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+{"train": [ " Oh really? DAISY He said She laughs He said you gave him bad vibes. BATEMAN That'sthat's too bad. DAISY You think I'm dumb, don't you? BATEMAN What? DAISY You think I'm dumb. You think all models are dumb. BATEMAN insincerely No. I really don't. DAISY That's okay. I don't mind. There's something sweet about you. She takes his hand as they get into a cab. DAISY'S HALLWAY - LATER THAT NIGHT Bateman leaves Daisy's apartment carrying a suitcase. He pauses in the hallway and tucks some long blonde hair back inside the case. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON Bateman sits at his desk wearing Wayfarers doing the New York Times crossword puzzle at dusk. Jean knocks gently on the half-open door and walks in with a folder in her hand. Bateman ignores her. JEAN Doin' the crossword? Bateman nods without looking up. JEAN Need help? BATEMAN doesn't respond. We see that every space on the puzzle has been filled in with the words MEAT or BONE. Jean drops the folder on his desk and then walks out. BATEMAN Jean? JEAN Re-enters office Yes, Patrick? BATEMAN Would you like to accompany me to dinner? He erases one of the M's on the crossword puzzle. BATEMAN That isif you're not doing anything. JEAN Oh no. I have no plans. BATEMAN Lowering his Wayfarers Well, isn't this a coincidence. A pause. BATEMAN Listen, where should we go? He leans back and pulls a Zagat's from the desk drawer. JEAN Anywhere you want? BATEMAN Let's not think about what I want. How about anywhere you want. JEAN Oh Patrick, I can't make this decision. BATEMAN No, come on. Anywhere you want. JEAN Oh, I can't. Sighs I don't know. BATEMAN Come on. Where do you want to go? Anywhere you want. Just say it. I can get us in anywhere. A long pause. JEAN What aboutDorsia? Bateman stops looking through the Zagat's guide and smiles at her. BATEMAN SooooDorsia is where Jean wants to go JEAN Oh, I don't know. No, we'll go anywhere you want. BATEMAN Dorsia isfine. He dials the number. MAITRE D' Dorsia, yes? BATEMAN Yes, can you take two tonight, oh, let's say at nine o'clock? He checks his Rolex and winks at Jean. MAITRE D' We are totally booked. BATEMAN Oh really? That's great. MAITRE D' I said we are totally booked. BATEMAN Two at nine? Perfect. MAITRE D' There are no tables available tonight. The waiting list is also totally booked. BATEMAN See you then. He hangs up the phone. He walks over to the coat rack. He glances over at Jean, who is still standing in front of the desk, confused. BATEMAN Yes? You're dressedokay. JEAN You didn't give them a name. BATEMAN They know me. Pause. BATEMAN Why don't you meet me at my house at seven o'clock for drinks, okay? She turns to leave. BATEMAN And Jean? You'll want to change before we go out. BATEMAN'S APARTMENT - EARLY EVENING Jean stands by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out. JEAN Patrick, it's soelegant. What a wonderful view. Bateman opens up the freezer where Daisy's head is cleady visible. BATEMAN Jean? Sorbet? JEAN Thanks, Patrick. I'd love some. Bateman walks in with a bottle of wine and a corkscrew in his hand and hands her the sorbet. Jean is eating the sorbet. JEAN Want a bite? BATEMAN I'm on a diet. But thank you. JEAN You don't need to lose any weight. You're kidding, right? You look great. Very fit. BATEMAN Weighing the corkscrew examining the point for sharpness You can always he thinner. Lookbetter. JEAN Well, maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner. I don't want to ruin your willpower. BATEMAN No. It's all right. I'm not very good at controlling it anyway. Silence, as Bateman walks around his apartment, opens up his knife drawer, looking at the knives. BATEMAN So listen, what do you really want to do with your life? Pause. BATEMAN And don't tell me you enjoy working with children, okay? JEAN Well, I'd like to travel. And maybe go back to school, but I really don't knowI'm at a point in my life where there seems lo be a lot of possibilities, but I'm so I don't knowunsure. Bateman is touching a knife in the drawer, feeling the edge of the blade. BATEMAN Do you have a boyfriend? JEAN No, not really. BATEMAN Interesting. JEAN Shyly Are you seeing anyone? I mean, seriously? BATEMAN Maybe. I don't know Not really. Bateman opens up a cupboard where there are a lot of very Bateman opens a cupboard where there are a lot of neatly ordered weapons - an ax, a rifle, a chain saw, duct tape, twine and a nail gun. BATEMAN Jean, do you feelfulfilled? I mean, in your life? JEAN Well, I guess I do. For a long time I was too focused on my work, I think, but now I've really begun to think about changing myself, you know, developing, andgrowing. BATEMAN Growing. I'm glad you said that. Bateman picks up the duct tape. BATEMAN Did you know that Ted Bundy's first dog, a collie, was named Lassie? Had you heard this? JEAN Who's Ted Bundy? BATEMAN Forget it. JEAN What's that? BATEMAN Oh. Uh, tape. Duct tape. Ineed it for taping something. Bateman goes back to the cupboard for the nail gun. JEAN Patrick, have you ever wanted to make someone happy? Jean puts her spoon down on the table. BATEMAN Looking up from loading nails into the gun WhatNo! Put it in the carton. JEAN Sorry. She puts the spoon in the carton BATEMAN Jean? What? JEAN Make someone happy-have you ever wanted to? From behind, we follow Bateman as he walks across the room and stands behind the couch. BATEMAN I'm looking forI guess you could say I just want to have a meaningful relationship with someone special. JEAN Hmmmm. He points the nail gun at the back of Jean's head. The phone RINGS. Startled, Bateman hides the nail gun behind his back. The answering machine picks up. As Bateman listens he discreetly places the nail gun behind the couch. He sits down opposite Jean, enjoying her discomfort as she listens to the message. EVELYN Patrick I know you're there. Pick up the phone, you bad boy. What are you up to tonight? It's me. Don't try to hide. I hope you're not out with some little number you picked up because you're my Mr. Bateman. My boy next door. Anyway you never called me and you said you would and I'll leave a message for Jean about this too to remind you but we're having dinner with Melania and Taylor-you know Melania, she went to Sweet Briar, auld Taylor, he went to Cornell-and we're meeting at the Cornell Club, so l'll call you tomorrow morning probably-bye, honey-oopps! You hate that. Bye Mr. Big Time CEO Patrick. Bye. Bye. Silence. Jean is obviously embarrassed and upset. JEAN Was thatEvelyn? Silence. JEAN Are you still seeing her? Silence. JEAN I'm sorry, I have no right to ask that. Silence. JEAN Do you want me to go? A long pause. BATEMAN Yes. I don t think I cancontrol myself. JEAN I know I should go. I know I have a tendency to get involved with unavailable men, andI mean, do you want me to go? Another long pause. BATEMAN If you stay, I think something bad will happen. I think I might hurt you. Almost hopefully You don't want to get hurt, do you? JEAN No. No, I guess not. I don't want to get bruised. You're right, I should go. She gets up to leave. JEAN And don't forget you have a breakfast meeting with Frederick Bennet and Charles Rust at ' . BATEMAN Thanks. It slipped my mind completely. He sinks back on the sofa and shuts his eyes. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - DAY Bateman enters P&P, walks up the corridor and pauses outside the door to his office. He sees KIMBALL in conversation with Jean, and Jean looking through her date book. He watches for a moment, frozen with anxiety. He then bursts in, shutting the door behind him. BATEMAN Kimball-I've been wanting to talk with you, Come into my office. Jean, great jacket. Matsuda? Jean looks flustered. Kimball follows Bateman into his office. KIMBALL I actually came to see Timothy Price, but he's taken a leave of absence. BATEMAN Yeah, gone into rehab. Shame. Hopefully Is he a suspect? KIMBALL Not really. A pause. KIMBALL Do you remember where you were on the night of Paul's disappearance? He checks his notebook Which was on the twentieth of December? BATEMAN GodI guessI was probably returning videotapes. He opens his desk drawer and pretends to search through his diary. BATEMAN I had a date with a girl named Veronica. KIMBALL Wait. That's not what I've got. BATEMAN What? KIMBALL That's not the information I've received. BATEMAN WellIWaitWhat information have you received? KIMBALL Let's see He flips through his notebook That you were with- BATEMAN Well, I could he wrong. KIMBALL WellWhen was the last time you were with Paul Owen? BATEMAN Clearly nervous and under pressure We hadgone to a new musical calledOh Africa, Brave Africa. It wasa laugh riotand that's about it. I think we had dinner at Orso's. No, Petaluma. No, Orso's. Thelast time I physically saw him wasat an automated teller. I can't remember whichjust one that was near, um, Nell's. Kimball is clearly giving up on Bateman for now. He opens his briefcase to put away his notebook. KIMBALL Well, thank you, Mr. Bateman. BATEMAN Patrick, please. I hope I've been informative. Long day-a bit scattered. KIMBALL Listen, I'm a little spent for now but how about lunch in a week or so when I've sorted out all this information? BATEMAN Great, yes, I'd like that. KIMBALL And if you could try and pin down where you were the night of Owen's disappearance, it would make my job a lot easier. BATEMAN Absolutely. I'm with you on that one. Kimball is rifling through his briefcase. He pulls out a new shrink wrapped CD and holds it up. KIMBALL Huey Lewis and the News. Great stuff. Heard it? I just bought it on my way here. Bateman stares at the CD - stunned, terrified. BATEMAN Never. I meanI don't really like singers. KIMBALL Not a big music fan, eh? BATEMAN No, I like music. Just-they're-Huey's too black sounding. For me. KIMBALL Well, to each his own. So-lunch, Thursday? I'll call your secretary about reservations. BATEMAN I'll be there. MEAT PACKING DISTRICT/ LIMOUSINE - NIGHT The same street corner where Bateman found Christie before. The limo is kept idling as he talks to her through a half-opened window. CHRISTIE I'm not so sure about this. I had to go to Emergency after last time BATEMAN Oh this won't be anything like last time, I promise. CHRISTIE I don't think so. He hands her a $ bill. BATEMAN Just come in the limo and talk to me for a minute. The driver's here, you'll be safe. Christie gets in hesitantly. BATEMAN Nothing like last time, promise. CHRISTIE Alright. He pours her a shot of vodka and makes her drink it. BATEMAN Chatting as if they were at a cocktail party So, you're looking great, how have you been? CHRISTIE A little confused Well, I actually might need a little surgery after last time. BATEMAN Mock shock Really? CHRISTIE My friend told me I should maybe even get a lawyer. BATEMAN Oh, lawyers are so complicated-don't do that. Here. He writes her a check for $I, to cash and hands it to her. She snatches the check out of his hand and gets quickly out of the limo, walking hurriedly down the street. BATEMAN Bitch. He follows alongside her slowly in the limo, waving a huge wad of cash at her. She hesitates; he uses the money to lure her into the car. As she reluctantly gets into the limo, she reaches for the money. He snatches it away. BATEMAN Uh uh uh. Half now, half later. She takes the money and puts it inside her shirt. BATEMAN Okay, your name is Christie. We're meeting a friend of mine, Elizabeth. She'll be joining us in my new apartment shortly. You'll like her. She's a very nice girl. Don't say anything about yourself. Is that clear. Christie? Christie nods. PAUL OWEN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The living room: ELIZABETH has kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the couch underneath the Baselitz. Elizabeth is an attractive, dark-haired society girl who models occasionally. Christie is sitting on the couch opposite her, pretending to examine a CD. ELIZABETH You look really familiar. Did you you go to Dalton? Christie shakes her head. The kitchen: Bateman is grinding up tabs of Ecstasy and putting them in a bottle of wine. In the living room, Elizabeth is still staring at Christie as if she came from Mars. ELIZABETH I think I met you at Au Bar, didn't I ? With Spicey? Christie looks blank. ELIZABETH Well, maybe not with Spicey but it was definitely at Au Bar. Christie still blank. ELIZABETH You know, Au Bar? Christie shakes her head. ELIZABETH Anyway, Au Bar sucks now, it's terrible. I went to a birth day party there for Malcolm Forbes. Oh my God, please. Bateman enters carrying the bottle of wine and two glasses. Christie, who seems frightened, sips her wine and stares at the floor. There is an awkward silence. CHRISTIE This is nicer than your other apartment. BATEMAN Offended that she prefers Owen's apartment It's not that nice. Silence. CHRISTIE Where did you two meet? ELIZABETH Oh God! I met him at, oh God, the Kentucky Derby in ' -no, ', and Turning to Patrick You were hanging out with that bimbo Allison Poole. Sarcastically Hot number. BATEMAN What do you mean, she was a hot number. ELIZABETH If you had an American Express card she'd give you a blowjob. To Christie Listen, this girl worked in a tanning salon, need I say more?...What do you do? A long silence. Christie reddens and stares at the floor. BATEMAN She's mycousin. ELIZABETH Skeptically Uh huh? BATEMAN She's fromFrance. A pause. Elizabeth looks at Bateman dubiously. ELIZABETH Where's your phone? I've got to call Harley. Bateman hands her a cordless phone. She dials, and stares At Christie while she waits for someone to answer. ELIZABETH Where do you summer? Southampton? Christie looks at Bateman and then back at Elizabeth. CHRISTIE No. ELIZABETH Listening to the receiver Oh God, it's his machine. BATEMAN Elizabeth, it's three in the morning. ELIZABETH He's a goddamn drug dealer! These are his peak hours. BATEMAN Don't tell him you're here. ELIZABETH Why would I? Bateman has poured her another glass of wine. She downs the whole glass, making a face. ELIZABETH This tastes weird. She examines the label and shrugs Harley? It's me. I need your services. Translate that anyway you'd like. I'm at- BATEMAN Whispering You're at Paul Owen s. ELIZABETH Who? BATEMAN Whispering Paul Owen. ELIZABETH I want the number, idiot. She waves him away and continues into the reciever Anyway, I'm at Paul Norman's and I'll try you later and if I don't see you at Canal Bar tomorrow night I'm going to sic my hairdresser on you. She hangs up. ELIZABETH Did you know that guy who disappeared? Didn't he work at Pierce & Pierce, too? Was he a friend of yours? BATEMAN No. ELIZABETH Do you have any coke? Or Halcyon? I'd take a Halcyon. Bateman sits next to Elizabeth on the couch and pours her another glass of the drugged wine. BATEMAN Listen, I would just like to seethe two of youget it on. What's wrong with that? It's totally disease-free. ELIZABETH Laughing Patrick, you re a lunatic. BATEMAN Come on. Don't you find Christie attractive? ELIZABETH Let's not get lewd. Flirty I'm in no mood to have a lewd conversation. BATEMAN Come on. I think it would be a turn-on. ELIZABETH To Christie Does he do this all the time? Christie shrugs. BATEMAN Christie, you're not drinking your wine. Christie looks at her wine and gingerly takes a sip. BATEMAN To Elizabeth Are you telling me you've never gotten it on with a girl? ELIZABETH No! I'm not a lesbian. Why do you think I'd be into that? BATEMAN Well, you went to Sarah Lawrence for one thing. ELIZABETH Those are Sarah Lawrence guys, Patrick. You're making me feel weird. LATER: Elizabeth is now writhing around on the couch and making out with Christie. Bateman holds up a Whitney Houston CD, showing them the picture of Whitney on the cover. BATEMAN Did you know that Whitney Houston's debut LP called simply Whitney Houston had four number-one singles on it? Did you know that, Christie? Whitney's voice leaps across so many boundaries and is so versatile-though she's mainly a jazz singer-that it's hard to take in the album on a first listening. ELIZABETH You actually listen to Whitney Houston? You actually have a Whitney Houston CD? More than one? She giggles, rolling off the sofa onto the floor. BATEMAN Ignoring her It's hard to choose a favorite track among so many great ones, but 'The Greatest Love of All' is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation and dignity. It's universal message crosses all boundaries, and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. to act kinder. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in the world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. As he speaks, he opens the case and carefully places the CD in the player, admiring its pristine silver surface, and watches it slide into the machine. BATEMAN It's an important message, crucial, really, and it's beautifully stated on the album. BEDROOM - LATER AN OUT-OF-FOCUS HOME VIDEO SHOT of Elizabeth, Christie and Bateman in the throes of sex, in the master bedroom. CUT BACK TO WIDE SHOT of the bedroom, partially blocked by the video camera in the foreground. Their bodies are an incoherent tangle of arms and legs. The only sounds are moans, heavy breathing and the slapping of flesh against flesh. CLOSE ON Christie's head and shoulders. Her eyes are shut as she grimly concentrates on giving a good professional performance, turning her head every so often to check the progress of her partners. OFFSCREEN WE HEAR Elizabeth panting in genuine pleasure, moaning loudly. Her voice gets louder and louder and then shifts to actual pain. Bateman rises up off the bed, suddenly appearing behind Christie. There is blood on his face. Christie turns her head and sees him. She screams and leaps off the bed, running out of the room. She slams the mirrored door behind her, and as it swings shut for a split second we see Elizabeth writhing in pain on the bed. We follow Christie out of the room, panicking, screaming. Christie runs down a darkened hallway, frantically opening doors, looking for an escape. She hears the SOUND OF A CHAINSAW coming from the bedroom. She opens a closet. The closet lights up as she opens the door and sees two dead, women hanging inside. She screams, then claps a hand over her mouth. She stops and listens. THE DISTANT SOUND OF THE CHAINSAW. She backs away slowly, into another dark room, lit only by the light from a television set. Through the darkness she sees a head on the top of the TV and starts to whimper. She runs toward the nearest door. Finding herself in the main hallway, she begins to jog toward the front door, then runs. Bateman appears from nowhere, holding the chainsaw, spattered with blood. Christie screams and changes direction. Bateman leaps at her, bellowing. They run through the bedroom and into the bathroom. Christie trips over Elizabeth's body, which is half in the bathtub. Both are slipping on the floor, which is slick with blood. Christie falls, tries to get up. Bateman grabs her leg. He tries to bite it. She kicks him in the face and gets up, running toward the front door. He runs after her. BATEMAN Not the face, you bitch. Not the fucking face, you piece of bitch trash! Christie, screaming, makes it out the front door. Bateman runs after her. She runs down the hall screaming and banging on doors. She moves to the elevator, pounding hysterically on the buttons. She sees the stairwell and runs for it. Bateman sees this and runs after her, revving the chainsaw. She runs down the stairs, Bateman two flights behind her. He stops, leans over the railing to look at her, then aims the chainsaw at her and drops it. Christie SCREAMS OFFSCREEN, then is suddenly silent. FROM BATEMAN'S POV we see Christie's body sprawled facedown at the bottom of the stairwell. The chainsaw sticks out of her back like a sword. CRAYONS - EARLY EVENING An insanely expensive restaurant with a childhood motif: paper tablecloths and jars of crayons for drawing, lots of primary colors, and a goldfish bowl on each table. Bateman is at a table with Evelyn. They are both drawing on the tablecloth. Bateman is drawing Christie with the chainsaw in her back. EVELYN I want a firm commitment. BATEMAN I think, Evelyn, that we'velost touch. Evelyn waves to a couple across the room. EVELYN Distracted Why? What's wrong? BATEMAN Speaking very carefully, measuring each word My need to engage in homicidal behavior on a massive scale cannot be, um, corrected, but I have no other way to fulfill my needs. The woman across the room holds up her hand, displaying a new bracelet. Evelyn smiles and nods approvingly. BATEMAN We need to talk. EVELYN Talk about what, Patrick? What is there to talk about? BATEMAN It's over, Evelyn. It's all over EVELYN Motioning to the waiter for water Touchy, touchy. I'm sorry I brought the wedding up. Let's just avoid the issue, alright? Now, are we having coffee? BATEMAN I'm fucking serious. It's fucking over. Us. This is no joke. I don't think we should see each other anymore. EVELYN But your friends are my friends. My friends are your friends. I don't think it would work. Reaching over to dab his face with a napkin You have a little something on your upper lip. BATEMAN Brushing her hand away I know that your friends are my friends. I've thought about that. You can have them. Evelyn stares at him, suspicious and bewildered, a realization dawning. EVELYN You're really serious, aren't you? BATEMAN Yes, I am. EVELYN But what about the past? Our past? BATEMAN We never really shared one. EVELYN You're inhuman. BATEMAN I'min touch with humanity. Evelyn, I'm sorry. He pauses, as if searching for the right words You're just not terribly important to me. Evelyn begins to cry. EVELYN No, no, no. BATEMAN I know my behavior iserratic sometimes. She reaches desperately across the table and takes his hand. Bateman pulls his hand away. EVELYN Sobbing What do you want me to do, what is it you want? The occupants of nearby tables begin to stare. Bateman is becoming increasingly agitated and embarrassed. BATEMAN Looking uncomfortably around the room If you really want to do something for me, you can stop making this scene right now. EVELYN Oh God, I can't believe this. BATEMAN I'm leaving now. I've assessed the situation and I'm going. Evelyn makes an effort to compose herself. She blots the tears so they will not affect her make-up. EVELYN Surprisingly calm Where are you going? BATEMAN I'm just leaving. EVELYN But where? BATEMAN I have to return some videotapes. He rushes out of the room. TRIBECA STREET - EVENING Bateman wanders into misty Tribeca streets, sees a stray cat. BATEMAN Here kitty, kitty. The small mangy cat rubs against him. He picks it up and walks toward an ATM, holding the cat. He puts his card in the machine. The screen reads: FEED ME A STRAY CAT. Bateman begins to attempt to shove the kitten into the deposit slot with some difficulty. The kitten squeals. He takes a gun from out of his pocket and points it at the kitten. He doesn't notice the woman waiting behind him. WOMAN Oh my God! Stop that! What are you doing? Bateman wheels around and shoots her. She falls screaming to the floor. Responding to the gunshot, A POLICE CAR SIREN WAILS in the distance. Bateman breaks into a run. The police car screeches after him. COP CAR HALT STOP. PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON. Bateman ducks down an alley. ALLEY - NIGHT A COP rushes toward him, seemingly from out of nowhere, and tackles him, trying to get the gun away from him. Bateman manages to shoot the cop in the face while both of them have their hands on the gun, then shoots him again. He reloads the gun. The sound of more COP CARS arriving. He runs out of the alley. STREET - NIGHT As he reaches the street, he finds A PHALANX OF POLICE CARS approaching. COP CAR Halt. Put down your weapon. The cops leap out and fire a warning shot in the air. Bateman shoots at them. The police return fire. Bateman ducks down behind a parked car and continues shooting wildly. A bullet hits the gas tank of one of the police cars. It catches fire and explodes. The flames light up the scene, illuminating the bodies of policemen both living and dead. NEW ANGLE: Bateman flees from the scene. The camera follows him as he runs along a row of Porsches, trying to open each one, setting off a cacophony of CAR ALARMS. THE SOUND OF POLICE SIRENS draws near. NEW ANGLE: He runs, panting, until he ends up in front of a tail, brilliantly lit office building. As he approaches, the lights in the building are going off floor by floor. OFFICE BUILDING - NIGHT He rushes into the lobby, running for the elevator. NIGHT WATCHMAN Burning the midnight oil, Mr. Smith? You forgot to sign in. Bateman wheels around and shoots him. He runs toward the revolving doors. As he swings around in the doors, he notices a JANITOR who has witnessed the shooting. He revolves back into the lobby and shoots the janitor. NEW ANGLE: He runs out of the building and across the street to an identical office building, the one that houses Pierce & Pierce. PIERCE & PIERCE LOBBY - NIGHT Bateman nods at the Pierce & Pierce NIGHT WATCHMAN and signs in. He breathes a sigh of relief as the elevator doors close behind him. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Bateman stands looking out through the floor-length windows at a panoramic night view of the city and the river. Below him he sees a SWAT TEAM swarming over the roof of the opposite building. There are ambulances standing by, flares everywhere, distant sirens. Suddenly, THE SOUND OF A HELICOPTER draws near. Frightened, he drops to the floor behind his desk. Helicopter searchlights scan the building, illuminating Bateman's office for a few moments with a blaze of light. He is crouched in one corner, half-sobbing, talking into the phone, as the searchlight keeps circling. BATEMAN Harold, it's Bateman. Patrick Bateman. You're my lawyer so I think you should know-I've killed a lot of people. Some escort girls, in an apartment uptown, some homeless people, maybe five or ten, an NYU girl I met in Central Park. I left her in a parking lot, near Dunkin' Donuts. I killed Bethany, my old girlfriend, with a nail gun. and a man, some old faggot with a dog. Last week I killed another girl with a chainsaw-I had to, she almost got away There was someone else there, maybe a model, I can't remember but she's dead too. And Paul Owen. I killed Paul Owen with an ax, in the face. His body is dissolving in a bathtub in Hell's Kitchen. I don't want to leave anything out hereI guess I've killed people, maybe -I have tapes of a lot of it. Some of the girls have seen the tapes, I even well, I ate some of their brains and I tried to cook a little. Tonight I just, well, I had to kill a lot of people and I'm not sure I 'm going to get away with it this time-I mean I guess I'm a pretty sick guy. So-if you get hack tomorrow, I may show up at Harry's Bar, so, you know, keep your eyes open. Bateman hangs up the phone. The helicopter searchlight circles back, briefly illuminating the room. The camera rises up over Bateman huddled in the corner, staring blankly at the sky. SMITH AND WOLLENSKY RESTAURANT - DAY KIMBALL and Bateman are sitting at a corner table. KIMBALL Very surprised No hash browns? BATEMAN Not in the mood, I guess. KIMBALL Buteveryone orders the hash browns here. I mean- it's-have you been here before? BATEMAN Deliberately nonchalant Yes, of course. The hash browns are delicious. I'm justnot ordering them. KIMBALL Looking at him like he's nuts Suit yourself, I guess. Pause. KIMBALL So, the night he disappeared? Any new thoughts on what you did? BATEMAN I'm not really sure. I had a showerand some sorbet? KIMBALL I think maybe you've got your dates mixed up. BATEMAN But how? Where do you place Paul that night? KIMBALL According to his date book, and this was verified by his secretary, he had dinner withMarcus Halberstam. BATEMAN And? KIMBALL I've questioned him. BATEMAN Marcus? KIMBALL Yes. And he denies it. Though at first he couldn't be sure. BATEMAN But Marcus denied it? KIMBALL Yes. BATEMAN Well, does Marcus have an alibi? KIMBALL Yes. A pause. BATEMAN He does? You're sure? KIMBALL smiling I checked it out. It's clean. BATEMAN Oh. KIMBALL Now where were you? He laughs BATEMAN Laughing with him Where was Marcus? KIMBALL He wasn't with Paul Owen. BATEMAN So who was he with? KIMBALL He was at Atlantis with Craig McDermott, Frederick Dibble, Harry Newman, George Butner and � He pauses, Then looks up - you. A moment of stunned silence. BATEMAN Oh, right. Of courseWe had wanted Paul Owen to come. But he said he had plansI guess I had dinner with Victoriathe following night. KIMBALL Personally I think the guy went a little nutso. Split town for a while. Maybe he did go to London. Sightseeing. Drinking. Whatever. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he'll turn up sooner or later. A pause I mean, to think that one of his friends killed him, for no reason whatsoever would be too ridiculous. Isn't that right, Patrick? McDermott stops by the table. McDERMOTT KIMBALL! How's the investigation? Talking to Bateman? Don't believe a word he says. Laughs uproariously slapping him on the back Bateman, what's wrong with,you? Bateman looks at him in silence, panicking. McDERMOTT You can't eat at Smith and Wollensky without ordering the hash browns. Jesus, Bateman, you're a raving maniac. Been at Pierce & Pierce too long. He wanders off muttering No fucking hash browns PAUL OWEN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY Bateman walks into the lobby of Paul Owen's building. He has a surgical mask in one hand. DOORMAN What can I do for you, sir? BATEMAN B. DOORMAN Of course. Mrs. Wolfe is up there right now. BATEMAN Mrs. Wolfe? DOORMAN The real estate agent? You do have an appointment, don't you? Bateman steps out of the elevator and walks cautiously down the hallway. Owen's door is open. The apartment is freshly painted and has been immaculately redecorated in English country-house style: overstuffed sofas, lots of chintz. There are flowers everywhere, and a YOUNG YUPPIE COUPLE stands admiring the place talkingto the realtor, MRS. WOLFE. Bateman wanders down the hallway, looking for familiar signs. He stops at the closet where we last saw two dead girls hanging. He opens the door and the light switches on, but it is empty. Mrs. Wolfe approaches, smiling. MRS. WOLFE Are you my two o'clock? BATEMAN No. Mrs. Wolfe eyes him strangely, then looks down at the surgical mash clutched in his hand. Her expression changes. MRS. WOLFE Can I help you? BATEMAN I'm looking forPaul Owen'splace. She stares at him impassively. BATEMAN Doesn't he live here? MRS. WOLFE No, he doesn't. BATEMAN Are you sure? MRS. WOLFE You saw the ad in the Times? BATEMAN No. Yes. I mean yes, I did. In the Times. But doesn't Paul Owen still live here? MRS. WOLFE There was no ad in the Times. Bateman is shaking as they continue to stare at each other. MRS. WOLFE I think you should go now. BATEMAN But I thinkI want to know what happened here. MRS. WOLFE Don't make any trouble. Please. I suggest you go. Bateman backs away slowly. MRS. WOLFE Don't come back. BATEMAN I won'tdon't worry. Mrs. Wolfe glares at him as he walks down the hall, rattled, and gets into the elevator. DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY Bateman enters the revolving door of an office building, panicking and breathing heavily. He is sweating, his hair is wild, and he looks deranged. He goes around the revolving door twice and comes out onto the street again, where he bumps smack into a GUY just like him. GUY Hey, Kinsley. Bateman looks up at him wild-eyed. GUY See you at Fluties, okay? The guy walks away, utterly unfazed. Bateman wanders down the street, banging his briefcase against walls, garbage cans, etc. MIDTOWN PHONE BOOTH - DAY Bateman searches his pockets for pills. He finds three different pills and swallows them. He's sweating, and takes his jacket off to wipe his face, dialing a number. JEAN Patrick Bateman's office. BATEMAN Jean? Hello? Jean? JEAN Patrick? Is that you? BATEMAN Hello? Jean, I need help! JEAN Where are you? BATEMAN Jean-I'm not- JEAN Craig McDermott called. He wants to meet you and David Van Patten and Tim Price at Harry's for drinks. BATEMAN Oh God, what did you say, you dumb bitch? JEAN Patrick? I can't hear you. BATEMAN What are I doing? JEAN Where are you? Patrick, what's wrong? BATEMAN I don't think I'm gonna make it, Jean. Pause. BATEMAN to the office this afternoon. JEAN Why? BATEMAN Screaming Justsayno! JEAN What is it, Patrick? Are you alright? BATEMAN Stop sounding so Fucking sad! Jesus! He hangs up. He throws the Walkman which is around his neck into a nearby trash can, and wipes his face with his jacket. BATEMAN'S OFFICE- SAME DAY Jean sits at Bateman's desk. She looks around, and then opens his desk drawer and tentatively begins to search through it. HARRY'S BAR - EVENING Bateman comes into the bar, a little cleaned up from the previous scene he's smoothed his hair), but still panicking and disheveled. He spots his friends in a corner, sits down, still breathing heavily. Price is on his cell-phone, trying to get reservations. McDERMOTT Bateman, you're looking a little wild-eyed rough day at the office? They all laugh. McDERMOTT Hey, look-Price is back. And he's drinking Perrier. He s a changed man. Excepthe still can't get a reservation to save his life. Bateman sits down silently. McDERMOTT Why don't you try I Wooster? Just fucking call them. BATEMAN On automatic I'm not going anywhere unless we have a reservation. VAN PATTEN Le Cirque, Flamingo East, Oyster Bar, come on, faggots-just get a res. PRICE Keep your shirt on. Maybe lose the suspenders. Bateman spots HAROLD CARNES at the bar, tenses. BATEMAN He downs his drink Excuse me, gentlemen. Right back. He approaches Carnes cautiously. CARNES Face it-the Japanese will own most of this country by the end of the ' s. Bateman approaches, trying to act casual. BATEMAN Shut up, Carnes, they will not. Carnes is surprised, turns around, looks vaguely confused. BATEMAN So, Harold, did you get my message? Carnes lights a cigarette, stalling. Then laughs. CARNES Jesus, Davis. Yes. That was hilarious. That was you, wasn't it? BATEMAN Waving smoke out of his face Yes, naturally. CARNES Bateman killing Owen and the escort girls? Oh that s fabulous. That's rich Pause CARNES It was a pretty long message, wasn't it? BATEMAN What exactly do you mean? CARNES The message you left. Carnes is distracted, waving at people. CARNES By the way Davis, how is Cynthia? You're still seeing her, right? BATEMAN But wait, Harold, what do you mean? Carnes isn't really listening. CARNES Excuse me. Nothing. Good to see you. Is that Edward Towers? He turns to go. BATEMAN Carnes? Wait. CARNES Sighing Davis. I'm not one to bad-mouth anyone, your joke was amusing. But come on, man, you had one fatal flaw: Bateman's such a dork, such a boring, spineless lightweight, that I couldn't fully appreciate it. I wasn't fooled for a second. Now, if you'd said Price, or McDermottOtherwise, it was amusing. Now, let's have lunch or dinner or something. Hilarious, Davis. A killer. BATEMAN What are you talking about? Bateman is what? CARNES Oh Christ. He can barely pick up an escort girl, let alonewhat was it you said he did to her? Carnes looks around the club, raises his glass to a passing couple. He laughs politely. CARNES Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must BATEMAN Desperate, shouting Wait. Stop. You don't seem to understand. You're not really comprehending any of this. I killed him. I did it, Carnes. I'm Patrick Bateman. I chopped Owen's fucking head off. I tortured dozens of girls. The whole message I left on your machine was true. CARNES Excuse me. I really must he going. BATEMAN No! Listen, don't you know who I am? I'm not Davis, I'm Patrick Bateman! I talk to you on the phone all the time! Don't you recognize me? You're my lawyer. Carnes stares at him in confusion and annoyance. BATEMAN Now, Carnes, listen to me. Listen very, very carefully. I killed Paul Owen and I liked it. I can't make myself any clearer CARNES But that's simply not possible. And I don't find this funny anymore. BATEMAN It never was supposed to he! Why isn't it possible? CARNES Eyeing Bateman worriedly It's just not. BATEMAN Why not, you stupid bastard? Carnes stares at him. CARNES Because I had dinner with Paul Owen twice in Londonjust ten days ago. BATEMAN No, youdidn't? CARNES Now, if you'll excuse me. Bateman returns back to his friends' table, in a daze. They are all looking at the television, where Ronald Reagan is giving a speech about Iran Contra. They are halfheartedly arguing about whether or not he's lying. PRICE How can he lie like that? How can he pull that shit? VAN PATTEN What shit? Now where do we have reservations at? I mean I'm not really hungry, but I would like to have reservations somewhere. PRICE To Bateman I don't believe it. He looks sonormal. He seems so out of it. Soundangerous. McDERMOTT He is totally harmless you geek. Was totally harmless. Just like you are totally harmless. But he did do all that shit and you have failed lo get us into I, so, you know, what can I say? PRICE I just don't see how someone, anyone, can appear that way and yet be involved in such total shit. How can you be so fucking, I don't know, cool about it? VAN PATTEN Some guys are just born cool, I guess. Bateman laughs at this. Price shoots him a look. PRICE And Bateman, what are YOU SO fucking zany about? BATEMAN I'm just a happy camper. Rockin' and a-rollin'. VAN PATTEN To Price Rehab's done wonders for you, pal. Working for UNICEF now? McDERMOTT Do you want another Perrier Timothy? Some seltzer water? PRICE Oh brother look-he presents himself as a harmless Old codger. But inside Pause. PRICE But inside The SOUNDS OF THE BAR FADE AWAY and we hear Bateman's thoughts: BATEMAN V.O.) But inside doesn't matter THE SOUNDS OF THE BAR RETURN. McDERMOTT Bored Inside? Yes, inside? Believe it or not, Price we're actually listening to you. PRICE Bateman? Come on, what do you think? Bateman looks up and smiles at Price. Then shrugs. BATEMAN Whatever. The conversation breaks up as Van Patten takes out his phone. VAN PATTEN Whose moronic idea was it to drink dry beers? I need a Scotch. The sounds of the bar fade down. The following voiceover runs over images of Bateman and his friends ordering drinks, talking on portable phones, talking, laughing - combined with images of other very similar young men at other tables drinking, talking on portable phones, talking, laughing, BATEMAN V.O.) There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it, I have now surpassed BATEMAN'S OFFICE - DAY Jean is alone in Bateman's office, looking through his diary. We see the pages that she is looking at. They are filled with doodles of mutilated women and their namesJean looks lost and frightened, and begins to cry. BATEMAN V.O.) My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. I fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no escape. HARRY'S BAR - EARLY EVENING As the film ends the camera moves CLOSE on Bateman. He is leaning back in his leather armchair, drinking a double Scotch, his eyes blank. BATEMAN V.O.) But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis. I gain no deeper knowledge about myself, no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. There has been no reason for me to tell you any of this. This confession has meant nothing The camera moves up to a sign on the wall behind him: 'THIS IS NOT AN EXIT.' CREDITS ROLL ", " ALIEN project formerly titled STARBEAST Story by Dan O'Bannon & Ronald Shusett Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon SYNOPSIS En route back to Earth from a far part of the galaxy, the crew of the starship SNARK intercepts a transmission in an alien language, originating from a nearby storm-shrouded planet. Mankind has waited centuries to contact another form of intelligent life in the universe they decide to land and investigate. Their search takes them to a wrecked alien spacecraft whose doors gape open it is dead and abandoned. Inside they find, among other strange things, the skeleton of one of the unearthly space travellers. Certain clues in the wrecked ship lead them across the hostile surface of the planet to a primitive stone pyramid, the only remnant of a vanished civilization. Beneath this pyramid they find an ancient tomb full of fantastic artifacts. Lying dormant in the tomb are centuries- old spores, which are triggered into life by the men's presence. A parasite emerges and fastens itself to one of the men's faces and cannot be removed. An examination by the ship's medical computer reveals that the creature has inserted a tube down his throat, which is depositing something inside him. Then it is discovered that the parasite's blood is a horribly corrosive acid which eats through metal they dare not kill it on the ship. Ultimately it is dislodged from its victim and ejected from the ship, and they blast off from the Hell-planet. However, before they can seal themselves into suspended animation for the long voyage home, a horrible little monster emerges from the victim's body it has been growing in him, deposited there by the parasite and now it is loose on the ship. A series of ghastly adventures follow. They trap it in an air shaft and a man has to crawl down the shaft with a flamethrower it tears a man's head off and runs away with his body a man is crushed in the air lock door and the ship loses most of its air in a terrific windstorm another man is burned to death and then eaten by the creature and another is woven into a cocoon as part of the alien's bizarre life cycle. Finally there is only one man left alive, alone on the ship with the creature, and only six hours till his air runs out; which leads to a climax of horrifying, explosive jeopardy, the outcome of which determines who will reach Earth alive man or alien. CAST OF CHARACTERS CHAZ STANDARD, Captain.A leader and a politician. Believes that any action is better than no action. MARTIN ROBY, Executive OfficerCautious but intelligent a survivor. DELL BROUSSARD, Navigator.Adventurer; brash glory-hound. SANDY MELKONIS, CommunicationsTech Intellectual; a romantic. CLEAVE HUNTER, Mining EngineerHigh-strung; came along to make his fortune. JAY FAUST, Engine TechA worker. Unimaginative. The crew is unisex and all parts are interchangeable for men or women. IMAGE starmap.jpg FADE IN: EXTREME CLOSEUPS OF FLICKERING INSTRUMENT PANELS. Readouts and digital displays pulse eerily with the technology of the distant future. Wherever we are, it seems to be chill, dark, and sterile. Electronic machinery chuckles softly to itself. Abruptly we hear a BEEPING SIGNAL, and the machinery begins to awaken. Circuits close, lights blink on. CAMERA ANGLES GRADUALLY WIDEN, revealing more and more of the machinery, banks of panels, fluttering gauges, until we reveal: - HYPERSLEEP VAULT A stainless steel room with no windows, the walls packed with instrumentation. The lights are dim and the air is frigid. Occupying most of the floor space are rows of horizontal FREEZER COMPARTMENTS, looking for all the world like meat lockers. FOOM! FOOM! FOOM! With explosions of escaping gas, the lids on the freezers pop open. Slowly, groggily, six nude men sit up. ROBY Oh God am I cold BROUSSARD Is that you, Roby? ROBY I feel like shit BROUSSARD Yeah, it's you all right. Now they are yawning, stretching, and shivering. FAUST groans Ohh I must be alive, I feel dead. BROUSSARD You look dead. MELKONIS The vampires rise from their graves. This draws a few woozy chuckles. BROUSSARD shakes his fist in the air triumphantly We made it! HUNTER not fully awake Is it over? STANDARD It's over, Hunter. HUNTER yawning Boy, that's terrific. STANDARD looking around with a grin Well, how does it feel to be rich men? FAUST Cold! This draws a LAUGH. STANDARD Okay! Everybody topside! Let's get our pants on and get to our posts! The men begin to swing out of the freezers. MELKONIS Somebody get the cat. Roby picks a limp cat out of a freezer. - CONTROL ROOM This is a fantastic circular room, jammed with instrumentation. There are no windows, but above head level the room is ringed by viewscreens, all blank for the moment. There are seats for four men. Each chair faces a console and is surrounded by a dazzling array of technology. STANDARD, ROBY, BROUSSARD, and MELKONIS are entering and finding their seats. BROUSSARD I'm going to buy a cattle ranch. ROBY putting down the cat Cattle ranch! BROUSSARD I'm not kidding. You can get one if you have the credit. Look just like real cows, too. STANDARD All right, tycoons, let's stop spending our credit and start worrying about the job at hand. ROBY Right. Fire up all systems. They begin to throw switches, lighting up their consoles. The control room starts to come to life. All around the room, colored lights flicker and chase each other across glowing screens. The room fills with the hum and chatter of machinery. STANDARD Sandy, you want to give us some vision? MELKONIS Feast your eyes. Melkonis reaches to his console and presses a bank of switches. The strip of viewscreens flickers into life. On each screen, we see BLACKNESS SPECKLED WITH STARS. BROUSSARD after a pause Where's Irth? STANDARD Sandy, scan the whole sky. Melkonis hits buttons. On the screens the images all begin to pan. CAMERA MOVES IN ON ONE OF THE SCREENS, with its moving image of a starfield. - OUTER SPACE CLOSE SHOT OF A PANNING TV CAMERA. This camera is remote controlled, turning silently on its base. CAMERA BEGINS TO PULL BACK, revealing that the TV camera is mounted on the HULL OF SOME KIND OF CRAFT. When the pullback is finished, WE SEE THE FULL LENGTH OF THE STARSHIP 'SNARK,' hanging in the depths of interstellar space, against a background of glimmering stars. - BRIDGE ROBY Where are we? STANDARD Sandy, contact traffic control. Melkonis switches on his radio unit. MELKONIS This is deep space commercial vessel SNARK, registration number E, calling Antarctica air traffic control. Do you read me? Over. There is only the HISS OF STATIC. BROUSSARD staring at a screen I don't recognize that constellation. STANDARD Dell, plot our location. Broussard goes into action, punching buttons, lighting up all his instruments. BROUSSARD I got it. Oh boy. STANDARD Where the hell are we? BROUSSARD Just short of Zeta II Reticuli. We haven't even reached the outer rim yet. ROBY What the hell? Standard picks up a microphone. STANDARD This is Chaz speaking. Sorry, but we are not home. Our present location seems to be only halfway to Irth. Remain at your posts and stand by. That is all. ROBY Chaz, I've got something here on my security alert. A high priority from the computer STANDARD Let's hear it. ROBY punches buttons Computer, you have signalled a priority three message. What is the message? COMPUTER a mechanical voice I have interrupted the course of the voyage. ROBY What? Why? COMPUTER I am programmed to do so if certain conditions arise. STANDARD Computer, this is Captain Standard. What conditions are you talking about? COMPUTER I have intercepted a transmission of unknown origin. STANDARD A transmission? COMPUTER A voice transmission. MELKONIS Out here? The men exchange glances. COMPUTER I have recorded the transmission. STANDARD Play it for us, please. Over the speakers, we hear a hum, a crackle, static THEN A STRANGE, UNEARTHLY VOICE FILLS THE ROOM, SPEAKING AN ALIEN LANGUAGE. The bizarre voice speaks a long sentence, then falls silent. The men all stare at each other in amazement. STANDARD Computer, what language was that? COMPUTER Unknown. ROBY Unknown! What do you mean? COMPUTER It is none of the dialects spoken by technological man. There is a pause, then EVERYBODY STARTS TALKING AT THE SAME TIME. STANDARD silencing them Just hold it, hold it! glares around the room Computer: have you attempted to analyze the transmission? COMPUTER Yes. There are two points of salient interest. Number one: it is highly systematized, indicating intelligent origin. Number two: certain sounds are inconsistent with the human palate. ROBY Oh my God. STANDARD Well, it's finally happened. MELKONIS First contact STANDARD Sandy, can you home in on that beam? MELKONIS What's the frequency? STANDARD Computer, what's the frequency of the transmission? COMPUTER dash . Melkonis punches buttons. MELKONIS I've got it. It's coming from ascension minutes seconds, declination - degrees seconds. STANDARD Dell show me that on a screen. BROUSSARD I'll give it to you on number four. Broussard punches buttons. One of the viewscreens flickers, and a small dot of light becomes visible in the corner of the screen. BROUSSARD CONT'D That's it. Let me straighten it out. He twists a knob, moving the image on the screen till the dot is in the center. STANDARD Can you get it a little closer? BROUSSARD That's what I'm going to do. He hits a button. The screen flashes and a PLANET APPEARS. BROUSSARD CONT'D Planetoid. Diameter, kilometers. MELKONIS It's tiny! STANDARD Any rotation? BROUSSARD Yeah. Two hours. STANDARD Gravity? BROUSSARD Point eight six. We can walk on it. Standard rises. STANDARD Martin, get the others up to the lounge. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM The entire crew STANDARD, ROBY, BROUSSARD, MELKONIS, HUNTER, and FAUST are all seated around a table, with Standard at the head. MELKONIS If it's an S.O.S., we're morally obligated to investigate. BROUSSARD Right. HUNTER I don't know. Seems to me we came on this trip to make some credit, not to go off on some kind of side trip. BROUSSARD excited Forget the credit; what we have here is a chance to be the first men to contact a nonhuman intelligence. ROBY If there is some kind of alien intelligence down on that planetoid, it'd be a serious mistake for us to blunder in unequipped. BROUSSARD Hell, we're equipped ROBY Hell, no! We don't know what's down there on that piece of rock! It might be dangerous! What we should do is get on the radio to the exploration authorities and let them deal with it. STANDARD Except it will take years to get a reply back. Don't forget how far we are from the Colonies, Martin. BROUSSARD There are no commercial lanes out here. Face it, we're out of range. MELKONIS Men have waited centuries to contact another form of intelligent life in the universe. This is an opportunity which may never come again. ROBY Look STANDARD You're overruled, Martin. Gentlemen let's go. - BRIDGE The men are strapping in, but this time it is with grim determination. STANDARD Dell, I want greater magnification. More surface detail. I want to see what this place looks like. BROUSSARD I'll see what I can do. He jabs his controls. The image on the screen ZOOMS DOWN TOWARD THE PLANET; but all detail quickly vanishes into a featureless grey haze. STANDARD It's out of focus. ROBY No that's atmosphere. Cloud layer. MELKONIS My God, it's stormy for a piece of rock that size! ROBY Just a second. punches buttons Those aren't water vapor clouds; they have no moisture content. STANDARD Put ship in atmospheric mode. - 'SNARK' - OUTER SPACE The great dish antenna on the SNARK folds down against the main body of the ship, and other parts flatten out, until the ship has assumed an aerodynamic form. - BRIDGE STANDARD Dell, set a course and bring us in on that beam. - SPACE The SNARK's engines cough into life, and send it drifting toward the distant dot that is the planetoid. CAMERA APPROACHES THE PLANETOID, until it looms large on screen. It is turbulent, completely enveloped in dun-colored clouds. The SNARK drops down toward the surface. - BRIDGE STANDARD Activate lifter quads. BROUSSARD Activated. Vertical drop checked. Correcting course. On tangential course now, orbiting. brief pause as he studies his instruments Crossing the terminator. Entering night side. - 'SNARK' - IN ORBIT Beneath the orbiting SNARK, night's curtain rolls across the planet. Descending at an angle, the SNARK drops down into the thick atmosphere of the planetoid. - BRIDGE ROBY Atmospheric turbulence. Dust storm. STANDARD Turn on navigation lights. - 'SNARK' Hydroplaning down through the pea-soup atmosphere, a set of brilliant lights switches on, cutting through the dust, but hardly improving visibility. - BRIDGE BROUSSARD Approaching point of origin. Closing at kilometers, and slowing. Ten. Five. Gentlemen, we are directly above the source of the transmission. STANDARD What's the terrain down there? BROUSSARD Well, line of sight is impossible due to dust. Radar gives me noise. Sonar gives me noise. Infrared noise. Let's try ultraviolet. There. Flat. It's totally flat. A plain. STANDARD Is it solid? BROUSSARD It's basalt. Rock. STANDARD Then take her down. BROUSSARD Drop begins now! Fifteen kilometers and dropping twelve ten eight and slowing. Five. Three. Two. One kilometer and slowing. Lock tractor beams. There is a LOUD ELECTRICAL HUM and the ship shudders. ROBY Locked. BROUSSARD Kill drive engines. The engines fall silent. ROBY Engines off. BROUSSARD Nine hundred meters and dropping . Hang on gentlemen. - SURFACE OF PLANET - NIGHT The night-shrouded surface is a hell of blowing dust. The SNARK hovers above it on glowing beams of light, dropping down slowly. Landing struts unfold like insect legs. - BRIDGE BROUSSARD And we're down. - SURFACE OF PLANET - NIGHT The ship touches down, heavily; it rocks on huge shock absorbers. - BRIDGE The whole ship VIBRATES VIOLENTLY FOR AN INSTANT then all the panels in the room flash simultaneously and the LIGHT'S GO OUT. BROUSSARD Jesus Christ! The lights come back on again. STANDARD What the hell happened? ROBY hits a switch Engine room, what happened? FAUST over, filtered Just a minute, hold it, I'm checking. ROBY Has the hull been breached? BROUSSARD Uh scans his gauges No, I don't see anything. We've still got pressure. There is a BEEP from the communicator. Then: FAUST over, filtered Martin, this is Jay. The intakes are clogged with dust. We overheated and burned out a whole cell. STANDARD strikes his panel Damn it! How long to fix? ROBY into microphone How long to fix? FAUST over, filtered Hard to say. ROBY Well, get started. FAUST over, filtered Right. Talk to you. STANDARD Let's take a look outside. Turn the screens back on. Melkonis hits buttons. The screens flicker, but remain black. BROUSSARD Can't see a blessed thing. - SHIP - NIGHT Only a few glittering lights distinguish the ship from the absolute darkness around it. THE WIND MOANS AND SCREAMS. DUST BLOWS IN FRONT OF THE TINY GLIMMERING LIGHTS. - BRIDGE - NIGHT STANDARD Kick on the floods. - SHIP - NIGHT A ring of FLOODLIGHTS on the ship come to life, pouring blinding light out into the night. They illuminate nothing but a patch of featureless grey ground and clouds of blowing dust. The wind shrieks. - BRIDGE - NIGHT ROBY Not much help. Standard stares at the dark screens. STANDARD Well, we can't go anywhere in this darkness. How long till dawn? MELKONIS consults his instruments Well this rock rotates every two hours. The sun should be coming up in about minutes. BROUSSARD Good! Maybe we'll be able to see something then. ROBY Or something will be able to see us. They all look at him. - SHIP - The floodlights on the SNARK fight a losing battle against the darkness and the storm. MAIN THEME MUSIC BEGINS, EXTREMELY OMINOUS. THE TITLE APPEARS: ALIEN RUN TITLES. Gradually, the screen begins to lighten as the SUN RISES. The silhouette of the SNARK becomes visible, like some strange insect crouching motionless on the barren plain. The floods shut off. Dense clouds of impenetrable dust shriek and moan, obscuring everything and reducing the sunlight to a dull orange. - BRIDGE - DAY CLOSE ON A SCREEN - it shows nothing but swirling clouds of orange dust. PULL BACK FROM SCREEN. The men Standard, Roby, Broussard, and Melkonis are sitting and standing around the room, drinking coffee and staring at the screens, which reveal only the billowing dust. ROBY There could be a whole city out there and we'd never see it. BROUSSARD Not sitting on our butts in here, that's for sure. STANDARD Just settle down. Sandy, you get any response yet? MELKONIS pulls off his earphones Sorry. Nothing but that same damn transmission, every seconds. I've tried every frequency on the spectrum. BROUSSARD Are we just going to sit around and wait for an invitation? Roby gives Broussard a black look, then stabs a button on his console and speaks into the mike. ROBY into mike Hello, Faust! FAUST over, filtered Yeah! ROBY How's it coming on the engines? - ENGINE ROOM Faust is seated at an electronic workbench, brightly lit, speaking into a wall intercom. FAUST I never saw anything as fine as this dust these cells are all pitted on a microscopic level. I have to polish these things smooth again, so it's going to take a while. Okay? - BRIDGE - DAY ROBY Yeah, okay. puts down the mike STANDARD Sandy how far are we from the source of the transmission? MELKONIS Source of transmission is to the northeast about meters. ROBY Close BROUSSARD Close enough to walk to! STANDARD Martin, would you run me an atmospheric? ROBY punches buttons and consults his panels % argon, % nitrogen, % neon and some trace elements. STANDARD Nontoxic but unbreathable. Pressure? ROBY Ten to the fourth dynes per square centimeter. STANDARD Good! Moisture content? ROBY Zero. Dry as a bone. STANDARD Any microorganisms? ROBY Not a one. It's dead. STANDARD Anything else? ROBY Yeah, rock particles. Dust. STANDARD Well, we won't need pressure suits, but breathing masks are called for. Sandy can you rig up some kind of portable unit that we can use to follow that transmission to its source? MELKONIS No problem. BROUSSARD I volunteer for the exploration party. STANDARD I heard you. You want to break out the side arms? - MAIN ARM LOCK - DAY Standard, Broussard and Melkonis enter the lock. They all wear gloves, boots, jackets, and pistols. Broussard touches a button and the inner door slides silently shut, sealing them into the lock. They all pull on rubber full-head oxygen masks. STANDARD adjusting the radio on his mask I'm sending. Do you hear me? BROUSSARD Receiving. MELKONIS Receiving. STANDARD All right. Now just remember: keep away from those weapons unless I say otherwise. Martin, do you read me? - BRIDGE - DAY ROBY Read you, Chaz. - MAIN AIR LOCK - DAY STANDARD Open the outer door. Ponderously, the outer lock door slides open. ORANGE SUNLIGHT streams into the lock, and clouds of dust swirl in. We hear the MOANING OF THE WIND OUTSIDE. A mobile stairway slides out of the open hatchway, and clunks as it hits the ground. Standard walks out into the storm, followed by the others. - PLANETOID - DAY The three men trot down the gangplank to the surface of the planet. Their feet sink into a thick layer of dust and loose rock. The men huddle together, looking around. The wind screams and tugs at their clothes. Nothing can be seen. STANDARD Which way, Sandy? Melkonis is fiddling with a portable direction-finder. MELKONIS pointing That way. STANDARD You lead. Melkonis walks into the blinding dust clouds, followed closely by the others. STANDARD Okay, Martin. We're on our way. - BRIDGE - DAY Roby is the sole occupant of the bridge. He is huddled over his console, smoking a cigarette and watching three moving blips on a screen. ROBY Okay, Chaz, I hear you. I've got you on my board. STANDARD over, filtered Good. I'm getting you clear too. Let's just keep the line open. - PLANETOID - DAY The three men plough their way through a limbo of yellow dust and shrieking wind. With their rubbery masks and deliberate movements, they look like deep-sea divers at the bottom of a murky ocean. Melkonis leads the column, following the compass on the direction finder. STANDARD CONT'D Can't see more than three meters in any direction out here. We're walking blind, on instruments. They wade on, following Melkonis. Abruptly he halts. STANDARD CONT'D What's wrong? MELKONIS My signal's fading. He studies the direction finder. - BRIDGE - DAY Roby is listening intently to the dialogue from the helmet radios. MELKONIS CONT'D over, filtered It's the dust, it's interfering His concentration is so great that he does NOT NOTICE HUNTER COMING UP BEHIND HIM. MELKONIS CONT'D over, filtered Hold it, I've got it again. It's over that way. Standing DIRECTLY BEHIND ROBY, Hunter speaks. HUNTER What's happening? Startled out of his wits, Roby GASPS and whirls around to face Hunter. ROBY startled silly Hell! Hunter stares at Roby, whose momentary terror dissolves into embarrassed anger. - PLANETOID - DAY The three men push their way through the storm. Melkonis stops again, studies the direction finder. MELKONIS It's close, real close. STANDARD How far? MELKONIS We should be almost on top of it. I just can't quite Suddenly, Broussard grabs Standard's arm and points. The others stare in the direction he is pointing. REVERSE ANGLE - THEIR POINT-OF-VIEW Through the dense clouds of swirling dust we can just barely make out some kind of HUGE SHAPE. As we watch, the dust clears slightly, REVEALING A GROTESQUE SHIP RISING FROM THE SHIP LIKE SOME GIGANTIC TOADSTOOL. It is clearly of non-human manufacture. ANGLE ON THE MEN They are struck dumb by the sight of the craft. Finally, Standard finds his voice. STANDARD Martin, uh, we've found it. ROBY sharply over, filtered Found what? STANDARD It appears to be some sort of spacecraft. We're going to approach it. They start toward the alien ship. - BRIDGE - DAY STANDARD CONT'D over, filtered There are no signs of life. No lights no movement Roby and Hunter are listening with hypnotic concentration. STANDARD CONT'D over, filtered We're, uh, approaching the base. - BASE OF TOADSTOOL SHIP - DAY A strangely shaped DOOR yawns open at the base of the ship. Dust and sand have blown in, filling the lower part of the entrance. With great caution, the men approach the entrance and group around it. STANDARD CONT'D Appears to be a door hanging open, the entrance is clogged with debris. BROUSSARD Looks like a derelict. STANDARD Martin, we're going in. I'm going to hold the conversation to a minimum from here on. - ALIEN SHIP - DAY The doorway is a glowing geometric blur of light against blackness, spewing dust. In the darkness of the chamber are huge, formless shapes. Standard, Broussard and Melkonis appear silhouetted against the doorway. They switch on flashlight-like devices called 'DATASTICKS', and step in. IMAGE datastick.jpg Carefully, peering around, they pick their way past the indistinct machinery. MELKONIS Air lock? STANDARD Who knows? BROUSSARD Let's try and find the control room. As they move their lights around, they can see that the walls, ceiling, and machinery are FULL OF HUGE, IRREGULAR HOLES. MELKONIS Look at these holes. This place looks like Swiss cheese. Broussard shines his light up into a huge hole in the ceiling. BROUSSARD This hole goes up several decks looks like somebody was firing a military disintegrator in here. They all peer up the hole into darkness. STANDARD Climbing gear. Standard draws out a stubby spear gun with a graplon attached to it. He aims it up into the hole and fires. The graplon is launched up into darkness, trailing a thin wire. There is a dull CLUNK, and the wire dangles. BROUSSARD I'll go first. STANDARD No, you'll follow me. Standard attaches the wire to a powered gear box on his chest, and presses a button. With a mechanical whine, he is pulled up into the hole, using his feet for leverage where he can. Broussard attaches the wire to his own chest unit. - CONTROL ROOM OF ALIEN SHIP This chamber is totally dark as Broussard arrives at the top of the hole. Standard stands with his flashlight/camera ('datastick') tracing a beam through the hanging dust. Broussard unclips himself from the climbing wire, then raises his own light. At that moment, Melkonis arrives at the top of the hole. THEIR LIGHTS SCAN THE ROOM. The beams are clearly visible as columns of light in the floating dust. They reveal heavy, odd shapes. Broussard stumbles over something. He shines his light down on it. It is a large, glossy urn, brown in color, with peculiar markings. Broussard stands it upright. It has a round opening in the top, and is empty. Suddenly, Melkonis lets out a grunt of shock. Their lights have illuminated something unspeakably grotesque: A HUGE ALIEN SKELETON, SEATED IN THE CONTROL CHAIR. They approach the skeleton, their lights trained on it. IT IS A GROTESQUE THING, BEARING NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE HUMAN FORM. MELKONIS Holy Christ Standard shines his light on the console at which the hideous skeleton is seated. He moves his light closer and peers at the panel. STANDARD Look at this They approach. STANDARD CONT'D Something has been scratched here into the veneer. See? Traced raggedly onto the surface of the panel, as by the point of a sharp instrument, is a small triangle: IMAGE scrawledtriangle.jpg Hearing something, Broussard flashes his light across the room. As the beam scans the walls, it briefly touches on SOMETHING THAT MOVES. Melkonis convulsively yanks out his pistol. MELKONIS LOOK OUT, IT MOVED! Standard knocks his hand down. STANDARD Keep away from that gun! Standard shoulders himself in front of the others. Then, slowly, he begins to move toward the far side of the room. They approach a console on the wall, training their lights on it. There is a machine. On the machine, a small bar moves steadily back and forth, sliding noiselessly in its grooves. STANDARD CONT'D Just machinery. BROUSSARD But functioning. Melkonis looks down at his direction finder. MELKONIS That's where the transmission is coming from. He throws a switch on the direction finder with a crackle and a hum, the UNEARTHLY VOICE fills their earphones. BROUSSARD A recording. A damned automatic recording. - PLANETOID - SUNSET SINISTER ANGLE ON THE SNARK. As we watch, the sunlight turns the color of blood, and then the sun is down, leaving murky blackness in its wake. The ring of floodlights on the ship flares into life, feebly combatting the darkness and the storm. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM The entire crew is seated around the conference table, watching holographic pictures projected onto a screen. These are photos taken by their 'datasticks' flashlight/cameras). Standard is commenting on the changing slides. STANDARD This is the control room Two or three pictures click onto the screen in succession, showing the suited men standing against banks of machinery. STANDARD CONT'D Some details of the control room The SKELETON appears on the screen. The men react with mutters. STANDARD CONT'D This is the skeleton another view of the skeleton the transmitting device The triangle that was cut into the alien's console appears. STANDARD CONT'D This is a closeup of the triangle we found scrawled on the console in front of the skeleton Standard changes the slide. The screen goes white. STANDARD CONT'D And that's it. He turns off the projector and brings the lights up. HUNTER Phenomenal. Staggering. BROUSSARD We've got to go back and take a lot more pictures, holograph everything. MELKONIS And bring back as much physical evidence as possible, too. The rest of the skeleton. Some of the machinery. Written records, if there are any. Roby is slumped in his chair. He has said nothing. STANDARD Martin? ROBY I agree. This is the single most important discovery in history. STANDARD But? ROBY What killed it? BROUSSARD Hell, that thing's been dead for years. Maybe hundreds of years. The whole planet's dead. FAUST The way I figure it, they landed here for repairs or something, then they couldn't take off again. Maybe the dust ruined their engines. They set up an S.O.S. beacon, but nobody came. So they died. ROBY He died. FAUST What? ROBY Not they he They all turn to look in the direction of Roby's nod. CAMERA MOVES OVER TO REVEAL THE ALIEN SKULL SITTING ON A TABLE. ROBY CONT'D There was only one skeleton. There is a moment of silence. STANDARD Jay how's it coming on the repairs? FAUST Well I'm going to have to blow the engines out STANDARD And when will you be ready to do that? FAUST Oh I'm not near ready yet. STANDARD Then why the hell are you sitting around here? FAUST Right. The men rise and begin to disperse, but Roby remains seated, deep in thought, staring at the skull. Melkonis lingers in the room with him. MELKONIS And there sits man's first contact with intelligent life in the universe. - SHIP - NIGHT ANGLE ON THE SHIP, its spotlights cutting into the gloom. - ENGINE ROOM A room throbbing with power, enormous pulsing engines capable of releasing unimaginable energies. Faust has a complicated arrangement set up at the base of one of the engines, with spotlights on it. He is wearing goggles and thin gloves. FAUST You ready up there? - BRIDGE - NIGHT Broussard and Melkonis are seated at their consoles, conversing with Faust while they watch their instruments. BROUSSARD Sure, we're ready. - ENGINE ROOM FAUST Okay. I'm going to start the extraction procedure now. He pauses to wipe his brow. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM Roby is alone in the room, slumped into a chair, watching the photographic slides on the screen. He is clicking slowly through them. He stops on an angle of the skeleton, and stares at it. The alien's misshapen skull is sitting on the table next to him. He picks it up, holds it up to the screen for comparison, and studies it. Standard appears in the doorway. STANDARD Alas, poor Yorick. Roby STARTS, puts down the skull. Standard sits at the table. STANDARD CONT'D nodding at the screen Find anything we missed? ROBY shrugs I don't even know what I'm looking for. STANDARD Still worried? ROBY Oh well you know me. STANDARD I've always respected your opinion, Martin. If something worries you, it worries me. Roby reaches over and changes the slide, to the one of the CRUDELY DRAWN TRIANGLE ON THE ALIEN CONTROL PANEL. ROBY What would you say that was supposed to mean? STANDARD Well it's obviously intentional some kind of attempt at communication maybe it's a symbol that means something to them ROBY But why draw it on the wall? Roby switches off the projector, sits up, and rubs his face wearily. He rises and goes to the coffee machine. ROBY CONT'D picking a hair out of the coffeepot This ship is full of cat hair. STANDARD Tell you what, Martin. As soon as the engine's fixed BEEP! The communicator interrupts Standard. He leans across and presses the button. STANDARD CONT'D This is Chaz. BROUSSARD over, filtered Chaz, this is Dell. Can you come topside for a minute? STANDARD What's up? BROUSSARD over, filtered Well, the sun just came up again, and it seems the wind's died down. It's as clear as a bell outside. There's something I think you ought to see. STANDARD I'm on my way. He and Roby head for the door. - BRIDGE - DAY Broussard is alone in the control room when Standard and Roby arrive. STANDARD What is it? BROUSSARD Take a look. - SHIP - DAY The dust no longer blows. The day is crisp, clear, and silent. - BRIDGE - DAY BROUSSARD I was scanning the horizon to see what I could pick up. Look there, on that screen. STANDARD What is it, I can't BLIP! Broussard enlarges the image. The screen now shows a TAPERING STONE PYRAMID on the horizon. They all stare at the image for a long moment. The silhouette of the PYRAMID IS INSTANTLY SUGGESTIVE OF THE SCRAWLED TRIANGLE in the alien ship. IMAGE pyramid.jpg Standard presses the nearest communicator and speaks into the grille. STANDARD This is Chaz. All hands topside. Now. - BRIDGE - DAY - A LITTLE LATER ANGLE ON A VIEWSCREEN. It shows the PYRAMID on the horizon. CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal all the men, sitting and standing around the room. STANDARD Doesn't seem much doubt about it, does there? MELKONIS That creature sure must have considered it important using his last strength to draw it BROUSSARD Maybe they built it. FAUST As what? BROUSSARD A marker for buried instrumentation? HUNTER Or a mass grave. BROUSSARD Maybe the rest of the crew is in there in some kind of suspended animation, waiting to be rescued. MELKONIS It wasn't necessarily built by them. On the screens, a puff of DUST blows in front of the pyramid. ROBY Here comes the dust again. - SHIP - DAY WITH A SHRIEK, THE DUST STORM RETURNS, completely obscuring the SNARK. - BRIDGE - DAY STANDARD Well, does anyone else agree with Martin that we should not explore it? Everyone looks around the room, but no one volunteers. STANDARD CONT'D Then the sooner we get moving, the better. - PLANETOID - DAY LONG SHOT OF THE STONE PYRAMID, dust blowing in front of it. It is a crumbling, ancient edifice, made of eroded grey stones, windowless, tapering toward the top. Standard, Broussard, and Melkonis, wearing the protective suits, approach the pyramid. As they draw near, it becomes clear that the pyramid is roughly feet tall. STANDARD We can't make out any details or features yet but it's definitely too regular for a natural formation - BRIDGE - DAY Roby and Hunter are present. They are listening to Standard's VOICE ON THE RADIO. STANDARD CONT'D over, filtered There's one thing I can say for sure though BUZZZZZ! Standard's voice is DROWNED OUT BY STATIC. ROBY Now what's wrong? HUNTER I've completely lost their signal. ROBY Can you get them back? HUNTER I'm trying. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY The three men come to the base of the massive structure. Dust and sand have piled thickly around the crumbling, grey stones that form the base. MELKONIS This looks ancient. STANDARD Can't tell these weather conditions could erode anything, fast. They walk around the base. BROUSSARD There's no entrance. MELKONIS Maybe the entrance is buried. Could be under our feet. STANDARD Maybe there is no entrance; the thing may be solid. - BRIDGE - DAY ROBY Well, there ought to be some way we can get through to them The INTERCOM BEEPS. Faust's voice is heard. FAUST over, filtered Sorry to interrupt, but I'm gonna charge up the engines for a minute, okay? ROBY Yeah, okay. Go ahead. A LOUD, POWERFUL THROBBING BEGINS, drowning out all other sounds, as the engines are tested. A light on Roby's panel is FLASHING. We can see that it is the COMPUTER ALERT. Irritably, Roby throws the switch. ROBY CONT'D Yes! COMPUTER I have a temporary sequence on the monitor ROBY Hold it, I can't hear a damn thing! He puts an earphone to his ear and switches the computer's voice over. ROBY CONT'D Go ahead! There is a PAUSE while Roby listens to the computer. His eyes widen. ROBY CONT'D You mean you've translated it? Another PAUSE as he listens to the earphone. ROBY CONT'D Well come on, come on! What does it say? Another PAUSE. Roby's face changes; he looks CHILLED TO THE BONE. His mouth works. Abruptly, THE ENGINES SHUT OFF, LEAVING A RINGING SILENCE. HUNTER looking over at Roby What? What was that? ROBY The computer just translated the goddamn message. It's not an S.O.S. It was a warning. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY BROUSSARD Maybe we can get in by the top. STANDARD You want to try? BROUSSARD Sure. Broussard takes out the graplon-gun, and fires the hook up toward the top of the pyramid. It catches. He clips himself to the wire. BROUSSARD CONT'D You guys just wait down here till I say it's okay to come up. Broussard turns on the climbing device, and begins to walk up the side of the pyramid. OMINOUS ANGLES showing Broussard climbing the pyramid, the dust blowing, the wind shrieking. - TOP OF PYRAMID - DAY The peak of the pyramid is in extreme disrepair. Broussard arrives at the top and clings to the jagged, crumbling stones. BROUSSARD There's a hole at the top. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY STANDARD Can we come up? BROUSSARD over, filtered No, it's too small, only room enough for one person. STANDARD Can you see anything in the hole? - TOP OF PYRAMID - DAY Broussard leans over and looks into the hole. He sees only blackness. Freeing one arm, he unclips his datastick from his belt, switches on the 'flashlight' function, and shines it down into the hole. BROUSSARD I can see partway down. It just goes down like a stovepipe. Smooth walls. I can't see the bottom light won't reach. - BRIDGE - DAY Faust comes trotting up the steps, a questioning look on his face. FAUST Yes? What is it? ROBY Jay, we've got a problem. I was wondering if there was any way you could shortcut the repairs and give us immediate takeoff capability. FAUST quickly Why, what's wrong? ROBY The computer's translated the alien signal, and it's kind of alarming. FAUST What do you mean? ROBY It couldn't translate the whole thing, only three phrases. I'll just read it to you the way I got it: reads from a strip of paper '... HOSTILE SURVIVAL ADVISE DO NOT LAND ' looks up at the others And that's all it could translate. - TOP OF PYRAMID - DAY Hanging from the lip of the hole, Broussard is unclipping gear from his belt. STANDARD over, filtered Dell, you want to come down, we can figure out where to go from here. BROUSSARD No, I want to go in. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY Standard and Melkonis exchange a glance. STANDARD Okay, Dell, but just for a preliminary look-around. Don't unhook yourself from your cable. And be out in less than ten minutes. - TOP OF PYRAMID - DAY BROUSSARD Right. Broussard has rigged a tripod across the mouth of the hole. He unspools a couple feet of wire from the device, and attaches the end of it to his chest unit. He climbs over the lip and drops into the hole. He is now hanging by the wire, with his head and shoulders out of the hole. BROUSSARD CONT'D Okay, I'm in the mouth of the chimney now, and I'm starting down. STANDARD over, filtered Take care. Broussard activates the climbing unit and lowers himself down into the hole. - PYRAMID - DAY Bracing his feet against the rough stone wall of the vertical tunnel, Broussard switches on his datastick and points it down into the depths. The beam penetrates only thirty feet or so, then is lost in darkness. BROUSSARD It's noticeably warmer in here. Warm air rising from below. He starts down, paying out the line and moving down in short hops, pushing off each time with his feet. He stops to catch his breath. His breathing rasps loudly in his helmet. A little sunlight filters down from above. Looking up, he can see the mouth of the hole, a glowing spot of light. Standard's voice comes over his earphones. STANDARD over, filtered Are you okay in there? BROUSSARD gasping for breath Yeah, I'm okay. Haven't hit bottom yet. Definitely a column of warm air rising; it keeps the shaft clear of dust. STANDARD over, filtered What was that Dell, I lost you, do you read me? BROUSSARD Yeah, but this is hard work. Can't talk now. He kicks off and continues down, taking longer and longer hops as he gains confidence. Pausing for a moment to regain his breath, he shines the light on his instruments. BROUSSARD CONT'D I'm way below ground level. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY STANDARD What'd he say? MELKONIS I couldn't make it out too much interference. - BRIDGE - DAY Roby and Hunter. HUNTER I'm getting nowhere. The whole area around the pyramid is dead to transmission. I think we should go after them. ROBY No. HUNTER What do you mean, no? ROBY We're not going anywhere. HUNTER But they don't know about the translation! They could be in danger right now. ROBY We can't spare the personnel. We've got minimum takeoff capability right now. That's why Chaz left us on board. HUNTER Why, you chickenshit bastard ROBY Just can that crap! I'm in command here till Chaz returns! And nobody's leaving this ship! - PYRAMID - DAY Broussard resumes his downward climb. SUDDENLY, HIS FEET LOSE THEIR PURCHASE AS THE WALLS OF THE SHAFT DISAPPEAR. The tunnel has reached its end. Below him is an unfathomable, cavernous space. BROUSSARD huffing and puffing Tunnel's gone cave or something below me feels like the tropics in here; air is warm and humid consults his instruments high oxygen content, no dust, it's completely breathable Puffing with exertion, he releases his purchase on the stone walls and begins to lower himself on power. Now he is dangling free in darkness, spinning slowly on the wire as the chest unit unwinds. Finally, his feet hit bottom. He grunts in surprise and almost loses his balance. - TOMB - DAY Broussard is standing on a dusty stone floor, with a feeble column of sunlight shining down around him from the tunnel above. Around is solid darkness. He flashes his datastick around. The beam reveals that he is in a stone room. STRANGE HEIROGLYPHICS are carved into the walls. They have a primitive, religious appearance. Row after row of pictograms stretch from floor to ceiling, some epic history in an unknown language. Huge religious symbols dominate one wall. Spaced at intervals are stylized stone statues, depicting grotesque monsters, half anthropoid, half octopus. BROUSSARD It's unbelievable! It's like some kind of tomb some primitive religion! Hey, is anybody there? Do you read me? Standard! Annoyed, Broussard yanks off his breathing goggles, and leaves them hanging around his neck. He takes a deep breath of the wet air. - BASE OF PYRAMID - LATE AFTERNOON Standard and Melkonis are standing around nervously. STANDARD If we don't hear from him soon, I think we better go in after him. MELKONIS Sun will be down in a minute. - TOMB - LATE AFTERNOON Face bare, Broussard approaches the center of the room, which is dominated by a large, broad pedestal. On the pedestal are ROWS OF LEATHERY URNS OR JARS, EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE BROUSSARD STUMBLED ACROSS IN THE ALIEN SHIP EXCEPT THESE ARE ALL SEALED. He walks around the urns, studying them. They all have sealed lids. He shines his light on one of them; then he lays his gloved hand on it. He lifts his mask radio to his lips. BROUSSARD I don't know if you can hear me, but the place is full of large bottles or jars, just like the one we found on the other ship except these are all sealed. Also they're soft to the touch. He peers more closely at the leathery object. BROUSSARD CONT'D Another funny thing I just put my hand on it, and now there are these raised areas appearing where my fingertips were. - BASE OF PYRAMID - DAY THE SUN DROPS BELOW THE HORIZON, throwing the landscape into gloom. Standard and Melkonis switch on their lights. STANDARD Let's go. He attaches his chest unit to the wire and starts up. - TOMB - NIGHT Broussard is moving his light along the rows of heiroglyphs on the wall. They depict stylized drawings of strange monsters. He pauses to quickly change the film clip in his datastick; then he turns back to the 'urn' he was examining BUT NOW THERE IS A HOLE IN THE TOP OF IT. He shines his light on the floor at the base of the 'urn.' There lies the 'lid' the stopper that had filled the hole. He picks it up and studies it. It appears more organic than artificial; the inside surface is spongy and irregular. Then he turns the light to the now-open 'urn.' He bends over the mouth of the 'urn' shining the light in, AND WITH SHOCKING VIOLENCE, A SMALL, OCTOPUS-LIKE THING LEAPS OUT AND ATTACHES ITSELF TO HIS FACE, WRAPPING ITS TENTACLES AROUND HIS HEAD. With a MUFFLED SCREAM, he launches himself backward, tearing at the thing with his hands. IMAGE facehugger.jpg - TOP OF PYRAMID - NIGHT The dust blows and howls as Standard and Melkonis arrive at the top, lights bobbing in the darkness. STANDARD puffing with exertion Here's his line. We can haul him out of there if we have to. MELKONIS It'll yank him right off his feet if he's not expecting it. The line could get tangled in something. STANDARD But what can we do? He's out of radio contact. MELKONIS Maybe we should just wait a few more minutes. Standard hesitates, clinging to the lip of the hole. STANDARD making up his mind No, I told him to be out in ten minutes. It's been much longer. Let's get him out of there. Standard pulls himself up and crouches precariously on the edge of the tunnel. He begins to fiddle with the winch mechanism from which Broussard's line dangles. STANDARD CONT'D The line's slack. Christ, do you think the idiot unhooked himself? He switches on the winch motor. With a whine, it begins to reel the line in. After a moment, the line TIGHTENS WITH A JERK and the motor slows down, laboring under the added weight. STANDARD CONT'D There, it caught! MELKONIS Is it still coming up, or is it hooked on something? STANDARD No, it's coming. MELKONIS Can you see anything? Standard shines his light down into the hole. STANDARD No, I can't see far enough. The line's moving, though. For a moment, the two men hang to the narrow top of the pyramid, saving their strength, while the line reels in and the wind howls. Then Standard shines his light back down in. STANDARD CONT'D I can see him! Here he comes! The winch begins to LABOR HEAVILY. STANDARD CONT'D Get ready to grab him! Broussard appears at the top of the pit, dangling limply from the wire. Standard reaches for him then RECOILS SHARPLY. STANDARD CONT'D Look out! There's something on his face! Melkonis attempts to come to his aid. MELKONIS What is it? STANDARD Don't touch him, watch it! In their panic and confusion, the men teeter momentarily, finally regain their balance. They shine their lights on Broussard. He appears to be completely unconscious AND THE OCTOPUS THING IS STILL WRAPPED AROUND HIS FACE, MOTIONLESS. MELKONIS Oh God, oh God no. STANDARD Help me I'm going to try to get it off. With his gloved hands, Standard grasps the tentacled mess and tries to pull it from Broussard's head. STANDARD CONT'D It won't come it's stuck. MELKONIS What is it? STANDARD How the hell should I know? Come on, give me a hand, let's get him out of there! The two men grapple with Broussard's limp body, lifting him from the hole. - BRIDGE - NIGHT Roby and Hunter are sitting moodily, silent. There is a long moment while nothing is said, then: HUNTER I've got 'em! They're back on my screens! ROBY leaps to his feet How many? HUNTER Three blips! They're coming this way! Roby grabs a microphone. ROBY into mike Hey, can you guys hear me? STANDARD over, filtered Yeah, we hear you! We're coming back! ROBY Thank Christ! We lost you! Listen, there's been a new development STANDARD over, filtered Can't talk now; Broussard's injured. We'll need some help getting him into the ship. Roby collapses into a chair, suddenly limp with apprehension. He's feared something like this all along, and now it has begun to happen. ROBY to himself Oh no. HUNTER into intercom Jay, this is Cleave! Meet me at the main air lock! Hunter dashes from the room. Roby remains where he is, seated at his console. He is stunned, his mind racing. CAMERA MOVES IN ON HIS FACE. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK - NIGHT Hunter comes racing down the steps and hurries up to the inner lock door. He presses the wall intercom. HUNTER into intercom Martin, I'm by the inner lock door! I'll wait here for you to let them in! - BRIDGE - NIGHT ROBY strangely quiet Right. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK - NIGHT Faust comes running up, covered with grime. FAUST What the hell's going on? HUNTER Don't know Broussard got hurt somehow. FAUST Hurt! How? HUNTER Don't know maybe we'll be real lucky and he just broke his neck. a beat I knew we shouldn't of come down here. - BRIDGE - NIGHT Roby is seated alone in the room, listening to the transmission from Standard and Melkonis. STANDARD over, filtered Martin, are you there? Roby leans forward and speaks into the microphone. ROBY Here, Chaz. STANDARD over, filtered We're coming up now, open the outer lock door. ROBY Chaz what happened to Broussard? STANDARD over, filtered It's some kind of organism, it's attached itself to him. Let us in. Roby does not reply. STANDARD CONT'D over, filtered You hear me, Martin? Open the outer door. ROBY Chaz, if it's an organism, and we let it in, the ship will be infected. STANDARD over, filtered We can't leave him out here, open the door. ROBY urgently Chaz, listen to me we've broken every rule of quarantine. If we bring an organism on board, we won't have a single layer of defense left. STANDARD over, filtered Martin, this is an order! Open the door! Hating it, Roby leans forward and throws the switch. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK - NIGHT A RED LIGHT goes on, on a console on the wall. The whine of a large servo is heard, followed by a solid metallic CLUNK. HUNTER Outer door's open. After a moment, they hear the motor sound again, followed by another CLUNK. The outer door has closed again. The red light goes off. The inner door slides open, and Standard and Melkonis stagger through, carrying the sagging body of Broussard. A cloud of choking dust follows them out of the lock. STANDARD pulling off his mask You men stay clear, there's a parasite on him. Hunter and Faust RECOIL. HUNTER Oh God oh FAUST Is it alive? STANDARD I don't know but don't touch it. Give us a hand here, let's get him up to the Autodoc. Hunter and Faust move in carefully to help with the limp burden. - INFIRMARY One of them flicks on the lights as they come shuffling into the medical room, carrying Broussard. Revealed is a rather small cubicle whose walls are lined with machinery. The principle item of interest is a mechanized bunk bed, which rests in a cradle and slides in and out of a slot in the wall. STANDARD Help me, come on, let's get him up here. They slide the man onto the bunk. HUNTER That thing, God almighty, didn't you try to get it off him? STANDARD It wouldn't come. Standard yanks off his gloves. STANDARD CONT'D Medical gloves. They pull thin elastic gloves from a dispenser in the wall, and pull them on. Gingerly, they approach Broussard. Standard places his hands on the octopus-thing that is slowly pulsing on Broussard's face. He grasps the tentacles in his hands and tries to pull it free. STANDARD CONT'D It's really on there tight. FAUST Here, let me try. Faust takes a pair of pliers from a rack, and carefully grasps the tip of one of the tentacles. Squeezing tightly, he leans back with all his weight. STANDARD grabbing Faust's hands Stop it, you're tearing his face. A trickle of blood begins to ooze down Broussard's cheek. MELKONIS It's not coming off not without his whole face coming off too. STANDARD Let's let the machine work on him. Efficiently, they strip Broussard naked, then Standard presses a couple of switches on the wall. The machine lights up, and Broussard is sucked into the slot in the wall. He is visible inside. The machine immediately sprays a cloud of disinfectant on him, then sterilizes him with a blinding pink light. A bank of video monitors pops on, revealing X-ray images of different parts of his body. Sensors begin to scan, relays chatter. ROBY APPEARS IN THE DOORWAY. Standard turns and looks at him. For a long moment, the two men regard each other, then STANDARD STEPS FORWARD AND SLAPS ROBY ACROSS THE FACE. The others are shocked. HUNTER Hey now, what is this? STANDARD Ask him. ROBY slowly puts his hand to his cheek I understand why you did that. STANDARD Good. MELKONIS He wouldn't open the lock; he was going to leave us out there. HUNTER Yeah well, maybe he should have. I mean, you brought the goddamn thing in here. Maybe you deserve to get slapped. FAUST embarrassed Excuse me, I've got work to do. Faust exits. HUNTER I keep my mouth pretty much shut, but I don't like hitting. ROBY to Standard I guess I had it coming. Let's call it settled. After a hard stare at Roby, Standard gives him a curt nod and turns his attention to the machinery. ROBY CONT'D slowly Would somebody fill me in? STANDARD He went into the pyramid alone. We lost radio contact with him. When we pulled him out, it was on his face. It won't come off, not without injuring him. HUNTER Where did it come from? MELKONIS He's the only one that knows that. HUNTER How does he breathe? They study the monitors. MELKONIS Blood's thoroughly oxygenated. HUNTER Yeah, but how? His nose and mouth are blocked. STANDARD Let's look inside his head. Standard punches some buttons, and on the monitors, a kind of X-ray image in vivid colors appears, depicting Broussard's HEAD AND UPPER TORSO. The parasite is clearly visible on Broussard's face. In X-ray, the creature is a maze of complicated biology. But the shocking thing is that, in X-ray, we can see that Broussard's jaws are forced wide open, and THE PARASITE HAS EXTRUDED SOME KIND OF LONG TUBE, WHICH IS STUFFED INTO HIS MOUTH AND DOWN HIS THROAT, ending near his stomach. ROBY Look at that. HUNTER What is it I can't tell anything ROBY It's some kind of organ it's inserted some kind of tube or something down his throat. HUNTER turning sick Oh God Hunter bends over and RETCHES. ROBY I think that's how it's getting oxygen to him. HUNTER It doesn't make any sense. It paralyzes him puts him into a coma then keeps him alive. MELKONIS We can't expect to understand a life form like this. We're out of our back yard. Things are different here. HUNTER Well, can't we kill it? I mean, we can't leave the damn thing on him. MELKONIS We don't know what might happen if we tried to kill it. At least right now it's keeping him alive. HUNTER How about cutting it off? We can't pull it loose, but we can cut off everything but the bottom layer, where it's stuck to his face. STANDARD You're right we can't stand here and do nothing. Standard picks up his dusty breathing mask and pulls it over his head. Then he pulls back on his bulky gloves. Finally, he presses a switch and Broussard slides back out of the booth. STANDARD CONT'D muffled in his mask Somebody give me a scalpel. Melkonis takes a glittering surgical blade from a slot in the wall, and carefully passes it to Standard. Clumsily because of the gloves, Standard manipulates the knife in his hand till he has a decent grip on it. Then he flicks a little button with his thumb. The scalpel begins to hum. Standard advances on the parasite. The others draw back nervously. Roby reaches over and draws yet a longer blade from the rack, and holds it inconspicuously at his side. Standard bends over the parasite. Carefully, he touches the scalpel to the extreme end of one of the tentacles, where it curves toward the back of Broussard's head. Effortlessly, the electronic blade slides through the alien tissue. Immediately, a urine-like fluid begins to flow from the wound. STANDARD CONT'D muffled I've made an incision it's not reacting but some kind of yellowish fluid is leaking out of the wound The noxious-looking liquid drips down onto the bedding next to Broussard's head. Instantly, it starts to hiss, and a thin stream of smoke curls up from the stain. STANDARD CONT'D muffled Hold it, this stuff's smoking! The others REACT nervously. By now, the yellow fluid has eaten a hole through the bunk bed and has dripped down onto the floor below. The metal floor begins to bubble and sizzle, and more smoke rises. The men start to COUGH. MELKONIS God, that smoke's poisonous! HUNTER pointing It's eating a hole in the floor! Abruptly, the men jostle their way out of the room and huddle in the corridor outside, coughing their lungs out. Standard, who is masked, remains. Frantically, he attempts to put a bandage on the wound, but the fluid instantly melts the bandage, and in the process, some of the stuff gets on Standard's gloves. They begin to smoke. Frantically Standard leaps back, pulling off the smouldering gloves. Then he runs out into the corridor and yanks off his mask. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE INFIRMARY STANDARD That stuff's eating right through the metal! It's going to eat through the decks and right out through the hull! By this time Standard has started to run for the stairs. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Followed by the others, Standard frantically clangs down the stairs to the level below. STANDARD There! Look! A droplet of the fluid is sizzling on the ceiling. It oozes down and drips to the floor. It bubbles on the floor. MELKONIS Jesus, what can we put under it? Standard and Hunter charge down the stairs to the level below. - LEVEL BELOW Standard and Hunter move cautiously down the corridor, looking up at the ceiling. STANDARD pointing There. Should be coming through about there. HUNTER Careful, don't get under it! - LEVEL ABOVE Roby and Melkonis crouch by the spot on the floor where the acid sizzles. MELKONIS Christ, that stinks. Roby fishes a pen out of his pocket and probes into the hole in the floor. ROBY Seems to have stopped penetrating. Hunter comes charging up the steps. HUNTER What's happening up here? ROBY I think it's fizzled out. Hunter approaches and looks. Roby straightens up, starts to put the pen back in his pocket, then changes his mind and stands holding it by the end. MELKONIS I never saw anything like that in my life except molecular acid. HUNTER But this thing uses it for blood. MELKONIS Hell of a defense mechanism. You don't dare kill it. Standard comes up the stairs. STANDARD It's stopped? MELKONIS Yes, thank heaven. STANDARD We're just plain lucky. That could have gone right through the hull taken weeks to patch it. MELKONIS Reminded me of when I was a kid and the roof leaked everybody running for the pots and pans. ROBY My God, what about Broussard? They turn and run up the stairs. - INFIRMARY They all come into the room Roby carrying the partially melted pen). Broussard is still motionless on the bunk, with the thing on his face. ROBY Did it get on him? Standard approaches and peers at Broussard's head. STANDARD No, thank God just missed him. MELKONIS Is it still dripping? STANDARD examining it It appears to have healed itself. HUNTER It makes me sick to see him like that. MELKONIS Isn't there some way we can get it off him? STANDARD I don't see how. But let's do what we can for him. Standard presses a button, and Broussard slides back into the diagnostic coffin. He presses more buttons, and the displays light up again, showing different parts of Broussard's body. STANDARD CONT'D I think we'd better get some intravenous feeding started. God knows what that thing is leaching out of him. Standard operates some controls, and the machine begins to invade Broussard's body, sliding needles into him. ROBY studying the screens Look there, what's that stain on his lungs? The X-ray reveals a spreading dark blot in the vicinity of Broussard's chest. In the center, the stain is completely opaque. MELKONIS It appears to be a heavy fluid of some sort it blocks the X-rays ROBY That tube must be depositing it in him. MELKONIS Could be some kind of venom, or poison HUNTER This is horrible. ROBY Hey! what about the film? STANDARD What film? ROBY Broussard had film in his datastick, didn't he? We can see what happened to him. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM Again we are watching slides in the darkened room. This time Standard, Roby, Melkonis, and Hunter are watching the sequence of photographs taken automatically by Broussard's datastick as he probed the tomb. The camera reveals the 'urns.' The climax of the sequence of stills comes when THE CREATURE LEAPS OUT OF THE 'URN' TOWARD THE CAMERA and after that the camera drops to a useless angle and proceeds to show a series of meaningless blurs. Then the reel ends. HUNTER That must have been when he got it. ROBY The same thing must've happened to the creatures on the other ship except they took one of those jars on board, and opened it there. MELKONIS clicks back through the slides to a picture of one of the 'urns') At first I thought they were jars too, or artifacts anyway. But they're not. They're eggs, or spore casings. Let's go back to the heiroglyphics. CLICKETYCLICKETYCLICK Melkonis accelerates through the slides in a blur, stopping at the one he wants which shows a strip of heiroglyphs on the wall of the tomb. STANDARD I personally can't make any sense out of it CLICK. CLICK. Melkonis is changing the slides as they talk, showing different angles on the glyphs. MELKONIS It's a crude symbolic language looks primitive. HUNTER You can't tell that kind of stuff could represent printed circuits STANDARD That sounds a little fanciful MELKONIS Primitive pictorial languages are based on common objects in the environment, and this can be used as a starting point for translation ROBY What common objects? HUNTER Listen, hadn't somebody better check on Broussard? STANDARD rising I'll do it. The rest of you continue. HUNTER rising I'll come with you. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE INFIRMARY Standard and Hunter come down the passageway. STANDARD You know, it's fantastic the human race has gone this long without ever encountering another advanced life form, and now we run into a veritable zoo. HUNTER What do you mean? STANDARD Well, those things out there aren't the same, you know the spaceship and the pyramid. They're from different cultures and different races. That ship just landed here crashed like we did. The pyramid and the thing from it are indigenous. HUNTER How could anything be indigenous to this asteroid? It's dead. STANDARD Maybe it wasn't always dead. They arrive at the infirmary. - INFIRMARY The door slides open, and they step into the room. Hunter activates the bed, and it slides out of the wall. THERE IS A LONG, HORRIFIED PAUSE. HUNTER It's gone. They rush to Broussard's prone form. THE PARASITE IS GONE FROM HIS FACE. Broussard is still unconscious, but he is breathing. HIS FACE IS COVERED WITH SUCKER MARKS. HUNTER Now we're in for it. STANDARD The door was closed. It must still be in here. They immediately grow very tense. Hunter starts edging toward the door. Standard grabs his arm. STANDARD CONT'D No, don't open the door. We don't want it escaping. HUNTER very nervous Well, what the hell good can we do in here? We can't grab it it might jump on us STANDARD Maybe we can catch it. Standard picks up a stainless steel tray with a lid. STANDARD CONT'D As long as we're careful not to damage it Tray in one hand, lid in the other, Standard begins moving slowly around the room. There are very few places to hide. He bends down and peers under the bunk. As he is down on his hands and knees, WE SEE ONE TENTACLE OF THE THING, VIBRATING ON A LEDGE JUST ABOVE STANDARD. He rises, and HIS SHOULDER BRUSHES THE TENTACLE. THE PARASITE DROPS TO THE FLOOR. STANDARD leaping back Shit! But the thing is not moving. It lies motionless on the floor, its tentacles curled up. Its color has faded to a dead-looking grey. Without taking his eyes off the thing, Standard reaches behind him and takes a long probe from the wall. He prods the thing; it does not respond. STANDARD CONT'D I think it's dead. With great care, he uses the probe to fish the motionless parasite into the tray. Then he quickly closes the lid. - LABORATORY Standard, Roby, and Melkonis have the parasite spread-eagled on a stainless steel table, with a bright light on it. It is belly-side up. Wearing gloves, Standard probes at the thing with an instrument. STANDARD Look at these suckers no wonder we couldn't get it off him. ROBY Is that its mouth? MELKONIS More likely that organ the tube- like thing fits up in there. With a pair of needle-nosed pliers, Standard fishes in the fleshy aperture. Carefully, he extracts the end of the tube-organ. ROBY Ugh. Suddenly, it starts to FALL APART IN THE PLIERS. STANDARD Quick it's decomposing gimme something to grab it with! It begins to SMOKE AND BUBBLE. Roby grabs a long pair of tongs from the wall and thrusts them at Standard who throws down the pliers, snatches the tongs and seizes the thing in the tongs. It is smouldering and dripping acid on the floor. STANDARD CONT'D Christ! Let's get it out of here! Carrying the thing, he heads for the door. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP The men run down the passageways, Standard carrying the dripping thing in the tongs. It leaves little smoking droplets on the floor. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK They come running up to the airlock. Roby stabs the button and the inner door slides open. By the time Standard is in the lock, Roby is already on the intercom: ROBY shouts into intercom For Chrissake, open the main lock! - AIR LOCK - DAY Roby stumbles in as the inner door closes; and with a heavy whine, the thick surface door rumbles open. Orange sunlight billows in, followed by the inevitable dust. Standard HURLS THE CARCASS OUT, tongs and all. - BASE OF SHIP - DAY The parasite hits the ground and begins to sink into the dust, smouldering and fuming. - AIR LOCK - DAY The outer door rolls shut. ROBY slumping against the wall My God, it's lethal even when it's dead! Melkonis gets down on his knees and studies the small burn-holes in the floor. Standard opens the inner door and steps out into the corridor. There, he activates the wall intercom and punches out a combination. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK HUNTER over intercom, filtered Yes? STANDARD How's Broussard? HUNTER over, filtered He's running a fever. STANDARD Still unconscious? HUNTER over, filtered Yes. STANDARD Can you do anything for him? HUNTER over, filtered The machine will bring his temperature down. His vital functions are strong. STANDARD Good. He switches off the intercom. STANDARD CONT'D suddenly exhausted I need some coffee. He turns and walks away. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM The cat is strolling around as Roby and Melkonis drop into seats; Standard draws a cup of coffee from the machine. MELKONIS These day and night cycles are totally disorienting. I feel like we've been here for days, but it's only been how long? ROBY stroking the cat About four hours. STANDARD staring into his coffee cup I'm sorry to say it looks like you were right in the first place, Martin. We never should have landed here. ROBY Look, I'm not trying to rub anybody's nose in anything. The important thing is just to get away from here as fast as possible. STANDARD I can't lean on Faust any harder he's been working non-stop on the engines. ROBY If we knew exactly what happened to the beings on the other ship MELKONIS We do know that. ROBY Yeah? MELKONIS They never made it off the planet. The parasites won. This brings a CHILLY SILENCE. ROBY Where did the parasites come from? STANDARD They seem native to the planet. It's got an atmosphere and a dense gravity. It's dead now, but once it must have been fertile. MELKONIS No. It's just too small to support fauna as big as the parasites. If there were a native ecology, it would have to be microscopic. ROBY Couldn't the pyramid have been built here by space travellers? STANDARD Too primitive. It's a pre- technological construction. That slab was engineered by an Iron-Age culture at best. MELKONIS They're from a dead civilization; they're spores from a tomb. God knows how long they've been here. ROBY I think we better take another look at those heiroglyphs. Suddenly the door opens and Faust sticks his head in. He is covered with dirt and grime. FAUST Hey, guess what? STANDARD What? FAUST The engines are fixed. - PLANETOID - DAY The SNARK's engines cough and then with a ROAR BEGIN TO BELCH OUT STREAMS OF SUPERHEATED AIR, cutting through the tulgy dust. The ship roars and vibrates like a huge beast, capable of unlimited power. - BRIDGE - DAY They are all at their posts. STANDARD Switch on tractor beams. There is a hair-tingling ELECTRICAL HUM which permeates the whole ship, and it begins to float, like a cork in water. STANDARD CONT'D Lock tractor beams. The pitch of the hum changes, and the ship levels itself. STANDARD CONT'D Retract landing struts. - SHIP - DAY The ship is hovering above the ground on beams of shimmering force. The landing struts fold up under the belly of the ship. - BRIDGE - DAY STANDARD Take us up. ROBY into intercom Up one kilometer, Jay. - PLANETOID - DAY The SNARK begins to levitate up into the sky, on the beams of light. - BRIDGE - DAY STANDARD Switch on lifter quads. A POWERFUL, DEEP THROBBING BEGINS. THE SHIP VIBRATES. - 'SNARK' - DAY The hovering SNARK begins to accelerate through the choking atmosphere. - BRIDGE - DAY STANDARD Engage artificial gravity. Roby throws a switch, and the ship LURCHES. ROBY Engaged. STANDARD Let's take her into an escape orbit. The men get busy with switches. ROBY I'm altering our vector now; should give us an easy escape velocity A HUGE TREMOR RUNS THROUGHOUT THE SHIP. ROBY & MELKONIS in concert What was that? In answer, THE COMMUNICATOR BEEPS. FAUST over, filtered This dust is getting clogged in the intakes again! STANDARD Just hold us together till we're in space, that's all! The pitch of the engines changes, deepens. - SKY - DAY The SNARK swoops up at an acute angle into the boiling clouds. Visibility is zero. - ENGINE ROOM Faust is pulling on a gasmask, because the engine chamber is beginning to fill with dust. He turns on a huge exhaust unit which begins to suck up some of the dust. - BRIDGE - DAY On the screens, nothing but clouds. Then, ANOTHER TREMOR SHUDDERS THROUGH THE SHIP. The men no longer speak; their expressions are grim, set, and sweating; they are watching their instruments. Periodically they mutter technical instructions to each other. - SHIP - DAY Abruptly the ship CLEARS THE TOP OF THE CLOUD LAYER AND BURSTS OUT INTO STAR-SPRINKLED SPACE, trailing a wake of dust behind it. - BRIDGE - OUTER SPACE They all CHEER. ROBY pounds his panel We made it! Damn, we made it! STANDARD You bet we made it. Martin, set course for Irth and accelerate us into stardrive. ROBY With great pleasure. Roby begins to punch buttons. MELKONIS I feel like an escapee from Hell. - SHIP AT LIGHT SPEED - LATER The ship's speed is so great that there is perceptible movement in the universe all around. There is a strange corona effect which causes the stars approaching the ship to appear blue, and the receding ones to be red. This is redshift, made visible because of their incredible velocity. - BRIDGE - OUTER SPACE They are unstrapping. ROBY That's the part that always makes me feel like I'm gonna puke when we accelerate into light speed. STANDARD Quit complaining; we're in space. They rise and head out of the room. - CORRIDOR As they walk along. STANDARD I think the best thing to do with Broussard is to just freeze him as he is. It'll arrest the progress of his disease, and he can get complete medical attention when we get back to the Colonies. ROBY We'll have to go into quarantine, maybe for quite a while. STANDARD That's okay, he can remain in hypersleep until they're ready to treat him. They enter the infirmary. - INFIRMARY As they enter the room, THEY ARE SHOCKED TO SEE BROUSSARD SITTING UP in BED AWAKE. BROUSSARD hoarsely Mouth's so dry can I have some water Instantly, Roby brings him a plastic cup of water. Broussard gulps it down in a swallow. BROUSSARD CONT'D More. Roby quickly fills a much bigger container and hands it to Broussard, who greedily consumes the entire thing. Then he sags, panting, on the bunk. STANDARD softly How do you feel, Dell? BROUSSARD weakly Wretched. What happened to me? STANDARD Don't you remember? BROUSSARD Don't remember nothing. Can't hardly remember my name. ROBY Are you in pain? BROUSSARD Not exactly, just feel like somebody's been beating me with rubber hoses for about six years. Melkonis laughs at this remark. Broussard smiles faintly at him. STANDARD Hell, you're in great shape, you've got your sense of humor back! BROUSSARD God I'm hungry. ROBY Dell, what's the last thing you can remember? BROUSSARD I don't know ROBY Do you remember the pyramid? BROUSSARD No. Just some horrible dreams about smothering. Where are we? STANDARD We're going home. We're in hyperspace. MELKONIS We're going into the freezers now. BROUSSARD I'm really starving; can we get some food before we go into the freezers? STANDARD laughs I think that's a pretty reasonable request. - MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM The entire crew is seated around the table, eating huge portions greedily. The cat eats from a dish on the table. HUNTER Boy do I feel a lot better. It's a straight shot back to the Colonies, and then we can start taking bids on the paydirt. Any bets on the top bid? FAUST chewing Well, we should at least be able to each buy our own planet. They all CHUCKLE. MELKONIS I'm going to write a book about this expedition. I'm going to call it 'The Snark Log.' STANDARD stiffly The commander normally has first publication rights. MELKONIS Maybe we could write it together. ROBY First thing I'm going to do when we get back is eat some biological food. MELKONIS What's the matter, you don't like this stuff? ROBY Tastes like something you'd feed a chicken to make it lay more eggs. STANDARD Oh it's okay. I've had better cag than this, but I've had worse too, if you know what I mean. FAUST I kind of like it. ROBY You like this shit? FAUST It grows on you. ROBY You know what they make this stuff out of? FAUST annoyed Yes, I know what they make it out of, so what? It's food now. You're eating it. ROBY I didn't say it was bad for you, it's just kind of sickening, that's all. HUNTER Do we have to talk about this kind of crap at the dinner table? Suddenly, unexpectedly, BROUSSARD GRIMACES AND GROANS. STANDARD What's wrong? BROUSSARD his voice straining I don't know I'm getting these CRAMPS! The others stare at him in alarm. Another GROAN is torn from his lips. He clutches the edge of the table with his hands, his knuckles whitening. STANDARD Breathe deeply. BROUSSARD screaming OH GOD IT HURTS SO BAD! ROBY What Dell what? Broussard's face is screwed up into a mask of agony, and he is trembling violently from head to foot. BROUSSARD incoherent shriek OhmygooaaAAAHHHHH!!! A RED SMEAR OF BLOOD BLOSSOMS ON THE CHEST OF BROUSSARD'S TUNIC. THEIR EYES ARE ALL RIVETTED TO BROUSSARD'S CHEST AS THE FABRIC OF HIS TUNIC IS RIPPED OPEN, AND A HORRIBLE NASTY LITTLE HEAD THE SIZE OF A MAN'S FIST PUSHES OUT. Everybody SCREAMS and leaps back from the table. The cat spits and bolts. The disgusting little head lunges, comes spurting out of Broussard's chest trailing a thick, wormlike tail splattering fluids and blood lands in the middle of the dishes and food on the table and scurries away while the men are stampeding for safe ground. When they finally regain control of themselves, it has escaped. Broussard lies slumped in his chair, a huge hole in his chest, spouting blood. The dishes are scattered and the food is covered with blood and slime. HUNTER Oh, no. Oh, no. FAUST What was that? What the Christ was that? MELKONIS It was growing in him the whole time and he didn't even know it! Slowly, they gather around Broussard's gutted corpse. ROBY That thing used him for an incubator! - SHIP - OUTER SPACE A hatch slides open on the side of the ship, and Broussard's wrapped body tumbles silently out. AN ELECTRONIC BASS DRUM BEATS A DIRGE as Broussard drifts into eternity. - CORRIDORS The entire remaining crew is walking toward the bridge. MELKONIS We can't go into hypersleep with that thing running around loose. HUNTER We'd be sitting ducks in the freezers. ROBY But we can't kill it. If we kill it, it will spill all its body acids right through our hull and out into space. FAUST Shit STANDARD We'll have to catch it and eject it from the ship. MELKONIS sighs Well, I kind of hate to point it out, but all our supplies are based on us spending a strictly limited amount of time out of suspended animation and as you know, we used up most of that time in harvesting. STANDARD We've got about a week left, right? HUNTER And then we run out of food and oxygen. FAUST The water will still recycle. ROBY We won't need it then. STANDARD All right, so that's what we've got. A week. It's plenty of time. ROBY But if we haven't caught it in a week, then we have to go into the freezers anyway. They enter the bridge. - BRIDGE STANDARD So does anybody have any suggestions? FAUST We could put on our pressure suits and blow all the air out of the ship. That would kill it. STANDARD No, we can't afford to lose that much oxygen. We're going to have to flush it out. MELKONIS How? STANDARD Room by room, corridor by corridor. No one likes this thought. MELKONIS And what do we do when we find it? STANDARD We'll have to trap it somehow. If we had a really strong piece of net, we could bag it. FAUST We could cut a section out of that metallite netting. It won't hold up to that acid, but aside from that it's pretty strong. ROBY We have to avoid injuring it. What we really need is some electric animal prods. HUNTER I think I could cobble something together. A long metal rod with a battery in it. Give it a hell of a shock. STANDARD Good. Get on it. But first, I'm issuing a standing order: from this moment forth, every one of us will wear protective garments, including helmets. Let's get down to the locker and change. They start for the exit. - OUTER SPACE The SNARK continues on its way through the weird vortex of hyperspace. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Standard is walking purposefully along the corridor, alone. He is garmented in an unusual outfit which makes him look like a riot policeman, including clear plastic helmet. He reaches a corner and turns. But this new passageway has a different gravity orientation Standard seems to be walking down a vertical wall. He makes yet another disorienting turn, and now he is walking upside- down. He reaches a set of steps and climbs up them or rather, down them. - VENTRAL OBSERVATION DOME - VIEW OF OUTER SPACE Melkonis is seated in the dome, upside-down, peering down into space. He also wears the protective suit. Standard, upside-down, climbs into the dome. It is dark and eerie here, under the stars of interstellar space. A few glowing panels provide the only illumination. STANDARD I thought I'd find you here. MELKONIS I was thinking of a line from an old poem: 'Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.' All that space out there, and we're trapped in this ship. STANDARD That's the one about the albatross, right? MELKONIS We can't even radio for help; the carrier wave wouldn't reach its destination till long after we'd died and turned to dust. We are utterly, absolutely alone. Can anybody really visualize such a scale of distances? Halfway across Creation STANDARD We came out there, we'll go back. A long time by the clock, but a short time to us. MELKONIS Time and space have no meaning out here. We're living in Einsteinian equation. STANDARD I can see you're putting your spare time to good use. leans forward and taps him on the knee Let me tell you something: you keep staring at hyperspace for long enough, they'll be peeling you off a wall. I've seen it happen. MELKONIS smiles at him We're the new pioneers, Chaz. We even have our own special diseases. STANDARD Come on let's go above and see how they're coming with the gear. - BRIDGE The whole crew has assembled. Faust is unfolding several yards of shimmering metallic netting. Hunter hands out five thin rods, like metal broom handles. HUNTER These have portable generators in them. They're insulated down to here just be careful not to touch the end. He demonstrates by touching the tip of one of the rods to a metal object. A blue spark leaps. FAUST Might even incinerate the damn thing. STANDARD sharply I hope not. HUNTER Don't worry, it won't damage it, it'll just give it a little incentive. STANDARD How do we locate the creature? FAUST With these. He picks up a small portable unit. FAUST CONT'D Tracking device. You set it to search for a moving object It hasn't got much range, but when you get within a certain distance, it starts beeping. Standard takes the device and studies it. STANDARD These will be very useful. At least we won't have to go digging around in closets with our bare hands. All right, here's the battle plan: we're going to break into two teams and start systematically covering the ship. Whoever finds it first, catches it in the net and ejects it from the nearest airlock. Clear? ROBY Even simple. Standard shoots him a vicious look, then continues: STANDARD For starters, let's make sure the bridge is safe. Faust takes the device and turns it on. He scans it around the room. FAUST It's clear. STANDARD All right Roby and Melkonis will go with Faust. Hunter and I will make up the second team. They start doling out the equipment. STANDARD CONT'D We'll all carry communicators. We want to keep in constant touch. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Melkonis and Roby carry the net, while Faust walks directly behind it, carrying the tracking device. He continually scans it from side to side. FAUST Nothing yet nothing we can move pretty fast as long as there's nothing on the tracker. - OTHER CORRIDORS Standard and Hunter move silently along. Standard is forced to serve a double function, carrying one edge of the net and the tracker as well. - CORRIDORS Roby's team is moving at a fairly brisk pace, when: FAUST Hold it. Faust's tracker is BEEPING, and a small light flashes. FAUST CONT'D I've got something. Immediately, they grow very tense and start looking around. ROBY Where's it coming from? FAUST peers closely at tracker and frowns Machine's screwed up, I can't tell. Needle's spinning all over the dial. MELKONIS Is it malfunctioning? Faust turns the tracker on its side, and the needle stabilizes. FAUST No, just confused. It's coming from below us. They all look down at their feet. - MAINTENANCE LEVEL Roby, Melkonis, and Faust come carefully down a set of crude metal stairs, into a drab, functional section of the ship. The corridors in this level are lit by rows of bare bulbs in the ceiling. The effect is ugly and confining. They stop at the foot of the stairs and move into position, spreading the net across the corridor. ROBY Okay. FAUST looking at tracker and nodding down the passageway That way. They begin to walk down the passageway, footsteps clanging on the raw metal flooring. It is extremely dark. ROBY What happened to the lights? FAUST Bulbs burned out, nobody bothered to replace 'em. They switch on the helmet lights. CAMERA FOLLOWS THEM AROUND A COUPLE OF TURNINGS, AND THEN: FAUST CONT'D Hold it. They all stop quickly, almost stumbling. FAUST CONT'D whispering It's within meters. Roby and Melkonis heft the net, each keeping his prod in hand. Faust, prod in one hand and tracker in the other, has the unpleasant job of approaching the source of the signal. He moves with great care, in a half crouch, ready to leap back at any second, prod extended, constantly glancing at the tracker. The tracking device leads him right up to a small hatch or door in one wall. Behind his plastic mask, sweat is pouring down Faust's face as he sets down the tracker and reaches for the little door. He raises the prod, grasps the door handle, yanks it open, and jams the electric prod inside. WITH A NERVE-SHATTERING SQUALL, A SMALL CREATURE COMES FLYING OUT OF THE CABINET, EYES GLARING, CLAWS FLASHING. Instinctively, they throw the net over it, but: ROBY very annoyed Oh, hold it! They open the net and release the creature. IT IS THE CAT. Hissing and spitting, it scampers away. MELKONIS We're making fools of ourselves! Roby's COMMUNICATOR BEEPS. ROBY into communicator Yes! STANDARD over, filtered We've got it up here! It's trapped! Get up here fast! ROBY Where are you? STANDARD over, filtered Food-storage room! ROBY We're coming! They dash for the stairs. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Roby, Faust, and Melkonis charge down the hallways until they arrive at: - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE FOOD STORAGE ROOM Standard and Hunter are waiting for them, in hysterics. HUNTER We saw it inside and slammed the door on it! It's in there now! On the other side of the door, CRASHING AND BANGING can be heard. ROBY What's it doing, having a seizure? STANDARD It started crashing around right after we locked it in. ROBY Now what? STANDARD I guess we open the door and net it. HUNTER I hate to open that door. Again the thing can be heard CRASHING AROUND INSIDE. STANDARD It looks completely different from the first one it's more like a worm with legs and tentacles. FAUST Well we better do something. HUNTER Maybe we don't have to. It's trapped in there. We could just leave it in there all the way back to Irth. STANDARD snaps Don't be an idiot. FAUST I know what we can do. We can pump poison gas into the room and kill it. Through those ventilator slots there. He indicates a row of slots in the bottom of the door. ROBY Hey, wait a minute! That's all our food supplies in there! We can't pump poison gas all over them! STANDARD Once we kill the thing we won't need the food any more we can go straight into hypersleep. Also, it sounds like that thing is already doing a pretty good job on our supplies; it may be fouling them all. ROBY You win. FAUST Somebody gimme a hand, I'll get the stuff. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE FOOD LOCKER - LATER CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL THAT they are fastening a large funnel- shaped device over the ventilator grill at the bottom of the door. This funnel is attached to a thick hose, which runs back to a large metal tank with pressure gauges. STANDARD Get those masks on. They pull on gas masks. ROBY This stuff's deadly I hope we know what we're doing. STANDARD Go ahead, Jay. Faust turns on the machine. It begins to throb as it pumps the gas through the hose and into the room. Immediately, THE CRASHING NOISES RISE IN CRESCENDO, AND THE THING CAN BE HEARD SCREECHING AND SQUEALING. Then the sounds stop altogether. STANDARD CONT'D Shut it off. Faust shuts off the pump. ROBY Now what? STANDARD What do you think? Now we go in. Standard steps to the door and opens it. A thick cloud of gas billows out. - FOOD STORAGE ROOM The room is thick with the poison gas. The men look like insects in their gasmasks. The food packages are ripped to shreds, and foodstuffs are scattered all over the floor. FAUST Looks like he helped himself. Carefully, the men poke through the garbage, net and prods raised. Then Hunter points. HUNTER God damn it. They all look where he is pointing. In the wall, A VENTILATOR GRILL HAS BEEN RIPPED OPEN. HUNTER CONT'D It escaped. They move to the shredded ventilator and shine their lights into it. ROBY Where does that go? FAUST All over the ship; we'll have to check the charts to know for sure. STANDARD Then let's go and do it. They head for the door. HUNTER Have we got any food at all left in the ship? They slam the door shut and seal it. - BRIDGE The screens are showing them a schematic of the ship's system of ventilator shafts. FAUST That one section of the ventilator shaft has only two outlets you notice? The food storage room on one end HUNTER And the cooling unit on the other. STANDARD So it's trapped in between now we have to drive it out. FAUST Poison gas HUNTER We can't pump poison gas down into the cooling unit! It'll flood the whole ship! STANDARD The only other thing I can think of is for somebody to crawl in there and flush it out. ROBY Are you crazy? STANDARD The man would need protection, obviously as well as some way to drive the thing before him. FAUST How about a flamethrower? That wouldn't poison the air. MELKONIS So one of us goes into the airshaft and drives the thing along STANDARD While the rest of us wait down in the cooling unit with the net. HUNTER Sounds like a rough one. STANDARD Got a better idea? Hunter shrugs. ROBY So the only question left is: who gets to crawl down the airshaft? STANDARD Let's be democratic. He tears five small sheets of paper from a pad on his console. On one of them, he draws a large X. Then he wads each piece of paper into a tiny little ball. He rolls the paperballs between his hands and tosses them on the table like dice. STANDARD CONT'D Martin, take one. Roby picks one up and unfolds it. It is blank. Melkonis picks up another and opens it. Again blank. Faust picks up a ball, and Standard immediately picks his own up. They are both blank. They all look at Hunter, who has not yet unfolded his. STANDARD CONT'D Open it up, Cleave. - FOOD STORAGE ROOM Hunter is strapping on an oxygen mask and a flame thrower. Faust is helping him. Finally, Faust hands him a tracking device. FAUST Well, uh good luck. I hope you won't need me, but if you do, I'm here. HUNTER grimly Right. Hunter turns and climbs into the ventilator opening, which is just large enough to crawl through. - AIR SHAFT It is completely dark in the shaft. Hunter reaches up and turns on his helmet light. Then he switches on his radio. HUNTER Hey, do you guys read me down there? - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM Standard, Melkonis and Roby are spreading out the net. We hear the hum of huge cooling plants, and their hair ruffles. Large airshafts run off in different directions. STANDARD Yeah, we're getting into position. - AIR SHAFT HUNTER Okay, I'm starting now. He begins to crawl forward into the narrow metal tunnel. He turns a corner. After a couple more tight turns, THE TRACKER SUDDENLY BEEPS. Hunter twitches. He raises his flamethrower and FIRES A BLAST INTO THE DARKNESS. It roars loudly in the confined tube, and the air instantly heats up. Smoke drifts back into his face. He begins to sweat. - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM Roby points to a large rectangular opening in one wall. ROBY pointing There. That's where it's got to come out. He throws a switch, and a large metal panel rises and seals off the opening. ROBY CONT'D That's a flip-flop gate to channel the air, but we can use it to trap the thing. STANDARD Right now let's keep it closed. Melkonis is setting up a little portable unit with a screen on it. The screen shows a section of the ship's schematic. MELKONIS I've got Hunter and something else as well, in front of him. STANDARD Are they close? MELKONIS They're on the next level up. STANDARD Let's get moving with this net. They lift the net up, holding it in front of the opening. - AIR SHAFT Hunter is still crawling on hands and knees. Up ahead, he can see that the shaft takes an abrupt downward turn. He crawls toward the down angle, then fires another blast from his flamethrower. Then he starts crawling down, head first. When he is nearly upside-down, the shaft takes yet another turning which puts him into a nearly impossible position, almost immobilized. Then the tracker starts BEEPING LIKE CRAZY. Frantically, he fumbles the flamethrower around, but the space is narrow it is difficult maneuvering. He hears a HISSING CRY up ahead, and claws scrambling on metal. Then he has the weapon into position, and sprays another lethal flaming burst toward the sound. - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM Melkonis is staring at his screen. MELKONIS They're getting pretty close now. STANDARD All right, then when it gets to the other side of the door, you sing out, then drop the door. Okay? MELKONIS Okay. STANDARD to Roby And you and I will bag it, and then we'll take it to the ventral air lock, got it? ROBY tensely Uh-huh. - AIR SHAFT Hunter is huddled against a wall of the shaft, clutching the flamethrower. HUNTER whispers Hey, you guys. - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM STANDARD into communicator Yes! - AIR SHAFT HUNTER whispering I don't think this shaft goes on too much farther anyway it's getting pretty hot in here - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM STANDARD into communicator Okay, our screens show you as being near to the opening. We'll open it up, then we'll cue you and you can start blasting. That'll drive it right out. You don't have to go any farther. - AIR SHAFT HUNTER Good. He readies the flamethrower. - CLIMATE CONTROL ROOM STANDARD Okay, get ready. He and Roby heft their respective ends of the net, crouched to catch the small creature when it darts out. Melkonis picks up his electric prod. STANDARD CONT'D Open the vent, Sandy. Melkonis reaches over and throws the switch. The metal gate drops down, opening up the shaft. A SIX-FOOT MONSTROSITY STANDS IN THE OPENING. GHASTLY BEYOND IMAGINATION, SQUAMOUS, COVERED WITH TENTACLES, IT HOPS DOWN LIKE AN OVER-SIZED BIRD AND GRABS MELKONIS IN RAZOR-SHARP TENTACLES. Melkonis lets out a horrible shriek, and the thing grabs his head in one claw and TWISTS IT OFF LIKE A MAN PULLING THE HEAD OFF A CHICKEN, THEN THROWS IT TO THE FLOOR WITH AN AUDIBLE CLUNK. CLUTCHING MELKONIS' BODY TIGHTLY AGAINST ITSELF, IT TURNS AND BOUNDS DOWN THE HALL. MELKONIS' HEADLESS BODY IS STILL KICKING AND STRUGGLING AS THE MONSTER LEAPS HEAD-FIRST INTO ANOTHER AIR SHAFT. Standard and Roby are left standing in shock. After a moment, Hunter climbs out of the shaft. HUNTER What happened? Where is it? They break from their paralysis, and run toward the opening the creature just leaped into. It is another shaft, going down into darkness. STANDARD awed How did it get so big? ROBY By eating our food supplies. HUNTER Where's Melkonis? - FOOD STORAGE ROOM Faust is still waiting. FAUST into his communicator Hey, are you guys still there? What's going on? STANDARD over, filtered Meet us on the bridge. Be careful it's huge now. FAUST Right. Faust lets himself out of the food storage room and carefully locks the door behind him. - CORRIDORS Standard, Roby and Hunter are rapidly ascending toward the bridge. HUNTER You mean his body was still kicking when it ran off with him? ROBY It was horrible horrible. Like a chicken. - BRIDGE Standard, Roby and Hunter enter and drop into chairs. Faust follows shortly. They all look blank, stunned. FAUST What happened? Where's Sandy? ROBY Dead. FAUST Dead! ROBY It's monstrous it grew, like some horrible tapeworm. We were completely unprepared. FAUST It's still in the ship? STANDARD We'd better seal off the lower maintenance level; at least trap it there. throws a switch; circuitry lights up HUNTER At least it can't get up here now. ROBY Two down, four to go. STANDARD angrily What's that supposed to mean? ROBY Nothing. HUNTER Listen, it sure didn't like this flamethrower. STANDARD That's right we can't kill it on the ship, but we can at least keep it at bay and maybe drive it into the air lock. HUNTER Thing is, I'm about out of fuel. FAUST There's some more combustible fuel down in the storage lockers next to the lounge. rises I'll go get it. STANDARD No, I don't want us separated. FAUST You just sealed it off; it can't get to that section. ROBY Don't count on it. HUNTER We sure need this flamethrower. STANDARD All right but do not go below decks. FAUST Right. heads for the door STANDARD And be right back. Faust exits. ROBY I think it's time we took a hard look at those heiroglyphs. Roby begins to punch buttons; the photographs of the heiroglyphics appear on some of the screens. ROBY CONT'D Can you make out any pattern in all that? STANDARD baffled Well yes there's a pattern but it's meaningless to me. ROBY I know it looks like a senseless jumble, but if you look closely, there are recognizable forms. HUNTER Recognizable! In that? ROBY In symbolic form very stylized but if you stare at it, you can see some of the different creatures we've been dealing with. HUNTER Well I suppose that star-shaped thing could be the parasite that got on Broussard. Is that what you mean? ROBY And right next to it, that oval design with the markings it's a dead ringer for the spore casings. STANDARD That next thing there six legs, tentacles that's the thing we saw in the food locker. ROBY So the next step should be HUNTER The big one. And there it is. Out of meaningless geometric symbols on a wall, it has become possible to recognize each stage in the alien's life cycle. ROBY This is all the same creature. We're seeing the different stages in its life-cycle. STANDARD Then that tomb must have been some kind of fertility temple where they stored their eggs, and maybe held mating rituals HUNTER And Broussard got caught in their reproductive cycle. ROBY You will notice, though, that there are no more phases. Only four forms are shown. After that the pattern repeats. STANDARD Which presumably means ROBY More spores coming. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK Faust quickly turns a couple of corners and then comes to an abrupt halt when he notices that a DOOR LEADING TO THE LOWER DECKS HAS BEEN WRENCHED OFF ITS HINGES. He hesitates, uncertain what to do, then there is A SOUND FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE AIR LOCK AND THE INNER LOCK DOOR IS OPEN. Faust hesitates and peers into the lock. - AIR LOCK The creature is squatting in the middle of the floor, gnawing on a bloody thigh bone. It does not see Faust. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK Stealthfully, dropping back into the shadows, Faust presses the wall intercom and speaks into it. FAUST whispering It's in the lock blow the main lock. - BRIDGE Standard, Roby and Hunter are staring at the pictures. The call from Faust catches Standard in mid-sentence. STANDARD into intercom What? - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK FAUST whispering It's in the main air lock. Blow the lock. - BRIDGE Standard hesitates, starts to frame a reply then changes his mind and runs to his console and THROWS THE SWITCH. - AIR LOCK With a mechanical whine, the inner door starts to close. The creature hears it and INSTANTANEOUSLY LEAPS OUT OF THE LOCK. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK The creature comes flying out of the lock and DEALS FAUST A BACK- HANDED BLOW, KNOCKING HIM ACROSS THE THRESHOLD OF THE AIR LOCK DOOR. FAUST SCREAMS IN MORTAL AGONY AS THE INNER DOOR CLOSES ON HIS WAIST, crushing him to a thickness of about three inches. On the wall, a green light goes on: 'INNER DOOR CLOSED' - AIR LOCK Despite the fact that the inner door is still held open a few inches by Faust's squashed body, THE OUTER DOOR BEGINS TO SLIDE OPEN. IMMEDIATELY, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS SCREAM OF ESCAPING AIR. - SHIP - OUTER SPACE In dead silence, a thick spurt of steam comes out of the open air lock door. This is the ship's atmosphere freezing as it squirts out into the vacuum under pressure. - BRIDGE INSTANTLY, A TREMENDOUS WINDSTORM STARTS UP as the ship's air is sucked out toward the lock. A SIREN BEGINS TO SOUND, AND A RED LIGHT FLASHES: 'CRITICAL DEPRESSURIZATION' After a moment of panic and confusion, Roby bolts out of the control room. - CORRIDORS Loose papers and articles of furniture hurtle through the passageways, as Roby hurries toward the rock, partly running, partly sucked along by the air current. - SHIP - OUTER SPACE A huge plume of steam grows from the side of the ship, with all kinds of tiny loose particles tumbling out in it. - CORRIDORS Whipped by the hurricane wind, Roby crashes to a momentary halt against a wall. As he hesitates there, trying to regain his balance, HE SEES THE CREATURE SCURRYING AWAY DOWN ANOTHER CORRIDOR. Ignoring the monster, he pushes off from the wall and starts running again. - CORRIDOR OUTSIDE AIR LOCK Roby stops himself by grabbing the edge of a doorway at the end of the hall down from the airlock. Here, the wind is really terrific his clothes flap on his body and all kinds of things fly by the sound is a DEAFENING WHISTLE. Instantly, Roby starts turning a large wheel, which begins to close a sliding hatch door, closing off the air lock corridor. As the hatch closes, THE CURRENT DECREASES, THEN IS FINALLY CUT OFF AS HE SEALS IT. Done in, he collapses to the floor. Then he clutches his throat and begins to gasp for breath. Because of the thinness of the air, THE SOUND LEVEL IN THE SHIP IS VERY ODD THIN, DISTANT, ALMOST INAUDIBLE. Roby is gasping loudly, but we can barely hear him; and his footsteps boom thinly like a man walking underwater. - CORRIDORS Clutching his throat, he comes across the others Standard and Hunter and they are all choking, clawing at their throats, gasping like fishes out of water. They are sweating heavily and their noses bleed. They try to speak to each other, but the sound is so muffled we can only hear distant croaks. Standard mumbles something and stumbles down the hall. The others follow him. - MAIN AIR TANK ROOM The door bursts open and Standard reels in, his footsteps pinging thinly on the metal flooring. We see several rows of large oxygen tanks, all connected by hoses to a few petcocks. Standard staggers to these and starts twisting the handles, opening them. THERE IS A PIERCING HISS OF ESCAPING AIR, AND THE SOUND LEVEL GRADUALLY RETURNS TO NORMAL as Standard and the others sink to the floor, gasping in the oxygen gratefully. Finally they have recovered enough to be able to sit up. ROBY How much oxygen did we lose? Standard rises unsteadily and peers at the gauges. STANDARD We've got six hours left. HUNTER groans Oh my God. STANDARD Does anybody know what happened? ROBY I saw it. Faust got himself jammed in the air lock door. His body held it open. STANDARD Can we get to him? ROBY No, I had to seal off a whole section. We'd lose too much of our remaining air if we opened the connecting door. - AIR LOCK Faust's body, crushed in the inner door, floats weightlessly in the vacuum. His nose and mouth are crusted with huge gobs of dried blood. - BRIDGE The three survivors Standard, Roby and Hunter slump into chairs. The cat emerges from a hiding place, yowling with fear. ROBY picking up the cat Poor kitty; puss puss puss. STANDARD At least we're rid of the damn monster. It must have been the first thing sucked out of the ship. ROBY No such luck. I saw it running down one of the corridors. HUNTER groans Oh no! We can't fight this thing! There's only six hours of air left we're dead men! STANDARD I don't buy that. There's still time to destroy it and get ourselves in the freezers. HUNTER How? STANDARD It's time for drastic remedies. ROBY It was time for that a couple days ago. STANDARD That kind of remark is pointless. Now come on I want to hear every suggestion you can come up with, no matter how wild. HUNTER We can't kill it on board. It's huge now and must have tremendous amounts of that acid in its body. ROBY I've got an idea, but you're not going to like it. STANDARD Let's hear it. ROBY Okay. First we shut down all the cooling systems on the stardrive engines. STANDARD That'll blow the ship up. ROBY Right but it'll take a few minutes for the engines to overheat and melt down the core. In the meantime, we get in the lifeboat and leave the ship. HUNTER Blow the ship up? ROBY And the creature with it. We can make it back to Irth in the lifeboat. STANDARD But the lifeboat can't accelerate to light speed. ROBY Doesn't matter we're already at light speed. And when we get back to the Colonies, they'll pick us up in the network. HUNTER What about all the minerals and elements in the cargo hold? That's the only reason we came out here. We'd have to abandon them all. We'd be broke. ROBY Our lives are more important. Anyway, we can take a small amount of the most valuable stuff with us on the lifeboat. STANDARD No, it won't work and I just realized why. There's only one hypersleep freezer on the lifeboat. Only one of us could survive. ROBY Yeah I forgot. STANDARD But the idea's good, if we could just turn it around somehow. They think. STANDARD CONT'D If we could just get the creature into the lifeboat, we could launch it into space and blow it up. HUNTER Good! That's good! STANDARD We can load the lifeboat up with explosives and trigger them remotely, once the lifeboat is in space. ROBY I think it's going to be almost impossible to drive it up into the lifeboat. HUNTER We can use the flamethrower. ROBY It's not going to work. STANDARD You can't say that; I think it's a good plan. HUNTER The flamethrower needs more fuel. STANDARD Right. We've got a lot to accomplish. Let's get moving. - MINING & CARGO BAY The three men come down steps into this rather dirty area of the ship. A lot of tools and large items of machinery are stored around. LONG RACKS OF SHELVES ARE STOCKED WITH METAL CONTAINERS OF VARIOUS SHAPES. Each container is well packed and labelled. HUNTER Which explosive should we use? STANDARD I'd suggest the N- sticks. They're portable, and they can be radio detonated. Hunter begins to unlock a locker and draw out long, red sticks like broomhandles, with tiny printing on them. Meanwhile, ROBY IS STARING AT THE ROWS OF METAL CANNISTERS. He touches one of them. ROBY You know, it's funny this stuff we went to so much trouble to dig up this treasure, the paydirt it'll make it back to Irth just fine even if we're not with it. STANDARD Here, carry these. Hunter takes an armload of the red broomsticks, and stumbles. ROBY grabbing at him Hey watch it! STANDARD grinning It's stable; it doesn't hurt to drop it. They begin to carry the explosives up the steps. - CORRIDOR The three men are carrying their equipment along the hallway, when Hunter's tracker suddenly BEEPS. HUNTER Hold it! They all stop. The tracker BEEPS AGAIN. Hunter puts down his stuff and points the tracker around. HUNTER CONT'D nodding up some steps Up there. They all look at each other. Standard puts down his bundle and picks up the flamethrower. ROBY So what do we do? Do we ignore it and finish loading the explosives into the boat or do we flush it out now? STANDARD Now. If we can get it into the boat, we won't have to blow it up we can just eject it into space. Standard hefts the flamethrower and starts up the steps. - DIM STAIRWELL Standard's face is tense as he advances up the circular steps. Suddenly, a METALLIC TAPPING SOUND is heard. He freezes. Then he continues up. - DORSAL OBSERVATION DOME - VIEW OF OUTER SPACE The view of interstellar space is spectacular. As Standard comes up the steps, the METALLIC TAPPING is heard again. Standard looks around. Then he sees it BROUSSARD'S CORPSE FLOATS OUTSIDE THE GLASS OF THE DOME. It is tangled in some rigging, and the movement of the machinery causes the cadaver to tap on the glass periodically. STANDARD shouts You can come up! It's safe! The others come up the steps. ROBY spying the corpse Oh Jesus Broussard's corpse is blue and bloated where the wrappings have torn loose. Bumping against the glass, he looks like he wants to come in. STANDARD The ship's gravitational attraction must have drawn him back. HUNTER horrified Should we go outside and bring him in? STANDARD No the risk is too great. Perhaps after we've destroyed the thing. Glancing back, the men retreat from the observation dome. Broussard remains against the glass, peering in with dead eyes. - NOSE OF SHIP The floor slopes upward slightly here as the corridor funnels in and ends in the entrance to a narrow passageway or crawl-way. This passageway connects the nose of the ship with the lifeboat. The three men come up to the entrance to the passageway, carrying the equipment. They duck in and walk the short distance to the lifeboat. - LIFEBOAT The passageway connects into the rear of the lifeboat. It is an extremely simple, stripped-down vehicle; even the metal struts and beams-are exposed. A single hypersleep freezer takes up a fair amount of floor space. It is an escape-craft, nothing more. STANDARD pointing Along the base of the walls there. They begin to stack the red broomsticks against the base of the walls on both sides of the lifeboat, and to wire them into position tightly. HUNTER This should do it. ROBY I should hope so! And we'd better make sure it's pretty far from the ship when we blow it. STANDARD It will be. HUNTER surveys the craft uneasily What we really need is some red meat in here for bait. ROBY Well, if we had some, I'd eat it. I'm starting to get hungry. By this time, they are exiting. - NOSE OF SHIP STANDARD Well now we have to herd that thing up here. HUNTER nervously Whoever's doing the herding is gonna have their hands pretty full. I think somebody should stay by the lifeboat to slam the door on the thing once it's inside, and to serve as as searches for a word ROBY Isn't 'bait' the word you used? HUNTER Hey look, somebody has to have his hands free to lock the creature in the lifeboat! STANDARD Yes, and maybe launch the boat and blow it too if the others are injured. ROBY Who gets the privilege? INSERT: THREE CRUMPLED PIECES OF PAPER. Three hands pick them up. ANGLE ON ROBY. He unfolds his paper, turns it so the others can see it. It has a big X on it. ANOTHER ANGLE - SHORTLY LATER. Hunter is showing Roby a small device like a transistor radio. HUNTER Just keep your finger off the button till she's way away from the ship, that's all. ROBY Is it armed? HUNTER If you press the button right now, it will blow the whole nose of the ship off. ROBY Thanks for the thought. puts detonator in his breast pocket STANDARD All right, Martin, we'll be in touch with you on the communicator. ROBY And you'll let me know when you've got it coming this way STANDARD And you stand aside while we drive it in, then shut the hatch, launch the boat, and ROBY Kablooey. Hunter's face twitches nervously at this. STANDARD Come on; we haven't much time, air is a factor. They leave the nose of the ship, Standard carrying the flamethrower, Hunter the tracker. Roby settles himself at the controls, runs through them briefly to familiarize himself. Using a switch, he opens and closes the lifeboat door a couple of times. It slams open and shut quite rapidly. He presses a few buttons and sets the launch button to 'READY.' Then STANDARD'S VOICE comes from the communicator: STANDARD over, filtered We've got something on the tracker got to be it, it's too big for the cat. This is a VERY SPOOKY SCENE, ROBY ALONE BY THE LIFEBOAT, LISTENING TO THE VOICES ON THE COMMUNICATOR. HUNTER over, filtered It's coming from down there. Roby hears various tinny sound effects, rustlings, clunkings, breathing, etc. - CORRIDOR IN SHIP Standard has the flamethrower at the ready, and Hunter is staring at the tracker. HUNTER It must have stopped moving. I'm not getting anything. STANDARD Let me go first; you stay behind me. Carefully, Standard advances down the corridor. Then THE CREATURE POPS OUT OF HIDING BEHIND HUNTER, AND PICKS HIM UP. HUNTER SCREAMS. Standard whirls around, sees the thing clutching Hunter. It holds him off to one side, as though to keep Standard from getting at him. Standard doesn't know what to do. HUNTER The flamethrower! STANDARD I can't, the acid will pour out! At that moment the creature TAKES A BITE OUT OF HUNTER, WHO SCREAMS IN MORTAL AGONY. Standard can take it no longer; he raises the flamethrower and fires BUT THE CREATURE SWINGS HUNTER AROUND AS A SHIELD AND HUNTER CATCHES THE FULL BLAST OF THE FLAME. Standard instantly stops firing, but now Hunter is a kicking ball of flame, held out at arm's length by the monster. - NOSE OF SHIP Roby is listening to all this on the communicator. He can hear the shrieks and crashing noises. Then the communicator goes dead, and all he hears is a rush of static. ROBY Hello? Standard? Hunter? He waits quite a while for a response, but we can see from his expression that he expects none. He drops his face into his hands. When he lifts his head again, he has managed to summon a certain amount of resolve. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Roby walks along watching the tracker, carrying a pistol in the other hand. He comes across Standard's flamethrower, lying on the floor. He picks it up, substituting it for the pistol. Then he continues to follow the tracker; it takes him down the steps into the maintenance level. - MAINTENANCE LEVEL Roby follows the device for a short distance until it indicates that the source of the signal is directly under his feet. Looking down, he sees that he is standing on a square metal plate. Getting down on his hands and knees, he removes the heavy plate, revealing a black opening with a ladder going down. Substituting the tracker for a flashlight, but still carrying the flamethrower, Roby starts down the ladder. - DARK STORAGE ROOM Shining the light around into the darkness, Roby descends the metal ladder to the floor. THE PLACE IS A HORRIBLE LAIR, FULL OF BONES, HAIR, SHREDS OF FLESH, PIECES OF CLOTHING, AND SHOES. Something moves in the darkness Roby turns his light on it. HANGING FROM THE CEILING IS A HUGE COCOON. It appears to be woven from some fine, white, silk-like material, and it is slowly undulating. Flamethrower ready, Roby approaches the cocoon. As he gets close enough, he sees that the cocoon is semi-transparent and THE BODY OF STANDARD IS INSIDE IT. Unexpectedly, Standard's eyes open, and focus on Roby who jumps violently. STANDARD a feeble whisper Kill me ROBY sickened What did it do to you? STANDARD moves his head slightly Look Roby turns his light where Standard indicates. Another cocoon dangles from the ceiling, but this one looks a little different. It is smaller and darker, with a harder shell. In fact, it looks almost EXACTLY LIKE THE SPORES IN THE TOMB. STANDARD CONT'D whispering That was Melkonis it ate Hunter ROBY looking around for a tool I'll get you out of there. STANDARD No don't ROBY But I can save you get you to the Autodoc! STANDARD No good it's eaten too much of me ROBY in horror What can I do? STANDARD Kill me Roby stares at him in horror, then bends down and takes a closer look at him. REACTING, he straightens back up, raises the flamethrower, and sprays a molten blast. When the entire room is in flames, he turns and scrambles back up the ladder. - MAINTENANCE LEVEL Roby drops to his knees and gasps for breath, trying not to throw up. At length, he regains control of himself. - OUTER SPACE - AT LIGHT SPEED The SNARK appears to hang motionless, with planets and star clusters rolling past in the infinite distance. - BRIDGE Roby is putting the cat into a metal, vacuum-sealed catbox, with a little oxygen tank on it. ROBY Kitty go bye-bye. He seals the catbox, then turns on the oxygen. There is a faint hiss of pressurized air. Wild-eyed, the cat peers out of a little window in front. It YOWLS. He picks up the pressurized catbox and leaves the bridge. - MINING & CARGO BAY Carrying the catbox and a shoulder bag and of course the flamethrower), Roby goes quickly to the nearest rank of metal cannisters. ROBY reading from labels What'll it be, Kitty? Here how about some Tacitum-, ten kilos of it. This'll buy us an island on some nice planet. Putting the invaluable cannister into the shoulder bag, he hurries back up the steps. - ENGINE ROOM Catbox in one hand, flamethrower in the other, Roby enters the engine room, containing the massive stardrive engines. He puts down his parcels and approaches the main control board for the engines. Studying the instructions, he begins to close switches, one by one. A SIREN BEGINS TO HONK THROUGHOUT THE SHIP. COMPUTER Attention! The cooling units for the stardrive engines are not functioning! Engines will overload in minutes, seconds! Attention! Finally Roby closes the last switch. Shaking with nervousness, he hurriedly picks up catbox, bag and flamethrower and hurries out of the engine room. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Roby hurries on, listening to the siren. COMPUTER Attention! Engines will overheat and main core will melt in minutes, seconds! - NOSE OF SHIP Roby comes hustling up to where the lifeboat is berthed. Hands full, he starts to enter the connecting passageway. - CONNECTING PASSAGEWAY THE CREATURE IS WAITING AT THE OTHER END OF THE PASSAGEWAY, INSIDE THE LIFEBOAT. It HISSES and starts toward him. - NOSE OF SHIP Roby leaps out of the passageway, bounds to the controls, and throws the switch. The hatch door SLAMS SHUT, locking the thing in the lifeboat. COMPUTER Attention! Engines will overload in minutes! Indecisive, Roby stares at the lifeboat 'LAUNCH' button. The thing can be heard fumbling around in the passageway. Finally, he turns and bolts back toward the engine room. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Like a maniac, Roby runs through the ship, level after level, pounding down stairwells, his footsteps clanging metallically throughout the ship as he sprints for the engine room. COMPUTER Attention! Engines will overload in minutes, seconds! - ENGINE ROOM The door crashes open and Roby comes running in. The room is full of smoke and the engines are whining dangerously. It is extremely hot in the room; Roby instantly breaks out in sweat. He runs to controls and begins throwing back on the cooling unit switches. Still THE SIREN CONTINUES. COMPUTER Attention! Engines will overload in minutes! Roby pushes a button and speaks into it. ROBY Computer! I've turned all the cooling units back on! What's wrong? COMPUTER The reaction has proceeded too far. The core has begun to melt. Engines will overload in minutes, seconds. A look of terror comes onto Roby's face. He turns and runs from the engine room. - CORRIDORS IN SHIP Again, Roby must run through all the levels of the ship, this time up the stairs, exhausted, stumbling, while the computer counts down: COMPUTER Attention! Engines will overload in minutes! - NOSE OF SHIP Reeling, gasping for breath, Roby staggers into the vestibule where the lifeboat is berthed. He grabs the flamethrower and turns it toward the passageway. It is then he realizes that THE LIFEBOAT DOOR IS OPEN AGAIN. Quickly, he glances around to see if the creature might be behind him. Then he advances on the passageway. - PASSAGEWAY Dripping with sweat, his face a mask of fear, Roby enters the passageway, flamethrower gripped tightly in his hands. He is goaded on by the siren and the computer: COMPUTER Attention! Engines will explode in seconds! He makes it all the way to the end of the passageway, then sticks his head into the lifeboat. - LIFEBOAT HIS POINT-OF-VIEW as he quickly scans the lifeboat, reveals that it is EMPTY. - PASSAGEWAY Immediately, he turns and dashes back to the head of the passageway. There he grabs the catbox and bag, then runs back into the lifeboat. COMPUTER Attention! Engines will explode in seconds! - LIFEBOAT He comes in on the run, hurls the catbox and bag toward the front, and does a dive over the back of the control chair. He is no sooner in the seat than he hits the 'LAUNCH' button. - NOSE OF SHIP - OUTER SPACE The retainer clips drop away, and with a blast of ramjets, THE LIFEBOAT IS LAUNCHED AWAY FROM THE 'SNARK.' - LIFEBOAT Roby is frantically strapping himself in, as the lifeboat accelerates away from the mother ship. - SPACE The tiny pod of the lifeboat accelerates away from the larger bulk of the SNARK. The scene is strangely serene for such deadly circumstances. - LIFEBOAT Roby finishes strapping himself in, then he reaches and grabs the catbox. The cat is YOWLING. Roby hugs the box to his chest and hunches his head down over it. - SPACE The SNARK drifts ever farther away as the lifeboat leaves it behind, until it is barely a point of light. THEN IT BLOWS UP. AN EXPANDING ORANGE FIREBALL WITH PIECES OF METAL FLYING IN ALL DIRECTIONS. - LIFEBOAT The shockwave hits the escape craft, jolting it and rattling everything inside. Then all is quiet. Roby unhooks himself from his straps, rises, and goes to the back of the lifeboat. He stares out through the porthole. His face is bathed in orange light. - SPACE What he sees is the boiling fireball, now fading and fizzling away into nothingness, and a couple of pieces of debris floating past. - LIFEBOAT Roby's expression is mournful as he watches the final obliteration of his ship and friends. BEHIND HIM, THE CREATURE EMERGES FROM SOME HIDING PLACE IT HAS BEEN INSIDE THE LIFEBOAT ALL ALONG. The cat SCREECHES. Roby whirls, and finds himself facing the thing across the length of the boat. It squats, then pulls out its trophy a man's arm. It begins to eat the arm, watching Roby. His first thought is for the flamethrower unfortunately, it lies on the floor right next to the monster. Next he glances around for any place to hide. His eye falls on a tiny locker containing a space suit, with the door standing open. He begins to edge toward the locker. The creature rises. He freezes. It throws down the arm. With that, Roby dives for the open locker door, hurls himself inside, and slams the door shut. - SPACESUIT LOCKER There is a clear glass panel in the door, and the thing puts its face right up to the glass, peering in at Roby. The locker is so small that Roby's face is only inches away from the creature's. The sight is disgusting. It turns its head, looking at him in curiosity. Then the MOANING OF THE CAT distracts it. - LIFEBOAT The creature waddles over to where the pressurized catbox sits. It bends down and peers inside. The CAT YOWLS LOUDER. It picks up the catbox in its tentacles. - SPACESUIT LOCKER Trying to distract the monster away from the cat, Roby TAPS ON THE GLASS. But the monster reacts so fast that its face is instantly back at the glass, startling the hell out of Roby. Getting no more interference from him, the thing returns to the catbox. Roby looks around. He spies the spacesuit. Quickly, he begins to pull it on. - LIFEBOAT The creature picks the catbox up in its tentacles and shakes it to see if there is anything inside. The cat MOANS. - SPACESUIT LOCKER Roby is halfway into the pressure suit. - LIFEBOAT The creature throws the catbox down. It clangs, and bounces. The thing picks it up again and hammers it against the wall. Then it jams it into a crevice in the wall. With one tentacle, it begins to pound the sealed catbox into the crevice. The cat has gone beyond hysterics. - SPACESUIT LOCKER Roby pulls on the helmet, latches it into place, then turns on the oxygen. With a hiss, the suit fills itself. In a rack on the wall is a long metal rod with a blunt rubber tip. Roby peels the rubber off, revealing a sharp steel point. Again he raps on the glass. - LIFEBOAT The creature turns. It faces the locker, peers at him. - SPACESUIT LOCKER ROBY Try a little of this, you fucking bastard. HE KICKS THE DOOR OPEN. - LIFEBOAT The creature rises, but just in time to catch THE STEEL SHAFT RIGHT THROUGH ITS MIDRIFF. IT MAKES A HORRIBLE NOISE AND CLUTCHES AT THE SPUR. The yellow acid begins to flow from the wound. Before the acid can touch the floor, Roby reaches back and pulls a switch BLOWING THE REAR HATCH. In a poof, the tiny atmosphere in the lifeboat is sucked out into space and the bleeding creature along with it. Roby grabs a steel strut to keep from being sucked out, but as the creature passes him IT WRAPS THE END OF A TENTACLE AROUND HIS ANKLE. IMAGE finalbattle.jpg - LIFEBOAT - OUTER SPACE Roby is now hanging halfway out of the lifeboat, with the thing clinging to his leg. He kicks at it with his free foot, but it won't let go. - LIFEBOAT Looking for any salvation, Roby grabs the hatch control lever and yanks it. The hatch slams shut, closing Roby safely inside but TRAPPING THE END OF THE CREATURE'S TENTACLE IN THE DOORJAMB. It instantly releases Roby, who staggers back. - LIFEBOAT - OUTER SPACE The creature is now outside the lifeboat, in the vacuum, squirming, the tip of its tentacle caught in the closed hatch. - LIFEBOAT Where the tentacle is caught in the hatch, it is wounded, and is starting to foam with acid, eating away at the metal. Roby stumbles forward to the controls and pushes a lever labeled: 'RAM JETS' - LIFEBOAT - OUTER SPACE The jet exhausts are located at the rear of the craft, right where the creature is wriggling. THE ENGINES BELCH FLAME FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN SHUT OFF. INCINERATED, THE CREATURE TUMBLES SLOWLY AWAY INTO SPACE. - LIFEBOAT Roby hurries to the rear hatch and looks out after the thing. - OUTER SPACE The burned mass of the monster drifts slowly away into space, a writhing, smoking, foaming mass. As it tumbles into the distance, pieces drop off it it bloats then bursts, soggily, sending a spray of particles off in all directions. The last we see of it is a few smouldering rags, dwindling into infinity. - LIFEBOAT - LATER The boat is re-pressurized and Roby is seated in the control chair. He seems calm and composed, almost cheerful. The cat purrs in his lap. ROBY dictating So it looks like I'll make it back to the Colonies on schedule after all. I should be to the frontier in another years or so, and then with a little luck the network will pick me up. I'm not as rich as I was a couple days ago but I'm not exactly broke either. Incidentally, I did manage to salvage one souvenir out of this whole mess. He reaches down into the carrying bag he brought on board, and pulls out the ALIEN SKULL. ROBY CONT'D Poor Yorick here should go at least partway toward proving I'm not a crank. I wish it was him we'd met in the first place things might have turned out different. He puts the skull down on a shelf and locks a glass lid over it. ROBY CONT'D This is Martin Roby, executive officer, last survivor of the commercial vessel SNARK, signing off. Come on, cat, let's go to sleep. Roby leans forward and switches off the recorder. Then he rises and, carrying the cat, walks to the hypersleep freezer, which stands open. He climbs in and stretches out on his back, holding the cat against his chest. With one hand, he presses a switch, and THE LID CLOSES OVER HIM. CLOSE-UP OF THE ALIEN SKULL, watching sentinel over the slumbering Roby like some dead, melancholy pixie. - OUTER SPACE The lifeboat SNARK sails away toward its rendezvous with Irth, years from now. As SNARK drifts past camera, we suddenly see that A SPORE POD IS ADHERED TO THE UNDERBELLY OF THE CRAFT. ROLL END TITLES & MUSIC. ", " At first we see an eye. Closed and slowly it opens up and looks around. Later we get a full view of a man lying on the floor in a strange-looking room. walls, ceiling, floor. sides just like a cube. There is a kind of door on each side. Each door has a handle. On the walls are weird-looking pictures. They doesn't seem to look like anything seen before. The man stands up in the middle of the room. The camera pans around him. Then he makes some sounds and opens a door in one of the walls. As he looks in to the open door, he sees a new room like the one he is located in, but the light in the new room is blue. He turns around and the door closes by itself. Then he opens the door in in the floor. Under that door, there's a new room excatly like the first, but in this room the light is red. The door closes. He opens a new door in one of the walls. The light in there is red. He looks back and then crawls into the new room. As he lands on the floor in the new room it makes a loud sound, and then the door closes behind him. He takes one step, and then there is a loud sound. The man stands still. Slowly he begins to bleed, and slowly his body begins to fall apart. As the last parts of his body hits the floor, we see a sort of trelliswork. First it moves to the floor, and afterwards it is being folded up. TITLE AND INTRO A man lies on the floor. A door is open beside him. Slowly we see a hand trying to find something to hold on to. A man crawls up from the hole. QUENTIN Hey Quentin closes the door in the floor. He sits down beside the man lying on the floor and tries to wake him. QUENTIN Hey Quentin stands up and opens a door in one of the walls. He looks into a new room. Red light. He closes the door again. The man from before is now awake. We hear a sound from one of the other doors in the walls. Quentin stands beside the door preparing to attack whatever that comes out from there. As someone looks out, Quentin grabs her by the neck, throws her to the floor and tries to beat her, until he realises that it is a lady. The lady screams, and sits down in a corner of the room. QUENTIN I'm sorry It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you. HOLLOWAY What do you want? QUENTIN I thought you were HOLLOWAY What? QUENTIN I don't know We hear a loud sound and everybody in the room looks around. As the sound stops, someone screams for help. Quentin opens a door real fast. As the camera switches to a new angle, we see a girl in a red room screaming for help. When she sees Quentin she walks towards him. QUENTIN STOP! Quentin crawls into the room. LEAVEN What, what? QUENTIN It's ok, come here. Quentin helps Leaven into the room where the others are located. Holloway helps Leaven out, but not good enough, because Leaven falls and drops her glasses. Leaven sits up against a wall and Quentin comes towards her. QUENTIN It's ok, calm down, evrything's gonna be fine. HOLLOWAY What was in there? QUENTIN Just give me a minute to figure things out. HOOLOWAY Why are you afraid of that room? QUENTIN Just give me a minute I said. The door in the ceiling is being opened. We see an old man. QUENTIN How many people are in this thing? Listen! We can't go climbing around in here. HOLLOWAY Why not? QUENTIN There's traps. HOLLOWAY What do you mean, traps? QUENTIN Ubitraps. I looked into a room down there and something almost cut my head off! The old man crawls down to the others, while Quentin talks about the traps. Leaven breathes heavily. HOLLOWAY Holy God, holy, holy God! The old man sits down and begins to untie his shoe. Leaven suddenly hugs Quentin. Holloway sits down beneath Worth. HOLLOWAY Are you alright? Mister? Worth? Holloway gets the attention from Worth. QUENTIN Alright? WORTH I hit my head? HOLLOWAY Let me take a look at that. It's ok, I'm a doctor, it doesn't look bad. The old man stands up. QUENTIN What the hell are you doing? The old man opens a door and now looks into a blue room. QUENTIN Hey old man? The old man, Rennes, throws his boot into the room. An incinerator quickly burns the boot. Rennes pulls the boot back and then the door closes. Rennes drops the boot on the floor. RENNES Motiondetectors integrated in the walls. Tough to spot. LEAVEN Oh God, oh God, oh God. Rennes is on his way to open a new door. QUENTIN Wait a second! Let's all just relax for a minute. Does anybody remember how they got here? Long, nervebreaking silence. HOLLOWAY Perogies! I was eating dinner. Perogies, cheese and potato. I ran out of sour cream and then I went to the fridge and then I I don't know QUENTIN You Leaven? LEAVEN I I just went to bed and then QUENTIN What about you? WORTH I just woke up here. HOLLOWAY Middle of the night. It's like Chile. They always come in the middle of the night. LEAVEN Who? HOLLOWAY Only the government can build something this ugly. QUENTIN Oh, it ain't government. HOLLOWAY Then what is it. QUENTIN I don't know. HOLLOWAY Aliens! QUENTIN Please, we're spooked anough as it is. Let's rule out aliens from now on and concentrate on what we know. LEAVEN My mom's gonna freak QUENTIN Rennes LEAVEN Just won't be there QUENTIN What do you think Rennes? RENNES We don't solve the act, sitting still. I'm moving at this straight line, till I get to the end. QUENTIN Alright, I attend to agree. LEAVEN Shouldn't we wait here? To see if anybody comes. WORTH No one is gonna come. QUENTIN There's a way in here, so there's gotta be a way out. We can avoid the traps using the boot. Holloway is it. What do you think? For an exit? HOLLOWAY Ok. QUENTIN It can't be that simple. RENNES It ain't gonna be that simple. Take a look around. Take a good long look around, see it. Coz, I got a feeling it's looking at us. LEAVEN I just wanna wake up Leaven blinks with her eyes several times. Quentin sits down beneath her. QUENTIN Leaven, we can do this. We just have to stay calm, and work together as a team. There's gotta be a lot of people looking for us on the outside. I'm a cop, alright? LEAVEN You're a cop? QUENTIN Yeah I'm gonna get you out of here, I promise, but you gotta be with me on this one Leaven nods. LEAVEN Ok. Rennes opens a new door, waiting for Quentin to give 'signal' QUENTIN Boot it! Rennes throws the boot, nothing happens. RENNES Clean. Through several times of boot-throwing we see other rooms, with other colors on the walls. On the way to a new green room, Leaven notice some numbers in the passage between two rooms. A loud sound is to hear. HOLLOWAY That one sounded closer. RENNES It's mechanical. Seems to come at regular intervals. QUENTIN Maybe it's the ventilationsystem? RENNES No bets HOLLOWAY No kidding, I'm boiling Leaven looks at the numbers again: . Above these numbers are some others: . QUENTIN What is it, serial numbers? HOLLOWAY Room numbers, they're different in each room. WORTH Oh great, so there's only million . rooms in this thing. HOLLOWAY There'd better not be! We have about three days without food and water before we're too weak to move. LEAVEN They have to feed us, don't they? QUENTIN Holloway! HOLLOWAY Oh, we have heat, stress, physical exhaustion i.e. dehydration, headaches, dizziness, disorientation, confusement. Mental process. The body eventual begins to break down it's own tissue. Rennes rips a button of Holloway's shirt. RENNES Suck on it Keeps the saliva flowing. Again the boot lands in a new room. This time, it's red. QUENTIN What? RENNES The air seems dry in there. HOLLOWAY Trapped? RENNES Molecular chemical sensor. QUENTIN Why the hell didn't the boot set it off. RENNES The boot's not alive. It detects hydrogen-sulfide extruded from the skin. QUENTIN How come, you know so much about sensors, Renz? RENNES Rennes Not Renz! It's french! QUENTIN Fine, you're french. I'm asking how Rennes opens a new door and throws the boot. QUENTIN Rennes Sensorexpert With the right age I don't believe it Quentin laughs. QUENTIN This guy is The Wren HOLLOWAY The what? QUENTIN The Wren. The bird of Attica. through the coop on six major prisons. RENNES Seven! HOLLOWAY You're kidding right? LEAVEN You can get us out? RENNES Maybe. HOLLOWAY An escapeartist! RENNES Yes, I'm Harry 'fucking' Houdini. The only reason I dragged you so far, is cause I need your boots. If you're not smarting up I'm gone like that. No more talking No more guessing. Don't even think about something which is not right in front of ya. That's the real challenge, you gotta save yourselves from yourselves. Rennes jumps into the new room. We hear a click. RENNES Merde. Rennes gets acid in the face. He screams, and the door closes. In the other room, the door begins to open. QUENTIN Get him out! Rennes' head is partly dissolved. He screams quietly, because he has blood in his mouth. The others scream too. They lay him in a corner. After a little while they look to him again. He's dead, most of his head his been dissolved. QUENTIN So it was electrochemical or whatever, right? And he missed it. The Wren That's great, that's fucking great. Quentin turns the corpse of Rennes around with a foot. QUENTIN Alright It's time to reassess this place. HOLLOWAY I've been over it again and again, why would they throw innocent people in here? Are we being punished? LEAVEN I've never done anything to deserve this! QUENTIN Forget about all that! You can't see the big picture from in here. So don't try. Keep your head down. Keep it simple. Just look, look at what's in front of you. WORTH That's what he said. QUENTIN Start with us. We got an escapeartist and a cop. There's gotta be a reason for that. You're a doctor Holloway. That gives you a function, a reason, right? HOLLOWAY No, it just makes me go: 'Why me, and not one of the ten million other doctors out there'! QUENTIN Leaven. What are you? LEAVEN Nothing, I jst go to school, hang out with my friends. QUENTIN What else? LEAVEN There is nothing else. My parents are these people I live with them I'm boring. HOLLOWAY I think we have to ask the big questions: What does it want? What is it thinking? WORTH One down, four to go. QUENTIN Why don't you tell us what your purpose is Worth! WORTH I've wondered that myself. I'm just a guy, I work in an officebuilding, doing officebulding stuff. I wasn't actually bursting joie de vivre before I got here. Life just sucks in general. HOLLOWAY I can't stand that attitude. LEAVEN Because, he's right. QUENTIN What�s your purpose Quentin? QUENTIN Kids Three of them I haven't made my piece yet. I'm getting out of here no matter what. That's where my strength comes from. You people find yours wherever you got it. For Christ's sake. What do you live for? Don't you have a wife or a girlfriend or something? WORTH Nope, I got a pretty nice collection of pornography HOLLOWAY Nice, nice. I ain't got anyone either, but I'm not giving up. I'm pissed off. The came into our homes. They stripped us bare. They took my rings. They took my my amethyst. I wanna know who's responsible. QUENTIN Leaven, your glasses? You don't need them? LEAVEN Only for reading. QUENTIN Well, they took off her jewelry, but they must have put these on you. If nothing is random why are they here. Quentin opens a door in the wall. We see three numbers: . On the other side there's the numbers: . QUENTIN Leaven, what do you read in school? Math? HOLLOWAY What can they mean? Leaven takes the glasses and begins to study the numbers. LEAVEN ? Leaven opens a new door. The numbers we see are: xxx - LEAVEN Primenumbers. I can't believe I didn't see it before. QUENTIN See what? LEAVEN It seems like if any of these numbers of prime, then the room is trapped. Ok,, that's not prime. no. Wait, x, it's not prime either. So that room is safe. QUENTIN Wait, wait, wait. How can you make that decision based on one primenumbertrap? LEAVEN I'm not. The incinerator thing was prime: . The molecularchemical thing had, the acidroom had . HOLLOWAY You'd remembered all that in your head? LEAVEN I have a facility for it. QUENTIN Leaven, you beautiful brain Boot it. Holloway throws the boot. Nothing happens. QUENTIN Ok, out of the way. LEAVEN Brains before beauty. Leaven jumps into the room. Nothing happens LEAVEN SAFE! Primenumbers! Primenumbers! Primenumbers! Primenumbers! The camera pans around for some time. First we see the numbers:, then we see Leaven thinking. LEAVEN How long have we been in here QUENTIN Nine or ten hours. We see a door closing. Then we see Leaven rubbing her eyes. HOLLOWAY How do you know? QUENTIN 'o clock stubble. the last thing I remember was shaving. LEAVEN I guess I missed breakfeast or lunch or whatever QUENTIN Now don't worry. I'll be home in time for dinner. LEAVEN If we get out, I'l make you dinner. QUENTIN You got a date. Quentin opens a door and Leaven looks at the numbers inside. QUENTIN Doing good. HOLLOWAY I need to smoke! I could smoke a butt of a sidewalk. QUENTIN Holloway Just real yourself in a bit. Come on. Were moving along, things are looking up. HOLLOWAY Ok. You're right, I quitted smoking years ago. I just need to be occupied. QUENTIN Talk to me. Have a conversation. What kind of doctor are you anyway? HOLLOWAY Uh, you know, the free kinda Er, come on help me. Tell me about your rugrats. QUENTIN Ok. We have three boys. Nine, seven and five. HOLLOWAY Oh, good God. Poor woman. There's no way I'd survived that. QUENTIN She didn't either. She's not dead, we're just separated. HOLLOWAY I'm sorry, I can't just shoot the breeze. LEAVEN These numbers aren't prime. QUENTIN Ok. Clear. HOLLOWAY Excuse me, sorry. QUENTIN You could try and help me out here buddy. WORTH No, I couldn't The group crawls into the new room. Shortly afterwards they are in a green room, with everyone looking down in a new room. LEAVEN This one is trapped too. Quentin closes the door. HOLLOWAY We have to backtrack? Quentin looks up. QUENTIN Not yet. LEAVEN Oh, no. Everyone looks up on the door. the Quentin looks at Leaven. LEAVEN Read them to me. Quentin takes of his shirt. Leaven is ready to hold it. HOLLOWAY What are you? His coatrack? Oh please. Quentin begins to crawls up to the door. As he wants to open the door, he says: QUENTIN It's stuck! As Quentin opens the door, a guy falls down and almost hits Leaven. Quentin jumps down and the new guy stands up. KAZAN This room is green. Kazan begins to knock his head into the wall. QUENTIN Holloway. Holloway now looks at Kazan. HOLLOWAY Hi there. Holloway puts a hand on Kazan's forehead. KAZAN This room is green. HOLLOWAY Yes it is. KAZAN I wanna go back to the blue room. QUENTIN Is it shock or what? HOLLOWAY I think he's mentally handicapped. KAZAN I like the blue room. QUENTIN Jesus Christ! LEAVEN He almost broke my neck. HOLLOWAY Hey there, are you all alone? Do you wanna hold my hand, honey? KAZAN Butter first, then honey, Kazan. Butter first then honey. LEAVEN How did he survive? KAZAN I wanna go back to the blue room. HOLLOWAY There's lots of blue rooms. We'll find another one to you real soon. LEAVEN This is just way too bizarre. HOLLOWAY Will you just worry about your own numbers Leaven looks molested. HOLLOWAY Go on, I'll look after him. Leaven points at the ceiling. LEAVEN Safe, obviously. Since he almost fell on my head. HOLLOWAY Shall we go for a walk? Kazan, do you wanna go for a walk? As Quentin begins to crawl up to the door. Kazan gets terrified. He hits himself with the one hand on his head. HOLLOWAY Erm' Quentin. Let's not make him do the climbing thing right away. QUENTIN Holloway! KAZAN Holloway. The screen fades and next time we see something is in a new room where Kazan opens a new door. HOLLOWAY Could they have taken us all the way to New Mexico? QUENTIN What are you talking about Holloway? HOLLOWAY I'm talking about: 'Where do you hide something this big?' It has at least got to fill something. Holloway stands walks over to Quentin and stands beside him. HOLLOWAY I'm sorry to shake your foundations Quentin, but you have no idea where your tax-dollars go. QUENTIN Free clinic doctors? HOLLOWAY Only the military industrial complex can afford to build something this size. QUENTIN Holloway, what's the military industrial complex? Have you ever been there? I'm tellin' you, it's not that complex. HOLLOWAY And how would you know from where you are. QUENTIN What do you think these establishments is? It's just guys like me. Their desks are bigger, but their jobs aren't. They don't conspide, they buy boats. No, this place is Remember Scaramanga? The bad guy in 'The Man With The Golden Gun'. It's some rich psyco's entertainment. HOLLOWAY Is that what you think? LEAVEN Clear! Holloway crawls into the passage. HOLLOWAY Ok, you're a cop. Single bullet theory. Right on. As Holloway lands in the new room, she starts to lose her breath. It seems like she's being choken. LEAVEN Gas! QUENTIN Holloway! Get back here. But Holloway stays where she is. HOLLOWAY It's ok. I just swallowed my button. LEAVEN I hate this! I hate this! QUENTIN Your boy's having a conniption sitting there. A door is being opened. LEAVEN It's like cr�me without coffee. WORTH She needs a break. QUENTIN She can do it. Holloway crawls into Kazan and makes him touch her hair. And then back to the other room. WORTH They don't look prime to me. QUENTIN Is that your two bits worth, Worth? WORTH Of course it's what is worth. QUENTIN Well? LEAVEN Well, he's right. Not prime. Quentin jumps into the new room. LEAVEN STOP! In front of you!!! A lot of wires or whatever is being shot down from the ceiling and the slowly surrounds Quentin, rotates and Quentin just jumps away before he gets split up into several pieces. But it wasn't without pain. Quentin gets cut on one of his legs. HOLLOWAY What is it? Quentin gets back into the room. QUENTIN SHUT UP!!! The door closes. LEAVEN I don't know what happened. it wasn't prime. HOLLOWAY Quentin, hold still! QUENTIN Somebody stop that rackets! HOLLOWAY Worth. QUENTIN Leave the boots. Worth joins Kazan to make him shut up. QUENTIN And shut the fucking door! The door closes. QUENTIN I had a feeling about that fucking guy. He knew about that trap. LEAVEN But these numbers aren't prime. QUENTIN Then your numbersystem failed, but he knew. HOLLOWAY Knew what? How could he know? QUENTIN You're the paranoid, think about it. His only function so far is to kick us when we're down. HOLLOWAY So, he has a bad attitude. So you think that makes him spy. QUENTIN Trust me on this, it's my job to read people like an x-ray. The door opens and Worth comes in with Kazan. Worth holds him for his eyes. WORTH He doesn't like red rooms. Worth makes Kazan, sit by himself. WORTH So what happened? QUENTIN Pmfh, you saw what happened! HOLLOWAY Quentin! LEAVEN I guess the numbers are more complicated than I thought. WORTH Maybe they mean nothing at all. LEAVEN No, it means they're more involved, the works for us up to now have just been bad, I just need more time with them. HOLLOWAY We need to rest anyway. QUENTIN Well that's handy, like if there was nothing fucking else we could do. The camera fades. Next time we see Leaven writing some numbers on a piece of metal. HOLLOWAY Are they telling you anything? LEAVEN They're not Tarot-cards. Do you have any idea on how many variables I have to consider before I can decide from numbers this size!?!? They don't reveal themselves right away! QUENTIN They're like people. Kazan pulls down his pants to pee. LEAVEN Oh, gross. HOLLOWAY Erm, not here honey, over in the corner. Everybody looks at him. HOLLOWAY Well, he's just peeing! QUENTIN Jesus Christ! LEAVEN Excellent! Now it totally reeks in here! Worth laughs. QUENTIN And you find this all pretty funny, don't you? Quentin goes really close to Worth. QUENTIN What's your fucking problem Worth? Even Holloway's holding up better than you. Get over there and help her with him. That's your job, babysitter! WORTH Jawohl, Kommandant! QUENTIN Somebody has to taka responsibility around here. WORTH And that somebody has to be you. QUENTIN Not all of us have a luxury of playing nihilists. WORTH Not all of us are conceded enough to play hero. QUENTIN It's the will to live, everybody's got it Worth, even you, especially you hiding behind that cynical front. WORTH The will to live. That's the warm, coasy feeling deep inside. Thanks partner, I'm a new man. QUENTIN Arh, poor Worth: 'Nobody loves me'. If that's the chip on your shoulders, then why did you lug it all this way? Why didn't you just lie down and die! Quentin opens the door to the trap from before. QUENTIN Do it. Show us you have some backbone and jump into the sushimachine. Be a man. Everybody's waiting for Worth to answer. Finally Worth stands up. QUENTIN Thought so. WORTH Fuck you Quentin. I don't wanna die, I'm just being realistic. Do you think they just builded this thing so we could just walk out of it? QUENTIN Do you think they would lay clues, if there wasn't a way out. WORTH You think we matter, we don't QUENTIN Put us out of your misery so we can get on and get out of here. WORTH Oh, you're not getting out. QUENTIN Yes, we are! WORTH There is no way outta here!!! Long and nervebreaking silence. QUENTIN Got ya. HOLLOWAY How Do you know? QUENTIN Answer the question Worth. HOLLOWAY Oh, God! QUENTIN Who are you? WORTH I am the poison. I designed the outer shell. HOLLOWAY What? WORTH The shell, the sarcophagus. LEAVEN You builded this thing? WORTH Not this part, the . I don't know anything about the numbers or anything else in here. I was contracted to draw plans for a hollow shell. A cube. LEAVEN A cube! Why didn't you tell us? HOLLOWAY For Gods sake, Worth. You knew what it was. WORTH No QUENTIN Worth! You're lying. WORTH Not first. HOLLOWAY Who's beyond it? WORTH I don't know. QUENTIN Who hired you? WORTH I didn't ask. I never even left my office. I talked on the phone to some other guys like me. Specialists working on small details. Nobody knew what it was. Nobody cared. QUENTIN Bullshit! You knew from square one. Look at him, he's up to his eyeballs in this thing. HOLLOWAY No Quentin. That's how they stay hidden. You keep everyone separated so the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. The brain never comes out in the open. QUENTIN Whose brain? HOLLOWAY It's all the same machine right. Pentagon. Multinational coorporations. The police! If you do one little job. You build a widget in Saskatoon. The next thing you know, it's two miles under the desert, the essential component of a deathmachine. I was right! All along my whole life I knew it. I told you Quentin. Nobody's ever call me paranoid again. We gotta get out of here and blow the lid of this thing. WORTH Holloway, you don't get it. HOLLOWAY Then tell me, please, I need to know. WORTH It's maybe hard for you to understand, but there's no conspiracy. Nobody is in charge. It's a headless blunder operating under the illusion of a masterplan. Can you grasp that? Big brother is not watching you. QUENTIN What kind of fucking explanation is that? WORTH It's the best you�re gonna get. I looked and the only explanation I can come to is that there is nobody up there. QUENTIN Somebody had to say yes to this thing. WORTH What thing? Only we know what it is. QUENTIN We have no idea, what it is. WORTH We know more than anybody else. I mean somebody might have known sometime, before they got fired or voted out or sold it. But if this place ever had a purpose, then it got miscommunicated or lost in the shuffle. This is an accident, a forgotten propetual, public, worksproject. Do you think anybody wants to ask questions? All they want is a clear conscience and a fat paycheck. I mean, I lead on my desk for months. This was a great job! QUENTIN Why put people in it? WORTH Because it's here. you have to use it or admit it's pointless. QUENTIN But it is pointless! WORTH Quentin That's my point. HOLLOWAY What have we come to? It's so much worse than I thought. WORTH Not really, just more pathetic. QUENTIN You make me sick, Worth! WORTH I make me sick too. We�re both part of the system. I drew a box - you walk a beat. It's like you said Quentin is: Keep your head down, keep it simple, just look at what's in fron of you! I mean nobody wants to see the big picture. Life's too complicated. I mean, let's face it. The reason we're here is it's out of control. Quentin turns around. HOLLOWAY Is that how we're ruining the world? LEAVEN Daah! Have you been on glue all of your life. I felt guilty for ruining the world since I was like seven. God! If you need someone to blame, throw a rock. WORTH Now I feel better. HOLLOWAY That's why you stayed with us. To confess. WORTH Still looking for someone to bust, Quentin? Quentin turns around again and begins to beat Worth. HOLLOWAY Quentin, Quentin, STOP IT! Leaven grabs Quentin's arm. LEAVEN We need him. QUENTIN What for? HOLLOWAY Have you gone absolutely mad? He's the only one who knows nything about the place. Worth falls to the ground. Quentin walks away. LEAVEN Worth WORTH Hi LEAVEN So there's this outer shell. WORTH Yeah. LEAVEN And it's a cube, like this? WORTH I assume so. LEAVEN Are there any doors? WORTH There's one door. LEAVEN Where? WORTH Wherever the doorguy put it. Six guesses and it's sealed from the outside. LEAVEN What are the dimensions of the outer shell? WORTH feetsquare. Leaven starts to take steps inside the room until she gets to Kazan. LEAVEN May I? HOLLOWAY Come on. Side over. LEAVEN by by . WORTH The inner cube cannot be flushed by the shell. There is a space. LEAVEN One cube? WORTH I don't know. It makes sense. LEAVEN Well, the biggest the cube then can be is rooms heigh, rooms across, so . rooms. HOLLOWAY . rooms? Oh, God that makes me queasy. LEAVEN Descartes Leaven opens a new door and puts on her glasses. LEAVEN Leaven, you are a genius! QUENTIN What? We see three numbers: LEAVEN Cartesian co-ordinates, of course, coded Cartesian co-ordinates. They are uses in geometry to plot points on a three-dimensional graph. QUENTIN In English. Slower. LEAVEN Bonjour, these numbers are markers, a grid-referance, like altitude and longitude on a map. The numbers tell us where we are inside the cube. QUENTIN Then where are we? LEAVEN It works! Ok, all I have to do now is add the numbers together. The X co-ordinate is, Y is rooms. So that places us seven rooms from the edge. QUENTIN Alright, let's go. WORTH Just out of curuiosity. I mean don't hit me again or anything. But what are you gonna do when you get there? QUENTIN Maybe we can get the door open. WORTH Wrong. HOLLOWAY What we need to do is figure out how we get around the traps. QUENTIN I'm dealing with that Holloway. I'm looking for practical solutions here. HOLLOWAY Well, you haven't found any yet! QUENTIN We cut the risk with the numbers and the boot. Worth will go in first. HOLLOWAY No he won't Quentin, we take turns! QUENTIN Relax. The camera fades. The first we see is someone nervous playing with his/hers button. QUENTIN Is there room for two in there? Quentin crawls in to Leaven. QIENTIN What's the matter? LEAVEN These co-ordinates:,  QUENTIN What about them? LEAVEN Well, they don't make sense. Assuming the cube is rooms across, there can't be a co-ordinate larger than . If that was right, then we would be outside the cube. Leaven looks up, and looks around. LEAVEN No, not outside the cube. QUENTIN I guess that means we're not having dinner. The camera fades. First we see the group opening the door in the floor. KAZAN Trap, trap, trap. TRAP! We see a blue room. Just after Kazan says trap the last time. A lot of spears come out from the walls until the room is filled with spears. In the end the spears go back again. KAZAN TRAP! The spears come again, and goes away in the end. QUENTIN Whispers It's soundactivated. BOOOH! The spears come, and goes away. They close the door. QUENTIN Lovely. LEAVEN How come the sound of the door-opening didn't set it off? QUENTIN Must be reat to ignore it. HOLLOWAY So that's it. The edge is surrounded by traps. LEAVEN Well, I guess we have to backtrack and try somewhere else. QUENTIN Who knows how many detours we'll have to take. I say we cross the bitch. HOLLOWAY Right. QUENTIN How many boots do we have left Holloway? They look at Kazan's feet. Just one boot left. QUENTIN Get it off him. We know how it works, we just have to be quiet. WORTH Pretty fucking quiet. QUENTIN I'm glad you're on sight Worth, because you're up. Kazan makes a sound. QUENTIN And he's not coming. HOLLOWAY Of course he is. QUENTIN No way! HOLLOWAY You're not leaving him behind. QUENTIN He's unpredictable. When we get to the edge we can come back for him, but he will get somebody killed here. Am I right? HOLLOWAY Shame on you. Will you look at yourselves. What have you turned into? They may have taken our lives away, but we're still human beings. That's all we've got left. LEAVEN We'll come back for him. HOLLOWAY That's a lie and you know it. WORTH He'll be quiet. Quentin opens the door and puts Worth down there. He hangs in the ceiling by himself now with a boot in his mouth. He crawls down the wall. Meanwhile we hear something nearby. As it's no longer is to hear. Worth opens a door, nothing happens, and crawls in. Leaven is up next. Afterwards Holloway. Next is Kazan. As Leaven is in Worth and Holloway stands on the floor. Kazan crawls in the ceiling and afterwards he crawls the wrong way. Holloway goes to get him. Suddenly his pants are stuck in the handle on the floor. Holloway tries to unloose it. Next up is Quentin. Now all is in except Quentin. He is on his way. In the floor the door is opening. So Quentin hurries up and aren't safe as the handle stops turning. He waits to be speared. Nothing happens. KAZAN Hah! Now the spears come again, Quentin just makes it into the passage. Now we are in a red room. Quentin grabs Kazan and almost beats him. QUENTIN You fucking fuck! HOLLOWAY That's enough! QUENTIN He's a trap! HOLLOWAY Let him go right now! QUENTIN Law of the jungle Holloway. He's a danger in the pack! HOLLOWAY Let him go you nazi! Quentin lets go of Kazan. QUENTIN What did you call me? HOLLOWAY Quentin! You let that innocent boy go. QUENTIN You listen to me woman. Every day I mop up after your bleeding heart. The only reason why you exist is because I keep you! I know your type. No kids, no man to fuck you. So you go around outraged sticking your nose up in other peoples assholes, sniffing their business! You missed your boat Holloway. You are all dry up inside there aren't you? That's your fucking problem. The others look shocked. LEAVEN How dare you say that to her? You don't know her Quentin. None ouf us know eachother here. QUENTIN Oh, I do. LEAVEN No you don't! HOLLOWAY No wonder your wife left you. All that bottled-up anger. And a thing for young girls. Quentin slaps Holloway in the face. He looks insulted. HOLLOWAY God help you Quentin. Did you smack your kids around too? LEAVEN Is anybody besides me interested in what's on the other side of that door? QUENTIN Open it. WORTH Door number six, not door number one, door number two. QUENTIN Open the fucking thing. HOLLOWAY ('singing') Sunshine. Worth opens the door. Now we see something completely black. Only with a little light from rooms below and on the other sides. It's the edge, the shell. KAZAN Nighttime. WORTH My old friend the shell. Worth crawls into the passage. WORTH It's there. Morning! Now we hear a gigantic echo. QUENTIN Hang on to me. Quentin crawls in and Worth crawls into the room again. QUENTIN Can't see shit. Nothing to hang on to. Quentin crawls back. QUENTIN We have to try something. We gotta see if the door's over there. Someone has to swing over there and take a look. We make a rope of our clothes. Take it off. I'll tie it onto myself. LEAVEN Yeah, you're gonna go. You weigh like pounds it'll snap in two seconds. I'm the lightest. QUENTIN Forget it. HOLLOWAY I'll go. QUENTIN I'm going Holloway. HOLLOWAY She's right Quentin, you're too heavy. I'm the lightest after Leaven. Anyways it's my turn. As Quentin ties the clothes, Holloway and Worth talks together. HOLLOWAY How long did you know people we're put in here. WORTH A couple of months. HOLLOWAY That's not long, if you consider your whole life. WORTH I am. HOLLOWAY You opened my eyes Worth, that�s something. WORTH David. HOLLOWAY Helen. WORTH And such a Helen. Holloway begins to crawl outside the room. She's almost crying. QUENTIN That's as far as you go. HOLLOWAY There's nothing down here. Hold tight. I'll try swinging over there. Place yourself I'm gonna try again. Ok, one more time. WORTH Hurry, you're getting heavy. Third time Holloway tries to swing over to the shell there's a big crash. The others now drops the grip of the rope. Quentin just reaches the end of the rope, as Holloway is falling. The others graps Quentins feet as he is almost out fo the room too. HOLLOWAY What the hell is going on? QUENTIN Get up here now! Holloway crawls up. In the end Quentin can reach her arm. First Quentin smiles, Holloway smiles too. But then Quentin looks someway different. Holloway knows what is going to happen. WORTH Quentin LEAVEN Do you got her? WORTH What's going on? LEAVEN Is she Ok? Quentin drops Holloway and crawls back into the room. QUENTIN She slipped. KAZAN Holloway. Leaven sits down i a corner. Quentin walks over to her. WORTH Sssh! Come on Kazan. Kazan will you please stop doing that! QUENTIN Leaven, you gotta be strong sweetheart. LEAVEN Don't even talk to me. QUENTIN We gotta get down to the bottom. It'll be easier to get on to shell from there. It's a long fucking way with only one boot. But we gotta do it, before we get too weak. You gotta keep cracking the numbers Leaven. LEAVEN I can't think anymore. QUENTIN Sure you can. It's your gift. LEAVEN It's not a gift, it's just a brain. WORTH Let her sleep for a while. We haven't slept for fucking hours. QUENTIN Ok, one hour. WORTH How the fuck are you gonna know how long an hour is? QUENTIN An hour is as long as I say. The group go to sleep. In the background weird music is to hear. After a little while, we see someone taking the boot away from Worth. Then we see a hand holding Leaven for the mouth. Then Quentin is bending towards Leaven and afterwards we see him carry Leaven. The next we see is a door closing. LEAVEN What are you doing? QUENTIN We have to make it down to the bottom. There'll be quiet there and you can concentrate. LEAVEN Do you just wanna leave them? QUENTIN They're traps! We are the key. I get us down there. You think us out. Believe in me. Try to see what I see, how my mind works. THRASH! When I look into someone's head like a fucking x-ray. I looked through the walls. I dreamed him at his desk, designing everything. He can't let you solve the puzzle. There is a purpose. We are the purpose. The cube is us. Quentin begins to touch Leaven. LEAVEN Quentin QUENTIN We fit like numbers. A man and a woman. Two halves of the equation. I take you down. The perfect key. Quentin goes further and tries to touch her breasts. QUENTIN I'll slip you on the lock. Leaven runs away. Quentin stands up. QUENTIN Leaven It's time to go down. Quentin tries to catch her. Meanwhile a door is being opened. Worth comes jumping hitting Quentin to the floor. Kazan enters the room too. The door closes. QUENTIN Get away from her. Leaven, they're fucking spy's. Him, the retard. Holloway had outside information about my family. She went too far. LEAVEN You dropped her. WORTH Just go Quentin LEAVEN Give us the boot, you pig! Quentin turns around and suddenly hits Worth with the boot. Then he walks towards Leaven. QUENTIN You don't want the boot. Then Quentin again hits Worth several times. Afterwards he opens the door in the floor. QUENTIN You wanna come with us Worth? Down the hatch. Quentin throws Worth down the hole in the floor. As Worth hits the floor, he starts laughing. QUENTIN What the fuck's with him? The others crawl down to Worth. He lies on the door, on the handle. As the camera switches angle, we see a corpse with the face down. Quentin turns the corpse with his foot. It's Rennes. Quentin drops the boot. QUENTIN How does he...? WORTH laughing It's The Wren, the old Renster. QUENTIN How could...? WORTH laughing We've been going in circles QUENTIN That can't be. Quentin grabs Leaven and opens a door. QUENTIN Where are we? LEAVEN I don't know. QUENTIN Where are we??? LEAVEN You figure it out! You haven't done anything. All you do is freak out! YOU MURDERER! Leaven starts crying. Worth stands up and laughs. Quentin sits down. QUENTIN You were right Worth. There is no outta here. Quentin starts crying. Kazan comes and touches his hair. QUENTIN crying Get away from me. Worth stands up. WORTH Wasn't Rennes killed in that room? Worth opens the door to were Rennes was killed. There's nothing. All we see is black. It's the edge, the shell. WORTH How come there's nothing out there. QUENTIN You see an edge. WORTH We were not at the edge before. Where's the room that killed Rennes? QUENTIN Fuck off! Quentin throws the boot after Worth, but the boot does not him it's being thrown out of the room. WORTH Oh, that was good. QUENTIN What difference does it make? We're dead anyways. WORTH HEY! Listen to what I'm saying! There was a room there before! We haven't been moving in circles, the rooms have! LEAVEN Of course. QUENTIN The rooms? WORTH That explains the thunder, the shaking. We've been shifting the whole time. LEAVEN It's the only logical explanation. I'm such an idiot. WORTH What are you on to Leaven. LEAVEN Give me a minute. The numbers are markers point on a map, right? WORTH Right. LEAVEN And how do you map a point that keeps moving? WORTH Permutations. Leaven nods. QUENTIN Permu what? LEAVEN Permutations. A list of all the co-ordinates the room passes through. Like a map that that tells you where the room starts, how many times it moves and where it moves to. QUENTIN The numbers tell you all that? LEAVEN I don't know. I've only been looking at one point on the map, which is probably the startingposition. All I saw, was how the cube looked like before it started to move. QUENTIN Ok, so it's moving. How do we get out? LEAVEN . I know where the exit is. QUENTIN Where? LEAVEN Stay away from me. WORTH Back off, Quentin! QUENTIN I just wanna know, don't you wanna know? LEAVEN You remember that room we passed through before, the one with the co-ordinate larger than ? WORTH What about it? LEAVEN That co-ordinate placed the room outside the cube. WORTH A bridge? LEAVEN Right, but only in it's original position. QUENTIN What are you talking about? LEAVEN Look, the room starts off as a bridge, then it moves it's way through the maze, which is where we ran into it, but at some point it must return to it's original position. WORTH So the bridge is just a bridge LEAVEN in a short period of time. This thing is like a giant combinationlock, when the rooms are in their startingposition ht elock is open. But when they move out of the linement the lock closes. WORTH Well the size of us It must take days to complete a full cycle. QUENTIN So when does it open? Now we see Leaven doing some math again. Quentin crawls towards her. LEAVEN Don't! We find it's original co-ordinates by adding the numbers, the permutations is found by subtracting the numbers. It's it. The room moves to, and - on the x-axis,, and - on y, and, - and on z. QUENTIN And what does that mean. LEAVEN You suck in math? Ok, I need the roomnumbers around as a referencepoint. WORTH QUENTIN ok? LEAVEN Yes! QUENTIN And Did you get that? WORTH LEAVEN That's enough. X is, y is and z is . Which means this room makes two more moves before returning to it's original position. WORTH Do we have time? LEAVEN Maybe QUENTIN Then let's go. WORTH Can you work out the traps in the system? QUENTIN Fuck the traps, let's get to the bridge. WORTH Well you threw out our last boot, you fucking idiot. LEAVEN Technically I can identify the traps. WORTH Technically? LEAVEN First I thought they were identified by primenumbers, but they're not. They're identified by a number that are the power of a prime. QUENTIN Ok, so? WORTH Can you calculate that? LEAVEN The numbers are huge. QUENTIN But you can, right? You can? LEAVEN I have to calculate to numbers of factors in each set. Maybe if I had a computer QUENTIN You don't need a computer. LEAVEN Yes, I do. QUENTIN Figure it out! LEAVEN Yes, I do! QUENTIN I'm not dying in a fucking ratmaze. LEAVEN Look! No one in the whole world could do it mentally! Look at the number: . There's no way I can factor that. I can't even start on . It's astronomical! KAZAN Two Astronomical. WORTH What did you say? KAZAN Astronomical. WORTH Before that KAZAN Factors LEAVEN How many factors Kazan? Of ? KAZAN Two QUENTIN What are you fucking kidding? LEAVEN How many factors does have? KAZAN Three LEAVEN And seven? KAZAN One Gumdrop. LEAVEN I don't have any gumdrops. KAZAN Gumdrop! WORTH Kazan, I'll give you a whole box of gumdrops for each answer. KAZAN Gumdrops come in bags. WORTH You want 'em in bags, you got 'em in bags. KAZAN I don't like the red ones. Worth opens a door and tells the numbers to Kazan. WORTH - - . KAZAN Two WORTH - - . KAZAN Two LEAVEN He's giving us the factors. KAZAN Astronomical. QUENTIN You're telling me Tell-A-Son boy is a genius. LEAVEN By those numbers the room should be safe. QUENTIN There's only one way to find out. Quentin takes Worth and throws him into the room. LEAVEN Don't! WORTH Safe. QUENTIN Kazan, my man! Quentin tries to make Kazan give him the factors. QUENTIN What's the numbers boy? Right here! Look here! Make him do it. LEAVEN Kazan, we gonna do some numbers, ok? We like to do numbers, right? KAZAN Primenumbers. LEAVEN That's right. Can you tell me the factors of ? KAZAN Two LEAVEN KAZAN Two LEAVEN KAZAN Three LEAVEN Clear. QUENTIN Move. Come on let's go. You too Worth. Move your scuddy ass Worth, I'm not through with you yet. Leaven open up that door, and get Einstein working on the numbers. As Quentin has his head in the room, Worth closes the door and tries to choke Quentin. LEAVEN Oh, Jesus! WORTH Go! Hurry! QUENTIN Leaven. LEAVEN Come on Kazan QUENTIN You fuckheads, you're dead! KAZAN Two LEAVEN Clear Quentin gets his head out, and Worth closes the door. Next we see the number . KAZAN One LEAVEN Trapped! Worth enters the room and closes the door. WORTH Check the floor. LEAVEN Is he dead? WORTH Not quite. QUENTIN Not even close, Worth! When I'm finish I'll throw you in a fucking trap on the way out of here. On the other side of the door, we see Quentin opening the door. QUENTIN Where is he? Come here! I said come here riiight Quentin falls down in the room under the floor. We see Worth hanging down there. Afterwards Leaven and Kazan help Worth up from there. WORTH Got ya. That way. Now we see the number KAZAN Two LEAVEN Clear. KAZAN Four LEAVEN Clear. The next door they open lead them to the edge again. This time there's much more light out there. WORTH Oh. Leaven puts her head outside the room, and quickly takes it back. A room is passing by. When they open the door again, there's a room there. WORTH I guess that proves out theory. The numbers. We see two numbers: xxx KAZAN Four, two, three. LEAVEN Clear. They enter the new room, except Kazan, the room they just came from moves away. LEAVEN/WORTH KAZAN!!! In the background we hear Kazan screaming. LEAVEN Listen. He hasn't moved far. WORTH I'm gonna find him. What do you think? LEAVEN You don't have a lot of lives left. We see Kazan in a red room. He's terrified. Then we see Worth entering a blue room, then we see Leaven step on a piece of glass, the one from her glasses. Then we see Worth in the ceiling of the red room with Kazan. WORTH Kazan? KAZAN I didn't move. WORTH Yeah, good. Erm, you have to climb up here, ok? KAZAN I don't like that. Leaven opens a door and studies the numbers. LEAVEN WORTH GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!! WORTH Five bags of gumdrops? KAZAN bags total. WORTH bags, deal. LEAVEN Come here Worth, this room's next move takes it to the bridge. WORTH We're coming. LEAVEN Over here. Move it. We don't have much time come on. Worth and Kazan crawls in to Leaven's room. Leaven closes the door. They just make it, before the room moves. As we see the group again, they lie down. LEAVEN Worth WORTH Eaoh, it' better be it. LEAVEN It should be. WORTH Where? Leaven opens a door, there's nothing behind it. She closes it again. WORTH Ooh, arh. LEAVEN Give me a minute. Be patient. So guess what, this was the room we started in. I was right, we should never have moved in the first place. The room starts to shake, it's moving. As it stops, Leaven opens the door. We see a red room. WORTH The bridge. KAZAN Red LEAVEN Kazan. KAZAN LEAVEN Clear!!! They enter the red room. Leaven closes the door. Kazan opens a new door. We see daylight. Worth sits down. LEAVEN Worth??? WORTH Go ahead. LEAVEN What are you doing. You can't quit now. It's not your fault!!! WORTH I have nothing to live for out there. LEAVEN Was is out there. WORTH Boundless human stupidity. In the background we hear a door opening. LEAVEN I can live with that. Leaven says some strange sounds, she rises. Behind her we see Quentin with a door handle. Quentin has stabbed Leaven in the back. He drops her to the floor. He's covered with blood. Kazan closes the door to the daily life. WORTH Nooo! Worth hits Quentin quite hard. But just after Quentin does the same to Worth. WORTH Kazan get out to the door! Quentin stabs Worth with the handle. Worth falls to the ground. Quentin tries to reach Kazan. QUENTIN Red, Kazan. Kazan opens the door. Meanwhile the room starts to move. As Kazan is outside the room, Quentin grabs his t-shirt. As he is just halfway out he can't move anymore. Worth holds Quentins leg. Quentin gets split up in two parts. Afterwards we see the room move. There's blood on the inner cube. In the room again we see Worth crawl towards Leaven. Halfway he stops moving he dies. The last we see of the movie is Kazan looking at the inner cube, before he turns around and disappears into the bright, white light. ", " THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE screenplay by Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy based on the novel by Andrew Neiderman REVISED SHOOTING DRAFT January, FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / FADE IN: FLORIDA COURTROOM - DAY Northern Florida in the midst of a heat wave. Air conditioners fighting a losing battle. The gallery is full. The JUDGE a stern, old hand. The PROSECUTOR, an efficient man with a good case. The witness is BARBARA. She is maybe . She is a witness in a criminal trial. Her testimony has been carefully rehearsed. BARBARA we go back to our homeroom for dismissal, unless you have a pass for sports or something. PROSECUTOR And is that what you did on the day in question? BARBARA No. Mr. Gettys asked me to stay after class. PROSECUTOR What happened next, Barbara? BARBARA Mr. Gettys closed the door. PROSECUTOR Everyone else had gone? BARBARA Yes. He told me to sit in the chair beside his desk. MR. GETTYS, the defendant, is . The very picture of respectability. His perfect wife and son staunchly enduring this testimony. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: PROSECUTOR In your own words, Barbara, can you tell us exactly what happened during the next few minutes? KEVIN LOMAX. Defense counsel. Taking it all in. BARBARA I told him I was afraid I would miss my bus. He promised I would get to the bus on time if I would help him to do something Kevin his eyes drifting around the courtroom taking inventory assessing damage BARBARA Then he put before I could say anything he placed his hand inside my blouse Kevin checking the jury and BARBARA I was so frightened I didn't move. I thought if I was just quiet it would be okay Kevin checking Gettys seeing something that stops him cold BARBARA Then his other hand went up under inside my skirt Gettys' hand down below the table down where no one but Kevin could possibly see it Getty's fingers subtly feeling their way along the leg of his chair BARBARA his hand then, it started, he started, moving back and forth farther and farther inside my skirt Kevin glancing around nobody else can see it BARBARA he said he was testing to see if I had any special feelings, that he wanted to find out what kind of feelings I had CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Gettys' hand excited now stroking the chair leg absently involuntarily unmistakably sexual BARBARA I didn't know what to say, I was trying to think of something to say but I was confused and he just kept on with his hand moving it under my dress higher and higher Kevin is rocked. Trying not to show it. BARBARA then I, I was asking him to stop but it was like he couldn't hear me he just kept on Suddenly, Gettys' hand stops moving BARBARA and then I screamed Kevin looks up to find Gettys' eyes waiting for him. Gettys quickly returns his hand into his lap. He's been caught watching, as Kevin turns away and BARBARA then he, he got mad and said we would have to try again sometime. PROSECUTOR And did he try again? BARBARA Not with me. PROSECUTOR With friends of yours? BARBARA Yes. PROSECUTOR And when you told them what he had done to you, they told you what he had done to them, isn't that true? BARBARA Yes. PROSECUTOR I have nothing further. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: JUDGE finding Kevin Your witness, Mr. Lomax. KEVIN Any chance, Your Honor, for a short recess? FLORIDA COURTHOUSE HALL - DAY Kevin heading quickly away from the courtroom. Gettys right on his heels. KEVIN Lloyd, as your attorney, I'm advising you to get the fuck away from me. GETTYS Why? What are you talking about? KEVIN The wife. The kid. The outrage. You definitely had me fooled. GETTYS You're my lawyer! You're here to defend me! KEVIN You know what I'm thinking? Why don't we put you on the stand and you can jerk off for the judge. GETTYS You know she's lying. KEVIN Get the hell out of my way. Gettys standing aside, as we FLORIDA COURTHOUSE MEN'S ROOM - DAY An ancient upstairs facility. Kevin standing at the mirror. Frozen there. Identity crisis. Morality crisis. He takes off his wedding ring. Letting cold water run in the sink. His eyes never leaving the mirror. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Behind him, the door opens. A local REPORTER enters, moves to the urinal. REPORTER Well, hell, there you are. Rumor was you were out wandering in traffic. KEVIN Not now, Larry. REPORTER What's the game plan, Kevin? I got a four-thirty deadline. I need a quote. Gimme a quote. KEVIN Fuck off. REPORTER 'Mr. Lomax had no comment on today's events. Speculation, however, was widespread that the young lawyer's unblemished string of victories would come to an end in this courtroom.' Kevin pulls some cold water to his face. Startled, as THUNDER EXPLODES overhead then just as suddenly, becomes nothing more than the urinal flushing REPORTER It was a nice run, Kev. Had to close out someday. Nobody wins 'em all. The Reporter exits. Kevin alone with the mirror. And then it's over. He's made his decision. Replacing his wedding ring. Reaching for his jacket, as we FLORIDA COURTHOUSE HALLWAY - DAY Kevin walking through. His game face. A court officer opening the doors and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . FLORIDA COURTROOM - DAY Barbara on the stand. Everyone in place. KEVIN Math hasn't exactly been your subject this year, has it? BARBARA No. KEVIN Any theories on why you've done so poorly in math this year? BARBARA It's not my fault. KEVIN Would you say Mr. Gettys is the problem? as she shrugs You're not sure. Have you had any discipline problems in math class this year? BARBARA No. KEVIN No? Isn't it true Mr. Gettys has had to talk to you repeatedly about your behavior? Isn't that why he asked you to stay after class? BARBARA No. KEVIN Have other teachers ever asked you to stay after class? BARBARA Once or twice. KEVIN Did they want to talk about your behavior? PROSECUTOR Objection. Immaterial. KEVIN Goes to motive. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: JUDGE Overruled. You may answer the question. BARBARA I don't know what the other teachers wanted. You'd have to talk to them. KEVIN You ever pass notes in class, Barbara? Maybe a note that made fun of Mr. Gettys? BARBARA No. KEVIN No? Never called him a 'disgusting pig monster'? BARBARA No. Kevin handing out paperwork. KEVIN Your Honor, I've pre-marked this Defense Exhibit A PROSECUTOR Objection, Your Honor, we've had plenty of time for discovery here. The Judge quickly studying his copy of the note. JUDGE I'm gonna let this in, Mr. Lomax, I'm also gonna suggest that if you have any other exhibits you present in a timely fashion or not at all. KEVIN right to the note I'm sorry, Barbara, I was wrong, it's 'huge hog beast'. This is your handwriting, isn't it? BARBARA Yes, but CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN You wrote this in his class. BARBARA It's a joke. KEVIN 'He's a huge hog beast. He probably eats a thousand pancakes for breakfast.' You're writing here about Mr. Gettys, aren't you? BARBARA It was meant to be a joke. KEVIN Have you ever had a party at your house when your parents were away? waiting Yes or no? PROSECUTOR Objection. This is way out of KEVIN Credibility and bias. JUDGE Overruled. Answer the question. BARBARA rattled Yes. KEVIN The word special came up in your testimony earlier. You claimed that Mr. Gettys asked you whether you had special feelings, if you felt special. beat Have you ever heard of a game called 'Special Places?' waiting You're under oath, Barbara. A man's career his reputation his life is on the line. This is not a joke. Have you ever played the game Special Places? BARBARA Yes. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Is this game sexual in nature? waiting Is this game sexual in nature? BARBARA We only played it once. KEVIN This special party, Barbara, this was the first time you told the story about Mr. Gettys. BARBARA Yes. KEVIN I've spoken to the other children who were there that day. Can you think of anything else, Barbara, they might have told me about that party? PROSECUTOR Objection. Your Honor, if he has other witnesses let him call them. KEVIN right at Barbara If I need to call those other children, I will. JUDGE I'm gonna sustain that, Mr. Lomax. Rephrase your question. KEVIN You threatened those children, didn't you? BARBARA That's not the way it happened KEVIN You told them to falsely claim that Mr. Gettys had hurt them, didn't you? BARBARA These things did happen! CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / A. CONTINUED: A KEVIN Because if they didn't go along you were going to tell everyone about this special party. BARBARA They happened to me. KEVIN So you made up a story. A special story, about a math teacher a disgusting pig monster you didn't like. That's what really happened, isn't it? BARBARA I didn't want to be the only one! BARBARA'S FATHER can take it no longer suddenly on his feet charging BARBARA'S FATHER You son of a bitch! The bailiff making a diving grab KEVIN I have no further questions, Your Honor. Chaos court officers struggling with Barbara's Father and people yelling and Gettys hugging his wife and son and the gavel banging like mad and Kevin just sitting there, staring at the floor, completely drained, emotionally, morally, physically and In the back of the room, a man. He's black. Elegant. Amused by the scene. His name is LEAMON HEATH. MARY ANN LOMAX leans in behind her husband. She is a doll. We love her. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MARY ANN Pack it up, baby. You need a drink. FLORIDA NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT It's a rock and roll joint. Florida style. But it's early and empty. Kevin at the bar with Mary Ann, two LAWYER friends, the Reporter and someone's girl friend. shot glasses, two rows of six. A perfect tequila pour and LAWYER # In the event we all get drunk and forget, I suggest we frontload the ceremonial bullshit a toast To the best damn trial lawyer in Alachua County. Kevin, subdued, watches the rest of them drink. REPORTER So, Kev, off the record, how's it feel to squeeze a man like Gettys through the door of reasonable doubt? MARY ANN No. waving him off I told you already, we're not gonna discuss that damn case anymore. Done. to Kevin Am I right? KEVIN I'll drink to that. as he does No shop talk. MONTAGE Tequila pours. As the night goes on FLORIDA NIGHTCLUB - MEN'S ROOM - NIGHT Drunk frat boys laughing as they exit. A BAR BAND in the distance. Kevin done pissing. Moving for the sink, when he suddenly stops. Freezes. A mirror above the sink. There he is. The guy that set Gettys free. HEATH Mr. Lomax? Kevin turns Leamon Heath standing beside him. HEATH Helluva job today. quickly presenting his card I didn't want to disturb your party. KEVIN Milton, Chadwick, Waters. Never heard of it. looking up What're you gonna do? Sue me? HEATH Actually, we were hoping to retain your services. We've been following your progress. KEVIN From New York. HEATH You've never lost a case. KEVIN I've had some sympathetic juries. HEATH That's exactly what we're looking for. We want you to come to New York. Help us pick a jury. KEVIN Really. amused now I'll tell you, man. You're pretty damn good. And the card is great. And the black thing you being black whose idea was that? Paul's? 'Cause that's just brilliant. as he's walking I'm just not drunk enough yet to fall for it. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: HEATH You'd have to start next week. waiting as Kevin stops there All expenses. First class travel and lodging. You and your wife. A lump sum payment, regardless of verdict in the amount of, well in his hand Here. Take a look. Kevin takes the check. Still looking at it, as we FLORIDA CINDERBLOCK CHURCH - DAY Two dozen cars parked. MUSIC and SINGING from inside. A sign reads: 'SEMINOLE CALVARY CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER' FLORIDA CINDERBLOCK CHURCH - DAY Inside the church. Plain and functional. Poor but faithful. A trio electric guitar, accordion, tambourine playing a hymn. Forty-five voices raised in song. The tempo is ragged and the pitch shaky, but the feeling is strong. They mean it. The CAMERA FINDS MRS. LOMAX. Kevin's mother. Forty- six. Singing her heart out. A woman with faith, in the presence of her Lord. The CAMERA FINDS Kevin. In the very back. Standing in the doorway. Halfway in. Halfway out. Shadow. Light. Waiting. FLORIDA CHURCH PARKING LOT - DAY Post-service. Mrs. Lomax and Kevin walking to her car. KEVIN It's two weeks at most. MRS. LOMAX You've never been to New York. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: KEVIN Every dog gets a day. MRS. LOMAX Pick a jury ridiculous I feel the hand of Mary Ann on this adventure. KEVIN Mom. MRS. LOMAX New York is not a good idea. KEVIN Look, how you fixed for cash? MRS. LOMAX I have my bad feeling. KEVIN an envelope I put a couple hundred in here MRS. LOMAX Sounds like more than two weeks. KEVIN Mary Ann typed out the numbers for you phone, the flights it's all in there. MRS. LOMAX Let me tell you about New York. KEVIN with a smile Babylon. MRS. LOMAX Forewarned is forearmed. half-serious 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. It has become a dwelling place of demons.' Revelation Eighteen. Wouldn't hurt you to look it over. KEVIN rolls with it Couldn't forget it if I tried. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MRS. LOMAX And what happened to Babylon? KEVIN 'Thou mighty city. In one hour hast thou mighty judgement come.' MRS. LOMAX 'And the light of a single lamp shall shine in thee no more.' Kevin gathers her in. Kissing her good-bye, as we HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT Darkness. Where are we? A door opens in another room VOICES KEVIN and MARY ANN. They're LAUGHING. Coming in from a big night out. For an instant light we glimpse a great hotel suite and then KEVIN wait leave 'em off MARY ANN what are you I can't KEVIN close your eyes do it More LAUGHTER. Stumbling shadows moving PAST us and KEVIN Okay. Stop. HOTEL SUITE - BALCONY - NIGHT Kevin behind Mary Ann with his hands over her eyes. He takes his hands away, but her eyes stay closed KEVIN Okay. Open your eyes. MARY ANN as she does Wow. HOTEL SUITE - BALCONY - NIGHT The view. Wham. The definitive New York skyline HOTEL SUITE - BALCONY - NIGHT KEVIN 'Go ahead...' in her ear '... bite the Big Apple.' MARY ANN she's dancing '... Rats on the West Side, bed bugs uptown, I can't give it away on Seventh Avenue. This town don't look good in tatters...' KEVIN I don't know looks to me like that dress is in your way. MARY ANN shocked, stops Why, counselor her best drawl Surely you don't think a small- town girl changes overnight just because a man buys her dinner in the big city. KEVIN No, ma'am. In fact, I hardly ever think at all. MARY ANN Well, that's different, then. You're my kind of guy. Kevin smiles. She's taking off the dress. Babylon. FOLEY SQUARE - ESTABLISHING - DAY Six huge courthouses. All those courtrooms. JURY COURTROOM - DAY Criminal court. Voire dire. Potential jurors fill the benches. A bored judge. MEISEL, defense counsel, is a sour, New York veteran. The juror being questioned, a PIE-FACED MAN with bad vision. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MEISEL Do you think as a juror you'd be able to set aside any prior opinions you might hold about the savings and loan industry? long pause That was a question, sir. PIE-FACE What? Do I like bankers? Heath catches Meisel's eye. Waves him over. MEISEL Your Honor, may I have a minute to speak with my colleagues. ANGLE ON DEFENSE TABLE Kevin and Heath. And the defendant a well-tailored reptilian banker. Meisel joins them. Sotto voce. KEVIN Dump him. While you're at it let's get rid of number six, eight, and I'd say lose number twelve, except the prosecutor's gonna fuck up and do it for us. MEISEL Number six? You're kidding, right? She's my first choice. KEVIN She's my first pass. MEISEL And eight? With the dreadlocks? That's crazy. He's a defendant juror if I ever saw one. KEVIN You see his shoes? MEISEL Look, kid, maybe down in Florida you're the next big thing, but this is New York. Manhattan. We're not squeezing oranges here. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: KEVIN He polishes those shoes every night. He makes his own clothes. He may look like a brother-with- an-attitude to you, but I see a man who's got a shotgun under his bed and woe betide the creature who steps into his garden. beat And number six? Your favorite? She's damaged goods. MEISEL She's a Catholic schoolteacher. to Heath She believes in human frailty. KEVIN No. There's something missing from her. She's wrong. eyes to the pool She wants on this jury. Somebody hurt her and she wants revenge. MEISEL How the hell do you know that? KEVIN honestly I don't know. MEISEL to Heath Look, either you put a stop to this happy horseshit or I walk. HEATH Walk. MEISEL a pause All right. Here's the deal. to Kevin I lose with your jury? You do the explaining. The defendant staring a hole into Kevin, as we FOLEY SQUARE JURY COURT - DAY Kevin leaving court. In no hurry to get home. He likes it here. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Across the street, a man, one of many passing on the sidewalk. Except this man turns as Kevin passes. Watching him. Seeing something that pleases him. This is JOHN MILTON. And now, as Kevin disappears, Milton joins the flow of people heading down into a subway station down and gone, as we PULL BACK TO FOLEY SQUARE - DAY/NIGHT TIME LAPSE As day becomes night. A NIGHT BECOMES DAY A B AND AGAIN B C AND THIS TIME LIGHTNING SIZZLES THROUGH THE SKY C HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT Mary Ann watching TV alone. Remnants of a room service dinner. They've been living here for weeks now. The maids have started to give up. Kevin enters looking beat. Grabs a cold french fry. MARY ANN into her show Your mother called. She has her bad feeling. KEVIN Every now and then she gets one right. MARY ANN What's up? looks over You okay? Something's up. KEVIN They deliberated for thirty-eight minutes. MARY ANN Oh shit MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MARY ANN CONT'D turns off the TV, comforting him Oh, Kevin I'm sorry, honey. What the hell did they expect? The man is guilty as can be. Wasn't a jury anywhere gonna let him off. KEVIN Yeah. Except one. MARY ANN Kev KEVIN a big ole smile Not fucking guilty. MARY ANN Omigod KEVIN Thirty-eight minutes. My jury. MARY ANN You did it! Omigod, Kevin KEVIN Put on something that's gonna be easy to take off later. We are going out, girl! LAW FIRM LOBBY - DAY Milton, Chadwick, Waters. Those words written in stone on the wall. The decor is stark, dramatic, awesome. The receptionist is simply stunning. Kevin, wearing his best suit, walking with Heath. HEATH Sorry to keep you waiting, but Mr. Milton got pinned down in Indonesia a little longer than expected. quietly as they hit the view Not bad, huh? You can play it cool if you want, but the first time I walked in here, my jaw was on the floor. LAW FIRM HALL - DAY The firm offices. A large central atrium. Offices rim this space. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Lawyers come in all shapes and sizes. Assistants male and female are uniformly attractive. The HUM of serious BUSINESS in the background. HEATH as they walk We've got forty partners vested at the moment. Close to six hundred associates. This is the home office, but we've got quite a few international arrangements, so Mr. Milton spends a good deal of his time in the air. In addition to our corporate clients, we're currently representing about twenty-five foreign countries. Mid-East, Balkans, Central America, West Africa. Interesting work, but travel intensive. Kevin slowing as they pass an open doorway HEATH He's got you scheduled for fifteen minutes, which is a good sign, so make the most of it LAW FIRM - CHRISTABELLA'S OFFICE - DAY THROUGH a large window we see a woman pacing her office. She's wearing a headset and arguing in machine-gun Italian. She is a goddess. Her name is CHRISTABELLA. She is beautiful beyond propriety. She will also turn out to be a brilliant EUC lawyer. She turns. Sees us staring like that Venetian blinds close tightly. LAW FIRM HALL - DAY Heath is now far ahead. Kevin rushing to catch up LAW FIRM - ARCHED CORRIDOR - DAY Kevin about six steps into it when suddenly, he looks down. Stops. Completely spooked. HEATH Gotcha. smiles Man, I just love that CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The floor is nothing but glass. Sixty stories above the world. A bridge between two skyscrapers. HEATH I watched a Senator piss his pants right where you're standing. KEVIN nonplussed Great. HEATH He's waiting for you. Good luck. Kevin sucks it up. Starts walking. Up ahead, nothing but an open door. MILTON'S OFFICE - DAY First of all it's round. And large. The walls are made of stone. No windows. There are dramatic shafts of natural light from above. Stark and clean to the extreme. No paper anywhere. Kevin standing there. Taking in the space. MILTON Behind you. Kevin turns. There he is. MILTON Sorry. Didn't mean to KEVIN No. Please. his hand Kevin Lomax. MILTON they shake John Milton. KEVIN Nice to meet you. MILTON Have we been treating you well? KEVIN Very well. Thank you. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MILTON Your wife, she's had a good time? KEVIN She sure has. It's been great. The whole thing's been great. MILTON Good. That's our secret. We kill you with kindness. walking the room, circling What's your secret? KEVIN I couldn't say. MILTON You were a prosecutor. KEVIN Out of law school. Five years in the Jacksonville D.A.'s office. MILTON Sixty-four straight convictions. What a number. KEVIN I like to be in court. I didn't plea out a lot. MILTON What's that like? One day you're putting them away and the next you're setting them free? KEVIN Takes a little getting used to. MILTON Pays better though, doesn't it? KEVIN Yes it does. MILTON The math teacher. The Gettys case. I hear you were brilliant. KEVIN Prosecutor dropped the ball. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Really. So you think your guy was guilty. KEVIN I didn't say that. MILTON What did you say? KEVIN How's this? I began the case with a clear conscience. MILTON quiet a moment I was sure you had a secret. KEVIN The men's room. beat Upstairs men's room in the Duval County courthouse. There's a hole in the wall. Straight through to the next room. smiles I spent five years listening to juries deliberate. MILTON I love it. KEVIN Love it all you want, just don't repeat it. I'm not sure the Florida Bar Association would appreciate it. MILTON You don't really want to go back to Florida, do you? Walk with me. MILTON'S OFFICE - PANEL - DAY With that, Milton pushes a button. Huge panel screens open out to: MILTON'S TERRACE - DAY A reflecting pool. Water right to the edge. A narrow walkway straight through the middle. And we're fifty stories above the city. The effect is staggering. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON What do you think? Some people can't handle it. KEVIN It's peaceful. MILTON Exactly. pleased Fill in the resume. Tell me about your family. What does your father do? KEVIN I never got to know my father. He passed away before I was born. My mom raised me. Just the two of us. MILTON She never remarried? KEVIN She wasn't married the first time. MILTON That can't be easy in Gainesville. KEVIN I don't think it's easy anywhere. re the view Holy shit MILTON Little different when you're looking down, isn't it? beat Tell me about her. Your mother. What's she like? KEVIN She's a preacher's daughter. She's tough. She's worked in the same poultry plant for as long as I can remember. I think she's up to eight-fifty an hour. She's got a church she really likes, so she's usually either there or they go out, they do a lot of volunteer work. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON 'Many are in high places, and of great renown: but mysteries are revealed unto the meek.' KEVIN So they say. MILTON Didn't rub off on you? The book? The church? KEVIN I'm on parole. Early release for time served. Suddenly they're quiet. Silenced by the view. MILTON Lotta potential clients down there. Sooner or later it all flows through the streets.) KEVIN You don't have to sell me on New York. MILTON You like it here, don't you? KEVIN Are we negotiating? MILTON Always. KEVIN Why do you need a criminal department? MILTON Because our clients break the law just like everyone else and I'm tired of sending their business across the street. KEVIN Are you offering me a job? MILTON I'm thinking about it. You have the talent. I knew that before you got here. It's the other thing I wonder about. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN What thing is that? MILTON Pressure. Changes everything. Some people, you squeeze them, they focus. Some people fold. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on deadline? Can you sleep at night? KEVIN When do we talk about money? MILTON Money's the easy part. LOMAX BUILDING AND STREET - DAY Carnegie Hall. High off Central Park. A Mercedes stretch pulls to the curb. HEATH V.O.) Mt. Sinai Hospital right up the street. Some excellent schools. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The driver rushing to open the door. Heath, Kevin and Mary Ann getting out of the car just as a group of uniformed school children come charging out of the building to meet their bus. HEATH I doubt it was at the top of his list when Mr. Milton bought the building, but it's a great neighborhood for children. LOOKING UP - BUILDING A stately, pre-war apartment house. One unique touch; the penthouse rises in a sort of wedding cake design. LOMAX APARTMENT LANDING - DAY Turn of the Century. Elegant. Two apartments per floor. JACKIE HEATH waiting here. She is black, early thirties, and very, very attractive. The elevator doors open. Mary Ann steps out, followed by Kevin and Heath. JACKIE You must be Mary Ann Welcome. I'm Jackie Heath MARY ANN It's so sweet of you to come by. JACKIE Please. We live across the hall. MARY ANN You're kidding? HEATH Right here. KEVIN So it's just two apartments per floor? JACKIE to her husband You didn't tell them about the apartment? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: HEATH I thought I'd let it speak for itself. Opening the door, and we enter LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY A dream. Twelve-foot ceilings. Huge, oversized rooms. Crown moldings. A huge central hallway. And light. Kevin and Mary Ann walking through. Blown away. HEATH It's what they call a classic eight. JACKIE We had them paint everything white. Let you see it naked before you pick your palette. MARY ANN What am I picking? JACKIE Palette. Your colors. HEATH I need to warn you about one thing. as they turn back There are going to be some very envious people at the firm. These apartments, there aren't many of them, it's really a partner's perk. You must've made quite an impression. JACKIE Took us six years to get in here. LOMAX APARTMENT BALCONY - DAY French doors opening. Kevin walks out. Mary Ann just behind him. They stand there, staring at the park. MARY ANN Are you really this good? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN I sure as hell hope so. MARY ANN They must want you pretty bad. KEVIN Look, Mare, I'm only getting behind this if you're on board. You want to go home, I'm with you. MARY ANN Sure. Let's go back to Gainesville. You can keep scrounging for clients and pumping out the basement and I'll keep repossessing cars for Akamian. Maybe, if we kill ourselves, in about five years we can afford a baby and a weekend shack at Gulf Shores. beat Are you shitting me? She smiles first. Kevin pulling her toward him, as we FIRM CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Incredible and extreme. Forty people SENIOR PARTNERS and department heads seated at the table. They've been going around the table introducing themselves to Kevin. Nearing the end now LAWYER # Krasna. Maritime Law. LAWYER # Parvathi Resh. Energy law. I run the Islamic sub-group. LAWYER # Joyce Rensaleer. Mergers and acquisitions. LAWYER # Chan Sanyou. Intellectual property. BARZOON Eddie Barzoon. Managing Director. Christabella and another woman running in. Taking seats quickly. Christabella beside Kevin. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CHRISTABELLA Christabella Adrioli. Economics. Primarily G- and E.C. MILTON There you go, Kevin. The whole team. I'm trying to think how long it's been since we were all together. All of us. Too long. I'm looking around, I know some of you came from very far away to be with us here today. It's appreciated. pacing the window This room we're in was built architecturally designed to promote healthy group dynamics. A psychic centrifuge. Makes you want to reach out, doesn't it? Inclusion. Commonality. Synergy. All that good shit. That's what I'm looking for today. Because when I hear stories the kind of stories I've been hearing about backbiting, about partners not working together, departments cutting each other's throats over clients, or worse I feel drained. It drains me. I feel empty. I feel as though I've let you all down. off dead silence We need something. A gesture. across the table What do I need, Eddie? BARZOON How about a public flogging? MILTON Wait a minute. I got it. It's perfect. It's intimate. It's quick. Doesn't cost a thing. There's a power to it. What is it? beat Let's hold hands. All of us. Together. Milton is first. Reluctance begins to fold. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Right now. Every person at this table take the hand of the person on either side Kevin finds Christabella's hand at his side. MILTON You want out of this, Eddie? BARZOON You've made your point, John. MILTON You won't hold hands? stare-down It's important to me, Eddie. Kevin watching Barzoon fold. Watching the circle form. MILTON See. See, I feel better already. KEVIN'S OFFICE HALL - DAY Very nice. Major windows. Stripped down at the moment, but there's a desk and phone. HEATH What do you think? KEVIN kidding I guess it'll do. PAM Until something better comes along In the doorway, PAM GARRETY. Never married. Two-pack-a- day habit. Tough as dirt. HEATH Kevin Lomax. Pam Garrety. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: HEATH CONT'D as they shake Pam was with the Brooklyn D.A.'s office for fourteen years, so she knows her way around the local scene. She'll be your guide. to Pam You're gonna be expediting his New York Bar application, right? PAM In the pipeline. For now, we'll just have you work pro hac vice. We've petitioned Florida for a letter of good conduct. And a folder I prepared, at Mr. Milton's request, an overview of the Moyez case. KEVIN The Moyez case? EAST HARLEM STREET - DAY Deep ghetto side street. One of those blocks that have been completely lost. One whole side of the street has nothing but boarded-up row houses. A black Town Car pulling through. Slowing now A CAR EAST HARLEM - DAY A Kevin and his DRIVER peering across the street. DRIVER I gotta stick with the vehicle. DAHOUMEY BAKA - DAY A storefront botanica. Insane colors. Rusted iron grates covering two tiny cataract windows. A steel door is open. There's a sick-looking DOG tied to the doorknob; he begins BARKING wildly, as he sees Kevin walking from the car. Suit and tie. Briefcase. Turning, as he hears CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: JUNKIE You get 'em! Go get 'em, man! Three JUNKIES camped on the stoop of a burned-out brownstone across the street. Dull, wasted faces aroused by the DOG'S BARKING JUNKIE Tell her turn that shit down! I know what she's doin'! That's right! Tell 'em take that noise back t'Africa 'fore I Stopping instantly because a WOMAN is standing in the botanica doorway. Her skin is jet black. Her eyes are pale blue. Her hair is white. She holds a live chicken by its feet. The DOG is still BARKING so she slaps it. Hard. Now there is silence. KEVIN I'm looking for Phillipe Moyez. She moves aside. Kevin enters DAHOUMEY BAKA - DAY It's dark. Oil lamps and candles for light. The air thick with incense. Jars and bags and boxes are stacked on shelves everywhere. Powders. Oils. Bones. Skins. Potions. Dried herbs. KEVIN I called this morning, I'm not sure who I spoke with. awkward silence I'm his lawyer. I have a card finding it They said he would meet me here. Phillipe Moyez. WOMAN into the back Bhalla! Bhalla! Kevin taking a very deep breath, as we DAHOUMEY BAKA - STAIRS - DAY Darkness. A door opening above us. A BOY maybe ten standing there. Kevin behind him. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: KEVIN Look, I'm not sure I'm making myself clear here. BOY Moyez. a French accent You need him. Speak wid him. DAHOUMEY BAKA - STAIRS - DAY The Boy hits the lights. A naked bulb on the landing below. Beyond that, darkness. KEVIN You're saying he's down here? incredulous In the basement? In the dark? BOY laughing Where? Where you think ? Where you think me taking you? DAHOUMEY BAKA - BASEMENT HALL - DAY The Boy, still laughing, starts down the stairs into the darkness. Kevin hesitates. Sucks it up. Crouching not to hit his head as he goes down into DAHOUMEY BAKA - BASEMENT - DAY Around the landing the Boy still in front of him and down as another light comes up and the boy moves quickly through the space, turning on lamps here and there. No furniture. Mounds of bones. The walls painted a deep, black red. DAHOUMEY BAKA - MOYEZ'S BASEMENT - DAY Kevin waiting as the last light goes on MOYEZ I thought I would recognize you, but I do not. Kevin, spooked, wheels around CONTINUED . CONTINUED: PHILLIPE MOYEZ squatting in the corner. Skinny and intense. His eyes opaque and piercing at the same time. At once unassuming and terrifying. A plastic bag of fresh green roots in his lap. Ghat. Miraa. African cocaine. His teeth black from chewing it. KEVIN Mr. Moyez? as he nods We've never met. I'm a lawyer. I'm here about the animals. MOYEZ As you wish. KEVIN I'll be arguing your case with the city. I need to ask you some questions. gets folder I've done a little preliminary research precedent cases in the past that dealt with Santeria and Vou MOYEZ No. This is not Santeria. We are not Voodoo. Candomble. Obeayisne. None of that. We are much older. Before. Before all of it. KEVIN Okay. Is there a name? Or MOYEZ We have papers. At your firm. We have the tax exemption. KEVIN Okay. I'll get right into that. scribbling away The animals. Let's start with that, then. MOYEZ We have an investment in blood. Think of it as spiritual currency. Moyez stands. Starts slowly across the room. KEVIN Look, Mr. Moyez, I'm going to need your help with this. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MOYEZ Yes. That's very clear. KEVIN Perhaps we could start at the beginning? Moyez, ignoring him, moves to an old refrigerator beside the stairs. For an instant, the door is open just a glimpse. Meat. Bags of entrails. Jars of blood. Moyez goes to a workbench near the wall KEVIN Mr. Moyez? MOYEZ What is the name of the man who will prosecute us? KEVIN scanning file Merto. Assistant District Attorney Arnold Merto. MOYEZ Bhalla. La chemise noire. Vite! The Boy already running up the stairs. The sound of NAILS FALLING onto the workbench KEVIN What are you doing, Mr. Moyez? Moyez stands aside, wiping his hands on his trousers. A huge beef tongue sits on the bench. The nails are scattered around it. MOYEZ You can go now. You will have all the help I can give you. Moyez now with a hammer. And the nail. Driving it into the tongue. Kevin backing away, as we KEVIN'S OFFICE AND HALL - DAY Video monitor FULL FRAME. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . DAHOUMEY BAKA BASEMENT - DAY Hand-held footage of a police raid. We're running through a building New York cops an animal control officer through a door voices yelling down some steps into a back yard people standing Here a scuffle starting voices rising the camera shaking we see Bhalla and the Woman and There in the middle, is a goat on its knees its throat has just been cut blood pouring into a pan and Moyez holding its head with one hand a knife in the other and this positively orgiastic expression on his face, and on that image, we freeze frame. OMITTED & & REVERSE TO: KEVIN'S OFFICE AND HALL - KEVIN - DAY with the remote control. Pam there with him. A long, sour silence. PAM What do you think? KEVIN It's a health code case. And it's a loser. So what's the point? watching her It's a test, right? PAM Isn't everything? KEVIN The smart thing to do is make a deal. Plea him out and suppress the tape. PAM I'm sure the D.A.'s waiting for your call. KEVIN Yeah, well, let him wait. beat And you can tell Milton too. beat I didn't come to New York to plea bargain. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY Jackie rejecting Mary Ann's color choices. KEVIN'S OFFICE AND HALL - NIGHT Law books stacked around. An associate wheels in a trolley with more books. A LOMAX APARTMENT - NIGHT A Mary Ann eating fried chicken. She doesn't like the wallpaper. She's tearing it off, as we B KEVIN'S OFFICE AND HALL - NIGHT B Kevin working late. Across the hall Pam is going home. PAM It's only a health code case. MANHATTAN COURTROOM # MOYEZ COURTROOM - DAY Bench trial. No jury. JUDGE THEO SKLAR and staff. A.D.A. MERTO at his seat. Pam sits with Moyez. Other than that, it's empty. A rump roast slaps down onto a table. KEVIN That's a veal roast, Your Honor. U.S.D.A. approved and stamped. Eight days ago, in Kansas City, two men pushed a calf into a steel frame as a third man fired a high- voltage staple-gun into the animal's skull. Men kill animals and eat their flesh. Phillipe Moyez killed a goat. He killed a goat. And he did it at home, in a manner consistent with his religious beliefs. Now some people may find it bizarre. MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / A/ . CONTINUED: KEVIN O.S.CONT'D It's certainly not a religious practice performed by everyone. It's not as common as, say, circumcision. It's certainly not as common as the belief that wine is transformed into blood. It's not even as common as the handling of poisonous snakes to prove one's faith. But Phillipe Moyez isn't two thousand miles away in a stockyard. He doesn't use electricity to kill. And worst of all holding up the roast Phillipe Moyez is not shrink- wrapped. Merto begins to cough. Quietly at first, but KEVIN Your Honor, the city timed this police action to catch my client exercising his constitutionally- protected right to religious freedom. Merto's coughing getting worse as he tries to stop JUDGE SKLAR This is a law protecting Kosher butchering. KEVIN Exactly, Your Honor. And I'd like to move at this time for an immediate directed verdict for dismissal. Moyez staring a hole in Merto, and the man cannot stop coughing JUDGE SKLAR I happen to know a little bit about Kashrut law, Mr. Lomax. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN I'm aware of that, Your Honor, which is why I feel confident in requesting a dismissal. JUDGE SKLAR Mr. Merto? Merto can't speak wheezing and coughing, as we MOYEZ COURTHOUSE HALLWAY - DAY TEN MINUTES LATER Empty and dark. Kevin, Moyez and Pam leaving the courtroom. All smiles. Moyez shaking his hand and thanking him, and then, from behind them, the sound of one person CLAPPING MILTON coming toward them Bravo, Kevin. Bravo. as he arrives Pamela, you're looking lovely. to Moyez Satisfied, Phillipe? MOYEZ Always. MILTON Kevin, what can I say? smiles Outstanding. Kevin, trying to look modest and failing, as we CANAL STREET CHINATOWN - DAY LITTLE LATER A street-food stall. Milton paying for Kevin's eggroll. And they're walking MILTON Best street food in the world. Try that. Tell me it isn't great. as Kevin eats New York. What a scene, right? MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON CONT'D Guy like Moyez living in that subterranean shithole all the time he's running around with fifteen million dollars in the bank. KEVIN You gotta be kidding. MILTON What do you think? We're giving you away? He's paying us in goat's blood? I'm billing you out at four-hundred an hour, my friend. I don't see a whole lot of pro bono work in your immediate future. buzzing here Seriously, what I like, you got in there with him. Inside the cage. That's instinct. Can't be taught. You gotta hear that on your own. It's gotta be in your blood. It's molecular. I bet I've got five thousand lawyers working around the planet. I couldn't name ten couldn't name three I'd trust with Moyez. KEVIN So what the hell are they doing? MILTON What are they doing? They're corporate lawyers, what do you think they're doing? They're busy reducing life and death to the proper position of a semi- colon. They're doing needlepoint. Push button battles. Push button wars. Armies that get so fucking far away from each other they need satellites to tell them who won. No pain. No sound. No smell. One big, multinational circle jerk. You, on the other hand, you're on the slaughterhouse floor. You can't help but smell your clients. KEVIN I figure you came to court to make sure I didn't fuck this up. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Maybe I did. But don't get too cocky. No matter how good you are. Don't let them see you coming. That's the gaff, my friend make yourself small. Be the hick. The cripple. The nerd. The leper. The shit- kicking surfer. Look at me I've been underestimated from day one. Do I look like a master of the universe? That's your only weakness as far as I can tell. KEVIN What's that? MILTON The look. The Florida stud thing. 'Scuse me, ma'am, did I leave my boots under your bed?' KEVIN Never worked a jury didn't have a woman. MILTON You know what you're missing? What I have? This beautiful girl she's just fucked me every way she knows how we're done she's walking to the bathroom she turns back and there I am. It's me. And she smiles it's like a veil coming down across her face and that smile, that's a question mark, because she's looking at me, she's wondering, how did that happen? And see, right there, from that moment on, she's got a secret. I'm the hand up Mona Lisa's skirt. I'm the whisper in Nefertitti's ear. I'm a surprise. They never see me coming. That's what you're missing. Milton escaping across the street. KEVIN So why did you come down today? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Because I knew it was gonna be good. Because I knew I was gonna like it. That you would shine that we would take this walk that we'd really talk. Why I came down? You want the truth? I'm an aging, hipster plutocrat. I came up from nothing. From dirt. I'm warming my hands on your talent distracted then Where's the chicken? KEVIN What? A CHINESE MAN sits in a doorway MILTON perfect Cantonese Where's the chicken? The chicken that plays tic-tac-toe. He used to be right here. CHINESE MAN Cantonese No, you passed it. Back that way. MILTON back to Kevin, as they walk There's a chicken, he's famous, he plays tic-tac-toe. He never loses. suddenly Hey. Like you. Right? catching himself Look, I'm rambling because I'm excited. You're in the part of the game I like best. The realm of the True Believers. You are a believer, aren't you? KEVIN I believe in the presumption of innocence. MILTON Better a hundred guilty men go free than a single innocent be executed. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Something like that. MILTON No. Exactly like that. It's faith. You're either in or out. You can't believe a little bit. KEVIN I was kidding. MILTON You're not here to amuse me. See, that's why people hate lawyers. So many of us have lost our faith. Don't let that happen to you. Token? KEVIN Excuse me? Milton offering a token. Behind him, the entrance to the Canal Street station MILTON Learn the subways, Kevin. Use them. Stay in the trenches. Kevin taking the token, as we OMITTED & & LOMAX APARTMENT - NIGHT Kevin just coming in from work. The apartment is starting to come together. Still not enough furniture, but the sparseness reads as elegance. KEVIN walking through Mare Mare...? MARY ANN from the bedroom You're late CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: He stops. In the hallway a wall is missing sheetrock stacked on the floor tools piled around a renovation project halted for the night. KEVIN What's all this? MARY ANN All what? Mary Ann up the hall in the bedroom door. Finishing her makeup for a night out. MARY ANN Oh, that smiles It was gonna be a nursery, but then I remembered you'd have to be home long enough to knock me up, so now I'm thinking of building a law library. Kevin smiles. Drops his briefcase. Drops his pants. MARY ANN Save the thought. We were due up there fifteen minutes ago. She blows him a kiss. Ducking back into bedroom. LOMAX APARTMENT BUILDING - ELEVATOR - NIGHT Kevin and Mary Ann in their go-to-meeting clothes. Going up. Nervous. MARY ANN Tell me I can handle this. KEVIN You can handle this. MARY ANN Say something nice. KEVIN Something nice. MARY ANN Promise me you won't leave me alone in there. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Promise. MARY ANN How the hell did we get here? KEVIN Instinct. BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT The door opens. DIANA BARZOON, tonight's hostess, standing there. DIANA There you are! to Kevin Diana Barzoon, Eddie's wife. an air kiss for Mary Ann Come on, you two. Everyone can't wait to meet you. BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT Twice the size of Kevin's place. Decorated and furnished to the max. Seventy-five guests and ten in staff. The crowd is very smart, sleek, and experienced at these sort of things. Mary Ann's hand squeezing Kevin's just a bit more tightly as Diana leads them into the throng, and we begin BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT SERIES OF SHOTS - PARTY Faces some of them strangers. Some of them familiar from the conference room scene. KEVIN huddled with Jackie and Mary Ann as Heath brings them drinks from the bar. PAM and two lawyers near the terrace doors the smoking section talking with nicotine-driven intensity. OMITTED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CHRISTABELLA simply walking through the room. EDDIE AND DIANA BARZOON They've found Kevin and Mary Ann. DIANA I love the eights. The entire 'A' line such a great shell. manic and perhaps a bit insane I do. I envy you. Starting from scratch. Do you have your fabrics yet? Tell me you don't. MARY ANN Not yet. I don't think so. DIANA Come with me. Instantly. to Kevin I'm borrowing your wife BARZOON Be gentle, honey. These are normal people. Mary Ann giving Kevin a 'help me' look as she's dragged into the party BARZOON Your first? KEVIN Excuse me? BARZOON Is this your first marriage? OMITTED BARZOON APARTMENT - SAME SCENE PARTY - NIGHT LATER Front door abuzz Milton has just arrived. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT Across the room, Mary Ann with Jackie and Diana and another wife MARY ANN Who is that? JACKIE looking over My God, girl DIANA You haven't met him yet? MARY ANN Who is he? BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT Milton across the room looks over he's found them already coming toward them smiling DIANA I swear he can hear us. JACKIE Hell, he can smell us. MILTON Mary Ann? John Milton his hand and eyes I was hoping we'd meet tonight. And here you are, already swimming with the sharks. Even as he says this, he's kissing their smiling cheeks. Mary Ann looking a little lost, as we BARZOON APARTMENT - NIGHT SAME TIME Kevin talking with another lawyer. Looking over as Christabella glides through the room. BARZOON APARTMENT - SOFA - DUSK SAME TIME Milton and Mary Ann sitting together. Alone. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MARY ANN Deadbeats. I mean, that's what it comes down to. You can call yourself a finance trainee, or a financial resources adviser, or whatever, you're still spending most of your day trying to hammer car payments out of deadbeats. looking around No deadbeats here tonight. MILTON You'd be surprised. There's a lot more fear in this room than you'd think. MARY ANN What do these people have to be afraid of? MILTON Each other. Themselves. Why? What scares you? MARY ANN Not knowing who the deadbeats are. MILTON You'll figure that out. There's only one thing worth being frightened of anyway, and that's being alone. Truly and finally alone. MARY ANN Yes. I think you're right. MILTON You know what terrifies me? Responsibility. MARY ANN For what? MILTON For what. For you. Let's be honest, I've changed your life. Changed it forever. There's been a seismic shift in your existence and I'm responsible. And you've never even met me. We're talking for the very first time. How insane is that? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MARY ANN It's a wonderful opportunity for Kevin. MILTON Kevin. Please. I'm not worried about Kevin. He buys a few new suits. Learns a few new tricks. He's there. I don't worry about Kevin. What about you? MARY ANN I'm not leaving a lot behind. MILTON You must have family. MARY ANN Bad subject. I haven't spoken to my folks in a long time. My sister ran all the way to Germany. MILTON Whoaa I gotta think about that. I had you down as daddy's little girl, you know? The princess. Sugar plum snapshots. Pastel bedspreads. Cinnamon cookies. MARY ANN I tell Kevin the only thing worse than not having a father was having mine. MILTON So you've got a lot at stake here. You've made a real commitment. MARY ANN I guess I have. MILTON It's not gonna be like Gainesville, but then you know that already. MARY ANN We're gonna be fine. It's gonna be great. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON If it isn't, will you come to me? Let me help? I'd feel a lot less responsible. Will you do that for me? MARY ANN Sure. MILTON The worst vice is advice, right? But can I make a suggestion? It's about your hair, some people are sensitive, that's why I ask. MARY ANN No. I mean, go ahead. You don't like it? MILTON You have shoulders nobody can see. Pull it back. MARY ANN You mean, you want me to pull my hair back? MILTON If I do it, everyone in this room that's pretending not to watch us will assume we're fucking or something. Pull back your hair. there's the mirror Take a look. See. That's it. Isn't that incredible? You need to cut your hair. MARY ANN You're kidding. MILTON A woman's shoulders are the frontlines of her mystique. And her neck, if she's alive, has the very mystery of a border town. It's the no man's land in the battle between mind and body. beat You know, your natural color would really bring out your eyes Mary Ann frozen there, as we DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . BARZOON APARTMENT - TERRACE PARK VIEW - NIGHT MAGIC HOUR Kevin standing at the rail. He looks over. Christabella not ten feet away. CHRISTABELLA Do you have this view? KEVIN Sorry? CHRISTABELLA From your terrace, is this your view? KEVIN Sort of. Not exactly. I'm about twelve floors down. What about you? CHRISTABELLA No, I live downtown. This is the family building. KEVIN Sounds like fun. Downtown, I mean. I'm just getting to know the city. CHRISTABELLA Is it everything you expected? KEVIN More. CHRISTABELLA raising her glass May we always have more than we expect. Salute. KEVIN Amen. CHRISTABELLA Are you alone? KEVIN You mean, tonight? CHRISTABELLA Is your wife a jealous woman? beat Silly question. We're all jealous, aren't we? MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CHRISTABELLA CONT'D laughing Oh, dear, I'm going to scare you away. KEVIN I doubt it. CHRISTABELLA You like to be on top, don't you? KEVIN Excuse me? CHRISTABELLA Of the situation. You prefer to be on top. KEVIN Depends on the view. MILTON You know what I see? Milton in the doorway. He's been watching them. MILTON I see the future of this law firm. perfect Italian Christabella, cara, prestamelo per favore, pe lo riporto piu tardi. CHRISTABELLA It's a boring party, anyway. to Kevin Ciao. Kevin can't help watching her walk away. MILTON Look, we gotta talk. You grab Heath and Eddie Barzoon and get up to my place right away. And let's be quiet about it. OMITTED thru thru DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . BARZOON APARTMENT PARTY - NIGHT Getting louder and wilder. Mary Ann looking lost. Searching for Kevin He's not here not there MARY ANN Have you seen Kevin? Jackie Heath shaking her head no, as Mary Ann continues on through the party. LOMAX APARTMENT - ELEVATOR - NIGHT Silence. Going up. Kevin, Heath, and Barzoon. BARZOON APARTMENT - STUDY - HALLWAY - NIGHT Mary Ann still looking for Kevin. Scanning faces. Stopping as she reaches a door. Opening it and BARZOON APARTMENT - STUDY - NIGHT Just enough light to make out two MEN standing across the room. Silhouettes against the window. MARY ANN Sorry in doorway I'm looking for my husband. The Men two vaguely familiar faces from the firm. MAN # Don't think he's here. Suddenly, a WOMAN's head rises INTO FRAME WOMAN It's just us MAN # But feel free to join in And suddenly it's clear, she's walked in on an impromptu menage a trois. The Woman is kneeling on a table, dress hiked up, ass in the air. Man # fucking her from behind. Man # is getting blown and Mary Ann IN SHOT as the woman begins to laugh and the door WIPES the FRAME. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . OMITTED MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The penthouse. One enormous room. Grand scale everything. Otherworldly. Staggering. Of special, special interest: a huge Bas Relief dominates an entire wall. Carved into the marble are human forms young, naked bodies swimming in a hypnotic chaos of clouds. Milton is on the phone. Two lines going. The dialogue is unimportant, we'll not understand it anyway he's going back and forth between Korean and Russian brokering some emergency deal. Heath is at the bar, mixing drinks. Barzoon has a cigar. Kevin just standing there gaping at the space. KEVIN Is there more to it? BARZOON Just this room. KEVIN And a bedroom? BARZOON No bedroom. KEVIN Where does he sleep? HEATH Who said he sleeps? KEVIN Where does he fuck? MILTON behind them Everywhere. BARZOON What's up, John? MILTON How many hours did we bill Alex Cullen last year? HEATH Sixteen thousand, two hundred and forty-two. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: BARZOON What the fuck did he do now? MILTON Alex Cullen has just been charged with murdering his ex- wife, her stepson, and a maid. BARZOON When did this happen? MILTON Just now. Tonight. I already sent Pam downtown to make bail arrangements. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: BARZOON They'll fucking crucify him. They'll get in line. I gotta call Meisel MILTON No. I want Kevin on this case. BARZOON I hope you're kidding. beat Alexander Cullen in a Manhattan triple murder? With Kevin? You're dreaming. MILTON I've shaken hands with every marquee defense attorney in town. I take Kevin and I don't look back. BARZOON You're a great judge of talent, John. You're the master. I just don't see it coming together. MILTON I want you on board, Eddie. KEVIN Look, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but maybe Eddie's got a point here. MILTON We can get this case. The man's our client. BARZOON He's a business client. MILTON We know him better than he knows himself. We have the inside track. We have the best damn trial lawyer in the city. It's ours to lose. BARZOON Tell it to Cullen. MILTON No. That's up to Kevin. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: With that, the PHONE starts RINGING MILTON That's Pam calling to Kevin Are we fighting for this, or not? LOMAX APARTMENT - NIGHT It's late. Dark. Kevin tiptoeing through the apartment turning the corner and MARY ANN You left me there. I had a fucking panic attack until Jackie told me where you were. raw Three hours? You don't even call? KEVIN Stop. Reset. I'm upstairs, I'm with Milton and Barzoon and there is a very good possibility that I'm about to catch a triple homicide defendant who also happens to be the largest real estate developer in the city. I had to bail on the party! MARY ANN You bailed on me! KEVIN Mare did you hear me? MARY ANN I was all by myself! KEVIN For three whole hours as she's walking You gotta be kidding, right? No, she's leaving. Kevin left there, alone DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . STREET - CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY MORNING A news van whipping up the block. TIRES SCREECHING as it pulls up beside a construction site where two other news vans are already unloading. The smell of headlines and STREET - CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY Two photographers sprinting toward the shell of a high- rise building. A sign blankets the scaffolding. Huge, ego-size lettering reads CULLEN TOWERS 'The Next Great Address' CONSTRUCTION HIGH-RISE - DAY Looking DOWN FROM fifty stories high, as the media vehicles converge like toys below. CULLEN V.O.) Look at this, I'm not out twenty minutes, we're running from the goddamn press. Look at those insects down there CONSTRUCTION HIGH-RISE - DAY ALEXANDER CULLEN turns back from the edge. Forty-five. Tan, grief-stricken, and sleep deprived. The space is huge and bare. Unfinished concrete. Wide, open views. Kevin, Milton, and Barzoon standing there. CULLEN You may be right, but look at it from my point of view. I'm sure he's a whiz kid. I believe you. But this is my ass we're talking. to Barzoon Jesus, Eddie MILTON Alex, you know how this town works. You've got enemies you never heard of. And now? Now you're down? I'd prepare for a class-A, New York pig-fuck. You're going to have to ask yourself who you really trust. Who do you trust, Alex? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CULLEN I don't know I gotta look around. KEVIN You don't have time to shop, Mr. Cullen. the newspaper Jury selection started this morning at every breakfast table in the city. You lost round one. This is what people know. They know you and your wife were living separately. They see this maid Elucinda a sixty-eight-year-old grandmother supporting seven children. And then there's your stepson, a ten-year-old with a bullet in his brain. Those are already powerful images in the mind of the public. CULLEN I didn't kill anybody. KEVIN I'm telling you how it looks. You discover the crime. You call it in. You've got blood on your person and clothes, and before Cullen can cut him off and your prints are on the murder weapon. CULLEN How do you know that? KEVIN There's a second print in blood it's a partial of a hand on the wall next to th CULLEN I have keys! I called the cops from the house! I touched the goddamn wall! to Barzoon I was panicked! I panicked! KEVIN We need twelve people who can see past all that. I'd get out in front of this fast. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CULLEN I panicked! Is that a crime? I touched the wall! BARZOON He's right, Alex. People need to hear these things. KEVIN You're not happy tomorrow? The next day? We'll move over. But right now this moment you need immediate representation. CULLEN I've got a fourteen-year-old stepdaughter who I care more about than anything in the world. They won't let me call her from downtown. They won't let me talk to her after I'm out. I gotta go deal with that first. KEVIN We need to issue a statement. Cullen looks to Milton. Waiting. Help me. MILTON He's a winner, Alex. And they'll never see him coming. CULLEN I'm gonna make some very tough phone calls. Then I'm gonna take a pill and try to get some sleep. My place. Eight A.M. tomorrow. Alone. beat And you better be every fucking inch as good as you think you are. OMITTED SOHO BOUTIQUE STREET - DAY A woman with short dark hair her back to us looking in a shop window. Her reflection in the glass, it's Mary Ann. She's cut and colored her hair. Jackie and Diana already going in and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . SOHO BOUTIQUE AND DRESSING ROOM - DAY White wine and couture. Mary Ann holding a blouse. MARY ANN whispering This is three thousand dollars. JACKIE Know what you need to do? Buy it. Wear it once. And then throw it away. That'll loosen you up. DIANA I say spend it all. If you're never gonna see your husband, you might as well have a relationship with his money. as she strips I swear, if he wasn't afraid of me shooting my mouth off, Eddie would've put a cellulite clause in the pre-nup. JACKIE Dr. Robert, I'm telling you, he's the miracle man. You've seen my new tits, I mean who does it better than that? DIANA It's not my tits I'm worried about. Mary Ann turns. Jackie beside her. Topless. Smiling. JACKIE Real or not? her breasts They look real she shimmies They move real MARY ANN trapped there Must be real. JACKIE Feel them. Go ahead. That's the ultimate test. Before Mary Ann can stop her, Jackie is taking her hand, guiding it to her breast, and holding it there. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: JACKIE smiling Feel real? MARY ANN Yes. pulling away Absolutely. Real. JACKIE backing away Dr. Robert. When you're ready. Mary Ann looking away as Jackie walks off. Everything is as it was, and yet different. And then, she turns and sees OMITTED SOHO BOUTIQUE - DRESSING ROOM FX - DAY EFX Jackie pulling a dress down over her head. She's taking her time because it's a delicate, clingy SOHO BOUTIQUE - DRESSING ROOM FX - DAY complicated outfit turning and for one brief moment we see a serpent's head disappearing now into the dress as she struggles inside the material her body the body inside the dress transforming ribs and spikes and huge moving muscles strain the limits of the material, and then, suddenly, it's over. SOHO BOUTIQUE - DRESSING ROOM - DAY Jackie's face appears. She straightens the seams. Turning now JACKIE What do you think? But Mary Ann is gone. OMITTED thru thru DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / / . LAW FIRM - STAIRCASE/OFFICE - DAY Kevin, coming out a door with Heath and an associate. KEVIN first thing I need this ASAP I want articles, clippings, TV interviews, I want everything you can get on Alex Cullen. HEATH walking off You better get a semi truck. LAW FIRM - STAIRCASE/OFFICE - DAY Christabella climbing the stairs. Short skirt. Great angle. Halfway up, she stops to fix her stockings. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: CHRISTABELLA Enjoying yourself? KEVIN caught Sorry. I'm just CHRISTABELLA Just what? Looking? KEVIN Guilty. CHRISTABELLA Congratulations on Cullen. KEVIN Thank you. CHRISTABELLA What an incredible situation, even if you lose you become a star. KEVIN What if I win? CHRISTABELLA If you win smiles If you win it's everything. KEVIN Any advice? CHRISTABELLA Cullen is a pig. He's a pig beyond reasonable doubt. I suggest you keep him as far away from the jury as possible. KEVIN I'll keep it in mind. CHRISTABELLA leans in, whispering You can look all you want, but I don't fuck married men. KEVIN What a relief. I was starting to think you were perfect. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: PAM Kevin He turns instantly Pamela standing behind him. PAM Your wife is on the phone. She sounds upset Christabella smiling as Kevin rushes off. LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY Mary Ann very upset. Kevin has just come home. MARY ANN I don't care if they can hear me! I don't care! I don't like it here. And these women, my God I mean, I'm seeing things for crissake! KEVIN You just left them in the store? MARY ANN Yes! KEVIN Look, calm down, all right? Listen to me Mare? First, you do this radical thing with your hair MARY ANN You hate it. KEVIN Stop. I think it's fine. But I also think it's traumatic. You've got the pressure of fitting in with new friends, a new place add three bottles of wine and MARY ANN No! It wasn't the wine. It wasn't the wine or my hair or talking to Kathy, because I know that's what you're gonna say CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN What about Kathy? MARY ANN What about her? She's pregnant again. KEVIN Oh, and that's got nothing to do with it MARY ANN Kevin, I never see you anymore. Now that you've got this big case, it's just only gonna get worse. I don't know anybody here. These women scare the living shit out of me. If you can believe it, I'm actually looking forward to having your mother come and visit. KEVIN What about the apartment? MARY ANN Exactly! You just go out you buy a few new suits and you're fine. I've got this whole place to fill up and I know we have all this money and it's supposed to be fun, but it isn't! It's like a test! The whole thing is like one big test! I'm lonely. KEVIN Let's make a baby. MARY ANN Don't tease me. KEVIN I wouldn't do that. Unless you asked. MARY ANN You hate my hair, don't you? LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY His hand moves against her cheek, and then down the back of her neck. She moves into his body and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / A. LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY EFX Suddenly She's Christabella right there in his arms before he can react before he can speak she finds his mouth and they are kissing and LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY Suddenly She's Mary Ann and he's pulling up her dress and she's helping him and his hand is moving over bare thigh and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY EFX Suddenly She's Christabella unbuttoning her blouse and she can't do it fast enough still with her mouth on his and his hand between her legs and LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY Suddenly She's Mary Ann flattening against the wall and her blouse is open and LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY EFX Suddenly She's Christabella pulling off her bra as his mouth moves over her breasts and his hands are everywhere and the bra is gone and she's tearing at his shirt and he's helping her and her dress is on the floor and there's no rug or anything, but this is where they will fuck because they can't stop themselves and she's on her back on the bare floor and he's kicking away his shoes and she's feeling herself and staring into his eyes and suddenly LOMAX APARTMENT - DAY MARY ANN Stop. Kevin looks like he's been shot. In the balls. MARY ANN Where are you? KEVIN Right here. Mary Ann doesn't look so sure. CULLEN'S APARTMENT - DAY Huge. Opulent. Kevin and Pamela have been taking notes. Cullen is exhausted, frustrated. KEVIN because it needs to be clear, Mr. Cullen, because I need to understand exactly what happened you're standing there you look down there's the gun CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CULLEN I don't know why I picked it up it was before I saw Elucinda's body and then, I mean we've been over this KEVIN You kneeled down to pick it up? CULLEN You work late. You come home. You walk in. Everybody's dead. It's not something you plan for. KEVIN Back up. Two prints by the gun. Right knee. Right hand. It's a strange move you must've made to pick it up. CULLEN The blood, I don't know, maybe I was trying to avoid the blood. KEVIN I'm trying to picture it contorting Your hand came from inside and underneath. Cullen reaches into his jacket and pulls out a gun. CULLEN You want to see? Here dropping to his knees I'll fucking show you. Kevin watching Cullen quickly retrieve the gun from the floor with this weird little motion. CULLEN standing Okay? Clear? Got it? KEVIN Whose gun is that, Alex? CULLEN It's mine. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Are you out of your mind? incredulous You're charged in a triple homicide, you're walking around with a forty-five? CULLEN I've had nine death threats. KEVIN Give it over. Now. Gimme the gun. CULLEN I gotta protect myself. KEVIN That's my job. When the case is over you can have it back. strong This is a dealbreaker, Alex. Cullen hands him the gun. KEVIN Okay. Let's wrap it up. CULLEN So what's next? KEVIN We need to talk to your assistant. CULLEN Call her. KEVIN You feel confident she'll back you on the time. CULLEN Melissa, yeah. She's okay. She's a real straight arrow. KEVIN So we're going to talk to her and you're not going to talk to anybody. Okay? CULLEN with a smile No comment. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . D.A. MERTO'S OFFICE - DAY A large, ugly cube. Daylight through dirty windows. Kevin alone. On the table, a large, grey envelope. Printed on it: PROPERTY OF THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY FORENSIC LOG - # D - STATE VS. ALEX CULLEN Kevin going through a stack of crime scene photographs. Tough stuff. One after another. Three victims. Many angles. We can see their horror in his face. OMITTED LAW FIRM HELICOPTER - DUSK PANNING ALONG Wall Street. The whole downtown skyline. SETTLING finally ON the th floor of the law firm building. Hovering at a distance. Lights on here and there and One window. Kevin's office. He and Pamela are talking to a young woman. This is MELISSA BLOCK, Cullen's assistant and alibi. We can't hear what they're saying, but it looks to be a collegial meeting. OMITTED KEVIN'S OFFICE AND HALL - NIGHT Kevin and Pam walking Melissa out through the empty reception area. MELISSA Would my babysitter have to testify? KEVIN We need her to establish the time you returned home. MELISSA She doesn't have her green card is why I ask. I don't want her to get in trouble. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Tell you what, Melissa, let's talk to her first. See where she stands and take it from there. PAM I'll make sure Melissa gets down to the car. MELISSA Mr. Cullen didn't kill those people. KEVIN That's why we're all working so hard. As Melissa exits with Pam, Kevin notices two associates carrying boxes far up the hall and we LAW FIRM LIBRARY AND HALL - NIGHT SAME TIME Paper shredders. Half a dozen of them cranking full tilt. Stacks of files left to go. Barzoon and six associates working late. Shirtsleeves and coffee. BARZOON directing traffic Okay, Excelsior Insurance, who's handling that? a hand goes up All this has to go. Guatemala, Sudan, Cyprus cheerleading Let's stay organized here. across the room Martin, no. Devada Holdings. That's all you're doing. Believe me, it'll take all night. Barzoon stops as he sees Kevin in the doorway. KEVIN I thought I was the only one working late. BARZOON So did we. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Good news. We just wrapped up with Cullen's assistant. She looks like a great alibi. BARZOON What a pleasant surprise. KEVIN But it looks like you have your hands full. BARZOON Just a little housekeeping. beat If they ask, you never saw this. KEVIN Who would ask? BARZOON Weaver. KEVIN Who's that? BARZOON Justice Department. Weaver Commission. staring at him You don't know about Weaver? KEVIN Sorry. BARZOON How nice for you. MILTON Grab your coat, Mr. Lomax Milton in the hall behind Kevin. Tickets in hand. MILTON The night is young. re: tickets Title fight. Ringside. KEVIN I'd have to call Mary Ann MILTON Do it on the way. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: BARZOON am I here?) You get my message? MILTON You write beautifully, Eddie. BARZOON We need to talk. MILTON Soon. BARZOON I hope so. OMITTED & & SUBWAY TO FIGHTS TRAIN - NIGHT The car half full. Kevin and Milton standing near the door. Right behind them, three guys in the midst of an intense conversation in Spanish. KEVIN So what's this Weaver Commission? MILTON I don't micro-manage. You find the talent and then you delegate. Who knows what the hell Eddie's up to. He's got a lotta fingers in a lotta pies. Suddenly, one of the guys behind them, the biggest of the three, we'll call him BIG GUY, turns back BIG GUY What the fuck you looking at? it's Milton he's talking to You fucking deaf or something? MILTON No. I can hear you just fine. BIG GUY Good, 'cause I want you should get your skinny little ass somewhere down the fucking car away from me. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MILTON stare-down I'm not going anywhere. Big Guy pulls open his jacket a knife in his belt. KEVIN Oh, shit. stepping back John But Milton doesn't move. He smiles. MILTON perfect Spanish Maricela, the moment you left the apartment she was upstairs with Carlos. They're on the pipe right now, my friend. They're in the kitchen splitting a jumbo and then he's going to fuck her in the ass, right on your bed, and she's going to like it. Big Guy backing away into his friends BIG GUY Como...? How do you...? The SUBWAY RATTLING into the Fourteenth Street station. MILTON still Spanish Do yourself a favor and put that knife where it belongs. The doors open. Big Guy stumbling back his friends catching him helping him off the train looking back, as the doors close and It's like it never happened. Milton straightening his cuffs as the train pulls away. KEVIN What did you say to him? MILTON I told him if he didn't leave us alone, you were going to kick all three of their asses. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - BOXING RING - NIGHT Right INTO it. Red trunks with a huge right hand and blue trunks drops and the Garden goes wild five thousand people yelling for blood. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT And Milton at ringside, breathing deeply of the vibe and KEVIN on his feet Get up! Get up, dammit! C'mon! MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT Blue trunks rises on shaky legs as the BELL RINGS, the round over and the crowd groans back into its seats. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT Milton turning as DON KING collars him. DON KING Look at this sorry shit, you got better seats than me. MILTON You need a better lawyer. DON KING Nobody better than you, Johnny. MILTON Hang on a second presenting Kevin Meet my new heavyweight. Kevin Lomax. Kevin shaking hands with Don King, as we SPANISH RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN - NIGHT LATE Serious flamenco. Music is loud. The dancer is fantastic. Deep reds. Deep blacks. Skin. Duende. Milton, sitting beside some blonde he's discovered, he's got his jacket off, clapping perfectly to the beat. Behind him, a large table of ten/fifteen people. Food and wine to excess. Laughter and music and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . SPANISH RESTAURANT - PHONE AND ROOM - NIGHT Kevin on a pay phone near the kitchen. KEVIN And say what? He's the senior partner at the pause Mare, you're really starting to piss me off pause Yes. I'm having one cigarette. You want me to lie? One cigarette after seven months is not pause That's exactly what I'm saying. Go to bed. I have no idea. pause I told you, he never sleeps. pause Mare. Stop. The guy pays our bills. The food, the heat, the rent on that enormous fucking apartment we live in. beat I live there, too! CLICK. The LINE is dead. He looks at the cigarette. Takes a hit. Fuck it. And then his eyes find The dressing room across the hall. An open door. Inside, a woman, one of the dancers, all but nude, stepping into her dress. A simply perfect body. And then she turns TOWARD us and it's Christabella clearly for a single moment before she slams shut the door. Kevin crosses to the door. Knocks. And again. The door opens. A DANCER standing there. It's not Christabella. DANCER Can I help you? Kevin already backing toward A SPANISH RESTAURANT - NIGHT Kevin moving toward the Milton table. Sitting down and just realizing that Cullen has joined the party. He's wasted. He waves. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . A CONTINUED: A Milton catching Kevin's eye, smiling as the Blonde slips below the table. As if nothing were going on. OMITTED thru thru LOMAX APARTMENT - NIGHT LATE Dark. Mary Ann asleep in a chair. A breeze through the open terrace windows. Suddenly she wakes. MARY ANN Kevin? Silence. And then, the sound of a BABY CRYING LOMAX NURSERY HALLWAY - NIGHT Mary Ann rushing through the dark, toward the nursery and the sound of the CRYING stopping suddenly at the nursery door MARY ANN How...? What are you...? LOMAX NURSERY AND HALL - NIGHT A one-year-old child sits naked on the floor amidst the tools and material. MARY ANN You poor thing Mary Ann easing slowly forward. MARY ANN How did you how did you get here? billing and cooing Are you okay? Look at you hello hello kneeling there Where's your mommy? The baby turns to her voice. Smiling now. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MARY ANN What are you playing with? What do you have there? The baby offers his open hands Viscera. Entrails and blood and slime. The child's hands full of someone's insides MARY ANN Oh, God, no The baby raising his hands toward her MARY ANN no please, God, no Stopping suddenly as she looks down at her body. Her nightgown is covered with blood. Just starting to scream, as we HARD OMITTED thru thru HEATH GUEST ROOM AND HALL - DAY Motion Kevin rushing down a hallway Heath behind him heading for an open door and into HEATH GUEST ROOM AND HALL - DAY Mary Ann in bed. Dead asleep. Jackie Heath, bedside nurse. JACKIE Took two seconals to get her out. KEVIN hung-over and guilty Milton got his hooks into me. HEATH Relax. We've all been there. JACKIE Leave her with me. Let her sleep. She'll be out another five, six hours at least. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN This transition, it's been really tough on her HEATH We're gonna find some names for you. Doctors. Good people. Kevin nods. Jackie ushering them out, as we A NY - DAY/NIGHT A New York time transition MOS. LAW FIRM STREET - DAY Pamela and three other women smoking. Looking up, as Kevin comes flying out of the building. PAM Caught me. KEVIN I've gotta find Cullen. as he passes We just got the prosecution discovery package. PAM That bad? Kevin just keeps going into LAW FIRM STREET - DAY Kevin needs a taxi bingo a cab dropping off right here he's got it opening the door and CHRISTABELLA Careful stepping out You'll spoil me for other men. KEVIN That's what they all say. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CHRISTABELLA Heard he finally dragged you out the other night as she walks Can't believe I missed it. Kevin watching her go, looking up, seeing the glass bridge high above. NEW YORK SIDE STREET - DAY A limousine double-parked outside a brownstone. Kevin standing there as Cullen comes storming out of the building. CULLEN I get one supervised hour a week with my stepdaughter. This is it. You better have a great reason to call me out. KEVIN Your wife, the day she was killed, had lunch with a friend. She says and I quote: 'Alex is fucking around and I can prove it.' CULLEN Hearsay. Never gets in. KEVIN Wrong answer. listen to me Your prenuptial agreement is on file at the firm. The contract is null and void in the event of marital infidelity. beat You fuck around, she gets rich. you asshole That's a motive, Alex. long pause What do I need to know? CULLEN Melissa. My assistant. such a headache She's not even that good a fuck. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN And, on the night in question? CULLEN I was boning my assistant while my wife was getting shot. KEVIN I've got to re-interview Melissa. CULLEN Forget it. We're not telling that story. KEVIN Juries want honesty. Fuck with that at your peril. Cullen turns something more important CULLEN Allesandra. Wait Allesandra emerging from the building looking teary and distraught. Her THERAPIST helping her toward the limo. KEVIN Arthur CULLEN Not now. THERAPIST Time's up, Mr. Cullen. CULLEN Allesandra. Please Kevin watching Cullen rush away, as we OMITTED thru thru A NY - DAY/NIGHT A New York time transition MOS. OMITTED thru thru DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . A LOMAX APARTMENT BUILDING - SIDEWALK - NIGHT A A Towncar pulls up. Mary Ann, Kevin and Mrs. Lomax emerge. Just back from dinner. Two steps and A PAPARAZZI photographer nearby PAPARAZZI Kevin, hey, how's it going? Can we get a couple shots here? How about a thumbs-up here? What do you say? Kevin reluctantly smiles. Get it over with. MRS. LOMAX What's he doing? MARY ANN Kevin's had his picture in the paper. FEENEY, the doorman, at the ready. Mary Ann first inside. Mrs. Lomax lingers a moment watching Kevin have his picture taken. KEVIN Welcome to Babylon, Ma. FEENEY Sorry, Mr. Lomax, I thought we'd scared 'em all away MRS. LOMAX Always did like to stick his nose in a camera. LOMAX LOBBY - ENTRANCE - NIGHT FEENEY as they enter And how are you, Mrs. Lomax? Did you have a fine dinner? MRS. LOMAX I surely did. she's got a doggie bag Are you hungry? FEENEY No, I'm fine. Thank you. MILTON Speak of the devil CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / / . CONTINUED: There he is, waiting for the elevator. With him are Christabella and an Asian woman who is so sexy it hurts. Kevin off balance from this moment on. Mary Ann smells the danger. Everything is awkward. MILTON I was just telling the Moyez story. KEVIN Really. MILTON And is this your mother? KEVIN Yes. Mom, this is MILTON John Milton. Nice to meet you. MRS. LOMAX Alice Lomax. How do you do? MILTON Mary Ann a kiss for her I think you've met Christabella, and this is Giselle who's just in from Paris. A moment of bullshit superficial greetings and then the elevator doors opening and the whole uncomfortable clot of them moving into LOMAX APARTMENT ELEVATOR - NIGHT Just enough room. They ascend. KEVIN Thanks for the champagne. MILTON You've very welcome. to Mrs. Lomax This isn't really your first visit to New York, is it? KEVIN after a moment Yes. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: GISELLE Cette femme, elle est la mere de l'homme dont vous m'avez parle? MILTON She can't believe you're his mother. You've done one helluva job bringing him up, Mrs. Lomax. I'm sure it wasn't easy. MRS. LOMAX No. Mrs. Lomax has been staring, and now Milton meets her eyes as the elevator stops and the doors open. MARY ANN Nice to see you CHRISTABELLA Have a lovely evening. Kevin next out, holding the door, waiting KEVIN Mom, we're here MRS. LOMAX Yes. Good night to you. Mrs. Lomax takes one last look at Milton as she exits. MILTON Kevin, hang on holding the door How's Cullen. Everything on beam? KEVIN That's a long conversation. In the b.g., Mary Ann opening the apartment door and going inside. Mrs. Lomax right behind her. MILTON hush hush Why don't you come on up? KEVIN Now? Milton smiles. Christabella smiles. Giselle smiles. KEVIN Let's talk tomorrow. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: Milton shrugs. Your loss. Christabella has her hand on Giselle's ass, working up her skirt MILTON You sure? Kevin left standing there as the doors close. OMITTED thru thru LOMAX KITCHEN - NIGHT ONE MINUTE LATER Mrs. Lomax, subdued, listening to Kevin and Mary Ann bickering. MARY ANN That what you're doing when you're working late? KEVIN What are we talking about? MARY ANN You know exactly what I'm talking about. KEVIN That's ridiculous. MARY ANN I'm going to bed. walking off 'Night, Alice MRS. LOMAX 'Night. Mary Ann exits. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MRS. LOMAX I'm worried about her. You shouldn't fight like that. KEVIN That's not a fight, Ma, it's marriage. Not exactly your area of expertise. MRS. LOMAX Are you happy here? KEVIN What? MRS. LOMAX Are you happy here? KEVIN You're kidding, right? Am I happy? Every now and then I look around and I think my mama must be praying awful hard for me, 'cause I died and went to heaven. Am I happy? MRS. LOMAX You were always running somewhere. KEVIN I guess I finally got there. sensing something wrong Look, I'm sorry about being so busy this week. Maybe Saturday I can get some time off and MRS. LOMAX Don't worry on it. touching his face I love you more than anything in the whole world. You know that, don't you? KEVIN I love you too, Ma. Kevin turning out the lights, as we LOMAX APARTMENT - FOYER/HALL - DAY Newspapers. Laying on the doorstep. Headline reads: CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: CULLEN PRE-NUP SHOCKER! Kevin, dressed for work, briefcase in hand, rushing down a cup of coffee, reading the headline and KEVIN Shit! The door to the guest room is open. He looks in OMITTED LOMAX GUEST ROOM - DAY Mrs. Lomax fully dressed. The bed is made. Her bag is packed. KEVIN Mom? Ma, what are you doing? MRS. LOMAX I'm going home, Kevin. KEVIN What? What are you talking about? MRS. LOMAX I don't feel right. KEVIN You just got here. his watch Look, I'm late and I just got my teeth kicked in on the front page, so I gotta run. We'll talk later. MRS. LOMAX I have to go, Kevin. I miss my church. KEVIN Ma, this is New York, there must be twenty-thousand goddamn churches. Take your pick. MRS. LOMAX You need to do a better job with Mary Ann. She's not well. This place isn't good for her. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN So stay. Take care of her if you're so concerned! Help me out. MRS. LOMAX I'll take her home if you let me. KEVIN This is home. You understand? This is where we live! I'm not going back to Gainesville. Unbelievable. MRS. LOMAX 'Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to temptation.' KEVIN It's a little early for scripture. I'm going to work. as he walks You can do whatever you want. Mrs. Lomax watching him go, as we CENTRAL PARK PLAYGROUND - DAY Melissa and Kevin on a bench. Kids playing. One of them is hers, but she's not paying much attention at the moment MELISSA I can't do it. It's one thing to have an affair with your boss, it's another to have to tell the world in a murder case. KEVIN We have to bring it out, Melissa. MELISSA My ex-husband would have a field day with this. KEVIN A man's life is at stake. You're our whole case. Melissa looking away, as we DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . WEAVER FEDERAL COURTROOM - DAY Modern. Empty. The JUDGE is a WOMAN. No bullshit. Barzoon sitting alone at the defense table. Federal prosecutor MITCHELL WEAVER on his feet. WEAVER there is nothing vague or exploratory about this subpoena request, Your Honor. We're specifically asking for any and all documents relating to Devada Holdings. It's taken six months and seventeen separate motions and we still don't know who's responsible here. We've got a paper trail here that seems to stretch into eternity! WOMAN JUDGE Mr. Barzoon? BARZOON Can't turn over what you don't have, Your Honor. We've been conducting a comprehensive search of our records and I'm sorry to say it's a great deal less than Mr. Weaver would suggest. WEAVER Your Honor, this is outrageous. We need to get in there and seize these documents before there's nothing left! BARZOON Your Honor, it's exactly these types of insulting accusations WOMAN JUDGE Enough. Both of you. Put it on paper. I'll read it. WEAVER Your Honor CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: But the gavel comes down. Done. Barzoon packing up, looks to the back of the room. Kevin sitting there. Waiting. WEAVER FEDERAL COURT - HALL - DAY MINUTES LATER Busy. Lots of traffic. Barzoon and Kevin walking. BARZOON Forget about lunch. This guy Weaver is running me ragged. A REPORTER pulls up alongside excited REPORTER Kevin. Nancy Osborne, Metro News. How are you? KEVIN Busy. REPORTER We had a report of a private plane at Teterboro airport ready to take Alexander Cullen out of the coun KEVIN cutting her off Mr. Cullen is innocent. He's not going anywhere. He's been released on a two million dollar bond. He looks forward to having his day in court. Thank you. REPORTER Kevin, is there any truth to KEVIN I'm in the middle of a meeting. Call my office. Schedule an interview. Or else forget it. Barzoon is getting away. Kevin hustling to catch up. KEVIN I'm picking a jury tomorrow. BARZOON You're good at that. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN You're not gonna have time to help me on Cullen, are you? BARZOON No. Just then, Weaver comes rumbling past WEAVER Devada Holdings, Eddie. Look in your rearview window, I'm right behind you. Before he can answer ANOTHER REPORTER swoops in REPORTER # Kevin, Chuck Higgery, Action News. Have you spoken with Alex Cullen concerning the D.A.'s report Kevin turns to see two more REPORTERS jogging over. REPORTER # Kevin, just a statement And a photographer Kevin under siege and BARZOON backing away Gotta go. Barzoon escaping as reporters begin to materialize from all sides, and we LOMAX LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Dark. Quiet. Mary Ann in her chair. She looks like hell. Eyes red from crying. Kevin has just come home and found her like this. MARY ANN I dreamt about this. beat Right here. beat It's not a dream if it's true. KEVIN Tell me this is the medication. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MARY ANN You won't stay with me now. KEVIN Look, let's get you undressed and in the tub. Okay? MARY ANN You won't stay. I know you. You'll leave me now for sure. as he moves to comfort her Get-away-from-me! KEVIN Okay. I'm confused. furious Why? What is it now? What the fuck is it today, Mare? I swear to God, I'm calling this doctor, I'm gonna find out what the hell they're giving you. MARY ANN They took my ovaries. I told you! tears now My sisters have seven children between them. My mother had Derek when she was forty-five. You could set a clock by my periods. KEVIN What are you talking about? MARY ANN I can't have children! KEVIN Says who? MARY ANN The doctor! The other doctor. I was there today. beat Non-specific ovarian failure. KEVIN That's ridiculous. The PHONE begins to RING across the room. MARY ANN grabbing his arm I know you. You'll leave me. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Mary Ann MARY ANN It's these monsters, Kevin. losing it I dreamt this The PHONE keeps RINGING. Kevin will finally pull away. Answering the phone O.S., quietly conducting business as Mary Ann falls apart. FOLEY SQUARE - DAY Kevin on a cell phone walking with Milton. KEVIN Uh huh. For sleep. And she can take that during the day? beat No, she won't be driving. beat I'm gonna have the pharmacy call you right back. Thanks. hangs up, sags against the car He thinks, he's not sure, he thinks it could be some kind of hormonal imbalance. MILTON I'm taking you off the case. KEVIN What? MILTON I want you to drop this case. KEVIN This case? Cullen? incredulous John, I've got a jury showing up this morning. MILTON Do you love this woman? KEVIN Yes. Of course I do. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Kevin, she's sick. Everyone will understand. I'll understand. KEVIN stunned What about Cullen? MILTON We'll find someone new. You consult. You live to fight another day. KEVIN I put together a great jury. MILTON It's a disappointment. We all have them. Embrace it. Use it. You move on. KEVIN Hang on, we gotta talk about this. MILTON What's to talk? It's your wife, man. And she's very sick. And that's gotta come first. beat Are you telling me the possibility of leaving the case has never crossed your mind? KEVIN You know what scares me? I quit the case. She gets better. And I hate her for it. silence I don't want to resent her, John. I've got a winner here. I gotta nail this fucker down, do it fast, and put it behind me. Just get it done. Then put all my energy into her. MILTON I guess you have thought about it. I stand corrected. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CULLEN COURTROOM - DAY Packed. JUDGE ARMAND POE presiding. Cullen seated with Kevin and Pam. The jury in their box. And prosecutor FRANK BROYGO on his feet, just wrapping up his opening statement BROYGO And when all that evidence is laid before you, when all these pieces weave together, you will conclude you will know that Alexander Cullen is guilty of murdering three people in cold blood with malice aforethought. Done. The courtroom is silent. The jury liked him. JUDGE POE Mr. Lomax checking his watch We can break for lunch now, or you can do a stop and start KEVIN If it's a choice, I'll go now. I won't be as long as Mr. Broygo. JUDGE POE Proceed. KEVIN We just spent our morning listening to Mr. Broygo talk about his 'evidence'. What he neglected to tell you is what this case is really about. He left out the most important fact of all: Alex Cullen was somewhere else when these murders took place. Now, Alex Cullen has done a lot of things I don't like. He's been a terrible husband to all three of his wives. He's been a destructive force in the lives of his step-children. He's cheated the city. His partners. His employees. He's paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties and fines over the years. I don't like those things. I don't expect you to like them. There will be other things during the course of this trial that you will hear about and like even less. But this isn't a popularity contest. It's a murder trial and Alex Cullen hasn't killed anybody. MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN CONT'D The state is going all out here. They've got a whole team over there. They're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this case. I need one thing from you. That's it. One thing. I need you to ask yourself, 'Is not liking this man reason enough to convict him of murder?' beat Enjoy your lunch. We'll talk again. Stunned silence, and then HARD COURTHOUSE - SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Kevin thrown back against a wall CULLEN What the fuck was that? Are you out of your fucking mind? murderous They fucking hate me! Kevin one push Cullen sent flying. KEVIN Listen to me like you've never listened to anybody before. I'm going to bust my ass to make sure they hate you. Because as long as you're out boning Melissa, you're not home killing your wife. CULLEN pause, as he warms to the idea Why didn't you tell me before? KEVIN Then it doesn't look spontaneous. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CULLEN COURTROOM - DAY A Forensic TECHNICIAN on the stand. A display chart beside him. Blowups of the bloody hand-prints. KEVIN Let me put it this way, then: can you tell from a blood sample if the person were alive or dead? TECHNICIAN The victim? Of course not. KEVIN And there's a two hour window in which to place these murders. TECHNICIAN Yes. KEVIN So, you've got absolutely no way to determine the condition of the victims when Alexander Cullen put his hand on that wall. OMITTED & & CARNEGIE HILL GROCERY - LATE AFTERNOON Kevin into the evening air, carrying a bag of stuff. Barzoon standing there in a jogging suit. Furious. KEVIN Eddie BARZOON Saw you go in. KEVIN What's up? BARZOON cold Congratulations. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN It's not over yet. BARZOON I'm not talking about the trial. KEVIN What are you talking about? BARZOON How the fuck does your name get on the firm's charter? KEVIN What? BARZOON Looks like it's been there for years. Now you're a partner? When did that happen? I am still the managing director of this firm. You want my job? Take me head on. Backdoor me one more time and I'll take your partnership papers and stuff 'em down your throat. KEVIN I don't know what you're talking about, but I sure as hell don't like your tone of voice. BARZOON Bullshit. KEVIN You got a problem with documents, I suggest you put together one of your late-night shredding sessions. BARZOON You think you're tough enough to run this firm? Fine. backing away You tell Milton next time Weaver calls maybe I pick up the phone. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Kevin standing there, watching him jog away, as we MILTON'S APARTMENT - DUSK Kevin sitting there with his bag of groceries. Milton looking sadly perplexed MILTON Was he drunk? KEVIN I doubt it. He was going running. What the hell was he talking about? MILTON Eddie's gotten himself into trouble again. And he wants me to save him. And I can't. KEVIN Why does he think I'm after his job? MILTON Do you have any experience with manic-depression? KEVIN Not directly, no. MILTON You do now. Milton already on the phone. Punching a number. MILTON Yes, it's me. beat Get Eddie Barzoon. Right away. He may be out running, so page him if you have to. It's an emergency. hangs up, turns back to Kevin Looks like you could use a drink LOMAX APARTMENT - DUSK Mary Ann coming through the living room. She looks stoned. But moving with purpose. As if she were hearing something. Opening the terrace doors and staring out over the park, as we CENTRAL PARK RESERVOIR - DUSK The reservoir entrance. It's a nice night and busy with runners and bikes and Barzoon comes jogging past. MILTON'S APARTMENT - DUSK Kevin has a vodka in his hand. MARY ANN Eddie Barzoon. wearily I've nursed him through two divorces, a cocaine rehab, and a pregnant receptionist. beat God's creature, right? CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK No leaves on the trees. Barzoon running. Breaking a sweat now. Leaving the heavy traffic behind. MILTON'S APARTMENT - DUSK MILTON I'll tell you, Kevin, because I know you're into theology. When you've seen when you've represented when you've dealt with as many people as I have over the years, finally you say to yourself, 'God must've been awfully bored.' MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON CONT'D beat Choice. The opportunity to fuck up. Talk about entertainment value. CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK Barzoon running. Into his pace. Glancing down and on the horsepath below. CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK Three running shadows. Side-by-side. Just passing beneath an iron bridge. MILTON V.O.) You take a look at Eddie Barzoon you gotta wonder if maybe God overplayed his hand. Maybe he made the game a little too interesting A CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK A Barzoon turns back stumbles catches himself sprinting now to the Pump House. He pulls up here. Resting as several other runners pass by. Glancing back, almost an afterthought and B CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK B Those three running shadows are now crossing the bridge which is completely impossible considering where they just were a moment ago and C CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK C Barzoon starts running again instinctively faster than before glancing back and D CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR FX - DUSK D EFX The three shadows. The sun setting behind them. Transforming as they run animal shapes mixing with the harsh silhouettes of bare trees and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK Barzoon freaked What the fuck was that? The park suddenly looking very empty and dark CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK The three shadows and they're closer and weirder and A CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK A Barzoon suddenly turning changing course leaving the path into the woods quickly ducking down beside a huge sycamore tree. Hiding. Sweating. Scared. Staring back out at the path B CENTRAL PARK - RESERVOIR - DUSK B Three women runners clear as day pass beneath a streetlight. Team clothes. Machine-like strides. Flat- out. And then gone. CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK Barzoon stands from behind the sycamore tree. Relief. Smiling at his own stupidity. What a jerk. Dusting off. Heading back toward the path, when CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK Suddenly, there's an arm around his neck throwing him to the ground CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK Standing there above him, a crazed-looking homeless MAN he's white and old and hungry OLD MAN Gimme your watch. BARZOON standing now You want the watch, old man? Come and get it. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK Barzoon moving toward the old guy when Crack! A tree branch swings out of nowhere catching his elbow snapping it back and A second homeless man. He's black and older than the first guy but just as wild and dangerous and he's winding up to swing the branch again and Barzoon on his knees dazed blood pouring from his head uncomprehending eyes watching these park creatures tear at his clothes CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK EFX Watching them grow more feral and less human by the moment and LOMAX TERRACE - DUSK Mary Ann staring out at the park. Covering her ears against some horrible sound that she alone can hear. CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK Barzoon on his belly in the dirt trying to move crawl anything CENTRAL PARK TREE - DUSK The two men beating Barzoon to death with stones CENTRAL PARK TREE FX - DUSK transforming with every blow EFX as their hands descend they become terrifying, demonic creatures, and as they rise we see them as men and over and over, as we hear DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / / . MILTON'S APARTMENT - DUSK MILTON V.O.) You take a look at Eddie Barzoon you gotta wonder if maybe God overplayed his hand. Maybe he made the game a little too interesting. Milton turns to find Kevin staring at him. KEVIN I'm gonna, I'm gonna go downstairs now. Put this stuff away. backing away with his bag of groceries Ice cream's already melting. Milton watching him walk away, as we LAW FIRM - PAM'S OFFICE AND HALL - DAY Pam exits the room. Melissa sitting at the head of the table. Kevin pacing around her. They are alone. Practicing her testimony over early morning coffee. KEVIN You testified that the defendant called you at four-thirty to ask you to come to his office gym for the purposes of sex. MELISSA Yes. KEVIN Mr. Cullen, though, he's not just your lover, is he? He's the boss. MELISSA Yes. KEVIN So two hours go by before you act on his request? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MELISSA Yes, I went up at six-ten. I knew it was six-ten, they had weather coming on the news. I remember Cut off by KEVIN Okay. Stop. breaking character This prosecutor is no fool. He's gonna change tempo, attitude, tone of voice he's gonna come out with questions you never thought of, just to screw you up. coaching So what do we do? MELISSA Yes and no answers. Stay calm. KEVIN Exactly. back into it Is it your testimony, Ms. Block, that between the hours of six-ten and nine-forty you were engaged in sexual congress with the defendant? MELISSA Yes. KEVIN At any point during this three hour marathon, Ms. Block, did you lose sight of the defendant? MELISSA No. KEVIN Did he use the bathroom? MELISSA Yes. KEVIN Is he circumcised? silence You understand the question? MELISSA Yes. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: KEVIN So is he cut or not? MELISSA Yes. KEVIN Which is it? Silence. Melissa looks away. KEVIN You've been polishing his knob three times a week for six months and you don't know whether or not he's got foreskin? MELISSA total transformation I've had it up to here with this fucking game. Why don't you take your questions and shove 'em up your ass. Kevin staring at her. Looking away. Moving quickly for the door, and into: LAW FIRM LIBRARY HALL - DAY Three steps out and he stops. Something's wrong. Very wrong. People are out of their offices, standing in the doorways. Some of them crying. Christabella rushes toward him, into his arms CHRISTABELLA Oh, Kevin KEVIN What's happened? CHRISTABELLA Eddie Barzoon KEVIN What about him? CHRISTABELLA He's dead. He was killed. KEVIN When? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: Heath nearby has more answers HEATH Last night in the park. He was running if you can believe it. Kevin standing there, holding Christabella. Feeling heat on the back of his neck and turning to find Milton at the far end of the hall. Their eyes lock CHRISTABELLA What is wrong with people? HEATH At least they got the scumbags who did it. KEVIN turning on this Who? LAWYER # Two old, homeless crazies. Pam coming through the hallway like steel PAM Kevin Kevin, I'm sorry, but you're due in court in thirty minutes. As Melissa appears in the conference room door MELISSA Are we through here, or what? PAM I'll bring Melissa down in the car, but you better get going. SUBWAY TO COURT - DAY SCREAMING uptown. Kevin looking very rattled. Milton, beside him. Talking him down. MILTON I want you to put Eddie aside. Let me worry about it. You gotta deal with Cullen now. Marshal your strength. Prioritize. Conserve your energy. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN I can't put her on the stand. MILTON What choice do we have? KEVIN I know she's lying. MILTON Because she didn't answer you fast enough? Did she lie to you? No. She said nothing. The fact is, you'll never know. KEVIN He killed those people. MILTON You really believe that? KEVIN Cullen set me up. Melissa, the whole thing, I know it. MILTON Look, you gotta go with your gut. KEVIN That's your advice? MILTON I'll back you either way. Hey, you think I haven't lost before? pause We talked about this, Kevin. Pressure. Take a big whiff. Kevin unreadable. The SUBWAY CAR RATTLING away. CULLEN COURTROOM - DAY Packed and ready. JUDGE POE Mr. Lomax, you may call your next witness. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: A long, awful pause. Kevin in agony. Milton behind him. Cullen and Pamela and everyone waiting JUDGE POE Counselor KEVIN I call Melissa Block. COURT - HALL - DAY Chaos! media madness Kevin pushing past dozens of reporters and camera crews court officers trying to clear the way fifteen voices screaming at once questions flying like shrapnel Cullen, all smiles, alongside Milton as they're pushed along Pam, waving a cell phone, fighting her way to Kevin and PAM Kevin! re the phone Kevin, it's for you Kevin takes the phone, trying to hear above the noise. LOMAX BUILDING AND STREET - DAY A cab speeds to a stop. Kevin jumps out. Feeney, the doorman, standing there with Felix, his partner. FEENEY She didn't look well, sir. Felix tried to talk to her, but she KEVIN Where is she? MADISON AVENUE AND CHURCH - DAY Kevin running down the sidewalk and . CHURCH - DAY Kevin enters. It's empty and dark. Two old ladies up front. Mary Ann in back, wrapped in a comforter. KEVIN Honey sitting beside her Mare. It's me. MARY ANN He let himself in. You need to know that. The bath running, or something, I didn't hear him. I swear to you. KEVIN Who? MARY ANN Then we talked. We talked for hours. coming apart for good I haven't talked to anyone, really talked to anyone in such a long time. You have this whole life and all I have is me and he was so clear about it all. KEVIN Who let himself in? MARY ANN I came down here. I've just been sitting. I'm afraid to pray. I let him stay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kevin. KEVIN Did somebody hurt you? MARY ANN Milton. He fucked me, Kevin. I let him fuck me. I couldn't stop him. KEVIN What? When? MARY ANN Today. This afternoon. All afternoon. God, I'm so ashamed CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN Today? Today? Today. He was in court, Mare. He was in court, in my presence all afternoon! MARY ANN sobbing I'm not crazy. I'm not. I swear. KEVIN I don't know, Mare. I don't know how much more of this I can take. She stands. Throws open the comforter. She is naked. There are scratch marks all over her body. HOSPITAL CUBICLE - NIGHT Kevin with a NURSE and paperwork. NURSE Sign there And there And one more as he's done She's calm now so this might be a good time to say good night. Kevin nods. Stands, moving now into HOSPITAL HALLWAY - NIGHT Mary Ann on a moving gurney. Calm now, in the sway of some very strong drugs. Kevin kneels beside her. MARY ANN I know why this is happening. KEVIN They want you to go to sleep. MARY ANN It's the money, Kevin. Blood money. We just drank it down. Both of us. We knew it. Winning those cases, taking the money. We knew they were guilty. But you kept winning. Every time. MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MARY ANN CONT'D fading I can't look at myself in the mirror, Kevin. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY A big one. A funereal morning. Hearse and cortege parked on the street outside. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Barzoon's funeral. Big deal. Big crowd. An excess of flowers. ORGAN MUSIC as foreplay. Milton, up front, seating Diana and children. Kevin seated on the aisle. Beside him, Jack Heath. JACKIE What do they say? KEVIN They don't know. It's bad. She's falling apart. CHRISTABELLA Do you have room for one more? Kevin turns to see Christabella standing beside him. Jackie's concerned expression blossoms into a private, knowing smile now that Kevin has turned away. Christabella squeezes in, as the MUSIC SWELLS and THE PRIEST walks solemnly to the altar. Kevin caught in a high-intensity sexual cross-fire between Jackie and Christabella. He's tense. He's flipping out. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Milton passes on his way to the back. Smiles. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY On one side the Therapist, on the other Allesandra, except she looks different than last we saw her. Hair down. Makeup. She could be all of seventeen. THE PRIEST We are here today, to remember and pray and exalt in the spirit of Edward Barzoon Kevin staring at Cullen and the girl. THE PRIEST Father, husband, partner, friend, colleague CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY EFX Cullen's hand stroking at the back of the pew nothing outrageous, except it does call to mind the hand of Mr. Gettys back in Florida THE PRIEST taken from us so suddenly Cullen's hand moving with purpose stopping waiting as Allesandra sits back and now his fingers find her skin stroking ever so subtly THE PRIEST to contemplate evil. How it robs how it steals everything of value from us Cullen turns except it's not Cullen, it's Gettys yes, Gettys whispering in Allesandra's ear and THE PRIEST farther from God's purpose CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Kevin out of his seat. Pushing past Christabella rushing up the aisle THE PRIEST and the greater that distance, the greater evil's pleasure . CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Milton watching Kevin flee the church. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Moments later. Kevin hustling away WEAVER behind him Mr. Lomax? KEVIN No comment. I'll have something for you later. WEAVER I'm a friend of Eddie Barzoon. Kevin turns. Weaver walking beside him. WEAVER Remember me? Mitch Weaver. Justice Department. KEVIN Staking out the funeral? WEAVER Looking for you actually. KEVIN I'm in a bit of a hurry right now. I need to talk to my wife. WEAVER Just wanted to ask you off the record I had a few questions about Eddie. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY The funeral. In progress. CHOIR and ORGAN getting LOUDER. We're watching Milton move in the back of the church STREET - DAY Kevin walking faster. Weaver right beside him. WEAVER Milton, Chadwick, Waters is a little more than a law firm, but then I assume you knew that. working him Devada Holdings? I'm sure you've heard of it. London, Kinshasa, Karachi Arms brokering mostly. You've got Munzer-Dietch, they're in Berlin and Djakarta chemical weapons, toxic waste. Ivanaco Limited Moscow money laundering for the Eastern Bloc. at his ear It goes on and on, Kevin. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Stained glass. Angels. The Stations of the Cross. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Milton standing in the shadows at the back. Taking it all in. Prodigal angel. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY EFX And then, the stained-glass angels begin to move. Wings begin to beat. Expressions come alive. Expressions of panic and fear and STREET - WEAVER - DAY Kevin really striding. Weaver right there. WEAVER Milton is into everything. listen to me Barzoon was coming in, Kevin. He was gonna testify. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: WEAVER CONT'D Desoto and Dibalista, in Panama, that's a firm that specializes in opening bank accounts for judges all over South America. Huge drug cases. Murder. Everything. KEVIN He's a lawyer! What the fuck do you want? stopping there Stay off my back. Weaver left standing there, as Kevin rushes away through traffic across the street WEAVER This is a first time, last time offer! calling after him I'm learning about you, Kevin. I talked to some old friends down in Florida this morning louder now The Gettys case. The eighth grade teacher? did Kevin just slow down Found him this morning. He had the body of a ten-year-old girl in the trunk of his car. Kevin, across the street, stops. CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY EFX Stained-glass angels going nuts now wings flapping like mad danger everywhere, as the MUSIC STARTS to CLIMAX and CATHOLIC CHURCH - DAY Milton down below. Lowering a single finger into the holy water. Instantly it's boiling, and we HARD DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . STREET - DAY Kevin standing there, across the street Weaver smiles, thinking he'll talk now for sure stepping off the curb and TIRES SCREECHING and Weaver turning and A car trying to stop and Kevin watching as WHAMM! Weaver ploughed onto the hood and A mother at the wheel her daughter beside her both screaming and The car's WINDSHIELD as it CRUMPLES and Kevin watching as the car stops and Weaver is dazed but alive his face buried in the windshield pulling himself up and Weaver's face THROUGH the shattered glass as he looks down to see Mother and child EFX transforming for an instant into monsters and Weaver more terrified than hurt scrambling off the hood of the car staring back in horror and Mother and child completely freaked out both of them hysterical and Weaver holding his arm nose bloodied but moving backing away turning to find Kevin still across the street and It's gonna be okay. And then, a big flat-nose truck out of nowhere air BRAKES BLASTING as it just wipes Weaver OFF the SCREEN and Kevin falling back, flat against a wall STAYING ON Kevin as the street comes alive with the SOUNDS of EMERGENCY and he starts moving away and we OMITTED & & DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Kevin walking through stopping finally at an open door HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Mary Ann in a chair. Heavily sedated. Pam standing beside her, brushing her hair. Mrs. Lomax, on her knees, standing now MRS. LOMAX Kevin honey KEVIN What are you doing here? MRS. LOMAX I came this morning. I been calling the house and getting no answer and then I spoke to Pam and I need to talk to you. PAM We got her on the first flight up this morning. MRS. LOMAX Are you all right? KEVIN I just I don't know. MRS. LOMAX Will you excuse us a moment? Mrs. Lomax guides Kevin out. Mary Ann's vacant eyes watching them exit HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Just outside the room. MRS. LOMAX I never should've left. I knew it. I'll never forgive myself. KEVIN I was gonna call you, I just CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MRS. LOMAX What I did, Kevin, I thought it was for the best. Loving you was always first for me. KEVIN There's nothing you could've done. MRS. LOMAX I could've told you the truth. KEVIN About what? MRS. LOMAX I've lied to you, Kevin. KEVIN When? MRS. LOMAX Always. pause Baptist Endeavor Youth Crusade, ninety-sixty-four. I was here. In New York. That night in the elevator, you never let me answer. KEVIN What are you talking about? MRS. LOMAX We stayed a week. The Tremont Hotel, it's not there anymore, I went by and it's gone they had a restaurant downstairs and we ate there almost every meal KEVIN Wait. Stop. MRS. LOMAX Your father was a waiter in that restaurant. KEVIN Oh, this is great, Ma this is just perfect MRS. LOMAX honey, listen to me CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN total incredulity Now? You do this now? Because, I mean, your timing it's superb you wait thirty years? you fly up here you pick today? MRS. LOMAX Kevin, honey, wait KEVIN obviously I'm not under enough pressure I don't have enough on my mind, I need this little MRS. LOMAX Listen to me. KEVIN Why are you doing this now? MRS. LOMAX Because I'm afraid! Kevin overwhelmed walking away down the hall completely fritzed leaving her standing there MRS. LOMAX Kevin. Kevin! calling after him 'Behold I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves.' Kevin just stopped walking. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Mary Ann quiet as Pam finishes brushing her hair. PAM Don't you look beautiful now. re something in her bag Here. Have a look and see. A hand mirror. Mary Ann turns away instantly MARY ANN No. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: PAM It's all right, dear. Look MARY ANN No. Please PAM Go on. Take a look. See how beautiful you are? Mary Ann opens her eyes. There's her reflection. She is beautiful. It's okay. She smiles. What was she afraid of? And then, the mirror shifts to find OMITTED HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Pam A monster EFX her features horribly transformed in the glass and HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Mary Ann rears back her head smashing into Pam's face so hard that the MIRROR SHATTERS Pam, blind for a moment, staggering back Mary Ann on her feet and fighting and Pam suddenly pushed and HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Pam standing there, holding her face in pain, as the glass door slams shut and MRS. LOMAX What's going on? Mary Ann THROUGH the glass, jamming a chair up under the doorknob MRS. LOMAX Kevin! Kevin jogging down the hall trying the door CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN it won't open Mary Ann. Hey. Hey! still no luck Omigod Get somebody! Go! Pam doesn't move. OMITTED & & HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Mary Ann, kneeling on the floor, picking up a broken shard of mirror and HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY KEVIN Mare! Look at me! Stop! right now Mare! HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY Mary Ann raising the glass/blade to her throat. KEVIN through the glass Mary Ann, no! No! No! OMITTED HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY MRS. LOMAX Help! Help! Somebody! We need help DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . HOSPITAL GLASS DOOR/HALLWAY - DAY Kevin banging like mad on the glass but KEVIN Mare! No! Look at me! Mary Ann raising the blade to her throat and KEVIN Stop! No! Mare! Kevin grabbing a folding chair swinging it A OMITTED A thru thru A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY A SMASH! GLASS SHATTERING over the floor, but Kevin still can't get in wire mesh embedded in the window is bent but unbroken and he's tearing at it and KEVIN Mare! Hang on! I'm almost there! Look at me! And she does. Watching him claw at the wire MARY ANN I loved you. Pulling the blade across her neck KEVIN Noooooooooo! B OMITTED B thru thru D D HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY Kevin kicking full force against the door and DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY A The door buckles the chair wedged in there sent flying Kevin stumbling over broken glass KEVIN Oh, God, Mare, what've you done? no Mary Ann falling to the floor her bloody hand still holding the blade deep in her neck ORDERLY # why? Oh God, Mare, why? over his shoulder We need a doctor in here! B HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY B Patients out of their rooms standing at their doorways sedated, bovine expressions watching MRS. LOMAX running through please somebody help her! What are you all doing? Somebody! ORDERLY # turning the corner up ahead ORDERLY # What's the hell's going on down here? C HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY C Kevin cradling Mary Ann his hand trying to staunch the wound in her neck blood flowing she isn't moving her eyes are starting to fix and KEVIN no, Mare hang on please, Mare, I'm right here, it's gonna be okay, baby oh, God, Mare, why did you do this? screaming now Where's the fucking doctor?! ORDERLY # Oh shit, man CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . C CONTINUED: C Kevin turns Orderly # in the doorway KEVIN What are you doing? Help her! ORDERLY # Hey, look, I ain't no doctor backing away Hang on lemme YELLING in the hall now, and faces in the doorway. Mrs. Lomax crying and two weird patients from the next staring and Pam. And only we can see it, but she's smiling KEVIN please, baby, stay with me it'll be okay it's gonna be fine just, just stay with me Oh God, Mare please, baby Kevin holding her, but she's gone, as we OMITTED thru thru HOSPITAL - BACK STAIRWELL - DAY But someplace completely different. Older. Dark. Empty. Echoey. A fluorescent bulb sputtering out. FOOTSTEPS approaching It's Kevin. And we know instantly that Mary Ann is dead. There's blood on his shirt. His eyes are raw. At his side, a small suitcase containing her personal effects. More than grief, more than shock, what we notice most is his frighteningly grim determination. Up ahead, a bench. Mrs. Lomax huddled here. Cried out. Empty. Holding herself more tightly as he sets down the suitcase. MRS. LOMAX I could've packed that up for you. Kevin sits. If he loses his steel he'll drown. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MRS. LOMAX I wish you'da let me help you. KEVIN Finish the story. off silence Nineteen-sixty-four. You're in New York. There's a waiter in a restaurant. waiting Finish the story. MRS. LOMAX He talked to me. Nobody'd ever really talked to me before. Sixteen years old, a thousand miles away from home, somebody takes an interest Working so hard, putting himself through school, I'd never met anybody like that. Knew the Bible, every word, just knew it by heart. Every meal, there he was, at my ear and I just I didn't want that week to ever end. But it did. He came to say goodbye, it was late, and I started to cry and he said not to worry, 'Behold, I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves.' And that just stopped me cold because we'd spent that whole day at Bible study reading Matthew Ten and there was just no way for him to know about that, so I was I took it as a sign. I let him in. And then everything was different. He was cruel. He was so cruel and I was so ashamed, I thought I'd die Kevin's eyes settle on the suitcase. Mary Ann MRS. LOMAX I promised right there if God would let me back into His grace I would never leave again. I prayed there was a reason this terrible thing had happened. There had to be a reason. And there was. It was you. You were my blessing. You were reason enough to endure anything. How much I love you. KEVIN I want to hear you say it. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MRS. LOMAX His face that night I knew it was him and the same time I was confused and you were so proud you'd come to New York and done all this on your own, I didn't have the heart to tell you KEVIN Say it. MRS. LOMAX desperate to finish you wondered yourself the apartment, the money, all this attention, everything out of nowhere pause Milton. He's your father. there it is, out loud Somehow he found us. Tracked you down. KEVIN No. MRS. LOMAX What do you mean? KEVIN He's always been there. I know that now. Watching. Waiting. He's been playing us like a game. Jerking us around. Destroying Mary Ann Kevin stands. Quiet fury. A machine. MRS. LOMAX What are you doing? KEVIN I gotta go. MRS. LOMAX No let it alone! Stay with me. panicked Forget about him! We can leave here. We can go home! We don't ever have to see him again! CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN I can't do that. You go home. backing away Pray for Mary Ann. MRS. LOMAX Kevin, please Honey! calling after him I love you! Kevin disappearing down the stairs. Mrs. Lomax dropping to her knees as his FOOTSTEPS ECHO away, and we HOSPITAL EXIT AND STREET - DAY As Kevin explodes through a fire door. Pam standing there, having a smoke. PAM There you are all smiles Look at you you're terrified. Not to worry. He'll take that fear away. You don't ever have to be frightened again. Go on, he's waiting Kevin turning and something is very wrong HOSPITAL EXIT AND STREET - DAY Fifty-seventh Street is empty. No cars. No people. Just the building and the silence. Turning back and Pam is gone, and then And then a WIDER ANGLE it goes on and on He's alone. Just now realizing the scale of Milton's power. Starting to walk, as we MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The room's only light coming from the huge bas relief. Kevin steps off the elevator, into the room. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON You're right about one thing I have been watching. Couldn't help myself. Watching, waiting, holding my breath. But I'm no puppeteer, Kevin Milton appears out of nowhere. Walking past Kevin. MILTON I don't make things happen. Doesn't work like that. Free will it's like butterfly wings one touch and it never gets off the ground. I only set the stage. You pull your own strings. Kevin has a gun Cullen's gun, in his hand KEVIN What did you do to Mary Ann? MILTON A gun? In here? KEVIN What did you do to my wife? MILTON On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most depraved acts of sexual theater, one being an average Friday night run-through at the Lomax household, I'd say beat Six. Kevin FIRES the GUN BANG! BANG! BANG! bullets pass right through him into the wall MILTON Whoa Got me! Damn! laughing That's my boy. Step on up! Stay angry! Keep hold to that great fury! Hang on tight, Kevin, because it's the final fig leaf. Kevin lowers the gun to his side. KEVIN Who are you? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Never lost a case. Why? Why? Because you're so fucking good? Yes. But why? KEVIN Because you're my father. MILTON Well, I'm a little more than that. Awful hot in that courtroom, wasn't it? 'What's the game plan, Kevin?' reporter's voice 'It was a nice run, Kevin. Had to close out someday.' KEVIN Who are you? MILTON I have so many names. KEVIN Satan. MILTON Call me Dad. KEVIN Mary Ann, Barzoon, Weaver MILTON Come on. You're not listening. Blaming me for Mary Ann? I hope you're kidding. You could've saved her any time you liked. She only wanted love. But you knew it wouldn't really work out, didn't you? Mary Ann in New York? Face it, you started looking to better- deal her the minute you got here. KEVIN That's a lie. MILTON Hey, it's not that you didn't care for her, it's just you were a little bit more involved with someone else. Yourself. KEVIN What the hell do you know about love? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Bio-chemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate. sharply now Don't be such a fucking chump. There's only one real sickness in all of creation and that is self- delusion. I told you to take care of your wife that the world would understand. And you made a choice. 'You know what scares me, John? I leave the case, she gets better and I hate her for it...' Remember? KEVIN You set me up. It's entrapment. MILTON Who told you to pull out the stops for Mr. Gettys? And Moyez the direction you took Snake handlers, Popes and swamis all feeding at the same trough whose ideas were those? And then Cullen knowing he's guilty seeing those pictures putting that lying bitch on the stand What did I say, Kevin? Maybe it was time to lose, right? You didn't think so. KEVIN That's my job. That's what I do! MILTON Exactly! gotcha Vanity is definitely my favorite sin. Self love. It's so basic. What a drug. Cheap, all-natural, and right at your fingertips. Pride. That's where you're strongest. And believe me, I understand. Work for someone else? Hey, I couldn't hack it. 'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.' KEVIN What do you want from me? MILTON What do I want? I want you to be yourself! DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . OMITTED & & MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief that wall of bodies swirling in marble clouds it's going to come to life MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT MILTON I've had many children, Kevin. So many disappointments. Neurotic, indecisive wannabes. Over-eager, ham-handed butchers. Strung-out, priapic losers. And then there's you. Your mother, I'll tell you, she outstripped my wildest fantasy. That church she dragged you to? Every day? What training. What a challenge! It's awesome what you've done. How far you've come. Both of you You and your sister. Christabella emerges from behind the bar MILTON Half-sister to be exact. CHRISTABELLA Surprise. MILTON What do you think, Kevin? What a scene, huh? CHRISTABELLA passing Kevin Don't let him scare you. MILTON Wait till you meet her mother. KEVIN It is a test, isn't it? The whole game, you sitting there, keeping score. MILTON No. That's the other guy. I don't judge anybody. As far as I'm concerned, everyone's a winner. MORE CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON CONT'D God's your prankster, my boy. Think of it. He gives man instincts. He gives you this extraordinary gift and then, I swear to you for his own amusement his own private, cosmic gag reel he sets the rules in opposition. It's the goof of all time. Look but don't touch. Touch but don't taste. Taste but don't swallow. And while you're jumping from one foot to the other he's laughing his sick fucking ass off! He's a tight-ass. He's a sadist. He's an absentee landlord! incredulous Worship that? Never. MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief getting stranger and more seductive by the moment bodies spinning and spawning MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT MILTON I'm here, on the ground, my nose in it since the whole damn thing began. Why? Because I worship man himself. And it's my time now. Our time. CHRISTABELLA Anybody want a drink? I'm having a drink. KEVIN This is some pitch. You must need me pretty bad. What do you want? MILTON Eddie was right. Your name is on the partnership charter. I want you to take over the firm. You and your sister. KEVIN Is that it? CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON No. letting his hand brush her cheek She's ovulating. Right now. KEVIN What? MILTON Your vanity is justified, Kevin, you're the seed to a new future. Your son will sit at the head of all tables. You hold a special place in the history of all things. KEVIN You want a child. MILTON I want a family. KEVIN The Antichrist. MILTON Whatever KEVIN But I have to volunteer. Christabella begins to strip. MILTON Free will. It's a bitch. beat I need a family. I command an ever larger presence on the board. I'm busy and I need some help. There's a plan here. I've been conserving my energy. Synergy. Prioritize. It's the millennium, Kevin. Title fight. Round twenty. I'm ready to work. KEVIN So what are you offering? MILTON Are we negotiating? KEVIN Always. CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: MILTON Yes! KEVIN What are you offering? MILTON Everything. Anything. All of it! he's got him What am I offering? I'm offering bliss. Instant bliss. Bliss by remote control. Bliss on tap. That first line of cocaine. That walk into a strange girl's bedroom. The jury coming back in thirty- eight minutes. Freedom. Revolution! Viva la causa! OMITTED thru thru MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief transforming into real clouds and bodies and the frame of it disappearing and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT KEVIN You're right, aren't you? About me. I mean, I made all the choices, didn't I? Gettys. Cullen. Mary Ann. I did kill her, didn't I? MILTON Don't be too hard on yourself. Christabella passing Kevin, handing him her bra. CHRISTABELLA It's done. Forget it. It's all for us now. MILTON God, she's just fucking stunning, isn't she? Christabella lingering and Kevin leaning in kissing her just a moment before she pulls away CONTINUED DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . CONTINUED: KEVIN You're right. I wanted to fuck her from the minute we met. MILTON Like that's wrong. Like there's anything wrong with that. That there could be laws preventing something so natural. That's our ticket in. excited now Did you know there were more students in law school right now than lawyers walking the Earth? MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief has become an orgy, bodies coming to life in a swirling, narcotic haze and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT MILTON We're coming out, guns blazing. The two of you all of us acquittal after acquittal until the stench of it reaches so high into heaven it chokes the whole fucking lot of them! What we cannot legislate we will buy. What we cannot buy we will degrade. We will blow every fuse of enlightenment until it looks like a vandalized, neon sign! And while God is busy at his peephole as he deigns us with his disapproval as he lumbers around his empty kingdom like some overfed colonial governor as God sleeps late, we will win. We've got a winner here, kids! KEVIN In the Bible you lose. You're destined to lose. MILTON Consider the source. Christabella her hands moving over her body CHRISTABELLA Stop talking. Both of you. reaching out Kevin, please DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. / / . MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The bodies craning to watch as they roll by. MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT CHRISTABELLA urgently now Kevin, really, please MILTON She's right, my son. It's time to step up and take what's yours. KEVIN You're right. It's time. Kevin raises the GUN to his temple quick and simple SNAP! he's blown his brains out Milton stunned disbelieving for a moment and then an aura of fire and heat explodes around him MILTON Nooooooo...! OMITTED & & . MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Kevin starting to fall in SUPER SLOW MOTION and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The room consumed with fire as the heat explodes around Milton's body and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Kevin still falling and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Christabella beating at the flames that now cover her body and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Kevin still falling and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief. The clouds are now fire the bodies now burning and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Kevin still falling and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Milton as his clothes burn away as the heat eats away his features . MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX as he becomes younger and younger and younger, until suddenly MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX For a moment. He is an angel. An instant of exquisite perfection amidst the flames. And then, just as MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX suddenly HE EXPLODES! and we MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX The Bas Relief freezing instantly back into stone trapped in tortured, agonizing finality. MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX And then, the whole thing just crumbling. Stone raining down in tiny pieces and MILTON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT EFX Kevin in SUPER SLOW MOTION as he falls the final few inches to the floor and at the moment of impact we hear the sound of THUNDER and we FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - MEN'S ROOM - DAY The mirror. And Kevin's face. As THUNDER ECHOES AWAY and becomes nothing more than a FLUSHING URINAL. We're back in Florida. Where we started. Kevin touches his face. His body. His head. He's alive. He touches the mirror. He's insane. He's here. It's now. WATER RUNNING in the sink. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: REPORTER behind him It was a nice run. Kev. Had to close out someday. Nobody wins 'em all. The Reporter exits. Kevin alone with the mirror and his reflection. And then it's over. He's made his decision. Replacing his wedding ring. Reaching for his jacket, as we FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY Kevin walking through. His game face. A court officer opening the doors and FLORIDA COURTROOM - DAY Kevin entering. Standing there a moment. Searching for Heath in the back of the courtroom. He's not there. A single empty seat. Kevin moving quickly down the aisle. Mary Ann standing there, completely unprepared as Kevin comes in behind her. Embracing her. Holding her tightly to him with a fervor that we alone will understand. MARY ANN Honey, what are you doing? quietly Are you okay? Kevin nods. Smiles. Backs away. Into his seat. Gettys there beside him. Kevin will not look at him. BAILIFF All rise for the honorable Justice Garson Deeds. The Judge enters. Takes his seat. JUDGE to Barbara You're still under oath, young lady. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: JUDGE CONT'D to Kevin Your witness, Mr. Lomax. KEVIN Your Honor, I'm terribly sorry, but I can no longer represent my client. I need to be replaced as counsel. Another silence. But this one isn't very long. There will be chaos in the courtroom. Gettys will freak out and the press will start running for the phones and the Judge will be banging that gavel, as we FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY As the doors open and the chaos begins to spill into the hallway. Kevin trying to rush away with Mary Ann but right behind them REPORTER Kevin! Hey! catching up Listen, this story this is the one, pal this is the one you dream about KEVIN There is no story. REPORTER Bullshit. A lawyer with a crisis of conscience? You gotta be kidding. It's huge! KEVIN They're gonna disbar me, Larry. You can cover that. MARY ANN Can they do that? REPORTER Not when I get through with the story. still walking You gotta talk, Kevin. You gotta gimme an exclusive. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: REPORTER CONT'D This is wire service. This is 'Sixty Minutes'. This is a story that needs to be told. It's you! You're a star! KEVIN Call me tomorrow. REPORTER You got it. First thing. Kevin nods. Holding Mary Ann's hand as they escape. FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY The Reporter watching them go for a moment. Then turning back. FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY EFX And as he does, his features change, transforming - - like that into Milton. FLORIDA COURTHOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY It's Milton. Always there. And he smiles. And we FREEZE FRAME. FADE OUT. THE END ", " 'FINAL DESTINATION' Originally Called 'FLIGHT ' By James Wong and Glen Morgan January, Awaitingeach of us; a colddarklonely place. Deny its finality. Deride its totality. Dread the inescapable inevitabilityit will arrive. The BLACK SILENT SCREEN senses this moment before a distant blues harp introduces a contemporary band's cover of Blood, Sweat, and Tears' campy, yet haunting, gospel, 'And When I Die.' As the Introduction closes, RESONATES A FLASH OF LIGHTING! A CRACK OF THUNDER! ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - CLOSE - BED An airline ticket is tossed INTO FRAME beside a suitcase; 'EURO-AIR. FLIGHT # . New York City JFK - Paris, Charles de Gaulle CDG.) Departure: Thursday May. H - Arrival: Friday May. H .' 'And When I Die' Continues throughout the MAIN TITLES: AN OLD TABLE FAN swivels beside and open window. Outside, a humid spring THUNDER STORM drops warm, ominous rain. The figure of a seventeen year old boy, ALEX BROWNING, packing for a trip, passing the fan THE BED A Paris guidebook is tossed atop the plane ticket. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON THE BOOK as the fan's breezes flip through the pages. THE TABLE FAN turns, head swiveling away from the bed. TIGHTER - THE GUIDEBOOK PAGES stop flipping, REVEALING A GULLOTINE from the Reign of Terror. As an American passport is dropped beside the guidebook THE TABLE FAN swivels, returning towards the guidebook on the bed. THE GUIDEBOOK PAGES FLIP. FLIP. FLIP. Alex's faint shadow continues moving about the room. The fan head swivels away, allowing the pages to settle upon a Louvre masterpiece, Francisco de Zurbarans Lying-in-the State of St. Bonaventura. CAMERA CREEPS IN, teasingly on the dark faced corpse. The pages begin to turn once again. TIGHTER, OMINOUS ANGLE - THE DESK FAN There is more of a hint of conincidence as the blades whirl and head swivels. The boy's figure passes, blocking the breeze. THE GUIDEBOOK PAGES stop dead on Jim Morrison's decorated tomb in the Cemetiere du Pere Lachaise. A pilgrim has spray painted 'This is the End.' Which in fact, it is of the MAIN TITLE. BARBARA Alex CAMERA ADJUSTS, to fully reveal Alex Browning as he turns toward the bedroom door. Alex is an average kid; handsome. A high school 'everyman.' One the wall amongst Yankee and Knicks posters, hangs a pennant; 'Mt. Abraham High School, New York. The Fighting Colonials!' Alex's mother, BARBARA,, walks in, excited and a bit anxious. BARABRA Cont'd Tod and George's dad just called, he's picking you up at in the morning. Bus leaves the high school for JFK at noon. Barbara moves towards the suitcase to help him pack. Alex's father, KEN BROWNING, appears, leaning against the door threshold, smiling enviously at his son. KEN My suitcase workin' out for ya? Alex nods and buckles it. Barbara reaches in to tear off an airline baggage I.D. ticket attached from the previous flight. ALEX Whoa! Whoa! Mom, you gotta leave that on. It's like the tag made the last flight without crashin' or anything, right? So, it should stay on, or with, the bag for good luck. BARBARA Where would you get a nutball idea like that? EXTREMELY CLOSE - THE AIRLINE BAGGAGE MARKER is torn away from the suitcase handle. RETURN As Barbara picks up the suitcase to place it on the floor a dozen old baggage I.D. tickets spill from the outer compartment. She looks at Ken, as if 'you?' The guilty party shrugs. KEN I'm still here. Barbara shakes her head as Alex smiles at his dad. KEN Cont'd Seventeen and on the loose. Ten days in Paris. In the springtime! Live it up, Alex CAMERA INCHES INTO KEN as he winks at his son KEN Cont'd Got your whole life ahead of you. ALEX CAMERA CREEPS IN as, oddly, the words strike him portentously ALEX'S BEDROOM - LATER The storm has ceased. The room is QUIET. As if itself a presence, CAMERA CREEPS across the dark and motionless room TOWARD Alex, sleeping soundly. CAMERA CRANES DOWN to the level of the bed until Alex is in the f.g. and the room is visible behind him. On the rear wall, the Fighting Colonials pennant begins to flutter slightly, as if affected by the moving breeze. The path of which is continued toward the bed, rustling the sheets, subtly blowing Alex's hair and continuing OVER CAMERA. Even in his sleep, Alex shivers from the passing cold. His eyes open surprised to be suddenly awakened. He considers for a beat, then looks toward THE WINDOWS which are closed. ALEX puzzled, checks THE TABLE FAN which is off. ALEX perplexed, rolls over toward his digital clock. It's : a.m., however the middle digit bar in the first zero faintly flickers so this time appears to read : . AIRPORT P.A. V.O.) overlapping Attention airline travelers JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT - MORNING - TELEVISION MONITOR FLIGHT departs : . Gate . AIRPORT P.A. V.O.) This airport does not support solicitors CAMERA ADJUSTS FROM the 'Arrival-Departure Schedule' to REVEAL forty high school KIDS, four TEACHERS and several PARENTS are gathered inside the International terminal at J.F.K. Several of the students wear Fighting Colonial leterman's jackets or hats and shirts displaying 'Mt. Abraham High, New York.' AIRPORT P.A. V.O.) CONT'D You are not required to give money to solicitors. Alex gathers his bags, as does his best friend TOD WAGGNER and his older brother GEORGE WAGGNER, standing before their father, JERRY WAGGNER. For Alex, any psychic tension from the night before seems forgotten in the fun and excitement of the trip. MR. WAGGNER Alright, you guys got everything? TOD Yeah, we're all set Dad. MR. MURNAU, the French teacher any further description necessary?) and leader of the class trip waves his arm. MR. MURNAU Les estudients, allons en France! MR. WAGGNER Does that mean 'go?' Tod shrugs, 'I guess' as he moves to his father and gives him a warm hug goodbye. Mr. Waggner then gives his older son a hug. AIRPORT P.A. V.O. Atencion senores pasajeros. No es necesario contribuir MR. WAGGNER I'll miss you guys. Tod and George gives a wave, as does Alex, who is slapped on the back by Mr. Waggner. MR. WAGGNER Take care of those two, Alex. ALEX I will. Don't worry. The group begins down the airport toward the check-in counter. In the f.g., before the boys, strides a girl, CLEAR RIVERS,, reading the TROPIC OF CANCER. The loner in the group, Clear wears dark colors against the insecerity of her sex appeal. She appears aloof and more wordly then the other students. Readying his ticket and documents, Tod flips open his passport, checking out his photo. TOD I didn't think anything could worse than my yearbook picture. GEORGE Now you know how I feel havin' to look at you all the time. AIRPORT P.A. V.O.) Avis aux passagers Mr. Murnau stops the group. Excited, he cups an ear with one hand while raising a finger toward the public address system. MR. MURNAU Entendez classe, qu'est ce que c'est l'announce? Everyone begrudgingly stops to listen. AIRPORT P.A. O.S. CONT'D Vous n'etes pas dans l'obligation de contribuer aux demandes des quemandeurs. CARTER HORTON is the class dickhead who mix and matches his role models in the most superficial manner. His hand is tucked into his girlfriend, TERRY CHANEY'S, waistband CARTER re: MURNAU What the fuck's he want? Terry, hot now, but with no idea what time will do to her in just five years, smiles obsequiously and mouths 'shh.' P.A. SYSTEM O.S., CONT'D cher aeroport n'est responsable pour leurs activities. Mr. Murnau scans the group, his expression looking for an answer. Clear Rivers keeps her head in her book as CLEAR The airport doesn't endorse solicitors. MR. MURNAU Tres bien, Clear! Tout droit! She doesn't react. Her expression remains cool as Murnau leads the procession forward. The boys continue. Alex sighs ALEX Fuh-ck, do we have to put up with that shit the whole time? A hand reaches out to gently detain Alex. He looks up to find a HARE KRISHANA, dressed in everyday clothes, but head shaved and a mark on his nose. HARE KRISHANA Death is not the end. CAMARA PUSHES IN ON ALEX unsettled by the soft spoken, yet ominous, 'Solicitation.' The Krishana offers a small book, REALITY BEYOND THE MATTER: VAISHNAVA PHILOSOPHY. As he hands the book to Alex, a female form ENTERS FRAME between them. The women is MISS VALERIE LEWTON,, a feisty English teacher whose figure inspires all the boys' fantasies. MS. LEWTON It will be for you if you harass my students. She places a hand on Alex's shoulder, herding him to the group. HARE KRISHANA pissy Hare Rama. Ms. Lewton turns and, while walking backward, flashes a smile MS. LEWTON mouths Fuck off. As she turns her back and continues down the terminal CHECK IN DESK - AIRPORT - DAY Alex's passport and ticket are set INTO FRAME and picked up by a female TICKET CLERK. Alex waits as she busily types into the computer and checks his passport TICKET CLERK I have a few questions to ask you this afternoon. O.S., LOUD, EXAGGERATED plastic tiles rapidly CLICK and CLACK. TICKET CLERK CONT'D Did you pack these bags yourself? The CLACKING CONTINUES, demading Alex's attention. His eyes turn forward. ALEX'S POV - THE FLIGHT INFORMATION BOARD Plastic tabs CLACK rapidly, settling on the word 'CANCELLED.' ALEX CAMARA CREEPS IN on his dawning paranoia TICKET CLERK CONT'D, O.S.) Have your belongings remained in your possession the entire time? Alex absently nods. Again, O.S., CLACK CLACK CLACK. His eyes move to ALEX'S POV - TIGHTER - FLIGHT INFORMATION BOARD The plastic tabs FLIP and CLACK rapidly, stopping on 'DEPARTED.' TICKET DESK Alex is still considering the 'messages...' TICKET CLERK Have you recieved any packages from persons unknown to you? Alex quickly runs the day through his head and flashes her the REALITY BEYOND MATTER book. She smiles, then leans over toward the baggage scales. Alex's eyes turn toward CLOSE - MOTION SLOWED)- ALEX'S LUGGAGE a new airline I.D. marker is attached to his bag. RETURN Alex eyes the new tag hoping it's 'good luck.' As the clerk returns his ticket and passport CLACK, CLACK, CLACK. TICKET CLERK Same as your birthday. Alex is puzzeled by the comment. He shakes his head if, 'pardon me?' CAMERA INCHES INTO the ticket clerk gesturing pleasantly to the passport and ticket TICKET CLERK CONT'D April th. Four-twenty-five your birthday is the same as your departure time. CLACK. CLACK. CLACK. Alex's eyes flash toward ALEX'S POV - FULL FRAME - FLIGHT INFORMATION BOARD the title settles upon 'TERMINAL.' SECURITY AREA - AIRPORT - MONITOR The ghastly green and reds of the X-ray monitors flash as carry on bags flash through the machine. CAMERA MOVES COUNTER to the direction of the conveyor belt. The pace and excitement of the collective group escalates as departure approaches. Carter Horton and his girlfriend, Terry, take cuts in line with smug, bullying expressions. Unseen by the chaperones, no student, has the nerve to protest Carter's action. Alex, Tod, George and BILLY HITCHCOCK, heavyset with a New York Rangers jersey watches Carter and Terry with disgust. BILLY I can't believe they let that dickhead on this trip. GEORGE His parents bought a ton of those trip certificates we had to sell, just to get him out of their hair for ten days. Excited, Tod speaks in a convert tone over Alex's shoulder. TOD Dude, I so worked the ticket clerk so you're sittin' next to Christa and I'm next to Blake. Alex looks up ahead of the metal detectors ALEX'S POV - TWO GIRLS Attractive and they know it, CHRISTA MARSH and BLAKE DREYER appear clearly out of Alex and Tod's league. TOD CONT'D That's seven hours and most of it is in the dark. ALEX AND TOD The boys dump their change in a plastic bowl. TOD Dude, if we don't get someone going on this flight, we should just call Dr. Kervorkian and put ourselves out of our fuckn' misery. As Alex and Tod pass through the metal detector, their eyes performing reconnaissance on Christa and Blake, the opening drum BLASTS of Boingo's 'No One Lives Forever' OVERLAPS AIRLINE GATE - AIRPORT - AFTERNOON - CLOSE - GATE CAMERA ADJUSTS from the sign indicating GATE . The class is squirrely and excited. Mr. Murnau, Ms. Lewton, and the parent chaperones are allowing kids to burn off steam at the gate, hoping for a calm flight. CAMERA MOVES ALONG the awaiting passengers Carter and Terry are making out, a step away from heavy petting Blake and Christa are flipping through Parisian fashion magizines Billy Hitchcock lays into a Burrito Supreme CAMERA MOVES to an empty seat. Clear Rivers ENTERS FRAME and sits, struggling with her Walkman, coffee, books, and a cassette box handmarked 'Boingo' a cheat that We hear the song As she places her stuff on the unoccupied seat beside her, a Paris guidebook falls on the floor, opened but face down. A passing, unidentified, student reaches down and hands her the book, still open and face down. CLEAR Thanks. The student continues down toward the observation deck. Clear looks at the opened guidebook. CLEAR'S POV - GUIDEBOOK Princess Di's Mercedes is totaled in a Paris tunnel. Besides the photo are two portraits of Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. CLEAR CAMERA INCHES IN as she shakes off a shiver down her spine. She looks up from the book toward the student who handed it to her, the identity of which is fully REVEALED to be Alex Browning. He stands at the gate window, looking out at the plane. ALEX'S POV - It is raining. In the distance, MUFFLED THUNDER RUMBLES. CAMERA CREEPS AWAY from the plane huge, seemingly incapable of flight and yet we unquestioningly trust our lives in this machine. Emotionless. Cold. Lifeless, and yet soon full of life. ALEX CAMERA inches in on him. TOD Dude, let's take a dump. Tod MOVES INTO FRAME beside Alex ALEX Man, that is one George Michael notch from being gay. TOD Dude, get wisdom. We're about to board a seven hour flight. The toilets in coach are barely ventilated closets. What if your body wants that airplane food out of your system and you have to go torgue a wicked cable and then right after you walks in Christa or Blake? You want them to associate with you with that reflexive gag and the watery sting in their eyes? Alex takes a beat to consider MEN'S ROOM - AIRPORT - OVERHEAD CAMERA LOOKS DOWN on two stalls. Alex sits in one, Tod sits in the other. O.S., OVER the airports P.A. SYSTEM John Denver's 'Rocky Mountain High' begins ALEX John Denver Upon the mention, CAMERA CRANES DOWN, TURNING, TWISTING UNTIL FINDING ALEX in a straight on CLOSE-UP. He listens, tense JOHN DENVER He was born in the summer of his twenty-seventh year ALEX He died in a plane crash. A P.A. ANNOUNCMENT breaks into the song P.A. SYSTEM Ladies and Gentlemen, thank-you for your patience, at this time we would like to begin pre-boarding of Euro-Air Flight to Paris through gate . Really for the first time, Alex appears a bit tentative and pale. It is intensified by the return of the song JOHN DENVER It's the Colorado Rocky Mountian High/ I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky BOARDING AREA - GATE - CLOSE - ALEX'S BOARDING PASS is torn along the perforated edge and handed back. ALEX looks down the paasenger ramp. ALEX'S POV - RAMP TUNNEL CAMERA CREEPS toward it lit to cheat a feeling of no return. O.S., distant THUNDER RUMBLES WIDER There is something more emotionally tense about the moment of boarding than take-off. CAMERA PICKS UP Ms. Lewton searching MS. LEWTON Anyone seen Billy Hitchcock? How'd we lose him? Tod nudges Alex toward the tunnel, the three boys start down the ramp, passing Mr. Murnau who checks his list, counting heads MR. MURNAU Vingt huit, vingt neuf PASSENGER RAMP Alex, Tod, and George catch up to Christa and Blake, excited. As always, everyone becomes bottlenecked just at the point of entering the plane. Alex looks out the ramp's side porthole window toward the back of the plane. ALEX'S POV - THROUGH PORTHOLE The enormous engine. The expansive wings. Behind the tail, distant, a bolt of lightning FLASHES! ALEX looks away. Just ahead, in the plane, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS greet the passengers. He is next to enter the plane. CLOSE - FLOOR a slice of opening from where the ramp meets the plane provides a sense of how high up one actually stands. ALEX CAMERA PUSHES INTO HIM as he takes his first step into the plane. CLOSE - AIRLINE CABIN FLOOR Alex's Nikes land on the carpet. - FIRST CLASS CABIN - AFTERNOON - CLOSE - BABY SCREAMS! Its parents desperately comfort the child. CAMERA ADJUSTS, LEADING George, Alex and Tod through the aisles. Alex and Tod wince at the screaming child. George, however feels comforted. GEORGE Good sign. Younger the better. It would be a fucked-up God to take down this plane. ECONOMY CLASS CABIN - - AFTERNOON In the first row slumps a young man with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. A cannula is set in his nostrils leading to an oxygon tank beside him. The kids sneak sympathetic yet anxious glances at the man while continuing in their seats. George whispers over his shoulder GEORGE A REALLY fucked-up God. Alex's tension increases as he continues up the aisle. ALEX'S POV - OVERHEAD COMPARTMENTS CAMERA INCHES IN ON 'Row . Seats H, I, and J.' ALEX climbs into the row, carrying his backpack. He takes his window seat and reaches up to the air flow valve. CLOSE - AIR FLOW VALVE turns, HISSING, air streaming full blast. CAMERA INCHES IN ON HIM as he takes in deep breaths of the stale air. He presses his face to the window. ALEX'S POV - THE LEFT WING Rain falls. GEARS WHIR as the ailerons are tested. CLOSE - ALEX CAMERA CREEPS TOWARD HIM, face to the glass; eyes scanning the plane and outside area. CHRISTA Alex? He turns toward the aisle. ALEX'S POV - CHRISTA AND BLAKE Man, they look great and they're workin' the sex appeal. CHRISTA Could you trade seats with Blake so she and I can sit together? I asked Tod, but he says he's got some medical thing? ALEX sneaks a quick check with Tod. ALEX'S POV - TOD shakes his head. 'NO! NO! DON'T DO IT.' ALEX AND THE GIRLS He looks to them and knows he is just plain overmatched. Alex shrugs, 'Sure.' In front of him Tod throws up his arms, disgusted. Alex climbs out of his seats. The girls are touchy-feely thankful, but only know guys dig that. CHRISTA AND BLAKE You're so sweet. Thanks, Alex. Alex crames up into the aisles, making his way to Tod, sitting two rows up in H. Alex climbs over Tod to take the window seat. Clear Rivers sits in the seat directly behind Alex. TOD mouths Fag. ALEX C'mon, man, like you really thought you were gonna tittie fuck 'em over Greenland, or something? TOD Because of you, I gotta sit here and watch fuckin' 'Stepmom.' As Alex sits, the tray table falls from its upright position. He lifts the tray back up, but as he turns the latch, it BREAKS OFF in his hand. He briefly tries to jimmie the tray into postition, then gives up. CAMERA FOLLOWS ALEX'S HAND as it rises. CAMERA SWEEPS IN EXTREAMLY CLOSE to the ATTENDANT CALL BUTTON. As Alex's finger engages the button, it lights up orange. ALEX The jet lurches. He looks OUT OF THE WINDOW - ALEX'S POV The begins rolling out of the gate. ALEX As he looks back, searching for the nearst flight attendant ALEX'S POV - THROUGH THE SEATS - CLEAR RIVERS reads her book. Another leans to look out the window. ALEX lifts a bit out of his seat, searching for any flight attendant O.S., A PING. CAPTAIN V.O Flight Attendants prepare for departure. Looking fore in the cabin ALEX'S POV - NEAR THE FLIGHT DECK The flight attendants strap themselves in for take-off. ALEX O.S., the ENGINE VOLUME INCREASES in PITCH and INTENSITY as the jet begins to taxi. Alex sits back as the tray over his lap. He looks out the window. ALEX'S POV - THE RIGHT WING appears motionless in the f.g. as the tarmac and runway signs roll past the window. THE ENGINE PITCH RISES ALEX The ENGINES WHIR as the jet gathers SPEED. He checks the window. ALEX'S POV- THE RUNWAY is a blur. The airport terminals in the b.g. streak past. The wings lift, angled as the jet leaves the ground. ALEX O.S., his classmates CHEER and 'raise the roof.' The trip has begun. CAMERA PULLS AWAY FROM ALEX, as if reflecting his easing of annoyance with the tray situation. He finally appears to notice the raucous reaction and settles back in his seat, slightly pushed by mild-g force. The upwarding angle increasing The cabin buffets, as if passing mild turbulance. Then The cabin sharply JOLTS! Everyone tenses, GASPS. CAMERA SWEEPS BACK TO ALEX. And just as he clenches his backpack the cabin BANGS, ROCKS. THE ENGINES SPOOL TO A STALL. METAL TWISTS under extreme PRESSURE. The cabin dips, angles, sharply to the right. ALEX'S POV - THE CABIN Passengers SCREAM! Unrestrained personal belongings fly across the aircraft INTO CAMERA, which BUFFETS and SHAKES OXYGEN MASKS deploy from the overhead compartments. A prerecorded message, like that recorded by the black box of the crash of JAL# August,, BLARES over the P.A., with erie calm MESSAGE V.O.) Fasten seat beltsput on oxygen masks ALEX his hand trembles as he reaches for the oxygen mask and places it over his face. The ENGINES resuscitate. SCREAMING. WHINING. Alex checks out his window. ALEX'S POV - OUT OF WINDOW The plane is on its side, losing altitude. A slow, sick spin. ALEX breaths deep into his oxygen cup. The JET ENGINES GRIND AND WHIR, as if the craft were in the midst of a last-ditch effort to regain stability; the sounds DEAFENING over the PASSENGERS' cruelly hopeless SCREAMS. Then KA-BOOM A DEVASTATING EXPLOSION ERUPTS across the cabin, blasting a five foot hole in the fuseluge. Human limbs and blood spray, craft and passengers torn to shreds. Dead students sit lifeless in their seats. Every unrestrained object on board flies to the hole and through the fire; paper, books, luggage, pillows. A PARENT and a STUDENT clutch their seat in terror, SCREAMING before they are pulled into the sky. Wind. Screams. Dying engines, a deafening blare. ALEX AND TOD SCREAM, pale, knowing there is no hope, no escape as the ENGINES DIE. The cabin begins to tilt downwards then straight down. Debris tumbles toward the flight deck as if falling from a cliff. OUTSIDE the sick familiar SOUND of an aircraft going down. ALEX is strapped to his seat, upper body facing downward toward the water. FIRE, WIND, AND BLOOD WHIP across him. A BUILDING WHINE CRESCENDOES before a second EXPLOSION RIPS ACROSS FRAME CLOSE - ALEX'S TERRIFIED EYES dilating rapidly, as the shock of what appears to be happening before him washes over his very psyche. CHRISTA Alex? ALEX Drenched with sweat, trembling in his seat, his eyes dart toward Christa and Blake. They look great and they're workin' the sex appeal. CHRISTA Could you trade seats with Blake so she and I can sit together? I asked Tod, but he's got some medical thing. Alex turns sickeningly disoriented. His eyes dart about, searching for evidnece of the catastrophe. There are none to be found. Alex blots from his seat, startling the two girls. He scrambles toward Tod, who looks at his friend, concerned. TOD Dude, what up? Frenzied, Alex climbs over his friend, on top of the seat. Alex's panic has alerted the other students and a MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT who makes his way to the row. ALEX grabs the tray table latch before the vacent seat. IT BREAKS OFF, JUST AS BEFORE. CAMERA PUSHES INTO ALEX, terrified. He begins to hyperventilate. FLIGHT ATTENDANT Is there a a problem, sir? Alex's wild eyes and expression convey 'no fucking kidding there's a problem.' The flight attendant realizes this passenger is experiencing a serious episode. Directly across the aisle, Carter Horton and Terry look at him with severe expressions. CARTER What's your fuckin' problem? Mr. Murnau and Ms. Lewton unfasten their seat belts and rush toward Alex. MR. MURNAU Alex? Qu'est-ce se? ALEX Qu'est-ce se?! THE PLANE'S GONNA EXPLODE! Obviously, no one ever wants to ever hear that. The students tense. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT immediately turns to other attendants, signaling for assistance with a quick definite gesture. In the b.g., attendants hustle toward the economy class cabin. CARTER AND TERRY CARTER TERRY Shut up, Browning! You're not funny. ALEX frenzied, begins moving toward the aisle. ALEX We have to get out! This frightens everyone. Not the 'prophecy,' but his panicky, irrational behavior. ALEX CONT'D We have to get off this plane! CLEAR RIVERS CAMERA PUSHES INTO HER, hearing Alex's declaration. ALEX CONT'D Now! NOW!! RETURN Alex is desperately climbing over Tod, who is trying to calmly restrain his friend. Across the aisle, Carter Horton stands ready to quiet Alex, with force. CARTER Sit! DOWN! Browning! TOD FLIGHT ATTENDANT Alex. Alex! Easy, man. Take it Sir, if this is a joke, easy. we don't tolerate such humor. The flight attendant restrains Carter with an extended forearm. ALEX I'm not joking! I'm not joking! Ms. Lewton and Mr. Murnau move to the seats. Flight attendants try restraining Alex from reaching the aisle. MS. LEWTON MR. MURNAU Alex, Knock it off. It's alright. Settle down, Alex. ALEX Listen to me! This plane will explode on take-off! FLIGHT ATTENDANT Sir, we will remove you from the aircraft if this continues. CARTER I'll remove him. ALEX Fuck you! I'll remove myself! Carter reaches for Alex, who pushes back, trying to get out. Carter responds aggressivly and now the flight attendant, Tod, and the two teachers are in the midst of the melee. The Co-Pilot arrives to secure the situation. He grabs Alex and begins forcibly ushering him up the aisle. A male flight attendant choke holds Carter from the back. Carter struggles but the attendant's postioning has the advantage. He begins removing Carter from the plane as well. TERRY He didn't do nothin'! She follows the attendant, hitting him to help her boyfriend. Just arriving in the cabin, Billy Hitchcock tries to fight past a STEWARDESS to get to his seat. He is blocked by the mass of combatants as they are escorted out. FLIGHT ATTENDANT he's had it Anybody in the aisle is off the plane! BILLY No, wait, I was late that's my seat right there! Under protest, Billy gets pushed back off the plane. Mr. Murnau and Ms. Lewton follow the pack of students and airline personnel as they move toward the exit, calling out to seated teachers and parents while hustling up the aisles. MS. LEWTON MR. MURNAU Everybody just stay where you Mr. Carpenter, keep an eye on are. Just sit tight. things for a moment. Tod watches, amazed and concerned for his friend. He looks across the cabin to TOD'S POV - GEORGE his brother gestures, mouths 'you should go with him.' TOD starts off down the aisles. CAMERA COUNTERS ADJUSTING TO CLEAR RIVERS. Amongst the chaos, she considers for a beat, then grabs her backpack, stands and moves into the aisle to exit the plane. BOARDING AREA/TUNNEL - GATE - DAY Alex, the co-pilot, Carter, the attendant, Mr. Murnau, Ms, Lewton, Terry, Tod and Billy proceed down the tunnel. Billy is confused by the chaos. BILLY I didn't do anything! I have my ticket right here! Arriving SECURITY OFFICERS quickly have control of the situation. Alex is taken to a seat at the gate and dropped there by the co-pilot, who, winded, eyes the officers. CO-PILOT You got this? The officers nod. One moves toward Carter as he dropped in a seat away from Alex. Terry sits behind Carter. The co-pilot and attendants start back toward the plane. Ms. Lewton hustles over to them and an airline representitive. CO-PILOT No one gets back on board. That's my call. MS. LEWTON PLEASE I've got forty students going to Paris During these negotiations CAMERA MOVES PAST Ms. Lewton and the Co-Pilot to the boarding ramp door Clear Rivers exits and takes a seat away from the others, aware she is unnoticed in the confusion. CAMERA INCHES IN as she looks up toward ALEX CAMERA MATCHES THE MOVE TO HIM AS TOD and Mr. Murnau attempt to calm him down. TOD It's alright. It's alright. You're off the plane. You're off the plane Rattled, Alex attempts to compose himself. Ms. Lewton appears, hurriedly pulling aside Mr. Murnau. MS. LEWTON Airline's not taking this very well. They'll let one of us back on and the rest can grab a six-ten flight. Gets in two hours later at DeGaulle. It's alright. It's not that big of a deal. MR. MURNAU I'll stay. MS. LEWTON No, you know the whole French thing. Get on the plane. Murnau understands this point and takes off toward the boarding ramp door. Pleading his case, Billy follows Murnau. BILLY I was in the bathroom. The lock was stuck. I didn't fight with anyone! Hustling toward the door. Mr. Murnau gestures toward Ms. Lewton as if 'talk to her.' He disappears down the ramp. CAMERA PUSHES IN as airline personnel CLOSE THE DOORwith an ominous THUD. GATE - AFTERNOON - CARTER, TERRY & BILLY'S POV Flight pulls out of the gate, taxiing toward the runway. GATE - OBSERVATION WINDOW - AFTERNOON Carter turns over his shoulder, looking back angrily towards Alex. Terry wraps a calming/restraining arm around Carter's shoulder, but he starts towards Alex, seated with Ms. Lewton. MENS ROOM ACROSS FROM GATE Tod races out of the bathroom with a dampened paper towel. CAMERA FOLLOWS as he hands it to Ms. Lewton seated next to Alex. The teacher places it on Alex's forehead. TOD I called your mom and dad and they're on their way. MS. LEWTON Alex, talk to me. What happened? Alex looks at Tod, who nods. His friend's expression is soothing and open. With lowered tense tone, meant for only the two people beside him ALEX I I saw it like, I don't know the plane took off. I saw it leave the runway I looked down and saw the ground Ms. Lewton and Tod exchange concered glances. ALEX CONT'D And then the cabin banged and the left side exploded. The the whole plane blew up. It was so real. Exactly how everything goes. TOD Been on many planes that blew up, have you? Good point. Alex looks away. MS. LEWTON You must have fallen asleep. CARTER We get thrown off the plane and blow a half day in Paris because Browning has a bad dream? mocking Alex It's going to explode! It's going to explode! TOD Fuck off, Horton. MS. LEWTON Tod A raw nerve, Alex stands. ALEX Only trip you're gonna take is to the fuckin' hospital. Carter scoffs while moving aggressively toward Alex. Carter makes a quick move and grabs Alex. The two security guards rush in to break it up. Chaos erupts agian as the two boys wrestle in the terminal. OBSERVATION DECK CAMERA PUSHES INTO Billy Hitchcock, depressed as he watches the plane take off BILLY There they go and here we stay. AIRPORT TERMINAL One guard restrains Alex; another Carter. In the b.g. out of the observation deck window Flight lifts off the runway. CARTER You're payin' for my trip, Browning! ALEX I wish you were on the plane! In the b.g. the head and taillights suddenly, violently, ERUPT into a gigantic fireball of flame. It takes a few seconds for the CONCUSSION to hit the terminal, but when it does BOOM! A window SHATTERS! Chairs rock! People are knocked off their feet. CAMERA SWEEPS INTO ALEX stunned as he turns to the window ALEX'S POV - FLIGHT The unceremonious speed of obliteration of hundreds of lives is cruel as flaming debris plummets from the early evening sky. CLEAR RIVERS CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HER, rattled, afraid, but aware of Alex as she is first to turn her eyes toward him. GATE Billy Hitchcock walks backward from the window, shocked by shocked step. Ms. Lewton drops to her chair as her legs give out. O.S., ALARMS BEGIN. The two security guards tear off toward more urgent duties. O.S., OUTSIDE, SIRENS WAIL as emergency vehicles race to the tragedy. CAMERA BEGINS TO MOVE toward ALEX as Tod's head turns toward him, then Terry's then Carter's. In the chair, beginning to cry, Ms. Lewton eyes Alex, as if afraid of him. CAMERA CONTINUES. SIRENS PIERCING. The emergency vehicles' strobing red lights reflect in Alex's eyes, now in TIGHT as he looks out, frozen with shock upon the doomed FLIGHT . JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - PRESS ROOM # - NIGHT SILENCE A pair of Airline REPRESENTATIVES sit with the seven survivors, each numb with shock. Everyone is too raw with residual fear to show any emotion. They sit on folding metal chairs in an empty room, too bright from the fluorescent lights. Beneath their obvious trauma resulting from the catastrophe each feels uneasy by Alex's presance. The others sit away from Alex and Tod. Alex appears wrought with guilt. He checks the others out of the corner of his eye. ALEX'S POV - THE ROOM Ms. Lewton, Carter and Billy glare at Alex. Terry averts her eyes from Alex to bury her face in Carter's shoulder. ALEX frightened as anyone over what has happened, tenses, defensive and scared. With softspoken strength ALEX You're lookin' at me as if I caused it. I did not cause this. LEWTON, CARTER, TERRY, AND BILLY maintain their uncertain expressions. With strained apprehansion, as if not wanting to 'dabble in the occult,' but needing an immediate answer. MS. LEWTON Is everyone dead? Are there any survivors? WIDER Alex is taken aback by the question, yet even his best friend looks at him for an answer. ALEX How would I know? You think I'm some sort of CLEAR He's not a witch. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON Alex, relieved and thankful, as he turns to her CLEAR RIVERS - ALEX'S POV CAMERA MATCHES the move INTO HER as she looks up at Alex, not with fear or repulsion but with knowledge of an unwanted but irrefutable connection. WIDER Causing a startle, the DOOR OPENS. Everyone's head whips reflexively toward the entrance. The strange event of the flickering lights is quickly forgotten. A half dozen MEN and WOMEN enter the room, displaying official badges and passes. All but two are dressed in casual clothing, having been called in from home; the pair being F.B.I. Special Agents WEINE and SCHRECK. HOWARD SEIGEL and DON HAWKS are representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board. EILEEN WHALE and JACK ARNOLD are members of the Euro-Air 'Trauma Team.' The officials are sympathetic and calm, exuding the confidence and security trauma victims look for at this time. SEIGEL Hello. I'm Howard Seigel, National Transportation Safety Board vice chairmen. We've notified your families and they are on their way. Does anyone feel they need medical attention or spiritual counseling at this time? Although the words are comforting, being in the position of having to hear them macabre. Ms. Lewton reacts, snapping MS. LEWTON Have they found any survivors? What's going on? Seigel is calm, yet honest carefully honest. SEIGEL The cause of the explosion is undetermined. Nassau county authorities are on the scene. Naval search and rescue are en route. He gestures 'and that's all we know.' The group slips deeper into despair. WEINE We understand how you must be feeling at this hour and although we know it may be difficult, we must ask you some questions regarding today's events, while it's still fresh in your minds. The survivors dread the thought of recounting the horrible experience, yet collectively are ready to co-operate. WEINE It may be valuable to our rescue attempts, or any potential criminal investigation. The agents, F.B.I. badges displayed in their pockets, turn their eyes, suspicioulsy, toward Alex. ALEX reacts, puzzled, as he realizes the Agents are focused on him A ROOM - AIRPORT - NIGHT - CLOSE - SCHRECK & WEINE are direct and professional, with no hidden agenda in searching for the truth. Seigel and Hawks from the NTSB are behind them taking notes SCHRECK You said checks notes 'Listen to me! This plane will explode on take-off.' to Alex How did you know that? ALEX CAMERA PUSHES IN as he looks up, nervous not about suspicion toward him, but trying to explain what even he doesn't understand. ALEX I got this feeling a weird feeling I can't explain it WEINE Did you take any seditives before boarding, or on the plane. Sleeping pills? ALEX No. I saw it. I saw it! Tears well as he grows frustrated trying to convey the unique experience. Being trained, veteran officers, Schreck and Weine obsereve; allow him to talk. ALEX Not like a dream more than that. I experienced the plane exploding it was so horrible I know what they all went through tonight The officers remain quiet, gauging his explanation. ALEX CONT'D I'm not a pyschic I've never had this happen before The officers study him, unsure yet carefully SCHRECK Did this 'weird feeling' have anything to do with you saying you wished Carter Horton was on the plane just before it exploded? Alex looks up, stunned. He didn't even recall this until now. ALEX No! SCHRECK Why'd you say it? He considers, owing them an explanation. The he realizes ALEX Because I never thought it would really happen. Weine leans foward WEINE If that's the case, Alex why did you really get off the plane? CAMERA INCHES IN as Alex considers, confused, emotional A ROOM - AIRPORT - NIGHT - TOD CAMERA CONTINUES THE MOVE on Tod as if just realizing TOD My brother told me to keep an eye on Alex. He stayed and I went to make sure Alex was okay. a whisper He told me to get off the plane. A SECOND ROOM - AIRPORT - NIGHT - MS. LEWTON displaying a similar sickened expression as Tod MS. LEWTON Larry Murnau told me to get back on but I told him to go. pause, guiltily I sent him back on the plane. A ROOM - AIRPORT - NIGHT - WEINE WEINE No one forced you to get off the plane. You told us you aren't friends with any that did so, why did you leave the airplane? CLEAR RIVERS CAMERA INCHES IN as she looks up. With total resolve CLEAR Because I saw and I heard Alex. And I believed him. JFK INTERNATIONAL BUILDING - PRESS ROOM # - NIGHT The surviviors have all returned to the room. They may be a group, but they are alone with their thoughts. The door is opened by Ms. Whale. Alex's Mother and Father lead by a group of parents into the room. Each moves with grief, yet relief, to their child. Barbara Browning grabs hold of Alex and holds him tight. The mother begins to cry. Ken Browning, eyes welling with tears, grabs his son's hand and squeezes. Alex does not cry. While holding his mother, he watches the others. ALEX'S POV - CARTER AND TERRY Their parents are concerned, but do not demonstratively show affection. Carter appears as if he wants to hug his MOTHER, but he can't bring himself to betray his self-image. ALEX his eyes moves toward CLEAR RIVERS alone, hurt that no one has come to take her home. ALEX his eyes find TOD AND HIS FATHER JERRY WAGGNER holds his son, both of them releasing anguished tears. Through his grief, however, Jerry stares at Alex with an expression of anger and accusation. ALEX CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HIM as he holds his mother tightly. OVERLAPPING A CRACK OF THUNDER! KEN BROWNING'S CAR - NIGHT Alex sits in the back against the door, looking out the window at the storm. Clear Rivers is pressed against the other door. Everyone is slient. Outside, the STORM angrily rages. Alex is unaware that Clear is watching him, searching for some answer that she will not now find. She looks up. CLEAR Here's good. The car pulls over. CLEAR Thank you for the ride. She opens the door and flashes one more look at Alex, but he appears unaware. She exits the car and as the door SHUTS ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT The room is empty, but the CAMERA is SLOWLY MOVING, as if ITSELF a PRESENCE. O.S., FOOTSTEPS move up the stairs. Alex appears, his parents behind him. He clicks on the light, sending a soft, safe, orange glow across the room. ALEX stands in the threshold of the doorway. His mother places a comforting hand on his shoulder. ALEX'S POV - PENNANT Mt. Abraham High School Fighting Colonials. ALEX and now, the tears arrive. He begins crying, SOBBING, as his mother and father hold him. O.S., OUTSIDE lighting FLASHES THUNDER RUMBLES LIVING ROOM - BROWNING HOUSE - NIGHT - TV CNN broadcasts video footage of the disaster. Seat cushions and personal belongings float in the harsh floodlights. LIVING ROOM It is late and dark. Only the pale light of the TV spills across the living room. Ken and Barbara have fellen asleep, but their son remains awake. Alex's red eyes are locked on the screen, mortified. O.S., a VICIOUS CRACK of LIGHTNING and immediate THUNDER as if calling Alex to the window. He remains fixed on the TV. ALEX'S POV - TV An image of Hell as jet fuel burns on the ocean. O.S., as if furious at the slight, THUNDER BANGS ALEX He turns, stands and moves to the picture window, pulling the curtains aside as CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HIM ALEX'S POV - THE STORM It is as if Nature is angry. Lightning BOLTS spiderweb across the sky. THUNDER BOOMS. A shard of lightning breaks across the front yard. Oddly, it does not make contact. In the split-second strobe of lightning flash, the bolt abstractly appears as if it were a hand pointing directly at Alex. ALEX horrified, lurches away from the window, considering what he has seen. Just felt on the ROAR OF THUNDER CUT TO BLACK: Over black: MINISTER V.O.) Thirty-nine days have passed since we've lost our thirty-nine loved ones, friends, and teachers. FADE IN: MT. ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - CLOSE - ALEX wearing a dark suit and tie, sits beside his parents on white folded chairs. His head is bowed, guilty and sad MINISTER CONT'D As each day passes without a determining cause for the accident, we ask ourselves, 'Why?' Alex raises his eyes and looks across the ceremony ALEX'S POV - TOD sits with his mother, LINDA WAGGNER and his father, Jerry. Destraught, Jerry stares off blankly at the minister. MINISTER CONT'D Ecclesiastes tell us, 'Man no more knows his time than fish taken in the fatal net ALEX guiltily averts his eyes. Ken notes this and wraps a comforting arm around his son. MINISTER CONT'D or birds trapped in the snare Alex checks over his shoulder. ALEX'S POV - OVER HIS SHOULDER - LAST ROW OF SEATS Special agents Schreck and Weine subtly survey the area, taking notes. Although their eyes are beyond sunglasses, the tilt of their head indicates they are watching Alex. MINISTER CONT'D like these the children of men ALEX turns away, tense. He looks at the minister. MINISTER CONT'D caught when the Time falls suddenly upon them.' CAMERA PUSHES INTO ALEX, feeling eyes upon them. He looks up ALEX'S POV - CLEAR RIVERS is actually sexy and a bit scandalous in her black dress. Still, she is off by herself, eyes burning at Alex as if challenging him to challenge the words being spoken. ALEX self-consciously turns away, unable to face her, let alone the words being spoken. MINISTER CONT'D O.S.) And so before we can heal, before we can escape the presence of Death Time, we must mourn and celebrate theirs with this memorial. WIDER A student with a guitar and harmonica stands at the microphone. Without introduction, he begins Neil Young's 'Long May You Run.' Two other students remove a cloth, unveiling a memorial sculpture etched with the names of the departed. The gathered stand and begin paying their respects to the memorial. MEMORIAL LINE Carter and Terry appear IN FRAME. Terry holds a rose. As they move slowly up toward the memorial, Alex gets in line behind them. Carter knows Alex is there, but will not look at him. CARTER Hope you don't think, Browning, that because my name ain't on this wall that I owe you anything. ALEX I don't. CARTER re: victims All I owe is these people. turns to Alex To live my life to the fullest. Alex winces from Carter's breath ALEX Then maybe you should lay off the J.D. Carter has an angry reflexive reaction, grabbing Alex threateningly by the forearm. Terry immediately tries to get Carter to release his hold. CARTER Don't ever fucking again tell me what to do. I control me. Not you. Carter and Alex lock eyes, Alex refraining from showing any pain caused by Carter's grip. Terry finally gets him to release. CARTER I'm never gonna die. He moves off. Terry, however, holds a beat, eyes Alex and gently rubs the area of his arm, as if this is the only manner she can extend her gratitiude in Carter's presence. As Alex pats her arm, Terry quickly moves off. Shaken, Alex considers whether to move foward to the memorial. He steps aside to let the others go ahead as Billy Hitchcock, who has finished paying his respects, spots Alex and heads back up the line. BILLY I took my driver's test this week at the DMV Alex turns to him, increudlously BILLY Got a . Lowest score, but I passed. When I was done with the test, the guy who drives with you during the test, he goes, 'Young man, you're going to die at a very young age.' beat That true? ALEX Not here, not now. beat Not EVER! Billy sighs, and moves OUT OF FRAME, only to quickly RE-ENTER BILLY If I ask out Cynthia Paster, will she say 'no?' Alex flashes Billy an angry glare. He gets the message and moves off, for good. Alex returns in line, moving toward the memorial. Valerie Lewton places a rose at the base of the memorial then studies the engraved names as the students move past behind her. Alex approaches, watching her as she reaches out with a trembling finger, touching the etched names CLOSE - MEMORIAL Linda Krauss Thomas Lewis John McConnell. RETURN Alex stands near her, sympathetically, understanding her pain ALEX Ms. Lewton Her eyes fill with tears and fear. Alex places a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she reacts quickly, pulling away from him, her eyes piercing at him. MS. LEWTON Don't talk to me. You scare the hell out of me. Alex is shattered as the teacher moves away. Tod ENTERS and faces the memorial. TOD a greeting Hey. Alex notices Tod is in line behind him. Alex looks around for Tod's father. He is not in line ALEX I don't want to sound gay, or nothin, but I miss you. Tod subtly nods, reaching out to the memorial. CLOSE - MEMORIAL Tod's hand moves across his brother's name GEORGE WAGGNER. RETURN As Tod longs for his brother, then looks at his friend. TOD Me, too. beat But my dad doesn't understand. When he's better; you and me, road trip to the City. Catch the Yanks. ALEX That's a plan. Tod nods. The two friends stand uncomfortably foar a beat before Tod gestures to the podium. TOD I gotta go. This thing Ms. Lewton showed me in her class, they're gonna let me read it. It says what I'm feeling. Tod holds his friend's arm for strength as he passes. Clear Rivers appears in line, holding a rose. She looks at the memorial, before her startling eyes turn to Alex. Even away from these circumstances, Alex would have trouble handling her intense maturity. As he begins to step away, she thrusts the rose to him. He looks up, puzzled. CLEAR Because of you I'm still alive. Thank you. Alex takes the rose and she walks away. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HIM as he eyes feels the red flower. TOD V.O.) We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast TIME CUT: MT ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - THE PODIUM Tod nervously stands before the assembly, reading aloud with a sad, yet optimistic resolve. CAMERA PUSHES IN, at an ominous ANGLE and rhythm, to the podium. TOD CONT'D But when we say this, we imagine that the hour is placed in an obscure and distant future. As he speaks, the sunlight suddenly turns to shadow. ALEX looks up at the sky THE SKY - ALEX'S POV Within the deep blue, a single black cloud blocks the sun. ALEX CAMERA INCHES IN as, troubled, he looks back to Tod TOD as he continues to read TOD CONT'D It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon. WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING Storm clouds devour a waxing crescent moon above a modest home set amongst the edge of the woods. TOD V.O., CONT'D This afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance. LIVING ROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT A lone light glows. Jerry Waggner has fallen asleep, perhaps passed out, reclined in 'dad's chair.' Tod's mother is asleep on the sofa, balls of tissue on the floor. Tod enters the room and stares sadly at his parents Tod picks up a glass and swigs the remainder of his father's scotch before moving off and climbing the stairs. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - CLOSE - TABLE FAN swivels as it distributes its breeze. ALEX sits at his desk, dark circles beneath his eyes. Swamping the desk are printouts of Internet Web pages and newspaper articles concerning the crash of Flight, forensic engineering textbooks, NTSB reports on past airline disasters and REALITY BEYOND MATTER: Vaishnava Philosophy. Alex studies his mountain of research, increasingly obsessed. An O.S. paper FLUTTER draws his attention to the newspaper being blown by the fan. He reaches out and grabs it. Headlines and photos report on the memorial service. CAMERA PUSHES IN as he sighs, troubled ALEX'S POV - NEWSPHOTO Clear Rivers sits in her seat, legs crossed, alluring and sexy and mysterious. ALEX closes the paper, puzzled by his reaction. He shakes it off and throws the paper on the desk. Alex considers for a beat, then pulls open a lower drawer. Digging through the mess inside, he finds his stash the April issue of Penthouse. BATHROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT Alight CLICKS on REVEALING an old, ' 's built bathroom. The toilet is beside the bathtub/shower, with just enough knee space to the counter cabinets when one lifts the toilet seat. Tod puts the lid down and UNSNAPS his jeans. As he turns, pulls his pants down and sits, CAMERA MOVES to the CURTAINS still until a cold soft breeze causes them to billow. CAMERA FOLLOWS the wind as it CONTINUES into the room, rippling across shower curtains. As the breeze passes Tod, he pauses as if sensing, but not understanding this is more than a wayward autumn breeze. He moves to close the window, however, CAMERA CONTINUES as the air makes ITS way to the door. The door is softly pushed closed by the breeze. BACK OF THE TOILET TANK Tod sits, back to CAMERA, which CRANES DOWN the tank, STOPPING behind the locking nut and water line pipe. As the toilet FLUSHES O.S., CAMERA NOW MOVES INTO the locking nut, which begins to slightly rattle. Drips of water stream from the tank onto the floor. ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Alex flips the magazine open to a centerfold. PENTHOUSE PICTORIAL The model's pose and expression tempt Alex towards the momentary respite form his troubles. The caption beneath the centerfold pictorial reads, 'Tymme Has Come Today!' ALEX considers the reports on the Flight crash, then returns his attention to the magazine. He unzips his pants, then pauses his eyes returning hesitantly to the newspaper photo of Clear BATHROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT- CLOSE- RAZOR BLADE waits on the counter. CAMERA PULLS AWAY as Tod picks it up. He looks at his face in the mirror, as if behind him a black indiscernible form, like a shadow, however, actually a presence incapable of reflecting light. Tod whips around a puddle forms, creeping toward the heel of Tod's stocking feet. TOD turns on the faucet and grabs his toothbrush, squeezing paste onto the bristles. CLOSE - FAUCET the f.g. running water is out of FOCUS. In the b.g. sits an unplugged radio. TOD notes the radio. CAMERA FLLOWS HIS HAND as he grabs the plug. THE PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR grows closer to his foot ELECTRICAL SOCKET the radio plug is inserted. TOD turns on the radio JOHN DENVER V.O.) And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun. spooked, quickly turns it off, unplugs it and pushes it aside. THE PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR continues to grow ALEX'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - NEWSPHOTO - CLEAR RIVERS Odd how one can appear so erotic at a funeral. ALEX studies the photograph, then notices the rose she gave him. Succumbing to guilt, feeling like the freak all teenagers believe they are, Alex sets the paper back on the desk. He grabs the Penthouse and turns, opening the desk drawer in order to return the magazine, however A LOUD BANG turns Alex's head to the window! ALEX'S POV - WINDOW An OWL has apparently smashed into the window, awkwardly flapping its large wings, then turns its head toward Alex, large yellow eyes shining like an alien creature. WIDER Startled, Alex reflexively throws the Penthouse across the room, pages tearing as it hits the sill. The giant bird flies off. THE TABLE FAN swivels, a page catching in the whirling blades. A PIECE OF PAPER torn form the magazine flits across the room. ALEX CAMERA INCHES IN ON HIM as the piece of paper ENTERS FRAME, floating and flitting until landing on his knee. He picks it up and turns it over ALEX'S POV - PIECE OF PAPER is torn in such a manner that the only lettlers remaining from the centerfold's caption are '...Tod...' BATHROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT - SHOWER CURTAIN is pulled aside REVEALING two pairs of Linda Waggner's nylons drying on a retractable clothesline. THE PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR his foot slips TOD falls foward. THE RETRACTABLE CLOTHESLINE retracts! WHIPPING wildly! THE SOAP DISH Tod's hand tries to grab anything to hold him. His hand slips, knocking over a bottle of shampoo. TOD'S NECK the thin clothesline coils around his neck. The plastic anchor wraps beneath the cord, essentially creating a noose. PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR He slips again. TOD falls against the back wall of the shower stall, pulled by the retracting wire. He kicks with his feet, desperately trying to gain a footing. SHOWER HEAD - TOD'S POV quickly, reflected in the chrome the dark shadow approaches BATHTUB Tod's feet slip in the slick shampoo and water. CLOSE - TOD'S EYES flare. Blood vessels burst. He GROANS, attempting to call out. THE BATHROOM DOOR is closed. LIVING ROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT Tod's parents remain asleep. O.S., a FAINT MUFFLE can be HEARD. BATHROOM - WAGGNER HOUSE - NIGHT - CLOSE - TOD'S NECK his hands tear at his flesh, desperately trying to pull the cord from his neck. TOD'S EYES dart desperately toward the counter. ON THE COUNTER a pair of nose-hair scissors. TOD CHOCKING, GASPING, face turning purple, reaches for the counter. ON THE COUNTER Tod's hand ENTER FRAME. The scissors, sadistically just out of reach. TOD'S FACE FALLS INTO FRAME, suspended by the cord, propped against the back wall of the shower stall, his bluish purple tongue grotesquely juts from his mouth. TOD'S POV - DEATH all four edges of FRAME appear to collapse as if by weight of the darkness until forming a myopic center. Then, from within the center appears Tod's face. Although the expression is serene the pallor is grayish, until suddnely, shockingly Tod's face decays, as if ten years of rot in the grave is compressed into FRAMES. TOD The moment of realization HIS FEET kick upon the slippery basin. After a beat they stop. TOD As his body settles dies CAMERA PULLS AWAY fully revealing his lifeless form. Once behind the toilet tank, CAMERA CRANES DOWN to the floor. The water eerily retreats from the floor, slipping back toward the base of the toilet and like a murderer, slips out of the night. WAGGNER HOUSE - LATER - CLOSE - SIREN LIGHTS whirl and flash INTO CAMERA. CAMERA CRANES DOWN, ADJUSTING to REVEAL a Paramedics vehicle, a Sullivan County, N.Y. Sheriff's patrol car and unmarked sedan. CAMERA CONTINUES MOVING UNTIL REVEALING Alex Browning racing down the sidewalk. He runs into a CLOSE-UP, sweating, out of breath, expression horrified as he takes in the scene before him. SPECIAL AGENTS SCHRECK AND WEINE stand in the front yard. Schreck subtly redirects Weine's attention toward ALEX - SPECIAL AGENT'S POV The boy franically moves to a paramedic. ALEX What happened? Is Tod alright? SCHRECK AND WEINE hearing this, they turn to one another, with an expression suggesting a deepening suspicion. ALEX sees the officers. Assuming they are sympathetic to his concern, he starts toward them, until CLEAR Alex! Alex stops, looks around. Behind the tree and in the shadows of the adjacent house, stands Clear Rivers. CLEAR CONT'D a warning Get outta here! CAMERA PUSHES INTO ALEX, stunned, but before he can ask any further questions, a METALLIC CLACKING draws his attention back toward the house. ALEX'S POV - A COVERED GURNEY is rolled out of the front door by paramedics and an official with a jacket marked 'CORONER,' Behind the body follows Tod's father. He pauses in the doorway as he spots Alex in the front yard. ALEX is pale, nauseous. His eyes follow his friend's dead body as it is rolled toward the paramedics vehicle. Tod's father approaches Alex, the agents stand nearby. ALEX What what happened? Mr. Waggner glares at Alex, accusingly. MR. WAGGNER Didn't you 'see' it? Alex is stung, guilty. He averts his eyes. Schreck and Weine note this reaction. MR. WAGGNER CONT'D Couldn't you 'predict' it? Couldn't you read his mind? Alex remains silent, hurt. ALEX Mr. Waggner MR. WAGGNER You caused Tod so much guilt over George staying on the plane that breaking down He took his own life. Alex is stunned, defensive. ALEX He wouldn't do it! Mr. Waggner turns toward the paramedics van, as if 'there's the proof.' ALEX He he told me we would be friends again after you got better. After you got over George. Why would he make plans for the future if he were planning on killing himself? MR. WAGGNER All my wife and I will ever know is we wouldn't have lost our youngest son if you'd told our oldest to get off the plane. Alex is rocked as if having taken a punch to the face. Mr. Waggner begins to walk toward the peramedics vehicle. Alex eyes the F.B.I. agents, who, after studying for a beat, turn and move toward their vehicle. The gathered spectators begin whispering to one another, clearly about Alex, causing him to search for, what appears to be, his only ally, Clear Rivers. ALEX'S POV - ADJACENT YARD Clear is gone. FRONT YARD everyone has moved away from Alex, leaving him very alone. Alex's eyes remained locked on the peramedics' vehicle. As the ambulance doors CLOSE on the body of his best friend NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY - CLOSE - LEAVES ON TREES A soft summer breeze passes through the leaves on a tree. A yellow leaf drops from the branch and flutters to the ground. CAMERA FOLLOWS until it falls upon an old cracked sidewalk. A pair of worn Nikes ENTER FRAME just as the leaf drops before them. The feet and CAMERA HOLD until CRANING UP to REVEAL Alex, staring at the leaf with an expression reminiscent of the torn paper's message about '...Tod.' CLEAR Almost Autumn. Alex looks off toward a small unkept house, nestled at the edge of the woods. In the open garage stands Clear Rivers amongst cluttered artwork, supplies and tools. Her t-shirt's sleeves have been cut off and neck-line cut low. Her jeans have a revealing hole at the spot which once was a back pocket. She wears heavy black work shoes. A dog rests nearby on the floor. ALEX It's only the end of June. CLEAR shrugs Yeah, but everthing's always in transition. If you focus, even now, one week into summer you can feel Autumn coming. beat Almost like bein' able to see the future. Alex reads her intention loud and clear. She returns to her artwork. The dog GROWLS softly as Alex appraches the garage. INT/ GARAGE - CLEAR RIVERS' HOUSE - DAY Entering the garage, Alex gets a closer look at her artwork. It's abstract sculpture and canvas work and pretty bad, at that. CLEAR Know what this is? She gestures to him to approach her. He tenses, awkward, but moves closer. Clear lifts a plastic cover off a canvas. Beneath is a mess of green and brown and orange; teen angst poorly communicated. Glued to the center is a twisted piece of metal. ALEX Like, um you're mad about something? She sighs, 'thanks a lot,' then proud, but not enough to make her appear foolish over her bad artwork, indicates the metal. CLEAR A piece of debris from the plane. I went to the shore off the crash site and it washed up on the beach. ALEX You went there? I've wanted to go there, but I thought it was off limits. CLEAR It is. But that didn't stop me. Shouldn't stop you. Alex gently touches the piece of the plane, almost expecting to feel something more than cold metal. He looks to Clear ALEX Why were you there last night? While she cleans brushes with a can of turpentine CLEAR Look, I've seen enough T.V. to know the F.B.I. doesn't investigate teen suicides. But they were there last night, that means: one, they still don't have a clue what caused the crash. Two, they haven't ruled out anything. And the fact that seven people got off the plane is probably weird enough, not to mention, that one of those people had a vision, or whatever, of it exploding minutes before it did explode, is highly suspicious. And it doesn't help that the visionaries' friend just committed suicide. Alex eyes her for a long beat. She turns away from him, returning the can of turpentine to a shelf. ALEX Why were you there last night? Clear turns to Alex. The two couldn't appear more different. She moves to a sculpture, an ugly black and green globular sculpture with a white dot in the center. CLEAR Know what this is? Alex, cocks his eyebrow probably thinking, 'a mess?' but tactfully shakes his head 'no.' CLEAR It's you. Remaining dry and stoned faced, Alex tenses, uncomfortable. CLEAR Not a likeness. It's how you make me feel, Alex. ALEX I'm really sorry. CLEAR Like you, the sculpture doesn't even know what, or why, it is. Reluctant to take form. And, yet, creating an absolute but incomprehansible attraction. Uncertain, and yet moved, Alex listens. CLEAR CONT'D Before that day, you were just another suburban nothing that would never have anything to do with my life. And I'm sure you thought I was some Marilyn Manson body-pierced freak, or whatever. beat But at that moment on the plane I felt what you felt. I didn't know where all those emotions were coming from until you started freaking out. Alex sighs, embarrassed. CLEAR CONT'D I didn't see what you saw, but I felt it. Okay, I'm not into all that X-Files bullshit but it was a psychic connection. Why to me? Why to you? Jarred, he eyes her, frightened. CLEAR And you can still feel it, can't you? Something from that day is still with you. I know, because I can still feel you. Alex is increasingly uncomfortable with the subject, but eased by Clear's apparent, somewhat, understanding. Lowering his tone CLEAR That's why I was there last night. ALEX I've never dealt with death before. I wasn't alive when my grandparents died. I wish I could know. I mean, all this could just be in our heads. Now it feels like it's everywhere. CLEAR 'It?' ALEX What if Tod is just the first of us? The idea sends a shot of apprehension through Clear. CLEAR Is that something you're 'feeling?' ALEX I don't know. I wish I could just see him one more time, then, maybe I would know. CLEAR Then, let's go see him! Alex reacts, shocked and yet her impulsiveness is exciting FUNERAL HOME - FOYER - NIGHT CAMERA is LOW, moving across the paisley carpet. Dim light, spilling through the stained glass windows, falls upon the creepy decor, appearing as if designed by a morose Laura Ashley, floor model coffins and urns. CAMERA CONTINUES, TILTING UP to the CEILING, REVEALING a stained glass skylight. Outside, on the roof, two silhouettes appear The skylight hinges CRACK open. Clear leads the way. lifting the frame, then dropping it throught the skylight window. Alex is not as smooth as his socius criminus. Using his knee to slow his descent, he hangs from the sill for a moment before dropping to the carpet. CAMERA MOVES WITH Alex and Clear through the unsettling reception area; plastic flowers, gold candelabra, plaster cherubs and angels. A bronze plaque identifies: 'MT. ABRAHAM FUNERAL HOME. THE JOURNEY'S END. WILLIAM BLUDWORTH - INTERMEDIARY.' CLEAR whispering Gives me a rush ALEX This place?! CLEAR Doin' somethin' I'm not supposed to. With a hot, mischievous smile, Clear proceeds toward the hallway. Alex anxiously sighs then follows. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - FUNERAL HOME - NIGHT An elevator with collapsible metal door lowers INTO FRAME. Pushing the door aside, Alex and Clear proceed into the hallway, lined with morgue green tile. Stainless steel gurneys and porcelain equipment holding yellow surgical tubing and thick foot-long needles sit in the corridor. A faint light spills from beneath a doorway. Clear reaches out to the knob but Alex quickly grabs her hand. From a cart behind them, he pulls a latex glove out of a box and snaps it on. CLEAR Good call. Very 'Quincy.' Alex tries the doorknob. Locked. He looks at her, defeated. Clear quickly points to some mortician's tools on the cart. From it, Alex produces a thin six inch needle. He inserted the tool in the lock and jimmies the doorknob. CLACK! MORGUE - FUNERAL HOME - NIGHT A lone desk lamp shines. Across the room, laying on a porcelain table, fluid draining tubes attached, lies Tod. A sheet is pulled up to his shoulders. He carries the macabre appearence of a corspe having been made up by a mortician. Hair combed and sprayed, skin tone too orange, blush too rouge and lips too red. As Alex and Clear approach ALEX That him? CLEAR I think. But why'd they make him up like Michael Jackson? ALEX That's him, but he's not here. That whatever that whatever made him Tod is gone. Suddenly, Tod jerks; his hand lifting four inches ALEX CLEAR Ahhh! fuck! You fucking Ohmygod! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! asshole. You think this He's not dead? is funny, you fucking dick? Tod, if you're not dead I'm gonna fucking kill you! MR. BLUDWORTH Please don't yell Both are jolted again with shock, turning toward the voice MR. BLUDWORTH CAMERA PUSHES, LOW ANGLE, INTO WILLAIM BLUDWORTH, an African-American man, early 's, dressed in dark suit and tie. MR. BLUDWORTH You'll wake the dead. He flashes a dry mortician's smile, pleased by his wan pun. Alex and Clear haven't recovered from the corspe's actions to calmly address Bludworth ALEX Why..? Alex completes his question by raising his hand, ala Tod's dead body. Bludworth nods, understanding MR. BLUDWORTH Chemicals in the vascular flush create cadaveric spasm. As the startle of the situation settles, it dawns on Alex that they have been busted. He nervously offers an explanation. ALEX I'm a friend of his. His best friend. See, his father MR. BLUDWORTH ominous I know who you are. The mortician eyes Alex, understanding. Alex senses this and eases. Clear moves toward Tod's body, examining the neck area. CLEAR They said he hung himself, but there's no marks. MR. BLUDWORTH I crafted a reconstruction of the Laryngeal prominence region with Velvetone Surgical Wax and Permaseal. Clear moves in for a closer look, then calls Alex over to the body. After a beat of reluctance, Alex looks at Tod's neck. ALEX What are all those tiny marks? ALEX'S POV - CLOSE - TOD'S NECK The wounds have been filled with wax and covered by greasepaint. At this proximity, however, it is apparent tiny cuts line the area above and below the large cut made by the wire. MR. BLUDWORTH V.O.) Cuticle lacerations. WIDER ALEX Why would he pull at the wire if he were committing suicide? CLEAR Why would they say it was a suicide if it weren't? Because of the supernatural 'message' he recieved, Alex is reluctant to answer. He eyes Mr. Bludworth, who, with a wry half smile, eyes Alex as if aware of the reason behind his hesitation. ALEX His father's pretty fucked up with denial. Maybe he couldn't deal with the thought of an other accident taking another son. MR. BLUDWORTH In Death CAMERA INCHES TOWARD the mortician. In this environment, lit with Fritz Lang shadows, Bludworth's tone, appearance he could easily be mistaken for personification of the subject. MR. BLUDWORTH there are no accidents. No coincidencess. No mishaps. smiles And no escapes. ALEX You saying Tod did kill himself? Bludworth moves to Tod on the draining table, disconnecting the tubes connecting the body to the embalming chemicals. MR. BLUDWORTH Suicide. Murder. Plane crash. What does it matter? He was going to end someday. From the minute you're cut loose from the womb it's a one way ticket on a trip to the tomb. Vile liquid oozes out of the body onto the porcelain table. MR. BLUDWORTH You may not realize it, but we're all just a mouse that a cat has by its tail. Every single move we make, from the mundane to the monumental the red light we stop at, or run; the people we have sex with, or won't with us; the airplane we ride, or walk out of is all a part of Death's sadistic design leading to the grave. ALEX Design? The mortician considers as he drains some yellowish green fluid from the table. He shrugs then continues his work MR. BLUDWORTH If Life is like a box of chocolates Death Death is like a big Milton Bradley game of 'Mouse Trap.' The day you're born is just the boot, hanging from the streetlamp, kicking the marble to get things rolling. Growing up is only the marble rolling down the curving chute. You feel immortal having survived school, sex, drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll, but you've really only upset the big hand holding the steel ball that falls into the bathtub. Marriage and kids and career seem to make it all worthwhile until the ball hits the see-saw and flips the diving man into the big barrel. In the old folks home or the hospital you just see the big cage rattling down until it captures the mouse. beat Game over. Alex considers as Clear eyes him, conveying 'this guys's whacked!' Alex moves toward Bludworth ALEX Maybe there's no way to win but if you figured out the game you knew where the 'steel ball was rolling' couldn't you avoid the trap and extend the playing time? Couldn't you cheat Death at Its own game? Mr. Bludworth looks directly at Alex. CAMERA MOVES IN ON EACH, INDIVIDUALLY this between the two of them. MR. BLUDWORTH You already did that by walking off the plane. Now you gotta out when and how it'll come back at you. beat Play your hunch, Alex. If you think you can get away from it. beat But beware the risk of cheating the plan, disrespecting the design could iniciate a horrifying fury that would terrorize even the Grim Reaper. beat And you don't even want to fuck with that Mack Daddie. Alex's eyes are locked on Bludworth's chilling, pleasant smile. The mortician yanks on a tube, REVEALING a foot long needle removed from Tod's spinal column. The horrific nature of death is vividly demonstrated to Alex. ALEX I'm sorry we broke in. MR. BLUDWORTH No harm. No foul. Alex grabs her arm, starting toward the door. CLEAR We didn't find what we were looking for. Alex looks at Bludworth ALEX Yeah, we did. MR. BLUDWORTH CAMERA PUSHES INTO the mortician, pleased the message has been recieved. MR. BLUDWORTH I'll see you soon. MAIN STREET - DAY BRAKING LOUDLY, startlingly, a public bus PULLS INTO CAMERA and stops. The doors HISS open. CLEAR The mortician was whacked. CAMERA ADJUSTS as Alex and Clear step off the bus and onto the street. CLEAR CONT'D He was trippin' on formaldehyde. Clear starts up the street, but Alex grabs her arm and steps back, assuring the bus moves off safely. He nods, 'it's safe to go.' Throughout the following, his eyes are searching for anything potentially deadly. ALEX He said Death has a design. Even before he said that I had been seeing patterns. CLEAR sarcastic As in flannels and plaids? Up ahead, scaffolds rise before a building being restored. O.S., HAMMERING and CONSTRUCTION WORK POUND from above. In the f.g., tools and metal spikes. After a 'thumbs up' gesture, the rope is pulled UP AND OUT OF FRAME. ALEX How many died on Flight ? From our group? CLEAR Thirty-nine. ALEX Remember the gate number? As Clear takes a moment to consider, Alex steers them well around the scaffolds, eyes skyward during the move CLEAR No. ALEX Thirty-nine. This is a creepy fact. Even though past the construction, Alex checks over his shoulder to assure they are out of harm's way. ALEX Remember the departure time? CLEAR Like : . Reaching an intersection, Alex pushes the pedestrian traffic light button, then steps well away from the curb. PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL the halting red hand is lit. ALEX V.O.) Do you know when I was born? INTERSECTION Clear sighs, growing impatient with Alex. CLEAR : . ALEX Right. April th. CLEAR Wait. I thought you meant the time of your birth. Four/Twenty-five, as in, month and day that's a reach. PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL the halting red hand turns to the little white walking man. INTERSECTION Clear takes a step off the sidewalk and onto the street. Alex tugs her back, looking both ways while outraged by her challenge. ALEX My birthday is the same as of the time I was meant to die! That's a reach!? VROOM! A car indeed makes a right, TEARING through the intersection. Once past, Alex takes Clear by the arm and hustles them across the street. CLEAR You're sounding like those people who, you know 'Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and hid in a theatre and Booth shot Lincoln in a theatre and hid in a warehouse.' CAMERA HOLDS REVEALING an unmarked sedan parked across and down from a Starbucks with outdoor seating. Schreck and Weine sit in the car, eyes coolly locked on Alex and Clear. DOWN THE STREET - HEADING WEST Billy Hitchcock rides toward the Starbucks on his bicycle. STARBUCKS - DAY sitting outside, Alex hunches over the table, increasingly anxious. Clear listens; expression skeptical. ALEX I'm not just layin' down a bunch of math here, with this. I'm talking about indications omens that day, that we were meant to die. That, if, we have been aware of would have saved everyone on the plane. CLEAR That's total bullshit. You can find death omens anywhere you want to. She picks up her paper coffee cup. CLEAR CONT'D Hey, look! 'Coffee' starts with a 'C' and ends with an 'E.' So does the word 'choke!' We're going to choke to death! Oh no! Starbuck was a whaler. We're going to be harpooned! Alex angrily glares at Clear. Clear drops her tone. CLEAR CONT'D You'll go nuts if you start with that shit. Ms. Lewton appears from around the corner. She starts toward the entrance, but pauses, tensing when she sees Alex. He cautiously flashes a greeting smile. The teacher, however, averts her eyes and continues into the coffee shop. Alex sighs, guiltily. Clear sympathizes with both of them. CLEAR She's leaving the school. Moving away. Alex studies, appealing to her ALEX Clear, how do we know that by just sitting here, breathing this air or sipping the coffee, having crossed the street we haven't started in motion the events that will lead to our death? Fifty years from now. Ten years. Tomorrow. beat You don't unless you're able to open yourself to the signs I'm willing to show you. He leans foward, removing a peice of paper from his pocket. CLOSE - ALEX'S HAND slides across the table. Opening his hand REVEALS the piece of paper reading, '... Tod...' Clear's hand ENTER'S FRAME to take the paper. CAMERA FOLLOWS AS SHE raises it, her expression obviously puzzled. As she eyes Alex for an explanation, CAMERA CRANES DOWN QUICKLY to the empty paper cups on the table a slight approaching BREEZE knocks them over. DOWN THE STREET - HEADING WEST A somewhat cherry 's muscle car speeds in the direction of the Starbucks. Carter Horton is driving. Terry Chaney rides shotgun. Carter looks out the window. CARTER'S POV - MOVING - ALEX AND CLEAR She holds the paper as Alex, apparently, explains the story. CARTER'S CAR CARTER scowls, his anger rising as he slows, staring at the perceived reasons for his problems. ALEX AND CLEAR Her eyes turn from the paper to Alex, concerned about him CLEAR I don't understand did you see Tod die? Did it happen again, like on the plane? ALEX No, but it might as well be the same thing. This was a message from someone, or something hinting at the design. CLEAR Alex, on the plane you must have experienced some kind of hyper awareness. But here you're suggesting Tod's death and maybe our own will happen because of an active Presence. Alex nods, feeling she's understanding. ALEX The mortician said Death has a design. Now if you, me, Tod, Carter, Terry, Billy, Ms. Lewton messed up that design, because, for whatever reason, I was able to see Death's plan then we cheated it. beat But what if it was our time, what if we were not meant to get off that plane? What if it is still is our time? If It is still not finished with us? We will all still die; now, not later. Troubled and deeply concerned, Clear studies Alex. ALEX CONT'D Unless we find the pattern. And cheat it again. Clear sets the paper down, looking sadly at Alex. CLEAR After hearing you, just now I do believe Alex leans back and sighs, relieved CLEAR CONT'D that Tod killed himself. Alex is taken aback, hurt and angry. ALEX Then there's no one left who can help me. CARTER'S CAR His eyes having never left Alex, Carter suddenly cranks the wheel hard to the left to make a tight U-Turn. BILLY HITCHCOCK rides his bike. He reacts, startled by BILLY HITCHCOCK'S POV - CARTER'S CAR barreling down towards him. The car cuts in front of the bicycle to complete the U-Turn. WIDER Billy SWERVES to the left, directly in front of an oncoming car. The car SWERVES right, as does Billy, avoiding a certain fatal collision for the cyclist. The oncoming car HONKS! Carter's car pulls up to the curb. Oblivious to the accident he almost caused, Carter gets out, strutting toward the tables outside the coffee shop. Inside the car, Terry sighs TERRY Baby, come on not now. But her boyfriend continues. She gets out and hustles after him. ALEX AND CLEAR Their attention drawn by the commotion, Clear and Alex watch Carter Horton approach them, followed by Terry, who stops, irked, near the curb at the crosswalk. TERRY Carter At that moment, Ms. Lewton exits with an ezpresso drink. Sensing trouble, she has no energy or desire to involve herself. CARTER Kind of have a reunion, here. TERRY Let it go! Carter steps before Ms. Lewton, blocking her exit CARTER When are you moving? MS. LEWTON A couple of weeks. She can't wait to leave. While trying to walk around Carter CARTER We're losing our favorite teacher. ALEX Look, there's something you should all know. CLEAR Alex Carter eyes Alex, continuing the taunt. He raises the volume of his words to drown out Alex's words and incite conflict. CARTER CONT'D ALEX CONT'D Lived here her whole life. This'll be hard to believe. Ms. Lewton's eyes flash to Alex, afraid of him. CARTER CONT'D ALEX CONT'D And now she has to move. Listen to me, we may all All because of Browning. be in danger TERRY Shut up! The both of you! The two boys stop their heated exchange. TERRY CONT'D They died! We lived! beat Get over it! I won't let that plane crash be the most important thing in my life. I'm moving on, Carter, and if you're gonna waste your life beating the shit out of Alex everytime you see him, then you can just drop fucking dead! Head and shoulders remaining angrily in Carter's direction, Terry takes a blind step off the curb and into the crosswalk, WITHOUT A CUT a bus suddenly speeds INTO FRAME and, THUD! plows directly right into her ALEX, CLEAR, CARTER AND MS. LEWTON are SPLATTERED with BLOOD before they can even recoil. BROWNING LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - CLOSE - ALKA SELTZER FIZZLES in the glass, while O.S., a PHONE RINGS ALEX has crashed, watching CNN. It's a tense recline. Red circles rim the lids of his eyes. He sips from the glass to settle his stomach. Ken appears from the kitchen, hand over the reciever. KEN It's that girl Clear. No response from Alex. Ken sighs, then into the phone KEN He's in the shower, Clear. Can I have him get back at ya? Sure bye. Ken returns to the living room, concerned about his son. Alex averts his eyes, stressed and ashamed. Ken sits nearby. KEN CONT'D She's concerned about you. beat I'm concerned about you. Alex turns his eyes to the glass. KEN CONT'D Why don't you want to talk to her or me? ALEX Dad you and mom have helped me out, so much. But there's some things I need to understand before I can talk to anyone about it. The father respects this young man's wishes. Ken nods 'fair enough.' In the silent moment, O.S., from the television CNN ANCHOR The National Transportation Safety Board has a new theory tonight on the possible cause of Euro-Air Flight Alex quickly grabs the remote and turns up the VOLUME TELIVISION A computer graphic illustrations the area of the lower fuselage. CNN ANCHOR CONT'D, V.O.) Deterioration of silicon insulation on an electrical connector to the scavenger pump may have leaked combustible fluids. ALEX AND KEN Alex remains riveted to the screen. CNN ANCHOR CONT'D, V.O.) A spark in the fuel switch TELEVISION The graphic ZOOMS into the area in the rear right side, nearly above Tod's seat. ALEX That's Tod's seat ALEX CAMERA PUSHES IN as he listens CNN ANCHOR CONT'D, V.O.) may have ignited the fuel line. And proceeded to the fuel pump. TELEVISION The high-tech computer image traces the path of the explosion through the plane. A red line representing the fuel line zigs through the body of the plane, making a sharp turn forward to the fuel pump, which explodes. Jagged lines show the direction of the explosion moving backwards toward the rear of the plane. MATCH ALEX'S BEDROOM - DAY - SCHEMATIC drawn in Alex's hand, and hundreds of steps down from CNN computer image, yet accurate as Alex's finger traces the path, away from the seats marked 'ME' and 'CLEAR.' The path starts over 'TOD,' then moves to 'TERRY.' The line moves forward away from 'CARTER' toward the fuel pump. The corresponding jagged picture of the explosion back is reminiscent of the 'hand of Death,' seen earlier in the lightning. It is a graphic demonsration of the arbitrary nature of Death. ALEX is amped, intensely more frightened as he believes ALEX The path of the explosion a whisper That's Death's design. It instantly, frightfully, occurs to him, he now knows who will be next CLOSE - SCHEMATIC Alex's finger quickly moves along the fuel line. After 'TERRY,' the seat intersecting the path of the fule line, over the fuel pump, is marked 'MS. LEWTON.' VALERIE LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - VALERIE LEWTON ENTER'S FRAME, on the phone, wearing a t-shirt and sweats. MS. LEWTON Some nights I'm woken up by the sound of my own voice, you know, inside my head, goin', 'No, you know the whole French thing. Get on the plane.' Moving boxes are stacked in the living room; organized disarray of relocating. The house is old, been in the family forever. Dust marks the walls where framed photos and artwork were once displayed. MS. LEWTON CONT'D Everything here reminds me of sending Mr. Murnau back on the plane Right, I'm hoping a change will help I lived here my whole life and wherever I looked were great memories, you know but now all I can see is Mr. Murnau those kids. Just looking out my own front yard makes me feel mothing but fear. She peeks out of the front curtains and looks sadly upon her front yard. Her expression alters alarmed LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - MS. LEWTON'S POV - FRONT YARD The figure is Alex Browning. MS. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Ms. Lewton steps away from the curtains. MS. LEWTON quickly Laura, I gotta call you back. She immediately hangs up and speed dials. MS. LEWTON CONT'D This is Valerie Lewton. I need Agent Schreck TIME CUT: LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Alex has moved closer to her house, remaining in the shadows. He checks for any passers-by. Being sure there are none, he creeps toward Ms. Lewton's car. He visually inspects the . As he kicks the tires an unmarked sedan SCREECHES up. Doors open Startled, Alex turns to find Special agents Schreck and Weine standing in the street, backlit in the strong headlights of their car. SCHRECK What are you doing? ALEX is nervous but determined. He tells the truth ALEX Checking the air in her tires to make sure they're safe. SPECIAL AGENTS SCHRECK AND WEINE after a beat of incredulity SCHRECK Get in the car. MS. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - VALERIE LEWTON is watching, peeking out her front curtains. O.S., CAR DOORS CLOSE. The vehicle ROARS OFF. She releases the curtains and moves back, feeling somewhat better, but still rattled. Then The curtains billow as if blown by a breeze. Ms. Lewton appears puzzled as she moves the curtains aside to find the windows closed. As CAMERA PUSHES IN ON HER, tensing and uneasy INTERROGATION ROOM - POLICE STATION - NIGHT Alex sits behind a table in the cinderblock room painted police station green. Sitting across from him, with a good cop tone, is Agent Weine, while Schreck stands with a hard-ass posture. ALEX I believe that Ms. Lewton's next. WEINE 'Next?' ALEX Yes see, there's this pattern that's occuring. WEINE sarcastic Oh, you've noticed it, too? MS. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Ms. Lewton moves to a closet door, opens it and CLICKS on an overhead light. Kneeling down, she tugs on a heavy box and opens it to check the contents. Her expression warms, as if recalling a far off memory. MS. LEWTON Oh mom's favorite. She slides a vinyl record album out of the sleeve and moves to the turntable on a shelf, thick with dust. Valerie places the record on the stereo and sets the needle on the album. CAMERA SWEEPS IN CLOSE TO THE TURNTABLE, although spinning around and around the bold letters of the center label can be read JOHN DENVER the opening acoustic guitar of 'Rocky Mountain High' has never sounded so eerie JOHN DENVER V.O.) He was born in the summer of his twenty-seventh year Pleased with the feeling of a pleasant memory, Lewton moves off. INTERROGATION ROOM - POLICE STATION - NIGHT Schreck moves closer to Alex. SCHRECK Where'd you get this 'pattern' from? You have another 'vision?' Maybe saw it in some T.V. static? Alex is insulted by the condescending tone. ALEX I didn't ask for what happened to me on the plane. You can make fun of me. You can think I'm a nut. I'm used to it. I saved six lives but the entire school acts like I'm a freak. Fine. Alex takes a nervous breath ALEX I'm not suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. I haven't developed a narcissistic deity complex. I'm not going Dahmer. beat This just is. There's a pattern in place for you. And you. There's a design for everyone. The agents study Alex ALEX sighs And I'm not sure yet how but I intend to break this one. MS. LEWTON'S KITCHEN - NIGHT - SET OF CUTLERY KNIVES held in a wooden block, sits atop the kitchen counter. In the b.g., Valerie removes the chrome teapot from the stove and moves it to the sink. JOHN DENVER CONTINUES in the next room. Ms. Lewton turns on the faucet, pours water into the kettle. Some water spills on the side of the kettle. As she wipes the pot with a blue checked hand towel, a dark shadow appears to cross behind her. Lewton turns. CAMERA FOLLOWS, CIRCLING as she looks about the room only to find she is alone. Unsetteled, she absently tosses the towel on the counter the edge which, catches a knife blade held in the cutery block. STOVE Ms. Lewton turns on the gas, adjusts it, however the flames blow out. She pauses, nerves on edge. Her eyes cautiously move about the room and find nothing. She grabs a pack of nearby matches and strikes one. JOHN DENVER V.O.) He left yesterday behind him/ You might say he's born again CAMERA PUSHES INTO the burner as the flames re-ignite and FILL THE FRAME INTERROGATION ROOM - POLICE STATION - NIGHT Weine sits across from Alex, symapthetic, but professional WEINE Alex, you got our attention, at first, because you were under suspicion in the plane explosion. Alex tenses, but Weine shakes his head. WEINE CONT'D I know you didn't blow up that plane. Alex sighs, eases. WEINE CONT'D I don't believe you have magical powers. No one has any control over life and death unless that person is taking lives and causing death. Weine leans forward toward Alex WEINE CONT'D Alex can you promise me that no one else will die? ALEX No I can't. As long as I'm in here, it's outta my control. The agents are taken aback by his answer; unnerved by his sincerity. Weine sighs and looks to his partner, who sighs, frustrated and turns away. WEINE Alright, go on. Get outta here. Alex stands and, with no urgency, moves off. He exits the room. SCHRECK Kid gives me the creeps. WEINE We got nothing to hold him. SCHRECK I don't mean that beat There's a couple of times, there I almost believed him. Weine considers, yet remains skeptical. WEINE Sometimes, you give me the creeps. MS. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CLOSE - TEAPOT Whistles. JOHN DENVER V.O.) When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away COFFEE MUG - OVERHEAD two tea bags are dropped inside, then the steaming hot water. MS. LEWTON picks up the cup, raising it toward her lips. She pauses, her expression turning tragic. On a reflex, she spins toward the sink and throws the hot contents into the drain. She sits the mug down A COFFEE MUG ENTERS FRAME displaying the logo of the Mt. Abraham Fighting Colonials. MS. LEWTON Trembling. She takes a deep breath, getting a hold of herself. MS. LEWTON You gotta stop this! Stop this! It's just a stupid mug. composed You're outta here. Pretty soon you'll be gone. Opening the refrigerator frezzer, she grabs some ice and a bottle of pure Polish Vodka then deliberately turns back toward the same mug COFFEE MUG the ice cubes PLUNK. The cold alchohol pours into the hot mug. CAMERA PUSHES INTO THE MUG as it slightly CRACKS, Vodka dripping out of the base. Lewton's hand picks up the mug, oblivious to the crack. She moves off toward the living room, leaving a trail of alcohol. POLICE STATION - NIGHT Alex exits the police station, walking. He checks over his shoulder to see if he is being watched and increases his pace, legs whipping across FRAME MS. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Valerie Lewton tears off a piece of plastic bubble wrap. She stands over her desk, placed against the wall. On the desk is her desktop computer monitor. JOHN DENVER V.O.) It's the Colorado Rocky Mountain High She pauses to swig from her cup of vodka. EXTREMELY CLOSE - COFFEE MUG alcohol drips from her mug EXTREMELY CLOSE - COMPUTER MONITOR VENT fluid drips inside the circuitry. MS. LEWTON sets the mug out of the way on the back edge of her desk. CLOSE - COFFEE MUG The remaining vodka oozes from the crack, pools, then drips off the edge of the desk JOHN DENVER I've seen it rainin' fire from the sky CAMERA CRANES DOWN to REVEAL the moniter cabel inserted into an electrical wall socket. The vodka drip drip drips PAST FRAME. Then, Lewton's hand ENTERS and pulls the monitor plug, creating tiny SPARKS at the connection ON THE FLOOR the alcohol ignites MS. LEWTON her back is to the desk, while pouring styrofoam peanuts into the box. In the b.g., FLAMES, nearly supernaturally, leap up the walland toward the computer monitor. CLOSE - COMPUTER MONITOR - THROUGH THE VENTS the catches fire, causing an electrical POP! MS. LEWTON turns, holding her sheet of bubble wrap, shocked by the flames. THE COMPUTER MONITOR On the screen, the reflection of the approaching shadow passes before the monitor EXPLODES! MS. LEWTON a large jagged shard from the monitor flies into her throat. Blood squirts from her neck onto the bubble wrap. Her stunned expression is sickeningly numb from shock. JOHN DENVER V.O.) Rocky Mountain High/ Colorad-oh. She reaches up to reflexively pull the glass from her throat, creating a flood of spurting blood. She drops the glass and quickly stumbles toward the kitchen, blindly banging the turntable as she passes. The needle skips, BUMPS and settles umercifully at the start of 'Rocky Mountain High.' NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - NIGHT Alex walks quickly up the street. Smoke wafts before him. He turns to see a man burning leaves in the backyard. The breeze intensifies, lifting the burning debris. The smoke swirls around him. CAMERA PUSHES INTO ALEX as he senses the Presence. He looks ahead. ALEX'S POV - TWO DOZEN LEAVES mystically float past him, each on fire. ALEX senses the taunting message and breaks into a full sprint, passing through many of the burning leaves that break up into the bright orange cinders against the black sky. LIVING ROOM - LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - THE FLAMES reach the coffee mug, igniting the trickling stream leading to, and away from, the crack in the cup. FLOOR Flames ride the small trickle of vodka back toward the kitchen KITCHEN - LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Valerie Lewton races in, desperately pressing her hand to her throat as she GURGLES and CHOKES on the blood from the wound. She leans over the now red sink. She turns pale from the blood loss. THE STOVE the flaming stream shoots up the stove, lighting the burners. MS. LEWTON behind her, the stove ERUPTS in FLAMES. They jump, leap like a tiger, landing on her shoulders and hair, which catch on fire LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT Alex approaches the front of the house. From here, nothing appears to be wrong. As he catches his breath, sweating, visually examining the house. From INSIDE, a hoarse, macabre SCREAM! CAMERA PUSHES IN ON ALEX, stunned, before he races off toward the house. LEWTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT - MS. LEWTON DROPS INTO FRAME ON HER KITCHEN FLOOR, hair and sweatshirt aflame. She desperately rolls on the floor and manages to extinguish the flames. On her back, on the floor, she is badly burned. Her open neck wound continues to bleed. Blood pools on the floor. In shock and moving on pure survial instincts, she reaches up LEWTON'S POV - LOOKING UP - THE HAND TOWEL the lower third of the towel dangles over the edge of the counter top. Her hand grabs it, and pulls. COUNTER TOP the draped edge of the towel pulls over the cutlery block. The knives spill out, entangled with the hand towel. ALEX Ms. Lewton! KITCHEN DOORWAY Alex rushes across the threshold as Ms. Lewton pulls the knives over the counter. MS. LEWTON a half dozen knives, from small, but sharp, cutting blades to large butcher knives, cascade into her body. JOHN DENVER V.O.) They say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun Her hand trembling, her expression horrified, Lewton grabs the handle of the largest blade, trying to pull it out. Alex quickly kneels next to her. She looks at him, in shock, her eyes pleading. Alex gathers his courage, places his hand on the handle of the largest blade. As he's about to remove it THE STOVE a gas line ERUPTS, creating a small EXPLOSION. THE COUNTER TOP the cutlery block is knocked off of the counter MS. LEWTON the block lands directly on the butcher knife handle, driving the blade further into Ms. Lewton's body. LEWTON'S POV - THE SHADOW descends, the FRAME COLLAPSING until her face, eerily peaceful, but lifeless gray, horrifically decays flesh rotting, worms feeding on muscle until only a skull remains. MS. LEWTON as Death arrives, her eyes are macabrely focused above her. ALEX Even as blood squirts on him from her open wound, he appears to realize she is 'seeing' the moment of death. ALEX Ms. Lewton! Flames leap from the stove to the curtains, which catch fire. Alex grabs the knife and pulls it out. He quickly removes another and another yet there is no reaction from the woman. Knowing she is dead, Alex pauses with guilt. He looks at the knife in his hand, then realizes how incriminating this could appear. In that moment, another small EXPLOSION from the stove brings Alex quickly to his feet. He drops the knife to the floor and races from the house. CAMERA TILTS DOWN to the shoe prints left in the pool of blood. LEWTON'S STREET - NIGHT Alex runs with all his strength away from Valerie Lewton's home. Billy Hitchcock is riding his bicycle in Alex's direction. He stops and gets off his bike. BILLY Hey, Alex Alex appears unaware as he simply runs past Billy, who curiously turns his head to watch Alex race up the street. O.S., the CRACKLING OF FIRE. CAMERA MOVES INTO Billy as he turns back, reacting with shock to Ms. Lewton's house. THE HOUSE from inside, an intense EXPLOSION propels glass from the windows. Flames engulf the entire house. ALEX even down the street, he is knocked to his feet by the blast. In the distance, SIRENS from approaching POLICE AND FIRE trucks are HEARD. He stands, looks to the now suspicious Billy then opts to run off away from the scene. Escaping into the dark backyards of the neighborhood. INT./ GARAGE - CLEAR RIVERS' HOUSE - DAY - CLEAR RIVERS Tense, her eyes look left, then right CLEAR I don't know where he is. He's not talking to me. WIDER Agents Schreck and Weine stand before Clear in her garage. WEINE Why? She studies the men before averting her eyes. CLEAR Because I didn't believe him. The agents study her. Weine accepts the explanation. Schreck's eyes take a walk around the artwork in the garage, pausing on a piece of twisted metal from the crash. Clear tenses, however SCHRECK If he should contact you, it would be in the best interest of your own safety to contact us. Schreck hands his card. She takes it and nods. Schreck pauses, once again eyeing the painting before moving out of the garage on their way to their car. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON CLEAR as she looks at the business card. MT. ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT CAMERA PUSHES IN ON Flight Memorial, lit for dramatic effect at night, but only achieving an eeriness. Carter Horton and Billy Hitchcock ENTER FRAME, moving toward the monument. Billy is riding his bicycle, wearing a New York Rangers jersey with 'Hitchcock' across the back of the shoulders. Nearing the shadows, the two boys stop looking at the monument. Carter pulls put a heavy pocket knife and starts attempting to cut into the stone. Clear Rivers appears from the shadows. CLEAR What are you doing? CARTER Terry's name should be on this wall. Clear is touched by the action. CARTER CONT'D So, why'd you want us to meet you here? Now? CLEAR They're watching me, see if I go to Alex. BILLY Are you? CLEAR They'll follow my car. beat That's why you're taking me. CARTER Why would I want to see him? Clear eyes the two of them. With the memorial standing behind them CLEAR Because he knows which one of us is next. As Carter and Billy feel the chill of their inner fears HIGHWAY - NIGHT The muscle car ROARS onto U.S. on ramp. A sign near the road indicates: 'Middletown - mi. New York City - mi.' CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Carter checks the rearview mirror. Clear looks out the front passenger window. She shakes her head, as if 'no one's following us.' Billy leans forward from the backseat BILLY Um okay drive the speed limit, right? He sits back, OUT OF FRAME, but quickly darts forward. BILLY CONT'D And don't pass on the right. CARTER Billy! I'm gettin' a vision! You're the next one BILLY nervous Hey, man, why'd you say that?! CARTER 'Cause if you say another word, I'm gonna fuckn' kill ya! Billy sits back, gesturing, 'hear ya. Got it.' Clear pays no attention to their exchange as she stare out into the darkness, her thoughts a million miles away. SEASHORE - JONES BEACH SATE PARK - NIGHT A posted sign indicates 'ACCIDENT SITE. ANY DEBRIS FOUND SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE NTSB -NTSB.' CAMERA FINDS Carter's car pulling up to a stop. Clear opens the passenger door and pauses in the car a while CLEAR He could be anywhere from here to a mile down the shore. You guys drive down there, start this way and we'll meet around the middle. It'll take half the time. Clear closes the door. Carter and Billy drive off. As she looks to the beach. BEACH - NIGHT CAMERA, FACING the ocean, moves along the shore revealing a lone image sitting on the beach, looking into the Atlantic. The waves are small bur rhythmic, an enternal metronome. Numb, Alex Browning sits in the sand searching for an answer somewhere in the darkness of the evening sea. Behind him, O.S., approaching in the sand, SOFT FOOTSTEPS. He listens, notes them. Yet rather than turn around he looks up into the sky. ALEX'S POV - THE SKY The shoreline lights cast an orange haze on the stars, breaking through, infinitely above. ALEX Are they up there? WIDER Clear Rivers approaches, barefoot in the sand. He neddn't turn to know who is behind him. ALEX CONT'D Somehow is still in flight? Somewhere are they still safe? Clear hasn't met eyes with Alex, but she sits nearby, looking into the sky. CLEAR When I was a kid, like, six or seven I used to worry so much about my parents dying. Like lying awake at night just worrying. I loved them so much. I didn't want them to get hurt. And what would happen to me? What would life be like? beat Every night it seemed. She looks out at the stars. He doesn't eye her, either ALEX Most kids do, I guess. CLEAR Most kids never have it happen. Alex hangs his head CLEAR When I was ten my dad went into a - for cigerettes. I guess he heard somebody say 'Don't turn around.' So on reflex, or thinkin' a friend was jokin'... he did. And the guy blew his head off. She has lived this so many times, she is long beyond crying CLEAR CONT'D And, let me tell ya, I had every reason to worry before because life became shit. I don't blame her, I guess, but my mom couldn't deal with it at all. She married this asshole, who my mom with my real dad would cross the street to avoid this guy. He really didn't want a kid. And so my mom didn't either anymore, I guess. beat If that was the design for my father and my family then fuck Death, FUCK IT! The waves continue to shore. Clear looks up at the sky. CLEAR CONT'D And so, anyway I've thought of that 'somewhere,' Alex. It exists, that place. He looks at her. CLEAR CONT'D Where my dad is still safe. Where he had a full pack of cigerettes and kept driving. A place where me and my dad and my mom are still togetherand have no idea about this second life, here. beat A place where our friends are still in the sky where everyone gets a second chance. She looks at him CLEAR CONT'D But that place might only exist in my heart. And maybe, now yours. I haven't experienced too many second chances in my life. I haven't seen any. But because of all of this, I believe because of you I will get a second chance. Because of me, you will. With you in my life that place, right now existing in our hearts, will spring out and become a real part of this life. Alex looks within her, as a soft ocean breeze blows through Clear's hair. CLEAR And that is the only way we can beat Death by making something special out of Life. His eyes well with tears. Only as she looks at Alex does Clear become emotional they move closer, and kiss, the desire for each other, to defy the events around them; darkness; the isolation They dive into a deep feverish kiss. Embracing, as if the tighter, the safer. She pulls him back down to the beach and lifts his shirt over his head. ALEX This won't be safe. Clear looks down the beach, checking for any sight of Billy and Carter. CLEAR Those guys are probably fifteen minutes away. ALEX No I mean, I don't have anything on me. This won't be safe. CLEAR sadly Nothing is anymore. Alex looks to Clear, then kisses her with passion that reflects the defiance of death. He pulls open her shirt and falls into her arms. CAMERA CRANES UP as the young man and woman make love in the sand consciously and defiantly oblivious, to anything around them including the stars, possibly Flight, up above. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Carter drives. Billy rides shotgun. Alex and Clear are in the back. Everyone anxious, looking for cops. ALEX I can't go home. After Lewton's, they'll be after me. CLEAR We're takin' you to a cabin in the woods, it's only a couple miles from my house. to Carter Keep off the highways, they'll be lookin' for us. Carter, however, continually glances into the rearview mirror, checking Alex. Finally, hotheaded and unable to withhold it any further CARTER Alright, Browning, you fuckin' warlock did you know about Ms. Lewton, or what? ALEX Why do you think I was hiding? CLEAR Billy told the F.B.I. he saw you runnin' away from her house. ALEX They blame me for everything. Her, Tod, the plane crash BILLY Your shoe prints were in the blood. Your fingerprints on the knives ALEX I already told you CARTER interrupting I'm not talkin' about if you did it. Or if you knew she was dead beat Did you know she was going to be next before she was? Alex looks at Clear, her expression asking the same question ALEX quietly Yeah. almost to himself When she died at that moment, I could tell she saw something horrible. The three others turn quiet, considering what it must be CARTER Out of us who's next to see it? Alex eyes them hesitant to respond. BILLY Please tell me I'm gonna get to see the Jets win the Super Bowl. CARTER Me, right? That's why you're not saying. Billy looks out the window, despondent. BILLY Shoulda felt up Tammy in the pool, that time CARTER to Billy Whatta you whinin' about? He said I'm next. CLEAR He didn't say nothin'. Just drive. CARTER You have a responsibility to tell me. ALEX Is knowing going to make it easier? It makes it harder. CARTER You get off havin' control over me. Let me choose how to deal with it. ALEX It doesn't matter who's next we're all on the same list. The three are silent. CARTER Aww, fuck really? Carter's expression becomes frightened, but he cannot have this. He counters with an irrational bravado. CARTER Then why bother? What's the fuckin' point? Terry and me will be back together on the other side, so why wait any longer? Carter bares down on the wheel, hits the GAS AN INTERSECTION - NIGHT The muscle car ROARS past a stop sign. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT The bounces as the car clears a dip past the intersection. Alex, Clear, and Billy tenses CLEAR Knock it off! CARTER May as well go out under my own free will, right? CLEAR Not with us in the fuckin' car! ANOTHER INTERSECTION - NIGHT The car GUNS IT through another stop sign. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Every passenger hangs on as the car BOUNCES from the next dip. CLEAR BILLY Stop it! Hey, c'mon, man CARTER What's your fuckin' worry? If it's not your time...? I could get nailed runnin' this red light and you all wouldn't get shit! Only me, right? ALEX CLEAR No! Knock it off! TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION - NIGHT Red light. A car approaches with the greenlighted right of way. Carter's car TEARS INTO FRAME, just missing being T-boned in the intersection as the other car HITS THE BRAKES, fishtailing. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT BILLY And I fuckin' HATED FRENCH CLASS! ALEX CLEAR Carter, stop it, you Get control of yourself! fuckin' maniac!! CARTER That's what I'm doin'! CLEAR I know what you're doing! It's alright to be scared, Carter. You don't have to prove to us how big your balls are. Not now. CARTER I'm not afraid! I DECIDE WHEN IT'S TIME! I control my life! I control my death! BILLY Watch it! Watch it! A SECOND TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION - NIGHT Carter barrels through the intersection as a car makes a left turn at the intersection. TURNING CAR DRIVER'S POV - CARTER'S CAR flying down the road, appears to be heading straight towards him. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Carter takes his hands off the wheel and raises them in the air, like a terrorized child on a roller coaster A SECOND TRAFFIC LIGHT INTERSECTION - NIGHT The turning car HONKS, ROARING through the intersection as Carter's car nearly clips the rear end of the turning car. CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Cater hooks his elbow on the window and his right arm around the front seat, driving; no hands. CLEAR ALEX Stop the car! Let us out! BILLY I am so close to puking, you don't wanna know. CLEAR We're afraid, too, Carter, but we're not going to quit. Maybe you are. You act like you're not, but you are! Carter eyes Clear in the rearview mirror. CLEAR So, stop what you're doing and STOP THIS CAR! Right fucking now! BACKSTREET - NIGHT In the backseat, Alex and Clear ease just as a railroad crossing arm drops INTO FRAME in the REAR WINDOW. O.S., the CLANG CLANG CLANG of a RAILROAD CROSSING ALARM. OUT OF THE FRONT WINDOW The front crossing arm drops INTO FRAME before the car. Carter turns and flashes a 'that's why I stopped' smile. INSIDE THE CAR CLEAR Move it! Carter turns off the engine, then sits back into his seat and folds his arms, indicating he has no intention of moving. ALEX Billy, get out! Scared to death, Billy fumbles with the car door handle. From the front passenger seat, he looks up and to his left OUT OF THE DRIVER'S WINDOW - BILLY'S POV A locomotive headlight arcs across the trees approaching. RETURN CLEAR ALEX Can't you open the door?! Easy, Billy, just open it. Billy collects himself CLOSE - BILLY'S DOOR HANDLE POPS open! TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT The train appears around the blind bend CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Billy opens the door and pours out. Clear and Alex are quickly behind him. Carter remains in the drivers seat. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT The train WARNING WHISTLE BLOWS as Alex, Clear and Billy hustle away from the car, on the same side of the tracks. They quickly turn around, desperate to convince CLEAR Carter, get out! ALEX BILLY Don't do it! Don't do it! It's coming! It's coming! CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT Arms crossed, Carter remains in the front seat. As the fills with light from the headlight of the oncoming train, Carter turns and looks at them with a smart ass smile, pleased that he's shown how brave he truly is. With a beam of cocky definace CARTER It ain't my time. He cooly turns back to the ignition, grabs the key and turns it over only to be met with the DULL CLACK of a dead engine. CAMERA SWEEPS INTO HIM AS his EYES FLARE with tension CLOSE - IGNITION he turns it, again and again nothing. CARTER looks up TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT - CARTER'S POV - THE TRAIN is moments away. ALEX, CLEAR AND BILLY assess the situation ALEX CLEAR Get out! Get out of the car! Get out! Get out of the Get out of the fuckin' car! car! CARTER'S CAR - NIGHT As he turns away from them, Carter sees something in the rearview mirror CARTER'S POV - REAR VIEW MIRROR the passing shadow is darker than any surrounding darkness. CARTER as if the image has effected him, he looks to his lap belt and CLACKS the button. He tugs at the restraint, but it will not move. He's strapped in. He tries to open the door it won't open. He pulls at the door handle tugs at the seatbelt panicked. Horrified, he whips towards the others. CARTER I can't get out! TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT Alex, Billy and Clear look at one another, equally frightened BILLY Man, he really is next. Alex takes off toward CARTER'S CAR Alex hustles around the drivers' side. CAMERA SWEEPS INTO THEM as Alex desperately tries freeing the seatbelt. THE TRAIN the WHISTLES SCREAMS! CLEAR AND BILLY tense, as the train nears ALEX AND CARTER Alex grabs Carter by the shoulders and strains with all his might to pull the much more muscular kid out of the driver's window. CLOSE - CARTER'S SEAT BELT the shadowy presence is reflected by the chrome buckle, however, after it passes the seat belt begins to TEAR. ALEX AND CARTER As CAMERA SWEEPS IN to ALEX and he releases a deep GROAN ACROSS THE TRACKS The train TEARS THROUGH the front end of the muscular car! GLASS and METAL ERUPT as the locomotive THUNDERS THROUGH FRAME. CLEAR AND BILLY must turn away from the shower of metal and broken glass. ALEX AND CARTER Alex holds Carter by the shirt at the shoulders, dragging him away from the wreckage. The two boys collapse on the road as the trian continues to ROAR PAST TRAIN TRACKS as the heavy train wheels THUNDER and CLACK, a broken two foot long shard of the car's debris BOUNCES upon the tracks, kicked about by the train wheels. CLEAR AND BILLY run to the two survivors. CLEAR runs and falls into Alex's arms, holding him tight. ALEX, CLEAR, CARTER AND BILLY Carter lies on the road, urine stains around his crotch, hyperventilating and near tears. CLEAR Scared now? Carter looks at the piece of seatbelt. CARTER It broke! BILLY No one's that strong. CLEAR to Carter Bullshit. He saved your lifeagain! CLOSE - TRAIN WHEELS continue to kick around the chunk of twisted metal RETURN The THUNDERING TRAIN intensifies the situation BILLY THAT'S RIGHT! HE'S RIGHT! YOU ARE NEXT! I'M GETTING THE FUCK AWAY FROM YOU! Billy begins backing away from the others. CARTER SHUT UP, BILLY! CLEAR WE DON'T NEED THIS NOW! Billy continues backing away, horrified. BILLY I DON'T NEED IT EVER! GET AWAY FROM HIM! HE'S NEXT! CLOSE - TRAIN TRACKS the debris rattles beneath the wheels CARTER AND ALEX still on the ground CARTER FUCK YOU, BILLY! I'M NOT DEAD! BILLY backing away BILLY YOU WILL BE! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD! TRAIN TRACKS the debris bounces directly on the track. With great power and force, a train wheel runs over the debris, cutting it in half. It catches in the wheel and is spun around until shot out with the force of a missile BILLY BILLY CONT'D AND YOU AIN'T TAKIN' ME WITH YOU! FWOOP! The metal tears ACROSS FRAME, ripping Billy's head from his shoulders. ALEX, CLEAR AND CARTER The ROAR of the TRAIN seems exaggerated as they are frozen in horrified shock. EXTREMELY WIDE - ACROSS THE TRACKS The train CLEARS FRAME and is gone REVEALING, across the tracks, Alex, Clear and Carter can do nothing but watch Billy's decapitated body macabrely wobbling on its two front feet before falling to the ground. CARTER Jesus fucking Christ! For a beat, there is SILENCE until, in the distance, SIRENS can be heard, approaching. As Alex stands and Carter manages to rise on wobbly legs none of them can remove their eyes from Billy's body. ALEX to Carter You should have been next. After Lewton, you should've been next. That's the only pattern. You should be dead. CARTER You're the fuckin' devil. ALEX to Clear But I saved him. I intervened. Just like the plane. That's the design. CLEAR Police are coming. ALEX That's why It skipped Carter and went to the next one in the path of the explosion; Billy. Alex looks at Clear as if expiriencing an intense epiphany. ALEX CONT'D My intervention in the death of surviviors will cheat the design. CARTER 'Intervention?' What are you, God now?! ALEX Of course not! Gods aren't afraid to die! Gods don't die! We do! CLEAR You're losin' it. The police will be here. We have to go to the cabin. You can hide there. Get your head together. Alex considers, mind racing then realizes ALEX After Billy it's me. And then you. Clear grabs Clear and touches her face. ALEX CONT'D to Clear Hey, I won't let it happen, okay. Carter turns to them; it's as far as he will go to admit he believes or will help CARTER Then, get out of here. As she moves to Alex, Clear nods her acknowledgement and appreciation to Carter. She takes Alex by the hand and the pair begin running away, off into the woods. In the DISTANCE, a TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS, eerie, as if Death was punctuating the moment. CABIN - NIGHT The windows are boarded. The front steps are worn and dilapidated. In the early evening moonlight, the dwelling appears eerie and ghostly. CAMERA CREEPS TOWARD the house, a pre-storm breeze swaying branches and blowing leaves. In the distance LIGHTNING CABIN - DAY - A SMALL TABLE A final piece of duct tape is applied to the corner of the table, dulling any sharp edges. Even though it is sunny outside, all the shades are pulled. The room sits in dark shadows broken by occasional bright shafts of light. CAMERA FOLLOWS a hand as it carefully picks up a Coleman lantern and sets it atop an empty can placed in the center and above the water line of a large metal tub; a fire protection moat. ALEX finds his way to a chair in the center of the room, away from everything except a nearby table holding a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit, both at less than arm's reach. Unshaven, a week and a half's growth, and unkept, Alex looks horrible. An anxious zombie, especially in the dim glow of the lantern. Dark circles, from lack of sleep. Thin, from lack of food. Pale, from lack of sunlight. He places workman's gloves on his hands before picking up a can of Underwood chicken spread. With some degree of difficulty, he works the gloves beneath the tab and pulls. Careful not to cut himself, he reaches out and drops the lid into a small trash can. Alex removes the gloves and, with a plastic spoon, begins to eat. CAMERA PUSHES IN as he begins to chew methodically, chewing and chewing and chewing with concentration until after steadying himself prepares to swallow then, carefully does. Pause he's alright. He takes the spoon. Scoops some more. And the process begins again. BATHROOM - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - DAY A pink circle fills THE ENTIRE FRAME. EXTREMELY CLOSE - CLEAR'S EYES look downward, anxious and full of thought. A HOME PREGNANCY TEST the results are positive, two pink dots, confirming. WIDER Clear sighs, frightened as she tosses the test upon a half dozen other discarded tests. You can never be too sure. Outside, WIND of an approaching storm blows. CAMERA tensely INCHES IN ON Clear CABIN - NIGHT - CRACK BENEATH DOOR The resulting THUNDER RUMBLES. A breeze blows beneath the door, carrying some Autumn leaves. CAMERA FOLLOWS the breeze across the floor to Alex's pant legs which slightly flutter. CAMERA RISES TO ALEX, sitting in his safe chair. Paranoid and obsessively cautious, his eyes move towards the door, anticipating the consequential events. Following the path of the breeze, Alex turns around ALEX'S POV - TRASH BAG the brown shopping bag tips over. Amongst the trash spread on the floor, a can rolls out and across the floor. ALEX tenses. He doesn't look to where the can has been, but where it is going. ALEX'S POV - CAN rolls across the floor and gently hits the end of a fishing pole, propped in the corner. The pole teeters and falls over. FISHING HOOK falls, hooking a closet door. The door begins to swing open. ALEX is quickly out of his safe chair, hustling towards THE DOOR Alex slams the door shut before it can open. Behind the door, a CRASH as something falls. Alex cracks a wicked half smile, cocky he has caught Death before this attempt has brought to fruition. Alex removes the hook from the door and places the pole on the floor. He cautiously opens the door, REVEALING an old fish scaling knife embedded on the back side of the door, unaware. Removing the knife and securing it, his eyes turn towards the floor. CLOSET FLOOR a tackle box has spilled thick, rusted old treble and aberdeen fishing hooks upon the floor. Alex bends down and examines them. ALEX as if to Death Rusted. Tetanus. Nice touch. defiant I overlooked it. You tried to capitalize. But I caught you, you fuck. I can beat you. Not forever, but I got this cabin rigged to beat you NOW! O.S., a sound. Like a THUMP near the cabin steps. He freezes, like an animal sensing danger. THUNDER RUMBLES. The light around him begins to flicker and sway. COLEMAN LANTERN a draft creeps beneath the glass enclosure. The flame, dancing. BEDROOM - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - DAY ENTERING FRAME, Clear peeks out the window, careful not to be seen. CLEAR RIVER'S STREET - DAY - CLEAR'S POV The unmarked F.B.I. sedan maintains surveillance. Schreck and Weine sit inside. BEDROOM - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - DAY Distant APPROACHING THUNDER RUMBLES as she steps away. The weight of the world on her shoulders, Clear paces, considering her options. She looks to a bookshelf CLOSE - AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH A man, early thirties, holds a six year old girl in his arms, waving at the camera. Both appear happy and alive. They are standing before the cabin surrounded by the thick woods. The photograph is turned over. On the back is marked in a young girl's handwriting, 'me and dad at the cabin. .' CLEAR As CAMERA PUSHES INTO HER considering life. Then, now and what is to come. UNMARKED CAR - NIGHT Weine sits in the passenger seat looking through the pair of binoculars. Schreck is behind the wheel. WEINE She was up there a minute ago A figure steps into the drivers side window, from the rear. The two agents are startled as Clear Rivers leans into FRAME. She pauses, gauging their trustworthiness, then CLEAR I'm not turning him in. There's another life that needs him now. The two agents remain respectful CLEAR I go with you. WEINE You can't. She considers and understands. CLEAR Don't hurt him. WEINE Tell us where he is. Wait at home, and I promise we'll bring him back safe, in protective custody. As she senses the agents' sincerity CABIN - NIGHT Distant THUNDER ECHOES. Alex kindles a fire in the fireplace, balling up old newspapers. He begins to crumble the local news then pauses. A headline catches his attention. CAMERA INCHES IN ON HIM, tense, while THUNDER RUMBLES. As he unrolls the paper, his expression is rocked anxious he cocks his head to consider recalling as CAMERA PUSHES ALL THE WAY INTO HEADLINE - CRUMPLED NEWSPAPER 'PARENTS TO ESTABLISH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS.' Besides the headline are two yearbook photos; Christa Marsh and Blake Dreyer. ALEX his expression reflects a terrifying revelation ALEX I never moved. Christa asked me to move, but I didn't change seats. I would've moved up next to Tod How could I not remember that I never moved. Clear's seat was in front of mine CAMERA PUSHES into a TIGHT CLOSE UP ALEX CONT'D She's next. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear paces in her living room. She moves to the curtains and checks out the window. Although it is not raining, LIGHTNING CRACKS across the sky! CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - POWER LINE The lightning STRIKES the top of the pole, SNAPPING two power lines, which whip in the wind. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT The power goes out. The room turns dark. Outside, brilliant bluish white arc lights CRACKLE. Clear moves to the window. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CLEAR'S POV - POWER LINES ARC violently striking the ground and each other. Each line whips unpredictably like an uncontrolled garden hose with the water turned on full. And yet, there's a mean, angry and taunting personality to the two power lines. As if Death were within them. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT She assesses the situation and moves to a pair of candles on the mantle, lightning them with a Bic. O.S., from the backyard, a DOG BARKS. Clear brings the candle through the small house. KITCHEN - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear moves quickly to the kitchen, holding the candle. Outside, BLUE ARC LIGHT CRACKLES. She looks out the backyard. BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CLEAR'S POV An old circular clothesline turns like a pinwheel in the wind. In the center of the yard is an oblong, tarped above ground pool. In the furthest corner of the yard, her dog is chained to a tree, BARKING AND FREAKED OUT. An old tire swing rocks in the storm. From the manner in which the house is situated and the length of the snapped power lines, one is capable of reaching the backyard. The power line STRIKES the ground, 'closing in on' the dog. KITCHEN - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear considers the danger of venturing out to get the dog. Although no window is open, and the power outage has shut off any air conditioning the candle flame whips, then extinguishes. The blue smoke swirls ominously into the room. BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CLOTHESLINE Sharp metal edges spin. Glinting blue arc light CABIN - NIGHT Alex charges out the front door, leaping over the steps. O.S., SEVERAL CARS APPROACH, headlights pan across the trees. Alex stops dead in his tracks and runs off into the woods, just as the F.B.I umarked sedan and three Sheriff x s THUNDER up to the cabin, siren lights swirling. UNMARKED CAR - NIGHT Weine is driving, leading the other vehicles. Schreck points out the passenger window. SCHRECK There! CABIN - NIGHT - WEINE'S POV - THROUGH CAR WINDOW Full sprint, Alex disappears into the dark forest. WIDER the cars BRAKE to a stop, SKIDDING in the dirt. Sheriffs leap out of their vehicles. High powered flashlights shoot beams in Alex's direction. The officers take after the suspect. BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT The backdoor opens. Clear charges out into the backyard. THE DOG Helpless, chain wrapped around the tree. THUNDER RUMBLES. CLEAR continues to run THE CIRCULAR CLOTHESLINE is whipped by a power line. SPARKS FLY as the base pole snaps in two. CLEAR the metal poles punge into the ground just before and behind her, inches from impaling her. She stumbles, but quickly steps aside and continues toward the tree. THE CIRCULAR CLOTHES-LINE FRAME is rolled by the winds, across the yard toward ABOVE GROUND POOL the clothesline frame punctures the pool. Water streams from the rupture. CLEAR reaches the tree and begins unfastening the dog's collar from the chain. THE POWER LINES whipping, strike one another causing an angry FLASH! THE RIVETS holding the pool frame begin to BREAK and POP. Water floods into the yard. FOREST - NIGHT CAMERA MOVES WITH Alex, blindly running through the forest, sheriffs' flashlight beams crossing behind him in pursuit. Looing back to check the postition of the agents, Alex blindly runs over the lip of a downward slope GULLY He rolls and tumbles uncontrollably down the hillside. As he nears the base ALEX stops with a CRUNCHING THUD his face an inch from being impaled by a sharp, thick protruding branch. No time to catch his breath, he's up and running. BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - CLEAR'S FEET water floods, pooling the backyard, cascading over Clear's feet. She looks down, in the reflection of the puddle, the dark shadow passes. Clear whips up, checking the position of A POWER LINE coils, like a cobra, ready to STRIKE! TREE Clear drops the chain and hits the dog on its backside. CLEAR Run! The dog starts to tear off toward the house. Clear runs toward the hanging tire. Leaps THE POWER LINE whips, the frayed wires hitting the puddle of water CLEAR in mid-air, desperately grabs the tire, hanging on, literally for her life. O.S., the dog YELPS. Clear turns back CLEAR'S POV - THE DOG convulses in the small pool of water, burning from the overwhelming amounts of electricity. FOREST - NIGHT - SMALL CREEK Distant flashlights reflect in a small stream, barely two inches deep. Alex's foot splashes in the water. THUNDER RUMBLES. ALEX races along the path of the stream. SHERIFFS continue their pursuit through the dark trees. ABOVE Lightning CRACKS a tree branch. SPARKS FLY! The tree tumbles down the branches. ALEX The thick branch falls from above, landing on top of him. He's knocked to the ground and pinned face down in the creek. CAMERA MOVES IN his nose and mouth, just below the water line, but he cannot move. His eyes flash with panic, as he struggles battles to move and avoid drowning in two inches of water. As he struggles in the f.g., Weine and a pair of Sheriffs appear ten yards beyond him. They pause, confused, panning their flashlights across the forest. WIENE'S POV - FOREST the lights actually expose the area where Alex lies. From their postition, however, he is covered by the branch and out of sight. ALEX struggles to raise his head above the water, chest bursting WEINE AND SHERIFFS believing Alex is not in the area, move ahead into the woods. BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVERS'S HOUSE NIGHT Clear pulls herself up to a tree branch. Lighting and THUNDER CONTINUE amongst the ARCING, CRACKLING POWER LINES. She searches for an escape. CLEAR'S POV - THE TREE BRANCH extends toward the house. CLEAR straining in the storm, begins moving up the branch FOREST - NIGHT - CLOSE - ALEX'S EYES dart open. Taking a tenth of a second to gather all of his strength, all his courage, he arches his back, pushing with his hands, anything to lift his face out of the stream. With a DEEP GASP, he does so. Drinking up the air. It appears to infuse him with another blast of adrenaline as he manages to push with his arms and free himself from the pinning tree branch. He pauses only for a couple gulps of air and is off. WINDOW - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear leaps from the end of the branch to her window, grabbing the sill awkwardly, she dangles outside the house. With a breath, she pulls herself inside, just as the power line bites, ARCING, at her feet. FOREST - NIGHT Weine RUNS INTO FRAME, looks around, frustrated WEINE into radio Lost him. ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - SCHRECK deperately scans the area. SCHRECK From the direction there's only one place he can heading CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT The power lines strike the rooftop. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear River's stands in her bedroom just as it fills with blinding blue light. Her television screen BLOWS OUT. Sparks jet across the room. Blasts of FLAME erupt from the electrical outlets. She quickly turns, racing toward the hallway. HALLWAY - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT CAMERA IS LOW, RACING WITH HER as SPARKS EXPLODE FROM the lamps and electrical outlets. She cuts and leaps three steps at a time down the staircase EDGE OF THE WOODS/BACKYARD - NIGHT Alex tears across the fenceless backyards towards Clear's house. Blue ARC light glowing from the front yard. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT A mid-eighties Corolla is parked amongst Clear's artwork. A door, adjacent to the kitchen flies open. Clear hustles through, running to the car and entering via the passenger door, for the sake of expediency. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT The power lines WHACK angerily against the door. COROLLA - NIGHT Clear scoots into the driver's seat. She CLICKS the automatic garage door opener GARAGE DOOR OPENER MOTER connected to a metal arm, attached to the door, remains motionless - there is no power. COROLLA - NIGHT Realizing the motor is dead, Clear takes a beat, STARTS THE ENGINE and SHIFTS INTO REVERSE BACKYARD - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Alex reaches the backyard. CAMERA PUSHES IN as he quickly tries to deduce the deadly situation. HE RUNS OUT OF FRAME GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Clear guns the small car in reverse. GARAGE DOOR as the rear of the car makes impact with the door THE GARAGE OPENER trembles, the long metal arm collapses, falls GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT BAM! In reverse, the Corolla SMASHES through the garage door. THE METAL ARM of the garage door opener RIPS through the windshield, locking upon the windshield wiper grille. The other end remains attached to the garage roof, essentially acting as an anchor. COROLLA - NIGHT The car SHUDDERS, wheels spinning uselessly, as the arm 'holds' onto the car. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - DOOR OPENER MOTER the screws holding the arm to the ceiling begin to pull away A METAL CAN on a shelf, is rocked as, O.S., the CAR rattles the garage, trying to break free. The can is marked 'TURPENTINE: EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE.' The can tumbles over the shelf. GARAGE FLOOR the can SMACKS on the floor, edgewise, REVREALING the can is sealed tight with a cap. CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - POWER LINE thick cable ARCS, snapping toward the car INTO FRAME. COROLLA - NIGHT Foot to the floor, Clear SCREAMS for the car to move. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT - DOOR OPENER MOTOR pulls away from the ceiling. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT The Corolla lurches backward, freed from the grasp of the house. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT a chunk of the ceiling collapses upon Clear's artworks, including the canvas incorporating a jagged piece of debris from Flight . The metal SLAMS to the floor, on top of THE CAN OF TURPENTINE which causes the flammable liquid to stream out, toward the driveway. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT As the Corolla lurches away from the house down the sloped driveway THE POWER LINE THUDS upon Clear's car. COROLLA - NIGHT An ear splitting CRACKLE. SPARKS FLY! The electrical system of the samll car erupts and the engine dies. The car stops. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT From the rear of the house appears Alex. CAMERA SWEEPS IN ON HIM as he reacts to the situation ALEX Don't move! WIDER The power line sadistically rests atop the automobile. The exposed end of the cable flutters and whips like a cat's tail, SPARKING, CRACKLING, as it hits the ground. COROLLA - NIGHT Clear looks up desperately to Alex. GARAGE - CLEAR RIVER'S HOUSE - NIGHT Alex extends his hands. O.S., CARS approach THUNDEROULSY ALEX You're grounded in the car. Don't touch anything. DON'T MOVE. IN THE STREET The unmarked F.B.I. vehicle and two sheriff patrol cars pull up on the street. Schreck and Weine hustle out of the car. WEINE Alex, get away from there! SCHRECK Any part of that line touches you, you're dead. THE POWER LINE SNAPS in ALEX'S DIRECTION. ALEX lurches back THE STREAM OF TURPINTINE is ignited by a single spark fom the power line. It flows toward the car. ALEX backs away, eyes locked with Clear's, assuring she's remaining in the car. CLEAR keeps her eyes locked on Alex, watching him. Suddenly, a BURST OF FIRE FLASHES FROM BELOW FRAME ALEX reacts, shocked. He realizes WIDER the underbelly of the Corolla has ignited from the stream of combustible fluid. SCHRECK AND WEINE step forward THE POWER LINE atop the car, whips, ARCS, warning everyone away. IN THE COROLLA Clear can see the flames, her instinct is to grab the handle to get out. CLEAR'S POV - GARAGE WALL The fire roars angrily in the f.g., on the garage wall, however, the shadows do not match that of the flames, rather, the approaching form of Death appears. ALEX steps closer ALEX NO! CAMERA PUSHES IN ON ALEX as he quickly considers, then moves toward the hood of the burning car SCHRECK AND WEINE WEINE Get back! You'll both die! ALEX AND CLEAR hearing this, Alex's mind is made up. He looks to Clear. ALEX You know what to do. CLEAR No! No! Don't! ALEX When I do this it'll have skipped you and it'll all be over. At that moment, Clear doesn't understand. She looks to him, scared ALEX You know what to do. I'll always be with you. He reaches out and grabs the power line, falling back to pull it away from the hood of the car. The cable ARCS furiously. COROLLA Clear opens the driver's side door and runs out, knocked to her feet as behind her the car EXPLODES. ALEX is engulfed in the flames. ALEX'S POV - THE SHADOWS the edges of the FRAME are collapsing. Alex's face, gray and emotionless appears, yet, before it can transform into decay ALEX through the flames, as if sensing the oncoming horror, defying the image ALEX NO! He looks toward CLEAR - ALEX'S POV She is the last sight he'll ever see. WIDER The power line ERUPTS! Alex disapears behind the wall of fire and sparks before falling limp on the driveway. CLEAR Schreck, Weine and PARAMEDICS rush to the girl. Schreck turns back, calling out to a paramedic, helplessly watching by ther burning car. SCHRECK Is he alive? CLEAR'S EYES flash open, horrified, answering the question THE SKY a web of LIGHTNING CRACKS across the Heavens, as if Death was making a final angry proclamation. SCHRECK AND WEINE CAMERA EASES IN on the agents, exchanging rattled expressions that convey their unease in the proof that Alex was right. CLEAR - OVERHEAD As a pair of paramedics work on her, a soft breeze blows across the girl, and only the girl. CAMERA MOVES DOWN TO HER FACE, her eyes opened welling with tears seeming to realize to sense, he is gone. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY - CLEAR SCREAMS, as if reacting to Alex's death, but in actuality it is a reaction to the pain of delivering her child. DOCTORS AND NURSES stand between Clear's legs in the stirrups DOCTOR A little more. Little more! CLEAR breathes, pushes hard. Alex's parents stand on each side of her, holding her hand, wiping her forehead. THE DOCTOR cuts the umbilical cord. DOCTOR He's here. A beautiful boy. CLEAR, KEN AND BARBARA smile and fight back the tears. Clear begins to laugh euphorically through the tears. CLEAR I felt him! When the baby was born I felt Alex pass through me like the night he died Clear lifts her head up, still battling the pain of labor CLEAR'S POV - THE BABY covered in goop, eyes shut a new life arrives. DOCTOR looks at the clock and reprots to an attending nurse. Another nurse cleans up the baby, wieghs him and places him in a hospital bassinet. DOCTOR th of May : p.m. CLEAR, KEN AND BARBARA Barabra places a cool wet cloth on Clear's forehead BARBARA Exactly a year to the minute. Everyone recognizes the eerie, yet beautiful coincidence. Clear leans her haed back, relieved, euphoric CLEAR We beat it, Alex. Cleaned and wrapped in a swaddling blanket, the baby is placed in the mothers arms. The long retrospective harmonica of Neil Young's 'Long May You Run' reprises as Clear looks at the I.D. braclet WRIST BRACLET 'Alexander Chance Browning II.' DELIVERY ROOM CAMERA PULLS BACK. The birthing room is quiet; the people introspective. The doctors. The family. The mother and child. A room of new life, in which, each recalls a life lost. As 'Long May You Run' OVERLAPS ALEX'S BEDROOM - DAY - FLOWERS A bright, colorful arrangment of flowers is carefully placed into a vase. CAMERA ADJUSTS to REVEAL Alex's bedroom is now lived in by Clear and the baby. Clear makes the final adjustment in the arrangement, then checks the sleeping baby in the bassinet. Clear moves to her bed with a book. As she settles in, O.S., a faint RUSTLE. CAMERA INCHES IN ON CLEAR as she looks to CLEAR'S POV - THE FLOWERS a soft breeze causes the petals to flutter CLEAR looks toward CLEAR'S POV - THE WINDOWS which are closed. CLEAR'S POV - THE FAN which is off. CLEAR looks across the room CLEAR'S POV - THE ROOM The breeze moves through the flowers billows the cutains, posters and photos on the wall until seemingly settling over the bassinet. The lace trim and blankets rustled by the breeze, it is hovering over the child. CLEAR CAMERA SETTLES, but her expression does not reflect fear. She knows Alex is here and she smiles, tears welling in her eyes. THE BABY the bassinet trim settles, as if the presence is leaving. Before it fully departs CLEAR the wind softly and rapidly passes over Clear. He smile remains as the room becomes still and her eyes looks across the room. CLEAR'S POV - ON THE WALL is a pencil rubbing, like people take away from the Vietnam veteran's Memorial. The name 'ALEX BROWNING...' MT. ABRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - CLOSE - MONUMENT 'ALEX BROWNING' is marked in the granite. CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL the name has been added to the memorial, along with Tod Waggner, Valerie Lewton, Terry Chaney and William Hitchcock. A hand ENTERS FRAME, fingers hover in space before they gently trace over 'Terry Chaney.' CAMERA ADJUSTS TO REVEAL Carter Horton, staring at the name. Alone, he allows himself the moment to grieve. Carter glances up to find Clear approaching with the baby in the stroller. Carter straightens and nods, then begins to walk away. He hesitates, then turns back to Clear. CARTER Alex was right. Clear looks up. CARTER CONT'D It did skip us. Clear smiles. As she takes the baby out of the stroller CLEAR I believe that's what Alex believed. But how do we know this wasn't the design all along? Clear holds baby Alex up to the monument, showing her son his father's name. Carter stands, watching. CAMERA WIDENS to REVEAL the entire monument against the deep blue sky. At the base in readable, but understandable lettering 'FLIGHT .' CAMERA HOLDS as 'Long May You Run' CONTINUES RETURNING each of us to the awaiting darkness. ", " HELLRAISER A Screenplay by Clive Barker Paragan Film Productions Ltd C Clive Barker  Flood Street, London. SW - - TITLE SEQUENCE In darkness, a blood-curdling cacophony: the squeal of unoiled winches, the rasp of hooks and razors being sharpened; and worse, the howl of tormented souls. Above this din one particular victim yells for mercy - a mixture of tears and roars of rage. By degrees his incoherent pleas are drowned out by the surrounding tumult, until without warning his voice pierces the confusion afresh - this time reduced to naked scream. And with the sound, an image. A house: NUMBER, LODOVICO STREET, an old, three storey, late Victorian house, with gaunt trees lining its overgrown garden. Its curtains are drawn, there is newspaper over its top window. The titles begin to run, as we approach the house down the driveway. We move inside, to the hallway. The cries are louder now. Room by room, we explore the empty house, while the titles continue to run. It has been left empty for many years, though much of its furniture remains, covered in dust-sheets. On the mantelpiece of one room, a plaster saint. In the kitchen, evidence of life here. Opened tins; bread; bottles of spirits; a glass. We move upstairs, gliding along the corridor of the lower landing. The din is furious now. On the floor of one room, a makeshift bed: blankets strewn; an open suitcase; more liquor. We move up a flight and approach a room off the upper landing, the door of which is ajar. The light within swings backwards and forwards, spilling into the passageway. As we reach the door, the screams from within halt abruptly. We can hear a bell now, which has been pealing steadily throughout this opening sequence. As we move through the door, the titles end. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT The bare bulbs in the room we've entered swing violently, disorienting us. There are chains - dozens of them - disappearing with the darkness of the ceiling: all are swinging back and forth. Some end in hooks, with pieces of skin and sinew adhering; some are serrated, others simply drip blood. The bell tolls on. On the blood-spattered floor, a box, some six inches square, which resembles an elaborate Chinese puzzle box. Later, we'll learn its name and function. It's called the Lament Configuration, and it's a way to raise Hell. LITERALLY. For now, it remains an enigma. A hand, its flesh systematically pierced with needles, reaches down and picks the box up. In close up we see just what an elaborate construction it is, made up of sliding panels and mysterious chambers. It is open at present, its polished innards exposed. Out of it, a banal melody, played on a hidden mechanism. The hands, which belong to one of the demons - a CENOBITE - move over the box. CENOBITE unseen It's over Delicately, the hands begin to reconstruct the box, sliding the well-oiled parts back into place, the tune simplifying with each manoeuvre. The room is getting darker. The chains are disappearing into the gloom. We see tantalizing glimpses of other figures, turning from the light and fading into the darkness. We catch sight of monstrous faces, but only for the briefest of moments. Then they're gone. The box is almost returned to its unopened condition. The last sounds to fade are the tune from the box, and the bell. It tolls on as the final panel of the box is slid into place. The light stops swinging. The panel clicks. The tune stops. At last, a long shot of the room. At the far end the window is covered with yellowed newspapers. There is dust settling through the air. Otherwise it is empty. The bell fades. It's as if nothing ever happened here. Except Somewhere, very quietly, a creaking that could be the sound of floorboards, or the low, agonized gasp of a thing barely alive. HALLWAY DAY The wind is blaring as we watch the door of Number . From the doorstep, voices. One is that of LARRY COTTON, the other his wife JULIA. Clearly LARRY is attempting to get inside. We hear the sound of keys tried in the lock. LARRY It's one of these. JULIA We're going to freeze to death. LARRY .K. .K. The sound of another key tried in the lock. JULIA Maybe somebody changed the lock. LARRY slightly irritated Like who? JULIA Just a thought - LARRY Ah! The key is turned. LARRY Success. The door swings open. Voila! We see the pair on the doorstep. LARRY is an American in his early forties, an attractive man who has lost his edge in recent years. He looks harassed; he smirks too much. A little, but significant, corner of him is utterly defeated. JULIA, his wife, is English: and looks perhaps ten years his junior. She is beautiful, but her face betrays a barely buried unhappiness. Life has disappointed her too, of late: and LARRY has been a major part of their disappointment. LARRY Well. This is it. They step over the threshold. UPPER LANDING DAY The door of the Torture Room creaks, as the wind blows it opens an inch. From downstairs, we hear JULIA's voice. JULIA It smells damp. LARRY It's just been empty a while. HALLWAY DAY LARRY slams the front door. UPPER LANDING DAY The Torture Room door creaks closed again. LARRY from below Besides, it's an old house. HALLWAY DAY He stands in the hallway, not certain which way to go from here. JULIA How long since you were here? LARRY The best part of ten years. LARRY picks up some mail - circulars mostly - from behind the door, then leads JULIA through from the hallway to explore the ground floor. LARRY I wanted to sell it off at one point, after the old Lady died, but I couldn't get Frank to agree. He opens one of the doors, and looks inside. LARRY with pleasure Christ. It's not been touched. He continues along the passageway. He opens another door, and steps into a large room. He opens one of the curtains. Light pours in, dust-laden shafts falling on the sheeted furniture. LARRY Look at this. JULIA lingers in the doorway. JULIA Why didn't he want to sell it? LARRY dismissively I don't know. Probably wanted a hideaway. He pulls a sheet off a chair. Look at this stuff. The chair is ugly; old fashioned. JULIA is unimpressed. JULIA Not exactly modern. LARRY shrugs We'll sell it. Sell everything. JULIA I thought half of it was your brother's? LARRY He won't complain. He can pay off some of his creditors. LARRY is getting more enthusiastic about the place by the moment. He leaves the room, moving past JULIA to explore further. LARRY You know we have to let Kirsty see this place, before we do anything to it. She'll love it. JULIA You mean we're moving in? LARRY pauses. Looks at her. LARRY You don't like it? JULIA shrugs. JULIA It's better than Brooklyn. She turns back down the hallway. He watches her, then follows. LARRY You're still blaming me. JULIA No. I'm not. LARRY You wanted to come back to London. We came back. We are hearing the tip of a debate they've had dozens of times, which immediately annoys them both. JULIA All right. LARRY So what's the argument? JULIA cold No argument. LARRY Oh Christ. Julia JULIA wanders back to the bottom of the stairs. Then starts to climb. LARRY exasperated, to himself Shit. LANDING DAY JULIA climbs the stairs, her face charged with suppressed feeling. She's sick of LARRY; his enthusiasm depresses her, his compromises anger her. What's between them is stale, like this house. TORTURE ROOM DAY The door opens a fraction. KITCHEN DAY LARRY has stepped into the kitchen, to find the remains of the food we briefly glimpsed in the titles sequence, now rotted and fungal. It smells, to judge the expression on his face. It also puzzles him. Then, from above: JULIA Larry! He leaves the kitchen and retraces his steps to the bottom of the stairs. Larry! LARRY I hear you. He starts up the stairs. LOWER LANDING DAY LARRY reaches the top of the stairs. LARRY Where are you? JULIA out of sight In here. LARRY follows JULIA's voice to the end of the corridor. JULIA is standing in a doorway. Beyond, the 'bedroom' we saw in the titles sequence, untouched since then. JULIA Squatters? LARRY steps past her, and throws back the blankets. Wood-lice scurry away. He goes to the suitcase, and starts looking through it. Besides clothes there's a lot else that speaks of its owner: bric-a-brac picked up in a lifetime of adventuring; handful of bullets; Fragments of an erotic statue; coins and notes from a dozen countries. Amongst the stuff, some photographs. LARRY peers at them. One pictures a good-looking intense man in his mid to late thirties, in bed with a naked Chinese girl. LARRY Frank. At the door, we see JULIA almost flinch at the name. JULIA He's here? LARRY He's been here. There's stuff in the kitchen. He must have made a hasty exit. The 'phone rings downstairs. JULIA jumps. That'll be Kirsty. LARRY stands up and leaves the room, moving past JULIA in the doorway, who is left to stare down at the bed FRANK has slept in, and the suitcase of belongings. As we hear LARRY clatter downstairs it seems JULIA's face is close to tears. DOWNSTAIRS ROOM DAY The 'phone continues to ring. LARRY steps through and picks up the receiver. LARRY Hello ...? There's no answer. Hello ...? FRANK'S 'BEDROOM' DAY JULIA goes to the open suitcase, and looks at the photographs. DOWNSTAIRS ROOM DAY LARRY on'phone Is there anybody there? He puts down the 'phone. He goes back out into the hall. FRANK'S 'BEDROOM' DAY Nervous that LARRY will return and see what she's doing, JULIA is going through the photographs. LARRY from below There's nobody there - The sound of his foot on the stairs. Hurriedly, she selects a photograph of Frank without the girl, and pockets it. STAIRS DAY LARRY is climbing the stairs. LARRY I'm surprised it's even connected The 'phone rings again. Shit. FRANK'S BEDROOM DAY Mission accomplished, JULIA leaves the bedroom, taking one last glance at the sweat-stained sheet and the indented pillar where Frank lay. A lone wood-louse crawls over the sheet, navigating the folds. She closes the door on the sight. Downstairs, the 'phone stops ringing. DOWNSTAIRS ROOM DAY LARRY has picked up the 'phone. LARRY Who's there? KIRSTY barely audible Daddy? CUT TO KIRSTY'S ROOM DAY KIRSTY, the daughter of Larry's first marriage, and his only child, on the 'phone. She is barely twenty, beautiful in an unpretensious way: a dream of a girl- next-door. We can't see much of the room she's in at the moment, the shot is too tight. LARRY V. .) Kirsty? KIRSTY I got through. LARRY V.O.) Where are you? KIRSTY I found a room. DOWNSTAIRS ROOM DAY LARRY on 'phone What did you say? KIRSTY'S ROOM DAY KIRSTY I said: I found a room. We begin to draw back from KIRSTY now, as she continues to speak to her father. She's sitting on a battered chair by the door. The room she's in is cramped and dirty. From outside, the sound of trains going by. LARRY V. .) I thought you were going to stay with us for awhile? KIRSTY pained No Dad. LARRY V. .) You'd like the house. KIRSTY YOU'D like my room. LARRY V. .) Do you want me to come over? KIRSTY hastily No, no. Not just yet. It needs er some work. That it does. The place, now we've got a good view of it, is a total dump. LARRY V. .) Well I want you to see the house. KIRSTY I'm not going to change my mind, Dad. As she speaks she reaches forward to pull a picture, tacked to the wall, of a ourangoutang, with breasts collaged onto it, down. She succeeds. Beneath there's a large hole in the wall, which the picture was there to conceal. Plaster falls from it. KIRSTY mouths the word Great. LARRY V. .) Well come over, will you? See the place? KIRSTY Maybe tomorrow. I got to go look for a job. LARRY V. .) O.K. Honey. Well you take care. I love you. KIRSTY I love you too. She puts the receiver down. As she does so the small table on which the 'phone is sitting collapses. She covers her face with her hand. HALLWAY OF LODOVICO STREET DAY JULIA is three steps from the bottom of the stairs. LARRY Well? JULIA resigned Why not? LARRY smiles; he's pleased We'll move in Sunday. DOWNSTAIRS ROOM DAY A church bell rings. Off-screen, we hear voices: two men are attempting to move a bed into the house with LARRY masterminding the manoeuvres. We HEAR their efforts, but we don't yet see them. Our interest is in JULIA, who is unpacking a tea-chest in a room which is still full of draped furniture. ST MAN We're not going to get it in. ND MAN Tip it! Tip it! LARRY Wait! Wait! Watch the fucking paint work. ST MAN Look, do you want the bed in or not? LARRY .S.) Just take it slowly. ST MAN Oh, sod you. ND MAN Eh, Chas, slow it down like the man says. LARRY It'll go in. ST MAN Famous last fucking words. JULIA's face through this has been almost devoid of expression. She's holding so many feelings inside; deep inside. Now she moves from one box to another, and opens it to find it full of bathroom bric-a-brac. She picks it up and goes through into the hallway. The bell continues to ring. HALLWAY DAY The three sweating men have the bed wedged in the door. LARRY not seeing Julia Alright, let's give it another try. ND MAN sees Julia Do you really need this bed, lady? LARRY turns. Sees JULIA. LARRY How are you doing through there? JULIA It looks like a bomb's dropped. ND MAN Got any beer? JULIA There's some in the 'fridge. Nobody moves to get it. Certainly JULIA has no intention of being waitress. She goes to the bottom of the stairs. LARRY I'll get it. LARRY disappears through into the kitchen. JULIA starts up the stairs, watched appreciatively by the two men in the doorway. One leans over and whispers to the other, who laughs. JULIA glances back at them. The whisperer licks his lips; the meaning of the gesture perfectly apparent. JULIA heads upstairs. NUMBER DAY KIRSTY arrives at the head of the drive. The two men are drinking beers. The bed has not been moved. She wanders down the drive towards the house. DOORSTEP DAY ND MAN seeing Kirsty It's my lucky day. KIRSTY Hi. ND MAN Want to buy a bed? KIRSTY Not much. She moves past them, attempting to insinuate herself between the bed and the door-jamb. They watch, enjoying her efforts. HALLWAY DAY KIRSTY Dad? LARRY emerges from one of the rooms, looking harassed. His face lightens as he sees his daughter. LARRY Honey! They hug each other. KIRSTY Big house. LARRY You like? KIRSTY Me like. Another hug. LARRY I'll show you around when we've got this damn bed moved. KIRSTY Is Julia here? LARRY Upstairs. his voice lowers Treat her gently, huh? She hates moving. KIRSTY dryly Suprise. LARRY a gently chiding voice Kirsty. KIRSTY O.K. I'll be nice. You get on with the muscle work. I'll make myself some coffee. LARRY Kitchen's through on your left KIRSTY kisses LARRY, and goes through to the kitchen. LARRY turns back to the door. The men have been watching KIRSTY. LARRY clearly dislikes the scrutiny. ST MAN, out-stared by LARRY, looks away. The ND MAN is unperturbed. ND MAN That your daughter? LARRY Uh-huh. ND MAN grins oafishly Got her mother's looks. LARRY Her mother's dead. ND MAN's grin fades. ND MAN Oh. LARRY Julia's my second wife. ND MAN weakly Lucky man. LARRY Damn right. Now are we going to move the bed or not? KITCHEN DAY The kitchen is chaotic. Cutlery, crockery, utensils, pans and foodstuffs have been heaped on every available surface. KIRSTY has found the kettle, but is having difficulty turning on the tap. She struggles with it. No joy. Just a rattling sound in the pipes as the system lurches into action. LOWER LANDING DAY The pipes rattle and chug behind the plaster. The CAMERA moves along the corridor, hugging the wall. At the end of the corridor stands JULIA, in a patch of sunlight. She has the photograph of FRANK in her hands. She looks intently at it. A CLOSE-UP of the photograph. Then FRANK's voice. FRANK Can I come in? JULIA looks up from the photograph. JULIA'S FLASHBACK DAY A front door opens. On the step of another house stands FRANK, with two suitcases. It's raining outside; HARD. The rain has plastered his hair to his scalp, which only emphasizes his raw good looks. He's unshaven; his eyes are dark, and intense. Again, the line she remembers: FRANK Can I come in? The splash of rain on the step becomes a spurt of water, as we CUT BACK TO the present day. KITCHEN DAY The tap has come on suddenly, spraying KIRSTY with water. She jumps back, soaked. KIRSTY Shit! Shit! She reaches to turn the pressure down. HALLWAY DAY The men are struggling with the bed again. LARRY calls through Are you O.K.? KIRSTY from kitchen Sure. LOWER LANDING DAY Again, JULIA returns her gaze to the photograph. JULIA'S FLASHBACK DAY The same scene: FRANK in the doorstep. Now we CUT TO the person who opened the door. It's JULIA; a younger JULIA, her hair arranged differently, her clothes brighter. It is two weeks before her marriage to LARRY. She looks at the man on the doorstep without a trace of recognition on her face. FRANK You're Julia, right? JULIA That's right. Who are you? FRANK a dazzling smile I'm brother Frank. JULIA smiles Oh. FRANK I came for the wedding. He looks at her, eyes glittering. His hold on her is almost mesmeric. There is going to BE a wedding? JULIA Oh. Oh yes. FRANK Well can I come in or not? JULIA I'm sorry. Of course. You're very welcome. He steps inside. Now he is close to her, rain running down his face. We can hear his breath; sense the almost intimidating intimacy of his presence. FRANK That's nice to know. pause Have you got a towel? LOWER LANDING DAY JULIA stares down at the photograph. Off scrren, KIRSTY's voice: KIRSTY Have you got a towel? JULIA looks up. At the top of the stairs, KIRSTY soaked from the tap. JULIA looks up, and hurriedly pockets the photograph. JULIA Kirsty. KIRSTY Hi. I got soaked. JULIA There's a towel in the bath- room. KIRSTY Which is where? JULIA Just to your left. KIRSTY ducks into the bathroom. We CUT BACK TO JULIA. It's clear the memory of her first meeting with FRANK has affected her deeply. The tears that threatened earlier are close. BATHROOM DAY KIRSTY has unbuttoned her blouse and is drying herself. KIRSTY Did Dad tell you I got a room, by the way? Waterloo. Centre of the known universe. Silence from outside. Julia? she puts her head out of the bathroom LOWER LANDING DAY JULIA has gone. UPPER LANDING DAY The door of the Torture Room is pushed open. JULIA steps inside. LOWER LANDING DAY KIRSTY hears the creak of footsteps on the boards above. JULIA's behaviour puzzles her, but she's not about to waste time thinking too hard about it. She starts downstairs again. TORTURE ROOM DAY We have an odd, hovering point of view of JULIA, as she steps inside the room. Something about the atmosphere distresses her. There is a scratching sound. She looks down. A wood-louse, recalling Frank's foresaken bed, crawls along the edge of the skirting board. She crosses to the window, and tears away a little spy-hole in the aged newspaper. From downstairs, the voices of the bed-movers. ST MAN Have you got it? ND MAN I've got it. I told you - LARRY Wait! Wait! The light through the window falls on her eye. The screen becomes a white-out, from which emerges: JULIA'S FLASHBACK DAY A bedroom, with afternoon sunlight pouring between the slats of bamboo blinds. Outside we can hear children playing summer games. Inside, a fly buzzes. JULIA, the younger self, is holding her wedding dress in front of her, displaying it. JULIA Well? FRANK .S.) I don't want to see the dress. JULIA But you said - FRANK I don't want to see the dress. JULIA lets the dress drop a few inches in front of her. She stares at FRANK. FRANK You know what I want. Still she doesn't let the 'defence' that the dress offers - a reminder of her imminent marriage - fall. She stares though, and there's an invitation in her eyes. FRANK I want you. Now we CUT TO FRANK. He is not so beraggled as in the first scene, but the heat of the day has brought a sheen of sweat to his face. Standing half in shadow he looks almost dangerous. Now JULIA lets the dress drop, putting it on the bed behind her. FRANK That's better FRANK steps towards her. JULIA What about Larry - FRANK Forget him. FRANK takes hold of her. She doesn't resist him, though there is barely disguised fear on her face. He puts his hand inside her blouse. TORTURE ROOM DAY In extreme CLOSE UP, JULIA blinks into the light through the window, as LARRY's voice from downstairs calls her from her reverie. LARRY Slowly, will you? Slowly! Again, a white-CUT, from which emerges: JULIA'S FLASHBACK DAY The two are naked on the bed, both sweating now. Beneath them, the wedding dress, crushed under their weight. Their love-making is not straight-forward: there is an element of erotic perversity in the way FRANK licks at her face, almost like an animal, his hold on her too tight to be loving. The sequence escalates into a series of strange details from their locked bodies. Nails digging into palms; sweat rivulets running down their torsoes. And once in a while we see their faces. JULIA watching FRANK, mesmerized and amused by his intensity; FRANK almost pained by his desire to push the experience TO THE LIMIT. Their passion is rendered stranger still by the way the light through the window falls on their bodies, making striped creatures of them. At last, as their urgency increases, we move up until we're looking directly down on the bed. From here it is JULIA's face we can see, and the ecstasy of the moment has seized her. Her arms are flung up over her head; her eyes are closed as she murmurs: JULIA Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. The scene whites out. TORTURE ROOM DAY JULIA is still staring into the light. She sobs, very quietly. JULIA a whisper Oh Frank HALLWAY DAY Downstairs, LARRY and the men have moved the bed across the hall to the bottom of the stairs. All three are weary now, and getting careless. As they start up the stairs we see trouble ahead for LARRY, whose hand is moving closer and closer to a nail proturbing from the woodwork of the bannister. LARRY to Movers Will you take the weight while I take a step up? He backs towards the stairs - and the nail. Damn it, will you take the - The side of his hand is impaled bythe nail. He cries out. The weight of the bed, which he cannot relinquish, drives the nail deeper, and gouges a long cut from the ball of his thumb to his wrist. Blood pours out. LARRY Christ! ST MAN What's the problem? LARRY My fucking hand! He drops his edge of the bed, and disengages his hand from the nail upon which he's injured himself. He lifts his hand, from which blood is pouring. LARRY You fucking ass-holes. ST MAN Who are you calling a fucking ass-hole? It's this bastard bed that's your fucking problem! LARRY isn't listening. He's looking at the wound in his hand. He hates the sight of his own blood. Any moment, he may faint. LARRY Oh Christ But not in front of these bastards. He turns and starts up the stairs, groggier by the moment. LARRY oh Christ TORTURE ROOM DAY JULIA is standing in the middle of the room. A single dart of light, through the hole she tore in the newspaper, strikes her face. Softly on the soundtrack, the scrabbling noise of the woodlice. HALLWAY DAY The bed has been put down. ST MAN and ND MAN are putting on their coats. KIRSTY comes through from the kitchen. KIRSTY What's happening? ND MAN We're leaving. KIRSTY Where's my father? ST MAN He's fucked off. ND MAN mock chiding Eh LANGUAGE. ST MAN Sorry. He's gone upstairs. So we're fucking off too. ND MAN takes a sheet of paper from his jacket. ND MAN Will you sign for the bed? KIRSTY Sure. STAIRS DAY LARRY, his hand running with blood, climbs the last flight of stairs. LARRY weakly Julia TORTURE ROOM DAY JULIA hears him, and turns from her silent communing with the room. She crosses towards the door. Too late. It opens. LARRY steps inside, blood pouring from his right hand, which he attempts to staunch with his left hand. JULIA What have you done? LARRY I cut myself. Blood has started to drip, unnoticed by either of them, onto the bare boards. Heavy splashes. LARRY looks sick; his face clammy with sweat. She stares at him without a trace of feeling for him on her face. JULIA Is it deep? LARRY I don't know, I haven't looked. You know me and blood. JULIA You're NOT going to faint. LARRY he leans againts the wall Shit. JULIA Let me see. She goes to him. He looks away as she unglues one hand from the other, and looks at the wound. Blood comes faster, hitting the floor between them. JULIA It's probably going to need stitches. LARRY I'm going to throw up. JULIA No, you're not. The blood keeps hitting the floor. Slap; slap; slap. We'll get you out into the fresh air. He is again clamping his hand over the wound, as JULIA helps him to the door. They leave the Torture Room. We hear their voices receding down the passageway, as we again assume that hovering view point. The floor, is heavily spattered with blood. JULIA Take it slowly. LARRY So damn stupid. JULIA You're done worse. LARRY I'll be scarred for life. JULIA No you won't. HALLWAY DAY KIRSTY is half way up the stairs, as JULIA and LARRY head down. KIRSTY What happened? JULIA Just an accident. He's all right. Will you drive? He needs stitches. KIRSTY Sure. JULIA The keys are in the kitchen. KIRSTY heads back to the kitchen. JULIA helps LARRY towards the front door. The CAMERA swings away from them, upstairs, and begins to track LAP- UPPER LANDING DAY we continue to track, towards the Torture Room. Downstairs, the front door slams. LAP- TORTURE ROOM DAY From outside, the sound of a car door slamming. An engine starts. The car drives away. We move towards the blood on the floor. As we watch, it begins to disappear, as if being absorbed by the room. We pan up to the wall. The plaster is not quite smooth; indeed, it now begins to grow restless, and cracks. Something begins to move in the wall DINING ROOM NIGHT An explosion of laughter. We CUT TO the remains of a rack of lamb, its gravy now congealed, scraps of meat adhering to the bone here and there. This is the centre-piece of a table reduced to a battlefield by the guests who are laughing off-screen. We pass along the table, taking in dirty plates and cutlery, napkins, glasses and emptied wine bottles. Finally, we reach JULIA, who is still sitting at the table, while the others have retired to more comfortable seats. She looks utterly miserable, and a little drunk. The room has been spruced up for the party. Candles are burning on tables and mantelpiece, there are pictures on the walls. But this is essentially cosmetic. The place has not been refurnished or re- decorated. We move to the party guests. Two, we recognize: KIRSTY, and LARRY - who is presently entertaining the gathering with an account of his accident. The others are new faces. An American couple: BILL UNDERWOOD and his wife EVELYN, who are of an age with LARRY, and a younger, bespectacled man - a work colleague of LARRY's - STEVE O'DONNELL. All are drunk. A brandy bottle sits on the table between them, and half a dozen other liquer bottles besides. STEVE, it soon becomes apparent, has his eyes on KIRSTY. LARRY is half-way through his hospital story, gesticulating wildly as he goes through the tale, much to the pleasure of the rest. His hand and lower arm are heavily bandaged. LARRY - always hated the sight of my own blood. I go out like a light. Anybody else's? no problem. But mine you know goes straight to my head. Anyhow, this damn doctor's poking around and I'm saying: I'm going to pass out, and he's saying, no you're not, no you're not. Next thing I know - We CUT BACK TO JULIA, who watches her husband, unamused. LARRY - I wake up On the floor. Gales of laughter at this. And it was HIM who was looking sick. BILL Probably thought you'd sue. LARRY I should do it! EVELYN Doctors - LARRY I know. And he's saying: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. BILL HE'S sorry. LARRY Right he has picked up the brandy bottle Anyone for more? EVELYN protests No no I LARRY Come on, you're only young once - LARRY fills up her glass. LARRY to Kirsty What are you drinking, love? KIRSTY giggles I've forgotten. LARRY Steve? STEVE We're on the Cointreau. KIRSTY That's right. Cointreau. STEVE picks up the bottle. STEVE I'll do it. He fills up KIRSTY's glass. KIRSTY I won't be able to stand. STEVE So lie down. She casts him a sly glance. He smiles. She smiles. JULIA now stands up. JULIA Would you excuse me? I think I'm going to go to bed. LARRY Are you O.K.? JULIA nods. BILL looks at his watch Christ. I think it's time we were away - He stands. LARRY Bill? Absolutely not. Sit down. We've got celebrating to do. JULIA looks frosty, but LARRY does not catch the look. KIRSTY does however. BILL sits down. STEVE to Julia It was a wonderful meal. EVELYN gushing Oh it was. It was wonderful. There's a chorus of approval. JULIA puts a smile on. JULIA I'm glad you enjoyed it. EVELYN See you again soon. BILL You must come round. EVELYN Yes. You must. We're so happy you're back. JULIA at the door That's nice. Well goodnight. She exits, to a chorus of goodnights. KIRSTY in particular watches her as she makes her exit. JULIA's behaviour confounds her. Meanwhile, the conversation has returned to LARRY's 'wound'. EVELYN Does it still hurt? LARRY Only when I laugh. This wins another round of laughter. LOWER LANDING NIGHT JULIA walks along the landing, while the laughter - muted by distance - wafts up from below. From the floor above, she hears something more. She stops, puzzled, then starts up the second flight of stairs towards the Torture Room. UPPER LANDING NIGHT She approaches the Torture Room, and steps inside. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT The sound of laughter is considerably dimmed in here; it's barely audible. But there is another sound, a shifting sound in the corner of the room. She reaches for the light switch, and turns it on. The bulb's been broken however. She stares around the room, trying to make sense of the shadows. Nervously, she approaches the wall, on which four streaks of light from the window fall. Now she looks towards the window and realizes that the newspaper has been torn, as if by four fingers. Her breath catches. Suddenly, she's afraid. She stands absolutely still, eyes wide in the gloom. JULIA Who's there? On the far side of the room, a movement in the shadows. JULIA almost retreats, but something keeps her staring into the murk, as SOMETHING - the remnants of a human form made of twisted, blistered strands of flesh, raises its head. It's squatting against the wall, unable to lift itself into a standing position. Its eyes, however, have life in them: and hunger. This, though he's unrecognizable, is FRANK. FRANK a pained whisper Julia. JULIA Oh my God. FRANK Don't look at me. JULIA Who are you? FRANK I said: don't look. She looks away. Help me. JULIA Tell me who you are. FRANK Frank. JULIA's face registers horror and disbelief. JULIA No. God no. FRANK Believe me. It's me. It's really me. JULIA What happened to you? FRANK His blood on the floor It brought me back. JULIA Back from where? FRANK Just help, will you? Please God, help me - From downstairs, dimly, laughter. DINING ROOM NIGHT LARRY has just told another story. General drunken laughter. KIRSTY stands up. STEVE You're not going? KIRSTY Just upstairs. She staggers a little bit. STEVE Need any help? KIRSTY I AM house-trained. Further hysteria. STEVE covered in embarrass- ment No I meant LARRY It's round on the left - KIRSTY I know. She steps out into the hallway. HALLWAY NIGHT She starts up the stairs. She smiles to herself, thinking of STEVE. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT FRANK, in the corner of the room, watches JULIA, who is still at the door. FRANK somebody JULIA Ssh! The sound of KIRSTY downstairs, closing the bathroom door. FRANK You can't let me stay like this. Please. You can't. JULIA What do you want me to do. FRANK The blood brought me this far. I need more of the same. Or I'll slip back CUT BACK TO JULIA's lace as she stares at FRANK once more. She is appalled at the choice before her. FRANK a plea You have to heal me. BATHROOM NIGHT KIRSTY smiles at herself in the bathroom mirror, turns off the tap, opens the door and steps out onto the landing. LOWER LANDING NIGHT She takes a step along the landing, then realizes that there's somebody ahead of her, in the darkness. She stops. From the floor above, a soft sigh. KIRSTY Hello? JULIA moves out of shadow into a patch of patterned light splashing up the stair well.The effect recalls her memory of her lovemaking with FRANK. The light makes her look strange; ominous. KIRSTY Oh, it's you. JULIA doesn't smile Are you all right? Do we read murder in JULIA's eyes? KIRSTY is uneasy. Suddenly, a voice from the floor below. STEVE Kirsty? KIRSTY is relieved at the interruption. KIRSTY calls down I'm here. STEVE I thought we'd lost you. KIRSTY calls down I'm coming! to Julia Sleep well. JULIA is left on the landing, as KIRSTY heads downstairs. TUBE STATION NIGHT The station is deserted, but for KIRSTY and STEVE, who are sitting, waiting for the last train. KIRSTY You know I do know the way home. STEVE It's late. KIRSTY Not that late. STEVE Please. I want to see you home. All right? KIRSTY lightly All right. smiles No. That's nice. STEVE If there's a train. KIRSTY What do we do if there isn't? STEVE We walk. A PEDESTRIAN TUNNEL, NEAR WATERLOO NIGHT KIRSTY and STEVE are walking. STEVE Why don't you stay at Larry's house? There's plenty of room. KIRSTY Yeah, there's room. And there's Julia. STEVE I see. KIRSTY She's so damn English. STEVE Meaning what? KIRSTY Oh, I don't know. Up-tight. Frigid. STEVE stops walking. STEVE I beg your pardon? KIRSTY lightly There ya go. imitates his tone I beg your pardon? STEVE We're not all frigid. KIRSTY has turned to look at him. Both of them are aware where the banter is leading; smiles play on their faces as they speak. KIRSTY Oh no? STEVE Oh no. KIRSTY It's not what I heard. STEVE moves closer to her Well you've just been talking to the wrong people. He kisses her, with considerable feeling. BEDROOM NIGHT LARRY snores loudly. JULIA lies beside him, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. LARRY turns over, muttering to himself. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT The door opens. JULIA is standing there, in her night-gown. FRANK raises his wretched head. FRANK Well? JULIA stares at the thing moving in the shadow. JULIA Yes. NUMBER DAY The door opens. JULIA steps out of the house, and starts towards the street. As she does so, she glances round. WINDOW OF TORTURE ROOM DAY We approach the window, knowing that FRANK watches behind it. NUMBER DAY JULIA heads off down the street. PIZZA RESTAURANT DAY The din of a lunchtime restaurant, with all the tables full, and everyone hungry. In the middle of the melee, KIRSTY is valiantly trying to do six things at once. Somebody wants their order taken; somebody else wants more lager; somebody else is complaining. She's doing her best, but losing the battle. She serves a table with their food, and then starts back to pick up another order. As she does so she's harangued from every side. ST CUSTOMER Excuse me, Miss - ND CUSTOMER I'd like some more lager. ST CUSTOMER Miss! KIRSTY In a moment. ND CUSTOMER Did you hear me? KIRSTY starts back to the counter. As she does so somebody else's voice cuts through the din. STEVE Hey, sex-bomb - She wheels round. KIRSTY You keep your - sees Steve Oh. smiles Hi. STEVE I just called in. How about tonight? KIRSTY I don't finish till twelve. STEVE I'm a late riser. He grins. She grins. ND CUSTOMER What do you have to do to get some service around here? STEVE Catch you later. BAR DAY By contrast, a quiet bar. Discreet music; a well-dressed clientele. Several couples occupy booths. Other solitary drinkers are at the bar. Amongst them: JULIA. Now we see her more closely, we realize she's gone to some considerable effort to make herself ravishing. There's nothing crude about the change; it's a subtle transformation which shows off her considerable beauty. She drinks soda water. She has an admirer. Sitting alone at one of the tables is a middle-aged man by the name of PRUDHOE, a nervous, slightly paunchy individual. She glances over at him. His eyes don't leave her for a moment. He's trying his best to get the courage to approach her. She looks away, and concentrates on her drink. Now she takes out a cigarette, fumbling for it. Her hands are trembling slightly. She lights the cigarette, draws on it, and as she does so she seems to make up her mind that she's not the equal of it. She stubs the cigarette out, puts cash on the bar for her drinks, and gets up to leave. Suddenly, PRUDHOE's at her side. PRUDHOE Not much fun, is it? JULIA What? PRUDHOE Drinking alone. JULIA Not much. PRUDHOE I wonder, maybe He's so nervous he can barely speak. as we're both on our own we could have one drink together? JULIA looks at him. He seems to almost be offering himself to her. There's a long pause, while she tries to make up her mind. Then: JULIA Why not? She smiles. The smile works wonders. PRUDHOE's nerves diminish somewhat. JULIA's simply increase, now that she's committed herself. Again, she opens the pack of cigarettes, as PRUDHOE calls the BARMAN over. PRUDHOE to Julia What are you drinking? JULIA Just soda. PRUDHOE Plain soda? JULIA Please. PRUDHOE I try not to drink at lunch- time. Makes me sleepy in the afternoon. You like to keep a clear head, eh? to Barman One soda, one whisky. to Julia I do it anyway. No will-power. Got a busy afternoon? JULIA looking straight at him That depends. PRUDHOE Oh? He stares at her, not certain he interprets her correctly. She stares back. Then: the tiniest of smiles, which he - scarcely believing his luck - returns. TORTURE ROOM DAY The CAMERA moves across the room. We can hear FRANK's ragged breathing, and as we move in we see, on the floor beside him, the box - the Lament Configuration - its sides gleaming. FRANK, still squatting on the floor, taps a tattoo on the bare boards with his skeletal fingers. Then, voices outside: JULIA laughs. He raises his head. DOORSTEP DAY JULIA opens the front door. She is still very nervous, fumbling with the keys. PRUDHOE stands a pace behind her. HALLWAY DAY They step inside. JULIA closes the door PRUDHOE You know it's not often I you know JULIA There's a first time for every- thing. PRUDHOE I suppose that's right. JULIA You want something to drink? PRUDHOE I'm already way over my usual limit. You know, it's funny. I feel like I've known you for years. He approaches her: his gestures made slightly clumsy by the alcohol he's drunk. He kisses her. She presses him off her. PRUDHOE Oh, come on. he takes hold of her breast It's what you brought me here for, isn't it? JULIA Yes. I just think we'd be better off upstairs. PRUDHOE Oh. Oh fine. TORTUPE ROOM DAY FRANK's view, from the corner of the room. We hear the sound of JULIA and PRUDHOE's approach up the stairs. PRUDHOE This your place? JULIA Let's not talk about it. PRUDHOE No personal details, right? JULIA Right. PRUDHOE You know, you're incredible - JULIA opens the door. JULIA Come on in. Make yourself at home. She steps inside. PRUDHOE does as he's instructed. He stares at the bare floor, as JULIA closes the door behind him. PRUDHOE There's no bed. JULIA That's right. PRUDHOE Huh? JULIA I prefer the floor. PRUDHOE First time for everything, right? JULIA Right. JULIA moves towards him JULIA Why don't you take off your jacket? You're warm. PRUDHOE Yeah, why don't I? She slips the knot of his tie. We can hear her pulse on the soundtrack. She glances over PRUDHOE's shoulder. He follows her gaze, but she diverts him with a peck on the cheek. PRUDHOE takes over his undressing Why don't you do the same? JULIA Maybe I will. PRUDHOE, now starts to shed his jacket and trousers, trying not to take his eyes off JULIA for an instant. We watch from FRANK'S P.O.V. as he drops his underwear. He still wears his shirt, which he starts to unbutton. We move back into a tighter shot. PRUDHOE voice slightly slurred You know, you're very beautiful. JULIA Am I? PRUDHOE You know you are. Loveliest woman I ever set eyes on. JULIA smiles. PRUDHOE stops unbuttoning his shirt. PRUDHOE Oh Christ. JULIA What's wrong? PRUDHOE Too much drink. Better empty my bladder. She steps out of the way so that he can cross to the door. PRUDHOE I'll be a moment. As he moves to the door, she throws a piece of cloth off a hammer, which lies beside the wall. PRUDHOE takes hold of the door handle. Turns it: it's stuck. PRUDHOE The door's stuck. Before he can turn she hits him on the back of the head. He doesn't fall, but the blow sends blood down the back of his shirt. To avoid the following blow he stumbles blindly towards the wall but JULIA's not going to be stopped now. He holds the back of his head - dazed, apologetic, pitiful - while she moves towards him. PRUDHOE Don't I please I'm sorry She eclipses him. I'm so sorry She raises the hammer. I don't understand She strikes him. He slides down the wall, his jaw broken, blood pouring from his face. He twitches. Then the twitches stop. She drops the hammer, and stares down at the corpse. JULIA Enough? The room sighs. In the corner, FRANK's shadowy form leans forward. FRANK Don't look at me. JULIA backs towards the door, as the broken, skeletal form crawls out of darkness to claim its sustenance. UPPER LANDING DAY JULIA steps out onto the landing and leans against the wall, waves of sheer relief breaking over her. In the room behind her, terrible sounds of feeding. BATHROOM DAY JULIA steps into the bathroom, and looks at herself in the mirror. Blood is spattered on her face; her hands are similarly stained. She is trembling from head to foot. Stripping off her blouse, and flinging it over the side of the bath, she douses her face, neck and breasts with cold water. Then she stares up at her face again, examining it. She can scarcely believe what she's done. LOWER LANDING DAY She crosses the landing and climbs the stairs to the Torture Room. TORTURE ROOM DAY She opens the door. As she does so FRANK retreats into the shadows. We are granted a fleeting glimpse of him, his body fuller than before, but still horribly vulnerable. JULIA looks at PRUDHOE's corpse. A trail of blood leads away from it into the darkness. The body itself is a grotesquely misshapen husk now, the muscle and fat withered, the eyes sunk into the skull, the lips drawn back to expose the gums. A ghostly sight. JULIA Jesus Christ. JULIA looks across at FRANK, who is no longer sitting, but standing in the shadows. FRANK his voice stronger Do I disgust you? She doesn't reply. He stretches his arm into a passage of light. His flesh glistens and pulses. FRANK See? It's making me whole again. He turns his arm over for her appreciation. Every drop of blood you spill puts more flesh on my bones. And we both want that don't we? She nods. Good. Come here. She stares, unable to move. Come here, damn you. I want to touch you Still she doesn't move. FRANK more softly Come to Daddy. I only want to touch She takes a step towards his outstretched arm. His fingers touch her face. She steels herself against them. Now, he starts to trace the line of her jaw, stroking her. Now her lips, caressingly. Suddenly, a sound from downstairs. The front door is opened. LARRY from below Sweetheart? JULIA withdraws from his touch LARRY from below Where are you? HALLWAY DAY Shot from the stairs of LARRY. He looks up the flight. He takes a step towards the stairs. TORTURE ROOM DAY JULIA takes a step backwards, her foot hitting PRUDHOE's corpse. HALLWAY DAY LARRY is still at the bottom of the stairs. LARRY Are you there? For a moment it looks as though he's going to climb the stairs, then he thinks better of it, and goes through to the back of the house. TORTURE ROOM DAY JULIA has wrapped the corpse of PRUDHOE up in its clothes and is now lifting it. The body is lighter now, having been drained of nourishment. Its head lolls back and its dentures drop out, hitting the floor loudly. She freezes. No sound from below. She backs out of the room with her burden. FRANK's arm reaches for the fallen dentures and peers at them. FRANK Who's a pretty boy then? Soft laughter from the darkness. JUNK ROOM DAY JULIA pushes the door of the Junk Room, which is on the upper landing, open. Inside, a chaos of tea-chests and bric-a-brac. She lays the body down. KITCHEN DAY LARRY has come through to look for JULIA. He hears a noise above. He looks up. LARRY quietly Julia? He leaves the kitchen. HALLWAY DAY Again, LARRY Steps into the hallway, and gazes up the stairs. LARRY Are you there? He starts up. LOWER LANDING DAY JULIA steps into the bathroom, and then locks the door behind her. LARRY ascends to the top of the stairs. LARRY Julia? JULIA from bathroom I'm here. LARRY at the door Sweetheart I've been calling you. He tries the door. It's locked. Are you all right? JULIA Just feeling a bit sick. LARRY Oh, babe BATHROOM DAY JULIA, still trembling, sits on the edge of the bath. JULIA I'll be O.K. Just leave me be a while. LARRY Can I get you anything? JULIA Maybe a brandy. LARRY Sure. JULIA I'll be down in a minute LARRY O.K. She listens as his footsteps recede down the landing and stairs. Then she crosses to the mirror and tries to erase the signs of panic. She puts a comb through her hair, and adjusts her blouse. That done, she unbolts the door and steps out into the landing. She doesn't go down however, but UP, back to the Torture Room. TORTURE ROOM DAY She opens the door. JULIA very softly Frank? A crunching sound in the shadows. FRANK's hand opens, dropping the pieces of PRUDHOE's dentures, which he has crushed, onto the floor, in a rain of plastic teeth. FRANK I'm hurting JULIA Hurting. FRANK My nerves are beginning to work again. JULIA Good. FRANK One more. Maybe two - JULIA's face registers no horrer at this. - to heal me completely. Then we can be away from here, before they come looking. JULIA Who? FRANK The Cenobites. It's only a matter of time before they find I've slipped them. I have to get away from here. From downstairs, LARRY. LARRY Julia? Are you all right? JULIA crosses to the door and calls down. JULIA Just a moment. Put on some music will you babe? LARRY O.K. She returns to her conversation with FRANK. FRANK Poor Larry. Obedient as ever. JULIA Keep your voice down. She crosses to close the door. When she turns round, he's in front of her, silhouetted against the window, his half-formed face terrifying in the gloom. Suddenly he reaches out and catches hold of her arm. She gasps in pain. FRANK Ssh. Don't want babe to hear. JULIA You're hurting. FRANK You won't cheat me will you? You'll stay with me. Help me. Then we can be together, the way we were before. We belong to each other now, for better or worse He lets go of her. like love. Only real. She goes to the door, and leaves him, locking it behind her. We move close to FRANK's face. He licks his skinned lips with a bloody tongue. Thunder rolls. KIRSTY'S DREAM The thunder carries over to a dream. We are in the Dining Room of Number, except that everything is once more shrounded in sheets. We CUT to KIRSTY, moving through the room, her face pale, her hair glued to her forehead with sweat. Somewhere, a bell is ringing. Flies buzz. On the dinner table, a form is covered in a sheet. It's clear that the shape is human. She reaches the table, and looks at the body. Suddenly, blood begins to seep through the shroud, beginning at the head - eyes and mouth - then spreading across the body. There are sobs beneath the shroud. She reaches for it, to snatch it off the body. The blood has almost turned the sheet scarlet. She pulls. We glimpse only a moment of what'd beneath: a naked body, scarlet and shining with blood from head to foot. She screams. Her scream becomes louder, as we CUT TO KIRSTY'S ROOM NIGHT STEVE sits bolt upright in bed, while KIRSTY yells. The sheet is snatched off him. He looks across the room to see KIRSTY at the end of the bed, with the sheet in her hand. STEVE What are you doing? KIRSTY's eyes are still closed. Kirsty! Her eyes open. She looks down at the sheet she's snatched from the bed, and drops it in horror. STEVE Christ. What was that about? KIRSTY, weak with fear, just shakes her head. HALLWAY, NUMBER NIGHT A phone is ringing. LARRY crosses the hallway, bleary-eyed, and disappears from sight. The phone is picked up. LARRY'S VOICE Hello? BEDROOM NIGHT JULIA lies in bed, the pillow empty beside her. She's wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Downstairs, the murmur of LARRY's voice. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT FRANK stands in the corner of the room, breathing softly in the shadows. TELEPHONE ROOM NIGHT LARRY is on the phone. LARRY I'm O.K., honey. It's all right KIRSTY'S ROOM NIGHT KIRSTY is on the phone. STEVE sits up in bed, having reclaimed the sheet. KIRSTY I just wanted to be sure you were O.K. TELEPHONE ROOM NIGHT LARRY Never better. You sleep well. KIRSTY on phone Yeah. LARRY I love you, honey. KIRSTY on phone I love you too. LARRY puts down the phone. LOWER LANDING DAY LARRY returns to the bedroom. JULIA Who was it? LARRY Kirsty. He goes into the bedroom. We PAN up the second flight of stairs. FRANK is sitting at the top, in the shadows. FRANK soft as a breath Kirsty. HALLWAY DAY The front door is closed by JULIA. A man stands in the hallway: another VICTIM. He is as nervous as PRUDHOE. VICTIM You're sure we're not going to be interrupted - JULIA Quite sure. VICTIM Only I like to be careful. TORTURE ROOM DAY A shock CUT to the naked VICTIM, thrown back against the wall from JULIA's hammer blow. Before he can even slide down the wall, FRANK is upon him. We don't linger, but CUT away to: LANDING DAY As JULIA closes the door, her face devoid of emotion, we see the VICTIM's body on the floor, with FRANK's hands oh its head, draining out its energies. DINING ROOM DAY JULIA sits, sipping a drink, her face still unreadable. TORTURE ROOM DAY FRANK is standing in the shadows. The VICTIM's body is in the middle of the room. JULIA enters. JULIA Well? FRANK Better. Much better. I'd like some clothes. And maybe a cigarette. JULIA Then you tell me you explain what happened to you? FRANK Of course. TORTURE ROOM DAY We pan across the walls as FRANK speaks. FRANK I wanted access to experiences pleasures that only they could offer JULIA The Cenobites. FRANK That's what they call themselves. They're not human. Maybe they were once, but they're not now. They rearrange their own flesh for pleasure. We've moved across to FRANK now. He is dressed, in loose fitting jacket and trousers, through which his blood is seeping. He smokes, taking great pleasure in the experience. JULIA And the box? FRANK picks up the box. Vague, tantalizing forms move over the surface, like ghosts. FRANK It cost me a fortune. All I had. It's a puzzle you see. You solve it, and the Cenobites come through JULIA Where from? FRANK God knows. Sometimes I think they're just behind the walls He turns the box over. The lacquer catches the light. JULIA So they cheated you In the lacquer we see oiled bodies moving. It's difficult to be sure what the forms signify. Is this torture, or some elaborate pleasure? FRANK Oh no. They kept to their bargain. They gave me experiences I'd never forget The images in the lacquer are becoming clearer, and they are APPALLING. Flesh torn open; blood running across sweating flesh; hooks, and terrible machines. FRANK But their pleasure was my pain. His voice has begun to tremble. The images in the box are more horrific by the moment. And flowing between them, highly distorted, the CENOBITE's faces, and that of FRANK, screaming and screaming. FRANK Terrible pain. Appalling He can't speak for a moment. After a pause, he goes on, his voice heavy. My body was forfeit. But my spirit they left that here. In the boards. In the walls. Watching the world, but never able to touch it JULIA And the blood let you out? FRANK There are ways to resurrection. Blood's one of them. I won't let them take me back, Julia. JULIA looks at the horrors in the box, and understands his desire. FRANK I want to be whole, and then get out - He lifts the box up. I won't let them take me. JULIA You won't have to. We'll be gone. Somewhere they'll never find us. There's a rumble of thunder. Not in the whole wide world. DINING ROOM NIGHT More thunder, and the sound of heavy rain against the windows. The television is on. LARRY and JULIA are sitting on the couch. LARRY is watching a boxing match. He has consumed several beers: the cans are beside his feet; and there's another in his hand. JULIA reads a magazine, glancing up at the screen to see the match getting more heated. Blood is starting to flow. LARRY Is this upsetting you? JULIA I've seen worse. LARRY looks at her. LARRY Are you all right? JULIA Fine. LARRY Only I'll turn it off - There's a sudden raising of shouts from the screen, as one of the boxers hits the canvas. LARRY turns his attention back to the match. COMMENTATOR And he's down! He's down! The thunder rolls on. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT The lightning finds its way through the holes in the newspaper. FRANK is watching through the window, his face occasionally washed with light. His hand, on the window frame, taps out the same tattoo he's tapped out before. He turns away from the window, and his foot catches the box. It rolls across the floor. DINING ROOM NIGHT The boxing match is heating up again. COMMENTATOR - and now he's in trouble, he's really in trouble - LARRY What was that? JULIA looks up from her magazine. JULIA Thunder. The violence on the screen is horrific, as swollen faces burst beneath punches. LARRY No. Something else. LARRY stands up. JULIA Maybe I left a window open - She gets up and crosses to the door. - I'll go see. LARRY No. I'll do it. He opens the door, and steps out into the hallway. UPPER LANDING NIGHT In such tight close up we can't sec that FRANK has in fact left the Torture Room, we see his features register that somebody is coming. STAIRWAY NIGHT LARRY is climbing the stairs. JULIA follows. JULIA It was nothing. LARRY has reached the top of the stairs. He looks up the next flight. Larry LARRY What's wrong with you? She's desperate to stop him climbing to the Torture Room. JULIA I just hate the thunder. He crosses to her. LARRY I'm here. He puts his arms around her. She responds. You're shaking. He hugs her tight, kissing her lightly. The thunder shakes the house. There's nothing to be afraid of. He kisses her neck, his hands restless on her. I'll just go check upstairs He kisses her again. She, in order to distract him, kisses him back. Her passion is artificial, but he doesn't register that. LARRY Oh baby. JULIA Don't go upstairs. LARRY Come with me then. He starts up the stairs. JULIA Please UPPER LANDING NIGHT He reaches the top of the stairs. First he throws open the Junk Room. Lightning flashes on boxes inside. Then he moves towards the Torture Room. The thunder rolls more loudly. She follows him along the landing, desperate to stop him. Too late. He throws open the door. JULIA Don't. Lightning floods the room. It's empty. She stands beside him at the door. LARRY We must have rats. She looks back down the stairs. Where's FRANK gone? LARRY turns to her, holding her again, on the threshold of the Torture Room. LARRY See? Quite safe. He kisses her, much harder this time; a sexual kiss. Let's go down. I'll make it better. He kisses her again. BEDROOM NIGHT A shadow moves across the screen as the door opens, and LARRY puts on the light. He has hold of JULIA's hand. He leads her inside. She sits on the bed, illuminated by the light from the landing, and the occasional flicker from the window. LARRY kneels between her legs, and kisses her breasts, his eyes closed. JULIA glances into the shadows of the room. She senses FRANK's presence. LARRY oh babe He starts to unbutton her dress. She's distracted by her suspicions; he has his hands against her almost before she realizes what's happening. We have her P.O.V. as she looks around the room. The dressing table; the wardrobe; the curtains at the window. Does something move in the shadows? A flash of lightning. No. There's nothing. LARRY gets onto the bed and draws her against him, kissing her. This is not the intense, slightly dangerous love-making she experienced with FRANK, but a fumbling, slightly foolish exchange. LARRY is so wrapped in attempting to make the right moves he doesn't register the fact that JULIA's attention is elsewhere. Now we have a P.O.V. from the far side of the room, of the two figures on the bed, the only sound the thunder and LARRY's murmured words of seduction, which we can barely make out. LARRY I love you, honey let me oh God I love you Neither of them have undressed fully; there's just a tangle of clothes around them which removes any trace of eroticism from the scene. A CLOSE UP of JULIA's head, laid on the pillow, shows just how uninvolved she is - while LARRY works, eyes closed. JULIA looks down the length of her husband's body. The door of the wardrobe swings open. FRANK is watching. She registers horror. LARRY is oblivious to all of this, of course. We have a CLOSE UP of FRANK watching the love-making. Now he steps out of the wardrobe. JULIA makes a moan of horror, which LARRY takes as enthusiasm. LARRY Oh baby I love you From JULIA'S P.O.V., we see the form of FRANK shamble towards the lovers. From FRANK'S P.O.V. we see the lovers on the bed, LARRY's back vunerable. JULIA seems to realize what he intends. JULIA no LARRY barely hears her. FRANK is at the very end of the bed now, and JULIA becomes highly agitated. JULIA No. No, you mustn't. PLEASE. No. LARRY stops his love-making. LARRY looks at her Huh? JULIA Please LARRY What's wrong with you? JULIA almost sobbing Please. I can't bear it LARRY is angered and utterly perplexed at this. He disengages his arms from around her. JULIA'S P.O.V., as FRANK retreats. LARRY rolls off JULIA. The wardrobe door closes. Click. LARRY I don't understand you. One moment you're all over me, the next it's: Don't touch me. He sits on the edge of the bed. I just don't understand. He gets up and leaves the bedroom. JULIA remains where she is. We have a shot of the bed, and her upon it, from FRANK's end of the room. She stares at the wardrobe. Through the crack of the open door, FRANK stares back. A flicker of lightning illuminates his face; his skeletal grin. Softly, beneath the assault of the rain on the roof, we hear laughter. A SMALL RESTAURANT EVENING KIRSTY and LARRY are sitting eating a meal together, in an intimate restaurant. LARRY has little appetite, to judge by his plate. He looks as if he hasn't slept for several nights. KIRSTY, by contrast, is sparkling LARRY maybe we should never have come back. KIRSTY Maybe you should give it some time. LARRY I guess. KIRSTY skirting her real feelings She's not like Mom. She's I don't know moody. I thought that was what you liked about her. LARRY You don't like her at all do you? The straight-forward question silences KIRSTY for a moment. She wants to be delicate with her father's feelings, but honest at the same time. KIRSTY I don't know her. She's so sealed up. LARRY's face is full of the desire for reassurance. KIRSTY tries to offer it. If YOU love her she must be worth loving. Just give me some time. LARRY nods, a weak smile on his face LARRY She doesn't even want to leave the house. KIRSTY Really? LARRY It's like she's waiting for something. KIRSTY What? LARRY I don't know. I don't know. It's beyond me. A silence. LARRY hesitant Would you maybe call round sometime? Try to make friends. KIRSTY Sure. LARRY Maybe all she needs is some company. STAIRCASE DAY FRANK is standing at the top of the stairs, dressed in his stained suit. JULIA is a few steps down, staring up at him. FRANK You can't love him. JULIA I don't. FRANK So where's the harm? JULIA I said no. FRANK Then find me somebody else, before they come looking. JULIA nods. Tomorrow? She looks at him. LODOVICO STREET - DAY A wind blows, carrying autumn leaves before it. And on the wind, the distant pealing of bells. DOORSTEP OF NUMBER DAY JULIA is at the door, turning the key in the lock. Beside her, a third sacrificial lamb, balding and excitable. His name is SYKES. JULIA opens the door. LODOVICO STREET DAY At the corner of the street now: KIRSTY. She watches, puzzled. DOORSTEP OF NUMBER DAY A long shot of the house, from KIRSTY'S P.O.V. The man on the step seems to having second thoughts. JULIA speaks with him. We can hear none of this exchange, but JULIA manages to coax him inside. She closes the door behind them. LODOVICO STREET DAY KIRSTY stands, bewildered by what she's seen. LOWER LANDING DAY From the top of the stairs we watch JULIA lead SYKES upstairs. SYKES I get lonely sometimes. JULIA Everybody does. STREET DAY KIRSTY starts towards the house. TORTURE ROOM DAY In the corner of the room FRANK stands, tapping out the rhythm with his fingers. It's 'Colonel Bogey', and now he hums it too. Outside the door, a footfall. JULIA Come in. The humming stops. JULIA opens the door. FRONT OF HOUSE DAY KIRSTY starts down the path. TORTURE ROOM DAY SYKES is looking at JULIA. SYKES What is this? A game? FRANK moves in the corner. SYKES catches the motion from the corner of his eye. He turns. What ? FRANK steps from the shadows. Jesus Christ. JULIA hits him with the hammer. DOORSTEP DAY KIRSTY hears SYKES scream. She freezes. Then steps back from the doorstep and looks up at the house. TORTURE ROOM DAY In the Room, pandemonium. SYKES, blood pouring down his face, flails out at JULIA. The hammer flies from her hand. He lunges for the door, but she manages to kick it closed. SYKES Christ help me! HOUSE DAY KIRSTY makes her way around the back of the house. TORTURE ROOM DAY SYKES has taken hold of JULIA, and is using her as a shield against FRANK, whos is bearing down upon him. For the first time we see FRANK's true colours where JULIA's concerned - SYKES to Frank Don't! Casually, FRANK throws JULIA aside. She falls, sobbing. FRANK descends on SYKES. SYKES No! KITCHEN DAY SYKES' scream covers the sound of KIRSTY forcing the back door open. She steps inside. TORTURE ROOM DAY FRANK has SYKES face to the wall. SYKES is sobbing now. The room is covered in blood. FRANK to Julia Get out of here. She picks herself up. SYKES to Julia Please don't let him kill me please JULIA leaves, closing the door. FRANK seizes hold of SYKE's neck, his fingers entering the flesh either side of his neck vertebrae. SYKES screams. KITCHEN/DINGING ROOM/HALLWAY DAY KIRSTY moves through the house, and starts to climb the stairs. LOWER LANDING DAY Half way up the stairs, the scream stops. She climbs the rest of the way surrounded by a graveyard hush. TORTURE ROOM DAY A soundless, slowed shot, as SYKES, his face wasted by FRANK's feeding, breaks from FRANK's hold and lunges for the door. LOWER LANDING DAY KIRSTY starts up the second flight of stairs. TORTURE ROOM DAY The same slowed, soundless horror, as SYKES reaches the door. FRANK is a pace behind him. UPPER LANDING DAY KIRSTY reaches the top as - TORTURE ROOM DAY The door from inside the room. SYKES pulls it open - TORTURE ROOM FROM LANDING DAY In real time, and accompanied by the most horrific shriek, SYKES flings himself from the Torture Room. The flesh is hanging off his face; his eyes bulge in terror. Seeing KIRSTY he starts towards her. Behind him, FRANK, his body glistening. He catches hold of SYKES by the neck. SYKES' shrieks stop. The eyes glaze over. The body judders as death claims it. Then FRANK drops the corpse, and looks up at KIRSTY. KIRSTY Oh my God. She starts to back away down the stairs. KIRSTY shouts Julia! FRANK Kirsty? He takes a step towards her. KIRSTY Keep your fucking distance. Julia! Where's Julia? Christ, what have you done with her. She's still backing away. He's still advancing. FRANK Kirsty. It's Frank. It's Uncle Frank. KIRSTY No. FRANK You remember. KIRSTY No. FRANK Come to Daddy. Her puzzlement, however, has slowed her retreat, and now FRANK reaches for her. At the last moment she backs away again, but he's after her in a beat, and seizes hold of her. KIRSTY No. Get the fuck off me. He drags her back up the stairs. TORTURE ROOM DAY He pushes her ahead of him, into the Torture Room. He closes the door. FRANK You've grown. You're beautiful. She has retreated as far from him as she can get. He advances on her. KIRSTY Don't touch me. Or so help me - FRANK What? What will you do? What can you do? pause There's nothing to be frightened of. FRANK has closed in on her by now. He Lakes hold of her face. FRANK I bet you make your Daddy proud, don't you? Beautiful. KIRSTY This isn't happening. FRANK I used to tell myself that. Used to try and pretend I was dreaming all the pain. But why kid yourself? Some things have to be endured. Take it from me. And that makes the pleasures so much sweeter As he leans in to kiss her she snatches hold of the pus and bloodstained shirt that's glued to his abdomen, and PULLS. There's a flow of fluids. FRANK's head is thrown back, and he screams. She slips from beneath his grasp. But he's after her in a moment, his hand catching her blouse. It tears. His fingers rake her bare skin. She stumbles, reaches out for the wall, which is slick with SYKES' blood. Her hand slides over it. She falls, heavily. Roaring, FRANK comes in pursuit of her. On the floor in front of KIRSTY: the box. It's a poor weapon, but it's all she's got. As he comes after her again, she stands up and delivers a blow to his head with the box. He howls. She races for the door. But he's after her. He strikes her. She's thrown against the wall. He's FURIOUS now. Strikes her again. She cannot survive much more. She raises the box to retaliate. FRANK sees what she's holding. His attack stops. FRANK Give that to me. She dimly realizes that she has a bargaining tool. KIRSTY breathless No. FRANK One last time. Give me the box. KIRSTY You want it? The monster's eyes glitter. Fucking have it! She throws the box. It sails past FRANK and smashes through the window. FRANK NO! He goes to the window. She takes her chance. She's out of the door in a moment. NO! UPPER LANDING DAY KIRSTY propels herself out of the Room, and down the stairs, while FRANK vents his anger above her. HALLWAY DAY She flings open the front door, and pitches herself - bleeding and bruised - into the daylight beyond. NUMBER DAY As she stumbles away down the path, she sees the box at her feet, in a litter of broken glass. She picks it up, and continues to run. LODOVICO STREET DAY A series of shots from KIRSTY'S P.O.V., as she staggers along the street. The sound-track whines; the image threatens to be eclipsed by darkness. People stare at her as she runs. A child points. Finally, the CAMERA slows. She stands still. A voice, off camera: VOICE Are you all right? The CAMERA swings giddily around in the direction of the speaker. A WOMAN comes into view. WOMAN Do you need any help? As she speaks, the picture fades to white. KIRSTY'S DREAM PART TWO The whiteness continues to fill the screen. Distant, incoherent voices are heard, and the thump of blood in the inner ear. Then darkness seeps into the whiteness, patterns like Rorschach inkblots: ambiguous, yet interpretable as sexual or horrific imagery. With the darkness, soaking over the scene like blood through the sheet in her first dream, fragments of FRANK's previous dialogue. FRANK Come to Daddy. KIRSTY This isn't happening. FRANK Some things have to be endured The darkness is filling the screen take it from me Now, total darkness. Come to Daddy And suddenly, she wakes. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT KIRSTY is lying in a bed in a private room. A NURSE is at her bedside, monitoring her condition. NURSE You're awake. She goes to the door. I'll get the doctor. She exits. KIRSTY tries to sit up. Her head hurts, badly. As she achieves a sitting position, the door opens. The NURSE returns, with a DOCTOR. DOCTOR approaching the bed So you're back with us. KIRSTY I think so. DOCTOR How are you feeling? KIRSTY Tender. DOCTOR You took quite a beating. Do you remember what happened? She looks at him, uncertain of where to start. KIRSTY I want to speak to my father DOCTOR nods Of course. We'll bring you a telephone. The NURSE exits. The DOCTOR brings the box from his pocket. Maybe this'll jog your memory. He lays it on the bed. She stares at it, her expression betraying nothing. I had the Devil's own job getting it out of your hand. Does it ring any bells? She shakes her head. Do you want it left? KIRSTY Why not? He offers her a reassuring smile. DOCTOR Chin up. There's no serious damage. And you're safe here. KIRSTY Um. He leaves the room. KIRSTY picks up the box, tentatively. She turns it over in her hand, examining it. UPPER LANDING NIGHT FRANK is standing in the shadows. He is wearing a fresh shirt. He smirks. JULIA watches him. Downstairs, the telephone rings. JULIA is very nervous now; desperate even. JULIA She'll tell them everything FRANK I don't think so. She'll want Larry first. JULIA That's probably her now. Or the police. FRANK Maybe. JULIA Don't you care? FRANK There's very little I can do about it. JULIA Maybe we should just leave - FRANK Like this? Look at me! LIKE THIS? JULIA Well we can't just stay here - FRANK I need a skin. Then we leave - HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT KIRSTY is sitting up in bed. On the bedside table, a telephone. She is now thoroughly engrossed in the problems of the box. Her fingers speed over the surfaces, looking for some way in, testing its strength. Suddenly, a click. Her face lights up with pleasure, as she slides a part of the box open, revealing new intricacies. And to accompany the revelation, a tinkling tune. She smiles. It's a musical box. The light beside the bed flickers, but she doesn't notice. The door opens. It's the NURSE. NURSE Comfortable? KIRSTY smiles Sure. NURSE Any luck with your father? KIRSTY shakes her head He's probably got a meeting. I called a friend of mine. He's coming; is that O.K.? NURSE Of course. The NURSE exits. As she does go the light flickers again. The box clicks. A new facet is revealed KIRSTY smiles. NUMBER NIGHT The front door closes. LARRY inside Julia? HALLWAY NIGHT LARRY stands in the hall. JULIA comes down the stairs. She looks pale; even ill. LARRY What's wrong? JULIA I don't know where to begin LARRY What are you talking about? JULIA It's better you see for your- self - She turns and starts up the stairs. He follows. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT KIRSTY has opened more of the box. The tune is more complex now. Somewhere a bell has started to ring. Now, she works the final mechanism of the box. The bedside light flickers and goes out. The bell rings. Light pours out of the box. She drops it, shocked. The bedside light comes on again. She looks up. In the wall opposite the end of her bed, a very narrow doorway has simply opened in the wall. Leaving the box on the bed, she gets up and goes to the gap. As she approaches she hears the distant, rhythmical sob of a baby. She stands at the doorway. CORRIDOR TO HELL NIGHT We look back at her, a diminutive figure framed against a shot of light, from way, way down the corridor. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT The sobbing goes on. KIRSTY stares down the corridor - which is lit brightly in some places, and is absolutely dark in others - not certain of whether to venture down it or not. She glances towards the door of her room, from the other side of which comes the reassuring sound of the hospital going about its business. What's to fear? CORRIDOR TO HELL NIGHT She steps into the corridor. The walls rise into darkness on either side of her, their surfaces like the of a pyramid, pitted with age, and rotting away. She starts towards the sobbing child, bare feet on the impacted earth of the passageway. The sobbing gets louder as she advances, her form disappearing entirely as she passes through the intermittent darkness. Once, she glances back towards the Hospital Room, to reassure herself that it's still there. It is, though it's no more than a sliver of light at the far end of the passageway. She advances a few more paces. The atmosphere is growing denser; smoke thickens the air. Then, a light glows at the other end of the corridor. The sound of the sobbing child ceases. She stops walking. Ahead, the smoke clears and the light brightens, and we see a creature - THE ENGINEER - hanging in the space between the walls. It is in silhouette against the light, but we can see enough to know that it resembles no earthly animal. Its vast black limbs hold it suspended above the corridor, clinging to the stone. Its front limbs, vestigial by comparison, hang down from beneath its vast head. Its tail is curled over its back. KIRSTY's expression registers this horror. THE ENGINEER moves into the light. Its irises narrow to slits. From the tail a vast sting, oozing pus - like venom, glides into view. And then - - it comes at her, advancing along the corridor by bracing its legs against the walls. Its breath is a growl in its belly, until it moves into darkness, when all sound from it ceases, only to erupt again as it finds the light. KIRSTY turns, and starts to run. It comes after her at speed. Darkness, light, darkness, light; roars and silence - Its jaws spill its thick saliva; its eyes gleam. KIRSTY runs blindly down the corridor, back towards the safety of the Hospital Room. But it's very close on her heels, lingering - As she comes within a few yards of the Room it closes on her. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT She flings herself through the door with THE ENGINEER's breath on her back, and turns - The doorway has gone. The wall is sealed. She approaches the wall. THE ENGINEER scratches on the other side Then, she realises that the bell is still ringing. And there's a foul smell in the air. She looks around. She's not alone. Standing across the room from her, lit by a strange phosphorescence that has no visible source, are four extraordinary figures. They are CENOBITES. Each of them is horribly mutilated by systems of hooks and pins. The garments they wear are elaborately constructed to marry with their flesh, laced through skin in places, hooked into bone. The leader of this quartet has pins driven into his head at inch intervals. At his side, a woman whose neck is pinned open like a vivisection specimen. Accompanying them is a creature whose mouth is wired into a gaping rectangle - the exposed teeth sharpened to points, and a fat sweating monster whose eyes are covered by dark glasses. When the lead CENOBITE speaks, we recognise the voice as that of the creature from the beginning of the film. KIRSTY stares in amazement. KIRSTY Where the hell did you come from? The CENOBITE gestures. The box is lying on the bed. CENOBITE The box you opened it. We came. KIRSTY It's just a puzzle box. CENOBITE It's a means to summon us - it's called the Lament Con- figuration. KIRSTY Who are you? CENOBITE Cenobites. Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others. KIRSTY Well, I didn't mean to open that thing. You can go back wherever you came from. FEMALE CENOBITE We can't. Not alone. At this, the creature with the wired open jaw chatters like a mad monkey. KIRSTY This isn't for real. CENOBITE You solved the box. We came. Now you must come with us. Taste our pleasures. The chattering CENOBITE steps towards her. KIRSTY Don't touch me! The door opens. It's STEVE. KIRSTY's face floods with relief. STEVE does not register the CENOBITES' presence however. KIRSTY Steve. Thank God you came. STEVE What happened to you? He steps between the CENOBITES. KIRSTY These THINGS they want to take me - STEVE What things? CENOBITE to Kirsty He doesn't see us, or hear us. We belong to you, Kirsty. And you to us. KIRSTY No! STEVE What's wrong? KIRSTY Don't let them take me, Steve - STEVE I won't let anybody take you. He starts to walk towards her, but the creature in the dark glasses takes a hooked rod from its back and puts the hook to STEVE's neck. STEVE's hand moves to the place; he makes a small sound of pain. The CENOBITE takes off its glasses, to see its trick better. The eyes beneath are sewn shut. It pulls a little more on the hook. STEVE winces. FEMALE CENOBITE If he takes another step, we open his throat. KIRSTY to Steve Please go, Steve. STEVE What? KIRSTY Just go. PLEASE. I'll be O.K. I'm going to go see Dad. He'll look after me - STEVE protesting What did I say? KIRSTY Will you GO, damn you? Mystified, STEVE retreats a step. STEVE I'll come back later, huh? KIRSTY Sure. Why not? Still puzzled, STEVE crosses to the door. STEVE 'Bye. KIRSTY 'Bye. FEMALE CENOBITE Good. CENOBITE It's time we were away. KIRSTY almost crying Let me alone, will you? CENOBITE No tears please. It's a waste of good suffering. The chatterer comes for her. As it does so desperation brings a plan to KIRSTY's head. KIRSTY Wait! He stops. CENOBITE No time for argument. KIRSTY You did this before, right? CENOBITE Many times. KIRSTY To a man called Frank Cotton? FEMALE CENOBITE Oh yes. KIRSTY But he escaped you. CENOBITE Nobody escapes us. KIRSTY HE did. I've seen him. He's alive. CENOBITE Is that so? And what are you proposing? KIRSTY I'll take you to him. Then you take him instead of me. Back wherever you come from. The CENOBITE stares at her unblinking. CENOBITE Perhaps FEMALE CENOBITE But if you cheat us The sound of THE ENGINEER, scratching on the other side of the wall. The plaster cracks, violently. CENOBITE We'll tear your soul apart! We cut back to the cracking plaster, which cracks further. We hear STEVE's voice, and pan back into the room. The door opens. KIRSTY and the CENOBITES have gone. STEVE is there, with the NURSE. STEVE She was trembling all over. NURSE I'd better go look for her. The NURSE heads for the door. STEVE Maybe she's gone back to her - He looks round. The NURSE has gone. STEVE - father. His eyes have alighted on the box, which is lying on the bed. He picks it up. NUMBER NIGHT Lights burn in the house, upstairs and down. BEDROOM NIGHT JULIA sits in front of the dressing table mirror. She has a glass of whisky in front of her. She sips from it, studying her face in the mirror. We've seen her in many moods through the story: now we see a mingling of fear and exhilaration on her face. She gets up. Laid out on the bed is,of all things, her wedding gown. STEVE'S CAR NIGHT STEVE drives towards Lodovico Street, scanning the streets for sign of KIRSTY. STREET NIGHT As his car drives past, KIRSTY turns a corner. He does not see her. KIRSTY hurries along the street. The wind is chilly. Sometimes she hears a bell in it. LODOVICO STREET NIGHT STEVE drives up to the house. The lights are still burning. He gets out of the car, and hurries down the path. DOORSTEP NIGHT He knocks on the door. There's no reply. BEDROOM NIGHT Two shadowy, naked figures stand face to face in the bedroom. We can see no detail of their features. We move down their bodies. They are standing in a shining pool of blood. DOORSTEP NIGHT STEVE starts round the back of the house. BEDROOM NIGHT The male of the couple pads towards the bedroom door, leaving a trail of blood behind him. We can still see very little of the man. LODOVICO STREET NIGHT KIRSTY turns the corner of the street, and starts down it. The wind is strong now. It is full of sibilant whispers, hurrying her along. BEDROOM NIGHT JULIA dresses. DOORSTEP NIGHT KIRSTY reaches the doorstep. As she does so the whispers die away completely. She beats on the door. No reply. She beats again, more urgently. KIRSTY Please! Dad! It's me! It's Kirsty! LANDING NIGHT JULIA steps onto the landing. We can hear KIRSTY shouting on the step. JULIA Damn her. We hear a voice, off-screen. Is it FRANK or LARRY? Impossible to be sure. VOICE Answer it. DOORSTEP NIGHT KIRSTY still beats on the door. KIRSTY Please, answer me! Please - The door is suddenly opened. JULIA is standing there. JULIA Kirsty? It's very late. KIRSTY Where's Daddy? JULIA What's the problem? KIRSTY stepping inside I have to see my father. JULIA Of course. There's no need to shout. DINING ROOM NIGHT We pan across the table. At the end of the table sits LARRY. The light is behind him. His features are shadowy. But we can see that he is badly bruised. We hear the womens' voices, off-screen. JULIA You look terrible. Have you had an accident? KIRSTY I was here this afternoon. JULIA This afternoon. KIRSTY I saw everything. JULIA I'm sorry, I don't follow. What was there to see? KIRSTY doesn't answer, but walks through into the Dining Room. KIRSTY sees LARRY at the table. KIRSTY Oh God. Thank God. she starts to sob I thought something might have She glances round at JULIA, who has also entered. to Larry I have to talk to you. LARRY Of course. LARRY leans forward, and into the pool of light over the table. He looks much the worse for wear. His flesh is raw and bruised. There is blood at his neck and hairline. LARRY It's all right, sweetheart. Julia's told me everything; and it's all right KIRSTY No. You don't understand. Your brother - Frank - he's here in the house. And he's - LARRY Whatever Frank did was his error. And it's finished with now. KIRSTY Finished? LARRY smiles He's gone. KIRSTY Gone? JULIA Dead. LARRY He was insane, baby: a mad dog. I put him out of his misery - KIRSTY stares at LARRY, while in her head she hears the CENOBITE's voice. CENOBITE we'll tear your soul apart LARRY I'll go to the police, when I'm feeling stronger. Try and find some way to make them understand, though God knows I don't really understand myself. Did he hurt you? KIRSTY is dumb with horror at her situation. LARRY leans back Poor Frank. He's better off dead. KIRSTY I don't believe it. LARRY I'm afraid it's true. KIRSTY tears in her eyes I want to see. LARRY No you don't. KIRSTY Yes! LARRY to Julia Show her. KIRSTY turns away from LARRY. JULIA leads her out into the Hallway. CUT TO LARRY, still sitting at the table. His fingers drum a familiar tattoo. Beneath his breath, he hums 'Colonel Bogey'. UPPER LANDING NIGHT JULIA pushes open the door of the Torture Room. It creaks wide. Lying on the floor inthe middle of the room is a skinned corpse, in a tangle of torn clothing. It steams. There is blood everywhere. That too, steams. KIRSTY is revolted. She steps away from the door, back down the landing. The bell has begun to ring again, distantly, and there is the sound of wings in the air - thousands of birds - beating on the other side of the wall. KIRSTY starts down the stairs again. JULIA Where are you going? KIRSTY doesn't reply. She merely hurries away. JULIA calling after her You leave this to us, you hear me? We'll deal with the police - HALLWAY NIGHT KIRSTY descends the stairs. LARRY has stepped out of the Dining Room and is moving to intercept her as she makes her way to the front door. The sound of wings, and bells - and a terrible slow thunder which underpins it all - mounts in volume. LARRY snatches at her arm. LARRY Where are you going? KIRSTY I have to get out. She shrugs off his arm. The thunder is increasing. LARRY Stay with me - JULIA is on the stairs, watching this exchange. LARRY - it's all right. Really it is He touches her face, fondly. KIRSTY I can't stay. She goes to the door. LARRY Come to Daddy. She hesitates at the door, and turns. HALLWAY NIGHT KIRSTY'S P.O.V.) The thunder fills KIRSTY's head, as she stares at LARRY, who has opened his arms to her. LARRY Come to Daddy. Her gaze moves up to JULIA, who is on the stairs. JULIA No, damn you - HALLWAY NIGHT KIRSTY mouths Oh my God. Everything is slowing down. The bells and the thunder fill the soundtrack. LARRY smiles, as KIRSTY moves towards him. Tears have begun to fill her eyes. She searches for him. His smile decays as he realizes her objective. Her nails rake his cheek. The flesh puckers, and tears along the brow. Blood flows. The mask of stolen flesh he wears slips a little, and FRANK's twisted features come into view. JULIA Frank! KIRSTY screams, as FRANK lunges for her. The lights in the hallway flicker, and threaten to go out. KIRSTY avoids FRANK's blow, but in doing so allows him to get between her and the front door. She's trapped. His torn face flapping, he opens his jacket the of which is blood-stained and pulls a knife from the lining. Suddenly, JULIA is behind her, gripping hold of her hair. FRANK advances on KIRSTY, but in the last moment before the fatal stab KIRSTY twists, avoiding the blow. JULIA shrieks and stumbles forward, the knife gleaming as it's buried to the hilt in her side. KIRSTY slips from between them. JULIA collapses into FRANK's arms. He holds her up. KIRSTY makes a dive for the front door, but FRANK lets JULIA slip and intercepts KIRSTY. JULIA falls back against the wall, dying. KIRSTY retreats to the bottom of the stairs. FRANK follows. FRANK You're not leaving now - As he follows, JULIA reaches out and takes hold of his sleeve. KIRSTY flees the only route she can, upstairs. The house is creaking in every board and rafter now. FRANK turns on JULIA, trapping her against the wall., JULIA Help me, Frank. For God's sake. He puts his hands around her neck, and leans towards her. At the last moment she seems to understand that he intends not to kiss her but to steal what little life she has left. JULIA No, Frank - From the stairs KIRSTY glimpses him battering upon her. Then she looks away, and runs up the stairs. When we look back JULIA is withering in FRANK's arms. LOWER LANDING NIGHT The landing is smoky. The lights have taken on a yellowish tinge. The air is full of moans. KIRSTY is desperate for a hiding place. She tries one of the doors, but it's locked. She opens another, and the din of birds' wings gets louder. BIRD ROOM NIGHT A P.O.V. shot, lunging towards KIRSTY in the doorway. She slams the door in the face of whatever's coming for her. HALLWAY NIGHT FRANK hears the door slam. He drops JULIA to the ground. She's dead, her flesh rotting on her face. FRANK starts to climb the stairs, his eyes burning with hunger. LOWER LANDING NIGHT KIRSTY is cornered. From below, FRANK's voice. FRANK Where are you, beautiful? KIRSTY starts up the second flight of stairs, as FRANK's shadow is thrown up on the wall below. UPPER LANDING NIGHT KIRSTY is faced with a choice. The Torture Room door is open, but the skinned body is in there, so instead she heads for the Junk Room, and opens the door. JUNK ROOM NIGHT Moonlight falls through the window, illuminating a chaos of furniture and boxes. She crosses to the window, and tries to get it open. It won't budge. FRANK somewhere below Where are you, honey? She looks around for a lever to open the window with - LOWER LANDING NIGHT FRANK reaches the landing and opens the bedroom door, calling for her. Then he starts up the last flight of stairs. FRANK Come to Daddy. JUNK ROOM NIGHT KIRSTY lifts a cloth off one of the boxes. Staring up from the box is the corpse of PRUDHOE, his eyes and mouth open in a silent shriek. She reels back from the box, terrified, backing into the shadows. An arm reaches for her, taking hold of her and dragging her back into darkness as the door opens. FRANK stands on the theshold. His breath is thick. He shambles forward, but he doesn't see her. We CUT back to the shadows. KIRSTY's eyes are wild with terror. Back to the door, which clicks closed. KIRSTY breaks cover, and so does her saviour. It's STEVE. He is sweating with terror. KIRSTY a whisper What are you doing here? STEVE Got in downstairs. Looking for you. What's going on? She shakes her head. STEVE brings the box from his jacket. STEVE You forgot something - She doesn't see what he's produced. She's already moving to the door. She listens. UPPER LANDING NIGHT The landing is empty. The door of the Junk Room opens. KIRSTY steps out. The house is strangely still. The lights swing a little; but otherwise nothing. She advances along the passageway. STEVE follows. They reach the top of the stairs in safety. STEVE signalled more than spoken I'll go first - As he speaks, FRANK steps out of the Torture Room, knife in hand. Roaring, he comes at them both. KIRSTY flings herself out of the path of the knife. FRANK swipes at STEVE, who falls backwards down the stairs. He cries out, head hitting the stairs as he descends. The box falls from his unconscious hand. FRANK turns on KIRSTY, who avoids one slice of the knife, and another, but is driven back into the Torture Room. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT He's after her in a flash. She falls beside her father's body, her eyes meeting its skinned face. KIRSTY God - FRANK Don't cry for him. He's dead. He always was. KIRSTY has been pushed to the limits of her endurance. She can be terrorized and pursued no longer. Death looks an easy option by comparison with more of FRANK's horrors. KIRSTY Go on. Kill me. I don't care. FRANK Poor baby. KIRSTY You bastard FRANK Hush now. It's all right. Frank's here. KIRSTY Frank. FRANK That's right. Are you losing your mind, baby? This is Frank you're talking to. FRANK. As he speaks the bell begins tolling again. FRANK looks puzzled. FRANK What's going on? Light begins to pour through the walls of the room. No. He starts towards the door. But he's too late. The CENOBITES are standing in his way. He backs off from them. CENOBITE Frank - KIRSTY to Cenobite What took you so long? FEMALE CENOBITE We had to hear it from his own lips - FRANK turns on KIRSTY. FRANK You set me up! You bitch. You set me up! The pattern of light in the room has become more elaborate, and the CENOBITES move through it towards FRANK. CENOBITE to Kirsty This isn't for your eyes. KIRSTY crosses towards the door. As she reaches for the handle she hears FRANK roar behind her. She turns. He breaks between the CENOBITES, knife in hand, but as he comes within striking distance the air is full of whining sounds and he stops dead. They have their hooks in him, we see. In his arms and legs; in his back and sides; in his scalp and neck and temples. Hooks attached to countless chains, which arrest his progress. They plough through his flesh as he strives to reach her. But at a gesture from the leader of the CENOBITES, the chains are hauled in. He flings back his head, yelling. The knife drops from his hand. CENOBITE to Kirsty Out! She turns back to the door and opens it. FRANK is hauled back towards the centre of the room. FRANK Bitch! The house is growling from basement to eaves now, as KIRSTY steps onto the landing. UPPER LANDING NIGHT Behind her, FRANK howls. She looks back. They have him IN EXTREMIS, his body spread-eagled; hooks in a hundred places, pulling at his flesh. He fights like a wild animal, snarling and cursing. They pull the chains tighter. TORTURE ROOM NIGHT A close up of FRANK's face. He suddenly stops fighting. He raises his head, his eyes staring up at KIRSTY from beneath a bleeding, sweating brow. He flicks his tongue over his bloodied lips. Then - - he comes apart. UPPER LANDING NIGHT The door slams as FRANK's body is torn apart in a welter of blood and flesh fragments. Something heavy thuds against the door. KIRSTY turns and starts down the stairs. STAIRS NIGHT As she reaches the place where STEVE is half-sitting, half- lying, the house starts to growl as though its foundations are about to give way. STEVE's nose is bleeding, and his face is bruised, but he's conscious. KIRSTY We have to get out of here. They'll kill us for the fun of it. STEVE staggers to his feet. KIRSTY picks up the box, which is on the lower landing. As she picks it up, the FEMALE CENOBITE steps from the shadows. FEMALE CENOBITE Don't leave us yet - KIRSTY starts to try and manipulate the box in her hands. FEMALE CENOBITE We've got such sights to show you - KIRSTY manages to slot one of the pieces of the box back into place. FEMALE CENOBITE don't Her voice becomes a howl, and she's sucked away into darkness. STEVE behind Kirsty Jesus Christ. They start down to the half-landing. There stands the CENOBITE in the dark-glasses, carrying the hooked rod he threatened STEVE with in the hospital. Again, KIRSTY manipulates the box. Again, the CENOBITE howls and is claimed by the darkness. HALLWAY NIGHT They hurry down to the hallway, half expecting another creature to step into their path. Dust is falling from the ceiling, and there are cracks opening up in the walls. Any moment, surely, the whole place will be destroyed. JULIA's body has gone from the hallway; a trail of blood leads into the dining room. As KIRSTY and STEVE stumble across the hallway, they hear JULIA's voice, off-screen, an eerie, ghostly voice. JULIA Kirsty KIRSTY hesitates, and looks towards the door of the dining room. There stands the bride, her white dress soaked in blood, her veil covering her face. KIRSTY Julia? KIRSTY takes a step towards her, but as she does so the veil rises of its own accord, and the chattering CENOBITE is beneath. KIRSTY slams the box closed. The CENOBITE howls, and disappears. STEVE heads for the door. Turns the handle. As he does so, KIRSTY realizes there's one piece of the box unfinished. KIRSTY Don't! Too late. He turns the handle. The door is flung open, and THE ENGINEER, clinging to the sides of the door, swings down into the hallway. STEVE is flung backwards against KIRSTY. The box falls from KIRSTY's hand. The beast moves to bite at STEVE, who scrambles out of the way, leaving KIRSTY in the front line. The box lies between KIRSTY and THE ENGINEER, which now uses its forelegs to crawl over the hallway towards her, its legs still bracing it in the door. She snatches for the box. THE ENGINEER, its mouth oozing fluids, almost catches her arm. Again, she tries. This time one of its arms seizes hold of KIRSTY and drags her towards its jaws. Behind KIRSTY, STEVE snatches up a piece of plaster and flings it in THE ENGINEER's face. It momentarily relaxes its grip on KIRSTY, who slides her hand from its hold and claims the box. She now has slime on her fingers. The box defies her manipulations. STEVE Come on! Come on! THE ENGINEER crawls towards them. Up above, the din of the roof collapsing. Timbers and dust hurtle down the stairs. KIRSTY Shit. Shit. Shit. THE ENGINEER is almost upon her. It rears up, its saliva dropping on her. And then, miraculously, the last piece of the box slots into place. The same vortex that seized the other CENOBITE seizes THE ENGINEER. Howling its complaint, it is drawn out into the darkness beyond the door, and disappears. Its voice grows thin, and fades. Finally, silence. The house is still. KIRSTY gets to her feet. STEVE does the same. Together, they move to the door, and out onto the step. DOORSTEP NIGHT The door slams behind them, of its own accord. KIRSTY turns the sealed box over in her hand. There is a slit in it which has not quite closed. Light suddenly pours from it, up into KIRSTY's face. Her features are momentarily distorted, as if sucked towards the box. From within: shrieks, bells, music. Between the screams, FRANK's voice. FRANK Come to Daddy! She slams the panel shut. The distortions cease. So does the din. KIRSTY quietly Not tonight. A smile crosses her face, and she leaves the doorstep, making her way towards the street. STEVE gazes at her, then follows. Their figures are erased by the darkness. Somewhere, a bell rings as ", " 'HOUSE OF CORPSES' Written by R.W. Zombie Revised - - FADE IN: OLD HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT We see a LITTLE GIRL dancing around in a grainy super home movie. A LITTLE BOY wearing a monster MASK enters the frame. He struggles to lift a double barrel shotgun. He points it at the girl and pretends to SHOOT. GIRL V.O.) whispering slowly Once I had a cat, he was the sweetest little guy. Then one day he got sick and died. My heart was broken. My whole body hurt. She continues dancing. The little boy imitates her. GIRL V.O.) After that, I saw things differently, everything could be summed up with three simple words fuck the world. The camera swings over to some ugly, toothless relations watching the show. They laugh. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT We open on a dark, lonely stretch of two lane blacktop. Off to the side of the road we see a rundown gas station. RADIO ANNOUNCER V.O.) Hey, welcome back to . WJRC's Halloween monster weekend. I'm Jimmy Ray and I'll be bringing you the oldies, the goldies and sometimes the moldies. The good, the bad and the uglies straight from the WJRC vaults. A weathered wooden sign proclaims CAPTAIN SPAULDING'S WORLD OF MONSTERS AND MADMEN, sits atop the building. A smaller sign below reads FRIED CHICKEN AND GASOLINE. RADIO ANNOUNCER V.O.) Hey, kids still trying to decide on the right costume? Well why not head on down to Randall's Penny Save located on Kimball Rd. just off route in Mackin County. Choose from a wide array of ghosts and ghouls, jeepers and creepers scary sound effects everything you need for your Halloween needs. SHERIFF HUSTON, a tall southern good old boy, leans against his dusty cruiser smoking a cigarette, pumping gas into his tank. CAPT. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT Inside is a poorman's Ripley's Believe It or Not. Bizarre props and treasures of killers and monsters cover the dirty walls. Wax figures of JACK THE RIPPER stand guard before oil paintings by JOHN WAYNE GACY. RADIO ANNOUNCER V.O.) Alright let's get back to our monster music marathon with this classic called The Teddy Bear's Picnic. Perched on a stool behind the counter sits CAPTAIN SPAULDING, a crusty looking old man in a filthy clown suit and smeared make-up. The word LOVE is tattooed across his right knuckles and HATE is tattooed across the left. He is reading the newspaper, crunching on crackers from a paper bag and halfheartedly listening to a small, nerdy man wearing coke bottle glasses named STUCKY. Stucky thumbs through a stack of autographed x photographs. STUCKY speaking through voicebox in his throat I I got back a stack today. Some nice shots. holds up a picture of June Wilkinson See, a good topless June Wilkinson unfortunately she personalized it looking at the photo to Stucky, love June. CAPT. SPAULDING Hmmmmm. STUCKY Shit, this ain't worth nothing now that my name gotten all over it. I was a fixin' on trading it to Jackie Cobb. CAPT. SPAULDING The retard over at Molly's fruit stand. STUCKY Yeah, he's all hot on her after he found some of his dad's old nudie books hidden in the basement. He keeps 'em taped inside his school workbook. Spaulding brushes cracker crumbs off his paper and continues reading. CAPT. SPAULDING Fascinating. STUCKY That kid is one horny retard. CAPT. SPAULDING Christ, ain't they all. All them retards wanna do is fuck and eat. STUCKY Well, yeah I think that if you knew him I mean if you'd understand his urges, shit the guy's like forty or something. CAPT. SPAULDING Worse than a fucking rabid baboon. STUCKY Yeah, I guess, you know next to wacking his weasel his other favorite thing is twisting sharpened pencils in the corner of his eyes. CAPT. SPAULDING What? STUCKY Yeah, doesn't hurt himself, just spins it around next to his eyeball. CAPT. SPAULDING I'm sure that ain't the only place he's sticking those pencils. STUCKY Naw, he don't do anything else with 'em, but he did get caught once with a Planet of the Apes doll hanging out his asshole. CAPT. SPAULDING laughing Goddamn. STUCKY Had to take him to the hospital. Kid had Dr. Zaius stuck half way up his butt, couldn't get it out. CAPT. SPAULDING I always loved that mute broad that Chuck Heston was shacking up with. STUCKY Nova, yeah she looked pretty sweet. CAPT. SPAULDING Yeah, now there's the perfect woman. STUCKY Can I get some stamps off ya? slapping down his money Did you fix the toilet yet? Opens a drawer and tears off five stamps. CAPT. SPAULDING Yes, I did so don't you go stuffin' any goddamn paper towels down that hole. I just snaked the shit out of that thing. Spaulding SLIDES the KEY attached to a cow skull across the counter. Stucky grabs it. Spaulding hangs on. CAPT. SPAULDING Ya hear me? You bust that crapper and I'll beat your ass. STUCKY I hear ya. He lets go of the key. CAPT. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT From a STRANGER'S POV we watch through the window, Stucky EXIT for the restroom. Sheriff Huston finishes pumping his gas, gets in his cruiser and drives off. KARL All clear. Let's go shopping. RICH Right. From this POV we RACE across the highway towards the front door of the MUSEUM. SLAM! We BURST through the door. SPAULDING'S - SAME The moment of impact. BOOM. The door SMASHES open. Spaulding's head JERKS up to see: a masked gunman, KARL, wearing a LEATHER S+M MASK. Behind him stands a second gunman, RICH, wearing a rubber CAVEMAN MASK. CAPT. SPAULDING Mary fucking Moses. Get the fuck out of here. KARL Hold it, clowney. Keep your paws where I can see 'em. RICH Yeah, don't move or I'll blast a hole the size of a Kansas City melon through your ugly-ass Bozo face. Spaulding obeys and raises his hands. KARL Go get that other asshole out of the shitter and drag his ass back in here. RICH Right. Rich exits. CAPT. SPAULDING Miserable little cunts with guns. I ought to jump right over this counter and bash your fucking balls in. Killer Karl steps up and puts his gun against Spaulding's face. KARL Alright Tippy, hand over the cash box and I might leave your brains inside your skull. Spaulding smiles wide, his teeth are yellow and rotted. CLOSE UP Spaulding's foot kicks a red switch, triggering a silent alarm. CAPT. SPAULDING That's what you bitches need. A reality check courtesy of my boot in your ass. That'll be a fucking cash box you can cry to mamma about. SPAULDING'S - BACKROOM - NIGHT A silent RED LIGHT FLASHES. In the dim glow, we see RAVELLI, a large hunched figure, sitting on the edge of a bed. The figure is heavily bandaged. Ravelli reacts to the flashing light, he RISES and puts a huge mask over his head. He EXITS the room. BATHROOM STALL - NIGHT Stucky sits on the toilet pasting stamps on large yellow envelopes. Killer Rich KICKS OPEN the stall, GRABS Stucky by the neck and PULLS him out. RICH Come on, fatboy! CAPT. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT We move around the outside of the building watching the scene inside unfold. HEAVY BREATHING is heard. Rich DRAGS Stucky into the main room. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT Karl grows increasingly HOSTILE, knocks a candy display over, raises his gun over his head and fires into the ceiling. KARL screaming That's it. I'm gonna count to ten and you're gonna hand over the cash or I'm gonna splatter your grease paint mug across the stateline one. CAPT. SPAULDING Fuck your mother. KARL Two. CAPT. SPAULDING Fuck your sister. RICH Come on, man. Just shoot him. STUCKY recognizing Rich's voice Hey, I know you. We were in high school together. Wood shop, right? Richard Wick right? He looks nervously at Stucky. RICH Shut up, shut up, shut up! KARL Quiet down three. CAPT. SPAULDING Fuck your grandmother. STUCKY Yeah, I remember Mr. Alacard the shop teacher use'ta call you Little Dick Wick. Hey, wasn't there a song we made up to go with that? RICH temper rising Shut up! STUCKY singing Little Dick Wick, play with his prick Don't his smell, just make you sick. CAPT. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT From Ravelli's POV we watch through the window, as everybody inside starts SHOUTING at each other. Suddenly, Rich SHOOTS Stucky. Stucky FALLS BACKWARDS against the wall, screaming in pain. We move QUICKLY towards the entrance. CAPT. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT Suddenly CRASH! Ravelli SMASHES through the front door knocking Karl to the ground. In the light we see that Ravelli is wearing an OVERSIZED CLOWN HEAD. In his hand is a sledgehammer. Rich TURNS toward the COMMOTION. The Captain quickly WHIPS OUT a GUN and FIRES. Rich falls dead. Ravelli lunges at Karl, smashing him over the head with the hammer. Ravelli's clown head comes loose and falls to the floor. We now see that Ravelli is a bald pitbull of a man with badly scarred skin that is painted white and red. Karl hits the floor and begins CONVULSING violently. Spaulding STEPS DOWN from behind the counter, puts his foot on Karl's throat and points his pistol at Karl's head. CAPT. SPAULDING And most of all fuck you! BOOM! Spaulding SHOOTS Karl in the head. The screen EXPLODES RED, then TURNS BLACK. CAPT. SPAULDING V.O.) God damn it, that motherfucker got blood all over my best clown suit. CREDITS ROLL Strange paintings of demons, monsters and bizarre creatures fade up and move across the screen. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT We see a BILLBOARD painted on the side of an ABANDONED TRUCK. The sign reads GOD IS DEAD. We turn to face the road as a car drives by. JERRY Alright then, out of all of Charlie's chicks who do you think is the hottest? CAR - FRONT SEAT - NIGHT Fast food wrappers and road maps clutter the car's dashboard, a swinging monkey head dangles from the rear-view mirror. Behind the wheel, the driver, BILL HUDLEY,, downs the last sip of coffee before crumpling the paper cup and placing it among the other trash before him. BILL I guess if I had to choose I'd say Sandra Good. She seemed like a nice girl, I mean in a psycho kind of way. Beside him rides, JERRY GILMORE,, slumped down in his seat, reading a magazine with a flashlight, feet hanging out the window. JERRY Really? Huh, I thought for sure you'd say Lynette Fromme. She's got that snooty vibe I know you dig. BILL Sqeaky! No way, she ain't that hot. JERRY She's pretty cute. BILL Yeah but, she reminds me of this chick that I remember from fourth grade called a shit, what did we call her? thinks for second Oh yeah, Patty Pee-pee Pants when ever she got called on by Miss Chumski, this chick would piss in her pants and start bawling. JERRY laughing There always one kid with no bodily controls. We had this dude, Jeff Baxter, he was a puker. The fucker would just sit there puke all over himself. BILL Better than pissing anyway so, what's your choice? JERRY If we're talking cute like regular cute, I'd say Leslie Van Houton, but cute ain't hot. BILL Yeah, no shit. JERRY As far a hot goes I gotta go with Ruth Ann Moorehouse. BILL Oh yeah, I forgot about her. She was pretty hot. JERRY Fuck yeah, she is. I'd join a cult to get some of that and the best part is she didn't try to kill the President or nothing, so that baggage ain't hanging around. BILL I thought she tried to murder a witness for the prosecution. JERRY I'll let it slide, she was only seventeen. BILL Dude, talk about baggage, that ain't no carry-on shit, that's some heavy duty Samsonite shit. JERRY Yeah, I guess hot chicks are always nuts. BILL Hot has got nothing to do with it. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT A LONE FIGURE in a cheap skull mask and white robe stands hidden behind a billboard off to the side of the road. Bill's car drives past. BILL yawning Hold on, I've heard this before but I can't remember the end. JERRY So, the guy goes to Hell and the devil says, 'do you smoke?' The guy say, 'yeah'... the devil say, 'great cause Tuesday is cigar night, sweetest Cuban cigars you ever had.' BILL Shit, we really need to find some gas. JERRY not listening Then the devil asks, 'do you drink?' Guy says, 'yeah'... devil say, 'wonderful, Wednesday is free drinks night, best booze you ever had all made from the finest stuff.' BILL Yeah. JERRY Then the devil says, 'are you gay?' Guy says, 'fuck no'... Devil says, 'Well then, I guess you're gonna hate Thursdays.' BILL Oh yeah, I remember now. JERRY Yeah, no shit I just told ya. looking at magazine Hey, you think this place called Alien Ed's UFO Welcoming Center is still around? It says, 'Where the Fact is separated from the Fantasy.' BILL I dunno we'll ask around as we get closer. Man, I really don't want to run out of gas out here in the middle of Petticoat Junction, man. JERRY sitting up Don't panic yourself, way too much caffeine guy I see a sign. reading the sign Captain Spaulding's Museum of Madmen and Monsters cool. Also fried chicken and gasoline next exit. BILL Perfect. JERRY I hope this place is cool. We could use something interesting to liven up chapter . The car drives past. We turn and hold on the billboard. We see the happy smiling face of a young Captain Spaulding. CAPTAIN SPAULDING'S - NIGHT The car pulls up to one of the gas pumps. Bill and Jerry get out. Inside we see Spaulding, now in army pants and a hunting jacket, mopping the floor. BILL I'll pump the gas. Go inside and see if it's worth thinking about. JERRY salutes OK, Boss. Jerry walks inside and immediately comes back out. JERRY Holy crap. You gotta see this place. It's awesome. BILL How awesome? JERRY Really fucking awesome. BILL Wake up the chicks and bust out the camera awesome? JERRY Hell yeah. Jerry sticks his head back inside the car. JERRY Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey. CAR - BACK SEAT - NIGHT A dark haired girl, DENISE WILLIS,, sleeps curled up under a blanket. JERRY Come on, babe. Me and Bill found a kick ass place. She opens her eyes. DENISE Huh? JERRY Grab Mary and come inside. Denise shakes a lump of jackets and sweaters lying next to her. She removes a sweater from the top of the pile to REVEAL the face of MARY KNOWLES DENISE Come on sleeping beauty, time to go to work. MARY half asleep Sleeping. DENISE Rise and shine. MARY groggy No please, let me sit this one out. DENISE removing the blanket Let's go. You're the one who wanted to be a photographer. MARY I resign. DENISE Too late. You're in for life, let's move it out Private Shutterbug. MARY opening her eyes Christ, I hope this isn't more crappy folk art. It's so quaint it's so primal it's so crap. DENISE Aw, it ain't crap it's cute. sarcastic and really who are we to judge the artistic merit of the tin-can Mona Lisa? MARY Aw, shit exhales deeply I gotta pee anyway. INTERLUDE Grainy super footage shows us an OLD MAN standing in front of a small shack. His name is Lewis Dover. The shack is painted white and covered with SIMPLISTIC RELIGIOUS WRITINGS. LEWIS I ain't no rich man, but I see the truth. You do not have to go to Hell. You are in Hell. This is Hell. All American Hell. holds up a gun true heaven in my hands I'm gonna blow Satan back through the door to Hell. Surrounding the shack are strange sculptures of various half- human/half-animal creations. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT Spaulding swabs up the last remains of blood from the floor, he drops the mop into a bucket filled with water and blood. Bill pays no attention, he is distracted by a strange object in a glass case over the counter. In the case is a shriveled up looking half human and half fish figure. It is the size of a small child. A banner above reads: AQUALINA - THE MERMAID. BILL How long have you been running this place? CAPT. SPAULDING How long is a piece of string? Too God damn long, that's how long. Spaulding slides the mop and bucket behind the counter. BILL No, really. CAPT. SPAULDING Shit, I don't remember exactly. I took over for my Pa just after the Duke nabbed the Oscar. BILL The Duke? CAPT. SPAULDING Yeah, my Pa wasn't right in the head after that. BILL You mean John Wayne? CAPT. SPAULDING Hell, boy there some other Duke you know about? rolls up his sleeve to reveal a John Wayne tattoo A great American. BILL Yeah, I was never that big of a western fan. I like science fiction. CAPT. SPAULDING I figured that much. Why the fuck you asking so many jackass questions for? BILL You see me and my friends are writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions. You know all the crazy shit you see when you drive cross country. CAPT. SPAULDING I don't drive cross country. BILL But if you did. CAPT. SPAULDING I don't. BILL But suppose for a second you did. CAPT. SPAULDING fake hick accent Y'all find us country people real funny like don't ya well, God damn pack up the mule and sling me some grits, I'ze a gotta get me some schooling. BILL No, no I think it's really interesting. CAPT. SPAULDING Well fuck me Side Sally, who want to read about all that horse shit anyway. Jerry OVERHEARS Bill's and Spaulding's conversation and joins in to help. JERRY You'd be surprised. Would it be OK if we took some pictures and included this place in our book? CAPT. SPAULDING Hey, knock yourself silly. JERRY You got some really rare stuff here pointing to Aqualina dig your Feegee mermaid. SPAULDING'S - RESTROOM - NIGHT The restroom is gray, dingy, a single exposed light bulb hangs from the ceiling. The peeling walls are plastered with newspaper clippings and faded photos. Mary is in the stall, sitting on the toilet, staring straight ahead at a poster of RHONDO HATTON, a B-MOVIE ACTOR that suffered from acromegalia. Denise standing at a tiny sink, splashes water on her face. She looks at herself in the mirror. DENISE water running down her face I swear I've aged five years since this trip started. MARY Tell me about it. DENISE takes a paper towel and wipes her face God, I hate falling asleep in the afternoon. Now I'll be up all night stretches ugh, my back is killing me. MARY Yeah, hey how far do you think we are from your Dad's? Mary flushes the toilet and exits the stall. DENISE I don't know. Couple hours I think. I've got to call him. Mary washes her hands. Denise ties up her hair. MARY It will be nice to have a few days off to regenerate. This trip is fun, but it's starting to get brutal. DENISE Yeah, I hit burn out mode back at that old stripper lady's place. Watching her dance around with those ratty-looking animals was ridiculous. MARY I know, that was some crazy shit. I never in a million years would have believed it if I hadn't seen it. DENISE A decent meal every once in a while wouldn't hurt either, this road food is crap. MARY If I never eat at another Waffle House again, I can die a happy girl. DENISE Scattered, smothered and covered. MARY Exactly well, I guess a couple more photos won't kill me. SPAULDING'S - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT Jerry knees over a box of magazines labeled TRUE CRIME $ ., he flips through an issue, tosses it back. Bill leans against the wall next to him, sipping a hot cup of coffee. The girls return from the bathroom. Jerry jumps up with excitement. JERRY Great, you're back. Let's go. We already paid for the tickets. DENISE Tickets for what? JERRY This isn't everything. Get ready for this there's a Museum of Murder and Mayhem. DENISE I don't want to see that. MARY How about if we skip it and just hang out here. I can get some great shots of this stuff. Jerry PULLS Denise over and puts his arm around her. JERRY Aw, come on. It will be fun. DENISE Oh yeah, murder museum sounds fun. Bill grabs Mary by the hand and kisses it. BILL smiling We'll need pictures of the inside too. MARY Alright, alright. I know I wanted to be the photographer. Bill and Mary kiss. Spaulding waits, unamused. He rolls his eyes. CAPT. SPAULDING Anytime this year, people. Alright line your asses up in front of the black door. The tour is about to begin. Spaulding disappears through a curtain behind the counter. The kids wait. The black metal door CREAKS open. They enter the darkened room. SPAULDING'S - MUSEUM - NIGHT Darkness. A blue light comes on. Spaulding is standing on a MOTORIZED PLATFORM. He begins the tour, speaking through a small megaphone. CAPT. SPAULDING Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to enter a world of darkness. A world where life and death are meaningless and pain is God. pointing with a cane To your left you see the infamous Albert Fish. A lifeless wax figure POPS forward with a loud metal CLANG. Mary jumps back with fright. CAPT. SPAULDING Sadist, masochist, child killer and most of all importantly cannibal. Born in, Mr. Fish enjoyed burning himself with hot pokers, spankings with nail-studded paddles and embedding needles in his groin. On the right, notice the X-ray CLOSE UP - X-RAY CAPT. SPAULDING showing clearly sewing needles inserted in to his groin. Mr. Fish was executed in at the age of . Spaulding rolls backwards and continues the tour. CLOSE UP ON: a dummy face of a grizzly looking old man in hunting attire. CAPT. SPAULDING To your right. One of our most popular crazies, the psycho of Plainfield, Ed Gein. Behind the figure of Gein hangs an inverted corpse of a slain woman. Mary recoils in disgust. CAPT. SPAULDING Murderer, cannibal and momma's little bitch boy. Mr. Gein found special pleasure in playing with the dead bodies of women, especially their sexual organs. He was quite a handy little dandy, fashioning lamp shades, jewelry and human skin suits from his victims. Mr. Gein was discovered when the decapitated body of Bernice Worden was found gutted like a deer, hanging in his barn. A wax figure of a young man in doctor's scrubs. He is covered in blood. CAPT. SPAULDING And now I would like to introduce a local hero, S. Quentin Quale, a.k.a. The Butcher Boy, a.k.a. Nurse Nellie and most famously a.k.a. Dr. Satan. Another wax figure, of a bloody corpse, JUMPS up. CAPT. SPAULDING Murderer, torturer and most of all master surgeon. Mr. Quale an intern at Willows State Mental Hospital, nicknamed Weeping Willows for its neverending cries of pain, took great pleasure in control. Through primitive brain surgery. Mr. Quale believed he could create a race of superhumans from the mentally ill, or so the story goes. His terrifying experiments continued until . Jerry stares fascinated. CAPT. SPAULDING At which time he was discovered and turned over to authorities for observation. Unfortunately, Mr. Quale was abducted from his cell by members of the victims' families. Vigilante justice prevailed and Dr. Satan was taken out and hanged. The next day his body was found to be missing. Some say he survived, rescued by his loyal slaves, others say they hung the wrong man To this day no sign of Dr. Satan has ever been discovered. But who knows? Maybe he lives next door to you. KLUNK: A big metal door opens to the outside world. CAPT. SPAULDING Please exit through the door. The kids exit. SLAM! The door shuts. SPAULDING'S - PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT Denise leans against the glass walls of the phone booth. Various flyers are taped to the inside: free kittens, phone sex ads and a missing poster for a girl named KAREN MURPHY. A light rain begins to fall. Denise puts some change in the phone and dials a number. WILLIS HOUSE - NIGHT The camera moves down a quaint quiet little street. We come to rest at a modest two-story house. The house is decorated for Halloween. Parents and their children roam from house to house, trick or treating. We hear the sound of a phone ringing. WILLIS HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT A grey haired man sits at a small table eating a ham sandwich and drinking a beer. This is DONALD WILLIS, Denise's father. He stands up and walks to the phone hanging on the wall. MR. WILLIS Hello brightens up hey Denise what, what's wrong, did you break down? SPAULDING'S - PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT DENISE No, nothing like that yeah, we're gonna be a little late. We stopped for gas at this place called Capt. Spaulding's outside of Ruggsville and it turned into a whole thing, so we're kind of behind schedule. WILLIS HOUSE - NIGHT MR. WILLIS Oh yeah, yeah I've driven by that place before. I seem to remember a crabby old bastard in a crummy clown suit running the place. PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT DENISE Yeah, well he's still here. I think him and Jerry are fast becoming buddies, you know Jerry yeah, he's gotta see everything yeah, I know thinks there's some unsolved mystery around every corner. WILLIS HOUSE - NIGHT MR. WILLIS Well, don't take too long, the kids are already knocking down the door demanding their sugar fix I know, I know I forgot to mention that Halloween falls on a school night, so they're trick or treating tonight I got the joint decked out this year, built a graveyard in the front yard like when you were a kid. SPAULDING'S - PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT DENISE Hopefully I can move things along here and make up the lost time by speeding all the way home yes, Dad I'm kidding. WILLIS HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT MR. WILLIS Well, just promise me you'll be careful alright, alright see ya soon good-bye. CAR - NIGHT Bill, Jerry and Mary wait for Denise. JERRY I'm gonna go ask him. MARY Aw, come on Jerry. We've gotten all we're gonna get out of this place and its starting to rain. JERRY Shit, it is only sprinkling and it's worth the trouble. Hold on for two seconds. Jerry goes back inside. PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT Jerry knocks on the glass as he passes. Denise waves as he walks by. DENISE Yeah so OK, expect us more around eleven or so. OK yeah, I will love you, too, bye. She hangs up the phone, opens the doors and heads back to the car. SPAULDING'S - NIGHT JERRY I know it's hard to understand, but I really want to see this tree. CAPT. SPAULDING OK, alright I'll draw you a map, but I still say it is a waste of time. JERRY Great. CAR - NIGHT Through the window we see Jerry talking to Spaulding. Spaulding draws a map, explaining as he draws. MARY Geez, he never gets tired does he. DENISE Never. I swear to God he never sleeps, he goes to bed after me, wakes up before me. He's always working on . MARY Maybe he's a cyborg. BILL wearily, sips his coffee I like sleep. DENISE Here he comes. Jerry comes bouncing out towards the car and jumps in. He is holding a map and a box of chicken. JERRY We hit the jackpot! Let's roll, good buddy. We got ourselves a convoy. MARY Huh? DENISE Ugh, what's that smell? JERRY Fried chicken. holds up a drumstick Anybody want some? No one responds. WOODS - DAY An OLD FARMER and his WIFE stare directly into the camera. OLD MAN I don't know where that skunk ape sleeps. Maybe in the trees and all all I know is he eats squirrels to survive and he had impure relations with my wife. WIFE That's true. He performed lurid acts upon me and my person while my husband Russell was a fix'n to our hound Clarence. OLD MAN If I see that thing again I'm a gonna kill that skunk ape. BILL off screen What does it look like? WIFE It looked just like that chubby fella from McHale's Navy Ernie Borgnine. OLD MAN Hold up the picture. The wife holds up a pencil sketch of a Bigfoot like creature and a newspaper photo of Ernest Borgnine. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT Bill's car moves past empty farmlands. A HEAVIER RAIN is now falling. CAR - NIGHT Jerry directs Bill from Spaulding's hand-drawn map. JERRY Keep straight on this road here. BILL How much further? JERRY I'm not exactly sure it looks close. Did we pass an abandoned school bus yet? BILL I don't know. Mary and Denise sit bundled up in blankets. MARY Let's just skip it. It is probably nothing anyway. DENISE Aw Christ, Jerry. We can't see anything now, it's too dark. Let's forget it. JERRY Come on, we need something like this. It could be the real deal. It's too far out of the way to come back to. BILL What's that? Through the windshield we see a LONE FIGURE hitch-hiking by the side of the road. It is a girl, BABY,, in a worn cowboy hat and long fur coat. She is soaked to the bone. JERRY It's a hitchhiker. BILL Way out here? MARY Well, don't even think about playing the good samaritan, there's way too many psychos wandering loose these days. BILL looking closer It's a girl. JERRY Hey, maybe she knows where this is? DENISE sarcastically That seems likely. MARY Should we stop? BILL We can't leave her out here in the rain maybe we can just drop her at the next rest area. MARY She looks like a freak. DENISE Stick her in the front, if you want to pick her up so bad. She's soaked. MARY She looks like she stinks. BILL imitating Mary She looks like she stinks. JERRY makes cat noises Cat fight, cat fight. DENISE Hardy har, har. The car pulls over and Baby jumps in. The car moves off. CAR - NIGHT Once inside the car they see that the girl is a bit odd. BABY Whoa, thanks for stopping. I been standing out there in that toad strangling rain for like a hundred million years. JERRY Really, that's a long time. BABY Yeah, most people just whiz on by like I was invisible or something or else they're creeps who wanna jam their slimy hands down my pants and twiddle my naughty-naughty. JERRY Yikes. BABY Yeah, icky. This one guy stops and I look in and he's got his thing out waving it around like a drunk monkey. DENISE Well, hitchhiking ain't the safest way for a girl to travel. BABY Yeah, but it's fun. MARY Sounds like a magical trip through the heartland. BILL Where ya headed? BABY Aw, I was going home to my Mamma's house yeah, I was out doing this thing. BILL Where's that? BABY Couple more miles up this road. JERRY Hey, you might know shows her the map you know where this tree is at? It's an old hanging tree from The Baby PERKS UP at the mention of the tree. BABY Yeah, I know where that is, it's right by my house. It's Dr. Satan's tree. I can show ya. JERRY Really, wow, so it's really a real thing. BABY Yeah, it's a tree. I used to play there all the time. But, you can't find it without me. Outsider can't find no deadwood. JERRY Deadwood, is that what it's called? Cool, will you show us? BABY Maybe, maybe, maybe hey, you know what word I hate? JERRY What? BABY Cone. JERRY Huh what cone? BABY Any cone, yeah looking out the window I hate that word sounds ugly, I don't like crumple either. JERRY I always hate saying the word cheese, every time you get your picture taken smile, say cheese. BABY I know I hate Swiss cheese, the holes make me nervous. BILL What about the tree? BABY Oh yeah, the tree. MARY This is crazy. She don't know nothing. Baby turns her attention toward Mary. BABY Oh, I know. I'll show you where it's at, sweetie. Aren't you just so cute all bundled up like a cinnamon roll of Christmas love. JERRY Cool. BILL Which way? BABY Go straight up about another mile til we hit Cherrypicker Road and turn right it ain't far from there. MENTAL HOSPITAL The camera FLOATS through the hallways of the Peabody Mental Institution. It is HALLOWEEN. PATIENTS wander the stark halls dressed in hospital gowns and cheap plastic masks. Some are laughing, some are screaming. We move into a private room. Where we see DOCTOR SATAN completely covered except for his eyes, hovering over a BOUND AND GAGGED PATIENT. We move off the doctor to a crayon child's DRAWING of a JACK- O'-LANTERN. Tortured screams fill the room. CHERRYPICKER RD. - WOODS - NIGHT From a STRANGER'S POV we see the car STRUGGLING down a dirt road. CAR - SAME Everyone rides in silence, music plays on the radio. The song ends and a NEWS REPORTER comes on. NEWS REPORTER V.O.) This is WJRC News at the top of the hour Investigators in Clairemont County are no closer to identifying the body of a young woman found crucified to the doors of St. Mary's Church yesterday morning. Baby lights up a cigarette and takes a drag. MARY Excuse me, could you not smoke in here? Baby puts out the cigarette on the back of her hand. NEWS REPORTER V.O.) Local police and State Officials have released this report JERRY What's that? BILL I don't know. Looks like some kind of animal. Bill stops the car. CHERRYPICKER RD. - WOODS - NIGHT Sitting dead center in the middle of the road is a HUMONGOUS DOG. The dog stares straight ahead. Long strands of drool hang from its mouth to the ground. CAR - NIGHT MARY Why are we stopping? BILL There's a dog in the road. DENISE Honk at him. Scare him. BILL honking horn He won't move. MARY Go around him. BILL There's not enough room. MARY Then run him over, he'll move. BABY No! He's one of God's creatures, he can't help it if he's dumb I'm just crazy about animals. MARY to Denise The animals have got nothing to do with it. STRANGER'S POV - SAME A gun barrel is raised and we are looking through the sight at the car. Pop! Pop! Pop! The GUN fires THREE SHOTS at the car's rear tire. The stranger whistles and the dog moves to the side of the road. CAR - NIGHT The SOUND of the heavy rain MASKS the gunshots. BILL Hey, he moved. MARY Let's get going before that thing tries to eat the car or something. As the car moves past, Denise stares at the dog sitting calmly to the side of the road. The dog blankly stares back at her. JERRY That reminds me of a film I saw once of a guy who got out of his car at Lion Country Safari to take a picture of a lion cub and got eaten by the lions. BILL Oh yeah, I heard about that. I always thought it was bullshit. JERRY No yeah, they ripped him to pieces while his family watched from the car. The wife is screaming, the kids are crying. Some dude in another car filmed the whole thing. BABY I'd like to see that. MARY Nice. JERRY The lions were totally covered in this guy's blood I think they ate his face off, tore open his rib cage, pulled his legs off it was a wild scene. BABY Things like that get a lot bloodier than ya think. Without warning the car lunges to one side. JERRY What was that? BILL Fuck. I think we blew a tire. MARY Don't even say it. DENISE You got to be fucking joking. MARY God damn it, I knew this witch-hunt was fucking bullshit. BILL OK, let's relax. I'll check it, maybe I'm wrong. Don't everybody freak out just yet. JERRY I'll help ya. BILL sarcastic Gee, ya think it wouldn't be too much trouble. CHERRYPICKER ROAD - WOODS - NIGHT Bill and Jerry stare down at the blown tire sunk in the mud. BILL I hope you fixed the spare like I asked ya. JERRY Yeah, I fixed it. Well, I ain't um, I can't remember. I think I took it out to fit the bags and forgot to put it back. BILL Jesus Christ, Jerry. JERRY Well, technically I did what ya said. BILL You're a real fucking piece of work. Bill stares at Jerry in disbelief. CAR - NIGHT Baby is leaning on her chin staring at Mary and Denise. The car radio plays in the background. MARY Can I help you with something? BABY I was just wondering. MARY Wondering what? BABY Are you two gals all funny with each other? MARY What? BABY You know a couple of queers. MARY Do you believe this fucking girl? BABY turning her attention to Mary I was just wondering, cause you got a pissy look about you like a real pussy licking bitch. Denise tries to QUICKLY defuse the situation. DENISE No. No pussy licking here, but thanks for your concern. Bill and Jerry slide back into the car. BILL Well, I got some bad news and some bad news. MARY What? JERRY fake Scottish accent Tire's fucking gone crap on us, man. There's no saving it now. BILL And the spare is safely sitting in Jerry's garage. DENISE For fucking sake Jerry, what the fuck are we gonna do? Baby starts laughing. MARY What the hell are you laughing about? BABY I just pictured the tire sitting in a chair watching TV. MARY Oh, wonderful. muttering to herself Fucking psycho. BILL I guess I'll try to back it out on the rim at least to the main road. BABY If you keep going straight you can get back on the interstate it's easier. MARY Just back up. JERRY I think we should go straight. I mean we know for a fact there ain't nothing back that way, right? BABY Oh wait! I love this song! Baby reaches over and TURNS UP the VOLUME. She loudly sings along with the song. BILL Fine. I'll go straight. MARY What! BILL over the loud music Fine! I'll go straight! The car moves forward. After about fifty yards the car HITS something hard and gets stuck in a deep mud bog. BILL Fuck! We are fucked! DENISE Turn that fucking radio off! Bill shuts off the radio. DENISE Now what are we gonna do? BABY We can walk to my house from here. My brother's got a tow truck, he can come get your car. A silence falls over the car. MARY I think I'm going fucking crazy. DENISE I can't believe BILL OK, whatever. Let's go get your brother's truck. Faster we get the truck, faster we get out of here. BABY OK. JERRY I'll go. It's my fault. MARY You said it, not me. BILL Forget it. I'll just go. MARY Screw that, no way, I ain't letting you go by yourself. BILL Don't worry, I'll be quick. Just stay here, no sense everybody getting drenched. JERRY I agree. BABY Yeah, it won't take long and besides you sassy poodle girls will slow us down. Baby jumps up and gets out of the car. BILL Don't worry, I'll be right back. BABY Come on. JERRY Don't forget the flashlight, it's pretty dark out there. BILL Thanks. JERRY No problem. Bill kisses Mary good-bye and EXITS. Mary watches Baby and Bill head off into the WOODS. Baby turns and makes a kissy face at Mary. MISS BUNNY'S HOLLYWOOD REVUE - DAY A hand painted tin sign surrounded by flashing lights which reads MISS BUNNY'S HOLLYWOOD REVUE hangs over the entrance to a small garage. Movie star portraits of JEAN HARLOW, W.C. FIELDS and CLARK GABLE adorn the walls of the garage. An over the hill ex-glamour girl, MISS BUNNY,, comes into frame. She's dressed in a sparkling red gown with feathers in her hair. MISS BUNNY bad Marilyn Monroe imitation Hi, I'm Miss Bunny and welcome to my Hollywood Revue she giggles where the stars shine forever. MISS BUNNY'S HOLLYWOOD REVUE - DAY Tinseltown lives. Tin foil is wrapped around everything, the walls, doors and ceiling. Fake cement handprints of movie greats cover the tiny floor. Badly sculpted statues of MARILYN MONROE, GROUCHO MARX and JOHN WAYNE stand in the corners. Dead center is a small puppet show stage. MISS BUNNY Hi, this is the place where the magic happens. CLOSE UP - SQUIRREL A stuffed squirrel dressed in a gray skirt and jacket, a tilted hat sits atop its head. MISS BUNNY holding up squirrel This is Jenny, she is our resident Ingrid Bergman. Miss Bunny picks up a stuffed white cat wearing a brown trenchcoat. MISS BUNNY This is Ronald J. Perrywinckle our Humphrey Bogart today we'll be doing a scene from Casablanca. Miss Bunny begins to make the dead animal puppets interact. She provides their voices. HUMPHREY CAT If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him you'll regret it maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life. INGRID SQUIRREL But what about us? HUMPHREY CAT We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night. INGRID SQUIRREL When I said I would never leave you. HUMPHREY CAT And you never will. WOODS - NIGHT A single flashlight beam cuts through the darkness of the dense woods. Bill stumbles behind Baby, she is clearly in her element. BILL How much further? BABY Almost there are you in a hurry or something? BILL Well, yeah, kind of. CAR - NIGHT Jerry is stretched out across the front seat, reading a book on Freak Shows. Denise and Mary sit in the back, curled up under layers of blankets and clothes. DENISE Fuck, it's freezing. JERRY Hey, listen to this I think this is related to our Dr. Satan. DENISE Oh, yeah. JERRY Yeah, in this book there's a chapter called Self Made Freaks about how people would mutilate themselves in order to work in a freak show. It mostly talks about tattooed people and wild men of Borneo and shit like that, but there is one mention of a single case where a woman was suspected of having her arms removed on purpose to become an arm-less wonder. DENISE Yeah, so how does that fit with the story of four morons with a flat tire looking for a dead tree? JERRY It says, 'records show that Ellie Thompson was born in of normal physical stature and lived a life of normal bearings, until such time that she was placed in the care of the Willows State Mental Facility.' DENISE So. JERRY Now she was put in the nuthouse in at the age of . DENISE Why? JERRY scanning the book Blah, blah, blah it doesn't say, but she was released sometime in , only to reappear as Ellie Bogdan, the arm-less wonder. Says she, 'criss-crossed the United States constantly in carnivals and freak shows until her death in  .' DENISE Yeah? JERRY These dates perfectly correspond with the time frame of our beloved Dr. Satan working at the looney bin. I'll bet he amputated her arms. DENISE So what? JERRY I don't know, I just thought it was interesting. DENISE You know what Jerry, who really cares at this point? JERRY I don't to himself I just thought it was weird. MARY bursting in God damn it, I must be fucking crazy to let him go off with that crazy fucking bitch. JERRY Huh? MARY That stupid hillbilly slut. JERRY Oh, don't blow everything out of proportion. MARY You didn't see the look she threw me. She's up to something. DENISE Yeah, Jerry, she said some pretty fucked shit to us. JERRY When? DENISE When you were outside with Bill. MARY She said we look like pussy lickers or some shit like that. DENISE Yeah, she said we looked queer. JERRY Aw, get over it, she's just some dopey redneck, she ain't smart enough to be up to nothing I mean anything chicks. FARMHOUSE - NIGHT An old Gothic FARMHOUSE stands atop a hill at the end of a long sloping dirt road. SCARECROWS with pumpkin heads hang CRUCIFIED on crosses lining the drive. Everything is severely overgrown. Bill and Baby enter the gates of the FARM, they walk up the main drive. Baby runs forward and begins jumping around in the huge mud puddles, then runs up onto the front porch of the old house. The front of the house is covered with strange junk art. Hundreds of dolls faces are nailed to the walls. BABY These are all my dolls. I use to like to chop their heads off. Broken bottles and cans are cemented together in weird HUMAN FIGURES, ANIMAL SKINS stretched over bone armatures form a makeshift roof. Glowing down from the upper windows are grinning JACK-O'- LANTERNS. BABY The door's locked. I'll gotta go around wait here. BILL OK. Baby RUNS OFF around the side of the house. Bill stands looking off into the distance at the desolate farm grounds. The rain continues to hammer down. From BILL'S POV we see a silhouette of a LONE FIGURE walking in the distance. The shape of a large dog follows behind him. Bill JUMPS, startled by the sound of the heavy front door opening. BILL Christ, you scared the shit out of me. BABY Aw, you ain't seen nothing yet. BILL Is your brother ready to go? BABY Oh yeah, he already left. We'll wait inside, come on. BILL He left! BABY Yeah, come on. Baby GRABS Bill by the arm and pulls him into the house. The heavy iron door slams shut. CAR - SAME Denise and Mary sit facing one another, playing cards. Mary deals from a deck. Jerry naps in the front seat. MARY How long has it been? DENISE I don't know about half an hour. A metal KLANG is faintly heard. MARY What was that? DENISE What? I didn't hear anything. MARY Wait quiet. Turn off the radio. Mary reaches over the front seat and turns off the radio. DENISE Now listen. They sit in silence. MARY I don't hear anything. DENISE whispering Shhhhhh, quiet. MARY I still don't. DENISE Turn on the headlights. See if anything is out there. Mary turns on the headlights. Denise lets out a blood-curdling SCREAM. Jerry bolts up. JERRY What what! Standing dead center in the road is the GIANT SHAPE of a MAN holding a heavy chain with a huge hook on the end. MARY Lock the doors quick, quick. Everybody scrambles to lock the doors. DENISE Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck. On closer inspection, Jerry notices the chain is attached to the back of a TOW TRUCK. JERRY Hold on, hold on! Everybody calm down! It's the tow truck guy. MARY What! DENISE Jesus Christ. MARY I think I'm gonna have a fucking heart attack. JERRY Scottish accent OK lassies, I think it's time you get to gripping reality. MARY Enough with the stupid voices. The brute man attaches the chain to the car and begins raising it with his truck. A SIGN on the side of the truck reads FIREFLY TOWING. TV SCREEN We are watching a scene from THE OLD DARK HOUSE. GLORIA STUART, RAYMOND MASSEY and MELVYN DOUGLAS are standing in the rain pounding on a huge wooden door. GLORIA STUART Knock again louder. MELVYN DOUGLAS I should of thought that was loud enough to wake the dead that's an idea. RAYMOND MASSEY What is? MELVYN DOUGLAS Wouldn't it be dramatic, supposing the people inside were dead. All stretched out with the lights quietly burning about them. GLORIA STUART I'm sure it would be very amusing. We pull back from the TV to see Bill's clothes drying by the fireplace. Bill, now wearing overalls and a flannel shirt, is sitting on an old over stuffed sofa. BILL So, you live here alone I mean with just your brother? BABY speaking from the next room No. There's a bunch a us 'round somewhere I think Mamma's sleepin'. She sleeps a lot, now do you want marshmallows? BILL Um, yeah sure, I guess. BABY You sure do a lot of guessing. Baby sets down the tray, making sure to bend over close to Bill. She hands him his drink and sits down next to him. BILL Thank you. BABY You're welcome. Baby moves closer to Bill, he begins to get nervous. BILL Hey, um pointing to the mounted animal head over the fireplace what kind of animal is that? BABY A dead one. BILL sipping his drink Mmmmm, this is tasty. BABY scoops out some marshmallow with her finger Ain't the only thing tasty in this house. licks it off BILL I wonder what time it is. Seems kind of late. BABY Don't worry, sugar. It ain't past my bedtime are you flirting with me? BILL What? No, I'm was worried that I was just wondering what's taking so long. BABY Oh. Maybe R.J. got into a crash and killed everbody? BILL That's not something to joke about. BABY rolls her eyes OK, sorry maybe the Great Pumpkin ate 'em up. Finally, the SOUND OF A TRUCK pulling up can be HEARD. Bill jumps up and goes to the window. BILL Hey, great they're back. BABY sarcastically Whoopie fucking doo. TV SCREEN SAME On the B+W screen we see DR. WOLFENSTEIN, a local horror movie host. He looks like a cross between the WOLFMAN and LON CHANEY in LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. DR. WOLFENSTEIN sounds like Wolfman Jack Aaaahooooh, the Doctor is in! Don't move, don't scream. Stay tuned for more creature craziness from channel 's Halloween eve movie marathon. I'm your host your ghost host with the most, baby Dr. Wolfenstein and will be with you until the end. Aaaaaaahooooooh! FARMHOUSE NIGHT Bill stands on the front porch watching as the truck roughly jerks the car to a stop. Jerry jumps out, opens the back door and helps Denise. JERRY looking at Bill Hey, nice outfit Billy Bob. DENISE Thanks for coming to get us. Little brother almost scared us to death. JERRY quietly to Bill as he passes Dude, your chick's a little high strung. Mary is the last one out of the car. She says nothing as she walks to join the others on the porch. Her look says it all as she walks by Bill and into the house. BILL Mary, I'm sorry but he left without me. Mary come on, you don't think I'd leave you stranded out there. FARMHOUSE NIGHT Everyone stands around at the fireplace, trying to dry off. DENISE Look. I gotta call my Dad and tell him we're gonna be late. Can I use your phone? Baby sits silently watching TV. DENISE Excuse me, may I please use your phone? MARY sarcastically Bill, why don't you ask her she's your special friend. A VOICE from upstairs answers. MOTHER Ain't got one. MOTHER comes into view from the darkness above. She is in her fifties, but looks younger. A sleazy white trash queen. She slowly descends the stairs. DENISE Huh? Oh, hi. You really don't have a phone? MOTHER No, none. I had one once, back in ' maybe I don't know. Really ain't nobody we wanna be jaw flapping at around here no more. JERRY Hey, maybe the guy with the tow truck could drive us to a phone. MOTHER His name is Rufus, Rufus Jr., but we all call him R.J. JERRY Oh, right. MOTHER What do they call you, sweety? JERRY Um, I'm Jerry that's Bill Denise and Mary. BILL Yeah, maybe R.J. could just tow us and our car to the nearest garage. DENISE I mean obviously we will compensate you for your troubles. MOTHER Oh, you ain't no troubles, no, no, no fuss. claps her hands Baby go see what Rufus Jr. is doing with these nice folks' automobile. Baby slowly rises like a defiant child and walks out of the room. MOTHER In the meanwhile please make yourselves at home. MONTAGE Gruesome crime scene photos flash across the screen. CHILDREN singing, off screen bodies in your bed, Some are green, some are red. Eat the flesh and pick the bones, Drink the blood when you get home. bodies in the ground, Some are blue, some are brown. Gather 'round the people said, Where do you go when you are dead? FARMHOUSE LIVING ROOM NIGHT Mother, Jerry, Denise and Mary are all seated on the sofa. Bill sits in an easy chair. MOTHER So, what brings you kids way out here, ain't you got something better to do for Halloween than wander around out here in the sticks? JERRY Well, I thought I'd maybe take in a hoedown. MOTHER flirting Oh, really puts her hand on Jerry's knee and winks well, I'm a pretty good dancer if you know what I mean I bet I got a few moves you ain't never seen. JERRY I don't doubt that. DENISE No, he's just joking. We don't really have any plans other than spending the night at my Dad's house glances at Jerry which is where we were headed when our car broke down. MOTHER That's nice. DENISE Yeah, I guess I'll just help him hand out candy to the trick or treaters. JERRY And I'm gonna help put the razor blades in the candy apples. MOTHER I'll bet you are you are a naughty little thing aren't ya. JERRY I was just kidding. Bill and Mary snicker at Jerry's comments. Denise tries to keep a straight face. MOTHER Oh, I get it I guess you think you're too good for the simple pleasures of Halloween. MARY No, just a little too old. MOTHER Oh really, well I hope something changes your mind some day. Baby returns from the garage. BABY Tiny's home. MOTHER What about R.J.? BABY Oh, he was already gone before I seen him but Tiny saw him and said he said he was going out to the yard to get a new wheel. BILL The yard, what's that? MOTHER It's an old auto junkyard out in Baldwin. DENISE How long is that gonna take? MOTHER He should be back in a couple hours. MARY A couple hours! DENISE Can't Tiny drive us to a phone? Mother and Baby laugh. MOTHER laughing Tiny ain't got no car, he ain't even got a bicycle. DENISE How's he get around out here? BABY He walks, duh. MARY Fucking great. MOTHER I know you're my guests and welcome but I'd please advise you to keep from cussing while in my house, thank you. MARY Sorry. MOTHER Well, even though I know it seems childish to you all. Tonight is Halloween eve and it special to us so you are all invited to stay for dinner. Under the circumstances they realize they have no choice. They grin and bear it. DENISE Thank you. JERRY imitates Elvis Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. MOTHER Mother touches Jerry's shoulder suggestively You're a strange one, aren't ya honey. I think you and me are get on like she thinks for a second like something real good. Camera moves over to the TV. THE END fades up on screen. Dr. Wolfenstein appears over the credits. DR. WOLFENSTEIN There well, who knew there was love to be found in The Old Dark House. Coming up next, do not move a muscle, an artery or a vein as we venture into another creepy classic are you ready for THE WOLFMAN, baby? HOUSE DINING ROOM Bill, Jerry, Mary and Denise are now all seated around a large dining room table. A thick mountain of candles sits burning dead center on the table, giving off a warm glow. Dozens of Halloween decorations dangle from strings over the table, spiders, bats and black cats. There is a hand-made PAPER MACHE MASK sitting on each plate. MARY holding up the witch mask I hope to Christ she doesn't expect us to wear these things. BILL Whatever it is just do it. The more we play along the faster we'll get the hell out of here. DENISE Really, now is not the time to make waves. JERRY Hey, I'm just waiting for Cousin Itt to show up. DENISE Shhhhhh. Mother walks in holding a covered serving tray. DENISE You sure you don't need any help in there? MOTHER No dear, I'm fine. Now what kind of host would I be if I put my guests to this kind of work. She sets the tray and goes back in the kitchen. BOOM! The sound of the front door SLAMMING shut is heard, followed by the POUNDING of heavy footsteps. Mother's and Baby's shouting is heard. BABY Ma, Tiny's in. MOTHER Go tell him to get your Grandpa. HOUSE BABY'S ROOM Baby is standing in front of her closet staring at her clothes. The walls of her room are covered with B+W photos of movie stars. BABY whining Ma, I can't, I'm busy getting dressed. HOUSE DINING ROOM TINY ENTERS and removes his coat. Everyone is speechless. Tiny is over SEVEN FEET TALL and weighs THREE HUNDRED POUNDS. He is wearing a black sweater with a big red skull stitched into it. A red knit ski mask covers his face. Black gloves cover his hands. Tiny sits at the table, looks down at his plate and says nothing. Mother comes to fetch Tiny. She relays a message to him with strange hand gestures. Tiny gets up and leaves the room. MOTHER You'll have to forgive Tiny, he can't hear so much. DENISE Oh. MOTHER Yeah, my poor baby. It's his Daddy's fault. I mean Earl was a good man I mean he never hit me or nothing, but one day he just got up and went pure devil on us all. DENISE What happened? Oh, I'm sorry, it's none of my business. MOTHER He tried to burn the house down, said it was possessed by the spirits. Tiny was sleeping in the basement where the fire started. I don't think Earl ever meant to harm us but Tiny was badly burnt, his ears were destroyed and most of his skin. BILL Is that why he wears the mask? MOTHER Yeah, my baby boy gets shy around new people, but he'll warm up to ya especially the ladies. JERRY Great. I thought I felt a certain attraction between Mary and Tiny soon as he walked in. MOTHER Maybe. He's a real lady killer. JERRY Didn't ya think, Mary? Mary just smiles, then gives Jerry a dirty look. MOTHER Well, we'll see the night is young and so are you oh well, couple more minutes. Mother returns to the kitchen. DENISE elbows Jerry Don't be such a fucking smart ass. MARY Yeah, it's really your fault that we're stuck in this shithole in the first place. JERRY Oh, don't worry she didn't get offended by what I said. You two got to lighten up right, Bill? BILL Whatever, at this point all I care about is food. I'm starving and I got a fucking killer headache. JERRY Hey, I asked you if you wanted some chicken. BILL Didn't look like chicken to me, more like fried pussy cat. JERRY shrugs Tasted pretty good. FARMHOUSE GRAMPA'S ROOM NIGHT In a cramped, darkened room we see the huge shape of Tiny hovering over a BED containing the hunched, fragile old body of GRAMPA. Grampa struggles to sit, then slowly slides his legs over the edge of the bed. Tiny helps him to stand. GRAMPA God damn it, I can do it. I can do it myself, ya big monkey. I ain't dead yet so don't you and your sister start counting out my money yet. Grampa steadies himself against Tiny. They slowly walk out of the room. GRAMPA God damn, my dogs are barking. As they move into the light of the hallway, it is clear that Grampa is in his late 's. Grampa quickly grows tired. Tiny picks him up in his arms and carries him down the stairs to the dining room. As they move past, the camera comes to rest on a STRANGE OBJECT sitting on a shelf. A LARGE GLASS JAR containing a DEFORMED BABY. The pickled punk looks to have a small second head growing from its temple. The label on the jar reads STUFFY . The sound from the TV fades up in the background. BELA LUGOSI'S VOICE can be heard. BELA LUGOSI V.O.) Your hands, please. Your left hand shows your past TV SCREEN Bela is seen as a fortune teller holding a woman's hands. This is a scene from The Wolfman. BELA LUGOSI and your right hand shows your future. We see a tight shot of the woman's palm. A pentagram appears. DENISE'S FATHER'S HOUSE NIGHT We PULL BACK from the TV to find Donald Willis sitting in a old easy chair. The room is modest, but comfortable. He reaches over and picks up a small alarm clock, notices the time, concerned look comes over his face. The phone rings. He quickly answers it. MR. WILLIS Hello, Denise? Disappointment. He mutes the TV. MR. WILLIS Oh, yeah no, Fred. I was hoping you were Denise, she's a little late. pausing Yeah, yeah I'm sure the rain just slowed 'em down yeah uh-huh, yeah no, no you can keep it 'til Tuesday alright, talk to ya tomorrow, bye. Unmutes the sound on the TV. DINING ROOM NIGHT The feast is on. Mother, Tiny, Grampa, Jerry, Bill, Mary and Denise are gathered around the table. MOTHER OK, everyone, put on your masks. We can't very well eat with our everyday faces exposed. Mother puts on her mask, Tiny and Grampa follow. Jerry, Bill and Denise slowly raise up their masks, Mary hesitates. GRAMPA to Mary Christ kid, put it on. She ain't letting any of us touch the grub 'til you're wearing the damn thing. Mary rolls her eyes and complies. JERRY I've been meaning to ask you, Mrs Ummmm. MOTHER hesitates Firefly. JERRY Firefly mmmmm odd name. Mrs. Firefly, do you know anything about the legend of Dr. Satan? BILL Here we go. Grampa shifts his eyes onto Mother. MOTHER nervously Well, I'm not much for local gossip an this and that, but I've heard it mentioned in passing over the years but I mean folks is queer and they say things, crazy things you know what I mean? GRAMPA It's all talk, yakty yak, like a bunch of hungry chipmunks Christ, Dr. Satan. That takes the bull's nuts alright starts laughing hey, I hear some genius up north got a hot line on the Easter Bunny for ya. A voice from the shadows interrupts. OTIS slowly I know all about what you want to know about. A PALE FIGURE creeps forward like NOSFERATU from a dark corner of the room. This is OTIS. He stands six foot, but is deathly slim. His skin is translucent, glowing in the dark. Long thin white hair covers his head. His eyes are grey. He is an ALBINO. He is holding a GLASS JAR containing a SMALL FETUS. On closer inspection we see there are two small bodies joined to one head. The label reads WOLF. MOTHER happy surprise Otis! I can't believe you decided to come down and join us and you brought little Wolf. This really is a special night all my babies together. Otis sets the disturbing jar of Wolf on the table. He leans forward onto the jar, resting his chin. OTIS Now, I don't know where you heard all your little fairy fables about Dr. Satan but BILL From a Captain Spaulding down at some museum. OTIS laughing That old bitch hog don't know shit. He tells cute little tattle-tales to sell his junk, but he don't sell no Yankee boys no truth. JERRY But something happened, right? I mean the story is based on a real incident, right? GRAMPA mouth full of food What are you, Jimmy Olsen cub reporter for the Daily Asshole? MOTHER Grampa watch the language. OTIS I ain't sure that you really need to know. It's better you go home still dreaming about your kitty cats and puppy dogs. JERRY I really want to know. GRAMPA Hey, the kid wants to know. Enlighten him. OTIS Boy, I bet you'd stick your head in the fire if I told ya you'd see Hell meanwhile you too stupid to realize you got a demon sticking out your ass singing, 'Holy Miss Moly, I got a live one.' DENISE Can we please change the subject? The CLOCK on the wall strikes TEN. GRAMPA shouting Dinner's over. pushes his plate back and stands up Ladies and Germs it's showtime. Grampa hobbles out of the room. BILL What's he so excited about? DENISE Yeah, showtime for what? MOTHER For the show. It's Halloween eve and time for our show. JERRY Oh, you mean on TV. MOTHER No, no, no it's so much more special than that you'll see, you'll be the first to ever see. I think this is something you'll really love. JERRY Great. FARMHOUSE BARN NIGHT Billy, Jerry, Mary and Denise stand waiting in front of an old barn. Tiny unlocks the huge doors of the barn and swings them open. Standing inside waiting is Mother. She is all dressed up for the occasion. MOTHER Please, come in how many in your party she counts the heads one, two, three and four right this way. Mother hands each of them a folded piece of paper, which serves as a program book. Hand drawn on each is an orange pumpkin. FARMHOUSE BARN NIGHT We follow Mother inside. Thousands of red Christmas lights hang down, strung through the rotting wood rafters. Crates, barrels and an odd assortment of chairs face a large quilted curtain. Filling these seats are LIFELESS DUMMIES. MOTHER Please be seated. Mother motions toward four empty seats in the front row. JERRY whispering This is way too fucked up for words. MARY loud whisper I know the words fucking psycho fucking bullshit, that's the words. BILL Just grin and bear it. DENISE That food holding stomach ugh, I feel like I'm gonna puke. Jerry, Bill, Mary and Denise take their seats. Mary flips open the program. Inside, written in crayon, are the words: HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA starring the Comedy Legend GRAMPA and the World Famous BABY. MARY to Bill Check this out. BILL Well, ya can't complain I never take you anyplace. The sound of a warped crackling record fills the room. Lounge music. A small spotlight hits the quilted curtain covering the stage. Mother Firefly stands behind the controls. She is smiling proudly. The curtain clumsily parts TO REVEAL: A stage set pieced together from amusement park wreckage. A giant painted plywood devil looms over the stage, surrounded by dancing skeletons and demon girls. A microphone stands center stage. BILL quietly I can't believe what I'm seeing. JERRY I know, this is fucking nuts. MARY This is starting to make me real uncomfortable. BILL Just sit back and enjoy the show. The sound of CANNED APPLAUSE fills the room. Bill begins to applaud, Jerry and Denise join in. Mary does not. GRAMPA V.O.) Ladies and gentlemen, straight from his smash six week sold out run at Tiki-Ti Club the Stardust lounge is proud to present Mr. Sexy himself Grampa Hugo. Grampa walks out to center stage, mic in hand and begins to speak. GRAMPA Hey, let me tell ya a story so I'm hanging out with my buddy Hal Jackowictz and I'm like, hey Hal let's go get some booze and chase the chickens fucking Hal says no, no the old battle axe at home will break my balls I gotta get my ass home. The kids stare in shock at Grampa. Jerry begins to laugh. GRAMPA So, I tell 'im Hal, here's the secret. Go home tonight, crawl into bed, get under the covers and eat your wife's pussy I mean jam your face right in the bush. Jerry starts to giggle. DENISE quietly What are you laughing at? JERRY I don't know, I think he's funny. DENISE This isn't funny, it's twisted. GRAMPA So, Hal goes home, jumps in, starts chomping and licking away at her pussy, she's screaming and howling totally passes out from the experience. MARY Dear God, let this end. GRAMPA Now, Hal He's feeling pretty good, so he goes into the bathroom for a quick shave pauses suddenly he lets out a horrible scream. ! The recorded crowd chuckles. GRAMPA Sitting there on the toilet is Hal's wife Gloria and she says, 'Quiet down, you'll wake Grandma!' The recorded crowd screams with laughter, as does Jerry. Bill, Denise and Mary look at him like he's crazy. GRAMPA Thank you, you're too kind, too kind stay in your seats, coming up next we got something special for you men out there. The curtains close and the stage goes dark. DENISE Shit, I'm all for being a sport, but this is ridiculous. BILL looking at his watch Man, it's already ten thirty. MARY I'm with Denise, can't we just walk to someplace, this is getting fucking stupid. JERRY Negative. Shit, we are so deep in the sticks we could walk for hours and find zero. BILL Yeah, I'd say at this point all we can do is just wait it out. There's nothing else. DENISE I suppose. I mean they're obviously all bonkers, but I guess they're harmless. MARY I fucking hope so. The stage lights come up. The recorded applause and music begin. Baby enters the stage. She is dressed in a home-made showgirl outfit. She begins to dance clumsily to the music. She appears to be somewhat intoxicated. The vocals come on and Baby begins to lipsync to the song. DENISE You gotta be kidding me. This chick is wasted. JERRY Shhhhhh. MARY How much is a person supposed to stand? BILL motioning for Mary to keep her voice down Quiet. MARY sarcastically Oh, I'm sorry, bothering you? Was I disturbing your viewing pleasure? Baby makes her way down from stage on to floor level. She gyrates and seductively TEASES one of the dummy audience members. Baby moves over to Jerry. Stroking her hand down his face. Denise tries to look amused. Jerry smiles uncomfortably. Baby strolls past Denise and stops in front of Mary. Baby pauses and pinches Mary's cheek and winks. Mary is FURIOUS. Baby moves over to Bill. Mary watches like a mother hawk. Baby sings and dances with all of her attention focused on Bill. Baby puts her arms around Bill's neck and sits on his lap. Mary BOLTS FORWARD and SHOVES Baby off of Bill. Baby crashes onto the floor. MARY Take that, you fucking slut! Mary spits at Baby Fucking redneck whore! BABY You shouldn't a done that. MARY Why? You gonna do something about it? BABY standing up Yeah, I'll do something. Baby takes out a straight razor from behind her back. BABY I'll cut your fucking tits off and shove 'em down your throat. MOTHER Baby! Stop! Mrs. Firefly runs down from her position behind the spotlight and intercedes. BABY Come on, ma this bitch's got it coming. MOTHER No, I told you SCREECH! The garage door slides open. Rufus has returned. RUFUS JR. interrupting Car's done. DENISE Thank God. MOTHER I suggest you kids leave now. MARY Don't worry, I'm gone. FARMHOUSE NIGHT Bill, Jerry, Denise and Mary climb back into their car. BILL Don't look back, just get in the car. DENISE Lock the fucking doors. CAR NIGHT Bill begins to pull the car down the long dirt driveway towards the road. The heavy rain makes visibility difficult. BILL straining to see through the darkness Almost there. JERRY Jesus, you think she was really gonna cut you? MARY leaning her forehead on the window Of course she was gonna cut me, she's a fucking nut closes her eyes and takes a breath I knew she was crazy from the second we picked her up. SLAM! Suddenly, Baby pounds her fist against Mary's window. Mary jumps back in terror. BABY screaming You're in Hell, bitch! You're gonna die like a dog! Baby disappears into the darkness. MARY Go! Go! Go! Get us out of here! Bill pulls the car up to the front gate. It is chained shut with a huge padlock. LIGHTNING CRASHES, illuminating the crucified scarecrows. FLASH CLOSE-UP CUTS of grinning jack-o-lantern faces peer down from above. CAR NIGHT Bill opens the car door, starts to get out. MARY hysterical What are you doing! BILL I gotta open the gate. MARY Drive through it! BILL It won't work. JERRY Holy fuck, hurry up. Jerry, Mary and Denise watch through the windshield as Bill struggles to unlatch the thick iron gates. SUDDENLY, one of the SCARECROWS JUMPS down from his cross and SMASHES Bill over the head with a HEAVY CLUB. Bill drops to his knees. MARY Bill! Help him! Jerry throws open his door to get out. He's SHOVED BACK into the car by another, larger scarecrow outside his door. This scarecrow begins smashing the car's windows with a METAL PIPE. Bill lays motionless, face down in the mud. His attacker turns his attention on the car. He also begins smashing the car's windows. CAR NIGHT From a distance we see Jerry pulled from the car and beaten. The girls are helplessly trapped inside the destroyed vehicle. The scarecrows continue to pound on the car. As we fade out, the sound of a BARKING DOG can be heard. FARMHOUSE MAGIC From a long shot, we see the farmhouse in the early morning sunrise. All is still. The sound of an engine starting breaks the early morning silence. Rufus's tow truck is seen pulling away from behind the house. The BEATEN REMAINS of Bill's car are towed behind it. WILLIS HOUSE SUNRISE Darkness, except for the face of an alarm clock. The time is : AM. TICK, TICK, TICK BUZZZZZZ. The alarm goes off. A hand reaches over and turns off the alarm. We hear a deep groan. A light turns on. WILLIS'S LIVING ROOM MORNING Don Willis wakes up, having fallen asleep in his easy chair. He sits up and wipes the sleep from his eyes. He runs a hand across his head, smoothing out his thinning grey hair. He picks up a phone next to his bed, dials a number, waits. MR. WILLIS Hi. Lieutenant Broekman please Donald Willis. He holds. MR. WILLIS Hey, Phil listens Yeah, I'm alright but I need you to check on something for me. Willis stands, walks to the window, opens the shades, morning sun fills the room. shelf by the window is cluttered with framed photographs. B+W memories of Denise at the beach, RUDY the dog. High school graduations and Donald Willis in uniform with the other members of Precinct. Donald is a FORMER POLICE OFFICER. MR. WILLIS I'm a little worried about Denise. She called me last night from the road, out by Ruggsville at some joint called Spaulding's or something like that, said she'd be here about eleven but she never showed up. Paces. MR. WILLIS Yeah, if you could run a check on up that way and see about any accidents or road closing or anything, I'd really appreciate it listening yeah, yeah, I know I'm sure nothing happened but, you know me I like to worry thanks bye. Hangs up the phone. FARMHOUSE OTIS'S ROOM DAY Mary opens her eyes, squinting into the light. Sunlight peers through filth on the windows, fractured by the tattered remains of rotted curtains. Peeling yellowed newspaper serves as wallpaper surrounding the window. Mary's eyes move across the walls to a painting of a BIG EYED KITTEN. She stares at it and smiles. A look of horror begins to appear on her face. She begins to scream uncontrollably. OTIS off screen Shut your fucking mouth! She is hysterical. OTIS I said shut your mouth! ZOOM BACK to see Mary wearing a dunce cap, tied to a chair, facing a corner in the farmhouse's attic. This is Otis's art studio. Otis, standing before a large canvas, sets down his paint brush and calmly walks over to Mary. He spins her chair around, clamps her mouth shut with his hand and leans his nose against hers. OTIS slow and sinister Listen, you Malibu Barbie middle class piece of shit. I'm trying to work, you got me, work you ever work? Mary's eyes scream with terror, she nods yes. OTIS Yeah, I'll bet you did. Scooping ice cream to your shitheel friends on summer break well, I ain't talking about white socks with Mickey Mouse on one side and Donald Duck on the other shit, you ain't reading no funny books, mamma. Otis raises his paint covered hand. OTIS This is blood and guts, Suzy Q. Our bodies come and go, but this blood is forever pulls a small book from his breast pocket let me read you something, listen and learn you listening? Otis pulls back his hand, ready to backhand her across the face with the book. She nods again. He lowers the book. OTIS gesturing dramatically And the angels, all pallid and wan, Uprising, unveiling, affirm That the play is the tragedy 'Man' And its hero the Conqueror Worm pauses you get that? Art is eternal, you get me, mamma? Mary stares dumbfounded. OTIS Now, I'm gonna remove my hand you make a sound and I swear I'll slit you open and make you eat your own fucking intestines you get me? She nods again. He slowly removes his hand from her mouth. Mary tries to remain calm, but starts to hyperventilate. Tears roll down her face. MARY whispering Why? Why are you doing this? OTIS Doing what? Messy up your day? Well, fuck lady there are some bigger issues at hand than your fucking have a nice fucking day bumper sticker shit! MARY Where's Bill? OTIS chuckling Well, Bill he's a good guy, he's been great help to me a real blessing I couldn't have asked for a better specimen. I mean you don't know what a dry spell I've had, total block slaps his forehead total block but Bill he's OK. Mary looks confused, but relieved. MARY softly Where is he? OTIS Let's go see. Otis grabs the back of the chair and drags her across the room towards a curtained off area. Whoosh! He pulls her through the curtains. From behind the curtain we hear Mary SCREAMING and Otis LAUGHING. MARY behind curtain Bill? No, no, no! What have you done? Bill! CURTAIN ROOM OTIS'S ROOM DAY Ugliness. Decay. Pain. Carefully arranged on a model's platform is the severed torso of Bill sewn to a large homemade fish tail. He is lying on his ride side posing. Bill's face is frozen in a death scream. OTIS Behold The Fish-Boy! MARY repeating to herself This can't be real, this can't be real, this can't be real. OTIS Oh, it's real as real as I want it to be, mamma grabs his canvas and holds it in her face look, see the magic in my brush strokes. Painted on the canvas is the gruesome scene of Bill as the Fish-Boy. MARY crying Fuck you, you fucking freak! OTIS Oh, come now we're all creatures of God and freaks in our own way twitches and shakes but if you'll notice points to a blank spot in the painting right here, needs a little something, heh? Otis slowly puts down the canvas, turns and picks up a huge hunting knife. MARY What are you doing? squirming no, stop please, please. OTIS You, my dear worm feeder, are about to become immortalized. Otis draws back the knife. MARY screaming Noooooooooooo! Otis swings the knife forward, directly into the camera. CLOWN FACE Ravelli's clown head bobs back and forth. PULL BACK TO: Ravelli, wearing his clown head, stands by the road side waving to passing cars. SPAULDING'S DAY A police car drives past Ravelli and comes to a stop. OFFICER GEORGE WYDELL,, a big, slightly paunchy man with a big mustache and mirrored sunglasses, steps from his car. Following close behind, OFFICER STEVE NAISH,, tall athletic. WYDELL pauses, looks around, pulls up his belt Well, let's go see if the nut that runs this place can help us. NAISH Right. They walk to the door. SPAULDING'S DAY The door swings open. Wydell enters slowly, putting on his best cowboy attitude. Naish follows suit. Wydell, hands on his belt, struts up to the counter. No one is around. A rusted bell sits on the counter, taped to it is a handwritten note, 'ring for service'. Wydell rings it once, waits, no response. Rings it again, waits, no response. NAISH looking around the room Get a load of all this crap this is one sick place. Wydell begins ringing the bell non-stop. Spaulding shouts from the backroom. CAPT. SPAULDING Whoever's a jerking off on that bell better be gone when I get out there 'cause I'm gonna rip your nuts off. Spaulding enters from behind the curtain, angry. He sees the troopers and puts on a phony grin. CAPT. SPAULDING Officers, officers what can I do for you today? I ain't fried up the birds yet if that's what you're ring a ding dinging about. WYDELL pulls a paper from his pocket What I need are some answers. unfolds the paper to reveal a picture of Denise CAPT. SPAULDING Well, I'll try but I don't know nothing 'bout nobody. I'm a guy who likes to mind his own business, if ya get what I'm saying. WYDELL holds up picture You seen this girl? Say within the last hours. Spaulding reaches out and grabs the picture. CAPT. SPAULDING studies the picture Yeah, yeah I seen her. Good looking kid, but not really my type gesturing with his hands I like meaty, eh? NAISH losing patience Hey ass clown, how 'bout some answers. He ain't interested in your love life. WYDELL Come on, get with the facts. CAPT. SPAULDING Hmmmmmmmmm? WYDELL What'd you see, who was she with, where were they going? CAPT. SPAULDING Aw, she was with some nosey, smartass high-rise kids. They were poking around asking stupid questions. NAISH Questions about what? CAPT. SPAULDING This and that, mostly some tired Dr. Satan bullshit they got a gander at the display back there and thought they could solve the great Deadwoods mystery. WYDELL And CAPT. SPAULDING And I gave 'em directions out there, up by the old farm row I figured what's the harm. Stupid kids probably going out to piss up a rope and got themselves turned around backasswards and got lost as shit. WYDELL Is that all think real hard. CAPT. SPAULDING Yeah, they weren't here but a few minutes, didn't really have time to get as up close and personal as I do with most of the assholes that wander through here. WYDELL How's about you give me those same directions. CAPT. SPAULDING Yeah, yeah, sure. You don't have to get all True Grit all over my ass I'll give'm to ya you can knock yourself silly for all I care. WYDELL hands him a note pad Enough talk, write. TOW TRUCK DAY We are cruising down the road. A bobbing head skeleton toy glued to the dashboard wiggles with each bump in the road. Behind the wheel is Rufus Jr., riding shotgun is Baby, dressed in her Sunday best. The radio is blasting. BABY screaming over the music We're gonna have fun tonight, bro. RUFUS JR. Yeah, fun. They speed off. CHERRYPICKER RD. WOODS MIDDAY The police cruiser maneuvers down the rough dirt road. POLICE CAR MIDDAY Wydell and Naish scan the surrounding woods for any sign of Denise and her friends. NAISH Boss, the way I see it is these kids probally stop off somewhere, bought a bunch of booze and are off getting shitfaced. WYDELL I hope you're right, but my guts are telling me different. NAISH Your Spidey senses tingling. WYDELL Yeah realizes what he just said huh, what the hell are you talking about? NAISH You know, your hyper sensitive Spidey senses like Spider-man pauses you know, like in the comics. WYDELL How old do you think I am? I know who the fuck Spider-man is. Get to your point. NAISH You know, his senses start tingling when he was approaching danger and shit. WYDELL I always favored the Hulk. NAISH Hulk was dumb as shit. WYDELL Aw, fuck. NAISH What. CHERRYPICKER RD. WOODS MIDDAY Bill's car is down in a ditch, run off the side of the road. POLICE CAR MIDDAY Naish checks the license plate number with his sheet. NAISH Plates match. WYDELL Call the chief We found 'em. PINK PUSSY CAT LIQUORS MIDDAY A small, crummy liquor store stands next to a sleazy motel. A filthy looking hooker leads her customer to a waiting room, a homeless bum stands screaming obscenities in the parking lot. PINK PUSSY CAT LIQUORS MIDDAY The store is decorated for Halloween. Off to one side is a curtained room. A sign reads 'XXX mm loops', sex noises can be heard inside. Baby and Rufus stand at the counter waiting for the CASHIER, a skinny geek with glasses, to total up their purchases. The counter is loaded with bottles. The cashier is packing the bottles into cardboard boxes. CASHIER You all having a Halloween party tonight? BABY Now, what makes you think that? CASHIER You all sure are buying a lot of holy water for two people. BABY Yeah, well we like to get fucked up and do fucked up shit, you know what I mean? CASHIER Yeah, yeah giggling I like to fuck shit up. BABY I'll bet you do how much we owe ya looks at his name tag Goober? CASHIER looking down at his tag Actually it's G. Ober Gerry Ober, but the guys drew in the other O, fucking assholes. BABY uninterested Great story Goober, how much? CASHIER Ummmm two hundred and eighty-five dollars. Baby throws down three hundred dollars. BABY Keep the change and get yourself a new name. CASHIER Holy crap, thanks! Rufus picks up the boxes from the counter. He and Baby start to walk away. BABY Come on, bro. Let's go. CASHIER holding out a flyer Hey, wait take this. Baby stops and grabs the flyer. BABY What's this? CASHIER A missing girl. I use'ta go to school with her, she just up and disappeared some day real weird. The flyer reads MISSING, KAREN MURPHY The picture on the flyer shows the smiling chubby face of a young girl. BABY Now isn't she a happy little cherub oh well stuffs it in her pocket nobody just up and disappears. RUFUS JR. mutters Aliens. BABY Yeah, maybe it was fucking aliens. PINK PUSSY CAT LIQUOR MIDDAY Baby and Rufus exit. Rufus loads the boxes into the back of the truck. Baby sits on the curb and lights a cigarette. CHERRYPICKER ROAD WOODS MIDDAY Bill's car is now sitting in the middle of the road. The back is attached to a police tow truck. An additional police cruiser arrives on the scene. Sheriff Huston steps out from his cruiser. HUSTON What'd we here, Georgie? WYDELL A vehicle registered to a William S. Hudley. HUSTON Holy Jesus, somebody had themselves a field day beating the shit outta this thing. WYDELL Yeah, no mercy here. HUSTON Recover any bodies? WYDELL Not yet. HUSTON inspecting the car Shit, I wonder what these kids did to bring this much hell down on 'em. WYDELL Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. HUSTON That's the understatement of the year. WYDELL Yep, I suppose it is. BILL'S CAR WOODS MIDDAY Naish is digging around under the front seat. NAISH Hey, I found something. Naish crawls out of the car. CHERRYPICKER ROAD WOODS MIDDAY HUSTON What'd ya got there? NAISH Keys. HUSTON Well Christ boy, don't stand there like a prize dog dick with his butthole caught up a tree. NAISH Huh? HUSTON Open up the trunk. NAISH Yes, sir. WYDELL Toss 'em over here. Naish tosses them over the car to Wydell. Wydell fishes through the keys, finds the trunk key and opens it. WYDELL winces God damn. HUSTON You find something, Georgie? WYDELL disgusted Yep, I found something. We move around the car to see the nude body of Karen Murphy laying in the trunk. Her arms and legs are hog tied. She is dead. The word TRICK is carved into her side. FARMHOUSE BASEMENT TINY'S ROOM LATE AFTERNOON Water drips down from the leaking pipes above. Scavenging rats scurry across the concrete floor. In a far corner a single light burns, a child's Humpty Dumpty lamp, illuminating Denise is strapped to an old wooden bed. She has been stripped of her own clothes and is now wearing a blue checked little girl's dress. Her hair is tied in pigtails. She is cold and shivering. BOOM. The basement door opens, heavy footsteps lumber down the creaking stairs. It is Tiny. Tiny is wearing an orange T-shirt that reads, 'This is my Halloween costume'. For the first time we see the skin on his arms, it is severely deformed from burn scars. He is holding a small tray. On the tray is a box of cereal, milk, a bowl and a spoon. Tiny goes over to Denise, sets down the tray, and proudly displays his T-shirt. DENISE hoarse and dry Please Tiny, please. Let me go help me. Tiny sits down on a stool next to the bed, he stares down at Denise like a confused dog. DENISE crying Please, God please. Tiny begins preparing her food, carefully pouring the cereal and milk into the bowl. He stirs it with the spoon. Tiny gently lifts Denise's head and feeds her like a baby. Denise swallows the food, trying not to choke. After a few spoonfuls Tiny stands up and walks over to a dark corner of the room. He pulls a string and turns on a swinging ceiling light. In the light we see a rusty cage, inside are three rail-thin female bodies. Tiny throws the remainder of the cereal into the cage. One of the bodies moves to eat the scraps, the others do not. They are dead. Tiny turns off the overhead light. POLICE CAR LATE AFTERNOON Wydell and Naish are pulling into a large truck stop parking lot. NAISH You sure this guy's supposed to ride with us? Seems kind of weird. WYDELL scanning the parking lot Chief said pick him up and take him with us on our house to house. Guy's an ex-cop, thinks he can help. NAISH Sounds like a bad idea to me, probally just get in the way. WYDELL Yeah, well I guess it's tough to sit on the sidelines and wait when your own kid's missing besides, ain't no such thing as an ex-cop. NAISH I guess not. WYDELL That must be him. GAS STATION LATE AFTERNOON A rundown gas station sits off to the side of the road. A filthy mechanic works on one of the many junked cars. Two fat greasy men sit in the hot sun playing cards. A Chevy Nova sits parked next to the station. Willis leans against the side of the car, drinking coffee from a styrofoam cup. A police cruiser pulls up. Wydell and Naish step from the car. WYDELL Mr. Willis? MR. WILLIS Yes, sir. WYDELL I'm Wydell this is Naish. Wydell extends his hand, they shake hands. NAISH Hey. MR. WILLIS George Willis to Wydell any leads? WYDELL Well, we were on our way out to run a check on a couple farmhouses out on the edge of town closest thing we got to a lead at this point. MR. WILLIS That's it? WYDELL Well, all we know is the kids were headed out to a spot the locals call Deadwood to play Nancy Drew with some local legend about this character everybody calls Dr. Satan. MR. WILLIS Dr. Satan? NAISH Yeah it's horseshit, just some boogieman crap that the kids like to scare each other with. WYDELL Anyway, there's not much else out that way so, I figure maybe there's a chance the kids broke down and found their way over to one of the farms. MR. WILLIS What about the body you found? WYDELL slightly surprised Oh, yeah, you know about that? Hmmm, that's a strange one. NAISH Local girl, Karen Murphy, been missing for a couple months, figured for a runaway. MR. WILLIS Fit the profile? NAISH No, not really. Good kid, never been in any trouble. WYDELL Her part in this I can't figure but I will. MR. WILLIS wipes his brow Christ, you know it's crazy gets choked up I lived through so many other people's nightmares, you know. Always cool and calm, but but I never thought I'd be the one needing help, ya know? NAISH Don't worry, we'll find her. WYDELL Let's hit the road, sooner we get a move on sooner we'll find her. Willis dumps out the remaining coffee, tosses the cup into the trash and opens the back door of the police car. He gets inside. Wydell and Naish climb in. The car drives off. FARMHOUSE OTIS'S ROOM LATE AFTERNOON THUMP! on a bloody, bandaged face. THUMP! As we pull back to see Jerry, completely bandaged like a mummy, strapped to a wall. His arms and legs are spread. THUMP! Knives stick in the wall next to the body. GRAMPA off screen God damn bitch, what the fuck are you waiting for Charles Nelson Reilly don't know shit We pull back further to see Otis pacing wildly back and forth in front of his TV, watching MATCH GAME. Grampa sits eating a TV dinner. OTIS gesturing at the TV with a knife Watch that bitch, she's thinking about that Klugman bangin' Brett Sommers, pick motherfucking Richard Dawson. Otis throws the large hunting knife at the wall next to Jerry. OTIS He's the fucking slick jack Match Game man, mamma. GRAMPA Where do they find these people? POLICE CRUISER LATE AFTERNOON MR. WILLIS Christ, four kids couldn't just disappear. NAISH No they couldn't, somebody had to see something. MR. WILLIS My Denise is a smart girl, she wouldn't do anything stupid, and her boyfriend, he always seemed like a good kid. WYDELL I'm sure there's a logical explanation. MR. WILLIS I pray to God there is. NAISH Turn up this road. MR. WILLIS Where we headed? WYDELL I seem to remember another farm set way back off the road where the car was found. I'm not sure if anyone lives there anymore, but it's worth a look. FARMHOUSE LATE AFTERNOON Wydell's cruiser turns up the road to the Firefly farmhouse. It moves past the scarecrows and comes to a halt. The doors swing open and Wydell, Naish and Willis get out. WYDELL I'm gonna see if anybody's home. You and Mr. Willis take a look around the grounds for any sign of anything. NAISH Right to Willis come on. Naish and Willis head off around the back of the house. FARMHOUSE KITCHEN LATE AFTERNOON Dirty dishes overflow from the rusty metal sink onto the surrounding counters. A large cat walks across piles of food left to rot on a table. Boxes of trash and old newspapers are stacked to the ceiling. Music from a crackling radio is heard. Mother stands stirring a large pot on the stove. A LOUD knocking interrupts her cooking. She sets down her spoon and walks to the front door. Before opening the door she peeks through the curtains of a small side window. She sees Wydell and runs from the kitchen. FARMHOUSE LATE AFTERNOON Wydell walks up the front steps. FARMHOUSE HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON Mother runs toward a door at the end of the hall. She swings open the door. FARMHOUSE OTIS'S ROOM LATE AFTERNOON Mother bursts into the room. MOTHER Otis! Otis! Come quick, there's cops outside. OTIS What! God damn, how many? GRAMPA watching TV What? How many? OTIS Don't worry about it. Otis jumps up and goes over to an old dresser and opens a drawer and pulls out an automatic revolver. MOTHER I don't know. I only saw one. OTIS I'm sure there's more than that fucking pigs always travel in packs handing the gun to Mother here, take this. MOTHER takes the gun What should I do? OTIS Go down stairs and play nice I'm a gonna go 'round back and handle things like I always fucking do. FARMHOUSE SAME Naish and Willis move through the cluttered back yard of garbage. NAISH Shit, don't these packrat hillbillies throw anything away? MR. WILLIS Shhhh you hear that? The soft sound of moaning can be heard. NAISH Yeah, I hear it where's it coming from? MR. WILLIS Over here, inside the smokehouse. Naish and Willis stand in front of a brick smokehouse. The thick door is chained shut. NAISH knocking on door Anybody in there? The moaning gets louder. MR. WILLIS We gotta break it open. NAISH I ain't got a warrant. Willis picks up a broken axe handle and begins prying open the door. MR. WILLIS Tell it to my daughter. NAISH grabbing hold to help Shit fuck procedure. Together they struggle to open the door. FARMHOUSE SAME Mother slowly opens the front door. The revolver is behind her back, tucked in her apron strings. MOTHER trying to be sexy Well hello, officer. WYDELL holding up his badge Excuse me, I'm sorry for disturbing you this fine afternoon. MOTHER Aw, you ain't disturbing me, but it kind of looks like rain, don't ya think? WYDELL My name is Lt. Wydell, I'd like to ask you a few questions. MOTHER Questions? Well, heck, I'll tell you anything you want to know. WYDELL I appreciate your cooperation. I'm looking for a missing girl holds up picture this girl here, Denise Willis have you seen her? MOTHER Well, I mmmmm no, I ain't seen her, sorry. She begins to close the door. Wydell stops her. WYDELL Please, could I please come in and talk to you for a minute? Maybe you could take a better look at the picture might stir up something. MOTHER I um no, I don't think so WYDELL Please, just a minute. MOTHER Oh, alright I guess I can trust you being a man of the law and all. She opens the door. WYDELL Thank you. MOTHER Oh, you are very welcome Lord knows how I love a man in uniform. She closes the door. FARMHOUSE SAME Naish and Willis bust open the door to the smokehouse. Hanging upside down inside is Mary. She hangs from ropes strapped to the ceiling. Large hunks of meat hang around her in the cramped room. NAISH Jesus Christ. MR. WILLIS Call Wydell. FARMHOUSE SAME Wydell and Mother sit opposite eachother at the kitchen table. Pictures of Denise and her companions are spread on the table. Wydell takes notes as Mother talks. WYDELL Think do any of these kids look familiar in any way? MOTHER No, I can't say that I ever seen 'em before points to the photo of Bill he looks familiar, is he on TV? Suddenly, Naish's voice comes over Wydell's walkie-talkie. NAISH Wydell. WYDELL Excuse me for a second. Pulls walkie-talkie from his belt to respond. WYDELL Over. NAISH We found one. Click. Mother points the gun at Wydell's head and fires. He falls dead to the floor. FARMHOUSE SAME Naish hears the commotion over his walkie-talkie. NAISH into walkie-talkie Wydell! Over! Wydell! Over! No response. NAISH Fuck, go to the car call for backup. Tell 'em officer down. MR. WILLIS Right. Willis runs to the car, he gets about halfway there before he is hit in the back by a bullet. He stumbles and falls to his knees. He kneels silent, stunned. We hold on his face and watch as his life passes before him. A quick MONTAGE, we see the following images flash by: A. A father and daughter together in happier times. B. A child's birthday party. C. A baby crying. D. Willis and his deceased wife. Otis fires another shot. Willis falls forward into the mud, dead. Naish sees Willis fall. Before he can react a voice calls out from behind him. OTIS Hands up, bitch! Naish raises his hands. OTIS Turn around, real slow piggy-pie. Naish turns around. OTIS Interlock your fingers behind your head Naish hesitates do it! Naish obeys. OTIS Kneel. Naish kneels down. From a distance we see Otis standing over Naish, execution style. A white puff of smoke comes from Otis's gun and a distant popping sound is heard. Naish falls over on his side. The scene fades to blood red. FARMHOUSE NIGHT The house stands silent in the darkness. Lightning crashes, a heavy rain falls. Burning JACK-O'-LANTERNS beam from every window. Smoke rises from the chimney. It is Halloween night. FARMHOUSE NIGHT CLOSE-UP TV Dr. Wolfenstein is on screen smashing pumpkins with a giant hammer. DR. WOLFENSTEIN It is midnight my little boils and ghouls, the witching hour. Time for all monsters, murderers, maniacs and madmen to go to work so lock your doors and bolt your windows, sit back and prepare for a fright night classic lightning crashes The House of Frankenstein. The movie begins and we move off the TV to see: Hundreds of CANDLES are lit, illuminating everything with a flickering light. Music blares from a cheap stereo. BLACK and ORANGE PAPER STREAMERS are draped from ceiling to floor. Dead center is a LARGE OBJECT standing seven feet tall, it is completely covered in paper Halloween decorations. A long chain connects the object up into the rafters. This is the Halloween party from Hell. An intoxicated Grampa, dressed as FLASH GORDON, sits in his wheelchair watching the TV, drinking MOONSHINE from an unmarked bottle. GRAMPA slurred drunken yelling at the screen Get those motherfucker those high water bitches and rocketship daisies kill 'em, kill 'em. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Tiny stands in a corner tunelessly banging on a large oil drum. He is dressed like a low budget BATMAN, in grey long johns and a black bat mask and cape. A drunk Rufus, wearing a bloody police uniform, stands on a table SHOUTING along to the music through a POLICE MEGAPHONE. Mother and Baby, both dressed as SUPERHEROES, dance around the covered object. Both are swigging moonshine from jugs. RUFUS JR. shouting through megaphone Show me, show me, show me, show me! Mother and Baby start TEARING AWAY the paper covering from the object in the middle of the room. They RIP at the paper, spinning and dancing around in a wild pagan ritual. As the shreds of colored paper fall to the floor we see: Denise, Jerry and Mary tied back to back hanging from the chain, each are dressed in a different animal costume. Denise is a pig, Jerry is a donkey and Mary is a rabbit. They are gagged. Mother and Baby laugh at their helpless victims, splashing moonshine in their faces. BABY Drink up, it's party time. MOTHER Enjoy your last night looking around where's Otis? BABY Oh, he's coming, he got something real special this year. Rufus jumps down, begins to spin the bound captives around and around. RUFUS JR. Otis, Otis, Otis, Otis! MOTHER Quiet, quiet, you know he won't come down with all this hoop-dee-doo bouncing off the walls. Now, calm down. GRAMPA I shot an elephant in my pajamas this morning how he got in my pajamas I'll never know. BABY Grampa, shhhhhhhh. GRAMPA Then we tried to remove the tusks, but they were embedded in so firmly that we couldn't budge 'em. MOTHER gesturing at Grampa Let him finish. GRAMPA Of course, in Alabama the Tuscaloosa, but that's entirely irrelephant. The room goes silent. All eyes are focused on the stairs. A robed figure, Otis, appears at the top of the stairs, he begins to descend. Rufus waits at the bottom of the stairs. As Otis reaches the last step Rufus hands him the megaphone. Denise, Mary and Jerry struggle to watch as they in turn rotate past the scene unfolding. OTIS through the megaphone I'm the one who brings the Christmas candy now tell me pauses and raises his arms Who's your Daddy? Otis walks closer to the rotating captives. OTIS I'm the one who brings the devil's brandy waits MOTHER Who's your Daddy! OTIS Yes! I'm the one who beats you when you're bad BABY Who's your Daddy! MOTHER Who's your Daddy! Otis stops the spinning of his prisoners and stands directly before Denise. He drops his robe, underneath he is wearing a SUIT OF SKIN sewn together from pieces of Denise's father. Denise stares in horror, tears stream down her cheeks, barely able to comprehend the madness around her. Otis moves in close and licks her across the face. OTIS I'm the one who loves you when you're fucking dead! Everyone chants 'Who's your Daddy?' OTIS imitating Willis Now, I say my little darlings rotates the chain to Mary maybe prancing around where you don't belong ain't such a winner of an idea slaps Mary across the face Slowly turns the chain to face Jerry. OTIS And you, the great rusher of fools, what were you after slaps Jerry Huh, speak to me slaps him again Oh, that's right, Dr. Satan everybody got to know about Dr. Satan, Jesus Christ, let the old dog rest for fuck sake, he's already got one foot in the grave and the other's tap dancing around the edge gets nose to nose with Jerry well, I can see the disappointment on your sad little puppy face so I'm gonna do you a favor, a big, big favor. You owe me, boy. I'm gonna let you meet the old bastard. GRAMPA That's a horse's ass alright, I told you. Jerry's eyes widen in fear. OTIS Baby, roll that old love machine over here, so this boy can meet his hero. Baby rolls Grampa over to Jerry. OTIS lifts his skin mask You see it's all true, the boogieman is real and you found him Jerry stares in shock why so sad? Isn't this what you begged for? There he is, the living legend himself, ta da Dr. Satan. Now, don't get shy on me ask your hero some questions, don't blow this last in a lifetime opportunity. GRAMPA Zarkoff, I will conquer the sea, the air, the earth the universe. Mother moves in close to Jerry. MOTHER Look at the way he lights up Grampa just loves meeting his fans. Otis grabs Jerry's cheeks and makes his face move like a ventriloquist dummy, provides Jerry's voice. OTIS Aw gee whiz, I'm so excited I really think you're the coolest you're tops on the playground, cooler than the Fonzie. Baby grabs Mary and does the same ventriloquist routine. BABY Oh, oh pick me, pick me I have a question. Baby rotates Mary around to where Gramps is seated. BABY squeezing Mary's face, hard I was wondering Mr. Satan sir, do you like to kiss on the first date or is that considered slutty? GRAMPA What the fuck are you saying? Who the hell is talking to me? Tiny, growing restless, begins banging on his metal drum. KLANG KLANG KLANG. Rufus joins in, clapping his hands. MOTHER Come on, my babies are getting restless. RUFUS JR. Dump in the pit, dump in the pit, dump in the pit. Mother, Baby, Grampa join in chanting with Rufus. OTIS Alright, alright. Cut 'em down, it's time they get what they came here for. FIELD NIGHT The rain pounds down. A heavy fog hovers over the dense growth of the field. In the distance, silhouetted by moonlight, a gruesome caravan slowly moves through the night. Otis, lantern in hand, leads the way. Followed by Baby and Mother together under a large black umbrella. Next Rufus holds the leash connected to Jerry, Denise and Mary. Bringing up the rear, Tiny, shotgun focused on the prisoners, and Grampa. Grampa is strapped to Tiny's back like a child. He waves a flashlight back and forth like a search beam. The group comes to a halt at a huge wooden structure. OTIS handing Baby the lantern Hold this. Point it over here. Baby directs the light at Otis. We see that he is trying to unlock a huge padlock attached to an iron door embedded in the base of the wooden structure. Otis unlocks the door and swings it open. He reaches down into the blackness and pulls up an iron hook and wench, attached to the hook is a chain. Otis parts a section of the overgrown grass next to the pit to reveal a rusty metal crank. He begins to turn the crank. Slowly, from out of the pit, rises a coffin hanging from the end of the chain. Otis pulls the coffin over and lays it flat on the ground. He flips open the lid. OTIS Hey happy-boy, step your ass up here. Rufus cuts loose Jerry, but holds him steady by the neck. BABY Take his gag out, it's more fun with the screaming. MOTHER Yeah, I like the screaming too it's so much more exciting. Rufus cuts loose the gag. JERRY Please don't kill us, please don't kill us. BABY imitating Jerry Please don't kill us, please don't kill us. OTIS Bitch, shut your mouth and get your shit in the box. JERRY Let us go, please let the girls go. BABY imitating Jerry Let us go, please let the girls go. Otis pulls out a gun and points it at Jerry. OTIS Get in now! MOTHER Wait, I want to say good-bye. Mother grabs Jerry by the collar and gives him a big kiss. MOTHER Bye sweety, we could of been great together. JERRY Please, let us go, we won't tell anybody. MOTHER Aw, honey you know I can't do that. BABY We won't tell anybody. Otis cocks the pistol. Jerry starts to slowly move towards the coffin. OTIS Christ, ain't this fucking a hoot alright mamma, I ain't got all fucking night. JERRY Please, please this is insane. You can't do this. Rufus pushes Jerry into the coffin. OTIS It is and I can next. Denise starts kicking and fighting with Rufus. Rufus tries to hold her steady, when suddenly Mary breaks free and starts to run. OTIS laughs and raises his pistol Where's she think she's a gonna get to? She's gonna run all the way home. BABY No! Let me get her turns to Mother Ma, Otis is having all the fun can I get her? MOTHER That's true, Otis not that we're having a bad time, but OTIS rolls his eyes Well, go get her. Baby jumps with excitement and runs off across the field after Mary. Mary trips and falls over a small gravestone. She gets up and stumbles back into a wooden cross. She tears the gag from her mouth and gasps for air. BABY There once was a woman who lived with her daughter in a cabbage garden. Mary turns toward the voice but sees nothing but wooden crosses. She is in a homemade cemetery. BABY along came a rabbit and ate up all the cabbages. The woman said Mary turns degrees, but finds nothing. BABY ...'Go into the garden and drive out the rabbit'... THUD! Mary is hit from behind, she falls forward. Baby JUMPS on top of her and sits on her back. Baby is holding a large hunting knife. BABY 'Shoo! Shoo!' said the maiden Mary screams in pain, as Baby PLUNGES the knife into her. Baby STABS Mary again and again and again. Mary lets out a long gurgling scream, then goes silent. BABY ...'Come maiden,' said the rabbit leans down sit on my tail and go with me to my rabbit hutch. Baby, covered in blood, licks the knife clean. PIT NIGHT Otis shoves Denise into the coffin with Jerry and locks the lid shut. Through a CROSS-SHAPED OPENING in the coffin we see them crushed together. Rufus LOWERS the coffin into the pit. Once the coffin is inside Otis slams the door shut. Otis opens a small window in the door and lowers in a lantern and a small tape recorder playing music. PIT NIGHT Enter Hell. The dim light of the lantern shines off the slimy wet filth of the rotted wood walls. The stench of death and decay hangs heavy in the thin air. Denise and Jerry, cold and shivering, hang half submerged in thick maggot infested sludge. Bits of animal and human skeletons float in the muck, broken bones lay in piles along the walls. COFFIN NIGHT Through the dim light, we see the tightly packed forms of Jerry and Denise. DENISE hysterical We've got get out of here, we got get out of here. JERRY Think, think. Try to open the lid, try to kick a hole in the wood. DENISE crying I can't I can't move my arms. I hurt so much. JERRY I know, but we can make it out of here. We can do it. Boom! A LOUD THUMP is heard against the side of the coffin. JERRY That was good babe, just keep doing that. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. DENISE That's not me. I didn't I'm not doing that. JERRY Someone is out there shouting help, we're in here! DENISE Help, help us. Suddenly, an arm breaks through the side of the coffin. Another smashes through the top of the lid. The coffin begins to violently shake. Denise screams. Another reaches through, grabbing her feet. SMASH! The coffin is ripped apart and Jerry is pulled away from the destruction. He lets out a quick scream before disappearing into the darkness. DENISE Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! FARMHOUSE LIVINGROOM NIGHT The spastic light of TV static strobes across the sleeping face of Grampa. Beside him, Mother sleeps peacefully. BARN NIGHT The rain has stopped. Tiny opens the doors to the barn. He goes inside. He exits a few moments later, dragging a huge wooden stake. He sets the stake down carefully and closes the barn doors. He then picks up the stake and drags it away. BACKYARD NIGHT Behind the farmhouse is a camouflage jungle, an intricate system of ropes and netting is strung together to hide the many automobiles beneath. Rufus moves through the jungle. He stops and begins to remove the netting from a car, it is Wydell's police cruiser. He climbs inside the car, puts on Wydell's policeman's hat and starts the engine. He drives off. POLICE CAR NIGHT Rufus is driving like a maniac through the open farmland. He turns on the overhead flashing lights. FIELDS NIGHT The police cruiser twists and turns in the barren fields. PIT NIGHT Denise stands knee deep in the sludge. Broken bits of the coffin's remains are scattered around her. DENISE Jerry please answer me. A soft moaning sound is heard coming from the other end of the pit. DENISE Jerry moving slowly forward is that you? Denise cautiously makes her way to the bend at the end of the tunnel. As she approaches, the moaning sound gets louder. She turns the corner to see: TWO PALE FIGURES in filthy hospital gowns hunched over a shadowy object. Denise gasps. They turn towards Denise, revealing the partially devoured dead body of Jerry. The two bone-white ghouls are dripping with Jerry's blood, they stare at Denise, then return to their prey. Denise screams in horror and runs, turning down another twist in the underground maze. She turns the corner and runs straight into SEVERAL SLOW MOVING GHOULS. The ghouls are of the same deathly white complexion, hair-less with flaked, cracking skin. Their yellow eyes shine in the darkness. They reach for her, but she breaks free and continues to run into the endless stretch of tunnels before her. GRAVEYARD NIGHT Primitive wooden crosses form a circle around a burnt piece of land, approximately twenty feet in diameter. Laying flat in the center is the large stake, Mary's body is draped across it. Tiny is securing her to the stake with rope. POLICE CAR NIGHT Through the windshield, we see Baby jumping and dancing in the fields with several large dogs. She is firing a gun as she dances. FIELD NIGHT Baby sees the car and raises her gun. She aims it at the car driver. She waits, as the car gets closer she sees the face of Rufus behind the wheel. She lowers the gun and begins to laugh. The car stops and Baby climbs into the passenger's seat. The car drives off. GRAVEYARD NIGHT Tiny lifts the stake with Mary firmly strapped in place. He implants it into the ground. Her body hangs like a doll. Tiny opens a gasoline can and begins splashing gas onto the stake. FIELD NIGHT Otis, face painted like a SKULL and wearing a priest's robe, walks solemnly through the tall grass. PIT NIGHT Denise, waist high in sludge, wanders lost through the endless tunnels of the pit. In the distance she hears high pitched animal sounds. A GHOUL rises up from the sludge behind Denise. It stands silent. It reaches out a BONEY HAND with long curled fingernails and grabs her hair. Denise screams and tries to pull away. The ghoul grabs her with his other hand and pulls her closer, CLAWING at her face. Denise fights her way free, but loses her footing and falls backwards, slipping under the sludge. She quickly resurfaces and starts to run. GRAVEYARD NIGHT Otis stands in front of the bound Mary, holding a pumpkin. Otis places the pumpkin over Mary's head. Tiny stands behind him holding a lit torch. FIELD NIGHT The police car drives wildly through the fields. POLICE CAR NIGHT Baby motions to Rufus to steer the car towards the fire. PIT NIGHT A beaten Denise struggles down a long tunnel. She gets to the end to find that it is a dead-end. Behind her, FIVE GHOULS move silently towards her, blocking her only exit. The ghouls slosh through the muck, moving in closer. Denise frantically looks for an escape, nailed into the wall next to her are planks of wood forming a ladder. The ghouls are only a few yards away. Denise climbs up the ladder. They move in, clawing at her legs and feet, trying to pull her down. Denise digs at the wood and mud ceiling above her, trying to break free. Denise is bleeding severely from the chunks of flesh being torn from her legs. She digs wildly at the ceiling, suddenly a board falls free and mud rains down to reveal: STARS, the sky above shines through the hole. Denise smashes her fists at the rotted wood planks, pulling free another piece. With all her might Denise grabs hold and pulls herself up through the opening. PIT NIGHT Denise fights her way through the earth and pulls her body up into the night air. The cool air rushes to her lungs. She crawls free of the hole, gasping for air. She is safe. Suddenly SMASH! A ghoul has broken through the surface. He grabs Denise by the leg and begins to pull her back into the hole. Denise screams and begins kicking violently at the ghoul. She breaks and crawls from the ghoul's reach. GRAVEYARD NIGHT Rufus and Baby have pulled the police cruiser up by the stake. Rufus and Baby stand on the hood. Otis finishes his sermon, he raises his arm. Tiny raises the torch. Otis drops his arm, signaling Tiny. Tiny throws the torch onto the stake. The stake ignites into a huge FIREBALL. FIELD NIGHT Denise pulls herself to her feet and begins to run. The flaming object burns in the distance behind her. Denise stumbles toward the road on two badly injured legs. GRAVEYARD NIGHT Rufus, Tiny and Baby jump up and down in celebration, smashing the police car. Otis stands transfixed by the flames before him. ROAD NIGHT Denise makes her way out onto the road. No cars are in sight. In the distance headlights break through the darkness. Denise stands in the middle of the road. The TRUCK comes into view, it is a small cube truck. Denise stands in the headlights, waving her arms for it to stop. The truck comes to a halt. She runs toward the passenger's side door and climbs in. TRUCK NIGHT Behind the wheel of the truck is Captain Spaulding. Denise is shaking from shock. DENISE Go, go! Drive drive! CAPT. SPAULDING Hold on, girly, what's the problem? DENISE becoming hysterical Murdering blood and Jerry starts to cry uncontrollably monsters I I I got away CAPT. SPAULDING Well, I don't see what the fuck you're getting at, but I got some friends that live just up this road. Starts to turn the truck up the road back towards the farmhouse. DENISE screaming No! No, that's it that house is tries to open the truck door I gotta get out, I gotta get out! Boom! The metal door leading to the back of the truck slides open. Ravelli grabs Denise and pulls her back into the back of the truck. SLAM! The metal door shuts. ROAD NIGHT The truck quietly turns onto the dirt road leading up to the farmhouse. The jack-o'-lanterns still burn in the windows, grinning their evil grin. ", " MIRRORS Written by Alexandre Aja & Gregory Levasseur Fourth draft January th 'I give you the secret of all secrets. Mirrors are the gates through which death comes and goes. Tell no one.' Orph�e, Jean Cocteau OMITTED A NIGHT HARLEM SUBWAY STATION A A subway screeches by at full speed revealing a station platform somewhere in Harlem. A man runs for his life in the deserted space. He's an African American male in his forties wearing a security guard uniform. He turns into an empty corridor, climbs a set of stairs towards the exit, but The gates are down and the station is closed. Desperate and out of breath, he is forced to trace his way back, searching for an exit or a place to hide. He sees a door to the public restroom and runs inside. B NIGHT SUBWAY PUBLIC RESTROOM B The place is deserted as well. One of the mirrors is smashed while the others are covered by graffiti and dirt The neon lights are flickering, bringing the place in and out of the dark. The man checks each stall one at a time. His face lights up as he looks inside the last one A SMALL WINDOW ABOVE THE TOILET IS JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO CRAWL THROUGH. He steps onto the toilet seat but the window is shut too tight. After a brief struggle, he swings it open, only to discover A wall of bricks. Panic returns to his eyes. He slowly opens the stall door, fearful of what could be waiting outside. A FAINT SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS is heard. He quickly shuts the door, holding his breath. Frozen. Silence. His heart racing, he exits the stall in the direction of the sound. The place is empty. The room is revealed by flashes of flickering neon lights. He moves closer to the sinks and the spiderweb cracked mirror. His image is fragmented and deformed. It resembles a Cubist portrait. CONTINUED . B CONTINUED: B MAN I'm sorry I I I wasn't trying to get away He talks to his own reflection in the mirror MAN CONT'D No, please don't He approaches and starts crying like a child. His head resting against the mirror, he pleads for his life. Then, seeing the dirt and grime on the mirror, his behaving shifts to another extreme. He starts cleaning it frantically with his hands. Too frantically A piece of the spiderweb cracked mirror falls on the ground. Immediately, he bends down to pick it up but HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR REMAINS STANDING IN SILENCE, WATCHING HIM. Looking up, the man realizes his reflection has become independent. A separate being Terrified, he slowly stands staring at his stationary double. The pointy and sharp piece of broken mirror in his hand reflects the neon lights just like a knife blade. His eyes turn cold with fear when HIS DOUBLE IN THE MIRROR STABS ITSELF DEEP IN ITS THROAT! IN REALITY, THE MAN HAS NOT MOVED AN INCH, YET HIS THROAT RIPS OPEN, RELEASING A RIVER OF BLOOD. Void of any facial expression, the man's reflection slices his jugular from end to end. In reality, the man chokes on his own blood which splatters on the mirror TURNING THE IMAGE TO A DARK DEEP RED. C DAY NEW YORK C OPENING CREDITS ON All the reflections catch in the glass buildings of Manhattan The traffic in the streets, the old turn-of-the-century fa�ades, the people walking on the sidewalk, the pigeons flying away, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline reflecting off the surface of the Hudson River CONTINUED . C CONTINUED: C Seen through the mirrored surfaces, everything in the city seems to move in a distorted way. Ominous. The softness of the sun's rising light is contrasted with the eerie, haunting music. DAY APARTMENT QUEENS 'A WEEK BEFORE' Bip. Bip. Bip It's a.m. The blinking digital numbers of the alarm clock reflect off the wooden floor of the apartment. The sunlight is diffused through the drawn curtains of the living room. Seen in the reflection of the TV-set, a man is sleeping on the couch. He switches off the alarm and rises to go into the bathroom. BATHROOM CONTINUITY Like a thick fog, the steam from the shower fills the bathroom. The shower turns off. A hand reaches out to wipe away the mist on the mirror above the sink, revealing The face of BEN CARSON, years old. His eyes reflect the hardships of life. A life, that from the lines on his face, we suspect hasn't been easy. On his chest and shoulder, SEVERAL BULLET SCARS. Ben changes his razor blade and starts to shave his day old stubble. BEDROOM CONTINUITY Ben finishes getting dressed and walks to the half opened bedroom door. Inside, ANGELA is asleep in the bed. She is younger than Ben. ANGELA awakens slowly ANGELA What time is it? BEN Almost : Coffee? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ANGELA No, you're going to be late. BEN Go back to sleep I'll call you, OK? ANGELA Yeah, I won't be working until later tonight. He comes to kiss her on the forehead. She opens a sleepy eye and smiles. ANGELA CONT'D You shaved? She strokes his face gently. ANGELA CONT'D I like it. It makes you look younger. Ben slips on his old military parka before leaving. ANGELA CONT'D Good luck! BEN See you later, Angie. DAY HALLWAY BUILDING Ben walks down the hallway. The building is old and clearly not well maintained, cracks and graffiti cover the walls. OMITTED OMITTED A DAY MANHATTAN A The downtown streets are clogged with the early morning rush hour traffic. DAY POLICE STATION MANHATTAN On the honorary board of the NYPD we can read the names of all the officers decorated for their courage. In the reflection of the copper plate we find Ben, sitting on the bench across from the office of CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Captain LARRY BYRNE who appears at the end of the corridor LARRY Sorry, I'm late Have you been waiting long? BEN I just got here. They shake hands. LARRY You look awful. BEN Thanks Larry. LARRY You know, you should sleep at night. Come in Ben follows him into the office. DAY LARRY'S' OFFICE Larry takes a seat and briefly looks over the messages and files that have been dropped off on his desk LARRY So did you find an apartment yet? BEN No, not yet. LARRY You need a place to stay? BEN No, I'm staying at my sister's, in Queens. LARRY I didn't know you had a sister. What does she do? BEN She's a bartender. LARRY That's not too good for you! Anyway, you know you are always welcome to stay at our house. Larry looks up at Ben, slightly uneasy CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LARRY CONT'D I ran into Amy the other day. How are things going between the two of you? Ben remains silent. He obviously doesn't want to get into that subject. LARRY CONT'D So, why did you want to see me Ben? BEN You know what I want. I'm ready to come back, I'm feeling much better now. LARRY Listen Ben, I can't bring you back on the force. Nobody in the squad wants you around right now. I'm sorry but I have to be honest with you. You understand, right? BEN Larry, I'm telling you, I'm ready. LARRY If it was up to me, I would bring you back tomorrow, but I'm not the only one who decides. Listen, I think I've got something else for you. I know a guy at the Mayflower corporation and they need someone to watch over one of their department stores. BEN What?! Come on Larry, a security guard job I'm not ready to retire yet! LARRY Hey! I'm just trying to help here. I know you're over qualified for that position but it's a good opportunity for you for the time beinguntil the situation here quiets down. Also the money is not that bad. Ben is having a hard time to contain his anger. LARRY CONT'D You need the money, Ben. You're in the middle of a divorce and you've got child support to cover. If you want to see your kids, you've got to get a job, any job. Deep inside, Ben knows Larry's right. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LARRY CONT'D Do you know the Mayflower on West th Street? BEN I do. The one that burned down? LARRY Yes, their night watchman hasn't shown up for work in several days. They need someone right away. Take it, relax, and we will talk about your situation again in a couple months. BEN Yeah, in a couple months I gave everything for the NYPD. I almost died out there. Everyone seems to have forgotten that. LARRY I didn't. DAY CORONER'S OFFICE We discover a whole different world In the sterile environment of the NYC Chief Medical Examiner's Office, forensic scientists with tape recorders in hand, describe the corpses. We are a world away from the Hollywood clich�s of neatly laid out, immaculate cadavers. Here, some of the corpses have reached a state of advanced decomposition and others are still frozen in contorted positions, expressing their ultimate agony before dying. From the homeless man fished out of the river, to the woman killed by gun shots, each corpse tells his own story Amidst the group of doctors -year-old AMY, deeply immersed in an autopsy, is interrupted by her cell phone. Amy checks the display for the incoming call BEN. She hesitates for a moment and doesn't answer the call. Amy goes back to the postmortem analysis on her tape recorder. DAY NEW YORK Dozens of pigeons fly away as the above ground subway passes by. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY ' You have reached Amy Carson. I am not available to take your call. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.' Caught in the pouring rain, Ben has taken shelter under the scaffolding at a street corner. He plugs his ear with his finger to block the traffic and city commotion BEN on Amy's voicemail Amy, it's me I just wanted to let you know that I got a job today It's nothing special, just a security guard job If you still want to go ahead with it, we can sign the divorce papers I mean, if that's what you really want. he hesitates I've been thinking about Michael's birthday tomorrow. It would be nice if we could celebrate it together You know, for the kids' sake Call me Please. Ben hangs up the phone. He lingers under the scaffolding for a moment, watching the falling rain. DAY NEW YORK The glass skyscrapers mirror the black clouds in the sky above as they slowly break up, giving way to the sun. DAY MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE On th Street, just off of Broadway, the Mayflower has withstood the passage of time and the huge fire that forced it to shut down The damage from the fire is still noticeable on the facade of the building The fire appears to have started on the ground floor and seems to have spread all the way up to the top. Some of the windows are shattered, while others are boarded up. What was once an impressive ornate building, a fine example of 's architecture standing on one of Manhattan's most dynamic streets, now gives off a feeling of devastation and desolation. What is left of it is a mere ruin, a sort of neglected ghost ship, abandoned in the heart of the city DAY MAYFLOWER The last beams of daylight shine through the broken windowpanes. Inside the department store, everything has remained the same since the fire, as if time stood still. The display cases, the departments, the mannequins, and even the clothes are all burnt or blackened by the fire. A thick coat of soot covers the floor and rainwater drips down all over the place. MAN It's been five years and they're still in a legal battle with the insurance companies. Even cleaning up that mess is impossible In his dark brown uniform, the daytime security guard, LORENZO SAPELLI, 's, seems pleased to guide Ben through what was once a temple of beauty and vanity. LORENZO You know, the Meredith family acquired this building after St. John's Hospital closed in . It was the very first Mayflower to open on the East Coast. On the cracked walls, THE HUGE MIRRORS that have survived the flames reflect merely the remnants of the past. The customers are long gone and have been replaced by pigeons flying in and out of the gaps in the roof. LORENZO CONT'D The company wants us to patrol the premises every couple of hours, but I do my rounds every three hours and that's more than enough. Anyway, you'll see, there's not much going on. It's pretty calm around here. Ben follows Lorenzo through the burnt display counters. He listens but his mind has drifted elsewhere. This place makes him uncomfortable. It's not only the lingering smell of a fire, but also a sense of death that hangs over it. The whistling of the wind through the store's old ventilation system sounds like faraway voices. Ben and Lorenzo appear at the top of the staircase of the nd floor. LORENZO CONT'D Here you go Men's department, or what's left of it anyway CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Ben observes the surroundings Yet another spectacle of devastation. LORENZO CONT'D Thank God you didn't show up any later. This place gives me the chills at night. No electricity, and all these mirrors You know, I live in Brooklyn near a Jewish neighborhood, and when someone dies, they cover all the mirrors in their house. Some say that it's just to renounce all vanity during the mourning period, but others say something else They say it's to keep the soul of the dead from being trapped in the mirrors Believe it or not, there's always a bit of truth in any superstition. Am I right? Amused and skeptical at the same time, Ben contemplates the mirrors that surround him LORENZO CONT'D I guess you just have to keep your eyes away from them. Unlike the rest of the scenery, THE MIRRORS ARE PERFECTLY CLEAN AND GLISTENING. BEN Did you clean them? LORENZO What? BEN The mirrors, why are they so clean? Lorenzo smiles LORENZO That's Gary Lewis, the fellow who worked here before you. He was completely obsessed with these damn mirrors. He'd spend the entire night polishing them. BEN Why did he leave? LORENZO No idea. Just didn't show up one night. I take it he's found a better opportunity somewhere else. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LORENZO CONT'D I'm not one to complain, but I never really liked him much Could never be bothered to say hello or at least ask 'how are you doing?'... I mean, damn, do we work together as a team or what?! You, on the other hand, seem like a nice guy. How long has it been since you left the NYPD? BEN Almost a year. LORENZO Why did you resign from the force? You were a detective, is that correct? BEN I was wounded during a holdup It kind of changed my perspective on things. Ben and Lorenzo reach the next floor. LORENZO Third floor Ladies' department. You gotta be careful here. When the wind blows, sometimes the tiles fly off the roof and they'll just snap your ear off, if you follow what I'm saying Lorenzo checks the time on his watch. LORENZO CONT'D Well, I'll let you get acquainted with the rest of the store on your own. They turn around. LORENZO CONT'D Follow me, I'll show you our 'headquarters' and I'll get you one of these uniforms. DUSK MAYFLOWER SECURITY GUARD TRAILER It's almost night. Ben and Lorenzo have finished their visit and exit the department store. LORENZO We were a pretty big team working here before the fire. When you stop to think that of all the department stores in New York, this one was the most beautiful, the most luxurious It breaks your heart, it really does CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Outside the building behind the fence blocking its entry, a construction trailer has been outfitted for the guards. LORENZO CONT'D Here you go. This is where you'll be spending most of your time. At least you've got electricity in here. It's nice and warm, and there's even a TV. NIGHT SECURITY GUARD TRAILER Cartoons flicker on an old television set. All bundled up in a coat, and wearing a woolen hat, a young boy is watching TV. Lorenzo and Ben enter the mobile home LORENZO Lorenzo Junior, my grandson Say hello Lorenzo. LORENZO JR. Hello. LORENZO Lorenzo and I are going to the movies tonight Lorenzo strokes his grandson on the head and proceeds to the back of the mobile home, leaving Ben alone with the child. The boy looks almost hypnotized by the images on TV. BEN How old are you, Lorenzo? LORENZO JR Lorenzo Jr. shifts his attention from the cartoons and stares Ben in the face LORENZO JR. CONT'D Do you work in the department store? BEN I do now. LORENZO JR. Grandpa says there are ghosts in the store Is that true? Ben smiles. BEN I think your grandpa just wants to scare you a little. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Lorenzo Senior has changed clothes, and returns with a uniform, which he hands over to Ben LORENZO Here, this should fit you. Lorenzo, put your coat on We are already late. to Ben, on the sly There's a drop of Jack Daniel's in the cupboard To keep yourself warm. Lorenzo hands over the keys LORENZO CONT'D Well, Ben, the place is all yours. He's about to leave when LORENZO CONT'D Oh! I forgot the most important thing the flashlights! You'll be needing one of these at night. We've got two of them. They run on batteries. Don't forget to charge them See you in the morning, Ben. BEN See you tomorrow. Lorenzo and Lorenzo Jr. exit the trailer. Through the window, Ben sees them walk out to the street. Ben inspects the trailer scattered with knickknacks, the decoration of the place corresponds well with Lorenzo's personality warmhearted and humble. The clock on the wall shows p.m A long night lies ahead. Ben grabs a flashlight and turns it on. The beam of light is dazzling NIGHT MAYFLOWER A FEW HOURS LATER The flashlight sweeps across the dark entrance hall. Wearing the security guard's uniform marked with an embroidered 'M', Ben makes his first round of the store. The pigeons perched on the roof seem to observe him. Ben proceeds slowly up the stairs SECOND FLOOR In the Men's department, Ben's flashlight is a mere luminous spot twirling in the night. The ever-present mirrors magnify the space to infinity. THIRD FLOOR Ben walks through the different sections of the Ladies' department. He examines the remains of the charred garments sagging on the hangers. The silhouettes of the burnt mannequins emerge in the gloom of the night. STRANGE AND DISTURBING SHAPES REFLECT OFF THE MIRRORS. A NIGHT MAYFLOWER A Wide shot By night, the department store's ornate facade takes on an entirely different appearance more menacing, almost evil. B NIGHT MAYFLOWER B Ben continues his rounds. We follow his path through reflections in the mirrors AS IF HE WAS BEING WATCHED Then For the first time, we discover another perspective, another POV FROM WITHIN THE MIRRORS. It feels ominous, slightly detached. The sound is muted. Ben crosses back the third floor The second floor OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED . ENTRANCE HALL GROUND FLOOR In the reflection of one of the grand mirrors in the entrance hall, we see Ben come down the stairs. He stops for a moment, facing his reflection in the mirror. He fixes his collar and looks at himself in his new clothes Not quite an NYPD uniform Suddenly, his eyes freeze. Intrigued, he comes closer to the mirror and leans forward A HANDPRINT, BARELY VISIBLE, ON THE ICE COLD SURFACE. He touches it with the tip of his fingers and tries to rub it off, unsuccessfully. He picks up a rag from the ground, spits on the mirror, and rubs the mark fervently. The print remains. This confirms his hunch THE HANDPRINT IS INSIDE THE MIRROR By angling the flashlight, another handprint is revealed. Another. And yet another THE ENTIRE MIRROR IS COVERED WITH HANDPRINTS, JUST AS IF A CROWD OF PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE HAD PRESSED ITSELF AGAINST THE GLASS TO GET OUT As he looks back up in the mirror he sees THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE BASEMENT OPENING Ben turns around. His gaze freezes THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE BASEMENT IS CLOSED! YET, IN THE MIRROR, IT CONTINUES TO SLOWLY SCREECH OPEN! Ben swings his head back and forth, between the shut door in reality and the opened door in the mirror. What is happening? Is he dreaming or hallucinating? Ben walks backwards towards the basement door, keeping his eyes fixed on the mirror. As he goes to reach for the handle, he sees his reflection reaching for the handle of an invisible door! Ben opens it THE SYNCHRONICITY BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE ONE REFLECTED IN THE MIRROR HAS BEEN RESTORED. Ben tries to reenact the phenomenon. He opens and closes the door over and over, while observing his reflection, but the mirror is no longer deceitful. The staircase leading to the basement vanishes into the dark. Ben hesitates OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED A OMITTED A OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED OMITTED NIGHT BASEMENT CORRIDOR MAYFLOWER CONTINUITY Ben walks down the stairs, step-by-step, lighting his way with a flashlight. The beam of light dims, the battery is almost dead. He gives it a few taps to make the light reappear. Last step HIS FOOT LANDS IN WATER! BEN Fuck A few inches of water cover the basement floor. One of the water pipes must have burst due to the cold. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The light flickers back for a moment, revealing before him the narrow subterranean corridors of the department store. Along a wall, Ben finds a fuse box and pushes some of the switches. Further down in the corridor, a couple of fluorescent lights flicker to life two tiny sources deep inside the darkness. AS BEN DISCOVERS HIS SURROUNDINGS, THE CAMERA PULLS BACK SLOWLY, UP ALONG THE STAIRS, THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR, IT ACCELERATES AND STOPS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR IN THE REFLECTION, WE SEE THE BASEMENT DOOR SHUT FADE TO BLACK DAY NEW JERSEY STREET It's been snowing all day and a white coat of powder outlines the trees and houses. On the front lawn of their house, year old MICHAEL and year old DAISY are building a snowman. MICHAEL Why did they say on TV that it wasn't supposed to snow today, but tomorrow instead? Why did they lie? DAISY Sometimes they make mistakes, Michael. It happens MICHAEL Grown-ups don't make mistakes. Only little children do. Slightly annoyed, the little boy places the eyes on the snowman. Daisy's face lights up with a big smile when she catches sight of her father's car approaching DAISY Daddy! Michael turns around and sees Ben exiting his Oldsmobile, with a big wrapped package in his arms. The children abandon their snowman and rush towards their father. Ben takes Michael into his arms MICHAEL pointing to the wrapped present What is that? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN Well I don't know, I just found this package hidden behind a tree. MICHAEL Is it for me? BEN Maybe to his daughter Daisy, has Michael been a good boy? Does he deserve his birthday present? Michael nods. DAISY No! Yesterday he finished the whole bag of candy when mom had told him he could only have one piece. MICHAEL Not true! DAISY Yes it's true! MICHAEL No, it's not true She's lying Daddy. I've been a very good boy, I promise. They enter the house. BEN Is mom back? DAISY Not yet. Rosa came to pick us up from school today. DAY HOUSE CONTINUITY In the kitchen, ROSA, the nanny, is rinsing the dishes from the afternoon snack BEN Hello Rosa! ROSA Hello Se�or Carson. How are you? BEN I'm good, very good What time will Amy be back? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ROSA Not before six, Sir BEN OK, I'll wait for her. ROSA Do you want me to fix you a snack? BEN No, thank you. I'll be fine. Ben takes off his coat and joins the kids in the living room. He hands over the present to his son. Daisy is sitting in the armchair, holding her cat, TIGER, in her arms. BEN CONT'D Happy birthday, Michael. MICHAEL What is it? DAISY Duh, open it stupid! Michael tears away the wrapping paper and discovers a remote control car. The little boy is on cloud nine. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON Through the front window, we see a Volvo station wagon park in front of the house. Amy gets out of the car, loaded with shopping bags. She enters the house and hands the groceries over to Rosa. AMY Hi Rosa Where are the kids? ROSA Upstairs in a low voice With Se�or Ben. The expression on Amy's face shifts. Noticeably irritated, she goes up to the second floor. Michael's remote control car drives at full speed down the hallway. Ben shows his children how to operate the remote control while the bathtub fills up. He seems as excited as the kids by the new toy. Ben turns around to find Amy watching them. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN Hey Amy MICHAEL Look Mommy, look what Daddy got me. AMY It's great, you will have to show me how it works! MICHAEL It's so fast Mommy! AMY Ben, can I talk to you, in private? Ben puts down the remote control BEN to his kids Ok kids, it's time for your bath. No fooling around. Ben follows Amy into the bedroom. She closes the door behind them. EARLY EVENING BEDROOM HOUSE Amy is not equally pleased to see him She's beside herself with anger AMY What is this? I already asked you not to drop by without calling, didn't I? BEN I do, but you never take my calls! AMY I don't need your calls in the middle of the night. I'm better off without them. BEN I haven't had a drink in three months but, then again, how would you know? AMY I don't want to know, Ben. I don't want to hear about it. It's not my problem. You're not my problem. You've done more than enough harm already. BEN You don't think people can change? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY We are not talking about people, we're talking about you. How many times did you tell me you were gonna change and nothing happened? It only got worse. Ben moves closer to his ex-wife BEN Just give me another chance. She smiles How many other chances did she already give him? Behind the firmness and intransigence she conveys, we sense Amy is torn. She still loves him as well. AMY I need more time, Ben. Listen, I will never stop you from seeing your children but we have to set up some rules. Out of nowhere, Ben hits the wall with his bare fist BEN WHAT RULES?! IT'S MY SON'S FUCKING BIRTHDAY TODAY! COME ON AMY, WHAT RULE IS GOING TO STOP ME FROM SEEING HIM? EARLY EVENING HOUSE BATHROOM In the bathtub, Daisy and Michael cannot avoid overhearing their parents arguing. In denial, Michael blocks his ears with his hands and lies back under the water BACK IN THE BEDROOM Amy seems distrustful of Ben, scared of how close he is to the edge. We can see the anger in his eyes AMY Look at yourself. You're still carrying around so much of that anger. He catches a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and of the desperate violence in his eyes Ben steps back. BEN trying to calm down I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you Things could be so different between us. AMY Yes I know, but it's up to you Ben. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN Yeah Anyway, I wasn't planning on staying. My shift starts in an hour. I'll just kiss them goodbye and then I'm leaving. Ben exits the room. Amy is left alone Through the window, she watches Ben exit the house and get into his car. When she turns away, she discovers Michael and Daisy standing outside the bathtub dripping wet in their towels. She smiles, and quickly comes to dry them. MICHAEL Mom? AMY Yes, honey. MICHAEL Is Daddy coming back to live with us? She smiles gently. AMY I don't know sweetheart. I don't know. DAY BASEMENT CORRIDOR MAYFLOWER The beams from the flashlight are reflected in the few inches of water flooding the basement corridor. Since yesterday, the water level has continued to rise. The outline of Ben and Lorenzo's silhouettes appear in the staircase leading to the ground floor BEN I haven't managed to find the source of the leak. My guess is it doesn't come from the store It must be a municipal pipe that blew with the cold LORENZO I'll call the company tomorrow morning and have them come take a look at it. NIGHT SECURITY GUARD TRAILER On the gas stove, a kettle is whistling. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Ben rummages through the cupboards and the drawers. He finds some instant coffee next to the bottle of Jack Daniels. He briefly hesitates between the coffee and the whisky He grabs a cup and pours the boiling water into the instant coffee. In the reflection of the clock, we see Ben watching TV. It is past midnight. Ben gets up and grabs his flashlight It's time for his rounds. NIGHT MAYFLOWER CENTRAL HALL Through the shattered panes of the central dome, we see Ben walking through the store. Since the mysterious occurrences of the night before, his attitude has changed. He avoids, as much as possible, looking into the mirrors. He is on guard, fearing another supernatural manifestation. The shadows, the mannequins, and the shapes in the mirrors are all disturbing and unsettling. Even what remains of the sculptures on the top of the marble columns seems alive in the dark. As he crosses the entrance hall, a glint of light catches his attention. Despite himself, he stops and gazes into the mirror AT THE FAR END OF THE STORE, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS IS IN FULL SWING AND BATHED IN DAYLIGHT! EVERYTHING IS SPOTLESS, AS IF THE FIRE HAD NEVER TAKEN PLACE. CUSTOMERS COME AND GO AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. How is this possible? Ben turns around to see the same spot in the real world ONLY IT'S IN RUINS Ben glances back at the reflection in the mirror The vision of the past prevails. Unable to ignore it, Ben decides to check it out for himself Ben wanders off towards the far end of the store, a landscape of dust and desolation. HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR, ON THE OTHER HAND, HEADS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE 'FLASHBACK' We follow him in the mirror Ben has left the night behind and enters the 'daytime' department. Everything is in perfect order and unspoiled. Ben continues his journey into the past. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The customers jostle one another while shopping during a big sale. Children run wild in the aisles. Women fight over articles of clothing. Ben stops dead in his tracks when he notices, around his shoes, a transparent liquid spilling out on the floor He bends down and dips his fingertips into the liquid GASOLINE. Gallons of flowing gasoline gradually spreading over the floor of the department store. Ben turns around and sees, under the shelving, A HAND LIGHTING A ZIPPO The lighter falls to the floor in slow motion. The liquid bursts into flame instantly. THE CHEERFUL VISION OF A DAY IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE QUICKLY TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE EVERYTHING IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CLOTHES, THE MANNEQUINS AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE CROWD! THE AGONIZING SHRIEKS OF PAIN AND PANIC ARE DEAFENING. Frightened, Ben steps back The flames spread quickly to the escalators where the crowd has rushed to escape death HORRIFIC VISIONS OF PEOPLE BURNING ALIVE INCINERATED FLESH. FACES DISTORTED BY THE PAIN, SKIN MELTING TO THE BONE. In the midst of the flames through the heat waves, Ben spots the face of the firestarter IS IT HIS OWN? Ben has no time to react. In a split second, his uniform catches fire. Panicked, he attempts to put out the fire with his hands IN THE DARK NIGHT SURROUNDED BY THE CHARRED RUINS, BEN QUIVERS DELIRIOUSLY AS HE TRIES TO SMOTHER THE INVISIBLE FLAMES. He comes back to reality Ben catches his breath, trying to come to his senses. What's happening to him? What he just experienced certainly felt real. During his panic, the flashlight rolled under one of the counters. Ben bends down to pick it up. The beam illuminates the ground and throws light on an object a bit further away A LEATHER WALLET. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: He stretches out his hand to pick it up. The leather is worn-out but the absence of dust establishes that the wallet has landed there recently. Ben examines the object with the experienced touch of a professional accustomed to handling evidence. Between the collection of cards and scraps of paper, Ben finds a driver's license belonging to GARY LEWIS, years old, a sturdily built African American man. WE RECOGNIZE THE MAN RUNNING IN THE SUBWAY, AT THE BEGINNING. The name rings a bell for him NIGHT SECURITY GUARD TRAILER Ben returns to the trailer and rummages through the closet He stops when he finds another uniform. A name is embroidered on the shoulder AGAIN THE SAME NAME: GARY LEWIS, BEN'S PREDECESSOR, THE MISSING NIGHT WATCHMAN. The wallet rests on the table and piques Ben's curiosity. He cannot hold back his police instincts. He finally empties out the contents on the table A Blockbuster card, restaurant receipts, a driver's license, Phillips' business card from Mayflower, cash and a sheet of paper folded in four Ben unfolds the sheet of paper and sees, written in ink ESSEKER Ben chews over these seven letters. Is it somebody's name? A place? A code? Initials? He folds it up again and puts everything back, neatly, in the wallet that he stows away in one of the drawers. FADE TO BLACK OMITTED A DAY QUEENS STREET A A busy street under the subway overpass. We see a neighborhood bar on the corner DAY -QUEENS BAR At this time of day the place is deserted. A plasma screen shows a baseball game. A drunk guy is half asleep at the corner table. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Sitting at the bar, Ben is nervous, tense He removes the steeped tea bag from his cup. Ben stares at himself in the mirror, behind the bottle display shelves. It is not his mirror image that he is observing. His gaze seems to pierce through his own reflection, to dive beyond, into the very depths of his soul. Angela interrupts, across from him, behind the bar. She works here. ANGELA intrigued What are you looking at? BEN Nothing special ANGELA playfully Come on, you've been looking at yourself for more than half an hour. You never used to be so vain. BEN You can't avoid them. They're everywhere ANGELA What are you talking about? BEN The mirrors In the department store, at every street corner, in the windows of every fucking building in this city. I feel like I'm not the one looking into the mirrors, but rather they're looking at me. Angela smiles, not sure if he is serious ANGELA You need a drink. BEN No, I'm serious. ANGELA Don't you think you're being a little bit paranoid? Ben observes the palm of his hand. ANGELA CONT'D Mirrors are just glass and silver, Ben CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Angela smiles at him and continues to polish the drinking glasses. NIGHT BASEMENT MAYFLOWER In the darkness, a rat glides peacefully on the water surface. In the basement, the water level continues to rise. With a flashlight in hand, and his feet submerged in the water, Ben moves deeper into the tunnel. He is searching for the source of the leak. The beam of light sweeps across the walls and the piping. Ben crosses an intersection. In the corner, on the tiled wall, he barely discerns an old inscription ingrained with decades of dust and dirt. He sinks his hand into the water and wipes it off, revealing an arrow pointing to, ST JOHN'S DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY. He continues his exploration of the subterranean passageways. Suddenly, he notices a darker area on the wall. He comes closer and discovers a brownish damp-spot, covered with mold. The humidity has pearled into droplets. He has found the source of the leak. His hand brushes the wall, causing it to crumble instantly. Ben digs into the plaster as if it were butter, bringing a cracked water pipe to light. The leakage has damaged the wall in which the tubing was embedded. Ben hears the echoing sound of streaming water, as if there were another room on the other side of the wall. He pushes against the saturated wall, and pierces through it with his arm. He removes his arm. For a moment, he observes the gaping black hole that he has just left behind. Ben peeks through the hole with his flashlight, but he cannot make out what is on the other side. He makes the hole bigger, until the passage is large enough for him to crawl through ON THE OTHER SIDE, HE DISCOVERS A LARGE BRICK ROOM AND IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ANOTHER ROOM AN OCTAGONAL ONE WHOSE EACH AND EVERY WALL, INCLUDING THE CEILING, IS MADE OF GIGANTIC TWO WAYS MIRRORS. One of the mirrors is opened, ajar It's a door. He enters. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: His image is reflected in all directions and from infinite angles. Ben moves towards the center of the room ALTHOUGH THE ROOM SEEMED EMPTY BEFORE, SOMEBODY IS NOW STANDING IN THE CORNER. It's a well-built man. He too is wearing the blue security guard's uniform. From where he stands, Ben can only see the back of the man's head. As he moves in closer, he can make out the name embroidered on the man's shoulder IT'S GARY LEWIS, THE FORMER NIGHT WATCHMAN! BEN Gary? The silhouette remains still. BEN CONT'D Gary? Ben comes a bit closer. His gaze freezes when he realizes that Gary is not standing in front of the mirror with his face pressed against it, but HE IS BEHIND THE MIRROR, INSIDE! Ben steps back, terrified. He doesn't know how to interpret this new phenomenon. Ben gathers his courage and returns in front of the mirror Knock, knock, knock He hits the mirror with his fist, as if it were merely a glass window behind which Gary Lewis was standing, on the other side No reaction. Ben strikes the mirror harder. Knock, knock, knock The former night watchman turns around slowly towards Ben, revealing his face little by little DAY QUEENS APARTMENT Knock, knock, knock CONTINUED . CONTINUED: In his bed, Ben wakes up with a jolt THE ENCOUNTER WITH GARY WAS A DREAM. Knock, knock, knock Somebody is knocking at his door. Ben gets up from the couch BEN Coming Ben opens the door to a UPS deliveryman holding out a package DELIVERYMAN Mr. Carson? Ben nods Would you mind signing here, please? Ben signs for it and takes the package. DELIVERYMAN CONT'D You have a nice day, Sir Ben shuts the door and examines the UPS box. He's not used to getting many deliveries. He flips it over to see who it is from THE SENDER IS GARY LEWIS Ben grabs a kitchen knife to open the parcel. He tears away the cardboard and empties out the contents onto the living room table A DOZEN NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS LAND, ALL MIXED UP, ON THE TABLE. More or less recent, all the articles relate to the department store and the fire that burned it down Gary has meticulously cut them out and sent them to Ben. But why? DAY MAYFLOWER Ben's car parks in front of the fence that encloses the entrance to Mayflower. He runs into Lorenzo who exits the trailer, ready to go home from work LORENZO I've just been through the craziest day here No kidding! Your ex colleagues came to pay us a visit BEN What happened? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LORENZO You know Gary, the guy who was working here before you, the cops found him dead in a subway station in Harlem. I never liked him too much, but poor guy, he didn't deserve to go like that BEN Did they mention the cause of death? LORENZO No they wouldn't tell me. Lorenzo hands him over the keys. LORENZO CONT'D Well, Ben? I better get going, Mrs. Sapelli is waiting for me at home. Have a good night at work, Ben. Oh, and by the way, about that leak, they're sending someone over to work at it the beginning of next week. BEN Have a good night, Lorenzo. Ben remains standing on the landing of the trailer for a moment, his gaze fixed at the department store THE WALLET, THE DREAM, AND NOW, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, THE NEWS OF GARY'S DEATH ALL THESE STRANGE COINCIDENCES AROUND HIS PREDECESSOR HAVE AWOKEN HIS CURIOSITY AND DOUBT. BEN WANTS TO KNOW DAY-NIGHT MAYFLOWER ENTRANCE HALL WIDE SHOT OF MAYFLOWER FIRST FLOOR IN FAST MOTION FROM THE FINAL HOUR OF DAY TO THE FALL OF NIGHT. IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MIRRORS, LIGHT GIVES WAY TO THE DARKNESS The beam from the flashlight appears in the distance Determined, Ben crosses the entrance hall in the direction of the basement door. He goes down NIGHT BASEMENT MAYFLOWER Ben appears at the bottom of the stairs with his flashlight, and follows the subterranean passageway. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Suddenly he is struck by a frightening feeling of d�j�-vu, HE IS IN THE VERY ACT OF RELIVING HIS NIGHTMARE IN DETAIL, STEP BY STEP In the darkness, the rat glides peacefully on the water surface. He crosses an intersection and, once again He recognizes the half-visible Psychiatric Department sign on the tiled wall. The beam from his flashlight sweeps across the walls and the piping, bringing to light, in the distance THE BROWNISH DAMP-SPOT. BEN to himself Damn What is happening to me? The moisture has pearled into droplets. Slowly, his hand comes closer. The wall crumbles at the slightest touch Pushed by curiosity, Ben begins to dig a hole in the plaster, just as he had done in his nightmare He hears the echoing sound of streaming water, coming from the other side of the wall. It confirms the existence of a hidden room. Ben begins to dig frenetically in the saturated wall, creating a large enough opening to access the other side He inspects the with his flashlight, revealing THE BRICK ROOM AND IN THE MIDDLE THE OCTAGONAL ROOM, SURROUNDED BY THE MIRRORING WALLS. He enters. His image is reflected in all directions and multiplied into infinity. His dream was foreboding. Everything is perfectly identical to the nightmare, with the exception of Gary Lewis The former watchman is not there but ALL OF A SUDDEN, BEHIND HIM, ONE OF BEN'S DUPLICATES IN THE INFINITE REFLECTION TURNS AROUND TO OBSERVE HIM WITH AN ICE COLD GLARE Sensing something wrong, Ben turns around. In the silence he faces his infinite reflections, all of them identical OR ALMOST Taking a closer look Ben notices one of the duplicates' faces bearing an expression slightly different from the others'. A SUBTLE GRIN. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Knowing that it has been noticed by Ben, the 'rebel duplicate' turns his face towards Ben, eyeing him with an evil gaze We can hardly recognize Ben's image. The duplicate takes a step forward from the line of the other reflections and slowly walks towards Ben. Instinctively, Ben closes his eyes in an attempt to make the vision disappear. When he opens up his eyes again HIS EVIL DOUBLE RUSHES TOWARDS HIM Ben steps back terrified. DAY CORONER'S OFFICE Under the dazzling neon light of the NYPD coroner's premises, Amy is in full swing submitting her conclusions on a homicide to the police inspectors in charge of the investigation. She is interrupted by somebody who enters the room There is someone for her at the reception, who insists on seeing her urgently. Amy excuses herself, removes her examination gloves, and exits the autopsy room. We follow her down the corridors as she passes men in police uniforms and doctors in white coats, in the endless comings and goings between the police station and the hospital. The atmosphere here is highly charged, reflecting the excessive activity of this particular department. There is no doubt we are in New York City. A CORONER'S OFFICE LOBBY CONTINUOUS A Amy comes to the reception desk. Ben, who clearly hasn't slept since the night before, is pacing back and forth. AMY Are you OK? What's happening? What are you doing here? BEN Amy, I need you to do me a favor CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A AMY Listen, I am in the middle of work, I don't really have time now. BEN I need your help It won't take more than twenty minutes. Please, Amy? From his pocket, Ben takes out Gary's driver's license. He shows it to her BEN CONT'D You picked up this guy yesterday morning I need to take a look at him. It's very important. AMY Why do you want to see him? BEN He used to work at the Mayflower as a night watchman, before I replaced him. AMY Where did you get his driver's license? BEN I found his wallet in the department store. I need to find out how he died AMY You are no longer a cop, Ben. This isn't your business anymore. BEN He sent me a package before he died, with newspaper articles about the Mayflower I think he was trying to tell me something I don't know him. I've never even met him, Amy I need to figure this out. DAY MORGUE The refrigerated compartment bays, containing the corpses, are aligned along the basement walls. A young doctor escorts Ben and Amy down the corridors of the morgue. As he is walking, the doctor flips through the register, in search of a name. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: YOUNG DOCTOR Gary Lewis Gary Lewis Oh, there he is, B He slashed his throat AMY to Ben There you go There's your answer. Your man committed suicide. BEN You know a lot of people who cut their own throats? YOUNG DOCTOR interrupting Well, all I know is that the cops are still investigating this one. That's why we still have the body. People can be very creative when it comes to suicide. I'm sure it's not the craziest thing you've seen. The young doctor stops in front of the number B. He opens the door to the refrigerated compartment bay and pulls out the tray carrying the corpse, wrapped in a white sheet YOUNG DOCTOR CONT'D Gary Lewis He lifts the sheet, revealing Gary Lewis' upper body Gary's eyes are rolled upwards and his throat is wide open. His skin has become translucent, almost purple. His contorted corpse is frozen in a deadly expression of profound suffering His flesh has started to decompose and putrefy. Ben stares at the body, in search of a hint, a clue, any useful information Amy becomes impatient. AMY I've got to get back to work, Ben. They're waiting for me upstairs. BEN How What did he slit his throat with? The doctor checks the report. YOUNG DOCTOR With with a piece of mirror. Ben looks up. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: YOUNG DOCTOR CONT'D He must have smashed it into pieces to have something to slash it with The doctor, has a smirk on his face YOUNG DOCTOR CONT'D Seven years of bad luck. Suddenly, reflected in the stainless-steel door of the compartment bay, Ben sees GARY'S FACE TURN SLOWLY TOWARDS HIM. GARY STARES DIRECTLY AT HIM. WITH A VOICE FROM BEYOND, HE DELIVERS A MESSAGE TO BEN GARY ESSSEKERRR Ben jumps out of his skin and backs away, terrified. Neither Amy nor the doctor saw anything, of course. They gaze at him with a puzzled look AMY Are you OK, Ben? What's going on? Ben looks at the corpse and its reflection again Gary is frozen in the same contorted position, as if nothing ever happened. BEN coming to his senses I need to see his files AMY What? Ben raises his voice. BEN I NEED TO SEE HIS FILES! AMY Come on, Ben, what is it you're after? I am not supposed to show you any file You're not even allowed to be here. I could get fired for this. The doctor senses that the conversation is taking on a more personal turn. YOUNG DOCTOR Well, I'll be off. Amy, you know where to find me if you need me. Amy is left alone with Ben. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY What is happening to you? What is all this supposed to mean? What is going on, Ben? BEN I won't leave until I see that file. DAY -AMY'S OFFICE On the shelves, photographs of Michael and Daisy stand next to the medical records and legal-medicine textbooks. Sitting behind Amy's desk, Ben is studying Gary Lewis' file. He flips back and forth through the different documents, photographs, and police reports. Amy observes him, perplexed. We sense that she is concerned about Ben's strange behavior and over sensitivity. BEN Look at this picture Come and see, Amy. He shows her a snapshot taken by the police. We see Gary soaked in his own blood, the throat slit open. The picture is real, crude. He lies outstretched, facing a mirror shattered into several pointy pieces, like a spider web. In his hand, Gary still holds the piece of glass that he used to cut himself. BEN CONT'D Look AMY What!? Ben points to the reflection in the mirror BEN Look at the piece of mirror in his hand. In the reflection of the mirror it's covered in blood, and look in reality, it's clean. Not a drop of blood AMY So what? BEN Don't you find it strange that this mirror doesn't reflect an exact image of reality? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY I can't see the difference. It must be an effect of the angle from which the photograph was taken. What is it you are you trying to prove? BEN What if the mirrors were showing us something different? AMY What? For Christ's sake, listen to yourself, Ben! What are you talking about? BEN What if the mirrors were reflecting something that goes beyond reality? AMY irritated OK This is way over my head. I don't have time for your barfly theories. Ben realizes that he will not succeed in convincing her. Not today. BEN Thanks for your help He's on his way out, when she holds him back AMY You should go home and get some rest. This guy probably just killed himself because he couldn't live with himself anymore. It happens to thousands of people, you know DAY APARTMENT QUEENS BATHROOM The steam has fogged up the mirror of the medicine cabinet. Ben grabs a towel and steps out of the shower. He watches his blurry reflection. With his finger, on the surface of the fogged mirror, he writes ESSEKER He contemplates the dripping letters for a long moment, trying to interpret their meaning. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: In the end, he wipes off the mirror with his hand, erasing the word. Angela is standing behind him in the door opening ANGELA I'm off Amy called me today, she's worried about you. What's happening, Ben? BEN Please, not you ANGELA I'm your sister, you can talk to me. Is it your new job? That place, the Mayflower, has bad vibes. It's getting under your skin. Just think about what I told you BEN I made a deal, Angie I can't just walk out on them like that. I need this job, I need the money. I'm not going to sleep on your couch for the rest of my life! ANGELA You won't have any trouble finding another one. A daytime job, a regular job While she's talking, we see the scene from another point of view from inside the mirror As if SOMEONE ELSE WAS LISTENING TO THEM. Angela leaves the bathroom. Ben brushes his teeth. He leans over to rinse his mouth, and when he straightens up IT IS NOT HIM IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MIRROR, BUT GARY LEWIS WHO SLASHES HIS THROAT FROM END TO END WITH A SHARP PIECE OF MIRROR Ben steps back and loses his balance, knocking down a shelf. Angela rushes into the bathroom ANGELA CONT'D What happened Ben? Are you all right? He refuses her help. BEN LEAVE ME ALONE Ben gets to his feet and looks into the mirror. His reflection is back. Everything looks normal but CONTINUED . CONTINUED: WHEN HE TURNS TO EXIT THE BATHROOM, HIS REFLECTION STAYS STILL, WATCHING HIM DAY GARY LEWIS' BUILDING The sun sets behind the Harlem skyline. Ben's Oldsmobile pulls over in the street He has decided to pass by Gary Lewis' old house before his nightshift. He presses the doorbell next to Gary Lewis' name. An old lady answers BEN Mrs. Lewis Sorry to bother you My name is Ben Carson. I worked with Gary, at Mayflower. Could I come up and talk to you for a few minutes? Silence. BEN CONT'D Mrs. Lewis ? MRS. LEWIS th floor, apartment B The entrance door of the building opens. DAY MRS. LEWIS' APARTMENT MRS. LEWIS is at least years old, and almost blind behind her thick glasses. She lives alone in the small apartment that she used to share with her grandson. We sense that she is distraught by Gary's death. MRS. LEWIS My Gary hadn't slept at home for three weeks. At first I figured he had found himself a girlfriend, so I didn't worry much about it It's terrible. The policeman told me that he was living in the streets They found his body in the subway. Why? He had everything he needed here. Every morning I would have his breakfast ready when he'd come home from work. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN Did he use any drugs? MRS. LEWIS Gary? Huh-huh! Never He was a good boy. BEN Did you notice anything different, the days prior to his leaving the house, anything unusual in his behavior? MRS. LEWIS Oh yes, but that goes way back to when he started working at Mayflower. BEN What kind of changes? MRS. LEWIS He didn't care much for anything anymore. Before, we'd sit up and watch television together. But once he started that job as a night watchman, he'd spend all his time-off locked up in his room BEN Sleeping? MRS. LEWIS He hardly slept anymore He was way too busy! BEN Busy doing what? MRS. LEWIS That, I don't know I never knew what he was up to She reaches for a picture frame on the chest. MRS. LEWIS CONT'D Look, in this picture he was twelve years old BEN Is that you standing next to him? MRS. LEWIS Yes, back in the days BEN Mrs. Lewis, I found a note that Gary wrote. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN CONT'D A piece of paper, where he'd scribbled down the name, Esseker Does that mean anything to you? MRS. LEWIS Esseker, is that what you're saying? The old lady dwells on it for a moment MRS. LEWIS CONT'D No, that don't mean a thing to me She sets down the picture frame. BEN May I see his room? MRS. LEWIS Yes, of course. Come, follow me, it's down the hallway, the door at the very end. Ben follows Mrs. Lewis to her grandson's room It looks nothing like the room of a fifty-year-old man, but rather like that of an old teenager. From what we can see, Gary grew up in here, and each object recalls a stage in his life. Everything is clean and in its proper place, it is perfectly tidy. BEN Do you mind if I stay in here for a moment? Mrs. Lewis smiles at him. She too, likes to gather her thoughts in Gary's room. Ben scrutinizes the room in search of a clue, a hint that might help him on the Esseker lead. He opens the drawers and looks through the papers Nothing is of any help to him. The only place left that he hasn't searched is the walk-in closet, whose half-open doors seem to invite him to enter What Ben discovers inside is beyond anything he could ever have imagined The closet has been emptied out completely, and MIRRORS COVER EACH AND EVERY WALL, FROM THE FLOOR TO THE CEILING! It's a miniature replica of the hidden room that Ben discovered back in the basement of the department store MRS. LEWIS He would spend hours looking at himself Mrs. Lewis steps up behind him CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MRS. LEWIS CONT'D To look at oneself too much is a sin. A terrible sin. Do you know sir in the Garden of Eden in order to seduce Eve, Satan did not keep the appearance of a snake Satan reproduced the young woman's traits in such a way that Eve would only see and listen to the image of herself As in a mirror. NIGHT MAYFLOWER Night has fallen. The department store is calm and silent. We move down each floor to the entrance hall. The basement door is open and, in the darkness, we see the gleam of the flashlight. Ben must be down there. ALL OF A SUDDEN, A LOUD SHRIEK TEARS THROUGH THE SILENCE. There is a woman, somewhere in the store. Ben runs up to the entrance hall at full speed. The shrieks resound through the department store again. They seem to come from one of the floors above. Without hesitation, Ben dashes up the stairs He arrives on the second floor and searches through all the departments. Impossible to tell where the cries originate from. He climbs up to the third floor. The beam of the flashlight sweeps past each nook and dark corner Somewhere in the store, the woman continues to scream and wail to death. BEN shouting WHERE ARE YOU?!! No answer. Ben goes up to the fourth floor. The shrieks are heard again, but this time, coming from one of the floors below. Ben dashes for the Ladies' department BEN CONT'D STAY CALM I'M COMING! A NIGHT LADIES' DEPARTMENT DRESSING ROOMS A The screams come closer. Ben passes the counters and enters the dressing rooms or rather, what is left of them since the fire. The woman must be in here, hiding somewhere. CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A BEN I'm here Ma'am Short of breath, Ben inspects the dressing rooms with his flashlight. The woman seems to have vanished. BEN CONT'D Ma'am? I'm right he ANOTHER SHRIEK IS EMITTED, RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. He turns around No one there. About to leave the dressing rooms, Ben catches sight of a mirror. In the reflection he sees the row of empty rooms A BLOODY HAND BURSTS OUT FROM THE LAST ONE, ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER PIERCING SCREECH OF PAIN! Ben runs to it, but finds it empty. IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MIRROR, HOWEVER, THE HAND IS STILL STRETCHED OUT TOWARDS HIM! Ben stops to think If he can somehow move the mirror to have it face the last booth, he might be able to see what truly happened inside. Ben unhooks the mirror. It is way too heavy and bulky to carry. He lets it slide down the wall. Inch by inch, Ben hauls the mirror across the floor. He reaches the last dressing room Through the reflection in the mirror, he examines the of the cubicle. In the dark he catches sight of BARE FEET STAMPING AGAINST THE TILED FLOOR. The torn, half-burnt curtains conceal the rest of the body With his eyes fixed on the mirror, Ben walks backward towards the dressing room. He is scared of what he is about to discover. He gives the curtain a quick yank, revealing A NAKED YOUNG WOMAN IS GOING INTO SPASMS AND SCREECHING WITH PAIN. DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF REAL FLAMES, HER SKIN AND FLESH ARE ROASTING, AS IF SHE WERE BURNING ALIVE FROM THE INSIDE OUT! BLACK SCREEN CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A CHILD'S VOICE O.S. Mom! Mom! Mom! NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE We are in the darkness of Daisy and Michael's bedroom. Michael is terrified and cries out for his mother MICHAEL Mom! Mom! Amy swings the door open and turns on the light. AMY What is it Michael? The little boy throws himself into his mother's arms. Daisy wakes up. AMY CONT'D What is it? Did you have a bad dream? MICHAEL There's a lady screaming AMY Where Michael? Michael points to the mirror wall facing the bunk beds. MICHAEL There In the mirror AMY No, Michael Look, there's nothing there. MICHAEL I saw her mom. I swear I did. AMY It was just a nightmare. It's late, you have to go back to sleep. I'll turn on the night-light, if you want. Amy tucks him into bed and kisses him. Before leaving the room she plugs in the night-light. DAISY Mom, can you leave the door open? AMY Sure sweetheart OK, you two go to sleep now. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Amy leaves the room. In his bed, Michael cannot stop himself from staring at the dimly lit mirror. NIGHT AMY'S BEDROOM Amy goes back to her room. The local news play on the TV. She gets into bed and turns off the light. She reaches for the remote and clicks the TV off, turning over THE NAKED BURNED WOMAN FROM THE STORE STANDS STILL IN THE REFLECTION OF THE TV SET. The entity watches Amy while she is sleeping. Once again, the POV from behind the mirror. OMINOUS, SLIGHTLY DETACHED AND MUTED. NIGHT MAYFLOWER Ben secures the padlock of the department store entrance. He walks towards the trailer, while keeping a fixed eye on the facade of the building. The scene he just witnessed in the dressing rooms has shaken him up. He goes inside. Through one of the windows we see him pick up the phone and dial a number NIGHT APARTMENT QUEENS / INTERCUT NIGHT LODGE Angela is in the bathroom when the phone starts ringing. She turns on the tap of the cast-iron bathtub and goes to answer. ANGELA Hello Ben? BEN Sorry I'm calling you this late. Were you sleeping? ANGELA No, no, I just got home from work. What's wrong? You sound strange. On the phone, Ben struggles to put his feelings into words BEN Don't worry, everything's OK. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ANGELA Are you sure? BEN Actually, no. I think maybe I'm losing my mind. ANGELA What happened? BEN You were right about the Mayflower I'll quit tomorrow. ANGELA That's the smart thing to do, Ben. You deserve better than that. You should come back here and get some sleep. BEN No, I'll wait till the daytime guy gets here to tell him. ANGELA Are you sure? BEN Yeah, sure. See you later, Angie. ANGELA Be careful Love you. BEN Love you too, sis. She hangs up the receiver and stays in the dark for a moment, concerned. The sound of the pouring bath brings her back to reality. We follow her into the bathroom. She dips her fingers into the water to check the temperature. The bathtub is almost full. Angela undresses in front of the medicine cabinet mirror. When she turns around to climb into the hot bath, HER REFLECTION REMAINS MOTIONLESS IN THE MIRROR, STARING BLANKLY AT EACH OF HER MOVEMENTS. Unaware, Angela soaks into her hot bath. The water continues to pour from the tap. Angela shuts her eyes It's been a long day. IN THE MIRROR, ANGELA'S REFLECTION FIXES HER WITH A COLD GLARE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Without a word, Angela's reflection brings its hands to its face and digs its fingers into its mouth. In a sudden jerk, it pulls open its jaw AS IF SHE WERE ELECTROCUTED, ANGELA'S BODY CONTORTS VIOLENTLY FORWARD. HER MOUTH IS DEFORMED, AS IF AN INVISIBLE FORCE WERE WRENCHING IT WIDE OPEN. IN THE MIRROR, HER EVIL DOUBLE CONTINUES TO PULL OPEN ITS MOUTH, SUDDENLY RIPPING ITS JAW OFF WITH THE SOUND OF CRACKING BONES AND CARTILAGE AT THE SAME INSTANT, IN THE BATHTUB, ANGELA HAS NO TIME TO REACT BEFORE SHE UNDERGOES THE SAME AGONIZING TORTURE! The mirror cracks by itself. The bathtub overflows with red water spilling out on the white tiled bathroom floor. FADE TO BLACK DAY APARTMENT QUEENS THE NEXT MORNING The camera flashes illuminate the crime scene. Angela's body lies afloat in the bathtub. The apartment is entirely flooded. Two men in police uniforms close off a security zone, to keep the intrusive neighbors away. A detective is interrogating an old Puerto Rican couple the downstairs neighbors. They were the ones who alerted the police, after having noticed the water leakage. The old woman explains how 'it was raining blood into her living room'... Amongst the police officers and the legal medical squad, we find Larry. He is in charge of the case. Leaning over the bathtub, Larry examines the visible parts of the corpse. Angela's face is concealed by her own long black hair, floating in the murky water. Larry slips on an examination glove, pulls up his sleeve and sinks his arm into the blood-red bath. He feels around for the chain of the plug in order to drain the bathtub. The water level begins to recede, gradually revealing Angela's naked corpse. With the tip of his fingers, Larry lifts away the few strands of hair covering Angela's face CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Taken by surprise, he steps back from the horrifying sight of this JAW-LESS FACE. Larry removes his glove, wipes off his bloodied arm and starts to leave the bathroom when something else catches his attention He comes closer to the spiderweb cracked medicine cabinet mirror. A TINY DROP OF BLOOD is dripping from one of the cracks. Strange. A DARK SILHOUETTE PASSES BEHIND HIM IN THE REFLECTION. He turns immediately The bloodied bathroom is still and silent. Angela's destroyed body lies in the empty bathtub. A police inspector in the next room, calls out to him POLICE INSPECTOR O.S. Larry? Take a look at this LARRY What is it? POLICE INSPECTOR O.S. Come take a look for yourself. Larry exits the bathroom. The police inspector in the living room holds a picture frame in his hands. He turns towards Larry POLICE INSPECTOR Look Isn't Ben Carson in the picture? DAY POLICE STATION INTERROGATION ROOM Still wearing his uniform, Ben is sitting alone in one of the interrogation rooms of the police station. His haggard face expresses great grief. His sister's death has left him distraught. He fiddles with an empty plastic cup in his hands. The classic two-way mirror facing him, throws back his reflection. Ben knows that he is being watched. Behind the two-way mirror, Amy observes him. Larry is standing next to her. LARRY The water has obliterated most of the marks. No trace of struggle or broken entry, the entrance door was locked. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LARRY CONT'D The person who did this must have had the keys to her apartment, or otherwise it was somebody she knew AMY He would never have laid a finger on her. When their father died, Ben took care of his sister. Angela meant the world to him. LARRY Listen, so far, his statement is pretty consistent with the facts We checked it out, he did place a call from work at :, and the woman's downstairs neighbors claim they started noticing the water leakage at around two in the morning. The daytime security guard, Lorenzo Sappeli, confirms he came on after Ben's shift at seven a.m. The only strange thing, and it may just be a coincidence, is that Ben told Sappeli that he had decided to quit his job, as if he was planning to go away somewhere Did he mention anything about it to you? AMY No, lately, communication hasn't quite been our strong point she smiles I only found out yesterday that he was staying at his sister's. What are you going to do with him? LARRY I figure we'll let him go. At this point we haven't got any real reason to keep him here. And, I think he's had his share for the day. AMY You know what's gonna happen if you let him go. He won't stop here. I know him, he won't stop until he finds who did this to her. LARRY Listen, where we stand now, we got nothing, not a single clue. I'm sure he can help us. AMY What kind of friend are you? You are using him. He's not a cop anymore. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: LARRY He's still the best one I know, even if he's one of the suspects. Amy comes closer to the two-way mirror. She looks at her ex husband on the other side. He seems overcome with grief and confusion. She can see the distress in his eyes. LARRY CONT'D Try to keep an eye on him. DAY POLICE STATION Ben has been released. Under the pouring rain, on the front steps of the police station, Amy tries to reason with him AMY You have to see someone Ben. You cannot stay in this situation any longer. You need help, psychological support. Ben is not listening. His mind is elsewhere. AMY CONT'D Why don't youif you wantcome spend a few days at home, with the kids? BEN No, I don't want to put them in any danger. AMY What do you mean? BEN I've got things I need to deal with. AMY Ben, look at me! I don't want you to get into any trouble. Think about Daisy and Michael. You are not going to solve this case. Please, stay out of it. BEN She asked me to quit and they got to her AMY What? Who are you talking about? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN I know who did this Amy. AMY In that case, you have to tell them everything. BEN They wouldn't believe me and neither would you Goodbye. Ben walks away, leaving Amy alone on the steps of the police station AMY Ben, wait Ben does not turn around. The rain is beating down harder and the thunder grumbles in the distance. The first lightning flashes light up the sky. Another flash A QUEENS APARTMENT A Ben ignores the crime scene's restriction perimeter and enters Angela's apartment. Without turning on the light, he goes straight for a leather pouch stashed among his cardboard boxes. Inside A . MAGNUM, his former cop weapon. Another flash NIGHT MAYFLOWER The lightning bolts illuminate the facade of the department store. Ben's car is parked in front of the construction fence. NIGHT MAYFLOWER The rainwater pours through the openings in the roof, penetrating the of the deserted department store. It dribbles down the cracked walls and over the half-burnt mannequins NIGHT MAYFLOWER BASEMENT MIRROR ROOM We hear the echo of the roaring thunder outside, but in the gloom of the flooded basement, there is another blaring sound CONTINUED . CONTINUED: A DULL METALLIC THUD. It gets louder and louder, closer and closer as we advance towards the opening to the mirror room Inside, we find Ben, out of his mind, throwing a chair against the mirrors with all his strength, in an attempt to demolish them He's exhausted and he's forced to stop. Not a single shard of glass, not even a scratch, the mirrors seem completely indestructible Ben is not through with them. He drops the chair to the ground and pulls out the gun from his belt. Without a moment's hesitation he opens fire THE MIRRORS SHATTER VIOLENTLY, CRACKING WITH THE POWERFUL IMPACT OF THE BULLETS. In the spiderweb-cracked mirror, his image is deformed. Having found a weak spot, Ben savors his sweet victory when, suddenly, something inconceivable unfolds before his very eyes THE BULLET IMPACTS DISSOLVE AS IF BY MAGIC AND THE MIRRORS ARE RECONSTITUTED! Ben's shock and disbelief give way to rage. He fires, in a fury, emptying the entire clip this time Again, the bullet holes vanish, leaving Ben alone, face to face with his own reflection. He breaks down nervously BEN Why did you do it? WHY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HER? Silence. BEN CONT'D What is it you want? What do you want from me? ANSWER ME! WHAT IS IT YOU WANT?! Suddenly, one after the other, letters, start appearing in one of the mirrors, as if an invisible finger were tracing them in the dust REKESSE Ben turns around, and in the reflection of the opposite mirror he recognizes the inverted word the same word he found on the note in Gary's wallet, the word Ben himself had traced in his bathroom mirror CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ESSEKER NIGHT -QUEENS APARTMENT Back in the Queens apartment, Ben still hasn't gotten any sleep. On the wall, he is assembling all the newspaper clippings, articles and photographs that Gary sent him. Each and every mirror in Angela's apartment has been covered with sheets, blankets, old rags anything he could find to neutralize the reflective surfaces. With the phone cradled between his ear and shoulder he is in the middle of a heated conversation BEN Look up Esseker Yes, Echo, Sierra, Sierra, Echo, Kilo, Echo, Romeo Esseker. No idea, my guess is that it's a name No, I haven't got a first name. Yes, in New York. Over the past five or six years. I know it's hazy but that's all I've got. I already looked it up in the phone book. I also called someone at the IRS and at the DMV, but nothing there. It's very important Larry. You'll call me back? Ok Ben hangs up the phone and remains in front of the wall covered with clippings for a moment. Now he can have a clear overview of Gary's investigative research. All the articles date back approximately to the same period and are all related to the fire that ravaged Mayflower five years ago. But not a hint of Esseker. Ben studies the newspaper clippings, trying to piece the story together ' Deadly Fire at Mayflower dead and wounded ' ' Brutal Massacre Mother and her three daughters slaughtered...' ' the children, drowned, in the bathtub ' ' the throat slit open ' ' Mayflower's security guard taken in for questioning ' CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ' The night watchman confesses to setting the fire but firmly denies the accusation of murdering his family ' ' Terrence Berry confesses but claims the mirrors are guilty The security guard at Mayflower finally confesses. He started the fire in the department store with the intention of destroying the mirrors, responsible, according to him, for the death of his wife and three daughters. ' Ben observes Terrence Berry's face in one of the archive photographs. He looks like a perfectly normal guy, rather kind, surely he was a good father Ben can't help but empathize with him. As he looks up, Ben catches a glimpse of his reflection in the window What if he too lost his mind and went on to slaughter his family? Or what if the mirrors would do it? The phone rings BEN CONT'D Yes, so, what'd you find out? Nothing under that name? Shit, shit, shit, shit Can you look up Berry, Terrence Berry Ben holds on the line, for a moment. BEN CONT'D Got anything? GreatNo, I already know all that. Is he still alive? No Can you find out where he was committed before his death? Wait, I'm writing it down Ben sits down on the bed and scribbles down the address on a piece of paper. BEN CONT'D Roosevelt Psychiatric Detention Center Yeah, I know where it is. Thanks. He hangs up the phone. Under the blanket, next to him, he spots the T-shirt that his sister was wearing the other night. The pain is too strong. He cannot hold back his tears anymore and starts crying DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE KITCHEN The next morning Heavy-eyed and sleepy, Michael is hypnotized in front of the weather forecast on TV. The hot chocolate set in front of him is getting cold. His sister Daisy pours herself some more orange juice. Amy, shaking a box of cereal, interrupts the little boy in his dream state AMY Do you want the cereal in your hot chocolate or in a separate bowl? The little boy does not answer. AMY CONT'D Michael? MICHAEL In the chocolate AMY In the chocolate, please, mom MICHAEL repeating after her Please, mom. She pours the cereal in his hot chocolate. DAISY Yuck, that's gross, how can you eat that? AMY Come on, come on, let's get going, or you're going to be late for school. Michael begins to eat his breakfast, his gaze still fixed on the weatherman's forecast on TV. As Amy fills the cat's bowl with pellets, Tiger rushes over to join the rest of the family. DAISY Mom? AMY What is it sweetheart? DAISY Do you know that Michael has a new friend? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: MICHAEL No, that's not true! AMY Really, what's his name? MICHAEL to his sister You promised not to tell. AMY Does he go to your school? Michael doesn't answer. Daisy shakes her head. AMY CONT'D pretending to be indifferent Very well. If you don't want to tell me about it The little boy stays quiet. MICHAEL He doesn't want me to talk about him. Amy suddenly becomes more concerned and sits down next to Michael AMY Why doesn't he want you to talk about him? Is he a grown up? MICHAEL No AMY So, he's a little boy your age, then? Michael gives a reluctant nod. Amy is reassured. He finishes his mug of cereal and goes to place it in the sink. Amy gives Daisy a questioning look AMY CONT'D to Michael Does he live in our street? Is it one of our neighbors? Michael remains silent and Daisy answers for him DAISY He lives in the mirror in our room. Daisy bursts out laughing Michael glares back at her, furious. Puzzled, Amy reflects briefly on Daisy's remark CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY Is it your father who told you that? Michael remains silent. AMY CONT'D Michael, answer me. Did your father talk to you about the mirrors? MICHAEL No Mommy. Amy questions him with her eyes. Michael lowers his. AMY OK Come on, come on guys, let's get our teeth brushed, and our coats on. The first one in the car is the winner. The two kids dash up the stairs. Amy is left alone to clean up breakfast. She casts a glance at the front hall mirror. Daisy's comment lingers in her thoughts. Dressed in their coats, Michael and Daisy come running down the stairs and rush out of the house Amy exits the house. The car drives away. Daisy's cat leaps onto the kitchen table and directs his gaze to the mirror FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE CAT SUDDENLY STIFFENS INTO A POSITION OF DEFENSE. HE BRISTLES HIS COAT AND HISSES AND SPITS TOWARDS HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR. DAY ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER Wide shot The high security psychiatric hospital stands under a leaden sky DR. MORRIS V.O.) You know, Mr. Carson, when one starts to perceive one's own reflection as a completely separate being, one is suddenly confronted with two entirely separate egos, two entirely separate worlds that can surface at any given moment . DAY ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER DR. MORRIS, the doctor who had once been in charge of Terrence Berry, escorts Ben down the corridor DR. MORRIS A feeling of self-hatred, generally triggered by a psychological shock can split the personality in two, hence creating two or more personalities with distinct memories or behavior patterns within the same individual. The patient then has a faulty perception of the existence of two distinct worlds, which are principally the 'real' word, and the world 'inside the mirror'. The two men pass a number of guards and security check-points as they head down towards the hospital's film and video archive BEN Did you consider Terrence innocent? Dr. Morris swipes his magnetic card through the electronic device, unlocking the door to the archives. DR. MORRIS In my opinion, he was convinced that he was telling the truth when he claimed he didn't kill his family. I too am convinced that when it happened, Terrence was not himself, but rather his double, his mirror image, one might say. He enters the archives, followed by Ben DAY ARCHIVES ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER Dr. Morris' finger glides across several DV-tapes dated in search of one particular tape DR. MORRIS These recordings are from Terrence's trial. You will find that they speak for themselves. He pushes the tape into the deck. A grainy picture appears on the screen We discover TERRENCE BERRY, sitting behind a desk. His hands are cuffed. Facing him, DR. MORRIS is leading the cross-examination. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Terrence is tense and uncomfortable. He keeps his face down, never looking into the camera. DESPITE HAVING SURVIVED THE FIRE, TERRENCE'S FACE IS NONETHELESS DISFIGURED BY THIRD DEGREE BURNS. HE NO LONGER HAS FACIAL FEATURES, AND HE STRUGGLES WITH HIS SPEECH. DR. MORRIS CONT'D Why did you set the department store on fire? TERRENCE In order to to destroy the mirrors. Only fire can destroy a mirror, isn't that right, Doctor? DR. MORRIS What made you think you absolutely had to destroy those mirrors, Terrence? Terrence remains silent. Dr. Morris repeats his question DR. MORRIS CONT'D What made you want to destroy those mirrors, Terrence? TERRENCE They killed Helen and my three little girls DR. MORRIS For what reason? Why would mirrors want to kill your family? TERRENCE Because I didn't Terrence breaks out in tears. DR. MORRIS Didn't do what? With his eyes fixed on the video monitor, deep inside, Ben already knows the answer that Terrence is about to give TERRENCE They asked me to find Esseker Like they did with the others DR. MORRIS Who are the others you're talking about? TERRENCE I wasn't the first one they asked CONTINUED . CONTINUED: DR. MORRIS And what happened? TERRENCE I didn't succeed. I didn't succeed in finding Esseker Ben realizes that he's in the exact same situation BEN Amy to Dr. Morris I have to go. He stands to leave. The monitor keeps playing the old footage DR. MORRIS Tell me about Esseker, Terrence. Terrence doesn't speak. DR. MORRIS CONT'D Who is Esseker, Terrence? Suddenly, Terrence's behavior shifts to another extreme. He stands up, and flying into a rage, he becomes brutal and hysterical TERRENCE I DON'T KNOW WHO ESSEKER IS! I DON'T KNOW WHO ESSEKER IS, I DON'T KNOW!! Terrence becomes uncontrollable. He wrecks the folders lying on the desk and throws himself, head first, against a wall mirror that shatters to pieces. DAY STREET-NEW JERSEY HOUSE Ben's car comes to a screeching halt in front of his old house. Ben rushes inside. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE CONTINUITY He is beside himself. After seeing the video footage on Terrence, he has been struck with fear and panic for his family Before the perplexed gaze of Rosa and his children, Ben agitatedly comes and goes in the hallway of the second floor. He is removing the mirrors from each and every room. He tears away the bathroom mirror, unhooks the one in the far end of the hallway, and removes some from Amy's room CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Rosa fears more and more for the children and takes them under her protective arms. Amy is not back yet. The only mirror left that Ben cannot remove, is the one in the children's room. He rushes down to the basement and comes back with a bucket of old paint. He immediately begins to paint the wall mirror in order to neutralize its reflection. DAISY What are you doing dad? BEN Don't worry, there's nothing wrong. Everything is OK DAISY But why are you doing that? BEN I'm doing it to protect you. DAY NEW JERSEY HOUSE CONTINUITY At the same time, Amy's car pulls up in front of the house. As soon as she sees the front door open, and the mirrors laid out on the landing of the front steps, Amy rushes into the house, panic-stricken. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE CONTINUITY She races up the stairs to the second floor, barging into the children's room where Ben is painting the mirror. She signals Rosa to take the kids out. AMY Do you mind telling me what the hell you're doing? Focused and determined, Ben does not answer her question. AMY CONT'D Ben! BEN Look Amy, you've got to trust me, I know what I'm doing It's for your own good. AMY I want you to stop what you're doing and get out of our house right now. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY CONT'D You're scaring the kids acting like this. Ben continues to paint the mirror. AMY CONT'D If you don't leave immediately, I'm going to call the police, Ben, and I warn you, you will never see your children again. Do you understand what I'm saying? Ben stops BEN You have to trust me Amy, I'm not completely crazy These mirrors are dangerous. At first, I thought it was only the ones at the store, but now I know they can get you anywhere. They got Angela I promise I'll leave the house once I've taken them all down. AMY Do you realize what you're saying, Ben? What is wrong with you? I know that what you're going through isn't easy. Angela was a part of our lives too, but you have no right to do this to us Ever since your obsession with these damn mirrors the kids are scared to death. Your son has nightmares. He's scared Ben Your behavior is starting to rub off on him. He's only years old And I have to protect him. Ben can see that she is very upset about the situation. He sets down the paint bucket on the floor BEN Come Amy, come with me, I want to show you something. He leads her back down, through the first floor, and out on the front steps of the house DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE CONTINUITY BEN Look, you'll see Ben pulls his Magnum out of his belt and points the gun at one of the mirrors he has dragged outside. Amy steps back, terrified CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY What are you doing with that gun Put it down, BEN PUT IT DOWN RIGHT NOW! Without a moment's hesitation, Ben opens fire. The mirror shatters to pieces AMY CONT'D ARE YOU CRAZY BEN? HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY MAD? Ben smiles, all excited BEN Wait, look, you'll see Through the front window, Daisy and Michael witness the scene AMY SEE WHAT, BEN?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE ?! Ben keeps a piercing gaze as the bullet impacts the mirror, waiting for the magic to do its trick and for the cracks to dissolve again BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. THE CRACKS REMAIN, IN A SPIDER WEB PATTERN. Behind the front door, Ben notices Michael, watching him, in tears. Without any evidence, Ben is in over his head. BEN But I swear to you I I sawAmy The neighbors, alerted by the blast of the gun, come out of their houses to find out what has happened. Ben stands alone, looking like a mad man Amy holds back her tears and tries to stay in control AMY Get outnow! I don't ever want to see you here again, Ben. And I'll have the lawyers make sure the same goes for the kids. You are insane, Ben, and dangerous You've got to get help. With gun in hand, Ben walks away, dismayed, as he gradually becomes aware of the situation he has just created. He enters his car and drives off at top speed EXT/ DAY ROAD BEN'S CAR Ben drives nervously. He feels guilty about his conduct in front of the children. A thousand thoughts rush through his head, leaving him in an utter state of confusion. He doesn't know what to do nor what to think anymore. Ben reaches for his cell phone and dials Larry's number BEN Hello, Larry? It's me I'm going to need your help again LARRY Come on, Ben For Christ's sake! What are you doing? BEN Mayflower used to be a hospital before it became a department store. St. John's Hospital. Do you have any idea where all the medical records could have ended up after it closed down? LARRY How am I supposed to know that?! BEN Go to the city hall archives They must have something considering it was a public hospital. LARRY I've got others things to do. I can't go to City Hall today. I've BEN Larry, Larry stop it If I could go myself, I wouldn't be asking you. Go to the City Hall archives, and ask them to look up Esseker among the former patients. Please. LARRY Ben, for god's sake, what are you trying to prove? BEN Please, do it for me. LARRY You know you're a real pain in the ass. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN Talk to you later. Ben hangs up. He glances back at the rear view mirror and sees ANGELA'S CORPSE, SITTING ON THE BACK SEAT! Startled, he loses control of the vehicle. A truck approaches at full speed in the opposite lane. He barely avoids the collision. Two other cars appear. Ben zigzags in and out, just barely avoiding a fatal crash. He stops along the edge of the road. Ben closes his eyes and rests his head against the steering wheel in an attempt to clear his mind. He looks up into the rear view mirror again ANGELA'S REFLECTION IS STILL THERE. Behind her long black hair, she fixes him with a milky gaze. Ben flies into a rage. HE SMASHES THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR WITH HIS BARE FIST, REDUCING IT TO SCRAPS Ben is alone and lost. BEN CONT'D What have I done? I don't understand What have I done? Insert on what is written on the side rear-view mirror 'OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR' NIGHT -MANHATTAN STREET NYPD POLICE STATION Under the pouring rain, the police patrol cars come and go in front of the police station. A bit further away we recognize Ben's Oldsmobile, parked on an adjacent street. Ben is waiting inside. A man approaches, knocks on the car window and enters the vehicle. It's LARRY The rainwater drips down his raincoat. Under his arm he holds a file of documents, wrapped in a plastic bag. LARRY This ought to make you happy handing him the file Anna Esseker CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Ben nervously tears open the plastic wrapping LARRY CONT'D I wasn't quite sure what you needed, so I got all of her medical records. BEN Perfect, Larry. That's perfect. Ben skims through the pages. He cannot believe that he has finally discovered who Esseker is LARRY Everyone's real edgy up there. You're still a fuckin' murder suspect. People are wondering why I let you out. You have to tell me more. What does the history of the Mayflower have to do with the death of your sister? BEN I don't know exactly. I can't tell you, but some really fucked up things started happening to me when I took the job over there. Nothing makes any sense to me either but I have to follow my instinct. Larry notices the broken rear-view mirror LARRY What happened? Did you have an accident? Ben is too absorbed in the records. He doesn't answer. BEN Anna Esseker Where did you find her files? Did you go to City Hall? LARRY No, you were wrong about that, they had nothing. All the medical records from St. John's Hospital are still up there with the unclassified cases. Ben squints at him. LARRY CONT'D She was a patient at St. John's in the psych ward run by a Dr. Kane, between March and September . She was only twelve years old when she died Ben freezes CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN What? LARRY When the nurses went on their rounds, first thing on the morning of October th, they discovered that all the patients had left their rooms during the night and gathered in the main room. All of them were dead, including the girl. Apparently, they had killed one another A slaughter house After that they shut down the place. Nobody ever found out what really happened. BEN What about the doctor? Dr. Kane? LARRY He was arrested. They found him dead on the first day of his hearing. He had slit his wrists with a piece of his cell mirror! NIGHT QUEENS BUILDING ENTRANCE HALL Ben heads home with the file containing Anna's medical records. He walks through the lobby of his building. OMITTED NIGHT QUEENS APARTMENT Angela's apartment is plunged in total darkness Ben lays Anna Esseker's file on the coffee table and aims the desk lamp at his 'research corner' on the wall. He turns the lamp back at the file and sits down to study it. WHY ARE THE MIRRORS ASKING FOR ANNA IF SHE'S ALREADY DEAD? WHY? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE On an index card filled in by Anna's parents in September, Ben finds a Pennsylvania home address. Dr. Kane's first diagnosis is irrevocable 'Despite her young age, Anna Esseker suffers from severe schizophrenia, leading to withdrawal from reality, delusional and violent behavior.' CONTINUED . CONTINUED: He shuffles through the first few pages of various administrative documents. His eye lands on several photographs of Anna taken at the time she was admitted to the hospital She is just a child, yet, six male nurses were needed to restrain and immobilize her in front of the photographer. Her face is hardly discernible as she struggles like a wild animal. A high-pitched sound of cracking glass is heard from behind. Ben turns around Another loud crack It comes from one of the covered mirrors in the apartment. Ben rises slowly to his feet and comes closer. He removes the sheet hanging on the frame A crack has appeared in the upper corner of the mirror. Ben casts his eyes over the reflection. His glance comes to rest on Anna's file laying on the desk He goes to fetch the photograph of the little girl and presents it to the mirror KRAAAAACK the crack in the mirror spreads, as if some kind of pressure were applied on the other side of the mirror as a reaction to the photograph BEN You're still alive, aren't you? All of a sudden, Ben realizes something. He runs back to the file on the table and goes through the documents again, one by one. He stops on a carbon copy of a hospital release form and checks the date. BEN CONT'D You're wrong Larry, you're wrong His eyes light up BEN CONT'D she left the hospital on the th. According to the document, Anna left two days before the massacre! DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE The next morning CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Through the half-opened door at the end of the hallway, we see Daisy brushing her teeth before going to school. The little girl is humming as she watches herself in the mirror Amy comes out of her room AMY Come on, come on Let's go Daisy, Michael? She passes in front of the children's room and stops INSIDE, MICHAEL IS TALKING TO SOMEBODY. Amy listens closely, but she can only hear Michael's voice. On the other side of the door, the little boy bursts out in laughter DAY CHILDREN'S ROOM She opens the door and finds her son squatting in front of the mirror, talking to his own reflection. AMY What are you doing Michael? Come on, we're going to be late. The little boy does as his mother says. He gets up and dashes out of the room. Amy's glance freezes in horror. Terrified, she almost loses her balance MICHAEL'S REFLECTION IS STILL IN THE MIRROR, SITTING IN A SQUATTING POSITION! HE LOOKS AT AMY WITH A BIG SMILE. Amy attempts to speak but can't The mirror image of her son remains silent. Amy steps closer to the mirror and, in the reflection, behind the boy, she discovers HER MIRROR IMAGE IS THERE TOO, BEARING THE SAME FORCED GRIN DAY -QUEENS APARTMENT The phone rings. Ben wakes up in a jolt and picks it up AMY IS ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE, IN TEARS. BEN Amy ? What's wrong? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY O.S. You have to come over Right away BEN What? Amy cannot get the words out. The convulsive sobs overtake her voice. AMY O.S. I'm so scared, Ben BEN What's happening? AMY O.S. There's something in the house Something in the mirrors. BEN Where are Daisy and Michael? Are the kids all right? AMY O.S. They're with me They're right here with me. Come over, please! BEN Get out of the house. I'll be right over DAY -QUEENS' STREET Ben runs to his car and throws the Esseker file on the passenger seat. He drives off at full speed and disappears at the far end of the road. CUT TO : EXT/ DAY MAYFLOWER On th Street, away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway, the Mayflower facade is unsettling and disturbing. AMIDST THE RUINS OF THE DESERTED DEPARTMENT STORE, THE MIRRORS ARE WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THEIR TIME TO COME DAY NEW JERSEY HOUSE When he arrives, Ben finds his wife waiting in front of the house. The kids are playing in the snow. Ben's car pulls up in the driveway. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Amy throws herself into his arms, crying with relief. BEN I'm right here, Amy. I'm here now Thank god you're alright. Ben comforts her, holding her tightly with all his strength. AMY We can't stay here, we have to leave the house now We can go to my mother's or to a hotel BEN Anyplace is gonna have mirrors or windows Anything you can see your self in is dangerous. We have to make the house safe. The only way is to cover all the reflections. If we keep them in the dark we can avoid them. We need paint, we need tape CUT TO : DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE A MOMENT LATER Ben has brought up some more paint from the basement. With Amy's help he paints over all the mirrors in the house. In the face of this hardship, all the arguments seem far away. We can feel a connection between the two of them. The windowpanes and picture frames have been wrapped securely with newspaper and tape. Every inch of reflective surface in the house, such as the TV screen and the shiny taps, have been 'neutralized' with strips of masking tape IN NO TIME, THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SURFACE CAPABLE OF REFLECTING LIGHT LEFT IN THE HOUSE. CUT TO : DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE The front door of the house opens. On the landing of the front steps, Ben kisses Daisy goodbye. DAISY When will you be back, Dad? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN As quickly as I can, sweetheart. I promise. He kisses Michael who hugs him back MICHAEL I love you, Dad. He strokes Michael gently on the head and goes to his car. Daisy and Michael watch their father leave. Amy walks him to the vehicle AMY What if you don't find her? Maybe she doesn't live there anymore? Maybe she's really dead. BEN They want her, I'm gonna find her wherever she is. We don't have any other choice. Ben holds her tightly in his arms and plants a tender kiss on her forehead. BEN CONT'D I'm sorry about everything I've put you through I didn't want to Amy interrupts him. AMY I know. Ben gets into the car. BEN Amy, I want you to stay here with the kids until all this is over. All the mirrors are covered, there's no more danger. I'll come back as soon as I can. Tears well up in Amy's eyes. He takes her hand BEN CONT'D Hey baby, everything's gonna be fine. I love you. She smiles tenderly. Ben drives off DAY BEN'S CAR Through the back window, we see Amy in front of the house, growing more and more distant. Anna's medical file lies open on the passenger seat At the top of the page we can read her old address in Pennsylvania. DAY ROAD -Aerial shot We fly over a lake the waters are so placid that the forest and outline of the scenery surrounding it reflect off its surface, creating two perfectly symmetrical landscapes. We glide over the treetops, diving deeper into the forest, to follow the main road that zigzags along the slope of the hill. DAY -BEN'S CAR A sign on the edge of the road indicates miles to Pennsylvania. Ben focuses on the road, determined to put an end to what hides behind the mirrors and to rescue his family. A OMITTED A DAY COUNTRY ROAD Ben's car slows down as he reaches a dirt road. On one of the mailboxes standing on the edge of the road he spots the name Esseker DAY ESSEKER FARMHOUSE The wind blows over the land. In the winter season, the muddy fields have little to offer to the few starving crows flying over them. A feeling of desolation and solitude hangs over the deserted landscape. Ben's car has left the asphalt road behind, driving through the countryside down a winding dirt road. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: An old farmhouse stands at the very end of the path. If it weren't for the parked pick-up truck and the few piglets running wild, one would think that the farmhouse was abandoned. Ben gets out of the car and goes to knock on the door. His shoes sink into the mud. He walks up the steps of the porch and peeks inside the house through the front window. In the dark he discerns the silhouette of a person who is watching TV. He can't help but notice all the mirrors have been covered or turned towards the wall. A big dog barks behind the window. Ben steps back, surprised. The front door opens before Ben has even made his presence known. A young man stares at him in silence. BEN Hello Is this the Esseker farmhouse? The young man nods. A woman's voice is heard from inside WOMAN'S VOICE What is it Jimmy? JIMMY I don't know Mom. to Ben What can I do for you sir? BEN I am looking for Anna, Anna Esseker. The young man looks at Ben questioningly. Apparently he has never heard the name before. JIMMY to his mother inside There's a man who's looking for back to Ben You said Anna? Ben confirms Anna Esseker, Mom! Jimmy's mother, in her fifties, an obese woman who has trouble moving around shows up in the opening of the door JIMMY'S MOTHER What is it you want with Anna Esseker? She catches him unaware. Ben makes up a false identity CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN I huh I am doing some research for a book on the history of St. John's Hospital, in New York Jimmy's mother stares at him for a moment with a suspicious look JIMMY'S MOTHER Jimmy, go tell grandpa that there's a man here who'd like to talk to him about his sister. DAY FARMHOUSE BASEMENT We are in the dark basement, under the farmhouse. The door to the first floor opens, letting the light in. Ben appears next to the silhouette of an old man ROBERT ESSEKER, years old, Anna's elder brother. Robert walks down the steps, signaling Ben to follow him ROBERT You know, up to this day, the visions of Anna's fits still haunt me at night. They walk through the basement towards an old wooden door. ROBERT CONT'D I helped my father fix up this part of the basement, especially for her The old man turns the key in the padlock. Slowly, the door swings open, revealing ROBERT CONT'D Her fits were too violent. My mother couldn't take her screams anymore. What's left of a very primitive child's room, SURROUNDED BY DOUBLE WIRE FENCING AND IRON BARS. Rather than a cell, it more resembles a HUMAN-SIZED CAGE, CAPABLE OF RESISTING THE MOST FEROCIOUS BEAST. As he's talking, images flash on screen painful memories from that time come back to him Anna being carried to the basement, her innocent eyes full of hate. It's even hard to recognize the face of a little girl. Her howling screams. Her nails digging into her own flesh. Her unnatural strength and the violent thrashing of her arms and legs. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ROBERT CONT'D We had every priest, doctor, healer, coming from all over the state, one after the other. But no one could help her. Ben comes closer to the iron bars of the cage. He can see Anna's scratch marks next to the bed, giving his imagination a taste of her plight and suffering. ROBERT CONT'D Finally, Dr. Kane from New York answered my parents' cry for help. He rejected the idea of demonic possession, said he didn't believe in it. He was convinced that Anna suffered from a rare form of personality disorder. He wanted Anna under his care, at St. John's. My parents were very poor, but he agreed to cover all the hospital costs In less than five months, Dr. Kane had cured Anna. It was unbelievable. She was her old self again. A real miracle of science. BEN And after the hospital? ROBERT You don't know? She died there with all of Kane's other patients. Ben takes the old release form out of his pocket and shows it to Robert. BEN Anna left the hospital two days before the massacre. Kane changed the records to make her disappear. ROBERT You're not a journalist, are you? What do you want? BEN I want to know. After St. John's, where did she go? Robert stares at Ben, unsure of saying what he's about to reveal to this perfect stranger ROBERT Anna came back to live with us for a while CONTINUED . CONTINUED: BEN For a while? Robert lowers his eyes. BEN CONT'D And after? Why did she leave? ROBERT Because Because strange things started to happen in the house BEN With Anna? ROBERT No, not with Anna The old man obviously doesn't want to get into the details. The memories are too painful. BEN With the mirrors? Robert stiffens, eyeing Ben with a dark look How does he know? BEN CONT'D Mr. Esseker, tell me where I can find your sister. It's very important. It's a matter of life and death. Robert hesitates ROBERT Before he died, Kane sent us a letter asking us to keep Anna away from mirrors and that whatever happens she should be in a place where the mirrors could never find her. BEN Where is she now? ROBERT To protect us, she left the house and joined the monastic orders, where mirrors are forbidden St. Augustine's monastery, on the road to Midwich. DAY ESSEKER FARMHOUSE Ben's car does a one-eighty turn in front of the farmhouse, heading back to the main road. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Standing on the porch, with an anxious look on his face, Robert watches him disappear in the distance. He sits down on the steps, and wipes his glasses. The crows fly low in the sky It's a bad sign. CUT TO : DAY MIDWICH MONASTERY The nuns come and go under the arches of the monastic courtyard. A deadly silence prevails over the monastery, where time seems to stand still. All these women have taken vows of poverty, obedience and chastity to serve god. On the other side of the cloister wall, a small winding road zigzags between the pine trees. Ben's car draws nearer. He parks in front of the entrance to the monastery. DAY MIDWICH MONASTERY VESTIBULE Ben pushes open the heavy front door. The place is dark and silent. He goes to the front desk Behind a wooden screen he can barely make out the two nuns in charge of admissions. They are the only nuns granted exposure to the outside world. For the rest, physical and visual contact is strictly prohibited. SISTER Yes, how can I help you? BEN Hello Sister. I have come to visit a member of your community Sister Anna? Her real name is Anna Esseker. SISTER Is she expecting you? BEN No, not really. SISTER Are you a relative? BEN Listen, Sister, I must see her. SISTER If you are not listed, I cannot help you sir. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: SISTER CONT'D We have strict regulations concerning visitations, which are exclusively for family members. BEN Please, tell her that I came all the way from New York and that I work with Dr. Kane at St. John's Hospital SISTER Wait here for a moment. She stands up and escapes through one of the back doors. The other nun behind the screen, observes Ben with curiosity. Time goes by, and Ben grows impatient. DAY HOUSE NEW JERSEY Inside the house in Jersey, Amy has isolated herself with the kids in the parent's bedroom. She's reading them a bedtime story. Even if all the windows, screens, and TV are covered by newspapers or painting, Amy acts in front of Daisy and Michael as if nothing has happened. In the rest of the house, everything has been meticulously covered, wrapped, painted or reversed. Still, here and there, a barely audible rustle pierces through the silence In the children's room, the paint covering the mirror slowly begins to flake off The newspaper wrapped around the windowpanes begins to rip THE MIRRORS ARE RESISTING AND ATTEMPTING TO SET THEMSELVES FREE. A DAY MIDWICH MONASTERY VESTIBULE A Ben is losing his calm. Time is running out. The nun reappears behind the wooden screen SISTER Sister Anna has agreed to talk to you, you may proceed to the parlor next door. Ben crosses the hall and opens the door that the nun gestures him to. He enters the parlor alone. In the spare room, a chair stands by a wooden screen, fencing him off, once again. CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A Behind the screen, a silhouette awaits him. SISTER ANNA St. John's closed down in . Who are you? Ben sits down. Even at a short distance he cannot discern the face of Anna Esseker, who is now Sister Anna. BEN My name is Benjamin Carson. I work as a night watchman at West th Street in New York City, what used to be St. John's Hospital. SISTER ANNA What is it you want Mr. Carson? BEN I need your help. SISTER ANNA My help? I don't quite see how I could possibly be of any help. BEN My wife and children are in danger. What is threatening my family is asking for you For a split second, Ben makes eye contact with Anna behind the screen. She has understood BEN CONT'D If you don't help me I may lose the only thing that matters to me. SISTER ANNA I cannot leave the precincts. It's impossible. BEN Tell me why are the mirrors from the old hospital so determined to find you? Sister Anna remains silent BEN CONT'D I must know, Sister. SISTER ANNA It is not the wish of the mirrors to find me, but of what is imprisoned inside them. The mirrors are merely windows on our world CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A BEN A window For what? For whom? ANNA At the time that I was at St. John's, Dr. Kane's therapy for personality disorders consisted of locking the patient up in a mirrored room for several days on end, in order to force him to confront his own image. I spent the darkest days of my life in that room. On the th day the nurses found me lifeless, almost dead. Since that day, I have never had another fit. But deep down inside I've always known the truth. BEN What truth? ANNA There is no cure for schizophrenia, it was something else, Mr. Carson. And whatever it was, it entered the mirror. We can feel the emotion in her voice. ANNA CONT'D I thought that after fifty years, this would have all gone away. They would have disappeared from the mirrors. I didn't know I'm sorry but if I agree to go with you and return to that place, I will make it possible for them to cross the threshold back into the real world. Everything is now making sense for Ben BEN It entered with you and they need you to get out. ANNA The consequences of such an act, Mr. Carson, would be more devastating than letting them suffer where they are now. I'm going to pray for you and your family. That's all I can do right now, Mr. Carson. God bless you She stands to leave. CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A BEN Wait Please, listen to me Terence Berry, Gary Lewis and many others before me Those are the people who died trying to find you. Because they failed, their families died too. My sister was murdered two days ago My wife and kids will next if you don't come with me. Look From his wallet Ben takes out a wrinkled photograph of Michael, as a baby, in Amy's arms. Daisy stands next to them in the picture. Ben presses the photograph against the grating for Anna to look at it. BEN CONT'D My wife and two children. They're all I've got. They're innocent Please. Anna stays quiet a moment behind the screen and leaves. BEN CONT'D I KNOW YOU ARE SCARED OF GOING BACK THERE. IT'S EASIER TO KEEP HIDING BUT THIS IS NOT THE HOUSE OF GOD ANYMORE. WHILE YOU'RE PRAYING PEOPLE ARE DYING ON YOUR TIME! Anna doesn't respond and disappears in the distance. Ben failed. He's desperate and lost. He has a hard time containing his anger. DAY MONASTERY On the horizon, a red sun sets behind the treetops. It's almost nightfall. The bells from the monastery begin to toll. The cross above the monastery reflects upside down in a puddle of rain water. Frustrated, Ben walks back to his car and dials his home number on his cell phone NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE In the distance, the lights of Manhattan sparkle in the night. In the house, all the lights are off. All is quiet, too quiet NIGHT HALLWAY In the hallway, the shiny doorknob leading to Amy's bedroom is the only reflecting surface that has been forgotten. In the distorted reflection, we see Michael's silhouette approaching. The little boy reaches for the knob but IN REALITY, NO HAND TOUCHES IT IT'S MICHAEL'S REFLECTION INSIDE THE SHINY KNOB THAT IS OPENING THE DOOR! Inside the bedroom, Amy fell asleep with Daisy in her arms. On the bedside table, THE HOME PHONE STARTS RINGING She wakes up with a jolt and picks up the cordless receiver AMY Hello? Ben Where are you? Did you find her? Did you talk to She stops speaking as she realizes Daisy is asleep next to her but MICHAEL IS NO LONGER THERE. AMY CONT'D Michael? MICHAEL!? on the phone Ben hold on, Michael is gone BEN What? AMY to Ben on the phone I don't know, I fell asleep with the kids on the bed and She sees that THE BEDROOM DOOR IS HALF OPENED. AMY CONT'D Michael? The sound of pouring water is heard, coming from the hallway. Michael must be in the bathroom. BEN Amy, what's going on? Are you alright? Amy runs to the door, waking Daisy up. DAISY What is it Mom? CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY to her daughter You stay right here sweetheart, I'm going to look for your brother. Stay right here. to Ben on the phone Ben, I have to call you back, I have to find Michael BEN No Amy, stay with me NIGHT CORRIDOR/BATHROOM CONTINUITY Amy comes out of the bedroom and notices that the floor is completely soaked. She turns on the light in the hallway, only to discover The entire upper floor is covered by an inch of water all the taps in the bathroom are turned on and have transformed the surface of the floor into A LARGE NATURAL MIRROR AMY to Ben on the phone Fuck! There is water everywhere Michael? Michael? MICHAEL?! Amy freezes when she realizes that all the picture frames and all the mirrors in the corridor have been scraped, bringing the reflecting surfaces, once again, to the light AMY CONT'D scared Ben, someone scraped all the mirrors There is someone in the house. BEN Where is Michael? AMY panicked I don't know where he is. I don't see him. I As she turns in the hallway, Amy sees A DARK SHADOW MOVING IN ONE OF THE MIRRORS. Terrified, she steps back and hits the opposite wall. She drops the phone on the flooded floor A DAY MONASTERY A At the same moment, Ben, still outside of the monastery, is cut off in his conversation with his wife CONTINUED . A CONTINUED: A BEN Amy? Amy? Answer me? He tried to redial but that doesn't work. He knows something weird is happening there. Without hesitation, Ben grabs his gun inside the car and walks back towards the monastery gates. B -BACK IN THE HOUSE B Unsure of what she saw, Amy makes a step towards the mirror but only finds her own reflection. She picks up the phone The water shorted it out AMY Damn it Cautiously, Amy walks up to the bathroom. AMY CONT'D Michael? She opens the door the sink and bathtub are filled with water overflowing onto the tiled floor. Michael is not there. C NIGHT MONASTERY CELL C A hand enters frame to light some candles. Sister Anna is back in her cell. The way her hand shakes as she carries the match from one candle to the other betrays how upset she is by the confrontation with Ben It's been too much time that she's carrying the guilt. She runs the rosary nervously between her fingers and kneels down in front of her bed to pray when A loud muted sound followed by a sudden wave of agitation is heard outside the cell. Someone has broken into the monastery. She recognizes Ben's voice Like a mad man, he's looking for her everywhere and threatens the other nuns to show him the way. Anna stands up when Ben bursts into her cell with his gun in his hand. Behind him, the other nuns are terrified. Ben points the gun at Anna BEN My kids are not going to die tonight. You're coming with me, now. CONTINUED . C CONTINUED: C Not intimidated by the weapon, Anna steps towards Ben. FOR THE FIRST TIME, BEN CAN SEE HER FACE The old lady seems more determined than ever ANNA If I come with you Mr. Carson, you have to promise to do everything I tell you. My way. No questions. Ben lowers his gun BEN You have my word. NIGHT BEDROOM MEANWHILE Daisy waits patiently in the bed following her mother's instructions. Suddenly she hears her mother calling her from the children's bedroom AMY Daisy Daisy Come here Daisy steps into the corridor and stops, for a moment, when she notices the flooding. She enters her bedroom, following the voice that calls out for her AMY CONT'D Daisy Daisy NIGHT CHILDREN'S BEDROOM CONTINUITY Daisy explores the bedroom. The voice is still calling, but her mother is not there. The door shuts behind her. She walks up to the mirror on the wall. The paint has been partially scraped off THE LITTLE GIRL DISCOVERS HER MOTHER'S REFLECTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR NIGHT BATHROOM MEANWHILE BUT IN REALITY, AMY IS STILL IN THE BATHROOM! She turns off the tap and sinks her hand into the depths of the bathtub to pull the plug, when she sees Michael's reflection on the surface CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY Micha She turns around, but Michael is not behind her. The reflection lied. SUDDENLY HER ARM IS PULLED INTO THE BATHTUB. AN INVISIBLE FORCE PLUNGES HER HEAD INTO THE WATER TO DROWN HER. AMY STRUGGLES FRENETICALLY BUT THE PRESSURE IS TOO STRONG FOR HER TO BREAK FREE. BACK IN THE CHILDREN'S BEDROOM Daisy walks up to her mother's reflection in the mirror. AMY'S REFLECTION Come sweetheart Come, come closer Come Daisy is mistrustful. She senses that something is not right. In the mirror, her mother's attitude is different and strange DAISY What are you doing in there, Mom? AMY'S REFLECTION Come closer, don't worry Everything is all right, sweetheart. Daisy obeys when, suddenly, she notices that her mother holds a pair of scissors in her hand. Daisy has no time to react THE REFLECTION OF THE MOTHER GRABS THE REFLECTION OF THE LITTLE GIRL, HOLDING HER FIRMLY IN HER ARMS BY SOME INVISIBLE FORCE, IN REALITY, DAISY IS SUSPENDED IN THE AIR IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR. BACK IN THE BATHROOM With her head still submerged in the bathtub, Amy is drowning. She tries to fight back. Unsuccessfully. Her head stays under the water. With the tips of her fingers, Amy feels her way to the plug. She pulls it out. Slowly, the water level begins to go down. Too slowly. Amy struggles to pull her head out of the water to breath again. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The water continues to recede. Amy has reached exhaustion, her hands clutch onto the edge of the bathtub. She is suffocating. At the last minute, she turns her head to gasp for air. The remaining water swirls down the drain. The bathtub is now empty and the invisible force seems to have vanished. Amy collapses to the ground, spitting and coughing. She comes to her senses, gets back to her feet and dashes out of the bathroom. AMY Michael?! Michael? As she runs past the bedroom, she notices that the door is open AMY CONT'D Daisy !? Daisy is no longer there. AMY CONT'D Daisy ! Panicked, Amy crosses the corridor and barges into the children's room. Inside she discovers NIGHT CHILDREN'S ROOM SUSPENDED IN THE AIR, A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND, DAISY STRUGGLES TO BREAK FREE. In the mirror, Amy sees her own reflection bringing the sharp blade of the scissors to her daughter's throat. The blade glides over her skin. In reality, A TRICKLE OF BLOOD APPEARS ON DAISY'S THROAT. Instinctively, Amy throws herself against Daisy, tearing her away from the grip of her own reflection. They land on the floor and crawl to the corner of the room, safe from the danger of the reflections. Amy tears off a piece of her clothing, which she presses against Daisy's throat in order to stop the bleeding. AMY Oh my god, don't move baby, don't move Amy is out of control, holding Daisy tightly in her arms. She is terror-stricken by the events in the house CONTINUED . CONTINUED: AMY CONT'D Don't move sweetheart Fortunately, Daisy's wound is not deep. The blade did not reach the main artery. Amy saved her life at the very last minute. Daisy is half conscious from the loss of blood. She struggles to speak DAISY Why did you do this, Mom? AMY in tears It wasn't me Daisy, it wasn't me I would never hurt you, you know that. DAISY Whewhere is Michael ? AMY I don't know where he is I'm going to take care of you and then we're going to find himOK But for now, we have to get out of here. DAISY Is Daddy coming back soon? AMY Yes, he'll be here soon as he can. A bit further away, in the scraped section of the mirror, we can see Amy's reflection, on its knees above Daisy who lies on the floor IN THIS EVIL VERSION OF THE REALITY, Amy's double has killed her own daughter. Using the scissors, she's 'working' on the dead body. What exactly is she doing to the little girl? She turns toward us, revealing HER FACE AND HANDS COVERED WITH FRESH BLOOD! AMY'S REFLECTION COMES CLOSER TO PEEK THROUGH THE MIRROR, WITH HER HANDS PRESSED AGAINST THE GLASS, AS IF IT WERE JUST A WINDOW. IN SEARCH OF THE REAL AMY AND DAISY, the forces of the mirrors are determined to get them. Away from the field of vision of the mirror, Amy crawls on the floor towards the door . NIGHT BEDROOM Amy comes back to the bedroom, carrying Daisy in her arms. As she passes the bureau, she grabs the first-aid-kit from one of the drawers. She sets her daughter down in the walk-in closet, away from the mirrors. The little girl has trouble moving. Amy examines the cut on Daisy's throat. Quickly, with a professional touch, she disinfects and bandages the wound. AMY Listen to me carefully Daisy I want you to stay in here and be quiet. Daisy is terrified and with her remaining strength, she holds on to her mother tightly. AMY CONT'D You have to be brave, sweetheart I want you to stay in here and not get out until I come back, no matter what happens. I'm going to find Michael Do you hear me? Not quite convinced, Daisy accepts reluctantly. AMY CONT'D I am so proud of you. Amy shuts the door of the closet. Through the wooden slats she can see her daughter inside AMY CONT'D Don't move Amy exits the room. NIGHT CORRIDOR/STAIRCASE Even though she turned off the taps upstairs Amy can still hear the water pouring downstairs On guard, Amy walks down the stairs, step by step. She is frightened and her heart is pounding. AMY Michael ? Michael ? At the bottom of the stairs, Amy catches sight of Michael at the other end of the living room. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: The first floor is completely flooded. ALL THE SPACE IS COVERED BY A THIN LAYER OF WATER THAT'S MIRRORING EVERYTHING IN HOUSE. The little boy has climbed up onto a stool and is scraping the paint off the mirror with a sharp knife It was Michael who had scraped all the mirrors in the house in order to set the force of the mirrors free. AMY CONT'D Michael ! He doesn't answer. He doesn't seem to hear her. Amy comes down the last step. AMY CONT'D Michael ? What are you doing? The little boy turns around towards his mother with a big smile IN THE MIRROR, HIS REFLECTION REMAINS FACING THEM. MICHAEL They want to come play with us, Mommy. Amy moves slowly towards her son. AMY Michael, I want you to drop that knife, do you hear me? You know very well you are not allowed to play with that, don't you? Michael looks at her in confusion and steps down from the stool. AMY CONT'D That's a good boy, now give me the knife Instead of obeying, Michael runs off and disappears into another room on the first floor. AMY CONT'D MICHAEL ! Amy rushes after him. NIGHT BEDROOM Amy's cell phone, laying on the night table, begins to ring. On the display we can see the call is from Ben. Through the wooden slats of the closet door, Daisy catches sight of the phone. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: She thinks about leaving the closet to answer, but remembers her mother's strict instructions about staying in the hiding place. The phone continues to ring, but no one answer it. NIGHT FIRST FLOOR Amy hears the phone ringing upstairs, but she cannot answer it now She must find Michael first. CUT TO : EXT/ NIGHT BEN'S CAR MANHATTAN Ben's car drives down a Manhattan street. Behind the wheel, Ben is on the phone and gets Amy's voicemail. He dials again BEN Answer! God damn it Answer the phone Once again he gets the voicemail. BEN CONT'D Fuck Ben is losing his calm. NIGHT MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE Ben's car pulls up in front of the department store. Through the windshield, Anna catches sight of the devastated building. Ben hangs up the phone BEN Something's wrong over there, my wife is not answering. Ben is torn He knows that going back to Amy isn't going to help BEN CONT'D We have to get inside the Mayflower now. Anna steps out. She cannot conceal the sudden shiver that runs through her when she stands in front of the former hospital ANNA From now on, I'm going to close my eyes. MORE CONTINUED . CONTINUED: ANNA CONT'D Take me to the basement, to the mirror room. It has to stop where it began Ben grabs her forcefully BEN Come on, let's go. ANNA Mr. Carson, no matter what happens in there, I want you to do as I say and make sure I never get out of this place. Ben pulls out his keys and unlocks the front door. Anna closes her eyes and follows him inside. NIGHT ENTRANCE HALL MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE Anna has barely crossed the threshold when the hall mirrors start trembling They can feel her presence. She tightens her grip around Ben's hand. She is anxious, and even with her eyes shut, she can sense the threatening vibes sent off by the mirrors. Ben is focused, gazing straight ahead as they cross the ground floor in the direction of the basement door. Yet, from the corner of his eye, he cannot help but glimpse the mirrors. What he discovers goes beyond his worst nightmares A CROWD OF MEN AND WOMEN, FLAYED ALIVE, CRAWLING AND PRESSING THEMSELVES AGAINST THE GLASS PANES, INSIDE THE MIRRORS. THEY OBSERVE BEN AND ANNA WITH BLANK, LIFELESS GAZES. SOME ARE BANGING THEIR FISTS, THEIR HANDS, AND EVEN THEIR HEADS AGAINST THE GLASS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK FREE FROM THE MIRROR. SUDDENLY BEHIND HIM, ONE OF THESE VISIONS BASHES AGAINST THE MIRROR! KEEPING ITS WIDE OPENED EYES ON THEM, THE VISION STARTS LICKING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR LIKE AN ANIMAL. ANNA They are waiting for me Ben turns towards Anna and realizes that in the mirror, there's something else Anna's reflection is different IT'S NOT THE OLD NUN ANYMORE BUT THE YEARS OLD GIRL, EXACTLY AS ANNA WAS IN THE TIME OF ST. JOHNS HOSPITAL! . NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE We are back in the house. Amy is still searching for Michael. She goes into the kitchen to turn off the tap. Above the sink, the newspaper on the windows had been ripped as well and the hot steam is now covering the glass. A HAND PRINT APPEARS ON ONE OF THE WINDOW PANES AND SLIDES DOWN AGAINST THE GLASS The forces are everywhere. Amy steps back and runs out of the kitchen. THE THIN LAYER OF WATER ON THE FLOOR HAS TRANSFORMED THE ENTIRE HOUSE INTO A MIRROR EXTENDING THROUGH EACH ROOM. AN INESCAPABLE MIRROR The sound of rapid, splashing footsteps catches her attention. Amy turns around and leaves the kitchen AMY Michael ? Michael's reflection sweeps over the water surface. Amy runs after him but stops short when she catches sight of him. Michael is hiding under the living room couch. She comes closer and bends over THERE IS NO ONE UNDER THE COUCH! Yet, in the reflection of the wet floor, Michael is there He smiles at her, playfully. IN A QUICK MOVEMENT, THE LITTLE BOY'S REFLECTION BRANDISHES THE KNIFE IN EXCITEMENT AND TEARS IT THROUGH HIS MOTHER'S FACE AMY LETS OUT A CRY OF PAIN AS SHE BRINGS HER HAND TO HER CHEEK THE INVISIBLE BLADE HAS SLASHED HER FACE. The blood gushes between her fingers. Michael's reflection has disappeared. She turns around just in time to catch sight of the little boy's reflection escaping. His invisible footsteps splash in the water as he moves further away She hears Michael run up the stairs to the first floor NIGHT STEP-IN CLOSET Protected from the mirrors, in her hiding place in the closet, Daisy inspects the room through the wooden slats. Suddenly, the bedroom door squeaks open. Daisy curls up in the corner of the closet, overtaken with fear It's only the cat who enters the room with a meow. DAISY Tiger! Come here kitty, come here She opens the door a tiny crack to let him in. The little girl takes the pet in her arms, reassuringly. CUT TO : NIGHT -MAYFLOWER BASEMENT In the dark, the surface of the water lies perfectly still. We are no longer in the New Jersey house, but in the subterranean passageways corridors of the department store. Ben and Anna's silhouettes appear, walking down the stairs. Ben turns on his flashlight. The lights along the corridor are too weak. BEN Watch your step, a water pipe has burst, the whole basement is flooded. Ben guides Anna, with her eyes still shut, through the tunnels. The beam of the flashlight sweeps across the walls, and the piping. They pass the junction of the two tunnels and arrive at the demolished wall. ANNA You stay outside Anna steps over the rubble as she feels her way into the mirror room. IN ALL THE MIRRORS IT'S NOT ANNA THE NUN, BUT ANNA THE LITTLE GIRL THAT WE CAN SEE When she places her hand against one of the mirrors, cracks appear instantly. The pressure on the other side is growing stronger and stronger. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Anna positions herself in the center of the room, from where her reflection is multiplied to infinity from all the possible angles. She kneels down with her eyes closed. CUT TO : NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE Compared to the gloom of the basement in the department store, the second floor of the house seems to be bathed in light. Michael is sitting quietly in front of his room. As Narcissus did, he is observing his reflection, mirrored in the surface of the water that covers the wooden floor. AMY Michael ? Hypnotized by his mirror image, the little boy does not hear his mother's call. Amy appears at the top of the stairs and catches sight of him. AMY CONT'D Michael Michael, look at me I'm right here. Michael doesn't answer. Gently, he caresses his reflection in the surface of the water. Amy comes up to him slowly, determined to pull him away from his reflection She lays her hand on his shoulder. This time Michael reacts and turns towards her. Before he can utter a single word THE REFLECTION OF THE HAND BECOMES REAL, GRABBING THE CHILD'S WRISTS. MICHAEL'S REFLECTION PULLS HIM THROUGH ITS SURFACE. MICHAEL DISAPPEARS INTO THE FLOOR. Amy throws herself to the ground in an attempt to catch him. Too late, the little boy has been submerged in the thin layer of water covering the floor. MICHAEL HAS BEEN PULLED INTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR! Amy sees her son struggling under the water, as if he were caught under a coat of ice. AMY CONT'D Michael, Michael No, no CONTINUED . CONTINUED: In desperation, Amy beats her fists against the floor with all her strength, trying to break through to the other side. AMY CONT'D MICHAEL !! NOOOOO Flying into a rage, she beats her fists again and again in an attempt to break the surface and save Michael from drowning. She sees Michael's body sinking into the depths CUT TO : NIGHT MIRROR ROOM Back to the subterranean world of the department store. Ben is waiting in the corridor with his gun in hand. In the mirror room, Anna recites a prayer for strength. IN THE REFLECTION, YOUNG ANNA IS DOING THE SAME The mirrors around her shake more and more violently Anna remains with her eyes still shut. Ben sees cracks forming on the walls and the surface of the water at his feet trembling A NIGHT MAYFLOWER A SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE STORE AS WELL ON EACH FLOOR, IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, ALL THE MIRRORS BEGIN TO VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY, TO TWIST OUT OF SHAPE, TO SWELL, TO SHRIVEL AND FINALLY B BACK IN THE MIRROR ROOM B ANNA OPENS HER EYES ALL THE MIRRORS EXPLODE! FROM ONE AREA TO THE NEXT IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE, THE EXPLOSIONS ARE SPECTACULAR AND APOCALYPTIC. Anna's eyes freeze her pupils constrict thousands of shards of glass are sent flying into the air, piercing through her body like a dozen sharpened daggers. The blow of the explosion causes the walls to tremble. Instinctively, Ben takes shelter behind the wall. CUT TO : . NIGHT NEW JERSEY HOUSE MICHAEL'S BODY REEMERGES TO THE SURFACE! Amy clings to him and pulls him out of the water. The little boy is unconscious. She begins to shake him and to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as she applies rhythmical pressure to his chest. Amy tries not to lose her head, determined to bring her little boy back to life. Her eyes fill with tears, blurring her vision. She mustn't lose faith. She mustn't give up Cardiac massage, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardiac massage MICHAEL REMAINS UNCONSCIOUS NIGHT MIRROR ROOM / SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGEWAYS IN THE BASEMENT, THE CALM HAS BEEN RESTORED. Ben is still crouching behind the sheltering wall of the mirror room. In the silence, he waits. He must establish beyond a doubt that it's all over. He aims his flashlight at the surface of the water Everything seems to be back to normal. His reflection is deformed by the slight stir of the water, slowly becoming placid. Ben steps over the rubble to enter the mirror room All the mirrors have been pulverized leaving behind only the metal cage that was holding them in place. The floor is covered with thousands of pieces of mirror floating in the water, shimmering in the shadows. The beam of the flashlight sweeps the room in search of Anna, or her dead body Nothing Ben inspects all the dark corners behind the metal structure The woman has vanished. He aims his flashlight at the ceiling. The beam of light instantly reveals a dark shape hanging above him It's her, or at least what is left of her A POSSESSED, METAMORPHOSED, HUMAN FRAME. SHE IS BARELY RECOGNIZABLE. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: WITH HER EYES ROLLED UPWARD, HER SLASHED FACE AND HER BODY PIERCED BY THE SHARDS OF GLASS, SHE LOOKS LIKE A DEMON, DEPRIVED OF ANY HUMAN TRAITS. THE REAL ANNA DISAPPEARED FROM THE MOMENT SHE OPENED HER EYES AND RELEASED THE FORCES OF THE MIRROR. Ben has no time to react before 'Anna' charges at him. He drops his flashlight to the ground, trying to resist her as much as he can. HER WAY OF MOVING IS NO LONGER HUMAN. MORE LIKE A STROBOSCOPIC CONVULSION, HER MOVEMENTS ARE SOMETHING BETWEEN AN ENRAGED BEAST AND THE WORST EPILEPTIC FIT. Ben manages to pin the creature against the wall. 'Anna' spits blood in his face. He applies all his strength to immobilize her the shards of glass dig deeper into the elderly woman's flesh, which only seems to provide her an intense pleasure 'Anna' froths at the mouth. Her speech has become a deep, animalistic, incomprehensible gurgle. In an effortless movement, 'Anna' pushes him away. Her demonic strength is ten times his. Ben is merely a puppet, a rag doll that she sends flying into the air, only to crash violently against the brick walls Blood squirts onto the surface of the water. Ben smashes into the wall separating the mirror room from the underground passageways. On the other side, he lands on the ground, in the dark. He strives to regain consciousness Ben takes advantage of the brief respite to pull out his gun but 'Anna' appears from the dark and, in a flash, she strikes a backhanded blow that sends the gun off into the air. She lifts Ben up and throws him across the room. He rams into the wall. With the absence of light in the basement, Ben is defenseless. He cannot see his assailant Ben is caught by the leg and dragged backwards. His hand struggles to catch on to anything that could hold him back. Suddenly, under the water, his hand lands on the gun. He grabs it, turns onto his back, and fires point-blank at 'Anna'. The bullets go flying through her body, but they don't stop her. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Ben is being dragged. He manages to grab hold of one pipe after the other, trying to hold on, but the pipe gives way and breaks off from the wall, LETTING OUT A POWERFUL JET OF GAS. Once again, Ben is sent flying down the tunnel. He struggles to get back on his feet Apart from the sound of the flowing gas, a disturbing silence surrounds the subterranean passageways. Ben makes out 'Anna's' silhouette, hiding behind the leaking gas pipe. With his bloodied face, Ben is no longer the same man anymore Something in his eyes has shifted. Rage and violence have replaced the terror and dread. He is determined to put an end to the creature, no matter what happens. He slides the weapon in his belt and steps, with his bare hands, towards what once was 'Anna'... Crouched over in the water, the demon looks up, ready to charge. Ben takes another step forward with the same determination. The creature thrusts itself against him THE CLASH IS EXTREMELY VIOLENT. Ben uses all his strength to keep his assailant's jaw at a distance. In a swift movement, Ben turns around AND IMPALES 'ANNA' ON THE BROKEN GAS PIPE! IN A GUSH OF BLOOD THE SHARP METAL TIP PIERCES THROUGH HER STOMACH BUT Despite being momentarily immobilised, the demon seems unaffected by the near total destruction of its outer shell. On the contrary, it struggles more violently to escape from the trap. Ben moves away, keeping an eye on 'Anna'. He takes his gun and aims it at her. Ben is exhausted. With his arm outstretched, he is ready to shoot, waiting for the right moment. The silhouette suddenly emerges from the dark. Ben stands by The demon goes through the cloud of gas Ben fires THE EXPLOSION IS INSTANTANEOUS. 'ANNA' IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE SPREADS THROUGH THE TUNNELS. Ben throws himself to the ground to avoid the flames. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: SUDDENLY, IN A DOMINO EFFECT, ONE EXPLOSION FOLLOWS THE OTHER. A BLAST OCCURS A BIT FURTHER DOWN THE TUNNEL, AND ANOTHER INSIDE THE WALLS. THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGEWAYS ARE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE Cracks appear everywhere. The brick walls begin to fall apart. A part of the ceiling at the far end of the corridor caves in. Ben gets back on his feet and dashes for the stairs. Totally burnt, flesh charred, 'Anna' is enraged by her prey's resistance. The blazing demon runs after Ben. Behind them, one after the other, sections of the walls collapse. Ben runs as fast as he can. 'Anna' is coming closer to him, when suddenly JUST BEHIND BEN, A SECTION OF THE GROUND FLOOR CAVES IN, BURYING HER UNDER A MASS OF RUBBLE. Ben narrowly escaped the collapse. He reaches the staircase and catches sight of the exit above when suddenly THE ENTIRE FOUNDATION OF THE BUILDING COLLAPSES OVER HIM. Ben finds himself crushed along the floor and penetrates the mirroring water surface DISAPPEARING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR. A NIGHT JERSEY HOUSE A All of her efforts are in vain. Amy is unable to bring back her son. Nonetheless, she continues with the same determination, refusing to accept reality. She finally breaks down, pleading with the sky above B THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR B Lost and floating in this strange and unfamiliar place, Ben turns and sees Michael's body/soul which is also trapped in this parallel dimension, on the other side of the mirror. In the distance, he can see the surface leading to the hallway of the New Jersey house. Above it, Amy tries to resuscitate Michael. CONTINUED . B CONTINUED: B Ben grabs his son and holds him tightly in his arms for a moment, then pushes him towards the surface THE CHILD OPENS HIS EYES! NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE MICHAEL COMES AROUND, COUGHING OUT THE WATER FROM HIS LUNGS. Amy bursts into tears, sobbing with joy. She holds him tightly in her arms, with all her strength, with all her love. Holding Michael in her arms, Amy comes back for Daisy in the bedroom. She opens the closet door and finds her little girl inside. The child throws herself into her mother's arms DAISY It is over, Mom? Amy throws a glance at her reflection in the mirror. Everything seems back to normal. AMY Yes sweetheart, it's over Amy holds her two children tightly, savoring this moment of joy and relief. Through the window, we see the first light of dawn appearing on the horizon. DAWN MAYFLOWER The sunbeams slice through the windowpanes of the glass dome above the entrance hall of the department store. The pigeons fly in and out The burnt mannequins are still standing in the middle of the ruins. ON THE WALLS, ALL THAT REMAINS FROM THE MIRRORS IS THEIR 's GOLD FRAMES. The floor has completely subsided. It looks like there was just an earthquake under the building. In the middle of the pile of debris, something in the rubble begins to move A HAND APPEARS. SOMEBODY SURFACES It's Ben. He gasps for air. Wounded and covered in dust, it is a miracle that he has survived. CONTINUED . CONTINUED: He struggles back to his feet and climbs over the blocks of concrete to regain the ground floor. Limping, he crosses the entrance hall. His discovery of the absence of mirrors on the walls brings a smile to his face He has finally triumphed over the mirrors that he once believed to be indestructible DAY MAYFLOWER Ben steps out of the department store, walks out of the closed off area, and reaches the street. Police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances with spinning lights have surrounded the fencing. Ben approaches the scene. He needs medical attention. He catches sight of Lorenzo, talking to some policemen. Ben stops dead in his tracks THE NAME LORENZO, EMBROIDERED ON THE UNIFORM, IS WRITTEN BACKWARDS Ben glances at the police vehicles and their license plates How is it possible? EVERYTHING IS REVERSED. Ben steps back in panic. As he walks away from the scene we discover something else in the back of the ambulance ANNA'S CHARRED CADAVER, THAT HAS BEEN DUG OUT OF THE RUBBLE. DAY TIME SQUARE Ben walks up west th Street to Broadway and stops at the intersection of the streets, paralyzed with fear The activity of Time Square seems normal for an early morning, cars driving by and the eternal hustle and bustle of the pedestrians, but ALL THE SIGNS, ALL THE BILLBOARDS ARE REVERSED. AND SO IS THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW Ben turns around towards a glass building where a homeless person is sleeping His eyes fill with horror HE CAN SEE THE REFLECTION OF THE HOMELESS MAN BUT NOT HIS OWN CONTINUED . CONTINUED: Ben presses his hand against the glass. The reflection of the world surrounding him is the right way around in the mirror but he remains invisible. He removes his hand from the mirror, leaving a clear and well defined handprint on the reflective surface. Ben slowly comes to realize what is happening to him IF HIS REFLECTION IS NOT THERE, IT MEANS THAT HE NO LONGER BELONGS TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING. BEN DID NOT SURVIVE HIS SOUL IS NOW A CAPTIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR DAY MAYFLOWER Back in the ambulance, a paramedic comes to close the back door. The vehicle starts and leaves the Mayflower. DAY NEW-YORK CONTINUITY The ambulance turns on the avenue. DAY AMBULANCE MOVING In the back of the ambulance, as the vehicle drives away, we discover that another corpse is laid out next to Anna's IT'S BEN'S BODY, COVERED WITH DUST AND DRY BLOOD. Its fingers suddenly twitch Was it the bumpy road? The dead fingers twitch again and IN THE SHADOW, BEN'S CORPSE SLOWLY BEGINS TO STAND. It turns its head BEN'S EYES ARE ROLLED UPWARD, NO LONGER HUMAN EVIL. ", " 'PSYCHO' By Joseph Stefano Based on the novel by Robert Bloch REVISED December, PHOENIX, ARIZONA DAY HELICOPTER SHOT Above Midtown section of the city. It is early afternoon, a hot mid-summer day. The city is sun-sunblanched white and its drifted-up noises are muted in blanched their own echoes. We fly low, heading in a downtown direction, passing over traffic-clogged streets, parking lots, white business buildings, neatly patterned residential districts. As we approach downtown section, the character of the city begins to change. It is darker and shabby with age and industry. We see railroad tracks, smokestacks, wholesale fruit-and vegetable markets, old municipal buildings, empty lots. vegetable The very geography seems to give us a climate of nefariousness, of back-doorness, dark and shadowy. And secret. We fly lower and faster now, as if seeking out a specific location. A skinny, high old hotel comes into view. On its exposed brick side great painted letters advertise 'Transients Low Weekly Rates-Radio in Every Room.' We pause long enough to establish the shoddy character of this hotel. Its open, curtainless windows, its silent resigned look so characteristic of such hole-and-corner hotels. We move forward with purposefulness and-toward a certain window. The sash is raised as high as it can go, but the shade is pulled down to three or four inches of the inside sill, as if the occupants of the room within wanted privacy but needed air. We are close now, so that only the lower half of the window frame is in shot. No sounds come from within the room. Suddenly, we tip downward, go to the narrow space between shade and sill, peep into the room. A young woman is stretched out on the mussed bed. She wears a full slip, stockings, no shoes. She lies in and attitude of physical relaxation, but her face, seen in the dimness of the room, betrays a certain inner-tension, worrisome conflicts. She is MARY CRANE, an tension, attractive girl nearing the end of her twenties and her rope. A man stands beside the bed, only the lower half of his figure visible. We hold on this tableau for a long moment, then start forward. As we pass under the window shade, THE HOTEL ROOM DAY A small room, a slow fan buzzing on a shelf above the narrow bed. A card of hotel rules is pasted on the mirror above the bureau. An unopened suitcase and a woman's large, straw open top handbag are on the bureau. On the table beside the bed there are a container of Coco Cola and an unwrapped, untouched egg-salad sandwich. There is no radio. The man standing by the bed, wearing only trousers, T-shirt and sox, is SAM LOOMIS, a good-looking, sensual shirt man with warm humorous eyes and a compelling smile. He is blotting his neck and face with a thin towel, and is staring down at Mary, a small sweet smile playing about his mouth. Mary keeps her face turned away from him. After a moment, Sam drops the towel, sits on the bed, leans over and takes Mary into his arms, kisses her long and warmly, holds her with a firm possessiveness. The kiss is disturbed and finally interrupted by the buzzing closeness of an inconsiderate fly. Sam smiles, pulls away enough to allow Mary to relax again against the pillow. He studies her, frowns at her unresponsiveness, then speaks in a low, intimate, playful voice. SAM Never did eat your lunch, did you. Mary looks at his smile, has to respond, pulls him to her, kisses him. Then, and without breaking the kiss, she swings her legs over the side of the bed, toe-searches around, finds her shoes, slips her feet into searches them. And finally pulls away and sits up. MARY I better get back to the office. These extended lunch hours give my boss excess acid. She rises, goes to the bureau, takes a pair of small earrings out of her bag, begins putting them on, not bothering or perhaps not wanting to look at herself in the mirror. Sam watches her, concerned but unable to inhibit his cheery, humorous good mood. Throughout remainder of this scene, they occupy themselves with dressing, hair-combing, etc. SAM Call your boss and tell him you're taking the rest of the afternoon off. It's Friday anyway and hot. MARY soft sarcasm What do I do with my free afternoon, walk you to the airport? SAM meaningfully We could laze around here a while longer. MARY Checking out time is three P.M. Hotels of this sort aren't interested in you when you come in, but when your time's up a small anguish Sam, I hate having to be with you in a place like this. SAM I've heard of married couples who deliberately spend occasional nights in cheap hotels. They say it MARY interrupting When you're married you can do a lot of things deliberately. SAM You sure talk like a girl who's been married. MARY Sam! SAM I'm sorry, Mary. after a moment My old Dad used to say 'when you can't change a situation, laugh at it.' Nothing ridicules a thing like laughing at it. MARY I've lost my girlish laughter. SAM observing The only girlish thing you have lost. MARY a meaningful quiet, then, with difficulty:) Sam. This is the last time. SAM For what? MARY This! Meeting you in secret so we can be secretive! You come down here on business trips and we steal lunch hours and I wish you wouldn't even come. SAM Okay. What do we do instead, write each other lurid love letters? MARY about to argue, then turning away I haven't time to argue. I'm a working girl. SAM And I'm a working man! We're a regular working-class tragedy! he laughs MARY It is tragic! Or it will be if we go on meeting in shabby hotels whenever you can find a tax-deductible excuse for flying down deductible here SAM interrupting, seriously You can't laugh at it, huh? MARY Can you? SAM Sure. It's like laughing through a broken jaw, but He breaks off, his cheeriness dissolved, goes to the window, tries to raise the shade. It sticks. He pulls at it. It comes down entirely, and the hot sun glares into the room, revealing it in all its shabbiness and sordidness as if corroborating Mary's words and attitude. Sam kicks at the fallen shade, laughs in frustration, grabs on to his humor again. SAM And besides, when you say I make tax deductible excuses you make me out a criminal. MARY having to smile You couldn't be a criminal if you committed a major crime. SAM I wish I were. Not an active criminal but a nice guy with the conscience of a criminal. goes close to mary, touches her Next best thing to no conscience at all. MARY pulling away I have to go, Sam. SAM I can come down next week. MARY No. SAM Not even just to see you, to have lunch in public? MARY We can see each other, we can even have dinner but respectably, in my house with my mother's picture on the mantel and my sister helping me broil a big steak for three! SAM And after the steak do we send Sister to the movies and turn Mama's picture to the wall? MARY Sam! No! SAM after a pause, simply All right. She stares at him, surprised at his willingness to continue the affair on her terms, as girls are so often surprised when they discover men will continue to want them even after the sexual bait has been pulled in. Sam smiles reassuringly, places his hands gently on her arms, speaks with gentle and simple sincerity. SAM Mary, whenever it's possible, tax deductible or not, I want to see deductible you. And under any conditions. a smile Even respectability. MARY You make respectability sound disrespectful. SAM brightly I'm all for it! It requires patience and temperance and a lot of sweating out otherwise, though, it's only hard work. a pause But if I can see you, touch you even as simply as this I won't mind. He moves away and again the weight of his pain and problems crushes away his good humor. There is a quiet moment. SAM I'm fed up with sweating for people who aren't there. I sweat to pay off my father's debts and he's in his grave I sweat to pay my ex-wife alimony, and she's living on the other side of the world somewhere. MARY a smile I pay, too. They also pay who meet in hotel rooms. SAM A couple of years and the debts will be paid off. And if she ever re marries, the alimony stops and then MARY I haven't even been married once yet! SAM Yeah, but when you do you'll swing. MARY smiling, then with a terrible urgency Sam, let's go get married. SAM And live with me in a storeroom behind a hardware store in Fairvale. We'll have a lot of laughs. When I send my ex-wife her money, you can lick the stamps. MARY a deep desperation I'll lick the stamps. He looks at her, long, pulls her close, kisses her lightly, looks out the window and stares at the wide sky. SAM You know what I'd like? A clear, empty sky and a plane, and us in it and somewhere a private island for sale, where we can run around without our shoes on. And the wherewithal to buy what I'd like. he moves away, suddenly serious Mary, you want to cut this off, go out and find yourself someone available. MARY I'm thinking of it. SAM a cheerful shout How can you even think a thing like that! MARY picking up handbag, starting for door Don't miss your plane. SAM Hey, we can leave together can't we? MARY at door I'm late and you have to put your shoes on. Mary goes out quickly, closing door behind her. As Sam stares down at his shoeless feet, DOWNTOWN STREET DAY HIGH ANGLE Shooting down at hotel entrance. Mary comes out, walks quickly to a parked cab, gets in. The cab zooms up the awful street. LOWERY REAL ESTATE OFFICE DAY A small, moderately successful office off the main street. A cab pulls up at the curb. We see Mary get out of cab, pay driver, cross pavement to the office door. OUTER OFFICE DAY Mary enters office, crosses to her desk, sits down, rubs her temples, finally looks over at Caroline, a girl in the last of her teens. MARY Isn't Mr. Lowery back from lunch? CAROLINE a high, bright, eager to-talk voice laced to-with a vague Texan accent He's lunching with the man who's buying the Harris Street property, you know, that oil lease man so that's why he's late. a pause, then, as Mary does not respond to the pointed thrust You getting a headache? MARY It'll pass. Headaches are like resolutions you forget them soon as they stop hurting. CAROLINE You got aspirins? I have something not aspirins, but cheerfully takes bottle of pills out of desk drawer my mother's doctor gave these to me the day of my wedding. laughs Teddy was furious when he found out I'd taken tranquilizers! She rises, starts for Mary's desk, pills in hand. MARY Were there any calls? CAROLINE Teddy called. Me And my mother called to see if Teddy called. Oh, and your sister called to say she's going to Tucson to do some buying and she'll be gone the whole weekend and She breaks off, distracted by the SOUND of the door opening. MR. LOWERY and his oil-lease client, TOM CASSIDY enter the office. Lowery is a pleasant, worried-faced man, big and a trifle pompous. Cassidy is very faced loud and has a lunch hour load on. He is a gross man, exuding a kind of pitiful vulgarity. CASSIDY Wow! Hot as fresh milk! You girls should get your boss to air-condition you up. He can afford it today. Lowery flashes an embarrassed smile at Mary, tries to lead Cassidy toward the private office. LOWERY Mary, will you get those copies of the deed ready for Mr. Cassidy. Cassidy pauses beside Mary's desk, hooks a haunch onto the desktop, smiles a wet smile at Mary. CASSIDY Tomorrow's the day! My sweet little girl laughs as Mary looks up at him Not you, my daughter! A baby, and tomorrow she stands up there and gets her sweet self married away from me! pulling out wallet I want you to look at my baby. Eighteen years old and she's never had an unhappy day in any one of those years! flashes photo Mary glances, cannot bring herself to smile or make some remark, continues sorting out the deed copies, tries to ignore the man's hot-breath closeness. LOWERY Come on, Tom, my office is air conditioned. CASSIDY ignoring Lowery You know what I do with unhappiness? I buy it off! You unhappy? MARY Not inordinately. puts deed copy into Cassidy's too-close hand CASSIDY I'm buying this house for my baby's wedding present. Forty thousand dollars, cash! Now that ain't buying happiness, that's buying off unhappiness! That penniless punk she's marryin'... laughs Probably a good kid it's just that I hate him. looks at deed Yup! Forty thousand, says here to Lowery Casharoonie! He takes out of his inside pocket, two separate bundles of new $ bills and throws them onto the desk, under Mary's nose. Caroline's eyes go wide at the sight of the glorious green bundles of bills, and she comes close to the desk. Cassidy leans terribly close to Mary, flicks through the bills, laughs wickedly. CASSIDY I never carry more than I can afford to lose! closer to Mary Count 'em! LOWERY shocked, worried Tom cash transactions of this size! Most irregular CASSIDY So what? It's my private money! laughs, winks, elbows Lowery And now it's yours. CAROLINE staring at the money I declare! CASSIDY whispering I don't! That's how I'm able to keep it! laughs LOWERY hastily interrupting Suppose we just put this in the safe and then Monday morning when you're feeling good CASSIDY Speakin' of feeling good, where's that bottle you said you had in your desk laughs, as if having given away Lowery's secret Oops! to Mary, patting her arm Usually I can keep my mouth shut! He rises, reels toward Lowery's office, pauses, turns, speaks to Mary, meaningfully. CASSIDY Honest. I can keep any private transaction a secret any pri stopped by Mary's cold gaze Lowery! I'm dyin' of thirstaroonie! Lowery starts after him, pauses, turns to Mary. Cassidy has gone into Lower's office. LOWERY quietly I don't even want it in the office over the weekend. Put it in the safe deposit box, at the bank, Mary. And we'll get him to give us a check on Monday instead. He starts quickly away when it looks like Cassidy is going to come and pull him bodily into the office. When the men are gone and the door is closed, Caroline picks up a bundle, smiles at it. CAROLINE He was flirting with you. I guess he noticed my wedding ring. Mary has put one bundle into a large envelope and takes the other from Caroline. When the bills are away, she puts the filled envelope in her handbag, notices the remaining deed copies on her desk, picks them up, goes to the private office door, knocks, starts to open door as: LOWERY Come in. LOWERY'S PRIVATE OFFICE DAY Mary opens door, looks in. Cassidy is drinking from a large tumbler, winks at her without pausing in his drinking. Mary remains on threshold a moment, then crosses to the desk, talking as she goes. MARY The copies. Mr. Lowery, if you don't mind, I'd like to go right on home after the bank. I have a slight CASSIDY You go right home! Me and your boss are going out to get ourselves a little drinkin' done! to Lowery Right? LOWERY to Mary Of course. You feeling ill? MARY A headache. CASSIDY You need a week-end in Las Vegas playground of the world! MARY I'm going to spend this week-end in bed. starts out CASSIDY to Lowery Only playground that beats Las Vegas! Mary goes back out into the outer office, closes door. OUTER OFFICE DAY Mary goes to her desk, takes the handbag, checks to make sure the money-filled envelope is tucked well down into it. During this: CAROLINE Aren't you going to take the pills? as Mary shakes her head They'll knock that headache out. MARY I don't need pills just sleep. She goes to the door. DISSOLVE: MARY'S BEDROOM DAY A double bed in the foreground. We just see the far side as the CAMERA SHOOTS across. Mary enters the scene, clad only in her slip. Perhaps she is about to get into bed. Behind her is an open closet, but too dark inside for us to see any contents. As Mary turns to the closet the CAMERA LOWERS to show a close view of the $, in the envelope on our side of the bed. Mary takes a dress from the closet and starts to put it on as the CAMERA RETREATS to reveal a packed but not yet closed suitcase also on the bed. Mary zips up her dress and then brings some final garments from the closet. She comes around to the suitcase and puts them on the top. Mary works with haste and in tension, as if acting on an impulse which might vanish as quickly as it came. The suitcase filled now, she checks around the room, then takes her handbag to the bed, puts in the money-filled envelope, and then slams the suitcase shut. Then filled she looks at her small bedroom desk, goes to it, removes a small file-envelope from one of the drawers. It is one of those brown envelopes in which one keeps important papers and policies and certificates. She checks its contents briefly, puts it on the bed, opens another desk drawer, takes out her bank book, tosses it on the bed. Then she packs both the file-envelope and the bank book, into her handbag, takes one quick last look around the room, picks up the handbag and the suitcase and goes out of the room. MARY'S GARAGE DAY A two-car garage. One car is gone. Mary's car is parked in the driveway. The CAMERA is low enough so that we can easily read the Arizona number plate in the foreground. Mary comes out of house, starts for the trunk, intending to put the suitcase in, changes her mind, places the suitcase and her handbag on the front seat, gets in, starts the car, begins to back out of driveway. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX DAY We are close on Mary's car, shooting in at her troubled, guilty face. She seems to be driving with that excess care of one who does not wish to be stopped for a minor traffic irregularity. She stops for a red light at a main intersection. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT DAY We see Lowery and Cassidy crossing the street, passing right in front of Mary's car. MARY'S CAR DAY Mary freezes. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX DAY Cassidy, glancing into car, sees Mary, lets out a cheery exclamation, elbows Lowery. Lowery turns, sees Mary, smiles pleasantly, pulls Cassidy on. MARY'S CAR DAY Mary watches the entire exchange with a look of stony horror on her face. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX DAY Now we look closely at Lowery. As he reaches the curb, a small confusion brightens his face. He remembers that Mary intended to 'spend the weekend in bed.' He considers, curiously, turns, looks back at her, a slight frown on his face. MARY'S CAR DAY Mary sees the pause and the look. MAIN STREET IN MIDTOWN PHOENIX DAY For a moment it even looks as if Lowery might be meaning to cross back to the car. MARY'S CAR DAY Mary's tension is unbearable. And at that moment we hear the shrill shriek of the traffic cop's whistle. Mary zooms the car away. HIGHWAY DAY Mary in car, driving, safely away from town. Her look is less tense now, and more purposeful. After a moment, she checks the fuel gauge, frowns, looks along highway for a gas station.  FAST MARY'S CAR DAY Approaching and leaving city limits. MARY DAY Looks at gas gauge. C.U. GAS GAUGE DAY A GAS STATION DAY We see Mary's car drive in, come to a stop. There are no other cars about, this being a gas station off the main highway, and the attendant is obviously in the shack. Mary looks worried about having to make this stop, keeps her face turned away from the shack, not wishing it to be seen. No one comes and for a moment Mary considers driving on, as if the emptiness of the station were a warning, an omen that she should listen to. But the gas registers almost empty. She has to blow her horn. A YOUNG MAN comes out of the shack, starts toward her car. At that moment, we HEAR the RINGING of the TELEPHONE in the shack. The Attendant walks a few steps further, toward Mary's car, then decides to go back and answer the phone. The phone's insistent ringing unnerves Mary. She starts her car, zooms off. We see the Attendant, phone in hand, in the doorway of shack. He looks after the departing car with little or no expression. CAR The car grows smaller as it races up the road. The sun is setting. There is something vaguely ominous about the darkening sky into which the car seems to be disappearing. MARY IN CAR NIGHT The oncoming headlights hurt Mary's eyes. She is getting sleepy and her vision is blurring. Her eyes close, involuntarily, snap open again. She stretches than wide, as if forcing them to stay open. The oncoming lights seem to glare to a point beyond endurance. She murmurs 'Sam Sam.' LONG LAP DISSOLVE: ROAD SHOULDER DAWN We see Mary's car, dim in the early dawn, tilted on the soft shoulder of the road, looking somehow sad and pathetic, like a child's thrown-away toy. And from this angle it would appear that the car is empty. After a moment, during which there are no other vehicles passing, we see, coming from the far distance, a HIGHWAY PATROLMAN in a patrol car. He passes Mary's car, notes its apparent emptiness, U-turns, comes back up behind the car. He gets out and approaches the driver's side window. MARY'S CAR DAWN The Patrolman looks down into the car. CAR DAWN FROM HIS VIEWPOINT Mary turns with a start, sits up, is startled and unnerved by the sight of the Patrolman, and, as if by automatic reflex, turns the ignition and presses down on the starter. CAR DAWN The Patrolman holds up his hand. PATROLMAN startled Hold it there! Mary slams down on the brake, tries to pull herself together. The Patrolman raps again, less gently. Reluctantly, Mary rolls down the window. The Patrolman studies her for a moment. PATROLMAN In quite a hurry. MARY Yes. because he seems to be awaiting an explanation I didn't mean to sleep so long. I was afraid I'd have an accident last night, from sleepiness so I decided to pull over PATROLMAN You slept here all night? MARY a faint edge of defensiveness Yes. As I said, I couldn't keep my eyes PATROLMAN mere concern There are plenty of motels in this area. You should have I mean, just to be safe MARY I didn't intend to sleep all night! I just pulled over have I broken any laws? PATROLMAN No, m'am. MARY Then I'm free to go...? PATROLMAN a pause Is anything wrong? MARY Of course not! Am I acting as if something's wrong? PATROLMAN almost a smile Frankly, yes. MARY Please I'd like to go PATROLMAN Is there? MARY Is there what? not waiting for an answer I've told you there's nothing wrong except that I'm in a hurry and you're taking up my time PATROLMAN interrupting, sternly Now wait just a moment! Turn your motor off, please. Mary seems about to object, thinks better of it, turns off the ignition. PATROLMAN In the course of my duty, I never 'take up' anyone's time, whether it's to give a warning, or a ticket, or help! Believe that, M'am. a little softer Now if you woke up on the wrong side of the car seat, that's one thing. But when you act as if I've just placed you under arrest MARY I'm sorry. PATROLMAN No need to apologize Mary starts the car, her face turned as if she wishes the matter were all settled and the Patrolman had already gone. The Patrolman isn't exactly one of those civil servants who demands a thank-you, but he does feel her manner is a bit too abrupt. He calls: PATROLMAN Wait a minute! MARY jamming down the brake Now what? The Patrolman gazes at her a moment, then: PATROLMAN May I see your license? MARY Why? PATROLMAN Please. Mary pulls her handbag up from the floor, where she'd placed it when she stretched out for sleep. She puts her hand in it, rummages for her wallet, cannot find it. The Patrolman is staring at her. She glances at him nervously, pokes in her bag a bit more, sighs, realizes she'll have to remove some of its contents. Nervously, badly controlling her fear, she takes out the money-filled envelope, and then the important papers envelope, filled then a couple of other items, places them on the seat, finally finds her wallet, opens it, hands it to him. He looks at the wallet, then at the car. ROAD SHOULDER DAWN The Patrolman walks around to the front of the car, checks the license plate, and returns. MARY'S CAR DAWN The Patrolman peers in, checks the car registration on the steering wheel, returns Mary's wallet. She takes it, looks at him for a flicker of a moment. He says nothing. She starts ahead, fast. ROAD SHOULDER DAWN The Patrolman stares after Mary as she drives off, then starts back to his automobile. MARY IN CAR DAWN She is quite shaken, realizes she caused herself a great deal of trouble and placed herself in unnecessary danger. She is disturbed and angry and frightened at her inability to act normally under the pressure of guilt. As she drives, she glances into her rear-view mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR DAWN The Patrolman is following in his automobile, keeping behind her at a matched speed. MARY IN CAR DAWN She glances out at her surroundings. MARY'S POV DAWN The Freeway ahead. MARY'S CAR DAWN She suddenly turns off the highway. MARY IN CAR DAWN She checks her mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR DAWN The Patrolman is no longer following, has not turned off after her. MARY IN CAR DAWN She breathes a sigh of relief, thinks a moment, makes a quick decision. DISSOLVE: USED CAR LOT DAY The big sign reads 'California Charlie Automobile Paradise.' We see Mary's car drive onto the lot and stop. Mary gets out of the car, glances toward the lot office, turns her attention to the line of cars, notice the California licence plates on all of them. The CAR DEALER calls out from his office: CAR DEALER With you in a second! Mary nods, starts walking along the line of cars as if making a selection. Her eye is caught by the iron newspaper stand on the corner, just outside the lot. She stares at the papers, turns away, as if what she is fearing would have to be impossible, then, having to satisfy herself, goes to the stand, drops a dime in the iron slot, picks up a LOS ANGELES newspaper, starts back into the car lot as she glances worried at the front page. As she goes, we see, coming up the street toward the lot, the same PATROLMAN. He sees Mary, slows, swerves over to the opposite side of the street, stops by the curb. Mary, engrossed in the newspaper, and walking back ease the lot, does not see the Patrolman. The car dealer is out on the lot now, standing and waiting for Mary. As she approaches, lost in her newspaper, he smiles. CAR DEALER I'm in no mood for trouble! MARY glancing up, thrown for a moment What? CAR DEALER cheerfully There's an old saying, 'First customer of the day is always the most trouble!' But like I said, I'm in no mood for it so I'm just going to treat you so fair and square you won't have one human reason to give me MARY interrupting Can I trade in my car and take another? CAR DEALER You can do anything you've a mind to and bein' a woman, you will! chin-indicating her car That yours? MARY Yes, it's nothing wrong with it, I'm just CAR DEALER Sick of the sight of it! laughs Well, suppose you look around for something that strikes your eyes and meanwhile I'll have my mechanic give yours the once over and want some coffee? I was just about MARY No. Thank you. I'm in a hurry. I just want to make a change and start She stops suddenly, almost with a gasp. She has seen the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN MARY'S POV DAY He is staring over at her, his face dispassionate. USED CAR LOT DAY Mary has to force herself to look away. CAR DEALER One thing people never ought to be when they're buying a used car is in a hurry! starting away toward her car But like I said, too nice a day for arguing. I'll just shoot this into the garage. He starts into Mary's car. She looks at him, in near panic, wanting to skip the whole thing. Torn, wondering if the presence of the Patrolman doesn't negate the value of changing cars, wondering how she can get away, wondering if she'll be followed, or if the Patrolman will go away if she does stay here. All these panic-fears rush her mind and she can do nothing. The Car Dealer has driven her car into the garage. She stands in the middle of the lot, feeling like a shooting target. She looks toward the garage. THE GARAGE MARY'S POV DAY Mary's car is in it. USED CAR LOT DAY Mary decides she cannot back out now without arousing further suspicion, is compelled to look again at the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN MARY'S POV DAY He still watches. With a self-angry sigh of resignment, she goes to a close car, looks at it. The Car Dealer is returning. CAR DEALER That's the one I'd've picked for you myself! MARY How much? CAR DEALER Go ahead! Spin it around the block. Now I know you don't know anything about engine condition, but you can feel, can't you and it's all in the feel, believe me, you feel that one around the block MARY It looks fine. How much will it be, with my car...? CAR DEALER You mean you don't want the usual day and a half to think it over? laughs You are in a hurry! Somebody chasin' you? MARY Of course not. Please. CAR DEALER Well heck, this is the first time I ever saw the customer high-pressure the salesman! laughs, sees she is in no mood for it I'd figure roughly looks at the car, then back at the garage your car plus five hundred. MARY Five hundred. CAR DEALER Aha! Always got time to argue money, huh...? MARY All right. As the car dealer looks at her in amazement, she reaches into her bag, feels the money-filled envelope, pauses. CAR DEALER slowly I take it you can prove that car's yours I mean, out of state and all got your pink slip and your MARY I think I have the necessary papers. Is there a Ladies Room CAR DEALER In the building indicates, continues to stare quietly Mary starts for the building, glancing once in the direction of the Patrolman. THE PATROLMAN MARY'S POV DAY He still sits, his motor throbbing, his face quiet. THE USED CAR LOT DAY Mary goes into the office building. LADIES ROOM DAY Mary enters, locks door, takes envelope out of her handbag, extracts one bundle of bills from the envelope, counts off five, puts the bundle back into the envelope and the envelope back into the bag. Then she remembers, takes out the important papers envelope, goes through it, finds several papers having to do with her car, takes them all out, puts back the envelope, starts out of the ladies Room. THE USED CAR LOT DAY The Car Dealer has moved the car of her choice out of the line. It stands in the clearing. CAR DEALER too cheerfully I think you'd better give it a trial spin. Don't want any bad word of mouth about California Charlie. MARY I'd really rather not. Please. Can't we just settle this and CAR DEALER I'll be perfectly honest with you, Ma'am. It's not that I don't trust you, but MARY interrupting But what? Is there anything so terribly wrong about making a decision and wanting to hurry? Do you think I've stolen my car? CAR DEALER No, M'am. I was only about to say, I've sent my mechanic out to give your car a little test that's all. MARY handing him the ownership papers and the new bills I'd like to be ready when he gets back. CAR DEALER Okay. If you'll come along He starts toward the office building. Mary follows, closely, anxiously. She glances, sees: THE PATROLMAN MARY'S POV DAY He is still at the far curb. USED CAR LOT DAY The Car Dealer goes into his office. Mary follows. THE PATROLMAN DAY A second later, he starts his automobile, checks traffic, comes across the street, slowly, and drives onto the lot. He pauses a moment, then drives across the lot, passing the office, going on to the other exit, stops there as Mary's car is driven back onto the lot. The MECHANIC stops Mary's car, hops out, waves to the Patrolman. The Patrolman waves back, goes on a bit until he is behind Mary's car, stops again, looks over at the office. In a moment, Mary comes out, hurries across to her new car, gets in, starts the motor. The Mechanic yells: MECHANIC Hey! Miss? Mary pauses, turns, sees the Patrolman, then the Mechanic. Her face goes white. She doesn't know which man called her. Then the Mechanic waves, starts forward with her suitcase. MARY as Mechanic reaches car Just put it right in here, please beside me. The Mechanic smiles, throws the suitcase in. Mary zooms off. As she drives out of lot we see the Mechanic, the Car Dealer and the Patrolman all looking after her. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE Mary is driving tensely. She checks the rear-view mirror, is more shocked than pleased when she sees MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR No sign of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE She turns her face, looks out at the highway. ROUTE MARY'S POV It is heavy with traffic. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE Again she checks the mirror and although MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR There is still no sign of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR ON ROUTE She cannot relax or feel safe, cannot convince herself that nothing will come of the man's watching and suspicions. CAMERA IS CLOSE on Mary's face now, recording her anxiety, her fears. Her guilt shines bright in her eyes and she is a person unaccustomed to containing this much guilt in this realistic a situation. Suddenly, we hear the SOUND of the Used Car Dealer's laugh, hear it as clearly as Mary hears it in her imagination. The 'imagined voice' we hear is actually the voice of the Car Dealer: CAR DEALER'S VOICE Heck, Officer, that was the first time I ever saw the Customer high pressure the Salesman! Somebody chasing her? PATROLMAN'S VOICE I better have a look at those papers, Charlie. CAR DEALER'S VOICE She look like a wrong-one to you? PATROLMAN'S VOICE Acted like one. Mary blinks, shakes her head, as if trying to shake away these voices of her imagination. She checks the rear-view mirror. MARY'S REAR-VIEW MIRROR Still no sight of the Patrolman. MARY IN NEW CAR She tries to force herself to relax, almost succeeds when she is sprung to tension again by HIGHWAY The sight of a police car. As she drives past, we hear the squeaky, unintelligible voice coming over the car radio. Mary zooms down on the gas, whizzes ahead. DISSOLVE THROUGH TO: HIGHWAY LONG SHOT Mary's car dashing along. MARY IN NEW CAR Mary looks weary, tired with strain and with hard driving. Her eyes are heavy with worry and deep thought. OUT THE WINDSHIELD We can see that it is much later in the day, almost dusk. MARY IN NEW CAR We HEAR the sound of an agitated BUZZ of an intercom system, a sound emanating from Mary's imagination. After the second BUZZ, we HEAR the voice of Caroline. CAROLINE'S VOICE Yes, Mr. Lowery. LOWERY'S VOICE a worried tone Caroline...? Mary still isn't in? CAROLINE'S VOICE No, Mr. Lowery but then she's always a bit late on Monday mornings. LOWERY'S VOICE Buzz me the minute she comes in. Again Mary shakes her head, forces herself to stop hearing these 'invented' scenes of her imagination. HIGHWAY Now we cut to the view of the road, from Mary's viewpoint. Darkness of evening is coming. In the dim twilight we see the neon sign of roadside restaurants and gas stations beginning to blaze on. MARY'S NEW CAR Back on Mary's face, and after a moment, the imagined voices again: LOWERY'S VOICE Call her sister! If no one's answering at the house CAROLINE'S VOICE I called her sister, Mr. Lowery, where she works, the Music Makers Music Store, you know? And she doesn't know where Mary is any more than we do. LOWERY'S VOICE You better run out to the house. She may be unable to answer the phone CAROLINE'S VOICE Her sister's going to do that. She's as worried as we are. A flush of painful guilt and regret rises up in Mary's face. She closes her eyes for one tight swift moment. HIGHWAY We cut again to the highway. The first oncoming headlights slash at the windshield. MARY'S NEW CAR Cutting back to Mary, we can sense by the tense muscles of her face that she is driving faster. The oncoming headlights blurt at her. Suddenly we HEAR Lowery's voice, loud now and frightened, as if the anxiety in the man's voice was strong enough to break through Mary's effort to keep her mind silent and her imagination blank. LOWERY'S VOICE No! I haven't the faintest idea. As I said, I last saw your sister when she left this office on Friday she said she didn't feel well and wanted to leave early and I said she could. And that was the last I saw a pause, a thought wait a minute, I did see her, an hour or so later, driving a pause, then with solemn fear Ah, I think you'd better come over here to my office. Quick. a pause, a click Caroline, get Mr. Cassidy for me. HIGHWAY It is completely dark now, night. MARY'S NEW CAR We cut back to her face. LOWERY'S VOICE After all, Cassidy, I told you all that cash I'm not taking the responsibility Oh, for heaven's sake, a girl works for you for ten years, you trust her! All right, yes, you better come over. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT THE ROAD AHEAD MARY'S NEW CAR Fast cut back to Mary's face. Oncoming headlights throw a blinding light across her features. CASSIDY'S VOICE undrunk, sharp with rage Well I ain't about to kiss off forty thousand dollars! I'll get it back and if any of it's missin' I'll replace it with her fine soft flesh! I'll track her, never you doubt it! LOWERY'S VOICE Hold on, Cassidy I still can't believe it must be some kind of a mystery I can't CASSIDY'S VOICE You checked with the bank, no? They never laid eyes on her, no? You still trustin'? Hot creepers, she sat there while I dumped it out hardly even looked at it, plannin' and and even flirtin' with me...! A look of revulsion makes Mary close her eyes. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AGAIN Big drops of rain begin to appear. CLOSEUP MARY She is becoming aware of the rain starting. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD The rain increasing and backlit by the oncoming headlights. CLOSEUP MARY Mary starts the windshield wipers. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD The wipers are having a battle with the now torrential rain. CLOSEUP MARY Peering through the blurred windshield. CLOSEUP THE CAR WHEELS slowing down in the flooding highway. CLOSEUP MARY peering through the windshield. The oncoming lights are fewer. CLOSEUP THE CAR WHEELS almost coming to a slow turn. THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD just blackness and rain. CLOSEUP MARY peering. MARY'S VIEWPOINT An almost undiscernible light in the far distance, a neon sign blurred by the rain-sheeted windshield. MARY'S CAR She presses down, forces the car to move on through the flooded road. THE ROAD As we move closer, we see the neon sign more clearly and can faintly make out the large letters which read 'Motel.' Mary stops the car, lowers the window slightly, looks out. We see the sign clearly now: 'BATES MOTEL.' Mary opens the car door and dashes out into the rain and up onto the porch of the motel office. BATES' MOTEL NIGHT Mary pauses on the porch. The lights are on within the office. She tries door, finds it open, goes into office. CAMERA FOLLOWS her into office. There is no one present. Mary goes to the desk, rings a small pushbell. There is no response. Mary rubs her forehead in weariness and frustration, goes back out onto the porch. She looks off in another direction, slightly behind the office, and sees MARY'S VIEWPOINT A LARGE OLD HOUSE NIGHT A path from the motel office leads directly up to this house. There is a light on in one of the upstairs rooms. A WOMAN passes the window, pauses, peers out. We see her in clear silhouette. She quickly goes away from the window. PORCH OF BATES' MOTEL NIGHT Mary, having seen the woman, expects now that she will get some attention. She stands a few moments, waiting. No one comes. Impatience and anger rise in Mary. She dashes out into the rain, to her car, gets in, opens the side window, begins to honk the horn. After a moment, a YOUNG MAN open the front door of the house, pauses, starts down the path. After a few steps, he turns and runs back into the house. Mary leaves her car, starts a dash for the shelter of the porch. As she runs, we see that the Young Man has gone back only to get an umbrella. Seeing that Mary is on her way to the porch, he runs quickly, the umbrella unopened in his hand. He gets to the porch a moment after Mary has reached it. He stops short, looks at her, then at the umbrella hanging useless in his hand, then back to her. There is something sadly touching in his manner, in his look. Mary's impatience goes and she smiles and this makes him almost smile. He gestures her into the office, standing back to indicate that he will go after her. She goes into the office. OFFICE OF BATES' MOTEL NIGHT The Young Man follows Mary in, closes the door. He is NORMAN BATES, somewhere in his late twenties, thin and tall, soft spoken and hesitant. NORMAN Dirty night. MARY not really a question You have a vacancy? NORMAN simply, almost cheerfully We have twelve vacancies. Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. a pause They moved away the highway. MARY I thought I'd gotten off the main NORMAN I knew you must have. No one stops here anymore unless they do. He is behind the counter now, pushing forward the registration book. NORMAN But it's no good dwelling on our losses, is it. We go right ahead lighting signs and following the formalities Would you sign, please. Mary has placed her handbag on the counter. She takes the registration book, picks up the pen, is suddenly struck with the realization that she'd better use an alias. She writes the name Marie Samuels. NORMAN Your home address. Oh, just the town will do. MARY glancing at newspaper sticking out of her handbag Los Angeles. She realizes he didn't ask her to tell him, merely to write it down. She smiles, writes Los Angeles beside the false name. Norman smiles, stops smiling out of embarrassment. NORMAN Cabin One. It's closer in case you want anything right next to the office. CLOSEUP NORMAN He removes a key for Cabin One. We see that there is a remaining key on the board. TWO SHOT MARY AND NORMAN MARY I want sleep more than anything. Except maybe, food. NORMAN There's a big diner about ten miles on up just outside Fairvale. MARY Am I that close to Fairvale? NORMAN Fifteen miles. I'll get your bags. He goes to door, opens it. The rain has slowed down considerably. He smiles at this fact, as if to communicate some pleasure he finds in it. Mary follows him to the door, goes out on the porch, waits and watches as Norman runs to her car, gets in, drives it to the parking space in front of Cabin One. Mary walks along the porch, waits before the door of Cabin One. Norman gets out of car, with suitcase, runs to the door, opens it, pushes the door open, puts his hand in and switches on a light. Mary goes into the cabin. Norman follows her. CABIN ONE NIGHT Norman places suitcase on bed, goes to the window, opens it. NORMAN Stuffy in here. turns to her Well the mattress is soft and there're hangers in the closet and stationary with 'Bates' Motel' printed on it in case you want to make your friends back home envious and the over there he points to the bathroom, fairly blushes MARY The bathroom. NORMAN quickly, starting to leave I'll be in the office if you want anything just tap on the wall. MARY Thank you, Mr. Bates. NORMAN Norman Bates. He pauses at the door, gazes at her. She smiles. NORMAN You have something most girls never have. MARY I have? NORMAN There's no name for it But it's something that, that puts a person at ease. MARY Thank you. Again. NORMAN not really a question You're not going to go out again and drive up to that diner, are you? MARY No. NORMAN Then will you do me a favor? without waiting for her response Will you have supper here? I was just about to, myself nothing more than some sandwiches and a lot of milk, but I'd like it if you'd come up to the house and I don't set a fancy table but the kitchen's awful homey. MARY I'd like to. NORMAN All right, you get your dresses hanging out and change those wet shoes, and I'll come for you soon as it's ready starts out with my trusty umbrella. he laughs a small laugh, runs off Mary closes the door, goes to suitcase, opens it, starts to take out a dress. Her handbag is next to the suitcase. She glances down into it, pauses, drops the dress, reaches into the handbag, takes out the money-filled envelope, stares at it, almost with regret, filled contemplates hiding it, decides to, starts looking for a reasonable hiding place. She looks about, at the closet, the drawers etc., realizes all such places are obvious. Catching sight of the newspaper in her bag, she hits on a solution. She opens the newspaper, places the envelope within it, lock-folds the paper again and then places it on the bedside table as if it were there for later reading. She considers this for a moment, accepts it, goes to her suitcase to start unpacking. Suddenly the quiet is shattered by the shrill, ugly sound of a woman's voice, raised in anger. WOMAN'S VOICE No! I tell you no! Mary walks slowly to the window, realizing that the terrible voice is coming from the house behind the cabins. CAMERA FOLLOWS her to window and once there we see the light is still on in the upstairs bedroom and the voice is coming from that room. The rain has stopped and the moon is out. WOMAN'S VOICE I won't have you bringing strange young girls in for supper an ugly, sneering note creeps into the voice by candlelight, I suppose, in the cheap erotic fashion of young men with cheap, erotic minds! NORMAN'S VOICE Mother, please WOMAN'S VOICE And then what? After supper, music? Whispers? NORMAN'S VOICE Mother, she's just a stranger hungry, and the weather's bad WOMAN'S VOICE mimicking cruelly Mother, she's just a stranger! hard, cruel again As if men don't desire strangers, as if oh, I refuse to speak of disgusting things because they disgust me! You understand, Boy? WOMAN'S VOICE pause Go on, go tell her she'll not be appeasing her ugly appetite with my food or my son! Or do I have to tell her, cause you don't have the guts? Huh, boy? You have the guts, boy? NORMAN'S VOICE blurted cut fury and shame Shut up! Shut up! There is the SOUND of a door closing in that room up there. Mary has stood by the window, listening with mounting distress and concern and sympathy. She turns her face away now, gazes sadly at the little empty room. In a moment there is the SOUND of the house's front door slamming shut. Mary turns, looks out the window. FROM MARY'S VIEWPOINT NIGHT We see Norman coming down the path, carrying a napkin-covered tray. CABIN ONE NIGHT Mary looks at him for a moment, then turns quickly, goes to the door, opens it and goes out onto the porch. THE MOTEL PORCH NIGHT Mary pauses outside the door, is about to start forward when Norman comes round the building and walks along the porch, past the office, stopping only when he is close to her. He stares with painful embarrassment at the knowing look in her eye. MARY I've caused you some trouble. NORMAN Mother a hollow little laugh, an attempt at sardonic humor what is the phrase 'she isn't herself today'... I think that's it. MARY looking at the tray You shouldn't have bothered. I really don't have that much of an appetite. Norman flinches, realizing she has heard his mother's reference to Mary's appetite. NORMAN I'm sorry. I wish people could apologize for other people. MARY Don't worry about it. a warm smile But as long as you've made us supper, we may as well eat it. Huh? She begins to back into her room. Norman starts to follow, hesitates as he sees the total picture of an attractive young woman and a motel room. Bringing down the tray of food, in defiance of his mother's orders, is about the limit of his defiance for one day. He cannot go into Mary's room. NORMAN It might be nicer warmer in the office. Without waiting for approval or disapproval, he turns, hurries to the office. Mary looks after him, her face showing amused sympathy, then follows. THE MOTEL OFFICE NIGHT Norman looks about, tray in hand, sees there is no reasonable place to spread out a supper. He turns, sees Mary standing in the doorway. NORMAN Eating in an office a rueful smile to officious, even for me. I have the parlor behind this if you'd like. Mary nods. Norman walks on, behind the counter and into the darkened parlor. Mary follows. NORMAN'S PARLOR -(NIGHT In the darkened room, lit only by the light from the office spilling in, we see Norman placing the tray on a table. Mary comes to the doorway, pauses. Norman straightens up, goes to lamp, turns on the light. Mary is startled by the room. Even in the dimness of one lamp, the strange, extraordinary nature of the room rushes up at one. It is a room of birds. Stuffed birds, all over the room, on every available surface, one even clinging to the old fashioned fringed shade of the lamp. The birds are of many varieties, beautiful, grand, horrible, preying. Mary stares in awe and a certain fascinated horror. CLOSE UP THE VARIOUS BIRDS TWO SHOT MARY AND NORMAN NORMAN Please sit down. On the sofa. As Norman goes about spreading out the bread and ham and pouring the milk, we follow Mary across the room. She studies the birds as she walks, briefly examines a bookcase stacked with books on the subject of 'Taxidermy.' CLOSE UP THE BOOKS ON TAXIDERMY MED. CLOSE SHOT MARY She notices, too, the paintings on the wall; nudes, primarily, and many with a vaguely religious overtone. Finally Mary reaches the sofa, sits down, looks at the spread. MARY You're very kind. NORMAN It's all for you. I'm not hungry. Please go ahead. Mary begins to eat, her attitude a bit tense. She takes up a small slice of ham, bites off a tiny bite, nibbles at it in the manner of one disturbed and preoccupied. Norman gazes at her, at the tiny bite she has taken, smiles and then laughs. NORMAN You eat like a bird. MARY You'd know, of course. NORMAN Not really. I hear that expression, that one eats 'like a bird,' is really a falsie, I mean a falsity, because birds eat a tremendous lot. A pause, then explaining Oh, I don't know anything about birds. My hobby is stuffing things taxidermy. And I guess I'd just rather stuff birds because well, I hate the look of beasts when they're stuffed, foxes and chimps and all some people even stuff dogs and cats but I can't I think only birds look well stuffed because they're rather passive, to begin with most of them He trails off, his exuberance failing in the rushing return of his natural hesitancy and discomfort. Mary looks at him, with some compression, smiles. MARY It's a strange hobby. Curious, I mean. NORMAN Uncommon, too. MARY I imagine so. NORMAN It's not as expensive as you'd think. Cheap, really. Needles, thread, sawdust the chemicals are all that cost anything. He goes quiet, looks disturbed MARY A man should have a hobby. NORMAN It's more than a hobby sometimes a hobby is supposed to pass the time, not fill it. MARY after a pause, softly Is your time so empty? NORMAN Oh, no! forcing brightness again I run the office, tend the cabins and grounds, do little chores for mother the ones she allows I might be capable of doing. MARY You go out with friends? NORMAN Friends? Who needs friends. Laughs, then with gallows humor A boy's best friend is his mother. Stops laughing You've never had an empty moment in your whole life. Have you? MARY Only my share. NORMAN Where are you going? I don't mean to pry MARY A wistful smile I'm looking for a private island. NORMAN What are you running away from? MARY Alert Why do you ask that? NORMAN No. People never run away from anything. A pause The rain didn't last very long. Turning suddenly You know what I think? I think we're all in our private traps, clamped in them, and none of us can ever climb out. We scratch and claw but only at the air, only at each other, and for all of it, we never budge an inch. MARY Sometimes we deliberately step into those traps. NORMAN I was born in mine. I don't mind it anymore. MARY You should mind it. NORMAN Oh I do but I say I don't. Laughs boyishly MARY Staring at him, shaking her head softly.) If anyone ever spoke to me, the way I heard The way she spoke to you, I don't think I could ever laugh again. NORMAN Controlled resentment Sometimes when she talks that way to me I'd like to curse her out and leave her forever! A rueful smile Or at least, defy her. A pause, a hopeless shrug But I couldn't. She's ill. MARY She sounded strong NORMAN I mean ill. A pause She had to raise me all by herself after my dad died I was only five and it must have been a strain. Oh, she didn't have to go out to work or anything, Dad left us with a little something anyway, a few years ago Mother met a man. He talked her into building this motel We could have talked her into anything and when. Well It was just too much for her when he died, too And the way he died Oh, it's nothing to talk about when you're eating. Pauses, smiles Anyway, it was too much of a loss for my mother she had nothing left. MARY Critically Except you. NORMAN A son is a poor substitute for a lover. Turns away as if in distaste of the word MARY Why don't you go away? NORMAN To a private island, like you? MARY No, not like me. NORMAN It's too late for me. And besides who'd look after her? She'd be alone up there, the fire would go out damp and cold, like a grave. When you love someone, you don't do that to them, even if you hate them. Oh, I don't hate her. I hate what she's become. I hate the illness. MARY Slowly, carefully Wouldn't it be better if you put her in someplace She hesitates. Norman turns, slowly, looking at her with a striking coldness. NORMAN An Institution? A madhouse? People always call a madhouse 'someplace.' Mimicing coldly Put her in Someplace! MARY I'm sorry I didn't mean it to sound uncaring NORMAN The coldness turning to tight fury What do you mean about caring? Have you ever seen one of those places? Inside? Laughing and tears and cruel eyes studying you and my mother there? Why? has she harmed you? She's as harmless as one of these stuffed birds. MARY I am sorry. I only felt it seemed she was harming you. I meant NORMAN High fury now Well? You meant well? People always mean well, they cluck their thick tongues and shake their heads and suggest so very delicately that The fury suddenly dies, abruptly and completely, and he sinks back into his chair. There is a brief silence. Mary watches the troubled man, is almost physically pained by his anguish. NORMAN Quietly I've suggested it myself. But I hate to even think such a thing. She needs me and it isn't Looks up with a childlike pleading in his eyes it isn't as if she were a maniac, a raving thing it's just that sometimes she goes a little mad. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you? MARY After a long thoughtful pause Yes, and just one time can be enough. Rises Thank you. NORMAN Cheerfully, correcting Thank you, Norman. MARY Norman. NORMAN You're not going to to your room already? MARY I'm very tired. And I'll have a long drive tomorrow. All the way back to Phoenix. NORMAN Phoenix? MARY I stepped into a private trap back there and I want to go back and try to pull myself out. Looking close at Norman Before it's too late for me, too. NORMAN Looking at her Why don't you stay a little while, just for talking. MARY I'd like to, but NORMAN Alright. I'll see you in the morning. I'll bring you breakfast. What time will you MARY Very early. Dawn. NORMAN Alright, Miss He has forgotten her name MARY Crane. NORMAN That's it. He frowns, as if bothered by not being able to match the name to the memory of the name in the registration book MARY Good night. She goes out of the parlor. We see her, from Norman's viewpoint, as she crosses the small office, goes out into the night. Norman turns and looks at the table, and we see his face now. It is bright with that drunken-like look of determination and encouragement and like resolve. He starts to clean up the table, pauses as he hears the closing of Mary's door in the cabin next door. He holds still, listens. He goes into the office and looks at the book. C.U. THE NAME 'SAMUELS' M.S. NORMAN He goes back into the parlor with a mystified expression. The sound of Mary moving about her room come over, soft SOUNDS, somehow intimate in the night quiet. Norman turns his ear from the direction of the SOUNDS, seems to be fighting an impulse to listen, or more than listen. But slowly, he is forced to surrender to the impulse and, resisting himself, he goes to the wall, presses the side of his head against it. The SOUNDS come louder, as if we too had our ear pressed against the wall. Now Norman looks at a picture hanging on the far end of the wall he is leaning against. Slowly he starts toward it. He reaches it, touches it, reluctantly lifts the small frame off the wall. A tiny circle of light hits Norman's face, coming from the hole in the wall behind the picture. This end of the room is very dim and thus we are able to see clearly the light striking Norman's face. We move close to Norman, extremely close, until his profile fills the screen. The tiny spot of light hits his eye. See the small hole through which the light comes. Norman peeps through. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT Through the hole we look into Mary's cabin, see Mary undressing. She is in her bra and halfslip. She stoops over a bit, places her hands behind her upper back, begins to unhook her bra. NORMAN ECU He watches as Mary removes her bra. We see his eye run up and down the unseen figure of Mary. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT Mary, just slipping into a robe, covering her complete nudity. NORMAN He turns from the hole, faces us for a moment, continues turning until he can look out the small parlor window. We see, as he sees THE HOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND NORMAN He turns his face away, quickly, resentfully. In his face we see anger and anguish. And then resolve. Quickly, precisely, he rehangs the picture over the hole in the wall, turns, starts out of the parlor. We see him go through the office and out onto the porch, not even bothering to close the door behind him. THE MOTEL OFFICE PORCH NIGHT Norman walking along the porch, in the direction of the big house. Once on the path he pauses, looks up at the light in the bedroom window, then pulls himself up, squares his shoulders, strides manfully up the path. CAMERA follows behind him. He opens the door of the house, enters. We see him pause at the foot of the stairway, look up at the bedroom door just at the head of the stair. He holds for a moment, and then his resolve and courage evaporates. His shoulders slump, sadly, mournfully. He by passes the stairs and slowly makes his way to the kitchen. At the far end of the hall. He enters the kitchen, drops wearily into a chair. After a moment, he stretches out a leg and gently pushes the kitchen door closed. MARY'S MOTEL ROOM NIGHT Mary is seated at the small desk, engrossed in figuring in a small notebook. We see from these figures a calculation which indicates her intention to make a restitution of the money she has used of the forty thousand dollars. We see, too, her bankbook. The paper reads thus: top figure,  directly beneath it, the amount used for the new car; total after subtraction,  In another spot we see a figure which matches the balance in her bankbook;  Beneath this is the figure, and the amount after subtraction,  She studies the figures, sighs, not wearily but with a certain satisfaction, with the pleasure that comes when one knows that at any cost one is going to continue doing the right thing. After a moment she tears the page out of the notebook and, rising, begins to rip it into small pieces. She goes into the bathroom, drops the pieces into the toilet bowl, flushes the toilet. Then she drops her robe and steps into the tub and turns the shower on. MARY IN SHOWER Over the bar on which hangs the shower curtain, we can see the bathroom door, not entirely closed. For a moment we watch Mary as she washes and soaps herself. There is still a small worry in her eyes, but generally she looks somewhat relieved. Now we see the bathroom door being pushed slowly open. The noise of the shower drowns out any sound. The door is then slowly and carefully closed. And we see the shadow of a woman fall across the shower curtain. Mary's back is turned to the curtain. The white brightness of the bathroom is almost blinding. Suddenly we see the hand reach up, grasp the shower curtain, rip it aside. MARY ECU As she turns in response to the feel and SOUND of the shower curtain being torn aside. A look of pure horror erupts in her face. A low terrible groan begins to rise up out of her throat. A hand comes into the shot. The hand holds an enormous bread knife. The flint of the blade shatters the screen to an almost total, silver blankness. THE SLASHING An impression of a knife slashing, as if tearing at the very screen, ripping the film. Over it the brief gulps of screaming. And then silence. And then the dreadful thump as Mary's body falls in the tub. REVERSE ANGLE The blank whiteness, the blur of the shower water, the hand pulling the shower curtain back. We catch one flicker of a glimpse of the murderer. A woman, her face contorted with madness, her head wild with hair, as if she were wearing a fright-wig. And then we see only the curtain, closed across the tub, and hear the rush of the shower water. Above the shower-bar we see the bathroom door open again and after a moment we HEAR the SOUND of the front door slamming. THE DEAD BODY Lying half in, half out of the tub, the head tumbled over, touching the floor, the hair wet, one eye wide open as if popped, one arm lying limp and wet along the tile floor. Coming down the side of the tub, running thick and dark along the porcelain, we see many small threads of blood. CAMERA FOLLOWS away from the body, travels slowly across the bathroom, past the toilet, out into the bedroom. As CAMERA approaches the bed, we see the folded newspaper as Mary placed it on the bedside table. CLOSE UP THE NEWSPAPER beside the bed. The CAMERA now moves away over to the window and looks up to the house, and as it gets there we HEAR, coming from within the house, the SOUND of Norman's fearful, shocked voice. NORMAN'S VOICE Mother! Oh God, what blood, blood mother...! We cannot entirely distinguish these exclamations. After a moment or two of silence, Norman emerges from the front door, dashes down the path toward the motel. QUICK  THE PATH NIGHT Norman is coming AT CAMERA, running head-on. He dashes into an extreme and we see the terror and fear ripe in his face. CAMERA PANS as Norman races past, holds as Norman runs to the porch and quickly along it and directly to Mary's room. MARY'S CABIN NIGHT Norman pauses a moment in the doorway, glances about the room, hears the shower going, sees the bathroom door is open. He goes to the bathroom, looks in, sees the body. Slowly, almost carefully, he raises his hands to his face, covers his eyes, turns his face away. Then he crosses to the window, looks out at the house. Shot is so angled that we see the bedside table with the newspaper on it. After a moment, Norman moves from the window, sinks onto the edge of the bed. FRESH ANGLE BEHIND NORMAN Norman sitting on bed, the bathroom in b.g. of shot. We can see only the hand of the dead girl, lying along the tile floor. Norman presses his eyes, fights to find a way out of his dilemma. Slowly, a kind of settling comes upon him, the peace that comes with decision. Norman rises, goes to the window, looks out, and then, with resolution, closes the window and draws the curtain across it. Then he crosses to the front window, facing the porch, and draws those curtains closed. Then he switches off the bedroom light, leaving the room lit only by the spill from the bathroom. He opens the front door, goes out. THE HOTEL PORCH NIGHT Norman comes out of Mary's cabin, closes the door carefully behind him, goes along the porch to his office, goes in. We stay outside. Immediately, the 'Vacancy' sign goes off, and then the motel sign goes off. As CAMERA GOES closer to the office, the lights within go off and we HEAR a closet door opening and then the SOUND of a pail being picked up. Norman comes out of office, closes door, looks cautiously about, goes along porch, carrying pail with mop in it, goes into Mary's cabin, closing the door after him. MARY'S CABIN With the paper in the foreground, Norman enters. We can see him in the dim spill of light. He pauses by the door, then gathers his strength and goes into the bathroom. We HEAR him set the pail on the tiled floor, and then we HEAR the shower being turned off. And there is total silence. CAMERA MOVES FORWARD so that we can see into bathroom. CAMERA is ANGLED that we see Norman only from the waist up. Quickly and deftly he unhooks the shower curtain, emerges with it into the bedroom. CAMERA PANS down and we see him spread the shower curtain on the bedroom floor, just outside the bathroom door. He spreads the curtain so that one end of it comes up against the bathroom threshold and slightly over and onto the tile floor. Again he goes into the bathroom and CAMERA TILTS up so that we see only the upper half of Norman. He works carefully, with his arms extended away from his body, slowly pulls the dead body out of the tub, drags it across the tile floor and onto the spread-out shower curtain in the bedroom. Having arranged the body, he straightens up, examines his hands, sees bloodstains on them. He returns to the bathroom, goes to the hand-basin. CLOSE SHOT We see his hands being washed, see the bloodstains being diluted and washed away by the gush of the faucet water. NORMAN We see Norman shake his hands free of the water, then turn to the job of cleaning the bathroom. He places the pail in the tub, runs water into it, dips the mop in, swabs the tile floor. With a towel he wipes off the wall over the tub and the edges and sides of the tub and even the shower curtain rod. Then he takes a second towel and goes over the cleaned areas, carefully drying them. Finally he rinses and squeezes out the mop, empties the pail, cleans out the tub, and goes out into the bedroom. MARY'S BEDROOM Norman steps carefully around the unseen body, crosses to the desk, starts going through Mary's handbag, in search of her car keys. He suddenly notices them lying on the desk, where he'd thrown them after parking her car. He picks up the keys, crosses the room, goes out. THE PORCH We see Norman pauses at the door, check cautiously, then hurry across the porch and into Mary's car. He circle-turns the car, so that its trunk is backed up to the turns porch, directly opposite Mary's door, as close as it can go. Then he alights, goes to the trunk, opens it with the key and, leaving the trunk lid raised, goes back into the cabin. MARY'S ROOM From a raised angle, we see Norman bend down and begin to wrap the shower curtain around the body. We see the edges of the curtain as they are raised and laid down again. Then he picks up the wrapped body, crosses to the door, uses his foot to pull the door open, and, leaving the door open behind him, goes quickly across the porch and gently lays the body in the trunk. He closes the lid then, but does not lock it. He comes back into the cabin, closes the door completely, flicks on the light. Again the newspaper is in the foreground. For a moment he pauses, closes his eyes against the realization of what he is doing, then quickly pushes all thoughts away, continues with his work. With the room lighted, he now proceeds to gather up all Mary's articles and toss them into the suitcase. He checks all drawers and the closet, gets down and checks under bed and bureau, goes into the bathroom, checks that room again, comes back into the bedroom, looks about carefully, spots Mary's handbag, throws even that into the suitcase, is finally satisfied that all traces of the girl are gone from the room. Then he closes Mary's suitcase, picks it up. With his free hand he picks up the pail, in which are the mop and the used towels. He crosses to the door, switches off the light with his shoulder, pulls open the door, starts out. THE PORCH As Norman stands in the doorway, he is suddenly and blindingly lit by the bright headlights of a passing car. The flash of the lights and the SOUND of the SPEEDING CAR are over in a flicker of a moment, but it takes a few seconds for Norman to regain his former tense composure. Then he goes to the car trunk, raises it with his foot, throws the suitcase and the pail into it, slams it shut. He pauses a moment, then realizes he has left the bathroom light on in Mary's cabin. He returns to cabin. As he enters, his eye is caught by the newspaper on the bedside table. He goes to it, takes the newspaper, and looks once again into the bathroom. His glance goes right over the toilet bowl. He turns out the lights, crosses the darkened cabin, goes out onto the porch. He reopens the trunk, tosses in the newspaper and closes it. He goes around and jumps into the car and starts away. We HOLD on the trunk, follow it for a while, then THE SWAMP NIGHT The car pulls away from a CLOSE ANGLE on the trunk and as CAMERA HOLDS we see that we are now in a swamp area. It is quiet except for the irritating noises of night insects. Norman stops the car at the very edge of the swamp, turns off the lights, gets out, leaving door open. He looks at the swamp, seems doubtful of its ability to swallow up the car, realizes he has no choice. He leans into the car, releases the emergency brake, starts to push. The front of the car begins to roll into the swamp. Suddenly there is the LOW, THROBBING SOUND of a motor. Norman freezes, listens. The SOUND grows louder and Norman realizes it is an airplane flying overhead. The car is rolling quickly now. Norman jumps away, slams the door shut, stands tense. The SOUND of the plane overhead grows louder. Norman looks up. NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT THE BLACK SKY We see no plane. The SOUND of the motor is beginning to diminish. CUT BACK TO: NORMAN We see the relief in his face. He looks at the car. More than two-thirds of it have already sunk into the swamp. The trunk alone seems to hold poised above the sand and slime, as if refusing to go the rest of the way. Norman begins to panic, he steps dangerously close, pushes with his foot. And slowly the car sinks, until finally it is gone and we hear only the gentle plop of the swamp's final gulp, and see only the small after-bubble, like a visual burp. Norman waits a moment, then begins stamping out the tire marks, so obvious in the wet ground around the swamp. He stamps and drags his feet over the markings as we: CLOSE UP NORMAN standing on the porch of the motel, leaning against a post. He is staring out into the night, a look of guarded, casual innocence on his face, as if he were taking one last moment of peaceful night air before retiring. Then he glances down and CAMERA follows his gaze. A hose is lying on the ground outside Mary's cabin, its stream of water obliterating the tire marks. After a moment, Norman's hand comes into shot, picks up hose, places it in a new position. As CAMERA PULLS BACK, we see that the water from the hose has erased and rearranged the road markings so that it would be impossible to tell that a car had been parked here. After a short wait, Norman goes to the hose-faucet, turns it off, unscrews the hose. As he rolls the hose, he walks away from the spot, past the office, heading for the path that leads to the house. He goes up the path, pauses at the steps of the house, tosses the curled hose onto the lawn, goes up the steps and into the house. CAMERA FOLLOWS him in, PAUSES as he pauses at the foot of the stairs. Norman goes up the stairs. On the landing he stops. The door to his mother's room is closed. Lying in a heap outside the door are a blood-stained dress and a pair of elderly-woman's shoes. From an EXTREMELY HIGH ANGLE, we look down on Norman as he bends to pick up the stained dress and shoes. He rolls the shoes into the dress, tucks the small, neat bundle under his arm, and starts down the stairs, heading for the basement. A LONG SHOT OF THE OLD HOUSE NIGHT It stands silhouetted against the sky. There is a long wait. Then, slowly, a curl of smoke comes out of the chimney. FADE OUT: FADE IN BACK ROOM OF SAM'S HARDWARE STORE IN FAIRVALE DAY Sam is seated at his desk, writing a letter. Sequence begins with CAMERA IN CLOSE, over Sam's shoulder, and we can read as mush as he has written of the letter. The letterhead reads 'Sam Loomis Hardware,' and the letter reads: 'Dearest right-as-always Mary: I'm sitting in this tiny back room which isn't big enough for both of us, and suddenly it looks big enough for both of us. So what if we're poor and cramped and miserable, at least we'll be happy! If you haven't come to your senses, and still want to CAMERA begins PULLING AWAY as Sam turns the sheet of paper over, continues backing away out of the small back room and heads, backwards, down the corridor, we see a young clerk, BOB SUMMERFIELD, Sam's assistant, standing behind the counter, a look of handsome patience on his face. He is waiting on a meticulous, elderly woman customer, who is holding and examining a large can of insecticide. As CAMERA PASSES: WOMAN CUSTOMER They tell you what its ingredients are and how it's guaranteed to exterminate any insect in the world, but they do not tell you whether or not it's painless. And I say insect or man, death should always be painless. CAMERA, by this has reached the front door of the hardware store and we now see a girl standing just inside the door. She is an attractive girl with a rather definite manner, a look of purposefulness. She carries a handbag and a small overnight case. She is Mary's sister, LILA CRANE. Bob Summerfield has noticed Lila, smiles brightly at her, gives her an I'll-be-with-you-in-a-moment nod. Lila starts to walk toward the counter, never taking her eyes off Bob. As she approaches, she asks quietly: LILA Sam? SUMMERFIELD You want to see Sam? LILA Sam Loomis. SUMMERFIELD yelling toward back room Sam! Lady wants to see you! Lila looks to the back room. The woman customer goes on worriedly examining the fine print of the insecticide can. Sam comes to the door of his room, pauses, looks at Lila a moment, starts toward her, his expression indicating that he does not know her. Lila studies him with a quiet, worried expression. SAM Yes? LILA May I talk to you? SAM a bit mystified Sure Lila glances at the customer and the clerk, turns, starts toward the front of the store. Sam holds a moment, then follows. As he reaches her, she turns, her eyes studying him intently as she says: LILA I'm Mary's sister. SAM Lila. LILA quickly Is Mary here? Sam is mystified, and is also aware of the worried, hostile expression on Lila's face. He studies her for a quiet moment. Behind them is a display of various size carving knives. SAM Is something wrong? LILA I want to know if my sister is here. SAM Here? LILA With you. SAM Where? LILA I don't know where. In your store, somewhere in your town anywhere. SAM What's the matter? LILA Don't you know? As Sam is about to speak, the Woman Customer comes sailing past, speaking as she goes and wearing a satisfied smile. WOMAN CUSTOMER All I can do is hope if it isn't painless, it's quick! She speaks 'quick' with a kind of delicious bite, nods happily, goes on out of the store. Sam is now staring apprehensively at Lila. SAM What should I know? LILA To begin with, where Mary is. Do you? SAM No. I take it you don't either? As Lila shakes her head How long? LILA Last Friday. She left work, and home I was in Tucson over the weekend I haven't heard from her, not even a phone call. SAM And you thought she'd come up here, to me? If she had, what reason would she have for not calling you? LILA A good reason, I suppose. SAM Slightly exasperated Well what do you think, we eloped or something? Or we're living in sin and LILA Mr. Loomis, you're so busy being defensive that you haven't even reacted to the most serious fact of all. Mary is missing. SAM I was getting to that! LILA What do you know about it? SAM Nothing! You're putting me on the defensive. LILA Look, if you two are in this thing together, I don't care, it's none of my business But I want to see Mary. I want her to tell me she's all right and it's none of my business. Then I'll go back to Phoenix and She stops, the anxiety and fear building up in her, her eyes beginning to fill with worried tears. Sam studies her for a moment, then turns and calls: SAM Bob? Run out and get yourself some lunch. SUMMERFIELD It's okay, Sam, I brought it with me. SAM Run out and eat it. Bob gets the message, goes out through the back way. Sam goes closer to Lila, speaks with soft seriousness. SAM What thing? LILA Huh? SAM What thing could we be in together? LILA A pause I hate tears. Takes out hankie SAM Is Mary in trouble? LILA Yes. SAM Well why didn't she come to me call me...? LILA Not that kind Almost a smile You men and your egos. SAM Seriously Never mind my ego. Let's talk about Mary. Their attention is distracted by a man who has strolled quietly into the room. He ignores them, walks past them, goes behind the counter, takes down a sign reading 'CLOSED FOR LUNCH,' walks back to the door, closes door, hangs the sign across the door window, locks the door, turns to Sam and Lila, folds his arms, smiles a particularly unfriendly smile. ARBOGAST Let's all talk about Mary. SAM Who are you, friend? ARBOGAST Milt Arbogast, Private Investigator. To Lila Where is she, Miss Crane? LILA I don't know. ARBOGAST Wouldn't have been able to tail you if you did. SAM What's your interest? ARBOGAST Money. There is a moment's silence and then, unable to tolerate the sudden frightening happenings, Sam explodes. SAM Somebody better tell me what's going on and tell me fast! I can take so much and then ARBOGAST Interrupting calmly Your girl friend stole forty thousand dollars. Sam looks at Arbogast in utter shock and in that state asks one of those seemingly ridiculous questions. SAM Why? ARBOGAST An almost amused smile Must've needed it. SAM What are you talking about? To Lila What is this? LILA She was supposed to bank it, on Friday, for her boss. She didn't. And no one has seen her since. ARBOGAST Looking at Sam Someone has seen her. Someone always sees a girl with forty thousand dollars. To Sam She is your girl friend, isn't she? LILA Sam, they don't want to prosecute, they just want the money back. It was all in cash ARBOGAST Correcting with Cassidy's word Casharoonie! LILA Sam, if she's here SAM She isn't! A real look of anguish comes into Lila's face. And Arbogast studies it, then speaks. ARBOGAST You came up here on a hunch, Miss Crane? Nothing more? No phone call from him, or from your sister herself? LILA wearily Not even a hunch. Just hope. ARBOGAST With a little checking, I could get to believe you. LILA anxiously I don't care if you do or I want to see Mary before she gets in any deeper SAM Did you check in Phoenix hospitals maybe she had an accident a hold-up ARBOGAST She was seen leaving town in her car. Seen by her very victims, I might add. SAM after a moment I don't believe it. to Lila, slowly Do you? LILA a thoughtful pause Yes I just did. The moment they told me SAM You might have doubted for say five minutes or so, Sister. Lila turns from Sam, a flush of guilt and regret in her face. Arbogast looks at her, quiet sympathetically. ARBOGAST We're always quickest to doubt people who have a record for being honest. I think she's here, Miss Crane. Where there's a boyfriend Trails off, smiles encouragingly She won't be back there among the nuts and bolts but she'll be in this town somewhere. I'll find her. He nods, takes down the closed-for-lunch sign, sails it to the counter, opens door, goes out into the street. After a quiet moment: LILA I just listened and believed everything they told me. 'She stole the money.' 'We don't want to get her in trouble.' 'No don't bring the police in'... SAM It was her boss' idea not to report it to the police? LILA No. The man whose money she he talked so loud and fast, and I I should've called the police. SAM He must have had a darn good reason for wanting them kept out of it All that cash LILA I ought to call the police right now! SAM No. LILA Why not? Sam, is she hiding here? Are you two planning to go away with the money? SAM How could I go away? I'm in debt up to my Smiles at the incongruity of his reply, then goes serious If she did steal that money It's hard to believe she did because it's hard to see why she would. Unless she had some wild idea that it would help me us LILA She haven't even called you? SAM I didn't see her and I didn't hear from her! Believe that! LILA I need to I need to believe something. This is the first time I've ever come up against anything I couldn't understand. SAM You've led a charmed life. LILA No. I just think anything can be explained. But Mary, doing a thing like this I don't know how to handle SAM Maybe we can handle it together. He smiles encouragingly LILA A rueful shrug I came flying up here expecting to get some explanation for all I know, she may be trying to get in touch with me, at home. I'd better go home. SAM A thoughtful pause I think she'll contact me if she contacts anybody. Why don't you stay here. When she shows up or calls be here. LILA A long study, her suspicion of him evaporating You want me to stay here? SAM She'll need both of us. LILA considers, then:) Where can I stay? SAM brightly First rate hotel, fifty yards up the street. Come on. as he reaches for the closed-for-lunch sign After we check you in we'll go to the drugstore and get you a sandwich. Then we'll come back here and wait. He hangs the sign on the door, ushers Lila out, closes door behind him. STREET DAY They emerge from the store and walk along to the hotel. As they enter, Arbogast is in the act of taking over a white Ford sedan from a rental car man. They glance at him and he returns a cynical look. HOTEL DAY Outside another hotel we see Arbogast alight from the white car and go into new hotel. COUNTRYSIDE DAY The white car speeding along the highway. NEW MOTEL DAY Arbogast going into the office we see the sign above him. BATES' MOTEL DAY A high shot showing the freeway and Bates house and motel on the side old highway. A pause and then across the bottom of the picture a white car speeds by on the freeway. HOTEL DUSK Another Hotel. Arbogast goes in. BATES' MOTEL DAY The white car speeding along the freeway again going in the opposite direction to last time. Norman, a tiny figure, is seen going up the steps to his mother's house. BOARDING HOUSE DAY Arbogast's search is getting down in the scale. This is an entrance to a cheesy boarding house. 'Rooms to Rent,' etc. He looks at his list and then goes in. BATES' MOTEL DAY The white car goes by on the freeway again. ROOMING HOUSE DAY Arbogast goes in. BATES' MOTEL TWILIGHT Heavy traffic on the freeway. A beat or two again the white car. It slows up opposite the distant motel. It makes a turn and goes back out of scene. A pause and it reappears on the old road and slowly makes its way toward the Bates' Motel. THE BATES' HOUSE AND MOTEL TWILIGHT We now see Norman. He has brought out an old rocking chair and has placed it on the office porch and is sitting hunched in it. And he is darning one of his own socks. CAMERA HOLDS. Beyond the porch, and Norman, we see the old house and can barely make out, in the twilight dimness, the figure of his mother seated at the window. Here, too, there is that quality of quiet peace surrounded by a vague foreboding. Now Norman looks up at the SOUND of the approaching car. And continues looking as the car comes to a stop and Arbogast gets out. Arbogast gives the place a quick once-over, gazes at Norman, starts forward. In his steps and manner there is that bored, routine-logged quality of a man who has seen too many motels and asked question of too many hotel managers over too short a period of time. Norman rises as Arbogast comes forward. NORMAN shoving sock in his pocket I always forget to put the sign on, but we do have vacancy. Cheerfully Twelve in fact. Twelve cabins, twelve vacancies. ARBOGAST pleasantly In the past two days I've been to so many motels, my eyes are bleary with neon. This is the first one that looked like it was hiding from the world at large. NORMAN I don't really forget the sign, it just doesn't seem any use. Points This used to be the main highway. Starts for office Want to register, please? ARBOGAST Sit down. I don't want to trouble you, just want to ask NORMAN No trouble. Today's linen day. I change all the beds once a week, whether they've been used or not dampness. I hate the smell of dampness. Opening office door It's such a dank smell. Norman is holding the door open, so Arbogast walks in. Norman follows. MOTEL OFFICE TWILIGHT Norman switches on the overhead light, starts for the linen closet, suddenly pauses, turns, studies Arbogast, who has remained standing by the door. NORMAN You out to buy a motel? ARBOGAST No. NORMAN Oh. I thought you said you'd been to so many in two days What was it you wanted to ask? ARBOGAST I'm looking for a missing person. takes out and opens wallet and extends it as he speaks My name's Arbogast, private investigator takes back wallet when Norman doesn't look at it Trying to trace a young girl who's been missing almost a week. From Phoenix. A look at Norman's frightened expression It's a private matter family wants to forgive her smiles She isn't in trouble. NORMAN forcing a smile I didn't think the police went searching for people who weren't in trouble. ARBOGAST I'm not the police. NORMAN Oh. He waits a moment, then opens closet, starts counting out sheets and pillow cases, keeps his back to Arbogast. Arbogast takes a photograph out of his pocket, talks as he crosses to Norman. ARBOGAST We have reason to believe she came this way might have stopped in this area extends photograph, which Norman doesn't glance at Did she stop here? NORMAN No. No one has stopped here in weeks ARBOGAST Mind looking at the picture before committing yourself? NORMAN Committing myself to what? You sure talk like a Policeman. ARBOGAST Look at the picture. Please. Norman glances, briefly, turns away, lifts sheets and pillow cases off the shelf holds them close, almost protectively. NORMAN No. At least I don't recall. ARBOGAST She might have used an alias. Mary Crane's the real name, but she might've registered NORMAN interrupting I don't even bother with guests registering any more I mean, little by little, you drop the formalities. more relaxed, because Arbogast is listening with a pleasant smile I shouldn't even bother to change the linen. I guess habits die hard. Which reminds me He goes to the wall, flips a light switch. NORMAN The vacancy sign. Just in case. We had a couple the other night, said if the sign hasn't been on they'd have thought this was an old deserted mining town or something. ARBOGAST Now there's a couple even remarking about your sign, and see how easily you forgot them? NORMAN What? ARBOGAST You thought no one has stopped here in weeks. Now, try to remember if this girl ARBOGAST A pause, a study Maybe she even signed the register because habits die hard. Let's check it, huh? Norman says nothing. Arbogast goes to the desk, pulls the registry book around, flips back a page or two. Norman simply stares at the man. Arbogast hums faintly, pleasantly, as he examines the pages. Then: ARBOGAST Yes sir! Marie Samuels. Interesting alias. He takes a slip of paper out of his pocket, lays it beside the signature in the registry book, all the while nodding and smiling nicely, as if this discovery will make Norman as happy as it is making him. ARBOGAST Don't know where she got 'Marie,' but 'Samuels' figures. Her boy friend's name is Sam. Turns to Norman, the smile gone Was she in disguise? Or do you want to check the picture again? NORMAN I didn't lie to you. I just have trouble keeping track of time. Arbogast has reached him, the picture extended. Norman looks dutifully at it. NORMAN It was raining and her hair didn't look like that damped out, I guess. ARBOGAST Tell me all about her. NORMAN She arrived kind of late, wet and hungry and she was very tired and went right to bed and left early. ARBOGAST How early? NORMAN Very early. Dawn. ARBOGAST Of which morning? NORMAN The following morning. Sunday. ARBOGAST No one met her? NORMAN No. ARBOGAST Or arrived with her. NORMAN No. ARBOGAST She didn't call anyone? Even locally? NORMAN No. ARBOGAST You didn't spend the whole night with her did you? NORMAN No! Of all ARBOGAST How do you know she didn't make a call? NORMAN She was tired. She said she had a long drive ahead of her, in the morning Yes, now I'm remembering very clearly because I'm picturing. When you make a picture of the moment in your mind, you can remember every detail. She was sitting back there, no she was standing up, with some sandwich still in her hand, and she said she had to drive a long way. ARBOGAST Back where? NORMAN What do you mean? ARBOGAST You said she was sitting 'back there,' or standing rather NORMAN Oh. My private parlor. She had an awful hunger so I made her some supper. And then she went to bed and left in the morning. I didn't even see her leave. ARBOGAST How did she pay you? NORMAN What? ARBOGAST Cash or check? For the cabin NORMAN Cash. ARBOGAST And when she left, she never came back. NORMAN Why should she? I'm sorry, I have work to do, Mr if you don't mind ARBOGAST I do mind. If it don't jell, it ain't aspic! smiles This ain't jelling. NORMAN I don't know what you expect me to know about people come and go ARBOGAST She isn't still here, is she? NORMAN Not at all! ARBOGAST Suppose I wanted to search the cabins, all twelve would I need a warrant? NORMAN as if pleasantly exasperated Look, if you won't believe me, go ahead. You can help me make beds if you like. laughs, shakes his head Come on. He starts out. Arbogast pauses, momentarily confused by the young man's openness. THE MOTEL PORCH NIGHT Norman walks down the porch, hesitates before Cabin One, walks on a bit toward Cabin Two, stops, turns to see if Arbogast is following. Arbogast has come out onto the porch, but is not following. He has walked to the opposite end of the porch and is standing at its edge, looking up at the old house. The upstairs window is in darkness. The neon of the Vacancy and Motel signs splash strange light over the scene. NORMAN Change your mind? Arbogast does not reply. Norman becomes apprehensive, starts to Arbogast, forcing himself to remain calm and cheerful. NORMAN I guess I've got one of those faces you can't help believing. ARBOGAST to Norman, but continuing to stare at the house Anyone at home? NORMAN I live there. Alone. ARBOGAST Someone is sitting in that window. NORMAN My mother. Arbogast turns, gazes seriously at him. NORMAN She's ill. Confined to her room. It's practically living alone. ARBOGAST after a pause If this girl Mary Crane were here, you'd have no reason to hide her would you? NORMAN Of course not. ARBOGAST If she paid you well? NORMAN Now, look...! ARBOGAST Or if she had you say gallantly protecting her you wouldn't be fooled you'd know she was just using you. Wouldn't you? NORMAN I'm not a fool! And I'm not capable of being fooled! Not even by women! ARBOGAST I didn't mean that as a slur on your manhood. I'm sorry. NORMAN disturbed now That's all right. maybe she could have fooled me. But a rueful smile She didn't fool my mother. ARBOGAST Your mother met her? quickly Can I talk to your mother? NORMAN No. I told you, she's confined ARBOGAST Just for a moment. She might have picked up a hint you'd miss. ARBOGAST Sick old women are sharp. Come on, I won't disturb NORMAN No! Just no! I have one of those breaking points like any other man, believe it or not, and I'm near it. There's just so much pushing I can take and I think ARBOGAST All right! starts away, toward his car, pauses Might save me a lot of leg-work if I could just talk to your mother. But I'd need a warrant for that, won't I? Norman does not respond. Arbogast gets in his car, starts the motor. Norman looks up, studies the man's face, his own face showing apprehension. Arbogast backs the car around very slowly, his gaze divided between the old house and the lighted window of Cabin Two. As he turns the car out, his headlights light up the porch. Norman stands, watching him drive away. PHONE BOOTH NIGHT The car pulls up and Arbogast gets out of car, leaving motor running. As he starts to walk across the highway, CAMERA PULLS AWAY and we HIGHWAY WITH TELEPHONE BOOTH NIGHT Arbogast gets to the phone booth, enters. CAMERA STARTS FORWARD, and we see Arbogast remove a small notebook from his pocket, check on a number, drop a dime in the slot and dial this number. As we reach phone booth, ARBOGAST into phone Miss Crane, please. listens She leave a number? listens Thanks. hangs up, dials again, waits Lila there, Mr. Loomis? Arbogast. waits Lila? Look, this isn't much, but it might make you feel a little better. Mary was up here. Spent last Saturday night at Bates' Motel, out here on the old highway. listens Young fellow runs it, said Mary spent the night, left, period! listens I did question him, believe me. I think I got all there was to get. Just have to try to pick up the scent from here. listens Well maybe that's because I don't feel entirely satisfied. He's got a sick old mother, confined type, and I think she saw Mary and talked to her. Shame, too confined old women love to talk to strangers. listens I was, but I think I'll go back to the motel, first. listens No, you stay put, Lila. With Loomis. I should be back in an hour. listens All right. And Lila You'll be happy to know what I think. I think our friend Sam Loomis didn't even know Mary was here. smiles See you in an hour. Or less. He hangs up, gets out of the phone booth. BATES' MOTEL NIGHT A distant view of the House and Motel. There is a light on in the house. There is also a light on in Norman's office. We see Norman emerge from his office and move along the porch toward the distant cabins. He carries sheets on his arm. He goes into the last cabin and switches the light on. Into the foreground the hood of the white Ford enters the scene and stops. Arbogast gets out. He goes over to the Motel office. MOTEL OFFICE NIGHT Arbogast goes in. OFFICE NIGHT Arbogast looks around the empty office and calls. ARBOGAST Bates! He goes over to the door to the parlor and enters. He looks around the bird-ridden room. He stops short as he sees: C.U. THE OLD SAFE IN THE CORNER C.U. ARBOGAST goes over to it. He finds it unlocked. With a quick, cautious look around he opens it. C.U. THE EMPTY SAFE C.U. ARBOGAST straightens up and goes out. MOTEL OFFICE NIGHT Arbogast comes out and looks off. He sees: THE LAST LIT CABIN The door ajar. C.U. ARBOGAST NIGHT would go along but he stops with a new thought. He turns around and looks off. L.S. THE OLD HOUSE FROM HIS VIEWPOINT NIGHT C.U. ARBOGAST comes to a decision. He goes off. L.S. ARBOGAST dashes up the stone steps to the House. MEDIUM SHOT CAMERA HOLDS as Arbogast goes up onto the porch. The house is dark within except, as we can now see, for a faint spill of light in the foyer, light which comes from the upstairs hall. Arbogast goes to the living room window, looks in, sees only darkness. Then he goes to the door, listens for along moment, hears nothing. Very slowly, almost painfully, he turns the knob of the door and pushes gently with his arm and shoulder. The door begins to open. He allows it to open just enough for him to slip through and into the foyer. FOYER OF BATES' HOUSE NIGHT Arbogast gradually eases the door closed, stands against it, waiting. He looks up in the direction of the light, sees no one. The door at the head of the stairs is closed. Arbogast listens, holds his breath, hears what could be human sounds coming from upstairs but realizes these could also be the sounds of an old house after sunset. After a careful wait, he crosses to the stairs, starts up, slowly, guardedly, placing a foot squarely on each step to test it for squeaks or groans before placing his full weight on it. CAMERA FOLLOWS, remaining on floor level but TRAVELLING ALONG the stairway as Arbogast makes his way up. EXTREMELY HIGH ANGLE STAIRWAY AND UPSTAIRS LANDING We see Arbogast coming up the stairs. And now we see, too, the door of the mother's room, opening, carefully and slowly. As Arbogast reaches the landing, the door opens and the mother steps out, her hand raises high, the blade of an enormous knife flashing. C.U. A BIG HEAD OF AN ASTONISHED ARBOGAST The knife slashes across his cheek and neck. Blood spurts. The sudden attack throws him off balance. He stumbles back and staggers down the whole of the staircase. He frantically gropes for the balustrade as he goes backwards down the stairs. The CAMERA FOLLOWS him all the way. A wicked knife keeps thrusting itself into the foreground. As he collapses at the bottom, the black head and shoulders of Mrs. Bates plunges into the foreground as the CAMERA MOVES IN to contain the raising and descending murder weapon. FADE OUT FADE IN BACK ROOM OF HARDWARE STORE NIGHT Lila is sitting close by the phone, and looks as if she hasn't moved from it in the last hour. Sam is pacing, occasionally stopping at the window, glancing out, pacing again. The ash tray close to Lila is filled. There is a thick atmosphere of smoke, tension and weariness in the small, otherwise cozy room. SAM at window, quietly Sometimes Saturday night has a lonely sound. Ever notice, Lila? LILA unable to keep up small talk Sam. He said an hour. Or less. SAM It's been three. LILA Are we just going to go on sitting here? SAM suddenly cheerful He'll be back. Let's sit still and hang on, okay? LILA You have an awfully nice habit, Sam. SAM Hundreds! Which one is your pet? LILA Whenever I start contemplating the panic button, your back straightens up and your eyes get that God-looks out-for-everybody look and I feel better. SAM I feel better when you feel better. LILA a pause then she rises Where's the old highway? SAM You want to run out there, bust in on Arbogast and the sick old lady, shake her up and maybe spoil everything Arbogast's been building for the last three hours. LILA Yes. SAM That wouldn't be a wise thing to do. LILA Patience doesn't run in our family. Sam, I'm going out there! SAM Arbogast said LILA An hour! Or less! Sam stares at her, frowns in concern over her very real anxiety, goes to the phone, dials operator. SAM into phone Got the number of the motel out on the old highway? Bates, I think. waits LILA Sam! Why call when we can go? SAM And maybe pass Arbogast on the road? into phone Thanks. He presses down the receiver, releases it, dials Bates' Motel. The faint other-end ringing tones can be heard, repeatedly, annoyingly. He waits. SAM to Lila Probably on his way back right now. LILA Sam, I'm going. SAM hangs up and picks up his jacket You'll never find it. He starts for the door. Lila follows after him into the store. STORE He pauses halfway down, turns, puts his hands on her arms. SAM Stay here. LILA Why can't I go out there with you? SAM looks at her I don't know he collects himself One of us has to be here in case Arbogast's on the way. LILA nervously Just wait here? SAM a warm smile Contemplate your panic button. He hurries down to the street door and out. CAMERA HOLDS on Lila as she stares after Sam. As she stands alone in the darkened store, all the hardware seems to take on sinister shapes. C.U. Among some bathroom fittings a nozzle from a shower falls onto the floor. MEDIUM SHOT Lila turns and picks if from the floor and puts it back in its place. She turns and again looks to the deserted street with a touch of anxiety. She gives a slight unconscious shiver. THE SWAMP NIGHT Tall and lonely still against the moonlight, the figure of Norman, silhouetted. He doesn't move, merely stands there at the edge of the swamp, staring down at the now calm and quiet face of it. THE MOTEL AND HOUSE NIGHT All light are out, except the light in Norman's mother's room. And her figure can be seen sitting in the window, relaxed in a high-back chair, her face turned into the room. After a second, we hear the SOUND OF A MOTOR, and then Sam's small pick-up truck swings into the driveway. Sam stops the motor, automatically switches off headlights, pauses as he observes the silence and darkness of the area. Then he hops out of the cab, goes quickly to the office, knocks on the door. As he waits for a response, he looks down the long porch, studies the darkened cabins, knocks again, louder, looks in the other direction and sees the house and the figure at the one lit window. He stares a moment then calls loudly: SAM Arbogast? THE SWAMP The silhouette of Norman. He is still. Over shot, very dimly, comes the SOUND OF SAM'S VOICE, calling again for Arbogast. Norman turns slowly until, in silhouette, we see his profile, his chin lowered furtively as he looks over his shoulder in the direction of the house. There is silence for a moment, and then again the SOUND of Sam POUNDING at the door. HARDWARE STORE NIGHT The store is in darkness, only the glow from the back room spilling in. L.S. With CAMERA placed with its back to the street door, we can see the distant tiny figure of Lila seated and waiting in the back room beyond. There is a SOUND of a car pulling up. The tiny figure jumps up and runs all the way from the back room down the aisle of hardware and comes into a BIG HEAD. We see Lila's desperate anxious look. MEDIUM SHOT From her viewpoint we see Sam alighting from his truck and coming toward the door of the store. He enters. He and Lila exchange quiet glances. SAM He didn't come back here? LILA worriedly Sam. SAM No Arbogast. No Bates. And only the old lady at home frowning A sick old lady unable to answer the door or unwilling. LILA Where could he have gone? SAM Maybe he got some definite lead. Maybe he went right on LILA Without calling me? SAM In a hurry. LILA Sam, he called me when he had nothing definite, nothing but a dissatisfied feeling. Don't you think he'd have called if he had anything SAM interrupting Yes. I think he would have. Lila goes quiet. Sam starts toward the back room, pauses at the doorway, turns. Lila has remained by the door, looking out at the street. She feels his pause, turns, and for a moment they share at each other across the darkened room. SAM Let's go see Al Chambers. LILA Who's he? SAM He's the Deputy Sheriff around here. As he starts forward. STREET THE SHERIFF LIVES ON NIGHT A dark, quiet, tree-ceilinged street, the small neat houses dim in the moonlight. Sam's pick-up truck comes down the street, pulls up before the house of Sheriff Chambers. CAMERA MOVES IN on Sam and Lila as they remain for a moment in the truck's cab, staring quietly at the sleeping house. SAM Our Deputy sleeps. LILA Well? SAM Nothing. Just all the lights out must be asleep. LILA a small exasperation Does that mean we can't SAM No. I'm just procrastinating. People hate when the doorbell rings in the middle of the night. gives up, starts out Come on. He gets out of cab, goes around to help Lila. She is already out. CAMERA FOLLOWS them up the small path to the front door. Sam presses the bell button. Both he and Lila are almost knocked over by the shocking, clanging, ear-splitting BLAST OF THE BELL within the house, a ring which sounds more like a fire alarm than a doorbell. He tries to smile, fails. Lila doesn't even try. The downstairs hall light goes on and a moment later the door is unhesitatingly opened by MRS. CHAMBERS, a small, lively stick of a woman wrapped in a thick flannel robe and a corona of hospitality. MRS. CHAMBERS Oh? SAM Sorry, Mrs. Chambers. I hate bothering you MRS. CHAMBERS You didn't! a cross look up at the bell It's tinkerbell. a quick smile at Lila Al wants to be sure he'll hear it if anyone rings it in the middle of the night. to Sam Well come on in, at least! As she opens the door wide, DOWNSTAIRS HALL OF SHERIFF'S HOUSE NIGHT Fat roses splatter the wallpaper. The stairs are carpeted. The lighting is bright. There is a perfectly fitting wall phone by the parlor arch. Mrs. Chambers goes to the stairway, yells up. MRS. CHAMBERS Albert! a tiny wait, a smile as Sam and Lila enter Al Chambers! Sam is about to close the door behind him. Mrs. Chambers motions for him not to, scurries across the hall, leans outside, presses the doorbell. The RING within the house is even more shattering. She closes the door, starts to the stairway, pauses as the SOUNDS of movement above COME OVER SHOT. MRS. CHAMBERS Customers! SHERIFF CHAMBERS comes down the stairs, in a bathrobe which matches his wife's. He is a tall, narrow man with a face originally destined for Mount Rushmore. He nods at Sam, looks at him with wide-awake eyes and a no-nonsense concern. SAM We have a problem. MRS. CHAMBERS to Lila Let's go out back and have some coca while the men are talking. LILA No, thank you. It's my problem, too. SAM I don't know where to start a look at Lila Except at the beginning. LILA Yes. SAM to Sheriff This is Lila Crane, from Phoenix. She's been here for a few days, looking for her sister. There's a private detective helping and, well, we got a call tonight, from this detective, saying he'd traced Mary MRS. CHAMBERS Mary is Lila's sister? SAM Yes. He traced her to that motel, out on the old highway MRS. CHAMBERS to the Sheriff Bates' Motel. to Lila He has a mind like a mechanical brain and the more information you feed it Go on, Sam. SAM He traced her there and called us to say he was going to question Mrs. Bates MRS. CHAMBERS a pleasant shock Norman took a wife? SAM No. An old woman, his mother. to Sheriff, quickly That was early this evening. And we haven't seen or heard from him since. I went out to the motel, just got back. No one was in the office, and LILA interrupting, anxiously Will you help us? I think something's wrong out there! SHERIFF after a considerate pause Now. Your sister is missing how long? LILA She left Phoenix a week ago yesterday. And no trace until SHERIFF How'd you and this detective come to trace her to Fairvale? SAM They thought she'd be coming to me. SHERIFF Left Phoenix under her own steam? LILA Yes. SHERIFF a pause She ain't missing so much as she's run away. SAM Yes. SHERIFF From what? LILA a look at sam, then:) She stole some money. SHERIFF A lot? LILA Forty thousand dollars. SHERIFF And the police haven't been able to SAM interrupting Everyone concerned thought if they could get her to give back the money they could avoid involving her with the police. SHERIFF Explains the private detective. He traced her to the Bates place. What'd he exactly say when he called you? LILA Mary had been there, one night, and had left. SHERIFF With the forty thousand dollars? LILA He didn't mention the money. anxiously What he said on the phone isn't important, is it? He was supposed to come back after he spoke to the mother, and he didn't! That's what I want you to do something about! SHERIFF Like what? LILA Go out there! Find somebody, ask some questions! a pause I'm sorry if I seem over-anxious to you. I keep thinking something's wrong. I have to know what! SHERIFF I think something's wrong, too, Miss. But not the same thing. I think your private detective is what's wrong. As Lila is about to object I think he got himself a hot lead as to where your sister was going probably from Norman Bates and called you to keep you still while he took off after her and the money. LILA He said he was dissatisfied and was going back. MRS. CHAMBERS to Sheriff Why don't you call Norman and let him say just what happened, if he give the man a hot lead and he did just scooted off it'll make the girl feel better, Albert. SHERIFF At this hour? SAM He was out when I was there. If he's back he probably isn't even in bed yet. SHERIFF He wasn't out when you were there. He just wasn't answering the door in the dead of night like some people do. This fellow lives like a hermit MRS. CHAMBERS Recluse. Kinder word. SHERIFF to Sam You must remember that bad business out there. About ten years ago SAM I've only been here five. Right now it feels like ten, but LILA All right! Then call! At least, call! Mrs. Chambers goes to phone, dials operator. MRS. CHAMBERS into phone Florrie, the Sheriff wants you to connect him with the Bates Motel. She hands the receiver to the Sheriff. He takes it, reluctantly, listens to the dim sound of RINGING on the other end. After a moment: SHERIFF into phone Norman? Sheriff Chambers. listens Been just fine, thanks. Listen, we got some worries here. Did you have a man stop out there tonight listens Well, this one wouldn't be a customer, anyway. A private detective, name of MRS. CHAMBERS Arbogast. SHERIFF into phone Arbogast. listens And after he left? listens No, it's okay, Norman. How's it been going out there? listens Well, I think you oughta unload that place and open up closer in to the action, a smaller place, you know but LILA Please! SHERIFF into phone Sorry I got you up, boy. Go back to sleep. Yeah, be glad to. hangs up, turns to Mrs. Chambers Said to give you his regards. SAM faint irony Was that all? SHERIFF This detective was out there and Norman told him about the girl and the detective thanked him and went away. LILA And he didn't go back? Didn't see the mother? The Sheriff looks long at Lila, shakes his head sympathetically. SHERIFF You should've called in the police the second you found your sister has skipped. You go starting private investigations, using people you don't even know LILA What difference does that SHERIFF Your Detective told you a nakedfaced lie. MRS. CHAMBERS Barefaced. SHERIFF He told you he wasn't coming right back cause he wanted to question Norman Bates' mother, right? LILA Yes. SHERIFF a pause, then calmly Norman Bates' mother has been dead and buried in Greenlawn Cemetery for the last ten years! There is a long silence. Sam and Lila stare at the Sheriff. MRS. CHAMBERS I helped Norman pick out the dress she was buried in. Periwinkle blue. SHERIFF It ain't only local history, Sam, it's the only murder-and-suicide case in Fairvale ledgers! Mrs. Bates poisoned this guy she was involved with, when she found out he was married, then took a helping of the same stuff herself. Strychnine. Ugly way to die. MRS. CHAMBERS Norman found them dead together. In bed. SAM You mean that old woman I saw sittin' in the window wasn't Norman Bates' mother? MRS. CHAMBERS hopefully, happily Maybe you saw Mary! SAM I'd know the difference between Mary and an old woman. SHERIFF Now wait a minute, Sam. You sure you saw an old woman? SAM Yes! In the house behind the motel. I pounded and called but she just ignored me. SHERIFF And you want to tell me you saw Norman Bates' mother. LILA It must've been. Arbogast said so, too and he said the young man wouldn't let him see her because she was ill! The Sheriff stares at both of them, and when he finally speaks there is an almost inaudible tone or irony in his voice. SHERIFF Well, if the woman up there is Mrs. Bates who's that woman buried out at Greenlawn Cemetery? QUICK  NORMAN'S PARLOR BEHIND OFFICE NIGHT Norman sits in the dim, one-lamp light, the phone next to him, his hand still near it as if he had not been able to move his hand after hanging up. He is staring at the shrike like bird which is perched on the lamp shade. Decision and resolution are beginning to show in his face. Suddenly he rises, starts quickly out of the room, tries to switch off the lamp as he goes and in so doing succeeds only in knocking the bird off the shade. He watches it fall, does not try to catch it. It hits the floor with a thud and sawdust spills out. He stares sadly at it, for a moment, then tends down, scoops up the sawdust, tries to press it into the split seam, picks up the bird, puts it in a drawer. Then he puts out the lamp, goes out, crosses the darkened office and goes outside. MOTEL AND HOUSE NIGHT Norman comes off the porch, walks to the path and directly up to the house, opens the door and goes in. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY AND STAIRWAY NIGHT SHOOTING UP THE STAIRS Norman goes up, pauses one moment outside his mother's door, then opens it and goes in, leaving the door open. For a moment we hear only Norman's low, quiet voice, his words indistinguishable. Then we hear the cold shot of his mother's derisive laughter. MOTHER'S VOICE I am sorry, boy, but you do manage to look ludicrous when you give me orders! NORMAN'S VOICE Please, mother MOTHER'S VOICE Sharp, laughter all gone No! I will not hide in the fruit cellar! A shrill laugh Think I'm fruity, huh? Hard, cold again I'm staying right here! This is my room and no one will drag me out of it least of all my big bold son! NORMAN'S VOICE Rising now, anxiously They'll come now, Mother. He came after the girl and now someone will come after him! How long do you think you can go on Mother, please, just for a few days, just so they won't find you! MOTHER'S VOICE Mimicking Just for a few days Furious In that dank fruit cellar? No! You hid me there once, boy, and you won't do it again! Not ever again! Now get out! A pause, quiet I told you to get out, boy! A longer pause Norman! What do you think you're going to do? Don't you touch me! Don't! Norman! A pause, then cajolingly All right, son, put me down and I'll go. I'll go on my own two feet. I can go on my own two feet, can't I? During all this the CAMERA has been slowly creeping up the stairs. It does not stop at the top however, but continues on the same high angle that we had in Scene . She starts to laugh, a terrible sound like an obscene melody. NORMAN'S VOICE I'll carry you, mother. Norman comes out of the room, his mother held in his arms, her head leaning against his shoulder. He carries her down the stairs, along the lower landing to the cellar stairs, and then down those stairs to the basement. FAIRVALE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MORNING An overcast morning, but a sunny-faced crowd. The service is just over, there is contentment, and peace, and just a little I-went-to-church-smugness in the faces of the churchgoers as they come out of the chapel, and spread their separate ways away. Amongst the crowd, waiting and searching the faces, are Sam and Lila. In their expressions there is no peace, no contentment. CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE. They are not speaking. Lila looks as if she has had no sleep. Suddenly, Sam becomes alert, takes Lila's arm, starts toward the church. CAMERA MOVES WITH THEM, stops as they approach Sheriff and Mrs. Chambers. The Sheriff stares rather sympathetically at Lila. Mrs. Chambers smiles nicely. SAM We thought, if you didn't mind, we'd go out to the motel with you. MRS. CHAMBERS He's already been. SHERIFF Went out before service. MRS. CHAMBERS Have you two had breakfast? SAM To Sheriff, not a question You didn't find anything. SHERIFF Nothing. Here, let's clear the path. He moves away and the others follow. CAMERA PANS them to the curb. LILA Interrupting Did he say anything about my sister? SHERIFF Just what he told your detective. She used a fake name, saw the register myself. Saw the whole place, as a matter of fact. That boy is alone there. SAM No mother. SHERIFF You must've seen an illusion, Sam. Now, I know you're not the seeing illusion type But no woman was illusion there and I don't believe in ghosts, so there it is! LILA I still feel SHERIFF Can see you do. Sorry I couldn't make you feel better. You want to come to my office this afternoon and report a missing person And the theft, is what you want to do! Sooner you drop this thing in the lap of the law, that's the sooner you'll stand a chance of your sister bein' picked up. How about that? LILA I don't know. MRS. CHAMBERS It's Sunday. Come over and do the reporting at the house, 'round dinner time. Make it nicer. You too, Sam. She smiles brightly, as if having invited them over to discuss this year's charity fandango, takes the Sheriff's arm, starts away. The Sheriff nods as he goes. Sam and Lila are alone now, at the curb, before the deserted chapel. For a long moment they just stand there, their faces as gray and overcast as the sky. SAM Maybe I am the seeing-illusions type. LILA You're not. Sam takes her arm, starts walking her up the street toward the spot where his pick-up truck is parked. CAMERA FOLLOWS them. SAM Want me to drop you at the hotel? Or you want to come over to the store? Lila does not answer. They reach the truck. Lila looks directly at Sam as he helps her into the cab. LILA I won't feel satisfied unless I got out there, Sam. SAM Neither will I. He slams the door, hurries around truck, gets into driver's seat, starts motor. As the truck drives off, SAM AND LILA IN TRUCK PROCESS HIGHWAY For a moment, both are silent; Sam watching the road as if there were other cars on it, Lila staring at nothing in particular, except perhaps her own inner fear. LILA I wonder if we'll ever see Mary again. SAM Of course we will. LILA Alive. Sam looks as if he'd like to say something humorous, something to cheer her. He cannot. He remains silent. LILA We lived together all our lives. When we woke up one morning and found ourselves orphans, Mary quit college and got a job, so I could go to college. SAM Where'd you go to college? LILA I didn't. I got a job, too. A pause I wonder if that hurt her, my not letting her sacrifice for me? Some people are so willing to suffer for you that they suffer more if you don't let them. SAM Almost to himself She was willing to lick the stamps. Lila looks quizzically at him, is too concerned to pursue it. LILA I wonder so many things about her now. Why she never told me about you Funny, when you think there's an answer to everything, you think you know all the answers. SAM We were going to get married. Are going to get married! LILA Do you know how I found out about you? I found one of your letters it was a nice letter, Sam. SAM This is the old highway. LILA I suppose when you were able to marry her she'd have presented you, all shiny and proper she always tried to be proper. SAM Watch your tenses. LILA Huh? SAM She always tries to be proper. Sam slows the truck to a stop, sighs, starts to light up a cigarette. Lila looks questioningly and impatiently at him. LILA You going to wait here for me? SAM I'm going with you. But we'd better decide what we're going to say and do when we walk in LILA We're going to register. As man and wife. And get shown to a cabin and then search every inch of that place, inside and outside. SAM You won't believe it Starts motor But this will be the first time I've ever pulled one of those man and-wife-renting-cabin capers! LILA A tiny smile, first in hours I believe it. As truck starts to drive on, THE BATES MOTEL AND HOUSE DAY The place is empty and silent and washed dirty by the deep gray of the cloudy sky. We see Sam's truck turning into the driveway and pulling to a stop. After a moment, Sam and Lila get out of the truck. FRESH ANGLE Close on Sam and Lila as they meet on the porch side of the truck. The motel office and the house beyond can be seen in b.g. of shot. Sam and Lila merely stare for a moment, then turn and gaze up at the house. There is no figure in the window and the shade is drawn. Same goes to the office door, peers in, knocks, opens door, enters. Lila remains on the driveway, beside the truck. THE MOTHER'S ROOM DAY CLOSE ANGLE on Norman standing by the window. He has pulled the curtains very slightly apart, is staring out and down at the motel, his eyes studying the lone figure of Lila, who is standing by the truck and looking up at the house. Norman studies her, and as her eyes look up at this very window he closes the curtains, turns away. We see the suspicion and fear in his face, the surge of panic and his struggle to contain it. Then he goes away. CAMERA remains on window, shooting out and down, and through the frail curtains we can see Sam as he comes out of the motel office and joins Lila. MOTEL OFFICE CLOSE ON SAM AND LILA SAM Unconsciously whispering I wonder where Norman Bates does his hermiting? LILA Someone was at that window. I saw the curtain move. Sam takes Lila's arm. SAM Come on. He starts with her toward the path which leads to the old house. CAMERA PANS with them, and as they turn around the office corner, they see Norman coming down the path toward them. They pause and Norman pauses. He does not smile, nor speak. His usual grin and soft friendliness are gone; containment and impassivity lie in their place. SAM Cheerfully Just coming up to ring for you. NORMAN Coming forward I suppose you want a cabin. SAM We'd hoped to make it straight to San Francisco, but we don't like the look of that sky. Looks like a bad day coming doesn't it. Norman walks past Sam, giving him the sort of quick, disapproving glance one gives a man who is obviously lying, goes onto the porch and into the office. Sam and Lila follow Norman. MOTEL OFFICE DAY Norman crosses to the desk, goes behind it, takes the key to cabin number twelve off the keyboard. Sam and Lila have entered and are almost to the desk-counter by this time. NORMAN I'll take you to SAM Better sign in first, hasn't we? Sam eyes scan the counter, looking for a registration book. NORMAN It isn't necessary. SAM Interrupting with a friendly cheerfulness Uh, uh! My boss is paying for this trip ninety percent business and he wants practically notarized receipts. I better sign in and get a receipt. Norman stares at Sam, as if he'd like to yell at him, call him 'liar.' Instead he reaches under the desk counter, brings out the registration book. Lila moves closer, studies the book as Sam signs in. Sam signs 'Joe and Mrs. Johnson.' The signature and city of 'Marie Samuels' and after it, the notation 'Cabin One,' can be clearly seen three registrations above Sam's. When Sam has finished he closes book, hands it back to Norman. Norman does not take it, starts out from behind counter. NORMAN I'll get your bags. SAM Haven't any. NORMAN after a stare I'll show you the cabin. As he starts for the door, Sam laughs. Norman stops, turns, looks at him. SAM First time I've seen it happen. to Lila Check in any place in this country without bags, and you have to pay in advance. Sam smiles as if at a funny remark, takes a bill out of his pocket. NORMAN Ten dollars Norman returns to Sam, takes the extended bill, is about to start out again. SAM That receipt...? Norman goes reluctantly behind counter, lays down the key to cabin twelve, takes a receipt book out of the drawer under counter, starts to write. Lila steps up to the desk, picks up the key, quickly, starts out. LILA I'll start ahead. Norman looks up, gazes her as she goes out door. THE MOTEL DAY Lila comes along the porch, pauses before cabin one, tries the door. It opens. She closes it quickly as she hears Sam and Norman coming out of the motel office, continues on down the porch. SAM To Norman, who is following Don't bother yourself we'll find it. He goes on down the porch, doesn't even glance at cabin one, walks quickly and catches up to Lila just as she reaches cabin twelve. CAMERA REMAINS with Norman, who is standing by the office door, looking after Sam and Lila, his face alert and no longer impassive. He waits a moment, after they have closed their cabin door, then crosses to the pickup truck. CAMERA MOVES with him. He studies the truck, then leans in through the driver's window, twists the registration card around, reads it. It gives the correct name and address of Sam Loomis. Norman comes back out of the window, glances once more toward cabin twelve, then at the old house. His suspicions are confirmed, and now there is the relaxation of relief in his face. He takes on a purposeful air, turns, strides up the path, up onto the porch of the house, opens the door, goes in. CABIN TWELVE DAY Lila is at the cabin's rear window, looking out, straining for a glimpse of the old house, which cannot be seen from the window of this cabin. She turns, frustrated, anxious. Sam is standing at the foot of the bed, staring at the smooth coverlet, his brow creased in a sadness. LILA We should have asked for Cabin One The one Mary was in. SAM I'm glad we didn't. He pulls his eyes from the bed, crosses to the desk, sits wearily, lights a cigarette. Lila watches him for a moment, feels a real compassion, goes to the bed, sits on its edge, turns again and looks at Sam's back. LILA We have to go into that cabin and search it, Sam no matter what we're afraid of finding and no matter how much it may hurt. SAM I know. A pause Do you think if something happened, it happened there? LILA A pause, then:) Sam, if you owned a useless business like this motel one you probably couldn't even sell what would you need to get away, to start a new business, somewhere else? As Sam studies her Forty thousand dollars? SAM How could we prove An almost hopeless laugh Well, if he opens a new motel on the new highway say, a year from now LILA There must be some proof that exists right now! Something that proves he got that money away from Mary Some way! SAM What makes you sound so certain? LILA Arbogast! Sam, he liked me or felt sorry for me and he was starting to feel the same about you. I heard it when he called in his voice, a caring. He wouldn't have gone anywhere or done anything without telling us. Unless he was stopped. And he was stopped, so he must have found out something! Sam considers a moment, nods agreement, rises. SAM We'll start with Cabin One. He goes to the door, opens it slightly, looks out, then, back to Lila: SAM If he sees us we're just taking the air. Lila goes to the door. He holds it open and she goes out. THE MOTEL DAY Sam closes the door, joins Lila, takes her hand. Together they walk along the porch in the direction of Cabin One. CAMERA FOLLOWS. They pause before the door of Cabin One. Sam motions Lila to wait, to hold still, then goes on to the office, opens the door, calls in: SAM Bates? He waits, there is no response. He goes in and in a moment comes back out, closes the door, goes to Lila. She has already opened the door of Cabin One and has started to enter. CABIN ONE DAY The blinds are closed and the room is almost night-dark. Sam comes in after Lila, closes the door behind him. For a moment they just gaze at the room, as if willing it to tell them some satisfactory story. Neither speaks. Then, in dark silence, they begin to search, going methodically and thoroughly through all drawers, the closet, the desk, searching under the bed and in dark corners, not knowing what they expect to find and yet expecting to find some thing. Lila opens the bathroom door, looks in. The windowless room is very dark. She switches on the light, goes in. Sam moves toward the bathroom, is about to follow her in when he notices which room it is and automatically catches himself up, backs out. SAM Sorry. LILA Hospital clean. SAM What? LILA The bathroom. Look at how clean it is. The one in our cabin is clean but this is clean! Sam goes in, glances around, nods. Lila goes through the medicine cabinet, finds nothing but a glass and two tiny tabs of soap. Sam leans against the door-jamb, looks at the tub, the shower pipe above it. He continues to stare, more interested suddenly, as if bothered by some off-key evidence he can't put his finger on. Then he looks at the shower curtain rod. And realizes there is no shower curtain. He frowns, is about to say something when Lila, who has been momentarily out of shot, interrupts. Sam turns, CAMERA TURNS, and we see Lila is standing above the toilet bowl, a tiny piece of wet paper stuck to the tip of her right index finger. SAM What is it? LILA It didn't get washed down. It's figuring the kind you tear up and get rid of. Extending her finger toward Sam Some figure has been added to or subtracted from forty thousand. Sam lifts the piece of paper off her finger, studies it, takes out his wallet, presses the wet scrap to his driver's license shield, puts it back in the wallet and puts the wallet away. LILA That's proof Mary was here! It would be too wild a coincidence for somebody else to SAM Reminding Bates never denied Mary was here. LILA Reminded Yes. A thought But maybe this proves that Bates found out about the money. SAM Do we simply ask him where he's hidden it? LILA Sam, that old woman, whoever she is. I think she told Arbogast something! And I want her to tell us the same thing! She starts out of the bathroom. Sam takes hold of her arm, stops her. SAM You can't go up there. LILA Why not? SAM Bates. CAMERA STARTS TO PAN AWAY from them, moves slowly over the room, very slowly. LILA'S VOICE Let's find him. One of us can keep him occupied while the other gets to the woman. SAM'S VOICE You won't be able to hold him still if he doesn't want to be held. And I don't like you going into that house alone, Lila. CAMERA HAS PANNED clear across to the opposite wall now, and is moving up closer and closer to the tiny-flowered wall paper, finally closing in on one small rosebud. LILA'S VOICE I can handle a sick old woman. Now we see that the rosebud has been cut out, that this is the reverse side of the hole Norman peeped through to watch Mary. And we see the pupil of Norman's eye now. SAM'S VOICE All right. I'll find Bates and keep him occupied. The eye moves away and there is a brief flash of light before the hole is covered, on the other side, by the wall-hung painting. FRESH ANGLE LILA AND SAM They are about to start out. Sam stops her again. SAM Wait a minute. If you get anything out of the mother A thought Can you find your way back to town? As Lila nods yes If you do get anything, don't stop to tell me. Lila nods quickly, hurries to the door. Sam gets to it first, opens it a slight crack, looks out, then opens it wide enough for Lila and Himself to pass through. THE MOTEL DAY ANGLE CLOSE on cabin one as Lila comes out, turns to her left, goes along porch toward cabin twelve. Sam remains at the door, then turns right, heading for the path. As he passes the office, he is shocked to see Norman standing just inside the open door. NORMAN Looking for me? SAM Recovering Yes, matter of fact. The friendly grin The wife's taking a nap and I can never keep quiet enough for her so I thought I'd look you up and talk. NORMAN Satisfied with your cabin? SAM Fine. Sam starts into the office. Just before going in, he glances down the long porch, sees Lila standing outside the door of cabin twelve, waves her a tiny 'all clear' signal. LILA CAMERA ANGLES to include Lila and her point of view. She watches Sam disappear into the office, waits until she hears the door close, then looks about for another way to reach the house. She sees the small alley at the end of this L of cabins, starts toward it. REAR OF MOTEL S.C.U. LILA DAY Behind the motel Lila hesitates. She looks ahead. LONG SHOT DAY The old house standing against the sky. CLOSE UP DAY Lila moves forward. LONG SHOT DAY The CAMERA approaching the house. CLOSE UP DAY Lila glances toward the back of Norman's parlor. She moves on. LONG SHOT DAY The house coming nearer. CLOSE UP DAY Lila looks up at the house. She moves forward purposefully. S.L.S. DAY The house and the porch. CLOSE UP DAY Lila stops at the house and looks up. She glances back. She turns to the house again. S.L.S. DAY The CAMERA MOUNTS the steps to the porch. C.U. DAY Lila puts out her hand. S.C.U. DAY Lila's hand pushes the door open. We see the hallway. Lila ENTERS PAST CAMERA. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY OF OLD HOUSE DAY Lila closes the door, remains by it for a moment, quiet, listening. Her eyes scan the layout, the closed door which leads off the hallway, to the dining room on the right and the parlor on the left. Down at the end of the hall is the kitchen, the door wide open, the room beyond dim and silent. She notices the stairs leading down to the basement, stares at them, then back to the stairs leading to the second floor. She starts forward, and seems about to investigate the parlor and dining room. THE MOTEL OFFICE DAY Norman is behind the counter, standing, staring at Sam who is sitting relaxedly on a small sofa. Norman has the look of one who is protecting himself, as if the counter were a protective wall against the threatening world across it. SAM Cheerfully, as if after a self-conscious pause I've been doing all the talking so far, haven't I? NORMAN Yes. SAM I always thought it was the people who are alone so much who do all the talking when they get the chance. Yet there you are, doing all the listening! A pause You are alone here, aren't you? As Norman does not reply It would drive me crazy. NORMAN That would be a rather extreme reaction, wouldn't it? SAM Lightly Just an expression More seriously What I meant was I'd do just about anything to get away. Wouldn't you? DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY AND STAIRS OF OLD HOUSE DAY Lila is halfway up the stairs. As she climbs she is startled by the creaks and groans of the old wood of the steps. She steps more carefully. CAMERA remains at foot of stair, TILTING UP as Lila climbs. She pauses at the head of the stair. The door on her right, which opens into the mother's room, is closed. To her left is another door, half-open. Directly before her is a third door, closed. She holds a long moment, trying to picture in her mind which room would look out on the front of the house, decides, chooses the correct door, the one on her right. She goes to it, knocks lightly. THE MOTHER'S ROOM DAY CLOSE ANGLE ON DOOR We hear Lila's second knock, then, faintly, her soft call. LILA'S VOICE Mrs. Bates? There is quiet for a moment, then the door begins to open, and we see Lila. She stands on the threshold, looking in at the room, instantly disturbed by it, almost chilled, her expression indicating an impulse to close the door and go away from this room forever. After a moment, she enters, leaving the door open behind her. CAMERA PULLS BACK AND AWAY and we now see the room as Lila sees it. It is ornate, damask-and-mahogany, thick and warm and ripe, an olla podrida of mismated furnishings and bric-a-brac of the last century. The bed is four poster, but uncanoped; the dressing table is fancy and flounced with satin; there is a great chiffonier, a big-doored wardrobe, a large, oval, full length pier-glass this against the wall directly opposite the door), a satin recamier, an upholstered armchair by the window, a white marble fireplace, its grate cold but piled with ashes. And there is in the room an unmistakably live quality, as if even though it is presently unoccupied, it has not been long vacated by some musty presence. Lila glances at the bed. The damask coverlet is thrown over it, but it is not neat, there is the imprint of a body on it, a body which obviously has slept in a curled-up, womb like position. Lila stares at it for a moment, up, then goes to the dressing table. Its top is scattered with boxes and jars of cosmetics and creams, traces of fresh powder, an opened bottle or perfume, a comb, and a brush with traces of hair in its bristles. Lila moves on, catches a glimpse of herself in the pier-glass, is startled, turns away, goes to the chiffonier, is about to open a drawer, sees the high wardrobe out of the corner of her eyes, goes to it, hesitantly. She opens one door. Fresh, clean, well pressed dresses hang neatly. Lila opens the other door. The sweaters and dresses and robes hang freely, none in moth-proof, storage type bags. There is even a well-brushed collar of foxes. Along the floor of the wardrobe is a line of clean, polished shoes. Lila stares, then closes the door, turns, looks once again over the whole room, starts out, THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY OF THE OLD HOUSE DAY Lila comes out of the mother's room, closes the door behind her, looks down the stairs, then starts across the hall to the room whose door is half-open. The room within is dark, the shades drawn full. Lila pauses on the threshold, reaches in, feels the wall, throws on a switch. MOTEL OFFICE DAY Sam has risen, is standing by the counter now. SAM I'm not saying you shouldn't be contented here, I'm just doubting that you are. I think if you saw a chance to get out from under you'd unload this place NORMAN Angrily This place! This isn't 'a place.' It's my only world. I grew up in that house back there. I was a happy child. My mother and I we were more than happy. SAM And now that your mother's dead? Norman snaps a sharp, fast, ugly look at him. NORMAN My mother is not dead! SAM Softly I didn't think so. NORMAN'S ROOM IN THE OLD HOUSE DAY Lila is standing in the doorway, staring at the room in sick dismay. The room is grotesque, a horrible, ludicrous fantasy of childhood held beyond the point of decency. It is a small room. The walls are fancied with romping silhouettes of teddy-bears and sailboats and carousels and fat cows jumping over aghast moons. The bed is small, far too short for a man of Norman's height. And yet the rumpled covers indicate that it is in this bed that Norman sleeps. Next to the bed is an old-fashioned toy chest. On its top there are a bird-in-a-cage lamp, a plain-bound book, and an ash tray filled with ashes and cigarette stubs. A grown man's shirt hangs on a child's clothes tree. Against one wall there is a narrow, high bookcase filled with thick, unchildish-looking books. On the small, white chest of drawers there is an old, child's victrola. The record on the turntable is discovered, on close inspection, to be Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. Lila studies the room, fascinated and repelled. She glances at the bookcase, comes into the room, goes to the bookcase and pulls out a thick, large, plain-bound book. She opens it. Her eyes go wide in shock. And then there is disgust. She slams the book closed, drops it. THE MOTEL OFFICE DAY Norman, behind the counter, has moved back against the wall. Sam is still on the other side of the counter, but is leaning forward, his eyes hard on Norman's face. Norman's face is no longer expressionless. It has the stark, high sheen of a cornered animal. SAM Pressing You look frightened. Have I been saying something frightening? NORMAN I don't know what you've been saying. SAM I've been talking about your mother about your motel. How are you going to do it? NORMAN Do what? SAM Buy a new one! In a new town! Where you won't have to hide your mother! NORMAN Shut up! SAM Where will you get the money to do that, Bates or do you already have it socked away a lot of it NORMAN Leave me alone! SAM Forty thousand dollars! NORMAN Leave me alone! He is close to panic now. He turns, swiftly, dashes back into his private parlor. Sam goes quickly around the counter, follows. NORMAN'S PRIVATE PARLOR DAY Norman hears Sam following, wants to run, to never be reached by this man. He crosses the small room, drawn to the rear window, as if he might fly through it. Sam enters, pauses. Norman turns, back against the window, as unable to fly away as are the many still, stuffed birds. Sam registers a brief flicker of reaction when he sees the birds, but continues to gaze at Norman, hard. SAM I bet your mother knows where the money is. And what you did to get it. And I think she'll tell us. Something self-assured and confident in Sam's tone gives Norman a new, more terrified alarm. He turns his head, glances out the window at the old house. He looks back at Sam and there is terror in his voice. NORMAN Where's that girl? The girl you came with! Where is she? Sam does not respond, smiles a half-smile, turns to examine a stuffed owl. Norman looks back at the house. NORMAN A horrible groan Oh, God! UPSTAIRS HALL OF THE OLD HOUSE DAY Lila, shaken and disturbed, almost sickened, is coming out of Norman's room. She has left the light on. She pauses in the middle of the landing, looks at the closed door opposite the stairs, goes to it, opens it, sees that it is the bathroom, pulls the door to, turns, starts toward the stairs. NORMAN'S PRIVATE PARLOR DAY Sam is lying on the floor, face downward, unmoving. A candlestick is on the floor, close by his head, still rocking as if just dropped. OVER SHOT comes the SOUND of Norman's footsteps and CAMERA TURNS in time to catch a brief glimpse of him going out into the office, almost at a run. STAIRWAY OF THE OLD HOUSE DAY Lila is on the top step, looking down toward CAMERA. She is listening, hoping to hear some human sound, some sound she might follow, pursue. She hears nothing. She starts down the stairs. Just below the halfway step, she looks at the front door, sees out through the door window: LILA'S VIEWPOINT DAY Norman coming. STAIRWAY OF THE OLD HOUSE DAY For a moment Lila panics, then she hurries down the steps, cannot go in the direction of the front door, remembers the stairway behind her, turns and runs in that direction. The SOUND of Norman bounding up the porch steps can be heard. Lila turns and dashes down the stairs which lead to the basement, going down far enough to conceal herself, crouching there. Norman enters the hallway, closes the door softly, listens. He glances once in the direction of the basement stairs. He seems about to smile, when suddenly all expression vanishes from his face, and he appears to enter a no-place, no-time state. He crosses to the stairway, goes up. Lila remains crouched on the basement stairs, listening to the SOUNDS of Norman. His footsteps on the stairs followed by the fast noises of doors opening, of fast moving about an upstairs room. Convinced that he is searching the upstairs for her, she decides to chance an escape. She starts up the steps, is about to turn into the hallway when her eye is caught by a glimmer of light down in the basement. She pauses, looks down, sees the crack of light coming from behind the not entirely closed door to the fruit cellar. The swift moving SOUNDS of Norman continue to come from upstairs. Lila is torn, knows she should get out of the house while she has the chance, is unable to resist the impulse to check that hidden-looking room down below, a room in which, she desperately believes, there must lie some answer to what happened to Mary. She turns and goes softly and quickly down the stairs. THE BASEMENT OF THE OLD HOUSE DAY Lila reaches the bottom, stops, listens, hears the stairboards creaking as footsteps fall hard and measured upon them. She turns, pulls open the fruit cellar door, looks in. The woman is sitting in a comfortable chair, the back of the chair, and the woman, turned to the door. Lila calls a harsh, frightened whisper. LILA Mrs. Bates...? Lila goes into the room. THE FRUIT CELLAR Lila goes to the chair, touches it. The touch disturbs the figure. It starts to turn, slowly, stiffly, a clock-wise movement. Lila looks at it in horror. It is the body of a woman long dead. The skin is dry and pulled away from the mouth and the teeth are revealed as in the skeleton's smile. The eyes are gone from their sockets, the bridge of the nose has collapsed, the hair is dry and wild, the cheeks are sunken, the leathery-brown skin is powdered and rouged and flaky. The body is dressed in a high-neck, clean, well-pressed dress, obviously recently laundered and hand-ironed. The movement of this stuffed, ill-preserved cadaver, turning as if in response to Lila's call and touch, is actually graceful, ballet-like, and the effect is terrible and obscene. Lila gazes for one flicker of a deathly moment, then begins to scream, a high, piercing, dreadful scream. And Lila's scream is joined by another scream, a more dreadful, horrifying scream which comes from the door behind her. NORMAN'S VOICE screaming Aye Am Norma Bates! Lila turns. NORMAN His face is contorted. He wears a wild wig, a mockery of a woman's hair. He is dressed in a high-neck dress which is similar to that worn by the corpse of his mother. His hand is raised high, poised to strike at Lila. There is a long breadknife in it. LILA Close on her face. She is dumb-struck. Her eyes are screaming. BACK TO NORMAN As he is about to start forward, a man's hand reaches in from the doorway behind, grabs Norman's wrist. Sam comes through the door, still holding tight to the wrist, pulling back the arm and at the same time throwing himself at Norman, football tackle style. SERIES OF CUTS THE FIGHT Norman and Sam, struggling. The wild fury in Norman's face, the mad noise of his screams and vile curses. The terrified, fight-to-the-death look of Sam. The still, staring Lila. MRS. BATES A close of her face, She appears to be watching and enjoying the fight. Over the shot, the SOUNDS of the struggle, the screams of Norman. COURTHOUSE AT READING NIGHT There are many people gathered about the steps, the curious and the concerned and the morbid. At the curb, a couple of newspaper cars, two or three police cars, and a mobile unit truck from the local television outlet. There is noise, and chattering as questions are asked and answers given, and the sounds of traffic, and of the television equipment being moved into the courthouse, for on-the-scene reporting, and the stern voices of policemen trying to keep people back. The scene has a bright glare about it, that quality of sudden light thrown on a fearful darkness. CLOSER ANGLE ON STEPS OF COURTHOUSE A POLICEMAN trying to make way for the television men, muttering 'keep back,' etc., to the spectators. A TELEVISION MAN, carrying a piece of equipment goes through door, and CAMERA FOLLOWS him into the courthouse vestibule. Here, too, there is a crowd, composed of Policemen, Reporters, Television Men. The Television Men we have been following stops beside a Policeman. TELEVISION MAN Indicating the front door he has just come in through You think they'll take him out that way? POLICEMAN Looking at waiting crowd, shrugging Probably have to. A rueful smile Besides, the taxpayers hate it when something gets slipped out the back door on them! Over this exchange, the buzz of other voices, the movement of men. CAMERA MOVES ON, down the corridor, gets to the door of the office of the Chief of Police just as a young fellow with a carton box filled with paper containers of sent-out for coffee reaches this door. CAMERA HOLDS as the COFFEE BOY pauses a moment, then goes into the room. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE NIGHT Lila is seated in a chair, Sam standing close by. A bit apart from them, we see Sheriff Chambers, in quiet conference with the CHIEF OF POLICE, the COUNTY SHERIFF, the DISTRICT ATTORNEY. The Coffee Boy stands in the doorway. Sam goes to him, takes a container of coffee from the box, carries it to Lila, checking the notation on the lid as he goes. MED. CLOSE ON SAM AND LILA SAM quietly It's regular. Okay? LILA ruefully I could stand something regular. Sam smiles encouragingly, hands her the coffee. Sheriff Chambers ENTERS SHOT, gives Sam a container of coffee he has brought for him. Sam takes it, nods a thank you. For a moment no one speaks. Lila looks badly shaken, Sam disheveled, but contained. CHAMBERS You two can go on home if you like. a sympathetic look at Lila Making that statement was enough for one night. SAM to Lila Want to? LILA No. I'm all right. I'll feel better when all this is explained if it can be. Sam looks a question at Sheriff Chambers. Chambers shrugs doubtfully. CHAMBERS If anybody gets any answers, it'll be the fellow talking to him now the Psychiatrist. Even I couldn't reach Norman and he knows me. to Lila You warm enough, Miss? Lila is about to answer, when she sees someone come into the room and rises anxiously. Sam and Sheriff Chambers turn, follow her gaze. OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE FULL SHOT A young man with a serious, frowning face has just come into the room. He is DR. SIMON, the Psychiatrist. He goes to the desk where the box of coffee containers has been placed, takes up a container. DISTRICT ATTORNEY Did he talk to you? SIMON No. I got the whole story but not from Norman. I got it from his mother. Everyone gazes at him, mystified. He speaks as he removes lid from coffee container. SIMON Norman Bates no longer exists. He only half-existed to begin with now, the other half has taken over. Probably for all time. LILA With difficulty Did he kill my sister? SIMON Yes and no. DISTRICT ATTORNEY Look, if you're trying to lay a lot of psychiatric groundwork for some sort of plea this fellow would like to cop SIMON A psychiatrist doesn't lay the groundwork he merely tries to explain it. LILA But my sister is SIMON Yes. I'm sorry. to Chambers The Private Investigator, too. If you drag that swamp somewhere in the vicinity of the motel To the Chief of Police Have you any unsolved missing persons cases on your books? CHIEF OF POLICE Yes. Two. SIMON Young girls? CHIEF OF POLICE nods, astounded, then:) Did he confess to SIMON interrupting As I said, the mother Pauses, goes on afresh To understand it, as I understood it hearing it from the mother That is, from the mother-half of Norman's mind, you have to go back ten years to the time when Norman murdered his mother and her lover. A pause, then as no one interrupts He was already dangerously disturbed, had been ever since his father died. His mother was a clinging, demanding woman and for years the two of them lived as if there was no one else in the world. Then she met a man and it seemed to Norman she 'threw him over' for this man. That pushed him over the thin line and he killed them both. Matricide is probably the most unbearable crime of all and most unbearable to the son who commit it. So he had to erase the crime, at least in his own mind. A pause He stole her corpse and a weighted coffin was buried. He hid the body in the fruit cellar, even 'treated' it to keep it as well as it would keep. And that still wasn't enough. She was there, but she was a corpse. So he began to think and speak for her, gave her half his life, so to speak. At times he could be both personalities, carry on conversations at other times, the mother-half took over completely. He was never all Norman, but he was often only mother. And because he was so pathologically jealous of her, he assumed she was as jealous of him. Therefore, if he felt a strong attraction to any other woman, the mother side of him would go wild. To Lila When Norman met your sister, he was touched by her and aroused by her. He wanted her. And this set off his 'jealous mother' and 'mother killed the girl.' After the murder, Norman returned as if from a deep sleep and like a dutiful son, covered up all traces of the crime he was convinced his mother had committed. SAM Why was he dressed like that? DISTRICT ATTORNEY He's a transvestite! SIMON Not exactly. A man who dresses in woman's clothing in order to achieve a sexual change or satisfaction is a transvestite. But in Norman's case, he was simply doing everything possible to keep alive the illusion of his mother being alive. And whenever reality came too close, when danger or desire threatened that illusion, he'd dress up, even to a cheap wig he brought, and he'd walk about the house, sit in her chair, speak in her voice He tried to be his mother. A sad smile And now he is. A pause That's what I meant when I said I got the story from the mother. She thinks Norman has been taken away because of his crimes. She insists she did nothing, that Norman committed all the murders just to keep her from being discovered. She even smiled a bit coquettishly as she said that. Of course, she feels badly about it but also somewhat relieved to be, as she put it, free of Norman, at last. A pause When the mind houses two personalities, there is always a battle. In Norman's case, the battle is over and the dominant personality has won. Lila begins to weep softly, for Mary, for Arbogast, for Norman, for all the destroyed human beings of this world. Sam bends beside her, puts his arm about her, comforts her. CHAMBERS To Simon And the forty thousand dollars? Who got that? SIMON The swamp. These were murders of passion, not profit. A POLICE GUARD puts his head in the door, speaks, in a near whisper, to the Chief of Police. The Guard is carrying a folded blanket over his arm. POLICE GUARD He feels a little chill can I bring him this blanket? The Chief of Police nods. The Guard goes away, and CAMERA FOLLOWS him out of the room and out into the hallway. Guard moves through the waiting men, heading down the corridor. ANOTHER CORRIDOR IN COURTHOUSE A narrower corridor in the rear of the building. In f.g. of shot, we see a door, the top half of which is wire-covered glass. A GUARD in uniform is posted by the door, looking reprovingly at the two or three people trying to get a glance into the room. The Police Guard, carrying the blanket, comes down this corridor, goes to the door. CAMERA MOVES CLOSE. The uniformed Guard opens the door, allows the man to go in. Shot is RAKED so that we can not see into the room. After a moment, the Guard comes out and the uniformed Guard closes and locks the door and we NORMAN'S DETENTION ROOM NIGHT The walls are white and plain. There is no window. There is no furniture except the straight-back chair in which Norman sits, in the center of the room. The room has a quality of no-whereness, of calm separation from the world. The Police Guard has placed the blanket on Norman's knees. Norman, as we come upon him, is lifting the blanket, unfolding it. His face, although without makeup and without the surrounding softness of the wig, has a certain femininity about it, a softness about the mouth and a kind of arch womanliness about the brows. Calmly, Norman places the blanket about his shoulders, as if it were a cashmere shawl. CAMERA REMAINS in a position so that our view of Norman is a FULL ONE. When the shawl is in position, and Norman is settled, we HEAR, OVER SHOT, the voice of his mother, coming from the calm of his thoughts. MOTHER'S VOICE It's sad when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son but I couldn't allow them to believe that I would commit murder. A pause They'll put him away now as I should have years ago. He was always bad. And in the end, he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man. As if I could do anything except just sit and stare like one of his stuffed birds. A pause Well, they know I can't even move a finger. And I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet. Just in case they do suspect me. A fly buzzes close, and then continues buzzing and flying about Norman's face. MOTHER'S VOICE V.O.) They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. A pause, as the fly lights on Norman's hand I'm not going to swat that fly. I hope they are watching. They'll see they'll see and they'll know and they'll say 'why, she wouldn't even harm a fly...' Norman continues to gaze ahead into nothing. SCENE BEGINS TO DISSOLVE SLOWLY TO: THE SWAMP As END TITLES FADE IN, we see the swamp, the chain of a tow truck. The chain is attached to Mary's car. The car is coming out of the swamp. ", " 'THE SHINING.' Post Production Script. A STANLEY KUBRICK FILM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: JAN HARLAN PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY: STANLEY KUBRICK July, 'THE SHINING.' COLORADO MOUNTAIN U.S.A.) DAY L.S. Lake and Mountains. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD past island in lake. ROAD DAY L.S. High Angle V.W. Car moving along road CAMERA TILTS UP with it. COLORADO MOUNTAINS & ROAD DAY L.S. Mountains and Road V.W. Car moves away along road CAMERA TRACKS after it. L.S. V.W. Car moving away along road CAMERA TRACKS after it and passes car TRACKING FORWARD to Mountains in b.g. M.L.S. High Angle V.W. Car moves away along road CAMERA TILTS UP with it. Car goes into tunnel and comes out other side. CAMERA TRACKS after car. L.S. V.W. Car moves along road. CAMERA TRACKS after it. Mountains in b.g. L.S. High Angle V.W. Car moving away along road. Mountain in b.g. CAMERA TRACKS after car. L.S. Mountain CAMERA TRACKS IN on Hotel. Black Frames. THE INTERVIEW OVERLOOK HOTEL/LOBBY DAY M.L.S. Jack walks L-R across Lobby. CAMERA TRACKS BACK & PANS with him to RECEPTIONIST behind desk. JACK Hi, I've got an appointment with Mr. Ullman. My name is Jack Torrance. RECEPTIONIST His office is the first door on the left. JACK Thank you. JACK moves away R-L. CAMERA PANS with him and TRACKS IN after him through Secretary's office to open door of ULLMAN's office revealing ULLMAN seated at desk with SECRETARY standing beside him. JACK Mr. Ullman? ULLMAN Yes? JACK I'm Jack Torrance. ULLMAN Oh, well come on in Jack. ULLMAN stands up and hands book to SECRETARY, walking round side of desk. JACK moves into office. CAMERA TRACKS IN after him. He shakes hands with ULLMAN. ULLMAN Very nice to meet you. JACK Nice to meet you, Mr. Ullman. ULLMAN points to SECRETARY. ULLMAN This is my secretary, Susie. SECRETARY Hallo. JACK Susie, how do you do? . ULLMAN Have any trouble finding us? JACK Oh, no problem at all. I made the trip in three and a half hours. ULLMAN Well, that's very good time, very good. Please sit down a minute. ULLMAN points to chair cam.R. JACK sits cam.R.f.g. ULLMAN walks behind desk. ULLMAN JAck, just make yourself at home. Would you like some coffee? JACK Well, if you are going to have some, I wouldn't mind. Thanks. ULLMAN Susie. SECRETARY Sure. ULLMAN Oh, and would you ask Bill Watson to join us? SECRETARY Yes, I will. ULLMAN sits behind desk. SUSIE walks forward to R.f.g. APARTMENT BUILDING/BOULDER DAY L.S. Apartment Building cars parked in front of it. Mountain in b.g. CAMERA TRACKS IN on Apartment Building. JACK & WENDY'S APARTMENT IN BOULDER USA / LIVING ROOM DAY M.L.S. DANNY is sitting at table eating a sandwich. WENDY sitting cam.R reading book. DANNY Mom . WENDY Yeah. DANNY Do you really want to go and live in that hotel for the winter? WENDY Sure, Danny, it will be lots of fun. DANNY Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, there's hardly anybody to play with around here. WENDY Yeah, I know. It always takes a little time to make new friends. M.S. DANNY eating sandwich. DANNY Yeah, I guess so. M.S. WENDY WENDY What about Tony? He's looking forward to the hotel, I bet. M.S. DANNY while eating sandwich wiggles forefinger of his L.hand and speaks with different voice. TONY NO, I ain't Mrs. Torrance. M.S. WENDY WENDY Oh come on, Tony. Don't be silly. M.S. DANNY wiggles forefinger of L.hand and speaks with different voice TONY I don't want to go there, Mrs. Torrance. M.S. WENDY WENDY Well, how come you don't want to go? M.S. DANNY wiggles forefinger of L.hand and speaks with different voice. TONY I just don't. M.S. WENDY. WENDY Well, let's just wait and see. We're all gonna have a real good time. OVERLOOK HOTEL/ULLMAN'S OFFICE DAY M.L.S. JACK over ULLMAN seated at desk. BILL WATSON enter office. JACK rises and shakes hands with him. ULLMAN Bill, I'd like you to meet Jack Torrance. WATSON How do you do? JACK Bill, how do you do? WATSON Pleased to meet you. JACK Pleasure to meet you. ULLMAN Grab a chair Bill, and join in WATSON & JACK sit down. ULLMAN Jack is going to take care of the Overlook for this winter. I would like you to take him around the place as soon as we are through. WATSON Fine. ULLMAN Jack is a schoolteacher. M.C.S. JACK. JACK Eh formerly a school-teacher. WATSON OFF What line of work are you in now? JACK I'm a writer um Teaching has been more or less a way of making ends meet. M.C.S. WATSON. WATSON Well this ought to be quite a change for you. M.C.S. JACK JACK Well, I'm looking for a change. ULLMAN OFF Our people in Denver recommended Jack very highly, and, for once, I agree with them. M.S. ULLMAN . ULLMAN Let's see, where were we? Yes. I was about to explain that eh our season here runs from oh May th to October th and then we close down completely until the following May. M.C.S. JACK JACK Do you mind if I ask why you do that? It seems to me that the skiing up here would be fantastic. ULLMAN OFF Oh, it sure would be M.S. ULLMAN ULLMAN CONT'D but the problem is the enormous cost it would be to keep the road to the Sidewinder open. It's a It's a mile stretch of road gets an average of feet of snow during the winter, and there's just no way to make it economically feasible to keep it clear. When the place was built in, there was very little interest in winter sports, and this site was chosen for its seclusion and scenic beauty. M.L.S. ULLMAN over WATSON & JACK. JACK Well, it's certainly got plenty of that. JACK laughs. ULLMAN That's right. And did they give you any idea in Denver about what the job entails? . JACK Only in a very general way. ULLMAN Well M.S. ULLMAN ULLMAN CONT'D the winters can be fantastically cruel, and the basic idea is toto cope with the very costly damage and depreciation which can occur. And this consists mainly of running the boiler, heating different parts of the hotel on a daily rotating basis, repairing damage as it occurs and doing repairs, so that the elements can't get a foothold. M.C.S. JACK JACK Well, that sounds fine to me. ULLMAN grunts off. M.S. ULLMAN ULLMAN Physically, it's not a very demanding job. The only thing that can get a bit trying up here during the winter is eh the tremendous sense of isolation. M.C.S. JACK JACK Well, that just happens to be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm eh I'm outlining a new writing project, and eh MORE . JACK CONT'D five months of peace is just what I want. M.S. ULLMAN ULLMAN That's very good Jack, because eh for some people eh solitude and isolation M.C.S. JACK. ULLMAN OFF CONT'D can of itself be a problem. JACK Not for me. M.S. ULLMAN. ULLMAN How about your wife and son? How do you think they'll take to it? M.C.S. JACK. JACK They'll love it. ULLMAN OFF Great M.S. ULLMAN ULLMAN Well, before I turn you over to Bill, there is one other thing I think we should talk about. I don't want to sound melodramatic, but it is something that's MORE . ULLMAN CONT'D been known to give a few people second thoughts about the job. M.C.S. JACK JACK I'm intrigued. M.S. ULLMAN. ULLMAN I don't suppose they eh told you anything in Denver about the tragedy we had up here during the winter of ? M.C.S. JACK shakes his head. JACK I don't believe they did. M.S. BILL WATSON. ULLMAN OFF Well, my predecessor in this job M.S. ULLMAN. ULLMAN CONT'D hired a man named Charles Grady, as the winter caretaker. He came up here with his wife and two little girls of about eight or ten. And he had a good employment record, good references and from what I've been told, I mean, he seemed like a completely normal individual. But at some point during the winter, he must have suffered some kind of a complete mental breakdown. MORE . ULLMAN CONT'D He ran amok and eh killed his family with an axe, M.C.S. JACK ULLMAN OFF CONT'D stacked them neatly in one of the rooms in the West Wing, and then he um then he put eh both barrels of his shotgun in his mouth. M.S. ULLMAN sitting behind desk. ULLMAN CONT'D The police eh they thought that it was what the old-timers used to call cabin-fever, a kind of claustrophobic reaction which can occur when people are M.C.S. JACK ULLMAN OFF CONT'D shut in together over long periods of time. JACK Well, that is eh quite a story. M.S. ULLMAN laughs. ULLMAN Yes, it is. Oh, it's still hard for me to believe that it actually happened here, but it did and eh I think you can appreciate why I wanted to tell you about it. M.C.S. JACK JACK Ah, I certainly can, and eh I also understand why your people in Denver left it for you to tell me. JACK laughs. U.S. ULLMAN laughing. ULLMAN Well, obviously some people can be M.C.S. JACK. ULLMAN OFF CONT'D put off by the idea of staying alone in a place where something like that actually happened. JACK Well, you can rest assured Mr. Ullman, that's not going to happen with me, and eg as far as my wife is concerned, I am sure she'll be absolutely fascinated when I tell her about it. She's a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict. BOULDER APARTMENT/BATHROOM DAY M.S. Shooting through open door DANNY standing on stool at basin. DANNY Tony, do you think Daddy will get the job? TONY OFF Yeah, he did. He's gonna phone Wendy up in a few minutes to tell her. BOULDER KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM DAY M.S. WENDY back to camera washing dishes at sink. PHONE RINGS OFF. She dries her hand and puts carton in fridge. Then moves L-R into Living Room CAMERA PANS with her She picks up telephone receiver. WENDY into phone Hello. HOTEL LOBBY DAY M.L.S. JACK leaning on counter at reception desk, speaking into phone. JACK into phone Hi, babe. WENDY over phone Hi, hon. How's it going? JACK into phone Great. Look, I'm at the hotel and I still have an awful lot to go through. I don't think I can get home before nine or ten. BOULDER APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM DAY M.S. WENDY sitting on back of chair phone to ear. WENDY into phone Sounds like you got the job? HOTEL LOBBY DAY M.L.S. JACK leaning on reception desk with phone to ear. JACK into phone Right it's a beautiful place. You and Danny are gonna love it. BOULDER APARTMENT/BATHROOM DAY M.S. DANNY standing on stool by basin. He is reflected in mirror. CAMERA TRACKS IN on his reflection in mirror DANNY Tony, why don't you want to go to the hotel? DANNY wiggles forefinger. TONY OFF I don't know. DANNY You do too know, now come on tell me. DANNY wiggles forefinger. TONY OFF I don't want to. DANNY Please DANNY wiggles forefinger. TONY OFF No. DANNY Now Tony, tell me. HOTEL LOBBY M.L.S. Shooting towards doors of lifts. Blood gushes in from L.side of lift and in from corridors L. and R. of lift doors surging towards camera. HOTEL/CORRIDOR M.S. Two Little GRADY girls holding hands. HOTEL/LOBBY M.L.S. Blood gushing in from corridors L-R of lift doors and surging towards camera BOULDER APARTMENT M.C.S. DANNY screaming. HOTEL/LOBBY M.L.S. Blood gushing in from corridors L-R of lift doors and surging forward. The blood gushes up into camera lens causing black out. DOCTOR OFF Now hold your eyes still so that I can see. BOULDER APARTMENT/DANNY'S BEDROOM DAY M.S. DOCTOR bending over DANNY lying on top of his bed. She is examining his eyes. WENDY standing at foot of bed. DOCTOR That's good, now the other one. Good boy. DOCTOR straightens up. She puts instrument away in case and closes it. Then she sits on bed beside DANNY. DOCTOR Now Danny, when you were brushing your teeth, do you remember if you smelled anything funny, or saw any bright flashing lights, or anything at all strange? M.C.S. DANNY. DANNY No. DOCTOR OFF Do you remember when you were brushing your teeth? DANNY Yes M.S. DOCTOR sitting on bed beside DANNY. WENDY standing at foot of bed. DOCTOR What's the next thing you remember after you were brushing your teeth? M.C.S. DANNY. DANNY Mommy saying, 'Wake up, wake up, wake up Danny, wake up.' M.S. DOCTOR sitting on bed beside DANNY. WENDY standing at foot of bed. DOCTOR Now Danny, can you remember what you were doing just before you started brushing your teeth? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY Talking to Tony. M.C.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR Is Tony one of your animals? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY No. It's the little boy that lives in my mouth. M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Tony is his imaginary friend DOCTOR OFF Oh, M.C.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR CONT'D if you were to open your mouth now, could I see Tony? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY No. M.C.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR Why not? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY Because he hides. M.C.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR Where does he go? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY To my stomach. M.C.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR Does Tony ever tell you to do things? M.C.S. DANNY . DANNY I don't want to talk about Tony anymore. M.S. DOCTOR sitting on bed beside DANNY. She pats his leg and stands up. WENDY at foot of bed. DOCTOR Okay. That's fine. All right Danny. DOCTOR puts case and stethoscope in her shoulder bag. DOCTOR Now I'm going to ask you to do me a favor, and stay quietly in bed for the rest of the day. Okay? DANNY Do I have to? DOCTOR Yes, I'd like you to. WENDY We're just going to go into one of the other rooms for a few minutes and talk then I'll come back and check on you, okay? DANNY Okay. DOCTOR Goodbye. WENDY & DOCTOR move R-L to open door. DOCTOR goes into the corridor. CORRIDOR/LIVING ROOM DAY M.S. DOCTOR standing in corridor. WENDY moves out of DANNY's room and closes the door. She turns to DOCTOR. WENDY Shall we go into the living room? DOCTOR Yes DOCTOR & WENDY walk forward along the corridor CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them and PANS R-L with them to Living Room. WENDY points to sofa. WENDY Please DOCTOR Thank you. DOCTOR moves to sofa and sits down WENDY sits in chair cam.R. DOCTOR Mrs. Torrance, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm quite sure there is nothing physically wrong with Danny. M.C.S. WENDY. WENDY Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, he seems absolutely fine now, but you should have seen him. M.S. DOCTOR over WENDY. DOCTOR leans back on sofa. DOCTOR Oh I know. Kids can scare you to death, but believe me these episodes are not at all uncommon, and they look much worse than they are. M.S. WENDY over DOCTOR. WENDY But eh what was the matter with him? DOCTOR Mrs. Torrance, most of the time these episodes with kids are never explained. They are brought on by emotional factors, and they rarely occur again M.S. DOCTOR. DOCTOR They're more akin to auto-hypnosis, a kind of self induced trance. If it re-occurs which I doubt M.S. WENDY takes cigarette out of packet. DOCTOR OFF CONT'D you can always think about having some tests done. WENDY holds cigarette packet out towards DOCTOR. DOCTOR OFF No thank you. She puts packet down on table. WENDY Oh, I'mI'm sure you're right. She lights cigarette from lighter. M.S. DOCTOR. DOCTOR Have you been in Boulder long, Mrs. Torrance? M.C.S. WENDY. WENDY Only about three months. Eh we're from Vermont. My husband was teaching school there. M.S. DOCTOR DOCTOR Did the appearance of Danny's imaginary friend...? . M.S. WENDY over DOCTOR. WENDY Tony. DOCTOR Did Tony's first appearance happen to coincide with your arrival here? M.C.S. WENDY WENDY No, um let's see I guess Danny started talkin to Tony about the time we put him into nursery school. M.S. DOCTOR over WENDY. DOCTOR Did he adjust well to school? M.C.S. WENDY she shakes her head. WENDY No. He didn't like it too much at first, and then he had an injury, so we kept him out for a while, and, yeah, II guess that's about the time when I first noticed that he was talking to Tony. M.S. DOCTOR over WENDY. DOCTOR What sort of injury did he have? M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Ah he dislocated his shoulder. WENDY inhales DOCTOR OFF How did he manage to do that? WENDY Well it's just one of those things. You know purely an accident, um. My husband had oh been drinking, and he came home about three hours late, so he wasn't exactly in the greatest mood that night. And well Danny had scattered some of his school papers all over the room and my husband grabbed his arm, you know, and pulled him away from them. It'sit's just the sort of thing you do a hundred times with a child you know, in a park or on the streets but on this particular occasion my husband just used too much strength and he injured Danny's arm. M.S. DOCTOR WENDY OFF CONT'D Anyway, something good did come out of it all because he said: M.C.S. WENDY WENDY CONT'D 'Wendy, I'm never gonna touch another drop and if I do you can leave me', and he didn't and he hasn't had any alcohol in eh five months. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposed Title over: CLOSING DAY COLORADO MOUNTAINS DAY L.S. High Angle Trees on side of Mountain CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD over them to Jack's car moving away along road. JACK'S CAR DAY M.S. WENDY sitting beside JACK as he drives along Mountain Road. DANNY, between them, is leaning on backs of their seats. WENDY yawns. WENDY Boy, we must be really high up. The air feels so different. JACK Uhhuh. DANNY Dad? JACK Yes? DANNY I'm hungry. JACK Well you should have eaten your breakfast. WENDY We'll get something as soon as we get to the hotel, okay? DANNY Okay, Mom. WENDY Hey, wasn't it around here that the Donner party got snowbound? JACK I think that was farther west in the Sierras. DANNY What was the Donner party? . JACK There were a party of settlers in the covered wagon times. They got snowbound one winter in the mountains. They had to resort to cannabilism in order to stay alive. DANNY You mean they ate each other up? JACK They had to, in order to survive. WENDY Jack DANNY Don't worry, Mom. I know all about cannabilism, I saw it on T.V. JACK See, it's okay. He saw it all on the television. COLORADO MOUNTAINS DAY L.S. High Angle JACK's car moving away along road on side of mountain CAMERA TRACKS after it. OVERLOOK HOTEL DAY L.S. Cars parked in front of Hotel. OVERLOOK HOTEL/LOBBY M.L.S. Man cleaning floor. CAMERA TRACKS L-R. WATSON & ULLMAN walk forward from b.g. ULLMAN What time does the plane leave? WATSON Eight thirty. ULLMAN Well, that still gives up plenty of time to go over everything first Two Girls carrying luggage enter cam.R and walk away to b.g. GIRLS Goodbye Mr. Ullman. ULLMAN Goodbye. ULLMAN & WATSON walk L-R to JACK sitting in chair. ULLMAN Good morning Jack. I hope you haven't been waiting too long. JACK No problem. In fact we had time to grab a bite to eat. JACK stands up. ULLMAN Good. Glad you made it before they shut down the kitchen. Is your family having a look around? JACK No, my son's discovered the games room. ULLMAN Oh Has your luggage been brought in? JACK points to luggage. JACK Right there. ULLMAN Oh fine. Well in view of all the ground that we to cover today, I suggest we go and have a quick look at your apartment and then get started straight away. ULLMAN turns to WATSON. ULLMAN Bill, would you have the Torrances' things brought in their apartment. WATSON Fine WATSON walks out cam.L. JACK I'd better collect my family first. ULLMAN Oh ULLMAN laughs and they move out cam.L. HOTEL/COLORADO LOUNGE DAY M.L.S. ULLMAN, followed by WENDY, JACK & WATSON, moves out of lift cam.R. They walk R-L across Lounge. CAMERA TRACKS with them. ULLMAN This is our Colorado Lounge. WENDY Oh, it's beautiful. to Jack My God, this place is fantastic, isn't it hon? JACK Sure is. WENDY God, I've never seen anything like this before. Are all of these Indian designs authentic? ULLMAN Yes, I believe they are based mainly on Navajo and Apache motifs. WENDY Oh well they're really gorgeous. As a matter of fact this is probably the most gorgeous hotel I've ever seen. ULLMAN laughs. ULLMAN Oh this old place has had an illustrious past. In its heyday it was one of the stopping places for the jet set, They reach corner and turn, walking towards camera ULLMAN CONT'D even before anybody knew what a jet set was. We've had four presidents who stayed here, lots of movie stars. WENDY Royalty? ULLMAN All the best people. HOTEL GAMES ROOM DAY M.C.S. DANNY throwing darts CAMERA TRACKS BACK & PANS L-R with him as he walks to the dartboard. He climbs up on chair and pulls two darts out. He looks cam.L. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on him. M.S. Two GRADY girls, holding hands, standing near open door. M.C.S. DANNY. M.S. Two GRADY girls, holding hands. They look at one another, then turn and exit out through open doorway. M.C.S. DANNY. HOTEL/CARETAKER'S APARTMENT CORRIDOR DAY M.S. ULLMAN leads WENDY & JACK forward along corridor to Caretaker's Apartment. ULLMAN This is the staff wing of the hotel. None of the other bedrooms are heated during the winter. WENDY Oh! Two Girls carrying bags enter from cam.L GIRLS Goodbye Mr. Ullman. ULLMAN Goodbye girls. ULLMAN waves to Girls and moves cam.R into JACK's apartment. WENDY & JACK follow him. ULLMAN And here are your quarters. HOTEL/JACK'S APARTMENT DAY M.S. ULLMAN, followed by WENDY and JACK, move up steps. ULLMAN points to open door cam.R. ULLMAN Living Room, bedroom, bathroom, and a small bedroom for your son. JACK leans forward and looks in small bedroom cam.L. He turns and looks cam.R. at ULLMAN. JACK Perfect for a child. WENDY Yeah. ULLMAN Yes. They move into apartment. JACK & WENDY move away through living room into bedroom CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after them. ULLMAN OFF Well the place is very nicely self contained, easy to keep. JACK feels bed. JACK Cosy. JACK & WENDY move away and enter bathroom CAMERA TRACKS after them ULLMAN OFF Yes, very cosy for a family, and if you feel like spreading out you have the rest of the hotel to move around in. JACK Well, it's very homely. WENDY Yeah. HOTEL/THE MAZE DAY L.S. ULLMAN leading WENDY, JACK & WATSON R-L along outside of Maze. CAMERA TRACKS & PANS with them. ULLMAN This is our famous hedge maze. It's quite an attraction around here. The walls are thirteen feet high and the hedges are about as old as the hotel itself. It's a lot of fun, They walk from end of Maze towards Hotel in b.g. ULLMAN CONT'D but I wouldn't go in there unless I had an hour to spare to find my way out. Laughter. WENDY When was the Overlook built? M.L.S. ULLMAN leads WENDY, JACK & WATSON L-R along front of Hotel CAMERA TRACKS with them. ULLMAN Ah construction started in . It was finished in . The site is supposed to be located on an Indian burial ground, and I believe they actually had to repel a few Indian attacks as they were building it. ULLMAN points to red Snowcat at entrance of garage ULLMAN That's our Snowcat. Can you both drive a car? JACK & WENDY together Yes. They walk towards SNOWCAT. ULLMAN That's fine because basically the Snowcat operates very much like a car and it won't take you long to get the hang of it. HOTEL BALLROOM/CORRIDOR DAY M.S. ULLMAN, JACK, WATSON & WENDY walk forward along corridor CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. ULLMAN As a matter of fact we eh brought a decorator in from Chicago just last year to refurbish this part of the hotel. WENDY Oh well he sure did a beautiful job. Pink and gold are my favorite colors. ULLMAN leads WENDY, JACK & WATSON L-R into Gold Ballroom CAMERA TRACKS with them. Men in b.g. cleaning Ballroom. ULLMAN Ohwell this is our gold ballroom. WENDY Oh, I'll say. ULLMAN leads them L-R across Ballroom to closed bar. ULLMAN We can accommodate up to three hundred people here very comfortably. WENDY Boy, I bet you we could really have a good party in this room, huh hon? . ULLMAN I'm afraid you're not going to do too well here unless you've brought your own supplies. We always remove all the booze from the premises when we shut down: He points to shuttered bar. ULLMAN that reduces the insurance that we normally have to carry. DICK HALLORAN walks forward from b.g. JACK We don't drink. ULLMAN laughs. ULLMAN Well then, you're in luck. ULLMAN waves to HALLORAN/ ULLMAN Oh Dick, come on over and say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Torrance. HALLORAN Sure. ULLMAN This is Dick Halloran, our Head Chef. JACK shakes hands with DICK. JACK Mr. Halloran, I'm Jack, and this is my wife, Winifred. HALLORAN Glad to meet you, Jack. HALLORAN shakes hands with WENDY. HALLORAN Glad to meet you, Winifred. WENDY Nice to meet you ULLMAN The Torrances are going to take care of the Overlook for us this winter. HALLORAN Oh, that's just great. How do you folks like our hotel so far? WENDY Oh it's just wonderful. WENDY waves out cam.L. WENDY Hi Danny! HOTEL BALLROOM DAY M.S. SUSIE holding DANNY's hand. They walk L-R across Ballroom. CAMERA TRACKS with them to JACK, HALLORAN, WATSON, WENDY & ULLMAN. SUSIE I found him outside looking for you. JACK OFF Danny, did you get tired IN SHOT of bombing the universe? DANNY Yeah. WENDY Danny, come on over here. DANNY walks L-R from SUSIE to WENDY. WENDY looks at SUSIE. WENDY Thanks. ULLMAN Thank you, Susie. SUSIE exits cam.L. ULLMAN turns to HALLORAN ULLMAN Dick, if you're ready to do it now, I think it would be a good idea if you could show Mrs. Torrance the kitchen, while I continue on with Jack. HALLORAN It will be a pleasure. Right this way Mrs. Torrance. WENDY Great. See you later, hon. HALLORAN walks away to b.g. WENDY & DANNY follow him. JACK Bye darling. ULLMAN, JACK & WATSON move out cam.L. HOTEL KITCHEN DAY M.S. WENDY holding DANNY's hand walks forward into kitchen with HALLORAN. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. HALLORAN Mrs. Torrance, your husband introduced you as Winifred. Now are you a Winnie or a Freddie? WENDY I'm a Wendy. HALLORAN Oh Wendy. That's nice. That's the prettiest. WENDY God. This is the kitchen, huh? HALLORAN Yeah, this is it. How do you like it, Danny? Is it big enough for you? DANNY Yeah, it's the biggest place I've ever seen. HALLORAN laughs WENDY Yeah. This whole place is such an enormous maze, I feel I'll have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs every time I come in. HALLORAN laughs. HALLORAN Don't let it get you down Mrs. Torrance it's big but it still ain't nothing but a kitchen a lot of the stuff you'll never have to touch. WENDY I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did. HALLORAN Well one thing for sure, you don't have to worry about food because you folks could eat up here a whole year and never have the same menu twice. HALLORAN points to cam.L and leans to cam.L taking hold of door handle. HALLORAN Now right here is our walk-in freezer. HOTEL FREEZER DAY M.S. HALLORAN opens door and steps into freezer. WENDY & DANNY stand in doorway. HALLORAN points to various items. HALLORAN Now this is where we keep all of out meat. You got fifteen rib roasts thirty ten pound bags of hamburgers. You got twelve turkeys, two dozen pork roasts and twenty legs of lamb. to Danny Do you like lamb, Doc? DANNY No HALLORAN You don't? Well what's your favorite food then? DANNY French Fries and Ketchup. HALLORAN laughs. HALLORAN Well I think we can manage that too, Doc. Come along now. Watch your step. HALLORAN points to step by door. HOTEL KITCHEN DAY M.S. DANNY & WENDY, followed by HALLORAN, come out of Freezer. WENDY Mr. Halloran, HALLORAN closes the door and turns to WENDY. WENDY CONT'D how did you know we called him 'Doc'? HALLORAN, DANNY & WENDY walk forward CAMERA TRACKS BACK with them. HALLORAN Beg pardon? WENDY Doc. You called Danny 'Doc' twice just now. HALLORAN I did? WENDY Yeah. We call him Doc sometimes, you know, like in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. But how did you know that? HALLORAN Well I guess I probably heard you call him that WENDY Well, it's possible, but I honestly don't remember calling him that since we've been with you. They all stop walking. HALLORAN Well anyway, he looks like a Doc, doesn't he? HALLORAN bends down to DANNY. HALLORAN clicks his tongue Me ah what's up, Doc? HALLORAN laughs and turns away to door cam.L. He opens door. HALLORAN Now this is the storeroom. HOTEL STOREROOM DAY M.S. HALLORAN moves forward into Storeroom, followed by DANNY & WENDY. Groceries stacked on shelves. HALLORAN In here, Mrs. Torrance, is where we keep all the dried goods and the canned goods. We got canned fruits and vegetables; canned fish and meats; hot and cold cereals. HALLORAN & WENDY move L-R CAMERA TRACKS with them past shelf in f.g. HALLORAN Post Toasties, Cornflakes, Sugar Puffs, Rice Krispies, Oatmeal, Wheatina and Cream of Wheat. M.S. DANNY standing by cardboard boxes. CAMERA TRACKS IN on him. HALLORAN OFF We got a dozen jugs of black molasses, we got sixty boxes of dried milk, thirty twelve pound bags of sugar M.S. HALLORAN talks inaudibly to WENDY, back to camera. CAMERA TRACKS IN on HALLORAN. HALLORAN thought transfer How'd you like some ice cream, Doc? M.C.S. DANNY. HALLORAN OFF sociables, finger rolls and seven kinds of what-have-you. M.S. HALLORAN & WENDY move R-L to DANNY by open door. CAMERA TRACKS with them. HALLORAN Now we got dried peaches, dried apricots, dried raisins and dried prunes. HOTEL KITCHEN DAY M.S. HALLORAN, followed by WENDY & DANNY move out of Storeroom cam.R.f.g. HALLORAN You know, Mrs. Torrance, you gotta keep regular, if you want to be happy. HALLORAN laughs as he closes Storeroom door. JACK, ULLMAN & WATSON walk forward from b.g. ULLMAN Hi. WENDY Hi. ULLMAN How're you getting on? HALLORAN & WENDY Just fine ULLMAN Dick, can we borrow Mrs. Torrance for a few minutes? We're on our way through to the basement I promise we won't keep her very long. HALLORAN No problem, Mr. Ullman. I was just getting to the ice cream. HALLORAN leans down to DANNY. HALLORAN Do you like ice cream, Doc? DANNY Yeah. HALLORAN laughs. HALLORAN I thought you did. HALLORAN straightens up and looks at JACK. HALLORAN You folks don't mind if I give Danny some ice cream, while we're waiting for you? JACK Not at all. WENDY No, we don't mind. HALLORAN Good. WENDY Sound good to you, Danny? DANNY Yeah. WENDY Okay. You behave yourself. HALLORAN takes hold of DANNY's hand as ULLMAN, JACK, WENDY & WATSON move away to b.g. HALLORAN Now what kind of ice cream do you like Doc? . DANNY Chocolate. HALLORAN Chocolate it shall be. Come on son. HALLORAN & DANNY move out cam.L. HOTEL GREEN CORRIDOR DAY M.S. ULLMAN, JACK & WENDY followed by WATSON move forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. WENDY It's amazing how much activity is going on today. ULLMAN Yes, well the guests and some of the staff left yesterday, but the last day is always very hectic everybody wants to be on their way as early as possible. They turn corner and walk away along corridor. ULLMAN By five o'clock tonight, you'll never know anybody was ever here. WENDY Just like a ghost ship, huh? ULLMAN Yes. HOTEL KITCHEN DAY M.C.S. HALLORAN looking down cam.R. HALLORAN Do you know how I knew your name was Doc? M.C.S. DANNY over HALLORAN DANNY looking at HALLORAN M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN You know what I'm talking about, don't you? M.C.S. DANNY over HALLORAN. DANNY looking at HALLORAN. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN I can remember when I was a little boy, my grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths. She called it shining, M.C.S. DANNY HALLORAN OFF)(CONT'D and for a long time I thought it was just the two of us that had the shine to us. M.C.S. HALLORAN. HALLORAN Just like you probably thought you was the only one. But there are other folks, though mostly they don't know it, or don't believe it. M.C.S. DANNY M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN How long have you been able to do it? M.S. HALLORAN & DANNY sitting at table HALLORAN Why don't you want to talk about it? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY I'm not supposed to. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Who says you ain't supposed to? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY Tony. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Who's Tony? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY Tony's the little boy who lives in my mouth. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Is Tony the one that tells you things? M.C.S. DANNY . DANNY Yes. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN How does he tell you things? M.S. HALLORAN & DANNY sitting at table. DANNY It's like I go to sleep, and he shows me things but when I wake up, I can't remember everything. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Does your Mum and Dad know about Tony? M.C.S. DANNY. DANNY Yes. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Do they know he tell you things? M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Has Tony ever told you anything about this place? About the Overlook Hotel? M.C.S. DANNY over HALLORAN . DANNY I don't know. M.C.S. HALLORAN. HALLORAN Now think real hard, Doc. Think. M.C.S. DANNY over HALLORAN. DANNY Maybe he showed me something. M.C.S. HALLORAN. HALLORAN Try to think what it was. M.C.S. DANNY over HALLORAN. DANNY Mr. Halloran, are you scared of this place? M.S. Shooting across table onto HALLORAN & DANNY. HALLORAN No, I'm scared of nothing here. It's just that you know some places are like people, some shine and some don't. I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has something about it that's like shining. DANNY Is there something bad here? M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Well, you know Doc, when something happens it can leave a trace of itself behind say like is someone burns toast. M.C.S. DANNY HALLORAN OFF Well, maybe things that happened leave other kinds of traces behind. M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Not things that anyone can notice, but things that people who shine can see. Just like they can see things that haven't happened yet. Well, sometimes they can see things that happened a long time ago I think a lot of things happened right here in this particular hotel over the years, and not all of them was good. M.C.S. DANNY DANNY What about Room ? M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Room ? M.C.S. DANNY DANNY You're scared of Room, ain'tcha? M.C.S. HALLORAN . HALLORAN No I ain't. M.C.S. DANNY DANNY Mr. Halloran, what is in Room ? M.C.S. HALLORAN HALLORAN Nothing. There ain't nothing in Room, but you ain't got no business going in there anyway, so stay out! You understand, stay out! M.C.S. DANNY. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposition over: A MONTH LATER OVERLOOK HOTEL DAY M.L.S. Hotel. Mountain in b.g. OVERLOOK HOTEL LOBBY DAY M.S. WENDY pushing trolley forward along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK with her. She turns to cam.L and enters Lobby. CAMERA TRACKS R-L with her across lobby. HOTEL KITCHEN & LOUNGE DAY M.S. DANNY sitting on tricycle. He pedals out of Kitchen into Lounge, across it and back into Kitchen CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after him. HOTEL CORRIDOR TO TORRANCE'S APARTMENT DAY M.S. WENDY enters cam.L pushing trolley. She pushes it forward along corridor. CAMERA PANS L-R with her to door of their Apartment. HOTEL TORRANCE'S APARTMENT DAY M.C.S. JACK asleep in bed, reflected in mirror. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. WENDY enters cam.R carrying tray. She walks forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK with her. She puts tray down on table. WENDY Good Morning, hon. Your breakfast is ready. JACK What time is it? WENDY It's about eleven thirty. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD to JACK & WENDY reflected in mirror. JACK Eleven thirty Jesus! WENDY I guess we've been staying up too late. JACK I know it. JACK sticks his tongue out. WENDY picks up plate and glass of orange juice. WENDY I made 'em just the way you like 'em, sunny side up. JACK Hmm, nice. WENDY walks forward to JACK and puts plate down cam.L. She hands him glass of orange juice and he drinks it WENDY It's really pretty outside. How about taking me for a walk after you've finished your breakfast? JACK Oh I suppose I oughta try to do some writing first. He puts empty glass down cam.L and picks up plate of eggs and bacon. WENDY Any ideas yet? JACK Lots of ideas. No good ones. WENDY sits down cam.R. WENDY Well, something'll come. It's just a matter of settling back into the habit of writing every day. JACK Yeah that's all it is. JACK starts to eat bacon. WENDY It's really nice up here, isn't it? JACK I love it. I really do. I've never been this happy, or comfortable anywhere. M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Yeah. It's amazing how fast you get used to such a big place. I tell you, when we first came up here, I thought it was kinda scarey. WENDY laughs. M.C.S. JACK over WENDY JACK I fell in love with it right away. When I came up here from my interview, it was as though I had been here before. Wewe all have moments of deja vu, but this was ridiculous. It was almost as though I knew what was going to be around every corner. Ooohhhhh WENDY laughs. HOTEL LOUNGE DAY M.S. Typewriter with sheet of paper in it. CAMERA TRACKS BACK and TILTS UP onto JACK throwing ball against wall. M.S. JACK back to camera throwing ball against wall. HOTEL MAZE DAY M.L.S. WENDY running after DANNY from Hotel to Maze CAMERA PANS L-R & TRACKS with them to entrance to Maze. WENDY The loser has to keep American clean, how's that? DANNY All right. WENDY And you're gonna lose. And I'm gonna get you you betta run fast! Look out I'm coming in close. All right? DANNY & WENDY run into Maze. CAMERA TRACKS L-R onto plan of Maze on board. DANNY OFF You'll have to keep America clean MAZE DAY M.S. DANNY & WENDY walking forward in Maze CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. WENDY Okay Danny, you win. Let's take the rest of this walking, huh? DANNY Okayoh! WENDY Give me your hand. Oh, isn't it beautiful. DANNY Yeah. M.S. WENDY & DANNY backs to camera walking away through Maze CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after them. WENDY Here's a dead end. WENDY & DANNY turn at dead end and walk away along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS after them. HOTEL LOBBY DAY M.L.S. JACK back to camera bounces ball on floor and catches it. Then he throws it away to b.g. He walks away to model of Maze on table by window. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after him. He stops by model and leans on table. M.S. Shooting over model of Maze on table to JACK looking down at it. M.C.S. JACK looking down. MAZE DAY L.S. High Angle shooting down on Maze. WENDY & DANNY move through it. CAMERA TRACKS DOWN on Maze WENDY Oh what a Maze. Isn't it beautiful. DANNY Yeah. M.S. DANNY & WENDY walk forward through Maze CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. WENDY It's so pretty. DANNY Yeah. WENDY I didn't think it was going to be this big, did you? DANNY No. