STIR OF ECHOES



                                        Written by

                                       David Koepp



                                    Based on the novel
          
                                     Richard Matheson


                                                        March 26, 1998          

          

          
          Sometimes within the brain's old
          ghostly house,
          I hear, far off, at some forgotten
          door,
          A music and an eerie faint carouse
          And stir of echoes down the
          creaking floor.
          "Chambers of Imagery"
          Archibald MacLeish
          

          
          In the black, a child HUMS. Gentle WATER sounds.

          FADE IN:

          INT A BATHROOM NIGHT
          JAKE, a four year old boy, sits in a bathtub. The door to thi
          bathroom is open and his mother is visible in the background,
          walking back and forth in the bedroom, getting dressed to go
          out. The STEREO is blaring in the bedroom, the music echoes
          off the tile in the tiny bathroom.
          Jake is playing with a plastic airplane. He answers a
          question.

          JAKE

          YES

          (PAUSE)
          Sometimes.

          (PAUSE)
          With my toys.
          He looks up, but we're close in on him and can't see who he's
          looking at.
          JAKE (cont'd)
          My... blue sword. No! The one with
          the gray tape around the middle. That
          one.
          He lands the airplane on the water. He giggles.
          JAKE (coast' d)
          That's silly.
          MAGGIE (o.s.)
          (from the bedroom)
          Jake? You all right in there?

          JAKE
          (calling out to the door)

          YES!
          The airplane takes off again. Jake lowers his voice to a
          whisper.
          JAKE (cont'd)
          What?

          (PAUSE)
          My daddy, but he doesn't know about it
          yet.
          He brings the airplane in for a careful water landing and lets
          go of it. He looks up.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          2. 

          CONTINUED:
          JAKE (cont' d)
          Can I ask you a question?
          He pauses, looks to the door to make sure his mother isn't too
          close. Moving back now, we see that Jake is all alone in the
          bathroom, staring at the empty bathtub across from him.
          JAKE (cont'd)
          Does it hurt to be dead?

          UNDER THE WATER,
          the toy airplane sinks and crash lands on the bottom of the
          tub.

          IN THE BATHROOM,
          MAGGIE WITZKY, twenty-six or seven, Jake's mom, city girl
          knows how to take care of herself, pokes her head in the
          doorway, buttoning up her blouse.

          MAGGIE
          Who you talkin' to, Jake?
          He turns to her and whispers.

          JAKE
          It's a secret.

          CUT TO:

          INT JAKE'S ROOM NIGHT
          TOM WITZKY, Maggie's age, lean and muscled like somebody who
          works for a living, lies on Jake's bed next to his son,
          reading him a story. Jake is nearly asleep.

          TOM
          Well, I was walking in the night, and
          I saw nothing scary. For I have never
          been afraid of anything. Not very. I
          was deep within the woods when,
          suddenly, I spied them. I saw a pair
          of pale green pants with nobody inside
          them! I wasn't scared. But, yet, I
          stopped. What could those pants be
          there for? What could a pair of pants
          at night be standing in the air for?
          Maggie leans in the doorway and whispers.

          MAGGIE
          Is he asleep? My brother's here.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          3. 

          CONTINUED:
          Tom looks at Jake, who is asleep. Tom closes the book, turns
          off the light, and covers his son. He kisses him on the
          forehead. Tom goes to a dresser and turns on the baby monitor
          (the transmitter). Its red light glows.
          After Tom leaves, Jake opens his eyes and stares.

          CUT TO:

          EXT STREET DAY
          The Chicago skyline looms over the street they live on. Not
          the suburbs, but not quite downtown either. Racially mixed.
          Two story brick houses jammed side by side, barely room for a
          raised voice across the narrow driveways. Bar on the corner,
          neon sign -- "BERNIE'S TAP." A HOMELESS GUY rants his way
          down the opposite sidewalk.
          Tom, Maggie, and PHILIP, early twenties, come out of the house
          and head down the steps. Tom carries the baby monitor (the
          receiver) in one hand. Jake's breathing is clearly audible on
          the speaker.
          Tom's on the sidewalk. Maggie, still three steps up, stops
          and puts her arms wide. Tom turns around and Maggie lets
          herself go, falling straight forward. Tom catches her on his
          back and carries her piggy-back. She leans around and bites
          his ear.

          PHILIP
          What are the odds of a single woman
          being at this thing?

          TOM
          `Bout a million to one.

          PHILIP
          Any hot mommies?

          TOM
          Depends. How big you like `em?
          The hot engine of a Yellow Trans-Am fires up in the driveway
          of the house across the street. It backs into the street, its
          passenger door hanging open. The DRIVER honks the horn and a
          SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD KID runs out of another house and jumps
          into the moving vehicle. They take off. The Homeless Guy
          berates them, shaking his fist.
          They reach the steps of the house next door. PARTY NOISE
          comes from within, shadows move in the windows. Tom swings
          Maggie around, puts her on the step, wraps his arms around
          her, and kisses her. Great kiss. It goes on.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          4. 

          CONTINUED:

          PHILIP
          Excuse me, hello, I enjoy soft-core as
          much as the next guy, but this is
          almost like incest for me.

          MAGGIE
          (still kissing Tom)
          Should we tell him?

          TOM
          Sure.

          MAGGIE
          I'm pregnant.

          PHILIP
          Get the fuck outta here!
          He grabs Maggie and hugs her. Tom starts up the steps.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Look at this, I haven't even had a
          second date in a year and a half, you
          guys are on your second kid!
          Philip catches up to Tom and throws his arms around him.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          You big huggable bear. You're still
          goin' back to school, though, right?
          You promised me.

          TOM
          I don't know, I just found out about
          this.

          PHILIP
          I'm telling you, if you never go back
          to college you'll regret it for the
          rest of your life. The memories I
          have of being a freshman -- those were
          three of the happiest years of my
          life.

          CUT TO:

          INT BOBBY & VANESSA'S - LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          TWENTY OR THIRTY PEOPLE are crowded into a living room. It's
          loud, smoky, there's music and a ton of booze -- empty beer
          bottles, five gallon jugs of wine, big liter bottles of vodka
          and gin.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          5. 

          CONTINUED:
          The men are mostly on one side, women on the other. As Maggie
          heads toward the women, Tom grabs her arm and pulls her back
          close.

          TOM
          Seven years, and I've still never been
          to a party where you weren't the one I
          wanted to hang with.
          She smiles, melted, and they part. Tom joins the men. BOBBY,
          Vanessa's husband, an athletic-looking guy holding a sleeping
          three-year-old on his shoulder, talks with FRANK McCARTHY,
          fortyish, big Irish drinker, and HARRY DAMON, who is also
          older than the rest.

          FRANK
          Tom-Tom-Tommy, how are ya?
          He shoves a beer into Tom's hand.

          TOM
          Alive on the planet.
          (nods to Harry)
          Harry.

          HARRY
          Hello, Tom. Takin' care of the place?

          TOM
          Actually, I'm drillin' holes in all
          the floors, Harry.

          FRANK
          (as Tom drinks)
          That's it, take the medicine deep into
          your body. Good, good.

          HARRY
          So how you likin' the neighborhood?

          TOM
          Well, I grew up about a mile from
          here, it ain't like a foreign country.

          FRANK
          The hell it isn't! This is the best
          God damn neighborhood in Chicago,
          `cause we look out for each other, and
          that's sayin' a lot as we approach the
          Year of our Lord two thousand.

          HARRY
          What are you, runnin' for Mayor?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           6. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
          LENNY, the local crank, pipes up.

          LENNY
          Hey, did any of you guys see those
          Dominican crack dealers hangin' around
          the park again?
          Everybody GROANS.

          FRANK
          (to Bobby)
          What is Lenny doing here? Did you
          tell him you were having a party?!

          BOBBY
          Vanessa made me.

          LENNY
          Yeah, laugh it up, laugh it up, and
          when you all wake up dead with your
          throats cut some night --

          FRANK
          I mean, I could see if he just heard
          the noise and wandered in, but to
          actually invite him into your home.. .

          LENNY
          -- don't come cryin' to me!

          ACROSS THE ROOM,
          Philip surveys the selection of females. He sees VANESSA,
          late twenties, hasn't lost the weight from the last baby yet --

          PHILIP
          Not attracted to...
          -- SHEILA, a thin, nervous woman around Frank's age --
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Not drunk enough for...
          -- and a LOUD WOMAN with enormous hair.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Frightened by...

          LATER,
          everyone has eaten, some have left, the ones that remain are
          bombed. A DRUNK COUPLE dances dirty. Frank stares long and
          hard at someone's cleavage.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          7. 

          CONTINUED:
          Sheila, the nervous woman, stares at Frank, pissed off. He
          looks at her, gives her a "What?" gesture. Must be married to
          each other.
          Tom, on the other side of the room, hears a SHRIEK of women's
          voice: and turns. He sees Maggie blushing, receiving hugs and
          congrLtulations from the two or three women around her.

          IN THE :ITCHEN,
          Vanessa talks to Maggie while she mixes up a blender of
          Margaritas. The room is jammed with people.

          VANESSA
          How did you and Tom meet?

          MAGGIE
          He saved my life.

          VANESSA
          No, really.

          MAGGIE
          I'm serious. The summer I was
          nineteen, I was at Jones Beach, I swam
          out too far and got a cramp in my leg.
          There was no way I was gonna make it
          back. I was goin' down, I was
          swallowing water and everything. Tom
          was a lifeguard. I don't know what he
          was doing out that far, he said he
          just had a feeling.

          VANESSA
          Oh my God, did you have sex with him
          like, that night?

          MAGGIE
          Had to. He said I'm his slave until I
          saved him back.

          VANESSA
          That's so romantic. Bobby and I met
          when I peed in the guys' john at a Bon
          Jovi concert.
          She hits "puree" on the blender.

          STILL LATER,
          the party's down to the hard-core half dozen, who are passing
          a joint. Tom sits on the couch, feet on the coffee table next
          to their baby monitor. Maggie is next to him, Frank and
          Sheila are jammed in there too.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          8. 

          CONTINUED:
          Bobby and Vanessa sit on the floor opposite. Philip is in a
          chair at the end.

          VANESSA
          P(ople who say they were hypnotized
          weren't really, they were just, you
          kn)w, playing along.

          PHILIP
          Then how could they have needles stuck
          into their throats without bleeding?
          Without even making a sound?

          FRANK
          Bullshit.

          VANESSA
          You never saw that happen.

          PHILIP
          Uh, hello, I had a two inch needle
          stuck right into the thick of my arm,
          by my professor, while I was under
          hypnosis.

          FRANK
          Bullshit!

          VANESSA
          You're making it up!

          BOBBY
          That's disgusting!

          MAGGIE
          I saw his arm the next day. It left a
          mark.

          FRANK
          Bullshit!

          SHEILA
          Can you learn another word?

          FRANK
          Prove it.

          VANESSA
          Yeah, let's see.

          FRANK
          Hypnotize somebody. Hypnotize
          Vanessa.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          CONTINUED: (2)

          VANESSA
          Oh, no. Uh uh.

          PHILIP
          Why not?

          VANESSA
          Because, I .night make a fool out of
          myself! I n. ;.ght, I don't know, expose
          myself or sowething.
          She clutches her arms around her breasts as she says that.
          You get the feeling she'd like to expose herself.

          PHILIP
          I thought you didn't believe in it.

          VANESSA
          I don't, but -- do Maggie.

          MAGGIE
          Yeah, right.

          FRANK
          You do it, Sheila. We promise not to
          make you do a strip tease on the
          kitchen table.
          Sheila glares at him. They must be fun to hang out with.

          VANESSA
          That's what I'd do! That's exactly
          the kind of thing I'm afraid I'd do!

          MAGGIE
          Hey Frank, you're the one who's so
          curious, why don't you-

          FRANK
          No.

          MAGGIE
          Ah, that's different. Whaddya got to
          hide?

          FRANK
          No fuckin' way, I ain't gonna do it.
          Tom sits forward.

          TOM
          What the hell? I'll try anything
          once.

          

          

          

          

          A MOMENT LATER,
          a hand switches off the lamp on the table.
          Another hand turns off the lamp in the corner.
          The music is turned off.
          Tom sits in the armchair in the n3arly-darkened room. Philip
          shoves the coffee table back and sits on it, directly in front
          of him. The others crowd around expectantly, silent.

          PHILIP
          No sound.from anyone, please. Any
          distraction can break it up.
          He raises his index finger and holds it about a foot in front
          of Tom's face.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Okay. Look at it.

          TOM
          Damn fine lookin' finger.
          Laughter.

          PHILIP

          (AUTHORITATIVE)
          Be quiet.
          (they do)
          Look at it. Keep looking at it.
          Don't look at anything else, just my
          finger.

          TOM
          Can you clean out the nail, it's kinda
          makin' me sick here.
          Philip raises two fingers and jabs Tom in the eyes.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Hey, what the fuck?

          PHILIP
          Shall we try this again?

          TOM
          (rubbing his eyes)
          Asshole.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          11. 

          CONTINUED:

          PHILIP
          Look at me, Tom. You're not afraid of
          this. You want this to happen. Don't
          you?

          TOM
          Poke me again you son of a batch and
          I'll clock you, I swear to Go'..

          MAGGIE
          Philip, have you ever done this
          before?

          PHILIP
          Maggie, please, I nearly have a
          master's degree in cognitive psy-

          MAGGIE
          Have you ever done it before?

          PHILIP
          Well, I've seen it done a dozen times.

          MAGGIE
          Try not to screw him up permanently.

          PHILIP
          (to Tom)
          You want to be hypnotized. Say yes.

          TOM
          Yeah.

          PHILIP
          "I want to be hypnotized."

          TOM
          I want to be fuckin' hypnotized,
          already.

          PHILIP
          Okay. Close your eyes.
          As Tom does, our eyes close too, big heavy lashes dropping
          over everything and plunging us into blackness.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          Just listen for a moment.

          

          

          

          

          12. 

          IN THE BLACK,
          we can still hear the sounds of the living room. Tom
          breathes. Ice CLINKS in a glass as someone drinks. A car
          HUMS by outside.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          Now look at the backs of your eyelids.
          Do you see anything there?
          TOM (o.s.)
          Uh...
          Out of the pitch black, we can detect tiny images.
          TOM (o.s.)
          Some colors... something floating...
          up.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          Focus on it.
          A small squiggly line comes into focus, drifting up through
          the black, then bouncing suddenly downward.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          Now... I want you to pretend you're in
          a theatre.

          INT THEATRE NIGHT
          We're sitting in a theatre, a bare stage at the front.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          A movie theatre.

          INT MOVIE THEATRE NIGHT
          Okay, we're sitting in a movie theatre. It's crowded with
          people, waiting for the movie to start.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          You're the only one there.
          The people disappear. The theatre is empty.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          You're sitting near the front.
          We pop up ten rows closer to the screen.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          13. 

          CONTINUED:
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          The walls of the theatre are black,
          covered with black velvet.
          SHOOOP! Black velvet descends over the walls.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          The seats are covered with black
          velvet.
          Black velvet crawls over the seats.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          There is no light in the theatre.
          The lights click off.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          In the whole pitch-black theatre,
          there's only one thing you can see.
          The white screen. You drift toward
          it, in your chair.
          Up ahead of us, the screen is a dazzling white. We move
          slowly toward it, floating over the seats.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          There are letters up on the screen.
          Tall, thick, black letters, but
          they're out of focus. You drift
          closer to them, trying to read them.
          Blurry black letters appear on the screen. We drift closer.
          PHILIP (o. s . )
          You're comfortable in your black
          velvet seat, very comfortable. You
          just sit there, looking at the screen,
          drifting closer in your chair, staring
          at those letters on the screen.
          You're relaxing. Your feet and ankles
          are relaxed. Your legs are relaxed.
          Your hands are limp and heavy. Your
          arms are relaxed. Your face. The
          letters come into focus, you're close
          enough now, you can read them.
          The letters are right in front of us now, but still blurry.
           PHILIP (o . s . )
          The letters spell --

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           14. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
          The moment he speaks the word, five giant black letters come
          into focus on the white screen, filling our entire field of
          vision.
          PHILIP (o . s . )

          SLEEP.
          We stare at that word for a moment --
          -- and then everything goes black. No sound, no image, no
          nothing. And then...

          INT BOBBY & VANESSA'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          Six faces stare right at us from up close. Tom is in the
          chair, eyes open, looking disoriented.

          TOM
          Didn't work, huh?
          All six faces burst out laughing, a great nervous tension
          released. Somebody turns the lights back on, somebody else
          hits the music.
          TOM (cont' d)
          What?
          More laughter. Philip seems very pleased with himself.
          Maggie comes and sits on the arm of the chair next to Tom,
          puts her hand on his face.

          MAGGIE
          Are you okay?

          TOM
          Did somethin' happen?
          People start talking, all at once.

          VANESSA
          You were faking it. You had to be
          faking it.

          TOM
          What are you talking about?

          FRANK
          That was the weirdest thing I've ever
          seen in my whole fuckin' life.

          PHILIP
          How do you feel?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          15. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          How am I supposed to feel?

          PHILIP
          A little.., hot, maybe?
          EveryboJy laughs again. Tom wipes his forehead. He's covered
          with sweat. He gets up. He doesn't like this at all, being
          the only one not in on the joke.

          TOM
          What'd you do to me?

          PHILIP
          Nothing much. Just had you stretched
          out as stiff as a board between those
          two chairs --
          He points to two dining room chairs that are sitting back to
          back four or five feet apart.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          (lighting a lighter)
          -- and ran this back and forth under
          your legs.
          Tom feels the backs of his legs. He looks at Maggie.

          TOM
          That happened?

          MAGGIE
          You said it didn't hurt at all. And
          he kept it moving.

          TOM
          Hey, thanks a lot, it was very nice of
          you not to burn my flesh.

          FRANK
          Joey Ariola woulda burned it.
          They laugh again. Tom looks at him, stunned.

          TOM
          Who?

          FRANK
          The kid who beat you up all the time
          when you were twelve. You told us all
          about him. You were cryin' and
          everything.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           16. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
          Tom seethes, humiliated. Vanessa looks at her watch.

          PHILIP
          (low, to Vanessa)
          Don't.

          FRANK
          Not time yet.

          TOM
          What?

          FRANK

          (INNOCENTLY)
          Huh?

          TOM
          Not time for what?

          MAGGIE
          Tom, you didn't do anything
          embarrassing or anything.

          TOM
          Aright, somebody else go. Come on,
          let's go, somebody else, right now.

          PHILIP
          Tom, look --

          TOM
          Nobody? Well, then I guess the
          party's over, ain't it?
          (to Maggie)
          Let's go. Come on, let's go home.

          PHILIP
          You're getting a little too worked up
          about this.

