"The Land" is the first story that is featured in the fifth episode of Season 2.
Plot[]
Joss Myrtle's farmland, which has been passed down from generation to generation, has not produced any viable crops in over two years, leaving Joss and his wife, Paula, and their daughter, April, near-destitute. Paula's brother, Harold, tries to convince Joss to sell his land, but his condescending demeanor irks Joss, who storms off, followed by April. Joss reassures April that he will find some way to make the land prosper again, so that they can continue living on it, at one point stating, "I owe this land my soul."
That night, April awakens to find a stranger who is dressed all in black conversing with her father, who mentions that the man can somehow help make the land bountiful again. April remembers having once seen the stranger hanging around the barn, and was told by her father that the man was just a rich neighbor named Mr. Johnson. April follows her father and "Mr. Johnson" outside, and witnesses them perform a ritual that ends with Joss being incinerated by a bolt of lightning (even though the sky was clear just moments ago) and "Mr. Johnson" disappearing. April rushes back to the house and gets her mother, and as she tells Paula about what happened, neither of the women notice that a nearby wall-mounted crucifix has turned upside-down, which hints that "Mr. Johnson" was actually a dark supernatural entity, possibly even the Devil. Paula assumes that April has just had a nightmare, until she goes outside and finds Joss's clothes, crumpled up in a pile of ash, which quickly blows away.
April and Paula fall asleep huddled together, as the house is battered by strong winds and a voice that sounds like Joss chants, "Stay. Stay on the land." In the morning, April and Paula are amazed to see that their fields are now all brimming with healthy and hardy crops. A scarecrow is shown wearing Joss's clothes as it is suggested that Joss sold his soul to become one with his land in order to ensure that it would be able to provide for April and Paula.
Cast[]
- Daryl Anderson as Joss Myrtle
- Laurie O'Brien as Paula Myrtle
- Heidi Miller as April Myrtle (Narrator)
- Christopher John Fields as Harold