The Boneyard (1991) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The kyoshi are ancient demons that Chen, the mortuary owner, claims have haunted the world for centuries. The three mummified corpses in the mortuary are not actually children but these demonic entities. They are tied to an age-old curse that can only be placated with offerings of human flesh, which Chen admits he has been providing for years.

Foreshadowing: Chen explains early on that the demons have existed far longer than modern times and are bound to the mortuary.

• kyoshi demons
• ancient curse
• morgue
• Chen
• child corpses

Chen believed the kyoshi demons could only be placated with human flesh offerings. He had been sustaining this practice for years, using the mortuary as a cover to obtain and feed the corpses to the ancient demons. This explains the gruesome murders connected to his establishment.

Foreshadowing: Chen presents his theory about the demons needing human flesh early in the investigation.

• Chen
• human flesh
• offerings
• kyoshi
• curse
• murders

The three dead children were actually vessels for the kyoshi demons. When Chen was arrested and could no longer provide the required human flesh offerings, the under-fed ghouls awakened from their mummified state. They turned into ravenous zombies that overran the mortuary, trapping and devouring the staff.

Foreshadowing: Chen warns that without regular offerings, the kyoshi would become dangerous.

• children zombies
• infected
• kyoshi awakened
• morgue attack

Mrs. Poopinplatz, a morgue attendant, was possessed by the demons along with her poodle. The possession mutated both into grotesque monsters that stalked the mortuary halls, joining the other demonic creatures in terrorizing the survivors.

Foreshadowing: The demons demonstrate the ability to possess corpses early in the siege.

• Mrs. Poopinplatz
• poodle
• possessed
• mutation
• demon possession

Alley Oates is a depressed psychic whose fading abilities initially drew her into the grisly child-murder case. Her psychic perception allows her to sense the supernatural threat and understand the connection between the murders and the ancient demons. Throughout the siege, she relies on her intuition and quick thinking to help Jersey Callum and the other survivors navigate the demon-infested mortuary.

Foreshadowing: Alley's psychic involvement is what connects her to the case from the beginning.

• Alley Oates
• psychic
• detective
• Jersey Callum
• supernatural

Once the demons awaken, they trap the staff inside the building by cutting off any escape routes. The fortress-like mortuary becomes a claustrophobic slaughterhouse where the survivors are confined with the demon-possessed corpses. They must improvise defenses using whatever tools they can find and fight through the horde to survive.

Foreshadowing: The mortuary is described as fortress-like from the investigators' first arrival.

• mortuary trap
• survivors
• siege
• escape
• kyoshi attack

The survivors make attempts to placate or seal the kyoshi demons, exploring unconventional methods to end the ancient curse. The final confrontation involves a desperate fight to either contain or eliminate the demon-possessed corpses. The ending remains ambiguous, with the outcome left uncertain as the mortuary's fate hangs in the balance between continued threat and partial containment.

Foreshadowing: The curse's centuries-long history suggests these demons have been sealed before.

• kyoshi sealed
• demon curse
• ending
• survive
• placate demons

Jersey Callum is Alley Oates' hardened detective partner who works alongside her throughout the investigation. Once the supernatural siege begins, he becomes a key fighter in the survivors' group, using his experience and physical capabilities to help defend against the demon attacks. He and Alley must rely on teamwork and resourcefulness to make it through the night.

Foreshadowing: Callum is introduced as Alley's partner from the start of the investigation.

• Jersey Callum
• detective
• Alley Oates
• survivor
• fighting demons

The three mummified corpses appeared to be dead children, which is what initially drew the police to investigate Chen for murder. However, Chen claimed these were not children at all but ancient demon vessels that had been placed in the mortuary centuries ago as part of the kyoshi curse. The investigation into apparent child murders became the gateway to uncovering the supernatural threat.

Foreshadowing: The case begins as a grisly child-murder investigation.

• children bodies
• morgue
• Chen arrested
• murder case
• kyoshi vessels

Beyond the main kyoshi demons, the mortuary contains various ghoul figures including the Medium Ghoul, Big Ghoul, Floofsoms, and Poopinplatz Ghouls. These creatures, along with demon-possessed staff members, create a gallery of horrors that the survivors must confront throughout the night.

Foreshadowing: The summary mentions a network of dread tying generations of horror to the present crisis.

• ghouls
• monsters
• possessed staff
• Medium Ghoul
• Big Ghoul
• horror creatures