          TOM
          You know, I don't think so, because
          I'll tell you something, it's a very
          nasty feeling to know somebody's been
          fuckin' around in your head for
          everybody else's amusement, you know?
          (lightening up a bit)
          I mean, Joey Ariola, Christ, I haven't
          thought about him in maybe ten years,
          and -- come on, man, somebody else has
          gotta go. Don't make me be the only-

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           17. 

          CONTINUED: (3)
          On the mantle over the fireplace, a clock CHIMES. Everyone is
          immediately silent, staring at Tom. He looks at the clock.
          It's eleven.
          He lifts his foot, pulls off his shoe --
          -- and throws it out the window.
          There is an explosion of laughter.

          PHILIP
          Why'd you do that, Tom?

          TOM
          I... have no idea.
          Even more laughter, now everybody's slapping him on the back.
          Tom nods, "yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

          PHILIP
          I couldn't resist.
          Tom cranks an arm around Philip's neck and pulls him down,
          choking him. But it's playful, his sense of humor returning.

          TOM
          Any other surprises you left in my
          head, you fuckin' dead man, you?

          CUT TO:

          INT TOM & MAGGIE'S HOUSE NIGHT
          It's dark. Tom and Maggie lie in bed, awake.

          MAGGIE
          I hope it's a girl, I can't help it.
          Six brothers, I mean, give me a break.
          I'm sick of all these balls around the
          house.
          He doesn't laugh. She rolls over, strokes his chest with one
          hand.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          What's the matter?

          TOM
          Two kids. I'm only twenty-six. How
          did this happen?
          She slides one hand down, under the covers.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          18. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE
          (imitating him)
          "Please, baby, please baby, just this
          one time, I can't feel anything with
          one of those on."

          TOM
          No, I now how it happened, I'm just
          sayin'... You're gonna have to stop
          work, at least for a while. I'll be
          workin' Saturdays for at least another
          year, maybe two.

          MAGGIE
          You don't have to. We'll get by, we
          always do.
          Tom stares at a dark brown water stain on the ceiling.

          TOM
          How many times I gotta ask Harry to
          fix that? He said he fixed this place
          up, so how come the roof leaks every
          time it rains?

          MAGGIE
          Relax.
          Her hand is moving. He twists.

          TOM
          Maggie, you don't think, I mean, ten,
          twelve years from now... I don't want
          you to think I'm gonna be a line man
          forever, you know, like Frank or
          somethin'.

          MAGGIE
          It's a good job. You know how many
          guys would kill for your job?

          TOM
          I'm smarter than that, I know I am.

          MAGGIE
          (kisses his ear)
          Relax.
          She's making it hard for him to concentrate.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           19. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM
          I'm smarter than Philip, Christ, six
          years in college, he's still got his
          head up his ass. I just want you to
          know, this ain't where I plan to stop.
          She licks his ear. He closes his eyes.
          TOM (cont' d)
          All my life, I feel like there's
          something better inside me, it's
          trying like hell to get out and it's
          like x won't let it.
          She rolls on top of him and whispers.

          MAGGIE
          Let me help.

          LATER,
          the clock reads 2:31 a.m. Maggie is asleep, Tom is lying on
          his back, still awake.
          He looks over at the clock, agitated. He stares up at the
          ceiling. He closes his eyes.

          A BARRAGE OF IMAGES
          races across the back of his eyelids:
          -- Philip's face, close to his, a finger held in front of him.
          -- A flame, leaping out from a cigarette lighter.
          Six more faces, pressed in close to his.
          Himself, floating in an armchair above an empty movie
          theatre.

          IN THE BEDROOM,
          Tom snaps his eyes open. He rolls over onto his side,
          punching his pillow. He closes his eyes again.

          MORE IMAGES COME,
          faster this time. We share his point of view:
          -- A twelve year old boy beats us up in an alley near a
          dumpster.
          -- A fourteen year old girl kisses us behind a brick building.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          20. 

          CONTINUED:
          -- A vicious dog sinks its teeth into our calf.
          -- Maggie, drowning, reaches out to us.
          The images Increase in speed, a half a dozen flip by so fast
          they're almcst subliminal -- a car tire, a broken arm, falling
          into water, breaking window, ham and eggs, a bolt of
          lightning.

          IN THE BEDROOM,
          Tom sits up abruptly, shaking his head to clear it.

          TOM
          .the fuck, man?
          He puts his hands to the side of his head. It hurts. A lot.
          Maggie stirs, but doesn't wake up. Tom gets up and walks out.
          As he passes Jake's room, he does a double take.

          IN JAKE'S ROOM,
          the four year old is awake. Not just awake, but standing next
          to his bed, perfectly straight, staring at the open doorway.
          Tom steps in. He can see by the light of the nightlight.

          TOM

          (WHISPERS)
          Jake?
          The little boy doesn't answer. Tom walks slowly over to the
          boy and squats down in front of him, putting his arms on the
          boy's shoulders.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Are you okay?
          Jake just looks at Tom, straight into his father's eyes. The
          boy's face lights up in a wide smile. He reaches out with one
          hand and rests his fingertips on Tom's forehead.

          JAKE
          Don't be afraid of it, Daddy.
          The hell does that mean?
          But before Tom can respond, Jake turns, climbs back in bed,
          rolls over to face the wall, and goes back to sleep.

          

          

          

          

          INT BATHROOM NIGHT
          Tom shakes some Advil into his palm; washes three down with a
          glass of water. He runs water in the sink, splashes some on
          his face. He straigltens, looks in the mirror as he wipes his
          dripping face. He stares at himself for a moment, then
          summons his nerve and closes his eyes.

          IMMEDIATELY,
          more images come.
          -- The front of Tom's own house, from a distance. A MAN IN AN
          OVERCOAT stands on the porch, waving to us to come in.
          -- Rough hands attack us, covering our eyes and face.
          -- A face, close to ours but blurry and distorted, as if seen
          through dirty, blue-tinted eyeglasses.
          -- Wooden floorboards as we race down toward them. We hit,
          hard, and our blood sprays out onto the wood.

          IN THE BATHROOM,
          Tom's eyes pop open. That was disturbing.

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom strides into the living room. Their house is small,
          crowded with kids' toys and furniture they got for their
          wedding. Tom paces back and forth, holding his head in his
          hands. He turns and bolts into the kitchen.

          IN THE KITCHEN,
          Tom rips the refrigerator open and searches the top shelf. He
          finds what he's looking for, a large carton of orange juice.
          He opens a cabinet, takes out a glass and fills it.
          He upends the glass, drains it in one gulp. Still
          unsatisfied, he picks up the carton. He drinks the rest.
          Juice runs down his chin.

          BACK IN THE LIVING ROOM,
          Tom drops onto the sofa. He sits for a moment, trying to
          regain himself. His breathing returns to normal. He sits
          forward, picks up the remote off the coffee table, points it
          at the TV and turns it on. When he sits back --
          -- there's a woman sitting next to him.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          22. 

          CONTINUED:
          She's eighteen or nineteen years old, so pale her skin's
          almost luminous. She's attractive but odd, she wears a
          billowy black dress with a diamond pattern, bangles up and
          down each wrist. Her lips are light blue, her eyes red-
          rimmed. Steam rises softly from her hair and skin; when she
          speaks, her breath comes out of her mouth in clouds of vapor.

          WOMA I
          You can kiss me if you want to.
          Tom bolts to his feet and staggers away from the couch. The
          woman stares intently at him and says something else, but her
          words are lost under the rising sound of static on the
          television.

          TOM
          What?!
          She repeats, but he can only see her lips moving, the words
          are lost under the static. Realizing, Tom turns hurriedly
          toward the TV and hits the mute switch. When he turns back --
          -- the woman is gone. He stands in the middle of the room,
          looking all around him. But he's alone.

          INT BEDROOM NIGHT
          Tom crawls back into bed and pulls the blankets up tight
          around him. He's shivering.

          A HAND
          drops over him and he nearly jumps out of his skin. It's
          Maggie, rolling over to embrace him in her sleep. He takes
          her hand in his and lies still, eyes wide open.

          CUT TO:

          INT KITCHEN DAY
          Morning. Tom and Maggie sit at the kitchen table. From the
          living room, we can hear a-kids' morning show on the
          television. Tom is wearing jeans and a phone company uniform
          shirt. Maggie is staring at him. They keep their voices low.

          MAGGIE
          What do you mean, like... You mean
          like a hallucination?

          TOM
          Maybe. I was awake, I know that.
          She nods, thinking, no idea how to deal with this.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          23. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE
          Did you, uh, get her name?

          TOM
          You know, she didn't menti. -in it.

          MAGGIE
          You sure you weren't dreami.g?

          TOM
          Positive. I had this headache like
          you wouldn't believe, and I was
          thirsty as hell.

          MAGGIE
          What should we do? You want to call
          Philip?

          TOM
          Yeah, I'll call him. But I don't
          think he's got a fuckin' clue in life.
          From the living room, Jake laughs uproariously at something on
          the TV.

          MAGGIE
          How about my cousin Elizabeth?

          TOM
          I don't need brain surgery, I just had
          a weird thing happen, that's all.
          Like a hypnosis hangover. One-time
          deal, don't worry about it.

          MAGGIE
          Well, if anything like this happens
          again, we should go talk to Elizabeth.

          TOM
          Maggie...

          MAGGIE
          Promise me.

          TOM
          I promise.

          CUT TO:

          

          

          

          

          EXT HOUSE DAY
          There's a pickup football game in the street, a half a dozen
          sixteen and seventeen year olds timing their plays to coincide
          with the red lights.
          Tom gets into a pickup truck with a phone compaty logo on the
          door, starts it up, and pulls forward to the neat house. He
          hits the horn. While he waits, he turns and loo--s back up at
          the front of his own house.

          HE REMEMBERS
          one of the images that blasted through his mind last night.
          It's his own house, on a wintry day. A man in an overcoat is
          standing on the porch, waving an arm in a friendly way --
          "C'mon in." But the image is silent, slow and eerie. We move
          slowly toward the porch, toward the man in the overcoat.

          BACK IN THE PICKUP,
          Tom turns slowly away from his house, just as

          THE FOOTBALL
          BANGS off his windshield, nearly breaking it. TWO BODIES
          hurtle through the air and land on his hood with a loud metal

          CLANG.
          Tom jumps a foot. He gets out of the car. ADAM McCARTHY,
          seventeen, climbs off the hood, embarrassed.

          TOM
          Jesus, you guys scared the shit out of
          me!
          The kid with Adam doesn't seem embarrassed, he just reaches
          for the football. Tom beats him to it.
          TOM (cont' d)
          You gotta play right here in the
          middle of the street?
          Frank is out of his house now, approaching the truck. He
          wears the same uniform shirt as Tom, carries a tool belt over
          his shoulder.

          FRANK
          Lighten up, Tommy, you sound like your
          own grandfather .

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          25. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          (looking at his hood)
          Aw man, it's dented. This ain't even
          my truck. They're gonna dock me for
          this.

          FRANK
          That'll pop right out. Use one of
          them plunger things. Adam, say you're
          sorry.

          ADAM
          I'm really sorry, Mr. Witzky.

          FRANK
          There you go, he said he's sorry,
          whaddya want from a kid. Let's go.
          Frank gets in the truck. The other football players walk
          toward Tom, calling for the ball. KURT DAMON, a great-looking
          seventeen year old, stares pointedly at the ball in Tom's
          hand. Tom looks at him.

          TOM
          Hell of an arm ya got there.
          Kurt smiles and shrugs. Tom tosses the ball back to him.
          Kurt turns and catches it behind his back as he walks away.

          IN THE TRUCK,
          Tom gets back in and closes the door.

          FRANK
          That Damon kid, he's gonna break your
          old passing records this Friday.

          TOM
          Bound to happen some time.

          FRANK
          Comin' to the game?

          TOM
          (starts the car)
          Yeah, I'm comin', I'm comin'
          HARRY (o.s.)
          Hey, Tom!
          Tom turns. Harry Damon, the guy from across the street, is
          headed toward him. But Tom notices something behind Harry. A
          police car has turned onto the block and is rolling to a stop.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          26. 

          CONTINUED:
          The UNIFORMED COP behind the wheel is staring out the window,
          looking right at Tom.
          Harry comes up to the open window and starts talking, but Tom
          is looking past him, at the Cop, who has stopped now.
          HARRY (cont' d)
          Thought I'd stop by and pick up the
          rent. Save you the trip across the
          street.

          TOM
          It's still two days yet, isn't it?
          Tom looks more closely at the Cop. He realizes the Cop isn't
          looking at him, he's looking past him, toward Tom's house.

          HARRY
          Yeah, just thought you'd want to get
          it out of your hair.

          TOM

          (DISTRACTED)
          Well, my checkbook's inside.

          HARRY
          I can wait. Hey, Frank, some game we
          picked to miss last night, huh? How
          many yards Adam end up with?
          Tom turns in his seat, following the Cop's line of vision.

          FRANK
          Two hundred eleven and two touchdowns.
          Harry lets out a low whistle. Tom sees what the Cop is
          looking at so intently -- it's Jake, who's playing on the
          sidewalk in front of their house while Maggie watches. Tom
          turns back, but as he does the police car is just pulling
          away.

          CUT TO:

          INT SIGNAL DIVISION DAY
          The signal division of the local phone company has a large
          main floor. A twenty-foot wall on one side of the room shows
          a forest of jagged, blinking lines.

          IN THE TOWERS,
          Tom is wedged between giant walls of circuit boards. He pulls
          a red circuit clip from his belt and picks a line at random.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          27. 

          CONTINUED:
          He pulls up the test handset unit that hangs from'his belt and
          listens, hoping from a dial tone. Instead, he cuts in on a

          WOMAN'S VOICE.
          VOICE (o.s.)
          (on phone line)
          -which was okay, I guess, but then he
          told me he loves me, and it was just
          like, oh my God, can you please make
          yourself any less attractive?
          Tom pulls off the clip and picks another line. Now it's a

          SNEAKY MAN'S VOICE.
          VOICE (o.s.)
          -unless they find out we already
          locked in with Cooper at eighty, so
          it's imperative we lead them to
          believe we're honestly trying to-,
          Tom clips to another line. It's a SEXY WOMAN'S VOICE.
          VOICE (o.s.)
          -start at my lips and lick your way
          all the way down to my-
          Tom starts to unclip, then hesitates, only human. The voice
          abruptly changes.
          VOICE (coast' d)
          Hey, did somebody pick up on your end?
          Is your wife there?
          Tom unclips and picks another line. He gets a dial tone. He
          enters a number on his headset. A SLEEPY VOICE answers.

          TOM
          Phil, it's Tom. Is there anything
          else important you said to me last
          night, while I was under?

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT DAY
          Philip (Maggie'a brother) is still in bed in his apartment.
          It's a smallish place, one wall is all windows with a lovely
          view of a factory, its stacks belching black smoke into the
          air. Philip's hung over. He holds the phone like he resents
          it.

          PHILIP
          What time is it?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          28. 

          CONTINUED:
          TOM (o.a.)
          Quarter after eight. What are you,
          still in bed?

          PHILIP
          Quarter after eight? Jesus, Tom, this
          is barbaric.

          (INTERCUT)

          TOM
          Other than the shoe thing, what else
          did you say to me?

          PHILIP
          Hang on, lemme, I gotta get my
          bearings here... Who is this again?

          TOM
          Phil, I gotta get back to work, was
          there anything else you told me to do
          after I came out of it?

          PHILIP
          If you're asking if I gave you a post-

          HYP-

          TOM
          Post-hypnotic suggestion, I know what
          it's called, Phil. Did you leave any
          others behind when you were kickin'
          your big, clumsy-ass feet around
          inside my brain?

          PHILIP
          No.

          TOM
          Tell me the truth, Phil!

          PHILIP
          No, I swear! I went out of my way not
          to, I even added a thing at the end to
          make sure!

          TOM
          What thing?

          PHILIP
          I, I didn't want you to retain any of
          the experience, you know, I wanted you
          to have control back, so I made up
          this thing.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           29. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM
          What thing?

          PHILIP
          God, I don't remember, I haven't had
          caffeine in almost eighteen hours, how
          am I supposed to-

          TOM
          In general, what was it?

          PHILIP
          Well, it was perfectly harmless, I
          just said, uh, I said "When you come
          out from under, your mind will be
          completely free. There's nothing
          binding it. Nothing holding it back.
          You will be completely open."
          Tom stops, thinking for a long moment.

          TOM
          Yeah, I'd say that about describes it.

          PHILIP
          Describes what?

          TOM
          Never mind, it's gone now. I gotta
          go.

          PHILIP
          Describes what?
          But Tom has hung up. Philip unplugs the phone and goes back
          to sleep.

          CUT TO:

          INT KITCHEN DAY
          Jake sits at the kitchen table in his pajamas, eating a bowl
          of cereal. Maggie, in work clothes, is walking back and forth
          behind him, talking on the phone, finishing her makeup,
          drinking coffee, and doing the dishes.
          MAGGIE (o . s . )
          Hi, Adriana, it's Maggie. Listen, our
          baby-sitter just backed out on us for
          next Friday night --
          Jake turns and looks at the empty chair next to him. He
          smiles at it. Then he giggles. He covers his mouth.

          (CONTINUED)

          - -

          

          

          

          

          30. 

          CONTINUED:
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          -- and there's this game Tom and I
          really wanted to go to and I was
          wondering if...

          JAKE
          (to the chair)
          I told him.
          MAGGIE (o.s.)
          (into phone)
          Oh. Yeah, I understand. No, no, no,
          don't worry about it. Okay. Bye.
          (hangs up)
          Shit. Shoot. Shoot, I mean.
          She picks up the phone and dials again. With all she's doing,
          she doesn't notice that Jake is having a conversation with the
          empty chair.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          (into phone)
          Philip, hi, it's me, call me when you
          wake up, is there any way --

          JAKE
          Yes.

          MAGGIE
          -- you'd consider dumping whatever
          bimbo you're going out with Friday
          night and baby-sitting for us instead?

          JAKE
          Who?

          MAGGIE
          I'd call mom, but it's a long drive
          for her and she's not feeling very
          well again, so... call me as soon as
          you can, and no, I'm not kidding.
          (hangs up)

          JAKE
          Okay.

          MAGGIE
          Well, that'll happen in about a
          million years.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           31. 

          CONTINUED : (2)

          JAKE
          (to Maggie)
          Call Vanessa and ask her about
          Dorothy.
          i'aggie stops, looking at him. Jake is calmly eating his
          câ¢.real. She looks at her watch.

          MAGGIE
          Good idea.
          She picks up the phone and dials a number. Jake just keeps
          eating. Behind him:
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Hi, Vanessa, it's Maggie. What's your
          baby-sitter's name again, Dorothy?
          Are you gonna use her Friday night?
          Really? Would you mind if I asked her
          to sit for us, just this once? Oh,
          great, thank you so much, you saved my
          life. What's her number? Uh huh, uh
          huh. Great, thanks again. Okay.
          She hangs up and finishes her make-up in her reflection in the
          toaster.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          When did you ever meet Dorothy, Jake?

