WELL, MR. AND MRS. GIBBS. OH, HELLO,MR. HENSON. IS YOUR ROOM COM FORTABLE? ANYTHING I CAN DO? OH, IT'S LOVELY. IT'S JUST LOVELY. YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE US FEEL, YOU MAKE US FEEL IMPORTANT. YOU ARE IMPORTANT, MRS. GIBBS. AFTER ALL, IT ISN'T EVERY DAY THAT WE ENTERTAIN CELEBRATED CONTEST WINNERS. NO, NOT EVERY DAY. MAYBE EVERY OTHER DAY. I BROUGHT ALONG OUR HOTEL PHOTOGRAPHER TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU AND MR. GIBBS FOR YOUR HOMETOWN PAPER. NOW, IF YOU COULD JUST GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TOGETHER. AND SMILE. SMILE. OKAY, JOE. READY? UH-HUH. HOLD IT. OH, THIS IS SO EXCITING. THAT'S THE ELGIN BUGLE, MR. HENSON. HOW'S THAT? THE ELGIN BUGLE. THAT'S OUR HOMETOWN PAPER. OH, YES, OF COURSE. WELL, WE'LL SEND THEM OUT A COPY RIGHT AWAY. NOW, ENJOY YOURSELVES, FOLKS, AND REMEMBER, YOU HAVE UNLIMITED CREDIT. (narrator) MR. AND MRS. FRANKLIN GIBBS. THREE DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS, ALL EXPENSES PAID AT A LAS VEGAS HOTEL. WON BY VIRTUE OF MRS. GIBBS' KNACK WITH A PHRASE, BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO EITHER MR. OR MRS. GIBBS IS THE FACT THAT THERE'S A PRIZE IN THEIR PACKAGE NEITHER EXPECTED NOR BARGAINED FOR. IN JUST A MOMENT, ONE OF THEM WILL SUCCUMB TO AN ILLNESS WORSE THAN ANY VIRUS CAN PRODUCE. A MOST INOPERATIVE, DEADLY, LIFE-SHATTERING AFFLICTION KNOWN AS "THE FEVER." NUMBER TEN. FRANKLIN, THERE IS SUCH A FLAVOR TO THIS PLACE. FLAVOR. THIS IS THE KIND OF FLAVOR I CAN DO WITHOUT, FLORA. YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL HOW I FEEL ABOUT GAMBLING. OH, THIS IS DIFFERENT, THOUGH. IT IS NEITHER DIFFERENT NOR MORAL. GAMBLING IS GAMBLING. HOWEVER, THIS IS YOUR VACATION, FLORA. YOU WON IT. BUT IN ALL GOOD CONSCIENCE, I MUST REPEAT TO YOU WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG, IT'S A MISERABLE, TERRI BLE, WASTE OF TIME. BUT, OF COURSE, IT'S WHAT YOU WANTED. OH, FRANKLIN, TRY TO ENJOY IT, WON'T YOU? I WON! I WON THE JACKPOT! I WON! I WON. LOOK, I WON. I WON, I WON, I WON. LOOK, I WON. I WON. ISN'T THAT MARVELOUS? JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? WELL, IT'S-IT'S ONLY A NICKEL MACHINE. ONLY A NICKLE MACHINE? WHY DON'T YOU JUST TAKE HANDFULS OF NICKLES AND THROW THEM OUT INTO THE STREET? ALL RIGHT. WE GO TO LAS VEGAS. WE WASTE THREE DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS. WE DO IT BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR SILLY IDEA OF ENJOYING YOURSELF, AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT COSTING US ANYTHING. BUT NOW YOU'RE SPENDING MONEY. AND NOT EVEN SPENDING IT, FLORA. YOU'RE-YOU'RE J UST THROWING IT AWAY! WELL, THIS IS WHERE I PUT MY FOOT DOWN. IT'S QU ITE OBVIOUS TO ME THAT YOU ARE NOT MATURE ENOUGH-- PLEASE. FRANKLIN, PLEASE, DON'T MAKE A SCENE. I WON'T PLAY. I PROMISE YOU. FRANKLIN? THE NICKEL'S ALREADY IN. ALL RIGHT. THROW IT AWAY. I'M NOT VERY LUCKY, AM I? I'M GOING BACK TO THE ROOM, FLORA. HERE YOU ARE, OLD BOY. HERE, WAIT A MINUTE. PLEASE! WAIT, YOU TRY IT. I'M ONE