Wait Till Helen Comes

In 1982, Molly and her new husband Dave relocate with their children to an isolated rural church converted into a house on the edge of Holwell. On the way, they stop to collect Dave’s preadolescent daughter Heather from a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent the last three years haunted by her mother’s death in a house fire. The move marks the beginning of a fragile, unsettled family dynamic as they settle into the secluded countryside.

Heather arrives with her own heavy past, still haunted by the loss of her mother in the fire and by years spent away from a stable home. She adapts to the new surroundings in the rural house, while the memory of that tragedy lingers over every room. Her presence also tests the fragile balance of the newly formed family.

The girl is drawn by a blue butterfly into the woods and toward the churchyard, where a memorial plaque hints at a mystery. Molly and Heather discover that Helen Harper, a six-year-old girl from 1886, died in a fire but no remains were ever found. The revelation links the present to a centuries-old tragedy etched into the local landscape.

Mrs. Williams the librarian presents records and photographs showing Helen Harper’s death in a fire in 1886, with her parents and no remains recovered. The historical material deepens the mystery surrounding the girl and why her spirit might linger. It also explains why Heather can sense Helen’s presence while others cannot.

As Heather befriends the ghost of Helen Harper, a unique connection grows between them, unusual in the living world. Molly discovers that she and her late father can share the same gift of vision, while Mr. Simmonds remembers his departed wife who once had a similar sight. The bond makes the haunting feel personal rather than a simple apparition.

Mr. Simmonds warns Molly that several young girls have vanished after befriending Helen’s ghost, suggesting a dangerous pattern behind the haunting. The warning adds a layer of inevitability and fear to the girls’ growing friendship with the spirit. Molly resolves to protect Heather, even as the others doubt her account.

Heather runs away toward Helen’s house, drawn by the ghost’s presence, while Molly’s father appears to Molly in a dream warning of impending danger. The dream sequence emphasizes that the veil between the living and the dead is thin and that caution is needed. The siblings’ bond strengthens as the danger becomes more real.

Molly witnesses a vision of Helen accidentally closing a trap door in the house’s basement, which becomes a deadly fire when a candle is knocked over. Helen’s parents die in the blaze, while Helen escapes to the river and drowns. The tragedy clarifies the true heart of the haunting and the fate of the Harper family.

After nearly drowning in the river, Heather is revived by Molly and reveals that she had accidentally killed her mother while cooking, which started the house fire. This confession reframes the haunting and deepens Heather’s connection to Helen. The moment also reinforces the fragile trust within the trio.

With Helen’s spectral help, Molly locates and opens the long-hidden trap door in the ruins’ basement. Inside are Helen’s parents’ bodies, their spirits trapped for years. The discovery shifts the haunting from rumor to a tangible historical tragedy seeking release.

The blue butterfly lands on the corpses, a quiet sign that the trapped spirits are finally released. The moment marks the turning point in the haunting and the beginning of the spirits’ peace. It also underscores the connection between the living and the dead that Heather and Molly share.

Michael arrives to join Molly and Heather as they witness the release of Helen Harper’s parents’ spirits. Helen accompanies them in the moment of release, finally freeing the ghostly family. The house, the river, and the ruins become a place of quiet closure rather than fear.