          JAKE
          Samantha told me.

          MAGGIE
          (didn't hear that)
          Oh, I bet you saw her when you were
          over playing with Jessica the other
          day, right? She was there then?
          Jake turns to the empty chair on his left. He looks at it for
          a moment, then turns back to Maggie.

          JAKE
          Yes. That's when I met her.
          He goes back to eating his cereal.
          A DOORBELL rings.

          CUT TO;

          

          

          

          

          32.

          03/26/!

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
           Friday night. Tom
           the porch, about fif answers the front door. A GIRL stands on
           teen years old, heavyish wearing a ti , ht
           pair -3f blue jean s an d a brown leather j
          neck. A dull zipped u to g the
          strea1. of butt yellow ribbon runs through a her Chair likepa
           er.

          DOROTHY
           I'm Dorothy. Muller.
           Tom Witzky.TOM
          She shakes his hand limply and steps
           inside, just to the side
          of the door, looking down.
          Tom stares at her,
           longer than is Maggie comes
          forward with the baby
           Y monitor and takes ove r, leading Dorothy
          into the room.

           MAGGIE
          Hi,
           Dorothy, thanks for coming,
          remem ber me? I'm Maggie, we met over
           at Vanessa's once or twice. Okay,
           Jake's asleep already and he hardly
          ever wakes up, a band
          could play in
           his room and he wouldn 't hear it, so

           YOU
           Shouldn't have any trouble with
           him a t all. His room is right
           up at
           the top of the.
           As she goes on, showing Dorothy aroundexplaining where they'll be se and
           where he is, staring. and so forththe , Tom stands rooted
           At Doroth yâ¢ A strange BUZZING sound
          grows in his ears. He just watchest
           , h leads
           back into the living w room, showing nhers
          remotes work , that thesTV the
           sort of thing.
          sneaks a look up at Tom, then g. Feeling his stare, Dorothy
          staring down quickly averts her gaze again,
           at the carpet, Th e buzzing fades.
           dj ,
           no later tï¿½nGmidnioht' q if that s
           okay with you.

           DOROTHY
           It's okay.

           MAGGIE
           Great! Let me just grab my coat
           we' re out of here. and

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           33. 

          CONTINUED:
          She runs upstairs. Tom is still
           standing where he was.
          Dorothy sits on
           the sofa, hands in the pockets of her jacket,
          which is still zi pped up to the neck.

          TOM
          'Whir don't you, uh... why don't you
          mak%- yourself comfortable. Take off
          your coat.
          Without looking at him,
          Dorothy obediently unzips her jacket
          and takes it off. Her b reasts are fuller than one would
          expect at her age. She l ooks up at Tom, and now there's
          defiance in her eyes. Wh at are you lookin' at?
           TOM (cont' d)
           Excuse me.
           He goes upstairs.

          INT BATHROOM NIGHT
           In the bathroom, Tom drinks
           a glass of water quickly, then
           shakes three or four Advil in to his palm. In the mirror, he
           notices Maggie, staring at him from the doorway.

          TOM
          Where did you find Dorothy?

          MAGGIE
          Vanessa recommended her. She's used
          her before, she said she's real
          reliable.
          Tom nods.
          (cont' d)
          Are you...
          She's looking at the Advil. He smiles, faking it.

          TOM
          Too much caffeine, that's all.
          He pops them in his mouth and swallows them dry.
          TOM (cont'd)
          Let's qo,

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
           Tom and Maggie step
           back into the living room and head for the
           front door. The mom ent Tom lays eyes on Dorothy, the BUZZING
           sound returns, loude r this time.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          34. 

          CONTINUED:
          It drowns out Maggie's voice as she gives Dorothy last minute
          instructions and says goodbye.
          Tom reaches the open doorway and glances back inside. Dorothy
          is looking at him as he swings the door shut.
          EXT FRONT PORCH NIf :HT
          The buzzing stops the momen% the door is shut. Tom and Maggie
          go down the steps. Tom lookz back over his shoulder, at the
          house, in time to see Dorothy's face, peering out between the
          blinds at them.
          She releases the blinds and they snap back into place.

          CUT TO:

          BUSY STREET NIGHT
          Tom and Maggie walk down a crowded sidewalk with Frank and
          Sheila, from next door.

          FRANK
          (to Tom)
          Don't get me wrong, it's great what
          the Damon kid is doin' and everything,
          I mean, I'm sorry your record's
          gettin' broke, but, what, it held up
          almost ten years?
          Tom is terribly distracted, looking back over his shoulder,
          still plagued with a headache.

          TOM
          Yeah, `bout that.
          They round a corner. Just ahead, a high school football field
          is surrounded by bright lights, mobbed with STUDENTS and
          PARENTS. A BAND plays on the field, it's just about time for
          kickoff.

          FRANK
          (raising his voice over the

          CROWD)
          So you got that, that's great. What
          I'm sayin', though, is this year it's
          all Kurt Damon this and Kurt Damon
          that, and yeah, the kid has an arm,
          but high school football is running
          the ball -- smash-mouth, in-your-face,
          power football. Always been that way.
          Tom glances up at a mercury-vapor streetlight as they pass
          under it.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          35. 

          CONTINUED:
          The same BUZZING sound, the one he heard when he first looked
          at Dorothy, comes back now, seeming to come from the street
          light. Tom shakes it off.
          FRANK (cost' d)
          Now Adam, and I admit, L am biased,
          but my kid is having ona hell of a
          season and it's like nol.-)dy noticed.
          If they'd just give him he carries he
          could break a thousand yards. And on
          an eight game schedule!
          He pulls out a pint bottle of schnapps and has a bump, offers
          one to Tom, who declines. A SEXY TEENAGE GIRL walks past.
          Frank notices. Carefully.

          BEHIND THEM,
          Sheila and Maggie walk together. Sheila stares at Frank as he
          ogles the teenager.

          SHEILA
          Look at him. Why doesn't he just lick
          them when they walk by?

          MAGGIE

          (LAUGHS)
          According to Tom, the average guy
          carries around a hard-on two and a
          half hours out of every day. What are
          you gonna do?

          SHEILA

          (DARKLY)
          I've got a few ideas.
          A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN walks past and Frank gives her the big
          crank-around.
          SHEILA (cont' d)
          Look at that! He's not even picky. I
          swear to God, that man will stick it
          in a bowl of soup if it's still warm..
          Maggie notices Tom, up ahead, with a hand to his temple. She
          catches up.

          MAGGIE
          Are you okay?
          He forces a smile. They head into a crowded tunnel that leads
          into the stadium.

          

          

          

          

          36. 

          IN THE TUNNEL,
          Frank raises his voice still higher. It becomes a horrible
          drone to Tom.

          FRANK
          Six eighty-three with three game.-
          left, he only needs to average, ti.iat,
          a hundred and five, hundred and six
          yards a game? He hits a thousand and
          we're talkin' major scholarships, the
          kid could write his own ticket. That
          kinda thing's good for everybody,
          helps the whole neighborhood. He's
          goin' a hell of a lot farther than I
          ever did. Look at the quality of the
          tail he's already gettin'. He passed
          me in that department when he was
          about fourteen.
          He passes Tom the bottle. This time, he takes a swig.

          EXT FOOTBALL FIELD NIGHT
          They come through the tunnel and into the stands. Below, the
          field is brightly lit. Frank's voice is, thankfully, drowned
          out by the enthusiasm of the crowd.
          They make their way to the first open seats in the bleachers
          and sit down. The crowd is delirious with anticipation, and a
          bit loaded -- there's a lot of schnapps in that crowd, and
          beers snuck in here and there. And that's the grown-ups.

          ON THE FIELD,
          the visitors kick off.

          IN THE STANDS,
          the crowd ROARS. Tom tries to concentrate on the game, but
          he's totally distracted. He looks to the right, drawn by a
          flash of light.
          A car is pulling into the parking lot at the end of the field
          with its high beams on. Tom stares at the lights. The
          BUZZING sound comes back, louder the longer he stares.
          The crowd ROARS its approval of something. Tom turns back,
          tries to follow the game. He wipes sweat from his forehead.
          Maggie is staring at him. She takes his hand and leans over,
          SHOUTING into his ear.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          37. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE

          WHAT'S WRONG?
          As Tom turns to her, his eye is drawn by something just over
          her head.
          A GIANT LIGHT STANCHION towers over them. When Tom s\ares
          directly into the dozen large globes, the BUZZING souni
          overwhelms him, nearly deafening. His hands shoot up to his
          ears --
          -- and he leaps to his feet.

          TOM
          Sf"S TAXING BIM AWWAY!

          MAGGIE

          WHAT?!
          Tom fights his way out of the row, climbing right over people.
          They SHOUT their objections.

          INT TUNNEL NIGHT
          Tom races down the now-empty tunnel. A light shines at the
          far end, BUZZING madly. A few seconds later, Maggie starts
          into the tunnel.

          MAGGIE
          Tom, wait!

          EXT BUSY STREET NIGHT
          Tom bursts out onto the busy sidewalk, threading his way
          between PEOPLE and cars as fast as he can. Maggie follows a
          few moments later.

          EXT OUR BLOCK NIGHT
          Tom races around the corner and onto his block. He bolts
          across the street, forcing a car to lock `em up at the last
          second. The Driver SHOUTS: Tom keeps running.
          He reaches the sidewalk just in front of his house and stops
          in his tracks, staring at the house, wild-eyed.
          All the lights are off.

          TOM
          Oh, no.
          He bounds up the steps and tries the door. It's locked. He
          fumbles in his pockets for the keys.

          

          

          

          

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom unlocks the door and bursts inside.

          TOM
          Jake?!
          No answer. He races up the stairs.

          INT JAKE'S ROOM NIGHT
          Tom SMACKS open the door to Jake's room and flicks on the
          lights. In Jake's bed, the covers are pulled back, the sheets
          are rumpled.
          But Jake Js gone.
          Tom races out. Still staring at that empty bed, we can hear
          other doors in the house being thrown open, lights being
          switched on, and Tom's outraged voice calling out for his son.

          EXT STREET NIGHT
          Maggie comes hurrying up the steps of the porch just as the
          front door flies open.

          MAGGIE
          What the hell is the-

          TOM
          She took him.

          MAGGIE
          What?!

          TOM

          SHE TOOK HIM, HE'S NOT THERE, SHE TOOK

          HIM SOMEPLACE!

          MAGGIE
          Oh, my God!
          She bounds up the steps, calling out for Jake.

          TOM
          She can't be that far!
          He runs to the corner, desperate, and looks up and down the
          street in both directions. There are a lot of people out, she
          could be anywhere.

          

          

          

          

          39. 

          CONTINUED:
          He turns, looks up and down the side street. Nothing in the
          first direction, but when he looks the other way, he hears a
          faint BUZZING sound in the distance. He doesn't hesitate,
          just takes off toward it.

          TWO BLOCKS AHEAD,
          Tom is running as hard as he can. He stops, abruptly. The
          buzzing sound is gone. He looks to his right. Behind a wall,
          there is a large parking lot filled with buses.
          He turns around. A dull white glow comes from the windows of
          the place on the corner. He looks up, at the sign.
          It's a Greyhound bus station.
          Tom hurries back toward it, reaching the door just as Maggie
          comes running up from the opposite direction.

          TOM
          Wait right here, keep your eyes open!
          He opens the door and goes inside.

          INT BUS STATION NIGHT
          Tom steps into the station, still breathing hard. The BUZZING
          sound returns. But from where? Is it in his mind this time,
          or really here, in the bus station?
          The place is empty except for one person, sitting on a wooden
          bench with their back to him, near the departure doors. Tom
          walks slowly across the place to the figure. It's Dorothy.
          As he draws closer, he sees Jake's face, over Dorothy's
          shoulder. Jake's eyes are open, and he's staring up at the
          ceiling.
          Tom follows his son's gaze. Jake is staring up at the lights,
          the old-style fluorescent tubes that give the place its
          cancerous look. The tubes BUZZ loudly. It's the sound Tom's
          been hearing.
          Jake sees his father and smiles. Tom puts a finger to his
          lips -- "Shhhh." Jake yawns, closes his eyes, and drops his
          head onto Dorothy's shoulder. He goes back to sleep.
          Tom walks slowly around the end of the bench. Dorothy is
          SINGING softly, an old nursery rhyme.
          She looks up suddenly and sees Tom. She starts to jerk to her
          feet. Tom puts a hand out -- take it easy. Dorothy sits
          back, caught. Tom steps closer to her, carefully. He holds
          both his hands out, palms up.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          40. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          Give him to me.
          She shakes her head no. Outside, a SIREN WHINES and a police
          car flashes past the window, its red lights spinning. They
          both hear it and glance over, then look back at each other.
          Tom raises an eyebrow. She knows what he means.
          TOM (cont'd)
          Give him to me, Dorothy.
          Trembling, Dorothy reaches out, Jake in her arms. Tom gently
          takes the boy from her and holds him tight.
          The front door flies open and Maggie races inside. Tom gives
          Jake over to her.

          JAKE
          (half asleep)
          Oh, hi, Mommy.
          She's relieved, but livid.

          MAGGIE
          (to Dorothy)
          What the hell is the matter with you?!
          Dorothy jumps to her feet and races through the door that
          leads to the back, where the buses leave from.

          TOM
          (to Maggie)
          Take him home! I'll be there as soon
          as I can!
          He runs after Dorothy.

          EXT PARKING LOT NIGHT
          Dorothy races out of the bus station and into the forest of
          parked buses. Tom comes out a few seconds later, giving
          chase.
          Dorothy cuts between two parked buses --
          -- and is nearly hit by a third that's just arriving. Its
          horn BLARES as she trips and falls to the ground, the bus just
          missing as it ROARS past her.
          Tom reaches her. Dorothy writhes on the ground, sobbing,
          raking her hands through the gravel, hysterical.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          Sit up. Sit up, I want to talk to
          you.
          She manages to drag herself into a sitting position. She
          shoves back, against the wheel of a bus. Beyond them, the bus
          that nearly hit her stops on the far side of the lot.
          Dorothy is quivering, still crying. Tom squats in front of
          her, a few feet away.
          TOM (cant' d)
          Why were you taking my son?

          DOROTHY
          Go away.

          TOM
          Do you want me to call the police?
          (shakes her head no)
          Then tell me why you took him.

          DOROTHY
          He isn't safe in your house.

          TOM
          Why do you say that?

          DOROTHY
          He told me! He told me so!
          The DRIVER of the bus that nearly hit her is out of his bus
          now. He SHOUTS at them from the other side of the lot.

          TOM
          Jake said that?
          (she nods)
          What else did he say?

          DOROTHY
          Nothing. I was sitting there, I was
          watching him sleep, I was just
          watching him, like I'm supposed to,
          and... and he sat up in bed, he looked
          right at me, and he said "I'm not safe
          in this house." Two times, he said
          it, and then he went back to sleep.

          TOM
          Where were you taking him?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           42. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          DOROTHY
          California. To my father's house. My
          real father, not --
          (like poison on her tongue)
          -- Duane. Jake would be safe at my
          father's house, we'd both be safe
          there.

          TOM
          You too?
          (she nods)
          Why aren't you safe here?
          She doesn't answer. The Driver is coming over to them, still

          SHOUTING.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Dorothy? Dorothy, why aren't you safe
          here?
          The Driver is still closer. Frightened, Dorothy gets up, to
          run again. Tom grabs her.
          TOM (coat' d)
          Hey, wait a sec-
          As his hands close around her arms --

          AN IMAGE
          flashes through his mind. A MAN'S FACE, sweaty and unshaven,
          leers over us, too close.

          IN THE PARKING LOT,
          Tom abruptly pulls back from Dorothy. He is enraged.

          TOM
          Who is he?!
          She just looks at him, frightened. He shakes her, violently.
          TOM (cont' d)

          WHO IS HE?!

          CUT TO:

          INT DOROTHY'S HOUSE NIGHT
          DUANE, fortyish, slouches on a sofa, watching Moe hit Curly
          with a rake. Duane's drinking bourbon. In his defense, he is
          using a glass. Duane's face is the one Tom just saw in the
          image in his mind.

          (CONTINUED)
          d16 - - ï¿½ --- .. - - A86i -

          

          

          

          

          43. 

          CONTINUED:
          Duane hears the front door open and close.

          DUANE
          You're early. Your mom's still at
          work. Hey, do you know if she bought
          any more who the fuck are you?
          Tom is storming across the room toward him.
          DUANE (cant' d)
          Hey hey hey hey HEY!
          Tom already has Duane by the collar. He wrenches him to his
          feet.
          DUANE (cont' d)

          WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE

          DOIN'?!

          TOM
          Are you Duane?

          DUANE
          Who?! I don't even know who you're-
          Duane looks over Tom's shoulder. Dorothy is standing in the
          doorway, frightened.
          DUANE (cont' d)
          Dorothy, who the fuck is this guy?!
          Tom hurls Duane across the coffee table, knocking over Duane's
          bong. Duane hits the floor hard. He starts fumbling in his
          pocket, but Tom is on him, ripping him to his feet again.

          TOM
          She's a little girl, you son of a
          bitch! She' s fifteen years old, and
          you fucked her!? What the hell is the
          matter with you?! YOU DON'T DO SHIT

          LIKE THAT TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DEFEND

          THEMSELVES!

          DUANE
          Look, man, I don't know who you are or
          what she told you, but-
          Tom hurls Duane across the room. He SMASHES into a bookcase,
          breaking the glass shelves and knocking a bunch of pictures
          and knickknacks to the ground. Duane SCREAMS, tries to roll
          away to escape Tom, but Tom picks him up by the back of his
          collar and his belt, like a dog.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           44. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM

          GET OUT!
          He hurls Duane toward the stairs. Duane CRUNCHES down hard.
          Before he can get up, Tom hauls him to his feet and hurls him
          furthe: up. He's kicking Duane's ass up the stairs.
          At the +,)ttom, Dorothy watches, her hands over her mouth.
          She's thrilled.

          AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS,
          Duane lands, a few feet ahead of Tom. This time he's got a
          second or two, and he manages to dig the butterfly knife he
          was groping for out of his pocket.
          He whips it around, opening it, but Tom is fast and crazy with
          rage, he just grabs the thing by the blade and rips it away
          from Duane. Blood flows over Tom's knuckles as he tightens
          his grip on the knife. He twists it around, holding it by the
          butt. There's madness in Tom's eyes.

          TOM
          (wielding the knife)
          You got ten minutes. Pack your shit.
          You don't leave a note, you don't try
          to call, and if you ever, ever come
          back here again, I'll know, I'll find
          you, and I'll stick this so far into
          you they'll never get it out. You got
          it?
          Duane nods, terrified.

          DOWN IN THE LIVING ROOM,
          Dorothy sits on her hands at the edge of the sofa, waiting
          nervously. Tom comes down the stairs. He folds the knife,
          uncertainly, never handled one of these things before. He
          shoves it in his pocket.

          TOM
          I'll stay until he's gone.
          Upstairs, dresser drawers SLAM, Duane CURSES. He's packing.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Shouldn't be long.

          DOROTHY
          You're bleeding.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          45. 

          CONTINUED:
          She hurries into the kitchen. Tom looks around, at the mess
          he's made. He's embarrassed, frightened by his own rage.
          Dorothy comes back with a dish towel. She takes Tom's hand,
          wipes the blood away and wraps the towel around it.
          DOROTHY (cont' d)
          Than : you.
          He starts to pick up the things that were knocked off the
          bookcase.

          TOM
          Tell your mother I'll pay for this.

          DOROTHY
          It's okay.
          He picks up a framed photograph. Broken glass falls out of
          the frame as he turns it over. Tom freezes.
          DOROTHY (cont'd)
          What's the matter?
          Tom just stares at the picture.
          DOROTHY (cont' d)
          What?
          Tom turns the picture around to show Dorothy. The woman in
          the picture is about eighteen or nineteen, bears a faint
          resemblance to Dorothy --
          -- and is the same woman he saw in his living room.
          DOROTHY (coast' d)
          Yeah?

          TOM
          Who is this woman?

          DOROTHY
          My sister.

          TOM
          Did she have a black dress, kind of a
          diamond pattern on it?

          DOROTHY
          Yeah.

          

          

          

          

           46. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM
          She wore a lot of bracelets, those
          thick ones, different colors, all up
          and down her arms?

          DOROTHY
          Yeah, all t2;+ time, she probably still
          does. How d., you know that?
          Upstairs, there is a tremendous SLAM as a closet door closes
          and Duane SHOUTS.
           DUANE (o.s.)

          CRAZY MOTHERFUCKERS IN A CRAZY FUCKING

          HOUSE!

          TOM
          Where is she?

          DOROTHY
          I don't know.

          TOM
          Can I talk to her?

          DOROTHY
          No.

          TOM
          Why not?

          DOROTHY
          She ran away. About six months ago.

          TOM
          Where did she go?

          DOROTHY
          I don't know! She don't write or
          nothin'.
          Tom looks down at the photograph again.

          TOM
          What's your sister's name, Dorothy?

          DOROTHY
          Samantha.

          CUT TO:

          

          

          

          
          INT TOM i MAGGIE'S HOUSE NIGHT
          The red light glows on the baby monitor, and Jake's breathing
          can be heard from in his bedroom. Tom and Maggie sit on the
          couch in their living room, the nonitor beside them, just one
          light on. He has his arms arounc' her, holding her tight. His
          hand is bandaged. They're shaker..

          MAGGIE
          Samantha?

          TOM
          That's what she said.

          MAGGIE
          Where have I heard that name before?

          TOM
          Dorothy said she ran away about six
          months ago.

          MAGGIE
          But she could still be around! Hiding
          or something. I mean, she could have
          actually been here when you saw her!

          TOM
          If she was, she's very quick getting
          in and out of a room.

          MAGGIE
          Where was she? When you saw her,
          where was she exactly?

          TOM
          On the cushion right next to you.
          Maggie looks down at the empty half of the couch, freaked out.
          She pulls in closer to him.

          MAGGIE
          What was it like? At the game, I
          mean, how did you know about Jake?
          Did you see anything?

          TOM
          It's hard to explain. I just got this
          -- feeling.

          MAGGIE
          Like when I was drowning?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          48. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          A little bit. But a hundred times
          stronger.

          MAGGIE
          Does it hurt when it happens?

          TOM
          Like you wouldn't believe. Fecls like
          my brain is tearing in half.

          MAGGIE
          God, Tommy, what's the matter with
          you?

          TOM
          Why do you assume it's bad? Maybe
          this is a good thing.

          MAGGIE
          If your brain is tearing in half?

          TOM
          I told you there was somethin' in me.
          Maybe it's comin' out.

          MAGGIE
          I like it better in.

          TOM
          Just roll with it. What's the worst
          that can happen?

          MAGGIE
          You'll go insane. Kill yourself.
          Kill me and Jake first.

          TOM
          Well, yeah, that...

          MAGGIE
          I want you to go see my cousin
          Elizabeth. Make sure there's nothing
          wrong. Just tell her about the
          headaches, that's all she needs to
          know, you don't have to bring up the
          other stuff.
          Suddenly, he smiles.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           49. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM
          Hey, know what?
          (she looks at him)
          It is a girl.
          She furrows her brow, "how do you know?", then follows his
          gaze down to her belly, where his hand is resting.

          L UT TO :

          INT HOSPITAL CORRIDOR DAY
          Tom, dressed in a patient's gown, walks down a hospital
          corridor with DR. ELIZABETH NOONAN, fortyish. Elizabeth makes
          notes on a clipboard, walking and talking fast, all business.
          Elizabeth does not have the human touch.

          ELIZABETH
          Do you have any metal plates in your
          skull?

          TOM

          ELIZABETH

          TOM

          ELIZABETH
          Any shrapnel lodged anywhere in your
          body?

          TOM
          No.

          ELIZABETH
          No cardiac pacemaker, I assume -- iron
          filings near your eyes?

          TOM
          Huh?

          ELIZABETH
          You don't work with sheet metal, do
          you?

          TOM
          No.

          ELIZABETH
          Left here.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          50. 

          CONTINUED:
          They turn down another corridor.
          ELIZABETH (cont' d)
          Do you have an inner ear transplant?

          TOM
          No.

          ELIZABETH
          Aneurism clips in your brain?

          TOM
          No thanks.

          ELIZABETH
          Do you suffer from claustrophobia?

          TOM
          Only in, like, really small spaces.
          (she looks at him, straight

          FACED)
          You have a great sense of humor.

          ELIZABETH
          Right, then jog left.
          They do.

          TOM
          Do we really gotta do this?

          ELIZABETH
          You've had no head trauma, no serious
          viral infections you can recall, you
          haven't been out of the country,
          you're not a drug user, you have no
          history of migraines... I suppose I
          could open up your skull in the
          operating room and then decide what to
          do, but I'd rather take a few pictures
          first, wouldn't you?
          She pushes through a set of double doors.

          INT MRI ROOM DAY
          The MRI machine is a long tunnel with a body slab sticking out
          obscenely, like a tongue. TWO NURSES stand on either side of
          it. One wall of the room is glass, behind the glass are the
          TECHNICIANS -- and Maggie, who waves supportively.
          Tom swallows.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          51. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          How's it work?
          Elizabeth goes to a computer terminal and types in some
          commands.

          ELIZABETH
          It creates an electromagnetic field
          thirty thousand times stronger than
          the earth's. That stimulates your
          brain's protons to align themselves.
          Then we shoot radio waves into you,
          which knocks the protons out of
          alignment. They then realign
          themselves, sending out radio signals
          we record on the scanner. The
          computer reads the signals and makes a
          series of detailed cross-sections of
          the layers of tissue.
          Tom looks at the machine, then back at her.

          TOM
          Can I have another Valium?

          A FEW MINUTES LATER,
          Tom lies down on the "tongue." The Nurses wrap sheets around
          his arms and tuck them in under his body, immobilizing them.
          He looks at one of them questioningly.

          NURSE
          So your arms don't touch the sides of
          the machine.

          TOM
          That would be bad?
          She smiles and nods. The other Nurse puts a white cloth over
          his hair.

          NURSE 2
          Your party hat.
          He tries to smile, but he is unnerved. Elizabeth leans in,
          staring down at Tom.

          ELIZABETH
          It's so nice you and Maggie finally
          came to see me at work.

          

          

          

          

          IN THE CONTROL ROOM,
          a Technician hits a series of switches.

          IN THE MRI ROOM,
          the tongue starts to move, sliding into the tunnel. Tom lies
          still, staring upward as he is pulled inside, like a corpse in
          a drawer sliding back into the wall of the morgue.

          INSIDE THE MACHINE,
          it's only about two feet across, and less from top to bottom.
          Tom blinks, staring up at the ceiling as the tongue comes to a
          stop. It's incredibly claustrophobic.

          TOM
          Kinda hot in the coffin.
          ELIZABETH'S VOICE comes blaring out of speakers mounted on
          either side of the tunnel.

          ELIZABETH

          YES, IT USUALLY IS AT FIRST, BUT IT

          COOLS DOWN ONCE THE HAMMERS START

          MOVING.

          TOM
          Yo, hey, hey, woah, I'm right here.
          Can you turn it down a little bit?

          ELIZABETH

          NO, YOU'LL WANT IT LOUD. WE'RE

          STARTING NOW.

          IN THE CONTROL ROOM,
          Elizabeth leans back from a microphone and turns to a
          Technician.

          ELIZABETH
          Go ahead.
          The Technician enters some commands on a keyboard.

          IN THE MRI ROOM,
          the giant "hammers" that are contained in the cylinders that
          surround the tunnel start to move, slowly at first.

          IN THE CONTROL ROOM,
          Elizabeth turns to Maggie.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          53. 

          CONTINUED:

          ELIZABETH
          Did he bring any music?

          MAGGIE
          Yeah, right here.
          She hands him a cassette. Elizabeth puts it into a tape deck
          and pushes "play."

          IN THE MRI ROOM,
          the hammers pick up speed, and these things move. It gets
          noisy fast.

          IN THE TUNNEL,
          Tom's eyes widen. The hammers whip faster. Their POUNDING is
          tremendous. Tom's music starts playing from the speakers.
          It's The Doors, "People Are Strange."
          The hammers whip faster. Elizabeth was right, it's good the
          music is loud, because the sound coming from the hammers is
          deafening, like gunshots going off all around his head.

          ELIZABETH

          TRY TO RELAX. THIS'LL ONLY TAKE AN

          HOUR OR SO.
          Tom, in spite of himself, bursts out laughing.

          IN THE CONTROL ROOM,
          they can hear the thundering hammers, the blaring music, and
          above it all, Tom's crazy kind of laughter.
          Elizabeth looks at Maggie.

          CUT TO:

          INT CONTROL ROOM DAY
          Three electronic screens, two red and one whitish-blue,
          display various cross-sections of Tom's brain. Graphs and
          columns of numbers are listed alongside.

          ELIZABETH
          No tumors, no growths, no scars or
          lesions, no intrusions or damaged
          tissue of any kind. Except for one
          tiny abnormality, your brain anatomy
          is textbook. Physically, anyway.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          54. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE
          What abnormality?

          ELIZABETH
          Well, it's so insignificant it's
          hardly worth mentioning.
          She leans forward to one of the screens and points to a spot
          on a cross-section.
          ELIZABETH (cont' d)
          It's the parietal lobe. Here.
          There's a slight distension, just the
          tiniest bulge here in the arc of the
          crescent. That's uncommon.

          MAGGIE
          How uncommon?

          ELIZABETH
          One in a half million, maybe, it
          doesn't really have a name. But it
          isn't consequential. Wouldn't have
          any effect on cognitive processes.

          TOM
          Great. There's nothing wrong with me,
          I gotta get back to work.
          (stands and shakes hands)
          Thank you for everything, Elizabeth, I
          owe you a giant one, hey, you think I
          can get some of that Valium to go?
          Elizabeth scowls at him.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Worth a try. Take care, say hi to
          Michael.
          (to Maggie)
          I'll pick up Jake, I told him I'd take
          him to the Pier tonight.
          He heads for the door, eager to get the hell out of there.
          Maggie lingers, looking at Elizabeth, hopeful.

          MAGGIE
          There's really nothing wrong with him?
          Nothing at all?

          ELIZABETH
          Maggie. I said nothing physical.

          CUT TO:

          

          

          

          

          INT BEDROOM DAY
          Maggie is in the bedroom, cleaning up. She picks up Tom's
          pair of jeans from the floor and folds them over one arm.
          Something THUNKS to the floor. She picks it up.
          It's the butterfly knife, the one he took from Duane. She
          stares at it, fascinated and frightened. She lets it drop
          open. There is dried blood on the blade.
          Gingerly, she closes it again. She opens a drawer and puts it
          in, then thinks better of that. She takes it out again, looks
          for a place to put it.
          She drops it in her purse and zips it shut. She'll deal with
          it later.

          CUT TO:

          EXT NAVY PIER NIGHT
          Navy Pier is an amusement park/shopping mall built on a pier
          jutting out into Lake Michigan. It's a nice night, the pier
          is crowded, just enough urban edge to be interesting. A
          figure bobs along above the crowd -- Jake, sitting on Tom's
          shoulders. They stop and join a CROWD watching a JUGGLER, a
          good one, keeps five burning pins in the air.
          Jake suddenly looks up, confused by something. He stares past
          the juggler, through the flames. Behind the juggler, a
          UNIFORMED COP is staring at the little boy -- it's the same
          Cop who was parked outside their house earlier. Jake stares
          back, the flaming pins flying up between them.
          Tom moves on, his boy still on his shoulders. The Cop turns
          and watches them go. Jake turns, looking back over his
          shoulder at the Cop. The Cop raises a hand and waves. Jake
          just stares.

          AT A TOY STORE,
          there is an elaborate model train set on display in the
          window.

          JAKE
          Daddy, look!

          TOM
          Woah, check it out.
          He stops, helps Jake down off his shoulders. Jake presses
          right up against the glass, staring at the train as it circles
          the track. Tom squats, admiring it with him.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          56. 

          CONTINUED:

          BEHIND THEM,
          the Cop is still watching them. He walks closer, stops only
          about ten feet away, staring. Tom glances up, sees him,
          thinks nothing of it.
          The 'op steps closer.

          IN THE. WINDOW,
          Tom sees the reflection of the Cop. Closer now, staring. Tom
          turns and smiles, tight-lipped. He recognizes him from the
          other day. The Cop smiles back, doesn't go away.

          TOM
          (to Jake)
          Hey, look at that one!
          He carries Jake to the next window over, a different display.
          The Cop wanders closer. Tom finally turns to him, tense.
          TOM (cont' d)
          How ya doin'?

          COP
          Fine, fine.
          He's staring at Jake.

          TOM
          Is there a law against lookin' in the
          window now?

          COP
          Huh? Oh, no, `course not. I'm
          off duty. I live right up there.

          TOM
          That's great. See ya later.
          He sweeps Jake up onto one hip and starts to walk away.

          COP
          It's even stronger in him than it is
          in you.
          Tom stops. Turns back.

          TOM
          What?
          The Cop smiles and makes a face -- "you heard me."

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          57. 

          CONTINUED:
          TOM (cont' d)
          I don't know what you're talking
          about.

          COP
          Jon't be afraid of it.
          Tom just star .s at the Cop, trembling slightly. The Cop walks
          forward. Fascinated, Tom does not back away. The Cop lowers
          his voice.
          COP (cont' d)
          You're not alone.
          Tom is too rattled to speak.
          COP (cont' d)
          You don't know about Cacophony yet?
          Tom shakes his head no. The Cop pulls out a note pad,
          scribbles something on a page, tears it out and holds it out
          to Tom.
          COP (cont' d)
          Come next time.
          His hand shaking, Tom accepts the paper. The Cop reaches out
          and tousles Jake's hair.
          COP (coast' d)
          Bye, Jake.
          The Cop turns and walks away.

          JAKE
          Bye, Neil!
          The Cop looks back over his shoulder and smiles. Tom looks at
          his son as if he's never seen him before.

          CUT TO:

          INT JAKE'S ROOM NIGHT
          Jake, fresh from a bath and in his pajamas, sits on the floor
          of his room, playing with model cars, intent. He's HUMMING a
          soft tune to himself, the same one he hummed during his bath
          in the opening.
          Tom and Maggie sit near him, staring at him. They're freaked
          out. What have they got on their hands here? Their tone is
          soft, gently probing.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          58. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE
          Jake, do you remember the other day
          when we were talking in the kitchen?
          Jake doesn't look up, just keeps playing and HUMMING.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          I was loo3.ing for a baby-sitter,
          remember?
          (Jake plays)
          And you said "Samantha" told you about
          Dorothy. Do you remember that?
          He keeps playing, HUMMING.

          TOM
          Jake? Mommy's asking you a question.
          Nothing.

          MAGGIE
          Is Samantha someone who talks to you
          sometimes, Jake?
          No answer. She tries a different route.
          MAGGIE (cont'd)
          Can you remember any of the things
          that Saman-
          Jake looks up sharply.

          JAKE
          Don't ask the boy any more questions.
          They freeze, staring at him. His tone was odd. And did he
          just refer to himself in the third person?
          JAKE (cant' d)
          Talk to me.
          He goes back to playing, and to that little tune. It's
          becoming rather haunting.
          Maggie and Tom look at each other. Good God.

          CUT TO:

          INT BEDROOM NIGHT
          Nighttime. Tom and Maggie are asleep in bed. Suddenly, Tom's
          eyes pop open.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          59. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          She's downstairs.
          He sits up. His head is killing him again. There's a glass
          of water on the night table. le grabs it and drinks greedily.
          He turns and looks to the open -loorway. He swallows.
          He stands up. He looks down at Maggie, who's still sound
          asleep.
          He walks to the door.
          Maggie stirs, feeling him gone.

          INT HALLWAY NIGHT
          Tom walks down the narrow hallway, toward the staircase at the
          far end. He's scared.
          He starts down the stairs. Halfway down, he dares a look
          through the wooden posts that support the handrail.
          Samantha is standing in the middle of the room.
          She looks up at him. For a long moment, they just stare at
          each other. Steam rises lightly from her as she breathes.
          Tom is shaking, barely finds his voice.

          TOM
          Samantha?
          She speaks, but when her voice comes out it's horrible and
          distorted -- muffled in a strange way.
          He takes a few trembling steps down the stairs, closer to her.
          She walks forward a step or two. She speaks again, louder,
          but the voice is still unintelligible and bizarre.
          Tom reaches the bottom of the stairs. She reaches out a hand.
          He stares, terrified. The hand draws closer.
          Almost beyond his own control, Tom raises his own hand.
          She comes closer.
          Tom is frozen at the bottom of the stairs. Their hands draw
          closer still.
          Their fingertips touch.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          60. 

          CONTINUED:
          Tom GASPS, as if something very heavy were put down on his
          chest. His mouth drops open, his chest twitches. He can't
          breathe.
          They stand there, frozen in that position. Tom tries, but
          can't draw air.
          MAGGIE'S VOICE calls out from the top ci the stairs.