HOUR AND 30 MINUTES ON THIS MISERABLE, CRUMMY, MONEY-G RABBING-- PLEASE. HOLD IT. HERE. YOU PLAY. IT'S YOURS. GO AHEAD, PLAY IT. NO, REALLY, I'M NOT INTERESTED. I'M IN A HURRY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUT IT IN THERE, SEE? AND PULL THE THING. ALL RIGHT, SWEETI E, I'M COMING. THAT'S THE LITTLE WOMAN, YOU NOW. LOTS, LOTS OF LUCK, AND I'LL SEE YOU LATER, HUH? I'M COMING, HONEY. (MAN) PAY THE LADY RIGHT HERE. PAY THE LADY RIGHT HERE. PAY THE LADY RIGHT HERE. OH, FRANKLIN, YOU ARE LUCKY! IT WASN'T EVEN MY DOLLAR. THAT-- THAT MAN GAVE IT TO ME. HE MADE ME PUT IT IN THE MACHINE. WELL, NOW YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NORMAL, MATURE THOUGHTFUL MAN AND THESE-THESE WILD I DIOTS AROUND HERE. WE'LL-WE'LL PUT THIS IN OU R ROOM AND WE'LL TAKE IT HOME WITH US. OF COURSE, DEAR. YES, BUT NOT THESE BABOONS AROUND HERE. THEY'D THROW IT AWAY. THEY'D COMPULSIVELY PUT IT BACK IN THE MACHINE. BUT NOT THE GIBBS. THE GIBBS KNOW THE VALU E OF MONEY. WELL, COME, MY DEAR. I-I WANT TO SHAVE BEFORE DIN N ER. [metallic voice] FRANKLIN. DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? WHAT? DID YOU CALL MY NAME? WHY, NO, DEAR. I THOUGHT I HEARD-- [metallic voice] FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN, IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? NO, NO. NOTHING IS THE MATTER. NOTHING, EXCEPT THAT-THAT-- THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF MONEY I LIKE TO KEEP, FLORA. THIS IS-IS TAINTED. THIS IS HIGHLY IMMORAL. NO GOOD CAN COME FROM MONEY WON LIKE THIS. I'M-I'M GOING BACK IN THERE AND FEED IT BACK INTO THE MACHINE, FLORA, AND GET RID OF IT. OH, FRANKLIN, DO YOUREALLY THINK THAT-- OF COURSE. IF THERE'S ONE THING I KNOW, FLORA, IT'S MORALITY. AND I WILL NOT HAVE THIS TAINTED MONEY SMELLING UP OUR POCKETS. I'M GOING BACK IN THERE AND I'M-I'M JUST GOING TO GET RID OF IT. SO, YOU GO BACK TO SLEEP, FLORA. FRANKLIN, IT'S TERRIBLY LATE. I KNOW IT'S LATE, FLORA! LOOK, YOU STAY RIGHT HERE, FLORA. AND DON'T LET ANYONE ELSE USE THIS MACHINE. I'LL BE RIGHT BACK. FRANKLIN, THAT'S THE THIRD TIME YOU'VE CASHED A CHECK. I KNOW THAT. WELL, YOU'VE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. I KNOW THAT, TOO. DON'T YOU THINK YOU OUGHT TO STOP NOW? HOW CAN I STOP? I'VE LOST A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. YOU SAID IT YOURSELF. I'VE GOT TO WIN IT BACK. BUT WHAT IF YOU DON'T WIN IT BACK, FRANKLIN? YOU'VE BEEN STANDING HERE NEARLY THREE HOURS. YES, I KNOW THAT, TOO. FRANKLIN? DEAR. YOU KNOW HOW AWFU L YOU FEEL IN THE MORNING AFTER YOU'VE BEEN UP TOO LATE AT NIGHT. FLORA, WILL YOU KINDLY SHUT YOUR MOUTH? I HATE A SHREW, FLORA! I HATE A WOMAN WHO STANDS IN BACK OF YOU AND SEES TO IT THAT YOU HAVE MISERABLE LUCK! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ME NOW. YOU'RE GIVING ME MISERABLE LUCK! NOW PLEASE GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE, PLEASE, PEOPLE ARE LISTENING. THE DEVIL WITH PEOPLE! I'M NOT CONCERN ED WITH PEOPLE. I'M--I'M CONCERN ED WITH THIS-THIS MACHINE. IT'S IN HUMAN THE WAY IT LETS YOU WIN A LITTLE AND THEN, AND THEN TAKES IT ALL BACK. IT TEASES YOU. IT-IT HOLDS OUT PROMISES AN D-AND WHEEDLES YOU. IT SUCKS YOU IN AND THEN-- FRANKLIN. FLORA, GO AWAY! FIVE HOURS. THAT'S HOW LONG HE'S BEEN THERE. WHEN THEY GET HOOKED, THEY REALLY GET HOOKED, DON'T THEY? YEAH. SOMEBODY GET ME A DRINK OF WATER, PLEASE. FRANKLIN. HM? OH. OH, FLORA, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU GET ME A DRINK OF WATER? I--I'VE ALMOST GOT HER LICKED NOW. YOU SEE, "SPECIAL JACKPOT, $10,000." YOU SEE? $10,000. SHE'S BOUND TO-TO TURN UP IN A LITTLE WHILE. YOU-YOU JUST HAVE TO STICK WITH HER LONG ENOUGH. THAT'S ALL. FRANKLIN. HUH? WHAT, UH, WHAT TIME IS IT, FLORA? IT'S 8 :00 IN THE MORNING, FRANKLIN. I-I SWEAR TO YOU, FLORA, THIS MACHINE MOCKS ME. IT TEASES, BECKONS, MOCKS ME. PUT IN FIVE, GET BACK FOU R. PUT IN SIX, GET BACK FIVE. BUT IT'S GOT TO PAY OFF, SOONER OR LATER. IT'S JUST GOT TO, I TELL YOU. GIVE ME BACK MY DOLLAR. THAT'S MY LAST DOLLAR! YOU MISERABLE, DIRTY-- GIVE ME BACK MY DOLLAR! FRANKLIN! GIVE ME BACK MY DOLLAR! FRANKLIN! WE NEED A DOCTOR. IT TOOK MY DOLLAR! IT OWES ME A DOLLAR! IT TOOK MY DOLLAR! THAT, THAT MONSTER! IT OWES ME A DOLLAR! I WANT MY DOLLAR! I WANT MY DOLLAR! (Flora) DARLING? CAN'T YOU SLEEP? THAT MACHINE. FRANKLIN. THAT MACHINE, FLORA. IT WAS READY TO PAY OFF. AND IT DELIBERATELY BROKE DOWN SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO. IT--IT'S NOT EVEN A MACHINE, FLORA. IT'S AN ENTITY. IT'S A THING WITH A MIND AND A WILL OF ITS OWN. IT DELIBERATELY BROKE DOWN. IT DELIBERATELY BROKE DOWN! THAT--THAT THING! THAT MONSTER! THAT THIEF! IT-- IT TOOK MY LAST SILVER DOLLAR, FLORA. IT STOLE MY LAST SILVER DOLLAR AND BROKE DOWN! [metallic voice] FRANKLIN! WHAT'S THE MATTER, DEAR? FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN. COME BACK TO BED, FRANK-- FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN, WHAT IS THE MATTER? FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN, WHAT IS IT? IT'S-IT'S CHASING ME. IT'S FOLLOWING ME. IT'S TRYING TO GET ME, FLORA! WHAT IS? WHAT? THERE'S NOTHING THERE! FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN, THERE'S NOTHING HERE, DEAR. BELIEVE ME, THERE'S NOTHING HERE. FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN, FRANKLIN, FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN! FRANKLIN! NO! HIS WIFE SAID HE HADN'T SLEPT FOR 24 HOURS. THAT'S RIGHT. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THEM GET HOOKED BEFORE, BUT N EVER LIKE HIM. THERE'S A STRETCH ER COMING. IT'LL BE HERE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, LET'S GET BACK TO BED. THE SHOW'S OVER. LET'S GO. LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. (narrator) MR. FRANKLIN GIBBS, VISITOR TO LAS VEGAS, WHO LOST HIS MONEY, HIS REASON, AND FINALLY, HIS LIFE TO AN INANIMATE METAL MACHINE VARIOUSLY DESCRIBED AS A ONE-ARMED BANDIT, A SLOT MACHINE. OR IN MR. FRANKLIN GIBBS' WORDS "A MONSTER WITH A WILL ALL ITS OWN." FOR OUR PURPOSES WE'LL STICK WITH THE LATTER DEFINITION BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE.