. Charles and Eddie have witnessed everything from their hiding place, and the nurse has a look of absolute horror on his face.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I guess Bethany couldn't stand having another woman attached at her hip, no matter how well-meaning Marion was.
INT. RADLEY - SECRET ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Charles looks up at the ceiling as he's lying on the bed. At the same time, Eddie puts on his jacket a few feet away.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mom bribed Wilden to make it look like a suicide, and also forced Eddie to keep quiet.
Right after Eddie leaves the room, Charles jumps out of bed and paces around with a thoughtful look on his face. A few seconds later, he stops by the table and smiles when he sees what's on it: a wallet and car keys.
CHARLES (V.O.)
But my caregiver had been very affected by the whole thing, and even after a year he was still a little distracted.
INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - UPSTAIRS ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)
October 2008. Through the window, Charles watches Alison and the Liars on the street.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Remember Lesli Stone? Turns out she lived in that house before her dad went crazy and tried to kill her and her mom. It was kind of an urban legend in Radley, so I knew it would be the ideal hideout for Halloween.
The young man goes to a small table in a corner, on which there are several small notes and a voodoo doll, and picks up one of the former, which reads, "Now it's my turn to torture you."
CHARLES (V.O.)
I was thrilled to see my sister again, but I also had to punish you, Ali. For all those sleepless nights listening to you cry.
INT. COSTUME SHOP - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Alison turns around and bumps into Charles, who is wearing the zombie baby mask.
CHARLES (V.O.)
So, when I heard about that prank you had planned with Noel, I decided to buy myself a costume.
EXT. KAHN'S CABIN - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
It's Noel's Halloween party, and everyone is dancing to the music.
CHARLES (V.O.)
But before I went to give you a good scare, I had a very interesting talk at the party.
In the crowd we see Charles talking to Mona. He is wearing the full zombie baby costume, and Mona is dressed as Catwoman.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mona wanted to vent so badly that she told me all about you, and I had to give her some advice. Like the fact that it would be better to send you anonymous messages than to stab you in the face.
Mona giggles and whispers something to Charles.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And she came up with the A thing. Haunting you with your own initial, sis. Oh, it was brilliant.
EXT. KAHN'S CABIN - LATER (FLASHBACK)
Alison has just received the first message signed by A: "Dying to know who I am? You'll find out."
CHARLES (V.O.)
So brilliant, in fact, that after our brief reunion in that house, I decided to put her idea into action.
INT. LOST WOODS - MONA'S LAIR - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Charles is taking a look around the room. There's no one else with him and, although Mona hasn't finished redecorating yet, there are already several pictures on the walls, a dollhouse on the table and a zombie baby costume in the corner.
The boy approaches the latter and watches it with a smile.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Of course, I managed to keep sneaking out of Radley, and was pleased to see how much I had inspired Mona.
INT. RADLEY - SECRET ROOM - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Charles is sitting at the table, reading a book while eating a rainbow ice-cream.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And for a while everything was perfect.
The door opens and Eddie steps into the room. The boy looks up and is surprised to see the nurse looking pale and worried.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Until it wasn't anymore.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Leaning out of the window, Charles witnesses an argument between Alison and Jessica in the living room. His sister is wearing the yellow top.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Apparently, Bethany had run away from Radley to go after Mom. I wanted to stop her from doing something stupid, but... Well, I always lost track of time around you, Ali.
EXT. FOREST - THE KISSING ROCK - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Alison, who has just been left alone, takes off Toby's sweater and leaves it on the Rock before leaving.
Once the young woman has completely disappeared, Charles comes out of the trees, approaches the forgotten garment and, after looking at it for a few seconds, decides to put it on.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And I saw everything.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Spencer is chasing Alison with a shovel.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Like your fight with Spencer, which Ian recorded from your bedroom window. I got my hands on his camera soon after that, and imagine my surprise when I discovered several videos of Mom with Mr. Young. Very... educational.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - LATER (FLASHBACK)
BYRON MONTGOMERY sees MELISSA HASTINGS walking out the back door and talking on the phone.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Melissa was also around, seeking comfort from her favorite detective. There were those who thought Wilden had come to see you that night, but neither CeCe nor you had a monopoly on Beach Hottie.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - LATER (FLASHBACK)
Jason sees Melissa talking to CECE DRAKE a few feet away, although the blonde has her back to him.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And our drunk of a brother also made an appearance. Jenna had asked Garrett to slip a note in his pocket, but since the good agent backed out at the last minute, I decided to take over. I didn't want to spoil such a good joke.
CeCe turns around and Jason closes his eyes for a second. When he opens them again, the two girls have disappeared, and the boy collapses into a chair.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Alison stops walking when she sees her mother looking at her through the window.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And then I followed you until you came home, sis.
Charles is very slowly approaching his sister from behind, with a rock in his hand.
CHARLES (V.O.)
I don't quite know why, but, at that moment, I felt it was my last chance to set my doll right. To make you... perfect.
The boy hits Alison in the head and she immediately collapses to the ground. Charles drops the rock and sees his mother looking at him from the window, totally horrified.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
As Jessica buries her daughter, Charles watches her a few feet away, sitting against a tree.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mom couldn't even look at me. She kept asking what I had done, and when she finally finished, she told me to go back to Radley.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Charles is walking away from the house when he suddenly hears a rustling of branches to his right and looks over.
CHARLES (V.O.)
But there were still things to see.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
CARLA GRUNWALD pulls Alison out of the ground.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Thank God you met Grunwald, huh, Ali? I listened to some of your sessions, and they were... very intense.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - LATER (FLASHBACK)
Hiding in the trees, Charles sees Bethany standing in the backyard. She is dressed exactly like Alison, and looks confused and frightened.
CHARLES (V.O.)
And that wasn't even the best part.
Mona comes out of the shadows with a shovel in her hand. She approaches Bethany from behind, and before the girl has a chance to turn around, she smashes the shovel into her head, knocking her to the ground.
Mona freezes for a few moments, then lets out a terrifying scream and runs away.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Mona thought it was you, Ali. After all, Bethany was wearing the last outfit Mom had given her, bracelet and all. What a cruel irony.
EXT. DILAURENTIS HOUSE - BACKYARD - LATER (FLASHBACK)
Melissa stands in front of Bethany's unconscious body. After a quick look in both directions, she pushes it into the freshly dug hole, grabs a shovel and begins to cover it with dirt.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Melissa arrived just as I had finished digging another grave. You should have seen her face.
Meanwhile, Charles is still hidden in the trees, watching with a smile on his face.
CHARLES (V.O.)
Yes, it was really a night to remember.