          MAGGIE
          Tom?
          He can't answer. He's panicked, but unable to move. With
          every twitch of his chest clouds of steam burst from his
          mouth, all the air going out, none coming in.
          From the top of the stairs, Maggie can see him, standing
          there, hand outstretched into the darkness, touching nothing.
          But from Tom's point of view, he's touching fingertips with
          Samantha. He's frozen, breathless, and now his cheeks start
          to turn pale, unnaturally white. Another few seconds of this
          and he'll pass out.
          MAGGIE (con t' d)
          Tom!?
          She races down the stairs.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)

          TOM?!
          Tom can't look at her, can't move. A tear rolls down his
          cheek as his lips begin to turn blue.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          TOM, BR. ATfHE!
          She grabs hold of him. As soon as Maggie makes contact, Tom
          collapses. He sees Samantha break away from him with a SHRIEK
          of irritation. She moves, not quite walking, but a herky-
          jerky kind of lateral movement toward the dining room, fast,
          like someone on a dozen espressos, an angry thing that has to
          slow itself down to a crawl just to talk to us.
          In the dining room, she flops over onto the floor, like a
          reflection appearing suddenly on the surface of a pond. Into
          the floor, she disappears.
          Maggie grabs Tom's face and turns it toward her. He takes a
          big lungful of air.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           61. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Was she here?!
          Tom nods, sucking air greedily.
          MAGGIE (cont'd)
          Why?!

          TOM
          I think we better find out.

          CUT TO:

          EXT OUR BLOCK DAY
          It's a street party, and it's jammed. Police barricades are
          at both ends of the block. Half barrels of beer sit in big
          plastic garbage cans, ice dumped over them. Everyone seems to
          have agreed on which radio station to listen to, and most of
          the couple dozen cars parked in the driveways have their
          radios tuned to it, loud, the windows hanging open.
          Outside Bernie's Tap, the bar on the corner, a DOZEN DRUNK
          GUYS are running pass patterns out the front door, cutting
          left at the mailbox, and catching a football thrown from
          inside the bar, out an open window. Well, they don't actually
          catch the ball...

          AT ONE OF THE TAPS,
          the Homeless Guy we've seen on the street a few times is
          drinking right out of one of the beer taps while nobody is
          watching. Lenny, the local crank we met before, is outraged.

          LENNY

          HEY, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THERE!
          He chases him off, trying to kick him in the ass but spilling
          his own beer in the process.
          LENNY (cont' d)
          (to no one in particular)
          You see what I'm talkin' about?! You
          see what I mean?!

          ON A FRONT YARD,
          Jake plays with a couple other NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS.

          AT ANOTHER KEG,
          Frank is giving a lurid lesson on the proper way to pump the
          keg to two ATTRACTIVE YOUNG WOMEN. Tom joins him.

          (CONTINUED)
          - - .Err- r - - - - ab a. ter. s

          

          

          

          

          62. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          You know you're under surveillance
          here.
          He gestures to Sheila, Frank's wife, who's about ten feet
          away, keeping an angry eye on him.

          FRANK
          What can I do? Nature commands me to
          spread my seed. I hear and obey.

          TOM
          Sure, great, just don't be surprised
          if some day Sheila digs out your 38
          and buries a slug or two in your ass.

          FRANK
          Please. The woman can't even step on
          a spider.

          TOM
          Spider doesn't fuck around on her.

          A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY,
          Sheila is talking to Maggie, disgusted with Frank.

          SHEILA
          They change, Maggie. Ten or so years
          of marriage, a kid or two -- they
          become a different human being.

          MAGGIE
          Sheila, if you're so miserable, why
          don't you leave? Adam's almost out of
          school, he can handle it.

          SHEILA
          Oh, Frank would love that. No. I
          want him out. I like that house.

          MAGGIE
          How long have you guys been there?

          SHEILA
          Almost fifteen years.

          MAGGIE
          So... you know most of the people
          around here pretty well, right?

          

          

          

          

          IN FRONT OF BERNIE'S TAP,
          somebody actually manages to catch one of the passes coming
          from out of the bar and is immediately tackled by three
          drunks. On the pavement. Ouch.

          IN THE CROWD,
          Tom is now talking to Harry Damon.

          HARRY
          But, you know, what am I gonna do, I'm
          a single father with a son to support,
          I can' t just say fuck everything. So
          I scraped together enough money to
          make a few downpayments, and here I
          am. A landlord, for Christ's sake.

          TOM
          So you've been in this neighborhood a
          long time, right?

          MAGGIE
          is questioning Sheila.

          MAGGIE
          Did you ever hear of a girl named
          Samantha Muller?

          SHEILA

          (THINKS)
          From over by Baldwin?

          MAGGIE
          I think so.

          SHEILA
          Yeah, kinda, name rings a bell.

          HARRY DAMON,
          in response to the same question from Tom, calls over to his
          son Kurt, the good-looking football player, who is leaning
          against the front of his yellow Trans-Am, talking to a couple
          other guys.

          HARRY
          Hey, Kurt, you remember that Muller
          girl?
          (to Tom)
          Like he ever tells me anything.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          64. 

          CONTINUED:
          The music coming from the car is too loud, Kurt can't hear.
          HARRY (cont' d)

          (SHOUTING)

          DO YOU REMEMBER THE -- COME OVER HERE !
          He gestures. Kurt drags himself off the hood and saunters
          over.
          HARRY (cont' d)
          Do you remember that Muller girl?

          KURT
          What, Dorothy?
          He makes a "big breasts" gesture.

          HARRY
          No, the other one. Samantha.
          Lenny, the crank, joins the conversation.

          LENNY
          You mean the retard? She ran away.

          HARRY
          She did?

          SHEILA
          is on the same subject.

          SHEILA
          She was always hanging around the
          guys, you know, she wanted to be with
          the "in" clique and everything. There
          wasn't much chance of that.

          HARRY DAMON,
          asks Tom a question.

          HARRY
          Why you wanna know about her?

          TOM
          Oh, Dorothy baby-sits for us sometimes
          and she started talking about her
          sister, wonderin' how she was doing
          and stuff. I promised her I'd ask
          around, see if anybody'd heard
          anything from her.

          (CONTINUED)
          - - - Ambb. - - - - - Nft - & a r-

          

          

          

          

          65. 

          CONTINUED:

          LENNY
          She took off back in March, I think,
          with some black guy.

          TOM
          )id she ever live in that house we're
          .n?
          Frank comes up, one arm around his son Adam.

          FRANK
          Who?

          HARRY
          No. You're the first tenants since I
          bought it.

          LENNY
          (to Harry)
          Harry, I saw those Dominicans back in
          the park again. By the basketball
          courts?

          HARRY
          What do you want me to do about it,
          Lenny?

          LENNY
          We could go talk to `em. Scare `em
          off, if there were enough of us.

          FRANK
          Yeah, Lenny, they're gonna be
          terrified of you.

          SHEILA
          keeps talking to Maggie.

          SHEILA
          She was a pretty girl, but real shy.
          Pretty simple. She had these crazy
          ideas she could be an actress, you
          know. She thought she was gonna be a
          big movie star. I mean, there was no
          way, but you couldn't tell her that.
          I thought it was kind of sad.

          FRANK AND ADAM
          have joined Tom and the others.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          66. 

          CONTINUED:

          FRANK
          (to Tom)
          Two one one.

          TOM
          Okay.

          FRANK

          211.

          TOM
          Got it.

          FRANK
          Two hundred eleven.

          TOM
          I give up, Frank.

          FRANK
          (puts his son in a hammerlock)
          Two hundred and eleven yards rushing
          the other night. That makes eight
          ninety-four with two games to play,
          kid needs a hundred and six, that's
          only fifty-three a game. He could
          walk through the rest of the season
          and hit a thousand.

          ADAM
          (pulling free)
          Dad...
          Behind them, the guys playing football out of Bernie's Tap
          have now organized a full-fledged game of tackle in the
          street, over the objections of their wives and girlfriends,
          who shout at them to stop.

          FRANK
          I embarrass him. Are there worse
          things that can happen to a human
          being?

          TOM
          Hey, Adam, way to go, man.

          ADAM

          (SHYLY)
          Thanks.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           67. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          TOM
          (to Harry)
          Well, if you hear anything about her,
          lemme know, okay?

          FRAZ. X
          About who?

          HARRY
          Tom's askin' about that Muller girl
          from over by Baldwin, you know, the
          one that ran away?

          LENNY
          The retard.

          FRANK
          Jesus, Lenny, don't use that word.

          LENNY
          What, retard?

          FRANK

          (SARCASTIC)
          No, "the."

          TOM
          She was almost your age, Adam. You
          know anything about her?
          Adam doesn't answer right away. They all look at him.

          FINALLY:

          ADAM
          Huh uh.
          Suddenly, the guys playing football run a play right through
          the middle of them -- sweaty, middle-aged bodies fly in every
          direction. Everybody SHOUTS and lunges backward, protecting
          their beers. The conversation is broken up.
          But the football players are upset, and a fight breaks out.
          The crowd gets out of the way, half to watch the fight with
          glee, the other half to shake their heads and watch the fight.

          OVER AT KURT'S CAR,
          while the fight goes on in the background, Adam wanders away
          from the group and sits down on the hood of Kurt Damon's car.
          He's rattled. Kurt notices him and comes over. He sits next
          to him.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          68. 

          CONTINUED:

          KURT
          You okay?

          ADAM
          Yeah.
          (Kurt is looking atIhim:
          I'm fine.

          KURT
          You don't look fine.

          ADAM
          Really, Mom? How do I look?

          KURT
          (hands up in surrender)
          All right, all right. Just, if
          there's, you know, if there's
          somethin' you wanna bullshit about or
          anything, just let me know. Might
          help.

          ADAM
          You could climb off my back, that'd
          help.
          Adam walks away.

          KURT
          Sorry.

          AT THE END OF THE BLOCK,
          two police cars arrive, their lights flashing. COPS jump out
          and wade through the crowd to bust up the fight. So much for
          the party.
          Sheila shakes her head.

          SHEILA
          It can't ever just be nice. Someone's
          always got to ruin it.

          CUT TO:

          EXT ROOFTOP NIGHT
          Nighttime. The city lights are on. The sound of SOBBING
          rises faintly over them. We're on the roof of a house, and a
          figure with its back to us is doing the crying. The figure
          drinks from a bottle. A long, hard pull.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          69. 

          CONTINUED:
          Coming around thefrontwe see the figure is Adam McCarthy,
          Frank and Sheila'sson,sitting on the roof of his house,
          staring out at thecityand getting quietly shit-faced.

          CUT TO:

          INT BE. ROOM DAY
          Tom pries his eyes open, exhausted. Sunlight streams through
          the window, right into his face. He squints, looks at the
          clock. It's 10:26.

          TOM
          Oh, man...
          He sits up, painfully. A beam of sunlight cuts him right
          across the eyes.

          A MINUTE LATER,
          Tom pulls his jeans on. He sits on a chair, puts on a shoe.
          But the other one's gone. He feels under the chair. Not
          there.
          He opens the closet door. Not there.
          He looks under the bed. There it is. He grabs it.

          INT BATHROOM DAY
          A note is taped to the bathroom mirror -- "WENT TO THE PARK

          WITH JAKE. M."
          Tom takes it down and reads it.

          INT LIVING ROOM DAY
          Tom comes downstairs and heads for the kitchen. There's
          someone standing in his living room, in the doorway from the
          dining room. It's Frank, his neighbor from next door, wearing
          a red shirt. Frank is staring at the floor.

          TOM
          Frank? What are you doing here?
          Frank looks up at him. His face is sad.

          FRANK
          They're going to kill you, Tommy. You
          and Maggie both.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          70. 

          CONTINUED:
          Frank turns and walks to the front door. He opens it, walks
          outside, and sits on the top step of the porch, looking out at
          the street.
          Tom follows him.

          EXT FRONT PORCH DAY
          It's a beautiful day, but the street is still kind of a m..ss
          from the party yesterday. Tom comes out and looks down at
          Frank, who's just sitting there, staring out at the litter.

          TOM
          Why did you say that, Frank?

          FRANK
          (in his own world)
          This is a decent neighborhood.
          On the street, TWO KIDS ride their bikes straight at each
          other, full tilt, SCREAMING. At the last second, one of the
          kids swerves, the other taunts him with cries of "Chicken!"
          A bird swoops over Tom's head, too low, and Tom flinches. He
          walks across the driveway, toward Frank's house. The MAILMAN
          waves to him, headed down the block. Tom waves back.
          Tom walks up the steps to Frank's front door and knocks. A
          VOICE calls from inside.
          ADAM (o.s.)
          Come in!

          INT FRANK'S HOUSE DAY
          Tom opens the door and comes in. Adam, Frank's son, is
          standing in the middle of the living room floor, a big smile
          on his face and one arm behind his back.

          ADAM
          Hi!

          TOM
          Hi.

          ADAM
          Want to see what I've got?

          TOM
          Sure.
          Adam pulls his arm around from behind his back. He's holding
          a 38 with a carved white handle.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          71. 

          CONTINUED:
          TOM (cont' d)
          Is that your dad's?

          ADAM
          Not today. Come here:
          Tom walks toward him.
          ADAM (cont' d)
          Closer.
          Tom walks closer. He's right in front of Adam.
          ADAM (cont' d)
          I bet you never saw this before.
          He points the gun barrel at Tom --
          -- then swings it around and points it at his own heart.

          TOM
          Oh, don't do that.
          Adam pulls the trigger.
          Tom SCREAMS as Adam collapses to the floor, blood pouring from
           his chest. His body convulses --

          INT BEDROOM DAY
          -- and Tom's eyes pop open, in bed. That was weird.
          Tom blinks, exhausted. Sunlight streams through the window,
          right into his face. He squints, looks at the clock. It's

          10:26.

          TOM
          Oh, man...
          He sits up, painfully. A beam of sunlight cuts him right
          across the eyes.

          A MINUTE LATER,
          Tom pulls on a pair of jeans. He sits down, puts on a shoe.
          But the other one's gone. He feels under the chair. Not
          there.
          He opens the closet door. Not there. Tom blinks, unsettled.
          This is kinda familiar.
          He turns and looks at the bed.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          72. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          Please don't be under there.
          He bends down, lifts the blanket, and looks under the bed.
          There's his shoe.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Shit.
          He grabs it.

          INT BATHROOM DAY
          A note is taped to the bathroom mirror -- "WENT TO THE PARK

          WITH JAKE. M."
          Tom winces as he takes it down and reads it. Again.

          INT LIVING ROOM DAY
          Shod, Tom comes down the stairs and into the living room.
          Frank's not there, thank God.
          Tom goes to the front door and opens it.

          TOM
          Uh... Frank?
          But Frank's not on the porch either. Tom steps outside.

          EXT FRONT PORCH DAY
          It's a beautiful day, but the street is still kind of a mess
          from the party yesterday. A SHOUT draws Tom's attention.
          Those same two kids ride their bikes at each other, full tilt.
          Tom walks down the steps of the porch, staring at them as they
          SCREAM. At the last second, one of the kids turns away. The
          other taunts him with cries of "Chicken!"
          Tom stands frozen on the sidewalk. A bird swoops low over his
          head; he really flinches this time. The Mailman waves to him,
          headed down the block. Too stunned, Tom doesn't wave back.
          He turns, panicked, and looks at Frank's house. He starts to
          walk toward it, slowly at first, then picking up speed,
          jogging across the driveway. He's halfway there --
          -- when a GUNSHOT rings out from inside.

          TOM
          Oh, God...

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          73. 

          CONTINUED:
          He races the rest of the way, bounds up the steps to the
          house, rips open the screen door. But the front door is
          locked. He POUNDS on it.
          TOM (coast' d)

          ADAM?! ADAM, OPEN THE DOOR!!
          He POUNDS harder, but there's no answer. He goes to the
          window beside the door and peers through it.

          THROUGH THE WINDOW,
          he sees Adam lying on the floor in the middle of the living
          room.

          ON THE PORCH,

          TOM
          Oh, God, no!
          Tom picks up a porch chair and heaves it through the window.

          INT FRANK'S HOUSE DAY
          Glass SHATTERS and sprays all over the floor. Tom knocks the
          rest out of the frame with his elbow and climbs into the
          house.
          He races over to Adam's body. There is a pool of blood around
          his chest and his body is convulsing. In his right hand, he
          clutches a 38 with a carved white handle.

          TOM
          Oh, God, no, Jesus, no, please...
          He grabs a blanket off a chair nearby, presses it to Adam's
          chest, trying to stop the bleeding.
          TOM (cont' d)
          This is really happening.., it's
          really happening...

          CUT TO:

          EXT OUR BLOCK DAY
          Tom sits on his front steps, shell shocked, red light flashing
          off his face. An ambulance and two police cars are parked in
          front of the house next door, radios SQUAWKING with official
          activity.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          74. 

          CONTINUED:
          Tom just stares. A car comes barreling around the corner and
          SQUEALS to a halt in front of the house. Frank and Sheila
          leap out of the car and race toward the house.
          Tom watches as they're intercepted-by a COP who tries to
          restrain them for a second. But they're hysterical, they've
          obviously been told something serious has happened and they're
          desperate to get inside.
          They blow past the Cop and hurry up the stairs, just as THREE
          PARAMEDICS wheel a stretcher out of the house, headed for the
          ambulance. The sheet isn't over Adam's head, at least, but
          that's about the only good sign, they're working on him
          frantically.
          Tom buries his head in his lap as he hears the cries of Adam's
          parents -- Frank's anguished, disbelieving BELLOW, Sheila's
          horrified SCREAM.

          CUT TO:

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          CLOSE ON a torn off piece of notebook paper with an address
          and a time scribbled on it. The word "Cacophony" is legible.
          Maggie picks it up, stares at it for a moment, then hands it
          to Tom, who is by the front door, zipping his jacket. He
          takes it and shoves it in his pocket. He's nervous. They
          both are. She smooths his jacket. He turns to go, but she
          tightens her grip on his jacket. Doesn't want to let him go.

          TOM
          We need some answers, right? Maybe
          they're the only ones who have any.
          She nods. Thinking of something, she picks up her car keys
          from the table by the door and pulls something off the ring.

          MAGGIE
          I'm sure they're very nice people, but
          in case they aren't --
          She hands a thin black cannister to him.
          MAGGIE (coat' d)
          Mace the shit out of `em.
          He smiles and shoves it in his pocket. She kisses him.

          

          

          

          

          EXT DINGY STREET NIGHT
          Tom walks down a street in a dodgy neighborhood at night,
          checking addresses. He stops and looks up, at an old,
          formerly grand apartment building that's fallen on hard times.

          INT BUILDING - CORRIDOR NIGHT
          The corridor is even creepier. And massive. Tom reaches a
          door all the way at the end and knocks. A moment later, the
          door opens. A very heavy-set woman in a floral print dress
          (VIVIAN) smiles at him.

          VIVIAN
          I hope you like fondue!

          INT VIVIAN'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Vivian sets a plate down on a TV tray in front of Tom. There
          is a pile of chunks of various hard-to-identify meats, a
          silver fondue spear, and a chocolate cupcake with an American
          flag stuck in it. Tom sits on an overstuffed couch that's
          leaking stuffing.

          VIVIAN
          Dip away!

          TOM
          Thank you. Listen, is, uh --
          Vivian gives another plate to a man sitting next to Tom,
          HERMAN, in his seventies, in a wheelchair, an oxygen tube
          running into his nostrils.
          TOM (coat' d)
          Is there a guy named Neil here? He's
          a cop?

