The adult Mike lies in bed, and Eddie lies next to him and reads Treasure Island. Once he finishes, Eddie says that he understands why Long John Silver did what he did. He looked out for himself like they do. Eddie gets up and Mike sits up, and realizes that their bed is in the middle of a field. The boy says that they let the darkness inside of him out when they attacked him, and Mike helped him. Eddie insists that he couldn’t have done it without Mike, and Mike tells Eddie to let Lily go. His brother refuses, and Mike asks him what he wants. Eddie turns into the Tooth Child, reaches into Mike's mouth, and starts yanking.
Mike sits in a motel room and looks at the TV showing static. Lily appears on the screen inside the cave, calling to him,
Amy and Gary get a report that Frances was seen near a camper in the woods. They drive out and Amy assures Gary that once it's all over, the charges against him will be dropped and he'll be reinstated. They hear something moving in the forest and go to investigate. It's one of the children, Alex, and Gary spots Frances. Amy draws her gun on the woman, and Gary sees Katie and Dane nearby. Frances walks off and the children go after her, leaving Lily and Dane behind.
Mike tells Marla that Eddie is holding Lily in the darkness and he wants Mike to join him. He figures that Eddie will show him how to open the door to Candle Cove, and tells Marla that he forgives her for sending him away years ago. Mike then asks Marla to do what he asks later out of love even though she'll hate it. Erica arrives and demands to know where Lily is.
Gary approaches his children and says that he needs them to listen to him. He tells them that the person who is talking to them in their minds killed Jessica. Gary says that the three of them can be a family again, as the other children move forward.
Mike begs Erica to trust him, but says that he can't take her to Lily. He insists that he's not delusional, and warns that he's the only person who can get Lily back from where she is. Furious, Lily screams at him to tell her where Lily is. Mike walks out and Erica insists on going with him.
Katie and Dane go with Gary back to the car. Meanwhile, Amy goes after Frances.
Frances kneels in the camper, praying to the Skin-Taker.
Amy finds the camper and approaches it. She opens the door and goes inside, gun drawn. The acting sheriff searches the place but finds nothing. When she turns around, Alex is standing there. He ignores her questions and stares at her, and Amy leaves.
Mike goes to the field with Erica following him. They find Lily lying asleep in the middle of a field near the cliff. When Erica tries to go to her, Mike grabs her and says not to touch her. The Tooth Child approaches the sleeping child and Mike says that it's his brother. He tells Erica to stay with Lily and be there when she comes back. The Tooth Child gestures to Mike, who goes over to it and kneels on the ground. It reaches into his mouth and pulls, while a horrified Erica watches. After a moment, Mike collapse next to Lily and Erica goes to her daughter.
When Mike wakes up, he finds himself on his childhood bed. The TV screen is there, playing static, and Mike walks out of the room into the hallway. He calls to Eddie but gets no answers, and the doors are all locked except one. Mike goes inside and finds himself in a classroom. The four children are seated at their desks, staring at him. Mike walks out and sees the Skin-Taker at the other end of the hallway. It slams its head into the walls and then charges forward... and disappears. It reappears at the end of the hallway, bursts into flames, and walks calmly toward Mike. It stares at him for a moment and then disappears, and Mike walks forward.
Mike goes through another door leading to a bedroom with walls of human skin. Eddie there on a bed, and says that it's his room. The Skin-taker emerges from the shadows, and Mike asks where Lily is. Eddie says that it's Jawbone from Candle Cove, but he's really the Skin-Taker. It keeps Eddie company, and will keep Mike company when Eddie goes home. Mike demands to see Lily, and Eddie says that she's inside. The Skin-taker rips its head open, briefly revealing the Tooth Child.
Mike finds himself in a hallway with a crying Lily. Eddie is standing at the other end of the hallway, waiting. He says that Lily can go but Mike can't, because it's his turn to be there. Eddie says that Mike killed him and now he owes him, and he'll go home while Mike stays there. Mike tells Lily that it's real, and she shouldn't listen if she ever hears Candle Cove calling to her.
Back in the skin room, Eddie holds Lily and asks her what Mike said to her. Mike tells him to let go of his daughter or its no deal. Eddie releases Lily, who goes to a TV showing her asleep in a field. She enters the screen and rejoins her body, and Mike sees her wake up. Erica hugs her daughter in relief.
Eddie starts to enter the TV, and Mike says that he wants his brother to stay because they belong together. The Skin-Taker rams sticks into its head, while Eddie reminds Mike that he left him there and starts to enter the screen. Mike says that they never finished the card game that never ended. Eddie says that they never will finish it, and Mike points out that they have nothing but time because he's not going anywhere. He says that he'll stay if Eddie wins the game. When Eddie prepares to leave anyway, Mike says that he cheated to keep the game when he thought he was going to lose. After a moment, Eddie agrees and sits down on the bed to play as the Skin-Taker watches from the shadows.
Amy continues through the forest.
In the skin room, the Skin-Taker paces behind the walls as mike and Eddie play their game.
Erica takes Lily to the house and tells Marla that Mike is still there. She then calls 911 and says that her daughter needs to see a doctor. When she turns back, she discovers that Marla is walking to Mike.
Mike and Eddie continue playing and Eddie wins every match. He says that it's Mike's world, and Mike wonders what he'll do in the world he doesn't know. Eddie says that he goes into the real world but without a body, he hides like a monster. Now he'll take over Mike's body and be the man that everyone truss with their children.
Marla goes into the forest and finds Frances. Frances says that Eddie on her all the years and she was the one who gave him comfort. Marla smiles and says that Frances looks like a person with a conscience. When Frances takes out a baling hook, Marla tells her to get out of her way. Frances insists that she's Eddie's mother now, and Marla tells her that she gave her son away and isn't anyone's mother. Her former friend drives the hook into her back and then drives it in again. As she raises the hook for a final blow, Amy arrives and shoots Frances in the neck. Marla picks up the hook and drives it into her head, killing her. Amy calls for an ambulance.
Eddie continue winning and finally takes Mike's last card. Mike suggests another game, and Eddie wishes that he could but he has someone to be. As he goes to the TV, Mike tells him to let it go. Eddie says that it was like yesterday for him and that he's been doing good in the wood, says goodbye to his brother, and leaves.
Several weeks later, Amy holds a press conference and says that the state task force hasn't issued a report. The children are playing in the park nearby as Amy says that Frances was responsible for all of the murders. A reporter asks her if there is any truth to the rumor that children murdered Jessica. Amy insists that it's unsubstantiated and asks them to refrain from speculating.
Gary and his children pack up, sell their house, and leave town.
In the station, Amy enters the sheriff's office that is now hers.
At the house, Erica suggests that Marla stay with them. Marla insists that it's her home and she lives there and will die there, close to her boys. Lily is in the next room, drawing a picture of herself and Mike in a cave. Erica and Marla go outside, and the TV turns on by itself. Candle Cove appears on the screen, but "Mike" comes in and turns off the TV. Lily looks at him and smiles, and then goes back to her drawing. Erica comes in and tells Lily to come and look at the birds. She goes with her mother, and Mike disappears.
Months Ago
Amy confirms that Frances is dead, and realizes that Marla is gone.
Marla makes her way to Mike's body and lies down next to it. She then smothers him to death, Once Mike is dead, Marla kisses him on the cheek.
In the Skin Room, Eddie discovers that the TV is sealed off when Mike's body dies. Mike reverts to his childhood self, and tells Eddie that they were always supposed to be together. Now they'll both stay.
Now
Marla watches Erica and Lily sitting together on the grass.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 16, 2016