          VIVIAN
          Well, of course he is!
          She turns and heads back into the kitchen, passing BEVERLY,
          her identical twin, who's wearing the same print dress, this
          one with a red background instead of blue. Beverly serves two
          people on the far couch, one a THIRTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL, the
          other a HOMEY in his early twenties.
          Tom picks up a ham chunk and looks at the steaming fondue pot,
          full of cheese. Beverly dips and eats, winks at him, and
          flits off across the room.
          Herman turns to Tom and asks something in a raspy voice.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          76. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          Excuse me?
          Irritated, Herman gestures for him to lean closer. Tom does.

          HERMAN
          What does it want you to do?

          TOM
          I don't... I'm sorry, I don't under-
          Herman wraps his bony fingers around Tom's wrist.

          HERMAN
          Then you're not listening!
          NEIL (o.s.)
          It's his first time, Herman. Give him
          a break.
          Tom turns. Neil, the cop he saw the other night, has come in
          from the kitchen. Tonight he's in street clothes.
          NEIL (cont' d)
          (points at Tom)
          Lemme guess. "Distended parietal
          lobe," right?

          TOM

          (AMAZED)
          Who are you guys?

          NEIL
          Don't have a name. Cacophony Society,
          somebody said once, that stuck for a
          while. You know, like too many voices
          in our heads? I think it's too
          melodramatic. How about "fellow
          sufferers?"
          Vivian comes in from the kitchen with two big gallon jugs of
          orange juice. There are AAAAHS1 of appreciation.

          TOM
          Does everybody here -- see things,
          like me?

          NEIL

          (NODS)
          Buncha freaks, huh?

          HERMAN
          Speak for yourself.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           77. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          NEIL
          No, Herman, you're a freak. "Mutants"
          is a better word for the rest of us.
          He pulls 'ip a chair and sits down opposite Tom. On the other
          side of tie room, Vivian and Beverly tell an animated two-part
          story to he teenage girl and the homey, finishing each
          others' se. .tences .
          NEIL (cont' d)
          Like any other part of our body, our
          brains have evolved a lot in a hundred
          thousand years. Our first thoughts
          were formless. Struggling
          consciousness. Sensation. An
          instinctive tie to our environment.
          But then our brains began to focus.
          We sacrificed the intuitions we first
          had so our thoughts could be directed,
          so we could master specific functions.
          That's where we are at the moment.
          We're brilliant with technique, but
          we've given up instinct. So the next
          evolutionary step, the step yet to
          come, or perhaps it's already in the
          making, is actually backward. To
          maintain our higher functions, but
          reawaken the part of our brain that
          was pure intuition. That was
          receptive to anything, because it
          didn't know enough not to believe.
          You're a freak of nature, pal, an
          evolutionary step. You're double-
          jointed.
          (taps his head)
          Up here.

          TOM
          Are we the only ones?

          NEIL
          Hardly. I've heard of groups like
          ours in San Francisco, New York,
          Minneapolis -- those are just the
          cities I've been to. Tom, you're what
          they used to call a medium. You're
          like a man in a dark tunnel with a
          flashlight, but the light only goes on
          once in a while. When it flickers on,
          you get a glimpse of something, but
          not enough of a glimpse to know what
          it is. Just enough to know it's
          there.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           78. 

          CONTINUED: (3)

          TOM
          What about my son?

          NEIL
          (sn files)
          The ncxt generation. Much better
          flashlight.

          TOM
          Wright, if there's all these people
          who got this power, why doesn't
          everybody know about it? Why isn't it
          common knowledge?

          NEIL
          It is. A lotta people know.
          Unfortunately, the easiest people to
          convince, the believer types, they
          also tend to be the dumbest. And
          people who demand proof -- well, this
          isn't something we can control, it
          comes when it comes, so if you can't
          make it happen, how can you prove it?
          It's like that singing frog in the
          cartoon, but when the guy puts it on
          stage it just croaks and he looks like
          a jerk.
          Herman laughs, horribly. He likes that cartoon.
          NEIL (cont' d)
          Some of us try anyway. I say who
          needs that kind of aggravation?

          TOM
          This all started when I was
          hypnotized. Is that how it always is?

          NEIL
          First time I've heard that one. it
          comes all different ways. Sometimes
          it goes the same way it came.

          TOM
          So it does go away.

          NEIL
          For some people. Don't look for
          rules. We're off the map here.

          HERMAN
          What does it want you to do?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           79. 

          CONTINUED: (4)

          TOM
          What does what want me to do?

          HERMAN
          You saw a ghos-, didn't you?

          Z 'M
          Yeah. Twice. t. girl that disappeared
          from my neighborhood. Now the kid
          next door just tried to kill himself.
          I think he knew something, but now
          I'll never know what it was. And I
          gotta know.

          HERMAN
          Look, what'd the bitch want?

          TOM
          Why do you assume she wants something?

          NEIL
          They always do. Something they need
          finished, something they can't do any
          more.

          TOM
          Why me?

          NEIL
          Because she's confused. Doesn't know
          why other people won't answer her.
          She only knows that you will. If she
          hasn't asked for something yet, she
          will. And once they ask, it's very
          difficult to stop yourself from doing
          it.

          TOM
          What do you mean? She can, it can
          make me do something I don't want to
          do?

          NEIL
          Oh, no. You'll want to. Badly. You
          won't think about anything else. You
          won't sleep. You won't eat. You'll
          lie. And God help anyone who tries to
          stop you.

          TOM
          What if I stop me? What if I just
          don't do it?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           80. 

          CONTINUED: (5)

          HERMAN
          Then you got a weird bitch friend for
          the rest of your life.

          NEIL
          Just listen to her, Tom Let her tell
          you what she wants.

           CUT TO:

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT - HALLWAY NIGHT
           A HAND pounds on an apartment door. Philip opens up. He was
          asleep.

          PHILIP
          What, what, what?

          TOM
          I want you to hypnotize me again.

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Tom paces the floor in Philip's apartment.

          PHILIP
          Just slow down, you gotta be a little
          patient with me here, `cause, um...
          well, Tom, Tom, I've got a confession
          to make. See I, I, I just smoked this
          great big fatty a few minutes before
          you walked in, so this shit you're
          tellin' me here is fuckin' with my
          mind just a little bit extra, okay?
          Tom grabs a chair from Philip's desk and sits.

          TOM
          Do it.

          MOMENTS LATER,
          they sit face to face.

          PHILIP
          Okay. Close your eyes.
          Tom closes his eyes.

          

          

          

          

          81. 

          IN THE BLACK,
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          Just like last time -- I want you to
          concentrate. Listen to the room
          around you.
          Tom listens. The factory CHURNS softly outsioi the windows.
          A few CARS in the street below. His BREATHING.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Now focus. Concentrate. Look at the
          backs of your eyelids. Do you see
          anything there?

          IN PHILIP'S APARTMENT,

          TOM
          (opens his eyes)
          Would you just get to it, please?

          PHILIP
          All right, all right.
          Tom closes his eyes again.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          I want you to pretend you're in a
          movie theatre.

          INT MOVIE THEATRE NIGHT
          We're sitting alone in an empty movie theatre. The seats and
          walls are covered in black velvet.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          It's very dark. Everything is covered
          in black velvet. The seats, the
          walls, the floor. In the whole pitch-
          black theatre, there's only one thing
          you can see. The white screen. You
          drift toward it, in your chair.
          Up ahead of us, the screen is a dazzling white. We move
          slowly toward it, floating over the seats.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          There are letters up on the screen.
          Tall, thick, black letters, but
          they're out of focus. You drift
          closer to them.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          82. 

          CONTINUED:
          We do drift closer to the blurry letters, but our attention is
          diverted by something. Three rows from the screen, there is a
          figure in one of the seats, its back to us.

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Tom's eyes are sill closed. His face furrows in conctrn.

          TOM
          There's someone in here.

          PHILIP
          No, it's empty.

          TOM
          There's someone else here.

          PHILIP
          No, man, I said you're alone in the
          theatre.

          INT MOVIE THEATRE NIGHT
          But there is someone in the theatre with us, and we continue
          to drift forward toward them.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          You're comfortable in your black
          velvet seat, very comfortable...
          Actually, we're quite nervous, drifting closer and closer to
          that figure sitting in the third row, its back to us.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          Your feet and ankles are relaxed.
          Your legs are relaxed.

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Tom's eyes are still closed. His chest is twitching.

          TOM
          hard to breathe

          INT MOVIE THEATRE NIGHT
          The figure in the seat is only a row or two ahead of us now.
          It's a woman. We keep drifting closer.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          Your hands are limp and heavy. Your
          arms are relaxed. Your face.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          83. 

          CONTINUED:
          Our hand reaches out, touches the shoulder of the woman. She
          turns.
          It's Samantha. Her face is shrouded in plastic. Her mouth
          presses against the plastic, it forms a horrible round 0,
          contorted in a silent scream.

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Tom's eyes flicker madly under the lids. Philip's worried.

          PHILIP
          I want you to look at the screen.

          TOM

          (GASPING)
          I can't breathe!

          PHILIP
          Look at the screen, Tom.

          INT MOVIE THEATRE NIGHT
          Now Tom's not just an observer in the movie theatre, he's in
          the movie theatre, sitting right next to Samantha. She's
          pawing at him, it's all he can do to fight her hands off. In
          their struggle, his fingers close around the plastic that
          shrouds her face. He sweeps it off her head.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          The screen, Tom, look at the screen!
          You can read the letters now!
          Samantha's face is bloodied and bruised, as the plastic comes
          off she GASPS for air and lets out a ghastly, inhuman SHRIEK
          that fills the theatre. Philip's voice gets louder as he
          struggles to maintain control of the hypnosis.
          PHILIP (o.s.)
          Look at the screen, Tom, you're close
          enough now, you can read the letters,
          you're right up next to them!
          Tom, still holding off Samantha's grasping hands, turns and
          looks up at the movie screen.
          PHILIP (o . s . )
          The letters come into focus, they
          spell --
          Tom's eyes widen as he stares at the screen. Three huge
          letters pop into focus and fill our field of vision. The
          letters say:

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          84Â¢ 

          CONTINUED:

          DIG

          

          

          

          

           85. 

          INT PHILIP'S APARTMENT NIGHT
          Tom's eyes pop open and he staggers backwards, gasping for
          air, knocking the chair out from under himself. He falls back
          against Philip's desk, scared out of his mind.

          PHILIP
          What?! What happened?!

          TOM
          Couldn't breathe...

          PHILIP
          Are you okay?!
          Tom wipes his brow, he's covered in sweat.

          TOM
          Plastic, like sheets of plastic...
          He shoves Philip out of the way, finds the refrigerator on the
          other side of the room. He rips it open, searches for
          something to drink. Philip follows him.

          PHILIP
          I think you need to sit down, man,
          something very next level was
          happening there, you should have seen
          your face.
          Only beer in the fridge. Tom CRACKS one open and upends it.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Uh... want a brew?
          Tom drinks the entire can.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          Feel better?
          Tom nods, wiping his chin.
          PHILIP (cont' d)
          What happened?
          Tom looks at him, calming.

          TOM
          She told me what she wants.

          CUT TO:

          

          

          

          

          EXT TOM & MAGGIE'S HOUSE DAY
          Maggie's Sentra pulls into the driveway of their house,
          parking behind Tom's phone company truck. She gets out,
          dressed in work clothes, and pulls two bags of groceries out
          of the trunk. She looks at Tom's truck, then at her watch.
          Home already?

          INT TOM & MAGGIE'S HOUSE DAY
          Maggie comes in the front door.

          MAGGIE
          (calling out)
          Hey! You're home early!
          She struggles to take the keys out of the door while still
          holding the groceries.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Can you pick up Jake? I'm exhausted!
          She comes in and kicks the door shut behind her. Tom's
          nowhere to be seen. From somewhere in back, there is a faint
          CRUNCHING sound.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Hello?
          No answer. She heads into the kitchen with the groceries.

          INT KITCHEN DAY
          In the kitchen, a letter is waiting in the tray of an old fax
          machine on the counter. Maggie stops in the doorway, staring
          at the floor. Muddy footprints lead into and out of the
          kitchen, through the door to the back. Thick chunks of wet
          mud are everywhere.

          MAGGIE
          Hey, look what I'm not cleaning up.
          She sets the groceries down on the counter and pulls out a
          gallon of milk. She opens the refrigerator. She does a
          double take. The entire top shelf is jammed with cardboard
          cartons of orange juice.
          From outside, the CRUNCHING sound comes again. She follows
          the muddy footprints out the kitchen door.

          

          

          

          

          EXT BACK YARD DAY
          The back yard is smallish, but it's a nice little patch of
          grass. Used to be, anyway, because now there are three large
          holes in it, dug seemingly at random locations. Large piles
          of dirt and rock are heaved up next to the holes.
          Tom stands in one of t1.e holes, his back to Maggie, hoisting a
          large pick axe high over his head. CRUNCH. He brings the
          pick down, into the hole. Busy guy.
          Maggie is aghast. She walks slowly across the yard, past a
          pile of shovels and buckets and other tools. She draws closer
          to him.

          MAGGIE
          Tom?
          Tom raises the pick high and brings it down hard. CRUNCH.
          The hole he's in at the moment isn't more than two or three
          feet deep. But, hey, it's early.
          Maggie draws closer. In between swings --
          MAGGIE (coast' d)
          Tom.
          Tom whirls, the pick raised to defend himself. His shirt's
          off, his chest and face are streaked with mud and sweat.
          Maggie jumps back.

          TOM
          You scared me.
          And with that, he turns back to the job. Swing. CRUNCH.

          MAGGIE
          S scared you?
          Swing. CRUNCH.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Tom.
          Swing. CRUNCH.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          What are you doing?

          TOM
          (doesn't turn around)
          I'm supposed to dig.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          88. 

          CONTINUED:
          Swing. CRUNCH.
          Maggie walks around him, so she's facing him. He keeps
          working.

          MAGGIE
          What do you mean?
          Zom shrugs. Swings the pick.

          TOM
          I'm supposed to dig.

          MAGGIE
          Who says?
          He just looks at her from under his sweaty brows. You know
          who.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Oh.
          Tom manages to break apart the rock he was working on with the
          pick. He tosses the axe, which bounces crazily across the
          grass at Maggie's feet. She jumps out of the way. He hoists
          himself out of the hole and picks up the garden hose. He
          sprays water into the hole.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Why are you doing this?

          TOM
          Water softens up the dirt.
          He tosses the hose aside and grabs a shovel. He jumps back in
          the hole and starts to dig.

          MAGGIE
          No, I mean... Could you stop for a
          minute?
          (he keeps digging)
          Would you please stop for a minute?

          TOM
          What don' t you get? I'm supposed to
          dig.

          MAGGIE

          TOM! I'M ASKING YOU TO STOP FOR ONE

          MINUTE!
          He looks up, supremely irritated, and leans on the shovel.
          "Well?"

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           89. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
          MAGGIE (coat' d)
          M2y are you digging?

          TOM
          (isn't it obvious?),
          I'm searching.

          MAGGIE
          What are you searching for?

          TOM
          The question isn't "what." We both
          know very well "what," even if we
          don't want to may it out loud. The
          question, Maggie, which, as you can
          plainly see, I am very busy trying to
          answer -- the question is "Where?"

          MAGGIE
          I think we should call the police.

          TOM
          And tell them what, exactly? Run it
          by me once. Practice, see how it
          sounds.
          (looks at his watch)
          Anything else?

          MAGGIE
          Why don't you come in the house with
          me? Take a break. I want to talk to
          you, you're not yourself right now.

          TOM
          This is just fucking typical, isn't
          it?
          He climbs out of the hole and walks toward her.
          TOM (cont' d)
          What do you want me to do, Maggie, you
          want me to go inside, sit down in
          front of the TV, drink eight or nine
          beers till I fall asleep in the chair?
          Like that? Maybe repeat the whole
          thing tomorrow and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after and
          the day after and the day after-

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           90. 

          CONTINUED: (3)

          MAGGIE

          STOP!

          TOM
          -until I grab my chest-and die?!
          May )e I was already dead! This is the
          mos. important thing that's ever
          happâ¢ned to me, the most important
          thins I've ever done in my life,
          Maggie, my whole stupid life, and you
          want me to just STOP?!
          By the and of his tirade, TWO NEIGHBORS are staring over the
          back fence. He's only a few feet from Maggie now, the veins
          in his neck standing out. She holds her ground.

          MAGGIE

          (QUIETLY)
          I've known you since I'm nineteen
          years old, you never talked to me like
          that before. Not one time.
          He stares at her, furious --
          -- and then jumps in the hole and starts digging again.
          Maggie turns and stalks across the yard and into the house.
          Tom keeps digging for a moment, then hurls the shovel across
          the yard.

          TOM
          InterRUPtions!
          He picks up his tee shirt, snakes angrily into it, and marches
          across the yard toward the house.
          TOM (cant' d)
          (to the Neighbors)
          What are YOU lookin' at?

          INT KITCHEN DAY
          Maggie site at the kitchen table, reading the letter that came
          in on the fax. Tom comes into the room behind her, pauses in
          the doorway, composing himself. She keeps reading. He sighs,
          heavily. She doesn't turn around.
          He goes to the refrigerator and takes out a carton of orange
          juice. He takes two glasses from a cupboard and sits down at
          the table opposite her. He fills both glasses and puts one in
          front of her. She looks up at him as he drains his. He
          pauses, staring at her.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          91. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          You gonna drink that?
          She doesn't answer. He takes her glass, drinks some.
          TOM (cone' d)
          I'm sorry.
          No answer.
          TOM (coat' d)
          Okay, I'm not sorry.
          She ignores him. He looks at the letter in her hands.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Who's that from?

          MAGGIE
          My brother Steve. My mother's going
          back in the hospital again.

          TOM

          (IMMEDIATELY)
          No, sh-
          He stops himself. She looks at him.

          MAGGIE
          What?
          He shakes his head.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          What?

          TOM
          Nothing.
          They stare at each other. Tom's face is pale. Maggie is
          concerned.
          The phone RINGS. Maggie stares at Tom. The phone RINGS
          again. She lowers her voice, pleading.

          MAGGIE
          What is it?
          Tom can't look at her. The phone RINGS again. Tom gets up,
          opens the door that leads to the back yard, and goes outside.

          

          

          

          

          EXT BACK YARD DAY
          Tom takes a few steps out of the house, putting his hands to
          his head in pain. Whatever it is, he knows. In the house,
          the phone rings a fourth time. Maggie's voice drifts through
          the open doorway as she answers i;.

          MAGGIE ( - 9.)
          Hello?
          Tom closes his eyes.
          MAGGIE (o.s.)
          Steve, I was just going to-
          She stops. There is a long silence. Tom opens his eyes. A
          tear runs down his cheek. He wipes it away.
          He turns and walks back toward the house, slowly. There is
          dead silence inside. As he nears the doorway, he hears the
          sound of the telephone being placed back in its cradle.
          Maggie reaches the doorway at the same time Tom does. She
          looks up at him, her eyes filled with tears. He puts his arms
          around her and she breaks down. He holds her.
          He holds her for a long moment.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          You knew.
          (no answer)
          You knew, didn't you?

          TOM
          When's the funeral?

          MAGGIE
          Sunday. We should leave as soon as we
          can.

          TOM
          We?
          She stiffens.
          TOM (cont' d)
          Oh, you, uh... you want me to go with
          you?
          She looks at him, deeply hurt. Then enraged. She pushes him
          away from her, hard. He stumbles back into the yard.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          93. 

          CONTINUED:
          TOM (cont' d)
          Hey, I just thought, maybe, you
          know... your family might want...

          MAGGIE
          Do I WANT you to come with me:! To my
          MOTHER'S FUNERAL?! Of COURSE L want
          you to come, why the hell WOULLV'T you
          come?!
          But he's looking past her, at the holes in the yard.

          TOM
          I'm just... kind of in the middle of
          something here.
          She looks at him, absolutely incredulous --
          -- and then storms back into the house, SLAMMING the door so
          hard two of the glass panes spiderweb.

          CUT TO:

          EXT DRIVEWAY DAY
          Jake, twisted around in his car seat, looks out the back
          window of Maggie's car. He raises one hand, waving.
          Tom stands in the open doorway of the garage, still in his mud-
          stained jeans and tee shirt. He waves back.
          The car pulls out of the driveway, fast, and ROARS off down
          the block. Jake and Maggie are gone.

          EXT BACK YARD DAY
          There are now five large holes in the back yard, and Tom is
          running out of places to dig. Nevertheless, he drags the hose
          across the yard to an untouched patch of grass in the far
          corner.
          He stops short. Hose won't reach.

          AT THE SPIGOT,
          he unscrews the hose and carries it across the yard.

          AT ANOTHER SPIGOT,
          this one in the far corner, he reconnects the hose and turns
          on the water. Nothing comes out.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          94. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          Come on!
          Tom curses and trudges back toward the house.

          INT KITCHEN DAY
          Tom gets a screwdriver from a tool drawer in the kit-hen.

          INT DINING ROOM DAY
          Tom stomps into the dining room and goes to a closet on the
          far wall. He opens the door and tosses aside a carpet flap
          that covers the floor. He shoves the screwdriver into a crack
          in the floor and pries up a trap door, two feet square, in the
          middle of the closet floor.
          Through the hole, he can see a ladder resting up against the
          wall below. He feels for the rungs with his feet and starts
          to climb down.

          INT BASEMENT DAY
          As Tom climbs down, he reaches out for a chain that hangs from
          a bare bulb in the ceiling and turns it on. They have only a
          partial basement, a ten by ten foot space about eight feet
          deep. The rest of the area under the house is just crawl
          space, barely enough to wriggle through.
          Tom reaches the bottom and goes to the far side, where a mess
          of water pipes all converge. He picks through them, finds the
          valves that lead outside, turns one off and another one on.
          WATER surges through the pipes, headed out to the far spigot.
          He turns to climb back up the ladder.
          And stops.
          He looks down, at the floor. It's dirt.
          He kicks at the dirt with his shoe, thinking.

          A FEW MINUTES LATER,
          the pick axe falls. Tom has brought all his tools into the
          basement and is now digging in the middle of the basement
          floor. The bare bulb throws his exaggerated shadow on the
          earthen walls.
          He works.

          

          

          

          

          EXT OUR BLOCK DAY
          It's quiet in the neighborhood. The CRUNCHING sound of Tom's
          pick axe falling echoes over the block.

          INT BASEMENT DAY
          Tom digs. The hole is almost four feet across, five feet
          deep. He's uncovered a large rock, a major chunk of stone,
          right in the middle of where he wants to dig. He's excavated
          all around the edges of the thing and is trying to wedge it
          loose with a pry bar, but it won't budge.
          Tom collapses onto the floor, leaning against the pile of mud
          and stone he's already hauled out. He thinks.

          CUT TO:

          INT YARD SUPPLY WAREHOUSE DAY
          Tom walks down an aisle along one wall in a huge yard supply
          warehouse. Tools are mounted on the wall for sale -- shovels,
          picks, post hole diggers. Got all that. Tom keeps walking.
          The tools get bigger. Huge shovels. Tractor blades. Hand
          pile drivers. Almost, but not quite. Tom keeps walking.
          At the end of the row, underneath a sign that says "FOR RENTAL
          ONLY" is an industrial-size jackhammer, the kind road crews
          use to bust through whatever's in their way.
          Tom's face lights up.

          EXT STREET DAY
          The jackhammer rides in the back of Tom's pickup truck,
          rattling along as the truck bounces over potholes. Tom pulls
          into his driveway, comes around, and drops the gate.
          Using all his strength, he wrestles the jackhammer out of the
          back of the truck. It's incredibly heavy, it takes all his
          strength to haul it up the stairs, kick open his door, and
          bring it into the house.

          IN THE STREET,
          Lenny, the neighborhood crank, is washing his car. He hears a
          CRASH from over at Tom's place and turns. He sees Tom at his
          pickup, lugging a huge air compressor out of it.
          Tom fights his way into the house with the compressor.
          Lenny stares at him.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          96. 

          CONTINUED:
          Sheila, carrying flowers and looking like didn't sleep last
          night, comes out of her house and heads for her car. She
          stops and stares too.

          INT BASEMENT DAY
          In Tom's basement, the compressor descends through the trap
          door above, seemingly of its own accord -- than we see it's at
          the end of a rope and Tom is up in the trap door space,
          sweating and straining, lowering the thing down.
          It settles on the floor next to the jackhammer.

          A BIT LATER,
          Tom reaches up to the hanging light bulb, which also has an
          electrical outlet in its fixture, and plugs in a yellow safety
          cord.
          He flicks a switch on the compressor and it RATTLES to life.
          He follows a hose over to where it plugs into the side of the
          jackhammer, which now quivers with unleashed power.
          Tom picks up the jackhammer. He hauls it over to the rock
          that's been in his way. He positions the jackhammer's spike
          on the top of the rock. He lowers a pair of goggles over his
          eyes. He swings his weight up, onto the jackhammer, and
          squeezes the handles.
          The jackhammer ROARS to life. It's deafening. Tom's whole
          body quivers. It's like riding a bull, but the rock begins to
          split in half.
          Tom WHOOPS with joy, barely heard over the din that echoes in
          his basement.

          EXT STREET DUSK
          As the sun goes down, the sound of the ROARING jackhammer is
          plainly audible on the block. The familiar Homeless Guy stops
          and SHOUTS something at Tom's house.
          Across the street, Kurt Damon comes out his front door and
          stares at Tom's house. What the hell is that guy up to?

          CUT TO:

          INT UNCLE STEVE'S HOUSE NIGHT
          A group of PEOPLE IN DARK CLOTHES mill around a living room,
          muttering in the soft tones of those at a wake.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          97. 

          CONTINUED:
          There's a lot of big Irish guys drinking beer, guts stuffed
          into sweat-stained white shirts. Maggie excuses herself from
          the group and steps into another room.

          INT STEVE'S BEDROOM NIGHT
          The door is ajar, people visible through it as Maggie dials a
          nu-rber on a bedside telephone. The phone rings on the other
          enc. And rings. And rings. Just as she's about to hang up,
          Tom answers.
          TOM (o.s.)
          (sounds angry)
          Hello?

          MAGGIE
          It's me.
          TOM (o.s.)
          (changes his tone)
          Oh, hi. How ya doin'?

          MAGGIE
          I'm okay.
          TOM (o.s.)
          How's your family?

          MAGGIE
          You know. Drunk. Fighting with each
          other.
          TOM (o.s.)
          Listen, Maggie, I'm sorry. I was an
          asshole. I should be there with you
          right now.

          MAGGIE
          Yeah, well, what can I say? You are
          kind of an asshole. How do you feel?
          TOM (o.s.)
          Fine. A lot better. Much, much
          better. Everything's fine here. Real
          good.

          MAGGIE
          Have you had any-
          TOM (o.s.)
          Nope. Not even one.

          MAGGIE
          No, uh... no more digging?

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          98. 

          CONTINUED:
          TOM (o.s.)
          No. Uh uh. Back to normal.

          MAGGIE
          Look, I'm sorry too. I' wish I hadn't
          just stormed out of there, I shouldn't
          have left you alone.
          TOM (o.s.)
          I deserved it.

          MAGGIE
          Are you okay? You sound funny. What
          are you doing?
          TOM (o.s.)
          Just... moving a chair. There.

          MAGGIE
          Why don't you come up here with us?
          This time of night you could make it
          in an hour.
          TOM (o.s.)
          Well, I can't, really.

          MAGGIE
          Why not?
          TOM (o.s.)
          (a lame lie)
          I'm, uh, not supposed to use the truck
          for personal trips.

          MAGGIE
          (trying to keep her cool)
          Alright. I'll come down there and get
          you. I'll leave right now.
          Behind her, the bedroom door swings open. Jake stands there.
          He looks terrible. She doesn't hear him come in.
          TOM (o.s.)
          No, no, no, no, no, what do you want
          to do that for? Don't come down here.

          JAKE
          Feathers everywhere.
          Maggie turns back to Jake -- and GASPS. He's peeing his
          pants, the urine drizzling down over his shoes.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           99. 

          CONTINUED: (2)

          MAGGIE
          (into phone)
          Oh, my God, I gotta go. I'll be there
          in an hour.
          TOM (o.s.)
          Maggie, wait, no, Mag-
          She hangs up the phone and races over to her son.

          MAGGIE
          Honey, what happened? Why didn't you
          tell me you had to go to the potty?
          Jake turns and looks at her.

          JAKE
          Help Daddy.

          CUT TO:

          INT TOM & MAGGIE'S DINING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom SLAMS down the phone. He's standing in the dining room,
          which is now so mud-spattered it looks like the inside of a
          cave. The table has been shoved against the wall, legs
          sticking out into the room. One corner is filled with a pile
          of broken-up chunks of rock. Tom strides across the room in
          two steps, lowers himself, and drops his legs through the open
          trap door.

          INT BASEMENT NIGHT
          Tom sails down into the basement and lands nimbly on the
          floor. Doesn't even use the ladder anymore.
          The rock is gone, broken apart by the jackhammer, and the hole
          is now eight feet long and as many wide, and about four feet
          deep. Tom leaps down into it and goes back to work.

          CUT TO:

          INT STEVE'S HOUSE NIGHT
          In the front hall of the house, Maggie is putting on her coat.
          Jake sits on the steps, his coat on the carpet next to him.

          MAGGIE
          Jake, come on, we have to go.

          JAKE
          I'm staying here.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          100. 

          CONTINUED:

          MAGGIE
          What?

          JAKE
          I want to stay at Uncle Steve's, I
          don't want to go home.

          MAGGIE
          Why not?

          JAKE
          Because I'm not safe there. Because
          of the feathers.

          MAGGIE
          What does that mean, Jake?
          He shrugs. Philip, Maggie's brother, stands in the doorway to
          the other room.

          PHILIP
          It's okay, I can watch him.
          Maggie, in a hurry, agrees. She bends over and kisses Jake on
          the forehead.

          MAGGIE
          Be good.
          She opens the door and heads out. As it's swinging shut:

          JAKE
          Don't stop for the train, Mommy.

          EXT UNCLE STEVE'S HOUSE NIGHT
           Maggie hears that just as the door closes behind her. She
           misses a step, thinking about it, then starts walking to her
          car.
          She walks faster.
          Then she runs.

           CUT TO:

          INT BASEMENT NIGHT
          In the basement, Tom abruptly stops digging, staring at the
          dirt. The corner of something shiny is sticking out from the
          pile. He bends down and pulls it out.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          101. 

          CONTINUED:
          It's a piece of clear blue plastic sheeting, about two inches
          square. Tom's hand starts to shake as he holds it.

          AN IMAGE
          flas.es through his mind again, the one he's seen twice
          befoi-. A FACE, too close to his, sting at him through that
          blurr blue, like through bad eyeglasses.

          IN THE BASEMENT,
          Tom turns and leaps into the hole, shovel in hand. He begins
          to dig, wildly, flinging dirt in all directions. At one end
          of the hole, his shovel slips, the dirt spilling off it as it
          sticks on something. Something buried.
          Tom drops the shovel. He falls to his knees and uses his
          hands to rake the dirt away from whatever it was.
          More blue plastic.
          Tom tugs out about eight inches of the plastic, gets a good
          grip on it with both hands. He pulls it up.
          Like a rope pulled out of the sand, the edge of the blue
          plastic rises up, unearthing itself in a line down the middle
          of the pit.
          Breathing hard, Tom grabs the shovel again.

          THE DIRT,
          flies away from the plastic as Tom works furiously.

          TOM'S FACE
          is of a man possessed. He digs as fast as he can.

          FINALLY,
          Tom stands back, staring down at what he has unearthed.
          Above him, we see what it is. A long piece of blue plastic,
          wrapped around something about five and a half feet long and
          two and a half feet wide.
          Tom bends down and lays one hand on the plastic. He flinches.

          AN IMAGE
          pops into his mind, another familiar one. A FIGURE IN Afl
          OVERCOAT, standing on the front porch of Tom's own house in
          winter, waving to us to come up.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          102. 

          CONTINUED:

          IN THE BASEMENT,
          Tom jerks his hand off the plastic. He swallows.
          He goes to hi= toolbox and pulls out a utility knife. He
          slides the ra or blade forward.
          He goes to one and of the plastic, bends down, and jams the
          knife through the sheeting. He walks the length of it, making
          a slit down the middle. He reaches out with shaking hands and
          pulls part of the plastic back.
          The first thing he sees is a partially decomposed human hand.
          Around the withered wrist, there are a half dozen multi-
          colored bracelets.
          Tom yanks the rest of the plastic away, revealing the half-
          decomposed body of Samantha Muller, still in the black dress
          with the diamond pattern. Tom stands there, his chest
          heaving.
          He looks at her hand, thinking.
          He sits down next to her.
          He reaches out for her hand, then pulls his own back.
          Can't do it.
          But he's gotta. He opens his hand, reaching out for hers. He
          slides his hand underneath --
          takes a deep breath --
          -- and closes his living fingers around her skeletal ones.
          He GASPS.
          His face turns a horrible shade of pale, his lips go ice blue,
          and STEAM comes out of his mouth, the way it did hers when he
          first saw her in his living room.

          EXT TOM'S HOUSE DAY
          It's a wintry day. That same steam rises up in front of us,
          coming from our own mouth. We're looking at the front porch
          of Tom's house as we walk past it. The house is being
          remodeled, it's surrounded by scaffolding, its windows covered
          with plastic Duvateen.
          The Figure in the Overcoat waves to us.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          103. 

          CONTINUED:

          FIGURE
          Hi!

          SAMANTHA
          (off screen, we're in her point
          of vie sr)
          Hi.

          FIGURE
          C'mare a sec!

          SAMANTHA
          What?

          FIGURE
          I want to show you something!
          We look back, over our shoulder, then back at the Figure. You
          mean me? This close now, we see the Figure is Kurt Damon.

          SAMANTHA
          You want to show me something?
          Her manner of speech is childish, like a grade-schooler's.

          KURT

          (CHARMING)
          Well, of course! I don't see anybody
          else around!
          We start up the steps of the porch. Kurt smiles, beguilingly,
          and holds a hand out to us.

          SAMANTHA
          What is it?

          KURT
          It's a surprise.
          He tugs. She resists.

          SAMANTHA
          What kind of surprise?

          KURT
          Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be
          much of a surprise, would it?
          We let him pull us through the door.

          

          

          

          

           104. 

          INT HOUSE DAY
           Kurt leads us into the living room. The windows are covered
           with tinted plastic, casting an eerie blue light through the
          place.
          Adam McCarthy is in the living - loom too, drinking from a
           bottle of schnapps. He's drunk, slurring. He sees us.

          ADAM
          Happy St. Patrick's Day.

          SAMANTHA
          What's the surprise?

          ADAM
          Uh... don't you have it?
          He giggles.

          KURT
          Oh yeah, the surprise.

          ADAM
          The surprise.
          They laugh and look at each other. Kurt drinks, then forces
          the bottle back at Adam.
          ADAM (cant' d)
          I'm too wasted.

          KURT
          Drink, motherfucker, drink
          motherfucker, drink motherfucker

          DRINK!
          He wrestles with Adam, forcing him to drink. Half of it runs
          down Adam's chin.

          SAMANTHA
          I don't think there is a surprise.
          We turn and start for the door. Kurt hurries around,
          intercepts us.

          KURT
          Yeah there is, yeah there is.
          He puts his arm around us, leads us back into the room.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          105. 

          CONTINUED:
          KURT (cont' d)
          The surprise is... we decided we want
          to be your friends.

          SAMANTHA
          You do?

          ADAM
          Oh, yeah, so bad.
          He laughs.

          SAMANTHA
          Why do you want to be my friend?

          KURT
          Are you kidding? Look at yourself!
          Kurt turns Samantha toward an old mirror that hangs over the
          fireplace. She's good-looking, if she knew it. Terribly
          insecure, doesn't even like looking at herself. We turn away,
          embarrassed.
          KURT (coast' d)
          Ah ah ah, look!
          He makes us look in the mirror again.
          KURT (cont' d)
          Mama, you are hot.
          He turns her toward him, looks at her, closely.
          KURT (coast' d)

          (SOFT)
          Come on, let's be friends.

          SAMANTHA
          Well.., you can kiss me if you want
          to.
          Kurt leans in close, kisses us. After a moment, we force our
          head away, looking down. Kurt's hand is on Samantha's breast.
          We push him back.
          SAMANTHA (cont'd)
          Not like that!
          But Kurt pulls us closer, roughly. We struggle.

          KURT
          Come on, Samantha, I'll be your
          friend, I swear I will.

          (MORE)

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           106. 

          CONTINUED: (2)
           KURT (cont' d)
          Just be nice to me. Be a good girl.
          You're a good girl, aren't you?

          SAMANTHA
          I have to go home.
          We struggle some more. He gets his powerful hanis on our
          shoulders and starts to push us down.

          KURT
          Come on, baby, how `bout a little
          helmet wash?
          His belt buckle comes into our view, and his hands on it. We
          tear away, get up and run for the door.
          From behind, something hits us very hard. The floorboards
          race up at us, all of a sudden. We land on them, hard, bounce
          off, our own blood spraying out on the unfinished wood.
          Our head lands sideways on the floor. We see Adam McCarthy,
          vomiting in the corner.
          Abruptly, we're rolled over and are staring at the ceiling.
          Kurt Damon is on top of us, his face too close. Her hands
          rise up, try to push him off, but he's stronger.
          Samantha starts to SCREAM. Hands close over our face. She
          bites, and the hands are pulled away. She SCREAMS again.
          KURT (cont' d)

          SHUT UP! SHUT UP!
          Kurt holds her down, begins to try to undress her. She
          writhes and SCREAMS. She gets one hand into Kurt's hair and
          pulls as hard as she can. He SHOUTS in pain.
          In the corner, Adam McCarthy has his hands over his ears.

          ADAM

          MAKE HER STOP! MAKE HER STOP

          SCREAMIN', MAN, MAKE HER STOP!
          But she keeps screaming. Adam staggers to a boom box that's
          sitting on the fireplace mantle and flicks a switch. A SONG
          comes on, loud. It's a haunting tune, we recognize it.
          St's the song Jake has been humming.
          Kurt continues his fumbling, drunken attempts at rape, tearing
          her hand out of his hair.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

           107. 

          CONTINUED: (3)

          KURT

          SHUT HER UP! USE YOUR JACKET OR

          SOMETHING'
          Adam lunges to the wall and tears down a sheet of the blts
          plastic Duvateen. He races over to us with the sheet --
          -- and everything turns blue. Now our sights and sounds aye
          muffled and distorted through the blue plastic. We see the
          image that has haunted Tom, the face of Kurt Damon, a blue
          demon as he grapples on top of us.

          IN TOM'S BASEMENT,
          Tom is sprawled out beside the corpse, their hands locked
          together. His color is cadaverous. He's suffocating. He
          thrashes.

          IN THE HOUSE,
          back in Samantha's point of view, we struggle, we thrash, it
          seems to go on forever. Slowly, the sounds become fainter and
          fainter and fainter...
          and everything stops. We hear the muffled voices of Kurt
          and Adam SCREAMING at each other.
          The sheet is ripped off. We stare up at them as Kurt and Adam
          stand above us, chests heaving, revolted looks on their faces,
          looking at us like we're a dog they just killed with their
          car.

          ADAM
          Oh, my God.

          KURT
          What the fuck did you do that for?

          ADAM
          Is she dead?

          KURT
          No shit she's dead.

          ADAM
          Oh, my God.

          KURT
          Look at her tongue, man.

          ADAM
          I'm not here.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          108. 

          CONTINUED:

          KURT
          I never saw nobody dead before.
          We start to fall back, and down, as if sinking into the floor.
          Kurt and Adam grow taller, further away. Their voices fade.

          ADAM
          I wish I wasn't here.

          KURT
          It's fuckin' gross.

          ADAM
          This isn't happening.

          KURT
          Fuckin' plastic over her face. Good
          thinkin', Adam.

          ADAM
          What do we do now?
          Kurt and Adam are very far away, blobs of light at the end of
          a black tunnel that's closing in around us. Just before
          everything goes completely black --

          INT BASEMENT NIGHT
          Tom's fingers twitch open and his hand pulls free of
          Samantha's. He opens his eyes and gulps air. The color
          returns to his face as he pulls his hand away from hers.
          But as he does so, he stops, staring intently at something in
          her fingers. We don't see what it is.
          Tom draws himself to his feet and climbs the ladder that leads
          upstairs.
          As he goes, we pause, looking between two rungs near the top
          of the ladder. In the darkened crawl space under the rest of
          the house --
          -- a pair of eyes stare at us.
          It's Kurt Damon. He twists around quickly and scoots back out
          under the house, the way he came in.

          EXT TOM'S HOUSE NIGHT
          Under the front porch, a wood frame access panel lies on the
          grass next to the foundation of Tom's house, where it has been
          removed. Kurt Damon wriggles out from under the house and
          comes onto the grass.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          109. 

          CONTINUED:
          But the sound of the front door of Tom's house opening sends
          him scurrying back into the shadows. TOM'S FEET come down the
          steps and head off across the driveway.
          A moment later, Kurt darts out from'his hiding place and
          hurries across the street, toward his own house.
          "om, nearing the front steps of Frank's house next door,
          thought he heard something. He turns back, but Kurt is gone.
          Tom climbs the steps to Frank's house. Bouquets of flowers
          have been left here and there on the steps, along with a few
          candles and handwritten signs -- "Hang in there, Adam," "We
          Love You," that sort of thing.

          ON FRANK'S FRONT PORCH,
          Tom knocks on the front door. A moment later, Frank opens it.
          He looks devastated, shell-shocked, his eyes sunken from
          crying. He's wearing a red shirt we've seen before.

          TOM
          How's he doin'?
          Frank shrugs. Can't talk much.

          FRANK
          He might make it. Might not.
          Sheila's over there now, I'm headed
          back.

          TOM
          Frank, I'm sorry. I'm sorry
          because... I think I know why Adam
          shot himself. And I have to call the
          police about it. But I don't want you
          to hear it from them, I don't want
          Sheila to read it in the paper. You
          have the right to know before anybody
          else.

          FRANK
          What are you talking about?

          TOM
          Come with me.
          He nods toward his own house. Frank stares at him,
          frightened, but what could possibly be worse than what's
          already happened?

          FRANK
          Hang on a second.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          
          no. 

          CONTINUED:
          He turns and heads into the house. A few moments later he
          reappears, carrying his jacket.
          Tom leads him across the driveway. The Damon house is visible
          across the street. One by one, the 'lights flick on in its
          windows.
          Tom doesi.'t see. He and Frank reach the steps of his house
          and start up.
          FRANK (cont' d)
          This better be important.
          Tom doesn't answer, just opens the door and gestures for Frank
          to go first.

          INT DAMON GARAGE NIGHT
          In the Damon garage, HANDS scramble frantically through
          drawers and come up with a handgun. Now the hands find a box
          of bullets, shake them out onto a workbench.
          The hands load the gun.

          INT TOM & MAGGIE'S HOUSE NIGHT
          Tom closes and locks the front door. Frank looks at him ---
          well?
          Tom leads him toward the dining room.

          INT DAMON HOUSE NIGHT
          In the Damon house, the same hands pull on a pair of leather
          gloves. The gloved hands screw the top off a bottle of
          bourbon, raise the bottle to lips that drink heavily.

          INT DINING ROOM NIGHT
          Frank reacts to the ruined dining room. He looks at Tom.

          FRANK
          What the hell is goin' on around here?
          Tom goes to the trap door and lowers himself halfway through.
          Frank follows.

          INT DAMON HOUSE NIGHT
          The gloved hands carry the bottle of bourbon into the Damon
          living room, still under construction. The hands raise the
          bottle and offer it --

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          113. 

          CONTINUED:
          -- to Kurt Damon. Harry, his father, is the one wearing the
          gloves. Kurt looks terrified.

          HARRY
          Drink up. You got this'started,
          you're God damn well gonna help finish
          it.
          Kurt takes the bottle and drinks. He starts to lower it, but
          his father forces him to drink more, and more, until he nearly
          retches.

          INT TOM'S BASEMENT NIGHT
          Tom and Frank stand on opposite sides of the grave, staring
          down at the corpse of Samantha Muller. Frank is horrified.

          FRANK
          How did you find this?

          TOM
          Does it matter?

          FRANK
          You don't know it was Adam and Kurt.

          TOM
          It was.

          FRANK
          But there's nothing to... you're
          talking like a nut, that's what people
          will say. This is just a body, it
          doesn't prove anything.

          TOM
          No, it doesn't.
          He bends down and lifts Samantha's lifeless hand. He pries
          open her fingers.
          She's clutching a tuft of hair.
          TOM (cont' d)
          But this probably will.
          Frank stares for a long moment, struck dumb. Finally, he
          turns his back. His shoulders heave as he cries, silently.

          EXT OUR BLOCK NIGHT
          In the misty night, the figures of Harry and Kurt Damon come
          out of their house and skulk across the street, toward Tom's.

          

          

          

          

           112. 

          EXT ROAD INTO TOWN NIGHT
          Maggie drives, as fast as she can. Up ahead, red lights flash
          and gates fall in front of a set of railroad tracks. Train
          coming. Cars are stopped, waiting for it.
          Maggie pulls to a stop at the back of the line --
          -- then thinks better of it. She drops the car in gear, hauls
          it around the others, and bolts for the tracks. The train,
          nearly upon her, BLARES its horn.
          Maggie flies across the tracks and SLAMS through the gate on
          the other side, a split-second before the train HURTLES
          through the intersection behind her.
          She cuts it hard to the right to miss the waiting cars on the
          other side, and pulls it back on the road.
          She drives on, shaking like a leaf.

          INT BASEMENT NIGHT
          Frank is still sobbing, his back to Tom. Tom takes a step
          toward him, to comfort him.

          TOM

          FRANK-

          FRANK
          I mean...

          TOM
          Frank, we have to-

          FRANK
          I mean, what were we supposed to do?
          Tom stops.
          FRANK (cont' d)
          The kids come to us, she's already
          dead, the damage is done, there's
          nothin' gonna bring her back. But
          those boys, they've got everything
          ahead of them.
          Frank lets his jacket drop to the floor, revealing his right
          hand.
          He's holding the 38 with the carved white handle.
           He turns and looks at Tom.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          113. 

          CONTINUED:
          FRANK (coast' d)
          What were we supposed to do? Send our
          boys to jail for the rest of their
          lives? Our own flesh and blood? Over
          her?

          E3 T HOUSE NIGHT
          Hairy and Kurt Damon reach the front steps of Tom's house.
          They look up and down the block. There's no one out. No one
          to see.

          INT BASEMENT NIGHT
          Frank still has the gun hanging at his side, tears streaming
          down his cheeks.

          TOM
          Who you planning to shoot with that?

          FRANK
          Who do you think?

          TOM
          I think you haven't decided yet.
          He's right, and Frank knows it.

          FRANK
          Get out of here.

          TOM
          What are you gonna do, Frank?
          Frank raises the gun, in a fury.

          FRANK

          I BEEN LIVIN' WITH THIS FOR ALMOST A

          YEAR, YOU THINK ANYTHING YOU SAY IS

          GONNA MAKE ONE BIT OF DIFFERENCE TO

          ME?! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!

          TOM
          Frank, I won't go until you-
          Frank aims the gun just to the left of Tom's head and pulls
          the trigger. The bullet CRACKS off the ladder.

          FRANK

          GET OUT! GET OUT!
          Tom starts up the ladder.

          

          

          

          

           114. 

          INT DINING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom crawls out the trap door and hurries out of the dining
          room.

          INT LI"ING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom races ak. ross the living room, scoops hi: truck keys off
          the desk, opens the front door --
          and finds himself face to face with Harry Damon and his son
          Kurt. Harry SLUGS Tom in the face with the butt end of the
          gun.
          Tom falls to the floor, moaning. They step inside, quickly
          closing the door behind them. They don't speak.
          Kurt starts to drag Tom, who is still stunned, across the
          living room floor. Harry pulls a folded sheet of blue plastic
          from inside his jacket and spreads it out on the carpet.
          Kurt drags Tom into the middle of the plastic and drops him
          there. Tom is staring up at them, starting to regain his
          senses.

          KURT

          DON'T LOOK AT ME!

          HARRY

          ROLL HIM OVER!
          Kurt does. Tom, regaining his strength, starts to struggle,
          but Kurt puts his knee in the middle of. Tom's back and pulls
          his head back.
          Kurt is blubbering, hysterical.
          HARRY (con t' d)

          SHUT THE FUCK UP!
          Harry pulls the gun from his belt and raises it, putting it to
          the back of Tom's head.
          But then he lowers it, his hand shaking so hard he can barely
          hold onto it. He works up his nerve --
          HARRY (cont'd)

          AHHHHHH!!
          -- raises the gun again, puts it to the back of Tom's head,
          cocks it --

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          115. 

          CONTINUED:
          and a spray of headlights splashes across the far wall of
          the room.
          Nobody moves.
          Outside, they hear k car pull into the driveway and park. The
          engine shuts off.
          Kurt looks at his father, panicked.
          Harry looks down at Tom.
          Tom closes his eyes and prays.

          EXT DRIVEWAY NIGHT
          Maggie-pulls the keys from the ignition and gets out of the
          car. She walks toward the house, looking anxiously around the
          neighborhood.
          As she reaches the steps, the light in the living room window
          abruptly clicks off.
          She stops.
          She starts forward again, slowly. Now the porch light clicks
          off.
          It's real dark.
          Maggie digs the car keys out of her pocket and feels for
          something on the key chain. Something that's not there.

          MAGGIE
          Mace... shit.
          She starts up the stairs. She reaches the top. The last
          light that was on inside clicks off. Now the house is totally
          black inside.
          Remembering something, she pulls her purse around and feels
          inside it. She finds the butterfly knife, the one she found
          in Tom's pants. She holds it in her left hand, keys in her
          right.
          She goes to the door. She unlocks the deadbolt.
          Inside, she hears a SCURRYING sound.
          She unlocks the knob.
          She puts the keys back in her purse.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          116. 

          CONTINUED:
          She switches the knife to her right hand, keeping it closed,
          concealed.
          She opens the door.

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGF.T
          The room is pitch black, so b:Aggie leaves the door hanging
          open. Some light spills in from the street.

          MAGGIE
          Tom?
          No answer. She steps inside and fumbles for a light switch.
          She flicks it. Nothing happens.
          MAGGIE (cont' d)
          Are you here?
          She crosses the room to another light and CLICKS its switch.
          As the light floods the room:
          Harry, who was hiding behind the front door, BANGS it shut.
          Kurt Damon is still kneeling on Tom's back, holding one hand
          roughly over his mouth, trying to keep him quiet.
          MAGGIE (cont'd)

          WH-
          Harry raises the gun in his hand and points it at Maggie.
          She lunges toward Tom, but Harry grabs her by the arm and
          flings her roughly to the ground.
          Tom takes advantage of the moment to flip Kurt off his back.
          As the kid flies, Harry whirls, training the gun on Tom.

          HARRY

          DON'T MOVE!
          But Tom tries to scramble to his feet. Harry starts to
          squeeze the trigger --
          -- and SCREAMS in agony.
          Looking down, he sees Maggie has plunged the knife into his
          thigh. She rips it out and plunges it in again. Harry's arm
          flies up, the gun goes off, and the bullet RIPS through the
          ceiling.

          

          

          

          

          INT JAKE'S ROOM NIGHT
          On the second floor, in Jake's bedroom (which Jake is not in)
          the bullet CRACKS up through the floorboards, tears through
          his mattress, and bursts through the little boy's pillow.
          The pillow explodes in a cloud of fea-hers, which fly
          everywhere.
          Feathers everywhere.

          INT LIVING ROOM NIGHT
          Tom crawls over to Maggie and grabs hold of her, putting
          himself between her and Harry, who still has the gun.
          Over at the fireplace, Kurt Damon pulls the poker out of its
          holder.
          Harry aims the gun.
          Kurt lunges forward with the poker.

          BANG! BANG!
          Two shots ring out from the doorway to the dining room. Harry
          clutches his chest and drops to the floor.
           They all turn. Frank stands in the doorway to the dining
          room, clutching his 38. Kurt rushes toward him, SCREAMING,
          poker raised high.
          Frank pulls the trigger two more times.
          Kurt goes down.
          Maggie SCREAMS. Tom huddles over her.
          Frank lets the weapon slip from his fingers. It hits the
          hardwood with a CLATTER.
          Tom and Maggie look up. Frank looks at them. In that red
          shirt, he is exactly the image Tom saw of him in his dream.

          FRANK
          They were gonna kill you, Tommy. You
          and Maggie both.
          Frank turns and walks to the front door. He opens it, walks
          out onto the porch, and sits down on the top step, facing the
          street.
          Tom looks at Maggie. They're both in shock, can hardly speak.

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          118. 

          CONTINUED:

          TOM
          You... okay?
          Maggie nods, shaking.
          TOM (cont' d)
          You saved me. Baby, I'm alive be;ause
          of you...
          They hold each other.

          EXT FRONT PORCH NIGHT
          Tom comes out of the house. Frank, sitting on the top porch
          step, makes no attempt to flee. Tom sits down beside him.
          From all around the block, voices are starting to rise up --
          "Did you hear that?" "What the hell?!" "Somebody call a
          cop!" Frank shakes his head.

          FRANK
          Cold-blooded murder. I can't let
          something like that happen. Not here.
          He looks at Tom.
          FRANK (con t' d)
          This is a decent neighborhood.
          A few tentative faces gather across the street, staring at
          Tom's house, wondering what the hell. A SIREN wails in the
          distance.

          TOM
          I thought so, Frank. I sure as hell
          always thought so.

          DISSOLVE TO:

          INT HOSPITAL CORRIDOR DAY
          A NEWBORN BABY stares up at us from inside a rolling bassinet.
          The bassinet is wheeled swiftly down a hospital corridor by a
          NURSE. It's a long trip, wherever it's going, but the baby
          waits patiently, staring up at the ceiling, eyes open.
          Above the baby, the lights streak by, white blurs.
          The Nurse leans down and looks at the baby. To the baby,
          she's just a fuzzy blob.

          NURSE
          Almost there!

          (CONTINUED)

          

          

          

          

          119. 

          CONTINUED:
          The baby turns and looks sideways. The doors of the hospital
          rooms whiz by, brown smears.
          NURSE (cont' d)
          Just around this corner!
          She rolls the bassinet around a corner and toward one or in
          particular.
          The baby sees a bunch of shapes inside the room.

          INT HOSPITAL ROOM DAY
          Maggie, who has recently given birth, struggles to sit up in
          bad as the Nurse rolls the bassinet into the room. Tom,
          grinning, gets up from the chair he's sitting in with Jake.

          NURSE
          Meet the family!
          She picks up the baby and holds her out to Maggie, who takes
          her eagerly.

          MAGGIE
          Hi, baby, did you sleep well? I sure
          didn't.
          The baby sees Maggie's face, blurry, but friendly.
          Tom leans in.

          TOM
          So you're the one that's been kicking
          my wife!
          The baby sees Tom's blurry face. Jake steps up, onto a step
          stool, so he can see over the edge of the bed.

          JAKE
          Let me see, let me see!
          Maggie turns the baby so she's facing Jake. The infant looks
          at her older brother. At first, his face is as blurry as
          everybody else's. But slowly, Jake's face becomes crystal
          clear, even though everything around him stays out of focus.
          JAKE (cont' d)
          Can I hold her?

          MAGGIE
          If you're very, very careful. Climb
          up here.

          (CONTINUED)


          

          120. 

          CONTINUED:
          Jake climbs up on the bed. Maggie puts some pillows around
          him and carefully places the baby in his lap. Jake looks down
          at the infant. His expression becomes very serious. Gently,
          he reaches out with one hand and puts his fingertips on the
          baby's forehead, the same way he did to Tom's forehead that
          first night.
          The baby and Jake stare at each other for a long moment. So
          long, in fact, that the adults become uncomfortable.

          NURSE
          Well, they... certainly get along,
          don't they?
          Suddenly, Jake breaks into a wide grin and looks up at his
          parents, thrilled. Then he looks back at his sister. He
          leans down and whispers softly in her ear.

          JAKE
          Don't be afraid of s t.
          Tom and Maggie look at each other.


          FADE OUT