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposition over: TUESDAY. HOTEL DUSK M.L.S. Hotel. Mountain in b.g. HOTEL KITCHEN DUSK M.C.S. WENDY's hands taking lid of can. CAMERA TRACKS BACK to table with portable T.V. Set on it. The set is switched on. WOMAN ANNOUNCER OFF Rutherford was serving a life sentence for his conviction in the shooting and the search continues in the mountains near Uray today for that missing Aspen woman, WENDY carries tin to bowl on table WOMAN ANNOUNCER CONT'D twenty-four year old Susan Robertson has been missing ten days. She disappeared while on a hunting trip with her husband. They have good weather right now, but they may have to call off the search if the predicted snowstorm moves in tomorrow. Picture on T.V. Set changes to MAN & WOMAN. WOMAN ANNOUNCER But it's so beautiful here in Denver today, it's hard to believe a snowstorm could be that close. MAN ANNOUNCER I know. I want to go outside and lie in the sun. Yet to our north, to our west, it is snowing and cold, and it's moving SOUND OF CLICKS. MAN ANNOUNCER CONT'D right here towards Colorado, right now as we talk. It's incredible. WOMAN ANNOUNCER I know. OVERLOOK HOTEL CORRIDORS M.S. DANNY back to camera on tricycle pedals away along corridors CAMERA TRACKS after him. He looks at door cam.L and slows down, stopping. M.S. DANNY in f.g. Number on door in b.g. M.C.S. DANNY looking at number. M.S. DANNY in f.g. Number on door in b.g M.L.S. Corridor. DANNY in f.g. gets off tricycle, and moves R-L to door of room . He looks up at number then reaches out to door handle and turns it. Door doesn't open. He looks up at number. M.S. Two GRADY Girls holding hands. M.S. DANNY looking up at number on door. He moves L-R to his tricycle. CAMERA PANS with him. He sits on tricycle and pedals fast away along corridor. HOTEL LOUNGE NIGHT M.L.S. Lounge. JACK sitting back to camera typing at table. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD onto him. M.C.S. JACK typing. M.L.S. JACK back to camera typing at table in f.g. WENDY enters cam.R.b.g. and walks forward to JACK. WENDY Hi, hon. How's it going? WENDY stops cam.R of him. JACK pulls page from typewriter. JACK Fine. WENDY kisses him. WENDY Get a lot written today? M.S. JACK looking up cam.L at WENDY. JACK Yes. M.C.S. WENDY . WENDY Hey, the weather forecast said it's going to snow tonight. M.S. JACK looking up cam.L at WENDY. JACK What do you want me to do about it? M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Ah, come on hon. Don't be so grouchy. M.S. JACK looking up cam.L at WENDY. JACK I'm not being grouchy. I just want to finish my work. M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Okay. I understand. I'll come back later on with a couple of sandwiches for you and maybe you'll let me read something then. M.C.S. JACK. JACK Wendy, clears throat let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here and interrupt me, you're breaking my concentration. JACK hits his forehead with his hand. JACK CONT'D you're distracting me He picks up sheet of paper and tears it up. Then he throws the pieces down. JACK CONT'D and it will then take me time to get back to where I was, understand? M.C.S. WENDY. WENDY Yes. M.C.S. JACK JACK Fine. Now we're going to make a new rule. Whenever I am in here and you hear me typing, JACK taps typewriter keys. JACK CONT'D or whether you don't hear me typing, whatever the fuck you hear me doing in here, when I am in here that means that I am working that means don't come in. Now do you think you can handle that? M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Yes. M.C.S. JACK JACK Fine. Why don't you start right now and get the fuck out of here, hmm? M.C.S. WENDY WENDY Okay. M.L.S. WENDY standing cam.R of JACK back to camera sitting at table. She turns and walks away to b.g. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. M.S. JACK starts to type. Black Frames. Superimposition over: THURSDAY. HOTEL DAY M.L.S. WENDY running R-L being chased by DANNY carrying snowballs. AD LIB SHOUTS & LAUGHTER. CAMERA TRACKS R-L with them past Hotel in b.g. WENDY I know you've got some. HOTEL LOUNGE DAY M.S. JACK at window watching WENDY & DANNY playing in the snow. CAMERA TRACKS IN to M.C.S. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposition over: SATURDAY HOTEL DAY M.L.S. HOTEL in b.g. Trees and snow in f.g HOTEL LOUNGE DAY M.L.S. High Angle JACK sitting at table in b.g. typing. HOTEL LOBBY & OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY standing at switchboard with headset on her L.ear and putting plugs into switchboard. WENDY Oh no! WENDY puts socket into various plugs. WENDY I knew it! WENDY puts headset and plug down and turns away from switchboard. She walks R-L to door. M.L.S. WENDY walks out of switchboard round counter and moves forward R-L across Lobby. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before her. She moves R-L into Office. CAMERA PANS with her. She stops at radio set and switches it on. She pulls microphone towards her. WENDY into mike This is KDK calling KDK . RANGER'S OFFICE M.L.S. RANGER seated at radio cam.L. MAN standing at filing cabinet cam.R. GIRL seated at desk cam.R. WENDY OFF over radio KDK to KDK . RANGER into mike This is KDK . We're receiving you. Over HOTEL OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY picks up microphone. WENDY into mike Hi. This is Wendy Torrance at the Overlook Hotel. RANGER'S OFFICE DAY M.S. RANGER seated at radio speaking into mike. RANGER into mike Hi. How are you folks getting on up there? Over. HOTEL OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY, holding mike, seated on cabinet with foot up on desk. WENDY into mike Oh we're just fine, but our telephones don't seem to be doing too well. Are the lines down by any chance? Over. RANGER'S OFFICE DAY M.S. RANGER seated at radio, speaking into mike. RANGER into mike Yes. Quite a few of them are down, due to the storm. Over. WENDY over radio Any chance of them being repaired soon? Over. RANGER into mike Well, I wouldn't like to say. Most winters they stay that way until spring. Over HOTEL OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY, holding mike, seated on cabinet with foot up on desk. WENDY into mike Boy, this storm is really something, isn't it? Over. RANGER'S OFFICE DAY M.S. RANGER sitting at radio speaking into mike. RANGER into mike Oh yes. It's one of the worst we've had for years. Is there anything else we can do for you, Mrs. Torrance? Over. HOTEL OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY holding mike seated on cabinet with foot up on desk. WENDY into mike I suppose not. Over. RANGER'S OFFICE DAY M.S. RANGER seated at radio speaking into mike. RANGER into mike Well, if you folks have any problems up there just give us a call, and Mrs. Torrance. HOTEL OFFICE DAY M.S. WENDY holding mike seated on cabinet with one foot up on desk RANGER over radio I think it might be a good idea if you leave your radio on all the time now. Over. WENDY into mike Okay. We'll do that. It was real nice talking to you. Bye. Over and Out. WENDY puts down mike. HOTEL GREEN CORRIDOR M.L.S. DANNY pedals away along corridor on his tricycle. CAMERA TRACKS after him. He exits cam.R at the end of corridor. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD along empty corridor. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. DANNY pedals away along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS after him. He turns corner and stops as he sees the two GRADY Girls at the end. M.C.S. DANNY. M.L.S. DANNY back to camera in f.g. The two GRADY Girls at end of corridor. GRADY GIRLS Hullo, Danny. M.C.S. DANNY GRADY GIRLS OFF Come and play with us. M.L.S. DANNY back to camera in f.g. The two GRADY Girls at end of corridor GRADY GIRLS Come and play with us, Danny. M.S. The two GRADY Girls laying on floor covered with bloodstains. Bloodstained axe on floor in f.g. Walls covered with bloodstains. M.L.S. Two GRADY Girls, holding hands and standing at end of corridor. GRADY GIRLS For ever M.S. The two GRADY Girls lying on floor, covered with bloodstains. Bloodstained axe on floor in f.g. Wall covered with bloodstains. M.C.S. DANNY reacts. M.S. Two GRADY Girls holding hands and standing at end of corridor. GRADY GIRLS and ever M.S. The two GRADY Girls lying on floor covered with bloodstains. Bloodstained axe on floor in f.g. Wall covered with bloodstains. M.S. Two GRADY Girls holding hands standing at end of corridor. GRADY GIRLS and ever. M.S. Two GRADY Girls lying on floor covered with bloodstains. Bloodstained axe on floor in f.g Wall covered with bloodstains. M.C.S. DANNY reacts. He puts hands over his eyes. Then he opens his fingers and looks through them. M.S. DANNY's P.O.V. Empty corridor. M.C.S. DANNY looking through his open fingers. He lowers his hands from his face. M.L.S. DANNY back to camera in f.g. in empty corridor. M.C.S. DANNY. DANNY Tony, I'm scared. He raises up his R.hand and wiggles his forefinger as he speaks. TONY Remember what Mr. Halloran said. It's just like pictures in a book, Danny. It isn't real. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposition over: MONDAY. OVERLOOK HOTEL LOBBY DAY M.S. Play on Television set, CAMERA TRACKS BACK from set to reveal WENDY, seated on sofa cam.L, watching set, DANNY seated on floor watching set also cam.R. DOROTHY on T.V.) Please let me give you some money HERMIE on T.V.) Oh I wouldn't think of it. DOROTHY on T.V.) Well how can I repay you? HERMIE on T.V.) It's okay, really. DOROTHY on T.V.) Well I'm going to have some coffee. Would you like some? HERMIE on T.V.) Sure. DOROTHY on T.V.) Great. Sit down. Oh these marvellous doughnuts, help yourself. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. Play on Television continues inaudibly in b.g. DANNY Mom? WENDY Yes? DANNY Can I go to my room and get my fire-engine? WENDY Not right now, Daddy's asleep. DANNY I won't make any noise. WENDY Come on, Doc. He only went to bed a few hours ago. Can't you wait till later? DANNY I won't make a sound, I promise. I'll tip-toe WENDY Well all right. But really don't make a sound. DANNY I won't, Mom. DANNY stands up and runs out cam.L. WENDY Make sure you come right back, 'cause I'm going to make lunch soon. Okay? DANNY OFF Okay, Mom. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT DAY M.C.S. Door opens and DANNY appears. He enters room CAMERA TRACKS BACK with him as he walks forward up steps. He looks to cam.R. CAMERA PANS L-R to JACK sitting on edge of bed. JACK looks towards camera. M.L.S. JACK seated on bed cam.R.f.g. DANNY standing at open door in b.g. DANNY Can I go to my room and get my fire-engine? JACK Come here for a minute, first. JACK holds out his hand to DANNY, who walks forward. M.S. JACK sitting on bed. DANNY enters cam.L.f.g. and stops cam.R of JACK. JACK sits DANNY on his knee and puts his arms round him, kissing him. JACK How's it going, Doc? DANNY Okay M.S. JACK over DANNY seated on his knee. JACK Are you having a good time? DANNY Yes, Dad. JACK Good. I want you to have a good time. DANNY I am, Dad. Dad? JACK Yes. DANNY Do you feel bad? JACK shakes his head. JACK No. I'm just a little tired. DANNY Then why don't you go to sleep? JACK I can't. I have too much to do. DANNY Dad? JACK Yes? DANNY Do you like this hotel? JACK smiles and looks at DANNY. JACK Yes I do. I love it. Don't you? DANNY I guess so. JACK Good. I want you to like it here. I wish we could stay here for ever, and ever ever DANNY Dad? JACK What? DANNY You wouldn't ever hurt Mummy and me, would you? JACK What do you mean? M.S. DANNY over JACK. JACK Did your mother ever say that to you that I would hurt you? DANNY No, Dad. JACK Are you sure? DANNY Yes, Dad. M.S. JACK over DANNY. JACK I love you, Danny. I love you more than anything else in the whole world, and I'd never do anything to hurt you, never You know that, don't you, huh? DANNY Yes, Dad. JACK Good. BLACK FRAMES Superimposition over: . WEDNESDAY HOTEL L.S. Shooting across snow to Hotel in b.g. Three lit windows. HOTEL CORRIDOR TO ROOM M.C.S. High Angle DANNY playing on floor with toy cars and trucks. CAMERA TRACKS UP & BACK yellow ball rolls in from f.g. and stops by one of DANNY's trucks. DANNY looks up. M.L.S. DANNY, back to camera, in f.g. looking away along empty corridor. M.S. DANNY kneeling on the floor by his toys. He stands up. DANNY Mom? M.L.S. DANNY, back to camera, in f.g. Empty corridor in b.g. M.S. DANNY walks forward along corridor CAMERA TRACKS BACK with him. DANNY Mom? M.L.S. Empty corridor. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD to open door of Room . DANNY OFF Mom, are you in there? CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD into room HOTEL BOILER ROOM M.S. WENDY, holding clipboard. She looks at dials on boiler then moves R-L to second boiler. CAMERA PANS with her. She looks at dials then moves R-L to switchboard and presses two switches. She reacts as she hears JACK off groaning in his sleep. She puts down clipboard and moves L-R. CAMERA PANS with her. She starts to run away to entrance. HOTEL LOUNGE M.S. JACK leaning forward in chair with head resting on table. He groans and cries out as he sleeps. CAMERA TRACKS IN on them. HOTEL CORRIDOR TO LOUNGE M.S. WENDY running away along corridor CAMERA TRACKS after her. WENDY Jack WENDY turns corner to entrance to Lounge. WENDY Jack Jack WENDY runs forward into Lounge and goes to JACK asleep at table. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD. WENDY Jack, honey, what's wrong? She puts her hands on his arm and back. JACK stirs and falls off chair onto floor. M.S. JACK groans as he lies on floor. WENDY enters cam.R and takes hold of his arm, assisting up onto his knees. He groans and gasps. WENDY What happened, honey? Hon? What's wrong? Jack! She smoothes his hair with her hand JACK I had I had the most terrible nightmare I ever had. It's the most horrible dream I ever had. WENDY It's okay. It's okay, now. Really. M.S. JACK & WENDY JACK I dreamed that I that I killed you and Danny. M.S. JACK over WENDY. JACK But I didn't just kill you, I cut you up into little pieces. He puts his hand up to his eyes. JACK Oh M.S. JACK handed up to his eyes and WENDY. JACK My God, I must be losing my mind! He lowers his hand. WENDY Everyeverything is just going to be all right. Come on. Here let's get up off the floor. WENDY puts hand under his arm and he starts to rise. OVERLOOK HOTEL LOUNGE M.L.S. DANNY back to camera in f.g. walks into Lounge. In b.g. WENDY helps JACK up into his chair. INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE. WENDY turns to DANNY and throws up her arm. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD with DANNY WENDY Danny! Everything's okay Just go play in your room for a while. Your Dad's just got a headache. Danny mind what I say. Go play in your room! WENDY bends down to JACK. WENDY Hon, let me just go and get him out of here. I'll be right back. WENDY moves R-L behind table and moves forward to DANNY in f.g. WENDY Danny, why don't you mind me huh? Danny. She crouches down before DANNY and turns him cam.L to face her, and the window. He is sucking his thumb. She sees mark on his neck and tilts his head over sideways. WENDY Oh my God! Danny what happened to your neck? Danny She pulls DANNY's thumb out of his mouth. WENDY CONT'D what happened to your neck, huh? She puts her arms round him. M.L.S. JACK, back to camera, leaning back in chair in f.g. WENDY kneeling with her arms round DANNY in b.g. M.C.S. JACK sitting in chair with his hand up to his head. M.L.S. JACK back to camera leaning back in chair in f.g. WENDY kneeling with her arms round DANNY in b.g. She stands up and lifts DANNY up in her arms. M.S. WENDY holding DANNY in her arms WENDY You did this to him, didn't you? M.C.S. JACK. WENDY OFF You son of a bitch! You did this to him, He shakes his head. WENDY OFF)(CONT'D didn't you? He shakes his head. M.S. WENDY with DANNY in her arms moves backwards. WENDY How could you? How could you? She turns and runs away to entrance in b.g. M.C.S. JACK. He lowers his hand. HOTEL BALLROOM CORRIDOR M.L.S. JACK enters cam.L in b.g. and walks forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. He mutters and flings his arms about. He stops and looks at notice on trestle 'THE GOLD ROOM.' JACK moves L-R into entrance of Ballroom. He reaches out cam.L and switches on lights then moves away to lit bar in b.g. HOTEL BALLROOM M.L.S. JACK walks L-R across Ballroom CAMERA TRACKS & PANS with him to bar. M.L.S. JACK leans over counter and looks down JACK to himself God, I'd give anything for a drink? JACK sits down and puts his hands up to his face. JACK My goddam soul, just a glass of beer. M.S. JACK with his hands up to his face. He lowers his hands and looks he lowers hands to bar and smiles. JACK Hi Lloyd. JACK looks cam.R then back at camera. JACK A little slow tonight, isn't it? JACK laughs. M.S. LLOYD standing behind bar. LLOYD Yes, it is, Mr. Torrance. LLOYD moves forward CAMERA TRACKS BACK revealing JACK seated at bar. LLOYD What'll it be? M.C.S. JACK JACK Now I'm awfully glad you asked me that, Lloyd, because I just happen to have two twenties and two tens right here in my wallet. I was afraid they were going to be there until next April. So here's what: you slip me a bottle of Bourbon, a glass and some ice. You can do that, can't you, Lloyd? You're not to busy, are you? . M.S. LLOYD LLOYD No, sir. I'm not busy at all. LLOYD turns away to bottles of shelf. JACK OFF Good man. LLOYD turns with bottle and glass to counter. JACK OFF You set them up, and I'll knock them back, Lloyd, one by one. M.S. JACK sitting at bar. LLOYD puts bottle and glass down on bar. LLOYD puts ice in glass and fills it from bottle. JACK White man's burden, Lloyd my man. White man's burden. JACK looks at his wallet then at LLOYD. JACK Say, Lloyd, it seems I'm temporarily light. JACK laughs. JACK How's my credit in this joint anyway? M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Your credit's fine, Mr. Torrance. M.C.S. JACK JACK That's swell. I like you, Lloyd. I always liked you. You were always the best of them. MORE . JACK CONT'D Best goddamned bartender from Timbuctoo to Portland Maine Portland Oregon for that matter. M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Thank you for saying so. M.C.S. JACK looks at his glass. JACK Here's to five miserable months on the wagon and all the irreparable harm that it's caused me. He drinks and lowers his glass then looks at LLOYD. M.S. JACK sitting at bar. LLOYD behind bar. LLOYD How are things going, Mr. Torrance? JACK Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better. LLOYD I hope it's nothing serious. JACK taps on bar and LLOYD fills up his glass. JACK No, nothing serious. M.C.S. JACK JACK Just a little problem with the old sperm bank upstairs. JACK laughs JACK Nothing that I can't handle though, Lloyd. Thanks. M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Women! Can't live with 'em. Can't live without 'em! M.S. JACK over LLOYD. He points finger at LLOYD. JACK Words of wisdom, Lloyd. Words of wisdom. JACK drinks then swirls drink round in glass, putting glass down on counter. JACK I haven't laid a hand on him. Goddam it, I didn't. I wouldn't touch one hair of his goddam little head. I love the little son-of-a bitch. JACK laughs. JACK I'd do anything for him. Any fucking thing for him. M.C.S. LLOYD JACK OFF That damn bitch. M.C.S. JACK JACK As long as I live she'll never let me forget what happened! He looks cam.L then cam.R throwing his hands out and sighing JACK I did hurt him once, okay? It was an accident, complete unintentional. It could have happened to anybody. He raps on counter with hand. JACK And it was three goddam years ago. The little fucker had thrown all my papers all over the floor. All I tried to do was to pull him up. A momentary loss of muscular coordination. I mean A few extra foot pounds of energy, per second per second. JACK gestures with his hands. WENDY OFF Jack HOTEL BALLROOM CORRIDOR M.L.S. WENDY, sobbing, runs forward along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK with her and PANS L-R into Ballroom. She runs away to JACK sitting at bat in b.g. WENDY Oh Jack! sobs Thank God you're here. HOTEL BALLROOM M.S. JACK sitting back to camera at bar. WENDY enters cam.R. WENDY OFF Jack, IN SHOT Jack, there's someone else in the hotel with us. There's a crazy woman in one of the rooms. She tried to strangle Danny. M.C.S. JACK . JACK Are you out of your fucking mind? M.S. WENDY over JACK. WENDY No. It's the truth, really. I swear it. Danny told me. He went up into one of the bedrooms, the door was open, and he saw this crazy woman in the bath-tub. She tried to strangle him. M.C.S. JACK. JACK Which room was it? MIAMI APARTMENT M.C.S. Montage of shots on T.V. Set for program 'NEWSWATCH.' DISC JOCKEY OFF on T.V.) From Channel in Miami, this is Newswatch with Glen Rinker and Bishop, and the award winning Newswatch team. CAMERA TRACKS BACK to reveal T.V. Set. HALLORAN's bare feet and legs on bed in f.g. Shot of GLEN RINKER on T.V. Set with superimposed title: ' GLEN RINKER WPLG MIAMI' GLEN RINKER on T.V.) Good evening. I'm Glen Rinker Newswatch . While Miami continues to swelter in a record winter heatwave bringing temperatures to the mid and upper nineties, the Central and Rocky Mountain States are buried in snow. MORE . GLEN RINKER CONT'D In Colorado ten inches of snow has fallen in just a few hours tonight. Travel in the Rockies is almost impossible. M.C.S. HALLORAN CAMERA TRACKS BACK to reveal him lying on bed, watching T.V. GLEN RINKER OFF on T.V.) Airports are shut down stranding thousands of passengers. Highways are blocked by snowdrifts. Railroad tracks are frozen. Officials in Colorado tell Newswatch at least three people have been killed by exposure to freezing winds. The Governor of Colorado is expected tomorrow to declare a weather emergency. The National Guard might be called out to clear streets and roads. Weather forecasters predict more snow and heavy winds tonight and tomorrow, with temperatures dropping well below zero. M.S. HALLORAN's feet and legs on beg in f.g. GLEN RINKER on T.V. Set at foot of bed. GLEN RINKER on T.V.) Back here in South Florida, we've got just the opposite problem; the heat and humidity are supposed to climb. M.S. HALLORAN lying on pillows. CAMERA TRACKS IN to C.S. his face, as he reacts. GLEN RINKER OFF on T.V.) Local beaches should be jammed. Our weather expert Walter Cronice will have the local forecast later on COMMENTATOR continues inaudibly in b.g. OVERLOOK HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. Open door of Room . HOTEL DANNY'S BEDROOM M.C.S. DANNY, his head shaking. HOTEL ROOM M.S. Mantlepiece and fireplace. CAMERA PANS R-L across room to open door. Then TRACKS FORWARD through doorway to slightly open door of bathroom. CAMERA STOPS TRACKING. Door swings open to reveal YOUNG LADY seated in bath behind curtain. M.C.S. JACK M.S. YOUNG LADY seated in bath behind curtain. She draws curtain aside with hand. M.C.S. JACK he smiles. M.S. YOUNG LADY stands up in bath. M.C.S. JACK M.S. YOUNG LADY steps out of bath. M.C.S. JACK he smiles M.S. YOUNG LADY walks forward from bath and stops in f.g. M.C.S. JACK he moves forward. M.S. JACK moves forward to YOUNG LADY she puts her arms round his neck. He puts his arms round her and they kiss. M.C.S. JACK over YOUNG LADY as they kiss. He opens his eyes and reacts. He pulls back from YOUNG LADY CAMERA PANS L-R onto mirror. JACK & WOMAN reflected in it. He sees that she is covered with scars. He takes his arms away from her she starts to laugh. HOTEL DANNY'S BEDROOM M.C.S. DANNY he is shaking his head. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. HOTEL ROOM BATHROOM M.S. ELDERLY WOMAN lying in water in bath. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. M.S. JACK shaking his head as he backs out of bathroom. M.S. Naked ELDERLY WOMAN laughing as she walks forward with outstretched arms. HOTEL DANNY'S BEDROOM M.C.S. DANNY shaking his head. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. HOTEL ROOM M.S. Naked ELDERLY WOMAN lying in water in bath. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF M.S. JACK backs down steps into living room WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. M.S. Naked ELDERLY WOMAN laughing, as she walks forward with outstretched arms. HOTEL DANNY'S BEDROOM C.S. DANNY shaking his head. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. HOTEL ROOM M.S. Naked ELDERLY WOMAN lying in water in bath. She starts to sit up. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK backs out of Room into corridor. He closes the door and locks it then backs away along corridor. He exits cam.L. WOMAN LAUGHING OFF. MIAMI APARTMENT NIGHT M.S. HALLORAN telephone up to ear. He dials number, then picks up phone and walks R-L to window. He turns and walks back L-R. He puts phone down. OPERATOR over phone We are sorry your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you need assistance, please call the operator. He puts telephone down. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. WENDY moves R-L in b.g. sobbing. KNOCK ON DOOR OFF. She reacts and runs forward. WENDY Jack? . JACK OFF Yes, it's me. She moves R-L. CAMERA PANS with her down steps to front door. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after her. WENDY Oh, thank God! WENDY takes chain off door and opens it. JACK enters apartment. WENDY Did you find anything? JACK No, nothing at all. JACK closes front door. JACK I didn't see one goddam thing. JACK & WENDY walks forward and move up steps to DANNY's bedroom. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before them. WENDY You went into the room Danny said to ? JACK Yes, I did. WENDY And you didn't see anything at all? JACK Absolutely nothing. How is he? JACK moves R-L and looks into darkened bedroom. WENDY He's still asleep. JACK Good. JACK closes bedroom door and turns to WENDY. JACK I'm sure he'll be himself again in the morning They move L-R into Living Room. CAMERA PANS with them and TRACKS after them across room. WENDY Well, are you sure it was the right room? I mean, maybe Danny made a mistake? WENDY & JACK move into their bedroom. JACK He must have gone into that room the door was open and the lights were on. WENDY sits on bed. WENDY Oh, I just don't understand. JACK sits down on bed beside her. M.C.S. WENDY sobbing. WENDY Well what about those bruises on his neck? M.C.S. JACK over WENDY. WENDY Somebody did that to him. JACK I think he did it to himself. M.C.S. WENDY shakes her head. WENDY No! No, that's not possible. M.C.S. JACK over WENDY JACK Wendy, once you rule out his version of what happened, there is no other explanation is there? It wouldn't be that different from the episode that he had before we came up here, would it? OVERLOOK HOTEL DANNY'S BEDROOM M.S. DANNY lying awake on his bed. CAMERA TRACKS IN on him. WENDY OFF Jack, whatever the explanation is, M.S. Low Angle Door with word 'MURDER' written backwards across it. M.C.S. DANNY lying awake on his bed. CAMERA TRACKS IN on him. WENDY OFF I think we have to get Danny out of here. JACK'S APARTMENT BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK over WENDY. JACK Get him out of here? WENDY Yes. JACK You mean just leave the hotel? WENDY Yes DANNY'S BEDROOM M.C.S. DANNY with his mouth wide open. HOTEL LOBBY M.S. Blood gushing forward from lifts and surging up into camera lens. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT M.C.S. JACK over WENDY. JACK It is so fucking typical of you to create a problem like this when I finally have a chance to accomplish something. When I'm really into my work. I could really write my own ticket if I went back to Boulder now, couldn't I? M.S. WENDY & JACK sitting on bed JACK stands up and turns to her. JACK Shovellings out driveways, work in a car wash any of that appeal to you? WENDY Jack JACK Wendy, I have let you fuck up my life so far, but I'm not going to let you fuck this up! He starts to move away. M.L.S. JACK walks forward from WENDY, sitting on bed. He crosses living room and CAMERA PANS R-L with him to steps leading to front door. He walks away down steps, opens front door and walks away along corridor M.S. WENDY sitting on bed, starts to cry. She leans forward and buries her face in her hands. HOTEL KITCHEN M.L.S. JACK moves forward in kitchen. He sweeps coffee pot off table onto floor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. He kicks coffee pots on floor, then sweeps rings off stove onto floor. He kicks rings as he leaves kitchen, moving into corridor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. He stops and looks ahead. HOTEL CORRIDOR LEADING TO BALLROOM M.L.S. Empty corridor. Balloons and streamers strewn about. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD. MIAMI HALLORAN'S APARTMENT NIGHT M.S. HALLORAN standing, phone up to ear. RANGER over phone Good evening. Forest Service. HALLORAN into phone Hallo. My name's Dick Halloran. I'm the Head Chef up at the Overlook Hotel. RANGER over phone Good evening, Mr. Halloran. What can I do for you? HALLORAN into phone Sir, I've been trying to make an urgent phone call up there, He picks up phone and walks R-L to window. CAMERA PANS with him. HALLORAN CONT'D into phone but the operator said that the phone lines are down RANGER'S OFFICE M.S. RANGER sitting at radio with phone to ear. RANGER into phone Yes, I'm afraid a lot of lines around here are down, due to the storm. MIAMI HALLORAN'S APARTMENT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear, at window. HALLORAN into phone Well, look sir, I hate to put you to any trouble, but there's a family up there all by themselves with a young kid, and with this storm and everything. HALLORAN moves L-R. CAMERA TRACKS with him. He puts phone on table. HALLORAN into phone I'd sure appreciate it if you'd give them a call on your radio just to see if everything is okay. RANGER'S OFFICE M.S. RANGER sitting at radio, phone to ear. RANGER into phone I'd be glad to do that, sir. Oh why don't you call me back in about eh twenty minutes? HALLORAN over phone Thank you very much. I'll do that. RANGER into phone All right, sir RANGER puts phone down. HOTEL CORRIDOR & BALLROOM M.L.S. JACK walks forward along corridor to Ballroom. He turns L-R into Ballroom CAMERA TRACKS with him revealing crowded Ballroom. MAITRE D standing at entrance. MAITRE D Good evening, Mr. Torrance. JACK Good evening. JACK moves L-R across crowded Ballroom CAMERA TRACKS with him to LLOYD serving behind bar. JACK sits at bar. LLOYD moves to him. JACK Hi Lloyd. I've been away. Now I'm back. LLOYD Good evening Mr. Torrance. LLOYD puts dishes of olives and peanuts on bar before JACK. M.S. JACK over LLOYD. LLOYD It's good to see you. JACK It's good to be back, Lloyd. M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD What'll it be, sir? M.S. JACK over LLOYD JACK Hair of the dog that big me M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Bourbon on the rocks. M.S. JACK over LLOYD JACK That'll do her. JACK takes handful of peanuts and empties them into his mouth. LLOYD puts ice into glass. M.C.S. LLOYD preparing drink. M.S. JACK over LLOYD. LLOYD pouring drink. JACK takes out his wallet, takes out note and holds it out to LLOYD. LLOYD holds up his hand. LLOYD No charge to you, Mr. Torrance. JACK looks down at note and up to LLOYD. JACK No charge? M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Your money's no good here. M.S. JACK over LLOYD. JACK looks down at his note then up at LLOYD. M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD Orders from the house M.S. JACK over LLOYD. JACK puts note back into his wallet. JACK Orders from the house. He puts wallet away. M.L.S. LLOYD LLOYD Drink up, Mr. Torrance. M.S. JACK over LLOYD. JACK tucking wallet into his hip pocket. JACK I'm the kind of man likes to know who's buying their drinks, Lloyd. M.C.S. LLOYD LLOYD It's not a matter that concerns you, Mr. Torrance at least not at this point. M.S. JACK over LLOYD. JACK smiles and picks up his drinks. JACK Anything you say, Lloyd. Anything you say. JACK turns away from bar. M.L.S. JACK moves away from bar. He dances forward to center of room CAMERA TRACKS after him. WOMAN enters cam.R.f.g. and walks away. WAITER GRADY), carrying tray of drinks, walks forward from b.g. He bumps into WOMAN. GRADY Oh! GRADY staggers forward, colliding with JACK and spilling drinks down front of JACK's jacket GRADY Oh dear, oh dear. I'm so sorry, sir. Oh! He puts down tray and takes advocaat glass from JACK. GRADY Oh dear oh dear I've made an awful mess of your jacket, sir. GRADY puts glass on tray. JACK Oh eh that's all right. I've got plenty of jackets. GRADY mops JACK's jacket with his serviette. GRADY I'm afraid it's advocaat sir. It tends to stain. JACK Advocaat is it? GRADY Yes sir. Look um I think the best thing is to come along to the gentlemen's room, sir, and eh GRADY bends down and picks up his tray. GRADY we'll get some water to it, sir. JACK & GRADY start to walk away to the Gentlemen's. CAMERA TRACKS after them. JACK Looks as though you might have got a spot of it on yourself there, Jeevesy old boy. JACK pats GRADY on his back. GRADY That doesn't matter, sir. You're the important one. JACK Awfully nice of you to say. Of course I intend to change my jacket this evening before the fish and goose soiree JACK & GRADY enter Gentlemen's Toilet. GRADY Very wise, sir. Very wise. JACK exits cam.R behind door. JACK OFF Here, I'll just, eh MEN'S TOILET M.L.S. Men's toilet. JACK moves in from cam.L.b.g. He holds door open. JACK hold this for you there, Jeevesy. GRADY enters cam.L. GRADY Thank you, sir. Thank you. GRADY walks forward and puts his tray down on basins cam.R. JACK walks forward. GRADY Now let's see if we can improve this with a little water, sir. GRADY soaks his serviette under tap. JACK puts glass down cam.L and turns to GRADY cam.R. JACK Right, I'll just set my bourbon and advocaat down right there. JACK laughs. GRADY starts to sponge JACK with serviette. GRADY Won't keep you a moment, sir. JACK Fine. GRADY sponges JACK. JACK What do they call you around here, Jeevesy? . GRADY Grady, sir. Delbert Grady. M.S. JACK over GRADY. GRADY sponging JACK's jacket. JACK Grady? GRADY Yes, sir. JACK Delbert Grady. GRADY That's right, sir. GRADY sponges JACK's trousers. JACK Eh, Mr. Grady JACK clears his throat. JACK CONT'D haven't I seen you somewhere before? GRADY Why no, sir. I don't believe so. GRADY turns cam.L to basins to rinse serviette under tap. He turns back to JACK and sponges his jacket. GRADY Ah ha, it's coming off now, sir. JACK Eh Mr. Grady weren't you once the caretaker here? GRADY Why no, sir. I don't believe so. GRADY sponges JACK's trousers. JACK You er a married man, are you, Mr. Grady? GRADY sponges JACK's jacket sleeve GRADY Yes, sir. I have a wife and eh two daughters, sir. JACK And, er where are they now? GRADY Oh, they're somewhere around. I'm not quite sure at the moment, sir. JACK takes serviette away from GRADY and wipes his hand with it. JACK Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. I recognize you. I saw your picture in the newspapers. You eh chopped your wife and daughters up into little bits, and eh and you blew your brains out. JACK throws serviette into basin cam.L. M.L.S. GRADY over JACK. GRADY That's strange, sir. I don't have any recollection of that at all. Mr. Grady, you were the caretaker here. M.S. JACK over GRADY. GRADY I'm sorry to differ with you, sir, but you are the caretaker. You have always been the caretaker, I should know, sir. I've always been here. M.C.S. JACK laughs. M.C.S. GRADY . GRADY Did you know, Mr. Torrance, that your son is attempting to bring an outside party into this situation? Did you know that? M.C.S. JACK. He shakes his head. JACK No. M.C.S. GRADY GRADY He is, Mr. Torrance. M.C.S. JACK JACK Who? M.C.S. GRADY GRADY A nigger. M.C.S. JACK JACK A nigger! M.C.S. GRADY GRADY A nigger cook. MEN'S LAVATORY M.C.S. JACK . JACK How? M.C.S. GRADY GRADY Your son has a very great talent. I don't think you are aware how great it is, but he is attempting to use that very talent against your will. M.C.S. JACK JACK Well, he is a very willful boy. JACK smiles. M.C.S. GRADY. GRADY Indeed, he is, Mr. Torrance. A very willful boy. A rather naughty boy, if I may be so bold, sir. M.C.S. JACK. He looks about. JACK It's his mother. JACK looks about. JACK She eh interferes. M.C.S. GRADY. GRADY Perhaps they need a good talking to, if you don't mind my saying so. Perhaps a bit more M.C.S. JACK. GRADY OFF My girls, sir, they didn't care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a packet of matches M.C.S. GRADY GRADY CONT'D and tried to burn it down. But I corrected them, sir. And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty I corrected her. M.C.S. JACK smiles. M.C.S. GRADY. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. WENDY, crying and holding cigarette, walks R-L from Living Room into Bedroom. CAMERA PANS with her. WENDY to herself We have the Snowcat. If the weather breaks, we might just be able to get down the mountain in that. WENDY turns and walks L-R back into LIVING ROOM CAMERA TRACKS IN and PANS with her. WENDY to herself I could call the Forest Rangers first and then tell them that we're coming so that they could start searching for us, in case we didn't make it. WENDY turns and walks R-L into Bedroom CAMERA PANS with her WENDY to herself If Jack won't come with us, we'll just have to tell him that we are going by ourselves. That's all there is to it. DANNY OFF Red Rum. Red Rum. WENDY reacts and turns to cam.R. She runs away to DANNY's bedroom door in b.g. DANNY OFF Red Rum. Red Rum. DANNY'S BEDROOM M.S. WENDY opens door and stands in doorway. WENDY Danny? DANNY OFF Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. WENDY moves R-L from door. CAMERA PANS with her and TRACKS BACK to reveal DANNY sitting up in bed. WENDY sits beside him. DANNY Red Rum. WENDY Danny what's the matter, hon? DANNY Red Rum. WENDY Are you having a bad dream? M.C.S. DANNY over WENDY WENDY Danny? Hon? . TONY Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. M.C.S. WENDY over DANNY WENDY Come on, hon, wake up. You just had a bad dream. Everything's okay. M.C.S. DANNY over WENDY. TONY Danny can't wake up, Mrs. Torrance. M.C.S. WENDY over DANNY. WENDY Danny, wake up! Come on, right now, M.C.S. DANNY over WENDY. WENDY Wake up. TONY Danny's gone away, Mrs. Torrance. M.C.S. WENDY over DANNY. WENDY Danny She leans forward and puts her arm round him. She strokes his hair. HOTEL LOBBY M.L.S. JACK walking L-R past reception desk. CAMERA TRACKS with him to office. He goes in and switches on lights RANGER over radio This is KDK calling KDK . KDK calling KDK . Are you receiving me? This is KDK calling KDK . KDK calling KDK . Do you read me? HOTEL OFFICE M.L.S. JACK walks from office into inner office. CAMERA TRACKS after him. He stops by radio set. RANGER over radio This is KDK calling KDK . KDK calling KDK . Are you receiving me? M.S. JACK looking down at radio set. He tries to take the cover off. RANGER over radio KDK calling KDK . KDK calling KDK . Do you read me? JACK unscrews back of set and lifts cover off radio. He drops it on floor. RANGER over radio This is KDK calling KDK . KDK calling KDK . He reaches out to the set with his hand. M.C.S. JACK's hand touches component in set. He pulls it out. RANGER over radio Are you recei He pulls two more components out of set. He rattles them in his hand, then moves out cam.L MIAMI HALLORAN'S APARTMENT NIGHT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear, walks R-L towards window. CAMERA PANS with him. RANGER over phone Good evening. Forest Service. HALLORAN into phone Hallo, this is Dick Halloran again. I called a while ago about the folks at the Overlook Hotel. RANGER'S OFFICE NIGHT M.S. RANGER sitting at radio, phone to ear. RANGER into phone Oh yeah. We tried to contract them several times by radio, but they didn't answer. MAN enters from cam.R.f.g. and walks away to b.g. RANGER into phone Now, maybe they've got their radio turned off or they're in a place where they can't hear it. If you like me to, I'd be glad to try them again later on. MIAMI HALLORAN'S APARTMENT NIGHT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Oh, that's very nice of you. I'll call you back later. Bye. He walks L-R. CAMERA TRACKS & PANS with him. He puts phone down on receiver, and puts his hand up to his head. BLACK FRAMES Superimposition: a.m. SKY DAY L.S. D.C. in flight. D.C. M.C.S. HALLORAN sitting in seat. CAMERA TRACKS BACK to reveal other passengers in their seats. HALLORAN turns in his seat and looks cam.L. STEWARDESS enters from cam.L and stops beside HALLORAN. HALLORAN Pardon me, miss. What time will we get to Denver? STEWARDESS We're due to arrive at :, sir. HALLORAN Thank you very much. STEWARDESS walks out cam.R. HALLORAN looks at his wristwatch. HOTEL LOUNGE L.S. Shooting through entrance onto JACK seated, back to camera, typing at table in b.g. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD onto JACK. AIRPORT DAY L.S. D.C. moves away along flare path, as it lands. DURKIN'S GARAGE M.L.S. DURKIN at car by petrol pump. He moves away R-L to office DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. MAN standing cam.L. MAN sitting reading magazine. DURKIN enters. He stamps snow off his feet and moves L-R. CAMERA PANS with him behind counter. He picks up ringing phone. DURKIN into phone Durkin's garage. HALLORAN over phone Hello, can I speak to Larry? DURKIN into phone Speaking. AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN at telephone booth, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Hello Larry. This is Dick, Dick Halloran. DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear, behind counter. DURKIN into phone Dick, how are you doing? How's the weather down there? AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone I'm not in Florida, Larry. I'm calling from Stapleton Airport DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear, leaning on counter. DURKIN into phone What the hell are you doing down there? AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Well, I just got in from Miami, and I've got to get up to the Overlook today. What's the weather like up there? DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear. DURKIN into phone Well, the snow ploughs are keeping things moving in town, but the mountain roads are completely blocked. AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone That means I'm going to need a snowcat to get up there, Larry. Can you fix me up with one? DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear DURKIN into phone What's the big deal about getting up there today, especially in this kind of weather? AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN, phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Larry, just between you and me, we've got a very serious problem with the people who are taking care of the place. They've turned out to be completely unreliable assholes. Ullman phoned me last night, and I'm supposed to go up there and find out if they have to be replaced. DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear, looks at his watch. DURKIN into phone How long is it going to take you to get up here? AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Oh about five hours. I'm gonna rent a car here at the airport. DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN, phone to ear DURKIN into phone Okay, Dick I'll take care of it. AIRPORT M.S. HALLORAN phone to ear. HALLORAN into phone Oh thanks a lot, Larry. I really appreciate that. DURKIN'S GARAGE M.S. DURKIN phone to ear. DURKIN into phone That's all right. Drive carefully. He puts phone down. ROAD NIGHT M.L.S. HALLORAN's car moving forward along snow covered road. CAMERA TRACKS BACK with it. VOICE OVER RADIO Well, good morning to you, Hal and Charlie on Radio, KHOW Denver HALLORAN'S CAR NIGHT M.C.S. HALLORAN sitting behind wheel as he drives along road L-R. VOICE OVER RADIO CONT'D and, Charlie, we have what you call your bad day out there. What you call your heavy snow, snowing hard throughout the eh Denver metro area. Many of the mountain passes Wolf Creek, and Red Mountain passes are already closed . M.S. Shooting from behind HALLORAN through windscreen as he drives along road, passing overturned truck cam.L. VOICE OVER RADIO CONT'D and the chain law is in effect right now at the Eisenhower Tunnel. I guess as we've just heard from the news forecast, Charlie, a few of the flights are still landing out at Stapleton International Airport, and, with these early storms like this, I guess the entire airport will probably be closed within the hour. Yeah, they're just not prepared. The storm will continue throughout the day, and the national weather service has declared a stopmans and travelers advisory for all areas outlying the Denver metro region get the cows in the barn. There you go. Many businesses OVERLOOK HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. DANNY & WENDY sitting at table watching T.V. Set cam.L. WENDY inhales cigarette and looks at her watch. She puts cigarette out cam.R. WENDY Hon, WENDY strokes his hair, then takes hold of his chin and turns his face to her. WENDY CONT'D listen to me for a minute, will you, hon? She lowers her hand from his chin and strokes his hair. WENDY I'm just going to go and talk to Daddy for a few minutes and I'll be right back. I want you to just stay here and watch your cartoons, okay? She strokes his hair. WENDY Okay, hon? . DANNY holds up his forefinger and wiggles it. TONY Yes, Mrs. Torrance. WENDY kisses DANNY's head. WENDY All right. Now I'll be back in just about five minutes. I'm gonna lock the door behind me. She kisses his head and strokes his hair then stands up and walks away to door. She stops and picks up a baseball bat from cam.R. She walks away through open doorway, and exits cam.R. HOTEL LOUNGE M.L.S. WENDY, carrying baseball bat, walks away into Lounge. As she goes, she turns and looks about her CAMERA TRACKS after her. WENDY Jack...? She looks about and then moves L-R past table, with his typewriter on it. She walks L-R behind pillar and appears again on the other side. CAMERA TRACKS with her. WENDY Jack...? WENDY stops and looks about. M.L.S. WENDY, holding bat, in f.g. She turns and walks away to JACK's typewriter on table in b.g. M.S. Low Angle JACK's typewriter in f.g. WENDY moves forward into shot. She looks down at sheet of paper in typewriter. M.C.S. Sheet of paper in typewriter with repetition of line on it, reading: 'ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.' . Sheet of paper is turned up, showing repetition of line. Again sheet of paper is turned up showing repetition of line. M.S. Low Angle WENDY looking down at sheet of paper in typewriter. She looks cam.R then moves to cam.R. M.S. Sheets of paper, filling cardboard box. CAMERA TRACKS IN on top sheet, showing repetition of the line 'ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.' filling sheet. M.S. Low Angle WENDY looking down at box of paper in f.g. She holds up top sheet and looks at it then puts it down in box. M.C.S. Sheets of paper filling box. WENDY's hand enters cam.L.f.g. She flicks through sheets of paper and sees they are all filled with repetition of line: 'ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.' M.S. Low Angle WENDY flicking through sheets of paper in box. M.S. Pillar. CAMERA TRACKS R-L revealing WENDY, back to camera, looking through sheets of paper in box on table in M.L.S. JACK enters cam.R.f.g. JACK How do you like it? WENDY SCREAMS and turns round to face JACK. WENDY Jack! JACK How do you like it? JACK moves away towards table. WENDY walks R-L along table. M.S. JACK moves forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him JACK What are you doing down here? He stops by chair and puts his hand on back of it. M.S. WENDY holding bat. WENDY I just eh wanted M.S. JACK hand on back of chair. WENDY OFF to talk to you. JACK moves R-L to table. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. JACK Okay. Let's talk. JACK flicks through sheets of paper in box then looks towards WENDY. JACK What do you want to talk about? M.S. WENDY holding bat. WENDY I M.S. JACK WENDY OFF I can't really remember. JACK You can't remember. JACK moves forward L-R. CAMERA PANS with him. WENDY OFF No, I can't M.S. WENDY, holding bat, moves L-R. CAMERA PANS with her. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. DANNY sitting at table. CAMERA TRACKS IN on him. JACK OFF Maybe it was about Danny. Maybe it was about him. HOTEL LOBBY M.S. Blood clear from camera lens revealing furniture floating about on river of blood. JACK OFF I think we should discuss Danny. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. Low Angle Door with word 'MURDER' scrawled in reverse on door. HOTEL LOBBY M.S. Furniture floating on river of blood towards camera. JACK OFF I think we should discuss what should be done with him. HOTEL LOUNGE M.S. JACK moves forward. JACK What should be done with him? M.S. WENDY holding bat gives nervous laugh M.S. JACK moves forward R-L CAMERA PANS & TRACKS BACK with him. WENDY OFF I don't know. JACK I don't think that's true. I think you have some very definite ideas about what should be done with Danny and I'd like to know what they are. M.S. WENDY holding bat moves back R-L. CAMERA PANS with her. She weeps. WENDY Well I I think maybe he should be taken to a doctor. M.S. JACK JACK You think maybe he should be taken to a doctor? M.S. WENDY WENDY Yes M.S. JACK JACK When do you think maybe he should be taken to a doctor? M.S. WENDY holding bat. WENDY As soon as possible? . M.S. JACK JACK As soon as possible. WENDY OFF Jack M.S. WENDY holding bat. WENDY please M.S. JACK moves forward CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK You believe his health might be at stake? M.S. WENDY holding bat moves back. WENDY Yeyes. M.S. JACK moves forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK And you are concerned about him? M.S. WENDY holding bat moves back. WENDY Yes. M.S. JACK points to himself as he moves forward. JACK And are you concerned about me? M.S. WENDY holding bat moves backwards WENDY Of course I am. JACK OFF Of course you are. M.S. JACK moves forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. He points to himself and gestures. JACK Have you ever thought about my responsibilities? WENDY OFF Oh Jack, what are you talking about? JACK Have you ever had a single moment's thought about my responsibilities? Have you ever thought for a single solitary moment about my responsibilities to my employers? M.S. WENDY holding bat moves backwards. M.S. JACK moves forward CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK Has it ever occurred to you that I have agreed to look after the Overlook Hotel until May the first? Does it matter to you at all that the owners have placed their complete confidence and trust in me, and that I have signed a letter of agreement, a contract, in which I have accepted that responsibility? M.S. WENDY holding bat moves backwards L-R to foot of stairs. CAMERA PANS with her. She moves onto first step. JACK OFF Do you have the slightest idea what a moral and ethical principal is? Do you? . M.S. JACK moves forward L-R. CAMERA PANS with him. JACK Has it ever occurred to you what would happen to my future, if I were to fail to live up to my responsibilities? M.S. WENDY holding bat backs up stairs. JACK OFF Has it ever occurred to you? JACK moves in cam.R.f.g. JACK Has it? WENDY swinging bat before her backs up stairs. JACK moves after her. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after them. WENDY Stay away from me! JACK Why? WENDY I just want to go back to my room. JACK Why? WENDY sobs. WENDY Well I'm very confused, and I just need a chance to think things over. M.S. High Angle JACK over WENDY. He moves forward up stairs. She backs away. CAMERA TRACKS BACK and UP before them. JACK You've had your whole fucking life to think things over what's good a few minutes more going to do you now? . WENDY Jack stay away from me please. JACK reaches up to her. WENDY Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! JACK I'm not going to hurt you. WENDY swings bat in front of her as she backs up stairs. WENDY Stay away from me, JACK Wendy! WENDY Stay away...! JACK Darling, light of my life, I'm not going to hurt you. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said 'I'm not going to hurt you I'm just going to bash your brains in!' I'm going to bash them right the fuck in. WENDY waves bat in front of her. JACK laughs. WENDY Stay away from me! M.S. Low Angle WENDY swinging bat in front of her, backs up stairs. JACK follows her CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after them. WENDY Stay away from me! JACK I'm not going to hurt you. WENDY Stay away from me! M.S. High Angle JACK over WENDY. She swings bat in front of her, as she backs away and he follows her WENDY Stay away from me! Please JACK Stop swinging the bat. WENDY Stay away from me. JACK Put the bat down, Wendy. WENDY Stop it! JACK Wendy give me the bat. WENDY Stay stay away! JACK Give me the bat. M.S. Low Angle WENDY over JACK. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD as they come up stairs. WENDY Stay away from me. JACK Give me the bat. WENDY Jack, stay away from me! JACK Stop swinging the bat. WENDY Get down. M.S. High Angle JACK over WENDY. She swings bat in front of her as they move up stairs. CAMERA TRACKS with them. JACK Give me the bat. WENDY Go away from me JACK Wendy WENDY Go away. JACK Give me the bat. WENDY Go away. JACK Give me the bat. JACK reaches up with hand. WENDY hits his hand with bat. SHE SCREAMS. HE YELLS and grabs his wrist. M.S. Low Angle WENDY over JACK. JACK Goddamn! WENDY hits JACK on head with bat. M.S. High Angle JACK over WENDY he throws up hand and leans back. M.L.S. Low Angle WENDY over JACK. He falls backwards down stairs. CAMERA PANS L-R with him as he somersaults down stairs, stopping face down on half landing. M.L.S. High Angle WENDY back to camera at top of stairs. JACK lying facedown on half landing. WENDY Ohoh! HOTEL KITCHEN M.C.S. JACK lying on his back on floor. He GROANS as he is dragged along R-L. CAMERA TRACKS with him OVERLOOK HOTEL KITCHEN M.S. WENDY, holding JACK's ankles, drags him backwards to food store door. She undoes bolt, then tries to open door. JACK GROANS. M.S. Low Angle WENDY tugging at handle. JACK GROANS OFF. M.C.S. WENDY tugging at handle. She looks down cam.R. M.C.S. JACK, lying on his back on the floor GROANING, starts to come to. His eyes open and he lifts his head up. M.C.S. WENDY, tugging at door handle. M.C.S. WENDY's hand on handle. She takes out pin on chain in handle and tugs handle open. M.S. WENDY swings door open. Then she takes hold of JACK's ankles. M.C.S. JACK. JACK Hey what are you doing? M.S. WENDY pulling JACK by the legs into food store. JACK Ohhh what are you doing? M.S. High Angle JACK on his back being dragged through door into food store JACK Hey, wait a minute What are you doing? WENDY puts his feet down and moves away to door. JACK What are you doing? M.S. Low Angle WENDY's feet and legs move forward from JACK She exits cam.R.f.g. JACK rolls over onto his elbow. Door closes in f.g. M.S. JACK on floor in f.g. WENDY in b.g. closes the door. JACK gets onto his feet. He GROANS and grips his R. ankle, staggering against cardboard boxes. They fall down onto him. HOTEL KITCHEN M.S. WENDY puts pin in handle, and backs L-R away from door. CAMERA PANS with her. JACK OFF Hey, wait a minute! WENDY turns away and looks about. JACK OFF What are you doing? WENDY sees knife in rack on wall and lifts it out of rack. She turns to face food store door. JACK OFF Open the door. WENDY backs away to table. JACK OFF Goddamit! Let me out of here! Open the goddam door. WENDY, resting one hand on table, weeps as she sinks to her knees HOTEL FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. Low Angle JACK. JACK Wendy, listen. Let me out of here and I'll forget the whole goddam thing. It'll be just like nothing ever happened. HOTEL KITCHEN M.S. WENDY kneeling by table. She is weeping and puts her hand up to her head. FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. Low Angle JACK listens to her weeping. JACK Wendy, baby He puts hand up to head. JACK I think you hurt my head real bad. He takes his hand away from his head. JACK I'm dizzy. I need a doctor. KITCHEN M.S. WENDY weeping as she kneels by table. JACK OFF Honey don't leave me in here. WENDY stands up. CAMERA TILTS UP with her. WENDY I'm gonna go now WENDY walks R-L. CAMERA PANS with her to food store room door WENDY I'm going to try and get get Danny down to the Sidewinder in the Snowcat today. She weeps. WENDY I'll bring back a doctor. FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. JACK JACK Wendy WENDY OFF I'm gonna go now. JACK Wendy KITCHEN M.S. WENDY weeping turns to food store door. WENDY Yes? FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. JACK smiling. JACK You've got a big surprise coming to you. He laughs. JACK You're not going anywhere. He laughs KITCHEN M.S. WENDY by food store door. JACK OFF Go check out the Snowcat and the radio and see what I mean. He laughs off. JACK OFF Go check it out! He laughs off. WENDY exits cam.L. FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. JACK laughing. JACK Go check it out! He laughs. JACK Go check it out! He laughs. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.L.S. WENDY carrying knife runs forward CAMERA PANS L-R with her as she runs to door. She forces it open. HOTEL M.L.S. WENDY forces door open against snow and walks out on snow. CAMERA PANS L-R with her to edge of porch. She runs away to b.g. M.L.S. WENDY runs L-R along front of hotel CAMERA TRACKS with her HOTEL GARAGE M.S. Snowcat in garage. WENDY seen through open doorway. She runs forward and enters garage, carrying knife. She stops at entrance. Then she moves L-R towards Snowcat, and picks up distributor cap. CAMERA TRACKS IN on her, reacting to damaged distributor cap. BLACK FRAMES. Superimposed over: p.m. HOTEL L.S. Overlook Hotel in b.g. Snow and trees in f.g. HOTEL FOOD STORE ROOM M.C.S. JACK asleep on sacks. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. KNOCK ON DOOR OFF. JACK stirs and rubs his eyes. KNOCK ON DOOR OFF. Jack sits up. JACK Wendy? CAMERA TRACKS BACK as JACK feels his R. ankle. GRADY OFF It's Grady, Mr. Torrance. Delbert Grady. JACK Grady oh. JACK puts his hand up on shelf. JACK Oh Grady right. Grady er JACK stands up and moves R-L behind shelves towards door. CAMERA TRACKS with him. JACK Hullo Grady. JACK moves R-L to door and leans on it with his hand GRADY OFF Mr. Torrance, I see you can hardly have taken care of the M.C.S. JACK by door. GRADY OFF business we discussed. He moves back R-L from door. JACK No need to rub it in, Mr. Grady. I'll deal with that situation as soon as I get out of here. GRADY OFF Will you indeed, Mr. Torrance. He puts his hand up to his head. GRADY OFF I wonder. I have my doubts. He lowers his hand from his head. GRADY OFF I and others have come to believe that your heart is not in this, that you haven't the belly for it. JACK laughs. JACK Just give me one more chance to prove it, Mr. Grady. That's all I ask. GRADY OFF Your wife appears to be stronger than we imagined, Mr. Torrance. Somewhat more resourceful, she seems to have got the better of you. JACK For the moment, Mr. Grady. Only for the moment GRADY OFF I fear that you will have to deal with this matter in the harshest possible way, Mr. Torrance. I fear that is the only thing to do. JACK There's nothing I look forward to with the greater pleasure, Mr. Grady. GRADY OFF You give your word on that do you, Mr. Torrance? JACK nods his head. JACK I give you my word. SOUND OF BOLT BEING DRAWN & HANDLE BEING UNFASTENED OFF. ROAD NIGHT L.S. HALLORAN driving Snowcat forward along snow-covered road between banks of trees. HALLORAN'S SNOWCAT M.C.S. HALLORAN driving Snowcat L-R along road. M.S. Shooting from behind HALLORAN sitting cam.L through windscreen, with wipers working, as he moves forward along snow-covered road. Trees on either side of road. HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT NIGHT M.C.S. DANNY moves away R-L towards his MOTHER asleep in bed. CAMERA PANS with him. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. DANNY stops beside WENDY asleep in bed TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. WENDY stirs in bed. DANNY reaches out with his hand for knife on table cam.R of bed. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. DANNY holds up knife. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. He feels blade. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. He takes hand away from blade. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. He turns away from bed and holding knife up walks L-R. CAMERA PANS with him. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. He stops by dressing table. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. He picks up lipstick from dressing table. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. He turns away from dressing table. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. DANNY walks R-L away to door CAMERA PANS with him. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum OVERLOOK HOTEL JACK'S APARTMENT NIGHT M.S. DANNY holding knife and lipstick at door. WENDY asleep in bed in b.g. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. He starts to write with lipstick the word 'MURDER' IN reverse on the door. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. He finishes writing word and looks at word. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. He turns and walks away to WENDY asleep in bed. TONY'S VOICE Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. WENDY wakes and sits up with a SHRIEK. M.S. DANNY beside WENDY in bed. DANNY Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. WENDY gets out of bed and takes knife away from him. WENDY Danny. Danny, stop it. Danny! DANNY Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. Red Rum. WENDY puts her arms round DANNY and pulls him towards her. She looks over his shoulder. WENDY Eh She reacts CAMERA ZOOMS IN on her face M.S. WENDY's P.O.V. The word 'MURDER' written by DANNY on door reflected in mirror. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on word. SOUND OF AXE STRIKING DOOR OFF. M.C.S. WENDY shrieks and looks cam.L. She puts her hand up to DANNY's head. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK swings axe at front door of his apartment. JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. WENDY holding DANNY in her arms gets up off bed. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK swings axe at front door of apartment. JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. WENDY, with DANNY in her arms, looks about, then moves to door with 'MURDER' in reverse written on it. She opens door and goes into bathroom, with DANNY, closing door behind her. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY, with DANNY clinging to her, closes the door. Then she bolts and locks it. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK swings axe at door and splinters a panel. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY & DANNY move R-L from door to window. She drops knife in basin as she passes it. CAMERA PANS with them WENDY unbolts window and raises the bottom part. HOTEL M.S. WENDY tries to force bottom part of window higher up. BATHROOM M.C.S. DANNY clinging to WENDY looks over his shoulder as he hears axe splintering door OFF. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK swings axe at splintered panel on door. HOTEL BATHROOM WINDOW M.S. WENDY looking out of window. L.S. HOTEL. WENDY at bathroom window. She draws back into bathroom. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.S. JACK swings axe at splintered panel on door. JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. JACK pulls piece of wood away from splintered panel, and looks through gap. M.C.S. JACK at gap in panel. JACK Wendy, I'm home He looks down. CAMERA TILTS DOWN he removes a piece of wood with hand and then reaches in and unlocks door. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY, back to camera, lifts DANNY up to open window. HOTEL L.S. WENDY pushes DANNY out through open window onto snow. She lets him go and he slides L-R down snow. He stands up at the bottom, and looks up at WENDY at window. M.S. WENDY struggling to get out of open window. JACK'S APARTMENT M.S. JACK, carrying axe, moves up stairs from open front door. CAMERA TRACKS BACK with him. HOTEL M.S. WENDY struggling to get out of bathroom window. She goes back into bathroom. M.S. DANNY looking up cam.L at bathroom window. JACK'S APARTMENT BEDROOM M.S. JACK, carrying axe, walks away across Living Room into Bedroom. CAMERA TRACKS after him. JACK Come out, come out, wherever you are! . BATHROOM M.S. WENDY trying to force window up higher. She looks over her shoulder, then puts her head down to open window. HOTEL M.S. WENDY tries to get out of open window. BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK enters cam.R. He stops at Bathroom door. HE RAPS ON DOOR. HOTEL M.S. WENDY with head out of open Bathroom window. WENDY Danny, I can't get out! L.S. WENDY at Bathroom window cam.L. DANNY at foot of slope of snow looking up cam.L. WENDY Run, run and hide. Run, quick! DANNY runs away L-R. BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK at Bathroom door. JACK Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in! BATHROOM M.S. WENDY by open window. She moves L-R to basin. CAMERA PANS with her. She picks up knife and moves R-L to side of door CAMERA PANS with her. BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK at Bathroom door. JACK Not by the hair on your chiny, chin, chin. Then I'll huff, and I'll puff M.S. JACK holding axe back to camera at Bathroom door. JACK CONT'D and I'll blow your house in. He swings axe back. M.S. JACK swings axe twice at Bathroom door. WENDY SCREAMS OFF. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY standing at side of door. JACK's axe appear through door. WENDY SCREAMS. JACK's axe repeatedly appears and splinters door. WENDY screams. WENDY Jack. Please. Don't Don't Head of axe appears through splintered door. WENDY SCREAMS. WENDY Don't! Oh! Please Head of axe appears again through door. WENDY SCREAMS. WENDY Stop! M.C.S. Splintered door panel. WENDY OFF Jack! . JACK in b.g. swings axe at door and smashes away the splintered wood. WENDY OFF Stop it! Stop it! BEDROOM M.S. JACK swings axe at splintered door. WENDY OFF Stop it! JACK moves L-R to gap in splintered door. WENDY SCREAMS OFF. BATHROOM M.C.S. JACK's face at gap in splintered door. JACK Here's Johnny! M.C.S. WENDY holding knife SCREAMS. M.C.S. JACK's smiling face at gap in splintered door. He moves backwards and reaches in through gap. M.C.S. JACK's hand in through gap in door to key on inside of door. M.S. WENDY strikes down with knife. M.C.S. JACK's hand on key. WENDY's knife slashes across back of his hand, and withdraws cam.R. JACK's hand moves to gap in door. JACK YELLS OFF M.C.S. JACK's face at gap in door. HE IS YELLING. He looks down and turns away from door. ROAD NIGHT M.S. Shooting from behind HALLORAN sitting back to camera L.f.g. through windscreen as he drives along snow-covered road. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY at side of door. She looks cam.R as she hears HALLORAN's Snowcat approaching OFF. BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK at Bathroom door he turns round as he hears HALLORAN's Snowcat approaching OFF. He looks down cam.L. HOTEL NIGHT L.S. HALLORAN's Snowcat moves R-L along snow-covered road. CAMERA TRACKS with it revealing Overlook Hotel in b.g. BEDROOM M.C.S. JACK looking cam.R. He turns away to splintered door. SOUND OF SNOWCAT OFF. BATHROOM M.C.S. WENDY at side of door listening. HOTEL L.S. HALLORAN's Snowcat moves R-L along front of Hotel. CAMERA TRACKS with it. Snowcat stops HOTEL CORRIDOR KITCHEN M.L.S. DANNY runs forward along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. He runs into kitchen stops and moves L-R to oven. He kneels down beside it. CAMERA PANS with him. DANNY slides oven door open R-L and crawls into it. M.C.S. DANNY in oven slides door R-L. M.S. Oven door sliding L-R. M.S. JACK holding axe limps R-L through kitchen. CAMERA TRACKS with him. BATHROOM M.S. WENDY sobbing at side of door then she moves to door and slashes at it with knife. HOTEL M.L.S. HALLORAN walking R-L. CAMERA TRACKS with him. He moves to door left open by WENDY. He pulls it open wide and exits into Hotel. HOTEL LOBBY M.S. JACK holding axe moves forward CAMERA PANS R-L and TRACKS with him. He moves away up stairs. HALLORAN OFF Hallo! JACK at top of stairs. HALLORAN OFF Anybody here? JACK moves away from stairs CAMERA TRACKS after him. JACK moves R-L and looks down at Lobby. CAMERA TRACKS after him HALLORAN OFF Hallo! Anybody here? M.L.S. HALLORAN moves forward along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD. HALLORAN Hallo! HALLORAN moves R-L to entrance to Lobby. HALLORAN Anybody here? HALLORAN moves away into Lobby. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after him. HALLORAN Hallo! Hallo! Anybody here? JACK, holding axe, YELLS as he steps from behind pillar cam.R and moves towards HALLORAN. M.S. JACK YELLING as he swings axe at HALLORAN. M.C.S. HALLORAN's chest axe pierces raincoat and blood oozes out. M.C.S. DANNY, with his mouth wide open. M.S. JACK over HALLORAN. JACK holding onto shaft of axe. M.C.S. HALLORAN, with his mouth wide open. M.C.S. DANNY, with his mouth wide open M.S. JACK over HALLORAN, holding onto shaft of axe. M.C.S. HALLORAN, with his mouth wide open, sinks down out of shot. M.C.S. DANNY, with his mouth wide open. M.C.S. JACK rises up into shot. M.L.S. JACK holding axe standing beside body of HALLORAN on floor. JACK limps forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK Danny! Danny boy! He stops at corridor to kitchen. JACK Danny! M.L.S. JACK back to camera in R.f.g. DANNY climbs out of oven in b.g. JACK moves forward. DANNY exits cam.R.f.g. JACK limps away. CAMERA TRACKS IN after him. JACK Danny! Danny! HOTEL STAIRS M.S. High Angle WENDY runs up stairs L-R. She pauses on landing. WENDY Danny! CAMERA TRACKS BACK before WENDY as she goes up next flight of stairs. She stops at top of stairs and looks along landing. M.L.S. WENDY'S P.O.V. Shooting along landing into open doorway of bedroom MAN, dressed in Dog's costume, kneeling at foot of bed. He leans back and looks towards her. MAN, in evening dress, leans forward and looks at WENDY. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on them. M.S. WENDY, holding knife, at top of stairs backs away then turns and runs away along corridor, exiting cam.L at end. LOBBY M.L.S. JACK, holding axe, limps forward and moves L-R through entrance. He walks away to open door. CAMERA TRACKS after him. He stops in doorway. OVERLOOK HOTEL NIGHT M.L.S. Shooting from door. HALLORAN's Snowcat in b.g. CAMERA PANS L-R. HOTEL LOBBY M.S. JACK, holding axe, at open doorway. He comes in and moves L-R to switch panel on wall. He opens cover and presses switches down. He leans towards open doorway and watches lights going on outside. HOTEL M.S. DANNY crouched behind track of HALLORAN's Snowcat. He peers round corner. HOTEL M.S. JACK limps to open doorway and stops. JACK Danny! . HOTEL M.S. DANNY by track of HALLORAN's Snowcat. He moves away L-R. M.L.S. JACK limps away from door. JACK Danny! M.S. DANNY runs L-R and exits cam.R. M.S. JACK limping L-R from Hotel. CAMERA TRACKS with him. JACK Danny! M.L.S. DANNY running away L-R across snow. CAMERA PANS with him. He runs into Maze. M.S. JACK limping L-R. CAMERA TRACKS with him. Hotel in b.g. HOTEL MAZE M.S. DANNY running away through Maze. CAMERA TRACKS after him. He looks back over his shoulder. M.S. JACK in the Maze. He limps forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK Danny! I'm coming. I'm coming Dan! He looks down. M.C.S. DANNY's footprints in snow. CAMERA TILTS UP & TRACKS FORWARD along DANNY's footprints M.C.S. DANNY's feet and legs running away through Maze. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD. HOTEL M.L.S. WENDY, carrying knife, runs forward into kitchen. She looks towards stairs in b.g. WENDY Danny! WENDY stumbles forward through coffee pots and rings on floor. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before her. WENDY Oh! WENDY turns R-L. CAMERA TRACKS with her. She moves away along corridor. CAMERA TRACKS after her. She stops at corner. CAMERA CONTINUES PAST her revealing HALLORAN lying dead on floor of lobby. M.C.S. WENDY reacts. M.L.S. HALLORAN's body lying on floor. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on it. M.C.S. WENDY looks about. She moves away R-L. CAMERA PANS with her. She SCREAMS and turns to cam.R. CAMERA WHIP PANS L-R onto M.L.S. INJURED GUEST. M.S. WENDY reacting knife trembles in her hand. M.C.S. INJURED GUEST, with scar running down his head and face. He raises glass he is holding. INJURED GUEST Great party, isn't it? . M.S. WENDY SCREAMING turns and runs away. HOTEL MAZE M.L.S. DANNY running away through Maze. CAMERA TRACKS after him. JACK OFF Danny! Danny! I'm coming! M.S. JACK limps forward in Maze. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. JACK You can't get away. I'm right behind you. HOTEL CORRIDOR & LOUNGE M.L.S. WENDY runs forward. WENDY Danny! WENDY runs forward and then moves R-L. CAMERA PANS with her she stops cam.R.f.g. and SCREAMS. M.C.S. WENDY looking about. M.L.S. SKELETONS sitting in chairs. Bottle of champagne on table in f.g. M.S. SKELETONS sitting at table with bottle and glasses on it. M.L.S. SKELETONS sitting in chairs round tables with bottles on them HOTEL MAZE M.L.S. JACK limps away through Maze. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after him. M.S. DANNY steps backwards in his footprints in snow. M.S. JACK limps forward laughing. JACK Danny! M.L.S. DANNY stepping backwards in his footprints in snow. He jumps L-R landing in snow, and crawls L-R brushing his traces in the snow out with his hands. HOTEL CORRIDOR M.L.S. WENDY holding knife runs forward. She slows down as she nears f.g. She moves R-L. CAMERA PANS with her to open door. She stops by doorway and looks along corridor towards lift doors in b.g. M.S. Lift doors. Blood gushes in cam.L and surges forward along floor. M.C.S. WENDY reacts. M.S. Lift doors. Blood gushes in cam.L and cam.R surging forward in wave towards camera. HOTEL MAZE M.S. DANNY sitting leaning against side of Maze. CAMERA TRACKS R-L revealing JACK, holding axe, cam.R.b.g. He limps R-L and moves away along Maze M.S. DANNY's footprints in the snow CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD and stops when footprints end. CAMERA TILTS UP to snow without footprints. M.C.S. JACK he looks about then back and forwards and finally cam.R. JACK Danny! He looks cam.L. M.C.S. DANNY crouched against side of Maze. JACK OFF Danny! M.S. JACK he looks about then cam.L. JACK Danny! M.L.S. JACK limps L-R and exits cam.R. M.S. DANNY appears from behind mound of snow and moves forward R-L. M.L.S. DANNY's P.O.V. Empty Maze. M.S. DANNY moves away R-L from mound of snow. CAMERA PANS with him. He runs away along Maze. M.S. Footprints in snow in Maze. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD along footprints M.L.S. JACK, back to camera, limping away along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS after him. M.S. JACK limps forward along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS BACK before him. M.S. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD along Maze. M.S. DANNY runs forward along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. M.L.S. JACK moves to opening cam.R. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD he turns and moves R-L to opening cam.L. CAMERA PANS with him. He stops and turns then moves L-R. CAMERA PANS with him and TRACKS after him as he limps along MAZE. HOTEL M.L.S. WENDY sobbing and holding knife runs away to HALLORAN's Snowcat in b.g. CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD after her. She stops by Snowcat and looks about. HOTEL MAZE M.S. DANNY runs forward in Maze. CAMERA TRACKS BACK. DANNY looks over his shoulder and falls down in snow at entrance. HOTEL M.S. WENDY standing by HALLORAN's Snowcat. She throws down knife. WENDY Danny! Danny! She runs forward and out cam.R.f.g. M.L.S. DANNY lying on snow at entrance to Maze. He gets up and runs R-L. CAMERA PANS with him DANNY Mommy WENDY OFF Danny, come here! DANNY Mommy Mommy...! WENDY OFF Danny! DANNY runs R-L into WENDY's arms as she kneels on snow. DANNY Mommy! WENDY Oh! WENDY hugs and kisses DANNY. WENDY Oh Danny! HOTEL MAZE M.S. JACK holding axe limps forward CAMERA TRACKS BACK. JACK Danny! Where JACK GROANS. HOTEL M.L.S. WENDY holding DANNY moves R-L to HALLORAN's Snowcat. CAMERA PANS with them. WENDY opens door of Snowcat and lifts DANNY up to cab. HOTEL MAZE M.L.S. JACK GROANING staggers away along Maze CAMERA TRACKS after him. JACK Danny! . He stumbles and lies in snow. He struggles up to his feet. HOTEL L.S. Snowcat with lights on moves R-L in front of Hotel, then turns to cam.R. JACK SHOUTS INAUDIBLE OFF. HOTEL MAZE M.S. JACK staggers forward. CAMERA TRACKS BACK INDISTINCT SHOUTS. He GROANS as he moves forward R-L. HOTEL L.S. Snowcat drives away down road. JACK INAUDIBLE SHOUTS OFF. HOTEL MAZE M.S. JACK staggers forward along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS BACK INDISTINCT MOANS & GROANS. M.L.S. JACK staggers away along Maze. CAMERA TRACKS after him. INDISTINCT MOANS. He slumps down cam.L against side of Maze. HOTEL MAZE DAY M.C.S. JACK sitting up to his chest in snow dead. Snow and icicles on his face. HOTEL GOLD BALLROOM M.L.S. Entrance to Gold Ballroom CAMERA TRACKS FORWARD through entrance to photographs on wall. CAMERA TRACKS IN close on photograph of Guests at Ball M.S. Photograph of Guests at Ball. M.C.S. Photograph of YOUNG MAN in dinner jacket. CAMERA TILTS DOWN TO: OVERLOOK HOTEL JULY th BALL ", " 'THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS' by Ted Tally Based on the novel by Thomas Harris GRUBBY HOTEL CORRIDOR DAY DIMLY LIT A woman's face BACKS INTO SHOT, her head resting against grimy wallpaper. She is tense, sweaty, wide-eyed with concentration. This is CLARICE STARLING, mid 's, trim, very pretty. She wears Kevlar body armor over a navy windbreaker, khaki pants. Her thick hair is piled under a navy baseball cap. A revolver, clutched in her right hand, hovers by her ear. She raises a speedloader, in her left hand, locks it into her cylinder, twists and reloads. CLOSE ON A guest room door, with a small, wired pack attached to its knob. Suddenly, wish a sharp CRACK!, the knob explodes, and the door bursts open. WITH CLARICE MOVING SHOT as she runs around a corner, through a cloud of smoke. She shoulders aside the shattered door and rushes inside, gun at the ready in both hands HOTEL ROOM DAY CLARICE'S POV MOVING as she first sees, sitting on the edge of a bed a FEMALE HOSTAGE. Black, late 's, gagged, hands behind her back. Then, SWIVELLING she sees a startled MALE SUSPECT, white, mid 's, standing by a window with a rifle in his hands. He is turning towards her Clarice drops into a combat crouch, gun extended, and shouts. CLARICE Freeze! FBI! CLARICE'S POV SLOW MOTION all natural SOUND suspended as the Suspect faces her with a strange, pleading expression. The rifle is rising in his hands, but oddly enough, it is held across his chest, not pointing. Then another puzzling detail registers THE SUSPECT'S HANDS are taped to his gun, away from the trigger; he couldn't use it even if he tried. Suddenly we hear a metallic CLICK, which registers with unnatural amplification, as Clarice reacts, drops to the floor, rolling sideways, and THE 'HOSTAGE' pulls a revolver out from behind her back, still in SLOW MOTION, raising it in her untied hands. She fires repeatedly, flames leaping from the muzzle; the SOUND is an echoing roar in these close quarters, but Clarice has come up on one knee, beside an armchair, and is already firing back herself, two quick SHOTS, which send THE 'HOSTAGE' pitching over the bed, backwards, to shudder and lie still in a haze of gunsmoke. Clarice rushes to her, clamping one knee down on her gun hand, still keeping her covered in case of movement. HOLD for a few beats then we hear the shrill blast of a WHISTLE from somewhere, off screen, as normal ACTION and SOUND are restored. BRIGHAM Okay, people, good exercise Clarice relaxes, lowering her gun. The lights brighten. PULLING BACK we see that we're in some sort of auditorium, with the 'hotel room' and its 'corridor' built as a training set. JOHN BRIGHAM walks onto this set, thumbing a stopwatch. Mid 's, ex Marine. His T-shirt's lettering says 'Firearms Instructor / FBI Academy.' BRIGHAM Starling's reaction time was excellent. Let's break. Critique in five. A class of about forty young FBI trainees, of both sexes, begins to rise from their seats, mingling and chatting. Clarice nods amiably to the 'Suspect', then gives her 'Hostage' a hand up. It's ARDELIA MAPP, her roommate. Her broad, clever face breaks into a big smile, as they both remove ear plugs. Clarice's voice has just a soft trace of southern accent. ARDELIA Damn, Clarice, how'd you make me? CLARICE indicating her gun Never cock. Just squeeze. ARDELIA grins I love it when you talk dirty. As Brigham joins them, Clarice can't resist a star pupil's little smile of pride. He frowns good-naturedly. BRIGHAM What're you laughin' at, Junior G Man? She got off four rounds to your two. He takes out a steel-coiled grip flexer, drops it onto her palm. BRIGHAM continuing One hundred reps, each hand, every day. Now tidy up, the Section Chief wants to see you. He nods a direction, then moves off. Clarice, with her smile finally fading, looks out into the auditorium. SPECIAL AGENT JACK CRAWFORD sits on the top step of the aisle, looking down at her. He is, strongly built. He rises impassively, exits through the back door. He carries a think manila envelope under one arm. Ardelia who is helping Clarice unbuckle her bullet-proof vest, follows her worried gaze. CLARICE What'd I do? ARDELIA Stay cool. Just remember to call him 'God.' FBI ACADEMY GROUNDS, QUANTICO, VIRGINIA DAY Crawford is watching a group of trainees on the firing range, as Clarice joins him. He looks tired, haunted. Between master and student, we sense a subtle, muted tug of sexuality. CRAWFORD Starling, Clarice M., good morning. CLARICE Good morning, Mr. Crawford. CRAWFORD Your instructors tell me you're doing well. Top quarter of the class. CLARICE I hope so. They haven't posted anything. CRAWFORD A job's come up and I thought about you. Not really a job, more of an interesting errand. Walk me to my car, Starling. They begin to cross the academy grounds. A group of trainees jogs by, in matching sweats, following a p.e. coach. CRAWFORD We're trying to interview all of the serial killers now in custody, for a psychobehavioral profile. Could be a big help in unsolved cases. Most of them have been happy to talk to us. They have a compulsion to boast, these people Do you spook easily, Starling? CLARICE Not yet. CRAWFORD You see, the one we want most refuses to cooperate. I want you to go after him again today, in the asylum. CLARICE Who's the subject? CRAWFORD The psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Clarice stops walking, goes very still. A beat. CLARICE The cannibal Crawford doesn't respond, except to study her face. CLARICE Yes, well Okay, right. I'm glad for the chance, sir, but why me? CRAWFORD You're qualified and available. And frankly, I can't spare a real agent right now. He walks on again, at a faster clip. She hurried to keep up. CRAWFORD I don't expect him to talk to you, but I have to be able to say we tried Lecter was a brilliant psychiatrist, and he knows all the dodges. hands her the manila envelope Dossier on him, copy of our questionnaire, special ID for you If he won't talk, then I want straight reporting. How's he look, how's his cell look, what's he writing? The Director himself will see your report, over your own signature if I decide it's good enough. I want that by Wednesday, and keep this to yourself. They're reached his car. His driver stamps on a cigarette, climbs in behind the wheel. BURROUGHS, his assistant, says something into a walkie-talkie, then opens the back door. But Crawford pulls her aside, a hand on her shoulder. His intensity is scary. CRAWFORD Now. I want your full attention, Starling. Are you listening to me? CLARICE Yes sir. CRAWFORD Be very careful with Hannibal Lecter. Dr. Chilton at the asylum will go over the physical procedures used with him. Do not deviate from them, for any reason. You tell him nothing personal, Starling. Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head Just do your job, but never forget what he is. CLARICE a bit unnerved And what is that, sir? CHILTON V.O.) Oh, he's a monster. A pure psychopath CHILTON'S OFFICE BALTIMORE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE DAY CLOSE ON an ID card held in a male hand. Clarice's photo, official-looking graphics. It calls her a 'Federal Investigator.' CHILTON It's so rare to capture one alive. From a research point of view, Dr. Lecter is our most prized asset DR. FREDERICK CHILTON looks up from her card. A smarmy little peacock, behind a vast desk; he's conceived an instant, hopeless letch for Clarice. He smiles, stroking her card with his beloved gold pen. CHILTON You know, we get a lot of detectives here, but I must say, I can't ever remember one so attractive NEW ANGLE REVEALS CLARICE now wearing a more feminine skirt suit. Hair neatly coiled, elegant shoulder bag, briefcase. He has rudely left her standing. CHILTON Will you be in Baltimore overnight...? Because this can be quite a fun town, if you have the right guide. Clarice tries, unsuccessfully, to hide her distaste for him. CLARICE I'm sure it's a great town, Dr. Chilton, but my instructions are to talk to Lecter and report back this afternoon. CHILTON pause, sourly I see. beat Let's make this quick, then. I'm busy. ASYLUM CORRIDOR UPPER FLOOR DAY Clarice flinches as a heavy steel gate CLANGS shut behind her, the bolt shooting home. Chilton walks ahead of her. CHILTON Lecter carved up nine people that we're sure of and cooked his favorite bits. We've tried to study him, of course but he's much too sophisticated for the standard tests. And my, does he hate us! Thinks I'm his nemesis Crawford's very clever, isn't he? Using you. CLARICE How do you mean, Dr. Chilton? CHILTON A pretty young woman, to turn him on? I don't believe Lecter's ever seen a woman in eight years. And oh, are you ever his 'taste' so to speak. CLARICE I graduated magna from UVA, Doctor. It's not a charm school. CHILTON Good. Then you should be able to remember the rules. DIFFERENT CORRIDOR LOWER FLOOR DAY A darker, even grimmer area. Heavy grids over the lights. Distant SLAMMINGS and faint, hoarse SHOUTS. They walk briskly. CHILTON Do not reach through the bars, do not touch the bars. You pass him nothing but soft paper no pens or pencils. No staples or paperclips in his paper. Use the sliding food carrier, no exceptions. Do not accept anything he attempts to hold out to you. Do you understand me? CLARICE I understand. CHILTON I'm going to show you why we insist on such precautions On the afternoon of July,, he complained of chest pains and was taken to the dispensary. His mouthpiece and restraints were removed for an EKG. When the nurse bent over him, he did this to her He hands Clarice a small, dog-eared photo. Looking at it, she is stopped in her tracks. This pleases Chilton. CHILTON The doctors managed to re-set her jaw, more or less, and save one of her eyes. His pulse never got over eighty-five, even when he ate her tongue. pauses, he smiles I keep him in here. He turns, pushes a button. A steel door BUZZES slowly open, and BARNEY a big, impassive orderly awaits them in an anteroom. On its walls: restraints, mouthpieces, Mace, tranquilizer guns. CLARICE quickly blocking him Dr. Chilton if Lecter feels you're his enemy as you've said then maybe I'll have more luck by myself. What do you think? CHILTON annoyed You might have suggested that in my office, and saved me the time. CLARICE But then I would've missed the pleasure of your company. She holds out the photo. A beat. He grabs it, jaw twitching. CHILTON When she's finished, bring her out. He turns on his heel, goes. Barney smiles reassuringly. BARNEY Hi, I'm Barney. He told you, don't get near the bars? CLARICE shaking his hand Clarice Starling. Yes, he did. BARNEY Okay. Past the others, it's the last cell. Stay to the middle. I put out a chair for you. Sensing her tension, he indicates a nearby security monitor. BARNEY I'm watching. You'll do fine. Clarice nods gratefully. She looks down the long corridor, takes a deep breath, walks into it. He watches her go. DR. LECTER'S CORRIDOR DAY MOVING SHOT with Clarice, as her footsteps ECHO. High to her right, surveillance cameras. On her left, cells. Some are padded, with narrow observation slits, others are normal, barred Shadowy occupants pacing, MUTTERING Suddenly a dark figure in the next-to-last cell hurtles towards her, his face mashing grotesquely against his bars as he hisses. DARK FIGURE I c-can sssmell your cunt! Clarice flinches momentarily, but then walks on. DR. LECTER'S CELL is coming slowly INTO VIEW Behind its barred front wall is a second barrier of stout nylon net Sparse, bolted down furniture, many softcover books and papers. On the walls, extraordinarily detailed, skillful drawings, mostly European cityscapes, in charcoal or crayon. Clarice stops, at a polite distance from his bars, clears her throat. CLARICE Dr. Lecter My name is Clarice Starling. May I talk with you? Dr. Hannibal Lecter is lounging on his bunk, in white pajamas, reading an Italian Vogue. He turns, considers her A face so long out of the sun, it seems almost leached except for the glittering eyes, and the wet red mouth. He rises smoothly, crossing to stand before her; the gracious host. His voice is cultured, soft. DR. LECTER Good morning. CUTTING BETWEEN THEM as Clarice comes a measured distance closer. CLARICE Doctor, we have a hard problem in psychological profiling. I want to ask for your help with a questionnaire. DR. LECTER 'We' being the Behavioral Science Unit, at Quantico. You're one of Jack Crawford's, I expect. CLARICE I am, yes. DR. LECTER May I see your credentials? Clarice is surprised, but fishes her ID card from her bag, holds it up for his inspection. He smiles, soothingly. DR. LECTER Closer, please Clo-ser She complies each time, trying to hide her fear. Dr. Lecter's nostrils lift, as he gently, like an animal, tests the air. Then he smiles, glancing at her card. DR. LECTER continuing That expires in one week. You're not real FBI, are you? CLARICE I'm still in training at the Academy. DR. LECTER Jack Crawford sent a trainee to me? CLARICE We're talking about psychology, Doctor, not the Bureau. Can you decide for yourself whether or not I'm qualified? DR. LECTER Mmmmm That's rather slippery of you, Officer Starling. Sit. Please. She sits in the folding metal desk-chair. He waits politely till she's settled, then sits down himself, faces her happily. DR. LECTER Now then. What did Miggs say to you? she is puzzled 'Multiple Miggs,' in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say? CLARICE He said 'I can smell your cunt.' DR. LECTER I see. I myself cannot. You use Evyan skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today. You brought your best bag, though, didn't you? CLARICE beat Yes. DR. LECTER It's much better than your shoes. CLARICE Maybe they'll catch up. DR. LECTER I have no doubt of it. CLARICE shifting uncomfortably Did you do those drawings, Doctor? DR. LECTER Yes. That's the Duomo, seen from the Belvedere. Do you know Florence? CLARICE All that detail, just from memory...? DR. LECTER Memory, Officer Starling, is what I have instead of view. A pause, then Clarice takes the questionnaire from her case. CLARICE Dr. Lecter, if you'd please consider DR. LECTER No, no, no. You were doing fine, you'd been courteous and receptive to courtesy, you'd established trust with the embarrassing truth about Miggs, and now this ham-handed segue into your questionnaire. It won't do. It's stupid and boring. CLARICE I'm only asking you to look at this, Doctor. Either you will or you won't. DR. LECTER Jack Crawford must be very busy indeed if he's recruiting help from the student body. Busy hunting that new one, Buffalo Bill Such a naughty boy! Did Crawford send you to ask for my advice on him? CLARICE No, I came because we need DR. LECTER How many women has he used, our Bill? CLARICE Five so far. DR. LECTER All flayed...? CLARICE Partially, yes. But Doctor, that's an active case, I'm not involved. If DR. LECTER Do you know why he's called Buffalo Bill? Tell me. The newspapers won't say. CLARICE I'll tell you if you'll look at this form. he considers, then nods It started as a bad joke in Kansas City Homicide. They said this one likes to skin his humps. DR. LECTER Witless and misleading. Why do you think he takes their skins, Officer Starling? Thrill me with your wisdom. CLARICE It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies. DR. LECTER I didn't. CLARICE No. You ate yours. A tense beat, then a smile from him, at this small boldness. DR. LECTER Send that through. She rolls him the questionnaire, in his sliding food tray. He rises, glances at it, turning a page or two disdainfully. DR. LECTER Oh, Officer Starling do you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool? CLARICE No. I only hoped that your knowledge Suddenly he whips the tray back at her, with a metallic CLANG that makes her start. His voice remains a pleasant purr. DR. LECTER You're sooo ambitious, aren't you...? You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little, taste Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you Officer Starling...? That accent you're trying so desperately to shed pure West Virginia. What was your father, dear? Was he a coal miner? Did he stink of the lamp...? And oh, how quickly the boys found you! All those tedious, sticky fumblings, in the back seats of cars, while you could only dream of getting out. Getting anywhere yes? Getting all the way to the FBI. His every word has struck her like a tiny, precise dart. But she squares her jaw and won't give ground. CLARICE You see a lot, Dr. Lecter. But are you strong enough to point that high powered perception at yourself? How about it...? Look at yourself and write down the truth. she slams the tray back at him Or maybe you're afraid to. DR. LECTER You're a tough one, aren't you? CLARICE Reasonably so. Yes. DR. LECTER And you'd hate to think you were common. My, wouldn't that sting! Well you're far from common, Officer Starling. All you have is the fear of it. beat Now please excuse me. Good day. CLARICE And the questionnaire...? DR. LECTER A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti Fly back to school, little Starling. He steps backwards, then returns to his cot, becoming as still and remote as a statue. Frustrated, Clarice hesitates, then finally shoulders her bag and goes, leaving the questionnaire in his tray. But after just a few steps, as she passes MIGG'S CELL She sees that creature at his bars again, hissing at her. MIGGS I b-bit my wrist so I c-can diiiieeee! S-ee how it bleeeeeeeeds? The dark figure suddenly flings his palm towards her, and CLARICE is spattered on the face and neck not with blood, but with pale droplets of semen. She gives a little cry, touching her fingers to the wetness. Stunned, near tears, she forces herself to straighten up and walk on, fumbling for a tissue. From behind her, Dr. Lecter calls out, very agitated. DR. LECTER Officer Starling Officer Starling! Clarice slows, stops. She shudders, but makes the very difficult choice to turn, walk back, stand again in front of DR. LECTER Who's shivering with rage. For an instant his face opens, and we catch a glimpse into hell itself. Then he's composed again. DR. LECTER I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me. CLARICE Then please do this test for me. DR. LECTER No. But I will make you happy I'll give you a chance for what you love most, Clarice Starling. CLARICE What's that, Dr. Lecter? DR. LECTER Advancement, of course. beat Go to Split City. See Miss Mofet, an old patient of mine. M-O-F-E-T Now go. Go. a smile I don't think Miggs could manage again so soon, even if he is crazy do you? THE HOSPITAL PARKING LOT DAY The grim gothic pile of the asylum looms overhead as Clarice rushes out the front doors. She is badly shaken, almost stumbling, as she rubs at her face. She looks around for, and finally, with some relief, spots HER CAR an old Pinto, parked nearby. This image begins to BLUR CLOSE ON her face, fighting tears, as the CAMERA begins to WHIRL AROUND her, almost dizzily. She is seeing, in her mind's eye IN FLASHBACK a screen door banging open, on a wooden porch, and a -year old girl the young Clarice rushing outside, down the front steps, and running joyfully across her front yard to MOVING ANGLE THE GIRL'S POV a car late 's vintage parked in the dirt road. A MAN, Clarice's father, is just climbing out. He's tall, handsome, and has a marshal's badge pinned on his dark suit. He grins, seeing her, and spreads his arms wide as THE YOUNG CLARICE rushes into them, and he sweeps her up in a hug, spinning her around, the CAMERA SPINNING with them, and capturing both their laughing faces, before we abruptly return to THE ADULT CLARICE alone in the parking lot, sagging against her car. Her face is buried in her arms, she shoulders shaking. SOUND UPCUT a steady, rapid series of GUNSHOTS, as we FBI ACADEMY FIRING RANGE DAY Clarice, in a combat stance, and wearing a sound-muffling headset, is squeezing off ROUND after ROUND at A MOVING TARGET The silhouette of a man, approaching along a track. Her shots, tightly grouped, are all finding the center chest. The target stops, quite close to her, still swaying. Clarice stares at it, deftly working her speedloader. Then she puts a final, emphatic shot right through THE FIGURE'S FOREHEAD. FBI ACADEMY LIBRARY NIGHT CLOSE ON a microfilm monitor a grainy newsphoto of Dr. Lecter, scrawling past, with an accompanying story ('New Horrors in Cannibal Trial'), dated . Clarice is punching keys on the terminal. Other trainees study at nearby tables. She pauses, jotting a note on her pad, as Ardelia comes by, carrying an armful of books. ARDELIA Phone call, Clarice. It's God. CLARICE Thanks, Ardelia. MOVING ANGLE as Clarice rises, grabbing her notebook, and follows Ardelia past high metal bookstacks. ARDELIA You missed Fourth Amendment law. Unlawful seizure, real juicy stuff. Where were you all afternoon? CLARICE Pleading with a crazy man, with come all over my face. Ardelia stares at her, figures it's a put-on, laughs. ARDELIA Damn. Wish I had time for a social life. Clarice grins, as Ardelia indicates a phone receiver resting on the check-out desk, then moves on. Clarice picks it up. CLARICE on phone Mr. Crawford? CRAWFORD'S HOUSE STUDY NIGHT Crawford, in a cardigan, sits in a wing chair in the book lined study of his suburban home. He turns the pages of Clarice's memo as they talk. His tone is sharp. CRAWFORD I've read your interim memo on Lecter. You sure you've left nothing out? INTERCUTTING CLARICE It's all there, sir, practically verbatim. CRAWFORD Every word, Starling? Every gesture? CLARICE a bit heatedly Right down to the kleenex I used. he is silent Sir, why? Is something wrong? CRAWFORD He mentioned a name, at the very end. 'Mofet...' Any followup on her? CLARICE I spent all evening on the mainframe. Lecter altered or destroyed most of his patient histories, prior to capture. No record of anyone named Mofet. But 'Split City' sounded like it might have have something to do with divorce. I tracked it down in the library's catalogue of national yellow pages. glancing at her notes It's a mini-storage facility outside Baltimore, where Lecter had his practice. She pauses, expecting some soft of approval for her cleverness. CRAWFORD Well? Why aren't you there right now? CLARICE Sir, that's a field job. It's outside the scope of my assignment. And I've got a test tomorrow on CRAWFORD Do you recall my instructions to you, Starling? What were they? CLARICE To complete and file my report by Wednesday. But sir CRAWFORD Then do that, Starling. Do just exactly that. CLARICE Sir, what is it? There's something you're not telling me. CRAWFORD beat Miggs has been murdered. CLARICE startled, upset Murdered...? How? CRAWFORD The orderly heard Lecter whispering to him, all afternoon, and Miggs crying. They found him at bed check. He'd swallowed his own tongue Chilton is scared stiff the family will file a civil rights lawsuit, and he's trying to blame it on you. I told the little prick your conduct was flawless. beat Starling...? CLARICE I'm here, sir, I just I don't know how to feel about it. CRAWFORD You don't have to feel any way about it. Lecter did it to amuse himself. Why not, what can they do? Take away his books for awhile, and no jello a bit softer I know it got ugly today. But this is your report, Starling take it as far as you can. On your own time, outside of class. Now carry on. ANGLE ON CLARICE as we hear the loud CLICK of Crawford hanging up. She stares at her receiver, stung by his abruptness. CLARICE Well God damn it! You old creep. Creepo son of a bitch. Let Miggs squirt you and see how you like it. She slams her receiver into its cradle. ANGLE ON CRAWFORD as he flips aside her memo, then rises, wearily. He leaves his study, flicking off the lamp, and pads away in his slippers. CRAWFORD'S BEDROOM NIGHT A private nurse, in white, stands marking a clipboard chart, as Crawford enters his tidy bedroom. CRAWFORD I'll take over, Patricia. You get some rest. The nurse nods, hands him the chart, and goes. He glances at it, then sets it aside. He crosses to BELLA CRAWFORD who lies in an elevated hospital bed. Nearby are an oxygen tank and mask, floral arrangements. Her breathing is shallow, very labored. Crawford looks down at his comatose wife for a long moment, tenderly brushes a strand of her hair back into place, then bends over to kiss her forehead. SOUND UPCUT THUNDER and RAIN 'SPLIT CITY MINI-STORAGE' DUSK RAINING An orange neon sign, streaked with rain, identifies out location. It looms over a hurricane fence, topped with barbed wire. Inside, row on row of garage-sized, cinderblock sheds. MR. YOW V.O.) Unit was leased for ten years. Pre-paid in full The contract is in the name of 'Miss Hester Mofet.' STORAGE UNIT NUMBER DUSK Clarice, kneeling before a closed, roll-up metal door, takes a FLASH photo of its sealed padlock. EVERETT YOW, a fat, ish Chinaman, holds an umbrella over them both. He looks unhappy. CLARICE So no one's been in here since ? She opens the padlock, using a fat ring of tagged keys, then sets aside both keys and lock. MR. YOW Not to my knowledge. Privacy is a great concern to my customers. But, if you say this is an FBI matter CLARICE I won't disturb anything, Mr. Yow, I promise. Be gone before you know it. Slinging her camera over a shoulder, she tugs at the handle, but the door won't budge. Another tug, harder no good. Mr. Yow stoops to help, puffing hard, but it's firmly stuck. He sighs. MR. YOW We could return tomorrow, with my son. Or perhaps some workmen...? Clarice crosses to her Pinto, which faces the shed, reaches in to turn on her headlights. Mr. Yow blinks in the sudden brightness. Then she opens her truck, rummaging inside, and returns with a bumper jack, a flashlight, and a rubber floor mat. CLARICE Would you hold these, please? She gives him her flashlight and camera, drops the mat on the ground, then sets the bumper jack in place, under the center of the door. She pumps on the jack handle as the door SQUEALS slowly up, but it won't go higher than about inches, despite all her exertions. She spreads out the rubber mat on the cement, takes the flashlight from Mr. Yow, then lies on the mat. THE STORAGE SHED DUSK VERY DARK Clarice, backlit, peers under the door. She reaches in, makes a sweep with her flashlight. We catch shadowy outlines boxes, then the flattened tires of a car SOUND of rain on the tin roof, and other noises, too small RUSTLINGS. Mr. Yow's chubby face appears down beside Clarice's. MR. YOW It smells like mice I think I hear them, too don't you? Clarice turns onto her back, starts squirming under the door. MR. YOW You're going in there? CUT BACK TO: STORAGE UNIT NUMBER DUSK Clarice pulls her head back out again, reaching to take her camera from him. She hands him a card, trying to appear nonchalant. CLARICE Mr. Yow, if this door should fall down -ha ha! or anything else would you be kind enough to call this number? It's our Baltimore field office. They know you're here with me Do you understand? MR. YOW Might I suggest tucking your pants into your socks? To prevent mouse intrusion. CLARICE beat Good idea. CUT BACK TO: STORAGE SHED DUSK VERY DARK Clarice squirms, on her back, through the narrow opening. As she squeezes all the way in, she snags one thigh on the metal edge of the door. She curses softly, shining her flashlight on her ripped khakis there's a small streak of blood. MR. YOW Okay, Miss Starling? CLARICE Okay, Mr. Yow She shines her light around. In its narrow beam, we see CLARICE'S POV UPWARD, SHIFTING spiderwebs, everywhere high stacks of cardboard boxes a few dusty pieces of furniture the big car, oddly long and tall, covered with a tarp Suddenly there's a scurrying of loud MUSICAL NOTES. Clarice turns, scared, her beam capturing an old upright piano. MR. YOW You're playing a piano, Miss Starling? CLARICE That wasn't me. MR. YOW Oh. Clarice crawls a bit further. There's hardly room to stand, but she finally manages to wriggle upright, clawing away cobwebs, next to the car. Holding her light under one arm, she takes several FLASH photos of the shed's, ending with the car. Then, slinging her camera over the shoulder, she folds back the tarp, resting it on the roof. The resulting clouds of dust make her cough. THE CAR is an antique beauty, a Packard. It's very dusty, despite the tarp. Curtains close off the back passenger compartment, but there's a narrow gap in them. More mousy RUSTLINGS. CLARICE peers in through the gap, aiming her flashlight. HER POV SHIFTING as the thin flashlight beam picks out: the broad back seat as open album of lacy, old-fashioned Valentines a crumpled lap rug, on the floor and then a pair of women's shiny, high-heeled pumps Above these, the hem of a fancy satin evening gown and a pair of pale, stockinged legs. Clarice recoils, alarmed, then steadies herself. CLARICE Mr. Yow? Oh Mr. Yow...? It looks like somebody is sitting in this car. MR. YOW Oh my! Oh my Maybe you better come out now, Miss Starling. CLARICE Not yet! just wait for me. under the breath Maybe in about two seconds. She leans down with her camera, takes a FLASH through the gap, then tries the door handle. Locked. So is the front door. She looks around, aiming her light, and locates a tangle of coat-hangers, sticking out of a carton of bric-a-brac. She pulls out one of these, straightens it quickly, bends the tip into a hook. CLOSE ANGLE as she jams this tool inside the join at the top of the back passenger window, then fishes around till she can snag the inside door latch, pulling up. A satisfying CLICK. Clarice opens the door it hits stacked boxes, and won't open far then very cautiously leans inside, aiming her flashlight. HER POV MOVING LIGHT BEAM revealing more of the evening gown a pair of hands, in white, elbow-length gloves one rests on the lap, the other atop a large, beaded, drawstring evening bag thick strands of costume pearls over the breasts and finally the white neck stub of a female mannequin. No face or head. CLARICE sighs with relief. She takes a couple more FLASHES, then very carefully lifts out the Valentine album, holding it by the corners, and setting it atop the car. Then she eases herself inside, onto the back seat, as the springs SQUEAK loudly. ONE GLOVED HAND slides off the lap, brushing Clarice's thigh. Clarice starts a bit, then pokes at the gloved arm, hard. She peels back a bit of glove, revealing the white, synthetic elbow. She smiles, shaking her head at her own jumpiness, as she reaches over the mannequin's lap to loosen the evening bag's drawstring. A SEVERED HUMAN HEAD stares back at her, as the beaded material slides away. Clarice lurches back, gasping loudly, and several long, heart pounding moments pass before she can make herself look more closely. The head bobs gently in a pool of alcohol, in a laboratory specimen jar. It is a man's head, but grotesquely transformed, by the addition of heavy makeup, earrings, and a sodden wig, into a woman's face. Over the years the makeup has smeared badly, and the pupils have gone almost milky white. CLARICE staring at this terrible thing, is pleased to find herself quickly regaining control. She murmurs to herself. CLARICE Well, Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. QUINN'S HOSPITAL PARKING LOT NIGHT RAINING A loud clap of THUNDER, as a flash of LIGHTNING illuminates the eerie towers and barred windows of the asylum. MOVING ANGLE on Clarice as she climbs from her car, runs through heavy rain towards the main entrance, where a guard admits her. DR. LECTER'S CELL AND CORRIDOR NIGHT DIM LIGHT On a noiseless TV screen, an evangelist rants, waving his arms. Behind him, a swaying choir in gaudy robes. CLARICE It's an anagram, isn't it, Doctor? PAN TO Clarice, with her wet hair plastered flat, sitting on the corridor floor to one side of this TV, which has been stationed so that Dr. Lecter cannot avoid seeing it. CLARICE Hester Mofet 'The rest of me.' Miss The-Rest-of-Me Meaning, you rented that place. HER POV he's lost in shadows; we can't see him. He doesn't respond. CUTTING BETWEEN THEM Clarice and the darkened call as she tries again. CLARICE You put those things in there. Paid for it in advance, ten years ago Why, Dr. Lecter? The food carrier suddenly SWISHES out of the cell, making her jump up. In its tray is a clean, folded white towel. She hesitates, then crosses, takes this. CLARICE Thank you. She sits again, rubbing her wet hair. When he finally speaks, he's on the floor, too a deeper, hunching darkness in the shadows, occasionally striped by the flickering TV light. DR. LECTER Your bleeding has stopped. CLARICE How did she stops herself It's nothing. A scratch. DR. LECTER Why don't you ask me about Buffalo Bill? CLARICE surprised, a beat Why? Do you know something about him? DR. LECTER I might if I saw the case file. You could get that for me. CLARICE Why don't you tell me about 'Miss Mofet?' You wanted me to find him. Or do I have to wait for the lab? DR. LECTER sighs His real name is Benjamin Raspail. A former patient of mine, whose romantic attachments ran to, shall we say, the exotic...? I didn't kill him, merely tucked him away. Very much as I found him, in that ridiculous car, in his own garage, after he's missed three appointments. You'd have him under 'Missing Person' which, in poor Raspail's case, could hardly be more true. CLARICE If you didn't kill him, then who did? DR. LECTER Who can say...? Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere. CLARICE Wouldn't it have been easier to just leave him for the police to find? DR. LECTER And have them clomping about in my life? Oh dear, no At that time I still had certain private amusements of my own. beat How did you feel when you saw him, Clarice? May I call you Clarice? CLARICE Scared, at first. Then exhilarated. DR. LECTER Ahhh Why? CLARICE Because you weren't wasting my time. DR. LECTER Do you have something you use, when you need to get up your courage? Memories, tableaux scenes from your early life? CLARICE I don't know. Next time I'll have to check. DR. LECTER Jack Crawford is helping your career, isn't he? Apparently he likes you. And you like him, too. CLARICE I never thought about it. DR. LECTER Your first lie to me, Clarice. How sad. Tell me do you think Crawford wants you, sexually? True, he's much older, but do you think he visualizes scenarios, exchanges...? Fucking you? CLARICE That doesn't interest me, Doctor. And it's the sort of thing Miggs would ask. DR. LECTER Not anymore. beat Surely the odd confluence of events hasn't escaped you, Clarice. Crawford dangles you before me. Then I give you a bit of help. Do you think it's because I like to look at you, and imagine how good you would taste...? CLARICE I don't know. Is it? DR. LECTER Or doesn't this all begin to suggest to you a kind of negotiation? There's something Crawford can give me, and I want to trade for it. I even wrote to him, offering my help. But he hates me, so he won't deal directly. Dr. Lecter slowly turns up the rheostat in his cell. As his lights rise, we see that the cell's been stripped bare. Gone are his books, drawings, mattress even his toilet seat. She stands, too, startled. They face each other. DR. LECTER Punishment, you see. For Miggs. Just like that gospel program. When you leave, they'll turn the volume way up. Chilton does enjoy his petty torments. CLARICE Who killed Raspail, Doctor...? You know, don't you? DR. LECTER I've been in this room for eight years, Clarice. I know they will never, ever let me out while I'm alive. What I want is a view. I want a window where I can see a tree, or even water. I want to be in a federal institution, away from Chilton and I want a view. I'll give good value for it. Crawford could do that for me, but he won't. You persuade him. CLARICE almost a whisper Who killed your patient? DR. LECTER Oh, a very naughty boy. Someone you and Jack Crawford are most anxious to meet. CLARICE Buffalo Bill...? incredulous Bill killed him, all those years ago...? That's impossible. But Dr. Lecter only smiles, enigmatically. DR. LECTER Who is he stalking right now, Clarice? I wonder, don't you? How many more young women will have to die, before you trade with me...? As Clarice stares at him, unsure how to respond CATHERINE MARTIN'S APARTMENT MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE NIGHT CATHERINE MARTIN takes a long toke from a bong pipe. She is, a tall, big-boned, rather fleshy girl with long brown fair. Her head is on the lap of her boyfriend, CODY; they're sprawled on a couch in the den of her well-furnished apartment. The TV in on, with low SOUND. CATHERINE This stuff's givin' me the munchies. Where's that bag of popcorn? CODY Shit. Left the groceries in the car. He starts to rise, but she pushes him back. CATHERINE 'S okay, I'll go. She rises, goes out the front door. PARKING LOT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX NIGHT Catherine straightens, with her bag of groceries, shutting her car's back door. She sees, a short distance away A MAN standing at the open rear door of a brown panel truck. His right forearm is in a cast and sling; he is struggling, unsuccessfully, to hoist an armchair into the truck. Parked nearby, other cars, RVs, a boat on a trailer. A thin, breast high fog fills the lot; arc lights make yellow pools. Catherine hesitates, then crosses towards the man. CATHERINE Help you with that? MAN Would you? Thanks. His voice is odd, strained, very soft. A fog lamp, set on end on the ground, distorts his features from below. We can't get a good glimpse of his face, but his body is plump, above average height; he's in his mid 's. She sets down the bag, then together they easily lift the chair into the truck. MAN Let's slide it up, you mind? THE PANEL TRUCK NIGHT He climbs inside the truck, ducking under a small hand winch, and grabs the chair. She hesitates again, but climbs in after him; together they slide the chair forward, behind the seats. MAN Are you about a size ? CATHERINE surprised What? Suddenly, in the shadowy dark, he clubs her over the back of her head with his cast. She moans, slumps unconscious, sliding off the armchair to lie on her stomach. He pulls off his cast and sling, tosses them aside, then hops out of the truck, grabs his lamp, climbs back inside, and pulls the door shut. He bends over her face with the lamp. We hear her shallow BREATHING. MAN Good. He peels back the collar of her blouse, reading the size tag. MAN Good. He carefully slits her blouse up the back, with a pair of bandage scissors, peeling apart the two halves. There's no bra strap. He strokes her bare skin delicately, very happily. MAN Gooood THE PARKING LOT NIGHT LOW ANGLE CLOSE on Catherine's grocery bag, as her blouse is tossed out beside it. SOUND of the truck's motor starting. The truck backs up, one rear wheel knocking over the bag, partly squashing it. Then is drives away, taillights shrinking, as a lone orange rolls slowly away from the bag FBI ACADEMY CLASSROOM QUANTICO DAY CLOSE ON a large video screen, where a BLURRY image gradually sharpens, resolving into two separate pieces of fabric. INSTRUCTOR Electron microscopy reveals fiber 'signatures' that are nearly as distinct as fingerprints Clarice sits at a long table, with other trainees. Ardelia is beside her. Other tables and students in the background. Each trainee has his own microscope. Clarice is tired, but straightens, hearing INSTRUCTOR Both of these blouses were worn by victims of Buffalo Bill. They were found in two different states, and four months apart. He always slits them up the back, like a funeral suit ON THE SCREEN successively CLOSER VIEWS of the cut fabric edges, until we are seeing individual threads, big as tree limbs. The cuts match. INSTRUCTOR The bunching you see this compression is characteristic of scissor cuts, rather than a single blade. And, as you see Bill always uses the same pair ANGLE ON THE DOOR as John Brigham, the gunnery instructor, sticks his head in. BRIGHAM Clarice Starling! Are you in here? HALLWAY CLASSROOM BUILDING DAY Clarice and Brigham walk briskly down the hall, passing other trainees. He carries a small canvas bag. BRIGHAM Get your field gear, take stuff for overnight. You're goin' with Crawford. CLARICE Where? BRIGHAM Some fishermen in West Virginia found an unidentified girl's body. It's a Buffalo Bill-type situation. Been in the water about a week, and Jack needs somebody that can print a floater. Think you can handle it? CLARICE thinking quickly I'll need the big fingerprint kit and the one-to-one Polaroid, the CU, with film packs and batteries. BRIGHAM'S JEEP CHEROKEE DAY DRIVING Brigham steers as they pass hangars, parked planes, an airstrip. Clarice holds a big fingerprint kit and a weekend bag. BRIGHAM Jack's pretty tough on you, isn't he? Impatient CLARICE Sometimes. BRIGHAM He's got a lot on his mind besides Buffalo Bill His wife, Bella, is real sick. Comatose I'm tellin' you about it now, 'cause he may never. Clarice absorbs this in silence as they stop near an ancient, rather dilapidated Beechcraft. Its door is open, the twin props and beacons already turning. Brigham turns to her, holding out his small canvas bag. BRIGHAM You're goin' in the field, so you gotta have full kit. Take this it's my own Clarice opens the bag, stares at the big blue gun nestled in its shoulder holster. She looks up at him, touched. BRIGHAM Wear it, don't ever leave it in your purse. Dry fire it whenever you get the chance. And do your exercises. CLARICE I will I promise. BRIGHAM Listen, I hope you never need a thing I've taught you. But you've got something Jack sees it, I do too. If you ever need to, you can shoot. She nods, climbs out. Then she looks back in at him. They're both moved by this rite of passage, but a little embarrassed. BRIGHAM Bless you, Starling BEECHCRAFT PLANE DAY FLYING CLARICE'S POV Out the plane's window, at the landscape far below. Wisps of cloud, a quilt of farms. Clarice turns from the window, looks at a think folder in her lap. The cover reads 'Case File: / BUFFALO BILL.' Clarice is moody, distracted. She hesitates, then opens the file, begins to scan. INSERTS HER POV Police forms, some handwritten Typed lab reports; we catch words, phrases: 'Autopsy Protocols', 'Histamine Analysis'... Grainy enlargements of bullet slugs, showing matched grooves And then a stack of victim photos. The first one, taken from a good distance away, shows a nude female body, face down on a pebbly riverbank, surrounded by bits of litter. Clarice hesitates again, then flips this photo to look at the next. It makes her flinch, just slightly. Quickly she turns through several more photographs, trying hard to concentrate. CRAWFORD He keeps them alive for three days. NEW ANGLE shows Crawford standing over her, swaying with the plane's motion. Behind him, the open cockpit door, the pilot's back. Crawford sits, removing sunglasses. He rubs his eyes. CRAWFORD Why, we don't yet know There's no evidence of rape or physical abuse prior to death. All the mutilation you see there is post-mortem. a beat; he glances at her I'm hot, are you hot? Bobby, it's too damned hot back here The pilot adjusts a valve. Crawford turns to her again. CRAWFORD So. Three days. Then he shoots them, skins them usually just the torsos and dumps them. Each body in a different river, in a different state, downstream from an interstate highway. The water leaves us no fingerprints, fibers, DNA fluids no trace evidence at all. That's Fredrica Bimmel, the first one A COLOR PHOTO IN CLARICE'S HANDS shows a pretty, plump-cheeked brunette, in her high school graduation cap and gown. She smiles at us with touching optimism. CRAWFORD A big girl, like all the rest. Went about Her corpse was the only one he took the trouble to weight down, so actually, she was the third girl found. After her, he got lazy NEW ANGLE as Clarice stares at the girl's face, moved. Crawford pulls a map from the file, spreads it out. It shows the central and eastern U.S., with widely-spaced, hand-drawn markings. CRAWFORD Blue square for Belvedere, Ohio, where the Bimmel girl was abducted. Blue triangle where her body was found down here in Missouri. Same marks for the other four girls, in different colors. This new one, today washed up here. he marks with a Flair pen Elk River, in West Virginia, about six miles below U.S Real boonies. CLARICE There's no correlation at all between where they're kidnapped and where they're found...? he shakes his head What if what if you trace the heaviest-traffic routes backwards from the dump sites? Do they converge at all? CRAWFORD Good idea, but he thought of it, too. We've run simulations, using different vectors and the best dates we can assign. You put it all in the computer, and smoke comes out. No, this one is different. This one has seen us coming RENTAL CAR DAY DRIVING Crawford steers, following a highway patrol car along a winding mountain road. Clarice has the file open on her lap. He glances at her, inscrutable behind his sunglasses. CRAWFORD Talk about him, Starling. Tell me what you see. CLARICE choosing her words carefully He's a white male Serial killers tend to hunt within their own ethnic group. And he's not a drifter he's got his own house, somewhere. Not an apartment. CRAWFORD Why? CLARICE What he does with them takes privacy Time, tools He's in his 's or 's he's got real physical strength, but combined with an older man's self-control. He's cautious, precise, never impulsive This won't end in suicide, like they often do. CRAWFORD Why not? CLARICE He's got a real taste for it now. And he's getting better at his work. CRAWFORD a beat; impressed Maybe you've got a knack for this I guess we're about to find out. CLARICE quietly, evenly Like I have a 'knack' for Dr. Lecter? He studies her a few moments, measuring her anger. CRAWFORD Okay, Starling. Let's have it. CLARICE You haven't said a word today about that garage. Or what I found there. CRAWFORD What should I say? You did fine work. We'll wait on the lab. CLARICE You knew. You knew from the start that Lecter held the key to this But you weren't up front with me. You sent me in to him naked. CRAWFORD beat Are you finished? CLARICE He starts this buzzing in me, in my head. He makes me feel violated You used me, Mr. Crawford. A shadow of regret passes over his face, but he answers sternly. CRAWFORD Number One. Maybe there's a connection, maybe not. Lying and breathing are the same thing to Lecter. Number Two. If I'd sent you in there with something to hide from him, he'd have known it, instantly. He'd never have trusted you. She starts to answer, then is silent. He is right. By now the two cars are entering a tidy little town tree lined streets, wooden houses, one-story shops, mountains in the background. They slow, turn. CRAWFORD Number Three, I didn't bring you along today just because you can do first-rate forensics. If Lecter is becoming part of this case, you've got the most current read on him. And Number Four you don't have to like me, or the way I do things. But you do have to keep a cool head. Especially now Because from here on out, you'll know everything I do. Are we straight on that? Clarice nods, silently; it's as close to an apology as she's likely to get. She stares out the windshield. JUST AHEAD OF THEM the highway patrol cruiser noses into a curb, next to other police cars, facing a big white frame house. Its sign reads 'Potter Funeral Home.' Two troopers climb from the car. Crawford parks too, then kills the engine. He turns to her, removing his sunglasses, gestures to the case file. CRAWFORD softly You think about him long enough, you get a feel for him Then, if you're lucky, out of all the stuff you know, one little part of it tugs at you, tries to get your attention You let me know when that happens, Starling. Live right behind your eyes, today. Don't try to impose any patterns on this guy. Just stay open and let him show you One of the troopers, impassive in his sunglasses and hat, peers in through Crawford's window. Crawford nods to him, then turns back to Clarice. CRAWFORD School's out, Starling. SIDEWALK OF THE FUNERAL HOME POTTER, WEST VA. DAY SOUND of organ music, as Clarice, carrying her fingerprint kit, mounts some steps to the sidewalk. She stops, seeing COUNTRY PEOPLE in their somber best, filing into the mortuary for a service. The music 'Shall We Gather At The River?' is issuing from the open double doors. Several of the mourners glance over at her curiously. ANGLE ON CLARICE staring back at the mourners, hearing the music, as a sense memory is triggered in her IN FLASHBACK LOW ANGLE, MOVING as we approach, down the aisle of a country chapel, an open wooden coffin. Sad country faces turn, looking at us from the flanking pews. The b.g. organ hymn is 'Shall We Gather...?' THE SAD, YEAR-OLD CLARICE in her best dress, is reluctantly approaching the casket. Her hands are held by the plump hands of unseen matrons. CHILD'S POV on the looming coffin closer and closer until finally she can see, lying inside it her dead father, arms folded, his marshal's badge still pinned to his lapel. CRAWFORD V.O.) Starling...? NEW ANGLE PRESENT DAY as the grownup Clarice turns towards the impatient Crawford. Like her, he carries a large case. CRAWFORD We're around back. FUNERAL HOME BACK CORRIDOR DAY A young deputy, several state troopers, and a SHERIFF are all waiting, as Crawford and Clarice enter. The dim, cluttered corridor doubles as storage space there's a treadle sewing machine, a soft-drink machine, a tricycle. The MUSIC is closer. Crawford shakes hands with the sheriff. CRAWFORD Sheriff Perkins? Jack Crawford, FBI This is Officer Starling. We appreciate your phoning us. SHERIFF grim, unsociable I didn't call you. That was somebody from the state attorney's office 'For you do a thing else, I'm gon' find out if this girl's local. It could just be somethin' that outside elements has dumped on us. He casts a sidelong, unhappy glance at Clarice. CRAWFORD Well sir, that's where we can help. If SHERIFF I don't even know you, Mister Now we'll extend you ever courtesy, just soon as we can, but for right now CRAWFORD Sheriff, this, ah this type of sex crime has some aspects I'd rather discuss just between the two of us. Know what I mean? He indicates Clarice with his eyes. The sheriff hesitates, nods, then lets Crawford guide him into a small office, closing the door behind them. Muffled WORDS from there. CLARICE burning at this slight, is left alone with the troopers, who peek at her with shy curiosity. She pulls her blazer a bit tighter, self-conscious about her bulging shoulder holster. ANGLE ON THE OFFICE DOOR as, after a few more moments, the sheriff and Crawford emerge. The sheriff, still not very happy, addresses his deputy. SHERIFF Oscar, run fetch Dr. Akin from the chapel. And tell Lamar to come on when he's done playin' that music. EMBALMING ROOM DAY Crawford, in one corner of the room, has set up a Litton Policefax fingerprint transmitter. SOUND of many men's low voices, in background. He is on the phone, and has to speak loudly. CRAWFORD I need a six-way linkup! Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Dallas What?... Can you hear me...? He looks around, frustrated by the noisy circus atmosphere. CLARICE is pulling on a pair of surgical gloves. She raises her voice, turning up her natural accent by several notches. CLARICE Gentlemen. You officers and gentlemen! Listen here a minute, please. There's things I need to do for her WIDER ANGLE as we see that the small room is very crowded with deputies and troopers. They gradually fall silent, looking at her. CLARICE Y'all brought her this far, and I know her folks would thank you if they could. Now please go on out and let me take care of her Go on, now. The men look at one another, a little bashfully, then begin to to file out, whispering among themselves. As they go, a bright green body bag is REVEALED, tightly zipped, lying on a porcelain embalming table. It is almost the only modern object in this Victorian room, with its glass-paned cabinets and faded wallpaper, decorated with cabbage roses. FAVORING CRAWFORD as he looks at Clarice with a new degree of respect. Men brush by him, till finally only two are left: DR. AKIN, a family g.p., and LAMAR, a lean, whiskey-reddened mortician. SOUND of the door closing. Lamar dabs around his nostrils with Vicks VapoRub. CRAWFORD on phone We're starting. Tell everybody to stand by for fingerprint transmission. CLARICE at a side counter, has turned back to her open fingerprint kit. She is lifting out a camera when she hears the ZIPPER of the body bag being slowly opened, behind her One gloved hand flies to her mouth as she reacts, involuntarily, to the sudden smell. She blinks at her reflection in the cabinet glass, then steels herself to turn, look at the corpse. CLARICE pause; softly Bill She steadies herself by raising her camera, takes a FLASH photo. LOW ANGLE LOOKING UP, FROM BENEATH TABLE as Dr. Akin gently lifts aside one of the dead girl's arms. A piece of fishing line, with multiple hooks, is still snagged around it, dangling. Crawford leans in for a closer look. DR. AKIN Wrongful death She'll have to go to the state pathologist at Claxton when you're done. Crawford nods I better get on back for the rest of that service. Lamar'll help you. shaken Lord almighty He leaves, and Clarice leans INTO SHOT, taking another photo. CRAWFORD What do you see, Starling? CLARICE Well, she's not local. Her ears are pierced three times each, and she's wearing green glitter nail polish. Looks like town to me CLOSE ANGLE on the calf of one of the girl's legs, as Clarice trails the inside of her bare wrist along the skin. CLARICE She waxed her legs, I think A big girl, just like the others but she was careful about her appearance UPWARD ANGLE AGAIN as Lamar joins them for a closer look. CLARICE Two of the fingernails are broken off, and there's dirt or grit under the others. She tried to claw her way through something I'll scrape out samples after I've printed her. She takes another FLASH, then quickly reloads film. LAMAR Them fishhooks are set too close together. No wonder the Franklin boys was scared to say they found her. CLARICE Think they were runnin' a trotline? Crawford and Lamar both look at her curiously. CLARICE to Crawford It's a Fish and Game violation. Like poaching. There's a big fine. LAMAR Right Are you from around here? CLARICE They do it lots of places. CRAWFORD Get photos of her teeth. Then we'll fax her fingerprints to Washington, try to trace her through Missing Persons. SIDE ANGLE CLOSE ON THE DEAD GIRL'S FACE staring blue eyes, short reddish hair. Clarice sets the Polaroid, with its special attachments, against the face, while Lamar gently retracts the lips. Each time the camera FLASHES, there's a bright glow inside the cheeks. NEW ANGLE CHEST HIGH as Clarice examines a developing print. CLARICE She's got something in her throat. She hands the print to Crawford; he and Lamar look at it, as she searches in her kit. LAMAR When a body comes out of the water, alots of times there's like, leaves and things in the mouth. Clarice holds up a pair of forceps. She glances at Crawford, who nods. She bends over, partially OUT OF SHOT, and after a few moments reappears, holding up a small, brown cylindrical object. She turns this in the air, as they all stare. CRAWFORD What is it some kind of seed pod? LAMAR Nawsir, that's a bug cocoon. But how come that to get way down in there? 'Less somebody shoved it in Clarice and Crawford exchange a glance. CRAWFORD She'll be easier to print if we turn her over. Lamar, will you give me a hand? LAMAR Yessir, I will. Clarice takes a jar from her kit, carefully drops the cocoon inside. SOUND of the men's heavy efforts as they turn over the body, off screen. She seals the jar, staring into it at the cocoon. CRAWFORD Starling what do you make of these? She turns to look. HER POV low on the corpse's back, over the shoulders, two neat, triangular patches of skin are missing. NEW ANGLE TWO SHOT as Clarice looks at Crawford. CLARICE I don't know. I didn't see those on any of the other girls CRAWFORD They weren't there. Get close-ups. Clarice raises her camera, leans in for another FLASH. BACK STEPS OF THE FUNERAL HOME DAY Clarice sits outside, with her head on her knees, drained. She looks up wanly as Lamar appears, offers her a can of Coke. CLARICE Thanks, I'm not thirsty. LAMAR No, hold it under your chin, there, and on your temples. Cold'll make you feel better. It does me. She smiles, touched, and takes the can. When Lamar sees Crawford coming outside, he tactfully departs. Crawford sits beside her; there's a brief silence. She soothes herself with the can. CRAWFORD When I told that sheriff we shouldn't talk in front of a woman, that really burned you, didn't it? she is silent That was just smoke, Starling, I had to get rid of him. You did well in there. CLARICE It matters, Mr. Crawford Other cops know who you are. They look at you to see how to act It matters. CRAWFORD beat Point taken. She looks at him a moment, then offers the can. He opens it. CRAWFORD When we get back, I want you to run that bug by the Smithsonian, see if they can identify it. Maybe it's got some limited range, or it only breeds at certain times of year You found it, Starling, you deserve the credit. CLARICE I'm wondering if he's done that before placed a cocoon, or an insect. It would be easy to miss in an autopsy, especially with a floater Can we check back on that? CRAWFORD shakes his head The other girls are in the ground. Exhumations are upsetting for the families. I'll do it if I have to, but CLARICE Then have the lab check Raspail's head. he looks at her Dr. Lecter's patient have them probe his soft-palette tissues They'll find another cocoon. CRAWFORD You seem pretty sure of that. CLARICE Raspail was killed by the same man who's killing these girls. And Lecter knows him. Maybe even treated him You think so, too, don't you? Or you'd never have sent me to that asylum. He looks at her for a moment, then sips again. CRAWFORD Before we caught him, Lecter had a big psychiatric practice in Baltimore. But he traveled all over the country teaching, consulting Christ, even testifying in murder trials. Who knows how many potential psychos he turned loose, just for the fun of it...? MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY DIM LIGHT A shadowy male figure looks down at us, leaning over the edge of a deep hole. He holds a little white poodle in his arms, stroking it. This is MR. GUMB, aka 'Buffalo Bill.' MR. GUMB softly Rub the cream on your skin. Rub it in gooood CATHERINE MARTIN looks up at him. She is standing on the cement bottom of the pit, or oubliette, about feet below floor level. The pit is bare, except for a futon and a plastic toilet bucket, from which a thin string rises up to the basement. She's soaking wet, in an orange jumpsuit, and holds a squeeze bottle of skin lotion. She struggles to sound calm. CATHERINE Mister my family will pay cash. Whatever ransom you're askin' for, they REVERSE ANGLE UP TOWARDS MR. GUMB MR. GUMB Rub it in! Or you'll get the hose again. The little dog squirms in his arms, BARKING excitedly. MR. GUMB Yes, it will, Precious, won't it? It will get the hose! SIDE ANGLE AT PIT BOTTOM as Catherine kneels, turning slightly away from him. CATHERINE under her breath Oh God oh God She unzips her jumpsuit, part-way, then squeezes some of the lotion onto a palm. She reaches inside her suit, rubs it on. CATHERINE Mister, if you let me go, I won't press charges, I promise. You've only had me here a couple days, and MR. GUMB No. Just one day CATHERINE Is that all...? See see, my mom is a real important woman Well, I guess you already know that. She'll pay you, no questions asked. Whatever cause you represent Iran, Palestine she'll see that A sudden blinding glare of light silences her. She looks up, shielding her eyes. HER POV a floodlamp is descending, attached to a small basket. MR. GUMB Put the bottle in the basket. No funny business, or you'll be sorry NEW ANGLE CATHERINE as the basket stops, and she steadies it. But as she slips the bottle in, she sees something, O.S., just at the fringe of the light. She hesitates, looks closer then begins to scream, hysterically, again and again. Her outflung hand hits the lamp, and in its swaying glare, we see high on the concrete walls, all around her BLOODY FINGER TRACKS dried now, brownish left by many pairs of frenzied hands CLARICE'S DORM ROOM FBI ACADEMY DAWN Clarice is at her desk, exercising her right hand with the grip flexer, while simultaneously studying a thick law book. Ardelia sticks her head in the door, excited. ARDELIA You better come see this. RECREATION ROOM FBI ACADEMY DAWN CLOSE ON a TV screen, filled with a photo of Catherine Martin. TV ANCHOR V.O.) was listed at first simply as a missing person, but is now believed to have been kidnapped by the serial killer known only as 'Buffalo Bill.' The photo disappears, replaced by the TV ANCHOR himself. TV ANCHOR Memphis Police sources indicate that the missing girl's blouse has been identified, sliced up the back, in what has become a kind of grim calling card. Young Catherine Martin, as we've said, is the only daughter of U.S. Senator Ruth Martin CLARICE looks at Ardelia, surprised. Other trainees are drifting into the rec room, some whispering among themselves. Clarice stares back at the TV intently. TV ANCHOR the Republican junior senator from Tennessee. And while her kidnapping is not at this point considered to be politically motivated, nevertheless it has stirred the government BACK ON THE TV ANCHOR TV ANCHOR to its highest levels, the president himself being said to be, and I quote, 'intensely concerned.' Just moments ago, Senator Martin made this dramatic personal plea SENATOR MARTIN TV FOOTAGE fills the screen, in a halo of lens flare, as she speaks to a jostling crowd of reporters on the front steps of her Georgetown home. A tall woman, late 's, with a strong, taut face. SEN. MARTIN I'm speaking now to the person who is holding my daughter. Her name is Catherine You have the power to let Catherine go, unharmed. She's very gentle and kind talk to her and you'll see. Her name is Catherine Clarice is moved by what she sees. Other trainees are all around her. CLARICE whispers Boy, is that smart ARDELIA Why does she keep repeating the name? CLARICE Somebody's coaching her They're trying to make him see Catherine as a person not just an object. ON THE TV AGAIN SEN. MARTIN You have a chance to show the whole world that you can be merciful, as well as strong. Please I beg you release my Catherine NEW FOOTAGE as we see NIGHT, TELEPHOTO a taped-off section of Catherine's parking lot. Technicians, with instruments, are kneeling by the crushed grocery bag. ND TV ANCHOR V.O.) Meanwhile. in Memphis, the investigation continued throughout the night, as state and local authorities were joined at the kidnap scene by agents of the FBI MOVING ANGLE STILL TV FOOTAGE as Jack Crawford is seen striding towards the front door of Catherine's apartment, followed by Burroughs and other agents. One of them moves quickly towards the CAMERA, waving it back. REC ROOM ANGLE FAVORING ARDELIA as the other trainees send up a brief, ironic cheer. But Ardelia turns sympathetically towards the troubled Clarice. ARDELIA I don't know whether to say 'I'm sorry,' or 'Congratulations.' But girl? you just went prime time. SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY DAY The massive Victorian building looms over Constitution Avenue. Clarice quickly mounts the steps, carrying a small plastic box. CRAWFORD I don't think he knew that she's a Senator's child. She's a big girl, Starling, like all the rest. We're going on the theory she was randomly targeted by size MUSEUM CORRIDOR DAY Clarice, now accompanied by a museum guard, walks through an eerie landscape of dinosaur bones crouching skeletons with blank eye sockets, gaping fangs. CRAWFORD V.O.) By now, Bill's had her for hours. That leaves us just more, before he kills her But maybe, just maybe, Starling, we caught a real break this time thanks to you. beat We found another bug, in Raspail's head. MUSEUM OFFICE DAY CLOSE ON an live, enormous, rhinoceros beetle, as it weaves its clumsy way among the men on a chessboard, before finally stepping off the edge, onto a lettuce leaf. RODEN V.O.) Time, Pilch! My move. PILCHER V.O.) No fair! You lured him with produce. WIDER ANGLE shows two entomologists, both ish, hunched over the board. RODEN is a pudgy redhead; PILCHER is lean, quite handsome. RODEN Tough noogies! It's still my turn. CLARICE If the beetle moves one of your men, does that count? They look up, delighted to see Clarice in the doorway. Both men are hopelessly smitten by her. RODEN Of course it counts. How do you play? PILCHER grins Officer Starling. Welcome back. ENTOMOLOGY CORRIDOR DAY MOVING ANGLE as Clarice and the two men go briskly down a hall lined with mounted insects, in all shapes and sizes. Roden peers at Clarice's new cocoon, in its box. RODEN Where the hell did this one come from? It's practically mush. CLARICE You really don't want to know. PILCHER Your West Virginia specimen gave us quite a bit of trouble, but I finally managed to narrow his species through chaetaxy studying the skin. RODEN I'm the one who found his perforating proboscis! Are you wearing a gun, right now? Clarice nods Ooh, cool! Can I see it? Can I? PILCHER Just ignore him. He's not a Ph.D. LABORATORY DAY VERY CLOSE MAGNIFICATION on the sliced cocoon, as Roden uses tweezers and a dental probe to ease out the sodden chrysalis. RODEN The whole trick is to remove the chrysalis without destroying it The wings are just like wet tissue paper THE TWO MEN are hunched over a formica table, peering through square magnifiers into stainless trays. Clarice watches curiously. Of their two specimens, Pilcher's moth is in much better condition a big brown creature, its wings outspread on towel paper. PILCHER without looking up What do you do when you're not detecting, Officer Starling? CLARICE I try to be a student, Dr. Pilcher. PILCHER Ever get out for cheeseburgers and beer? The amusing house wine...? CLARICE smiles Not lately. But maybe someday. He looks up at her, shyly. A little moment passes between them, before Roden straightens, exultant. RODEN Positive match! CLARICE You're sure? RODEN points with his dental probe West Virginia Baltimore. Officer Starling, meet Mister Acherontia Styx. He moves aside for Clarice to get a closer look at Pilcher's specimen. She leans forward, intently. HER POV MAGNIFICATION the wide, furry, brown back of the moth. And there, right between the wing bases wonderful and terrible to see is nature's perfect reproduction of a ghostly human skull. RODEN Better known to his friends as the Death's-head Moth PILCHER The Latin name comes from two rivers in Hell. Your man he drops these girls into rivers, every time. Didn't I read that? FAVORING CLARICE as she looks up at him, awed, excited, almost trembling. CLARICE And there's no way no natural way these could've wound up in the bodies? PILCHER shakes his head They live in Malaysia. In this country, they'd have to be specially raised, from imported eggs. CLARICE pause, then softly Dr. Lecter As the two men stare at her, puzzled, we hear a SOUND UPCUT the wail of police SIRENS and U.S. ROUTE DAY AERIAL SHOT An awesome armada of police vehicles swings through an intersection, while normal traffic is held back by highway patrol cruisers. The lead cars turn off, hit the entrance ramp to the freeway SIRENS going, tires SQUEALING, red flashers CLOSER ANGLE on a speeding surveillance van, with long antennas and a small satellite dish, near the head of the motorcade. CRAWFORD V.O.) Maybe we can trace how he buys the bugs, starting with U.S. Customs THE SURVEILLANCE VAN DAY DRIVING The van is crammed with an impressive array of hi-tech equipment, all CLICKING and HUMMING. Burroughs is talking quietly on a scrambler phone, while another agent works a computer. CRAWFORD Maybe we can locate some of Raspail's old lovers. Maybe, someday CLARICE AND CRAWFORD sit in swivel seats at the rear, by a big window. Clarice can't resit an occasional peak at the trailing motorcade, awed and a bit thrilled to be the center of so much attention. CRAWFORD But for Catherine Martin, it all comes down to you and Lecter. You're the one he talks to. CLARICE He's already offered to help What would happen if we just showed our cards asked him for Bill? CRAWFORD He offered to help, Starling, not to snitch. That wouldn't give him enough chance to show off. Remember, Lecter looks mainly for fun. Never forget fun. CLARICE But if he knew we have so little time CRAWFORD If we act too anxious, he'll make us wait. He'll let the Senator keep hoping, day after day, until Catherine finally washes up. That'd be the most fun of all. CLARICE I think he means it, this time. I think he'll deal. CRAWFORD What would it take? CLARICE Transfer to a new prison. With a view of trees, he said, or even water Can we swing that? CRAWFORD shakes his head State to federal jurisdiction We can do it eventually but we'll never get all the clearances in time. Can you convince him a deal's already in place? CLARICE You'll back me up with some paperwork? he nods Then I'll try. But wouldn't this have more weight coming from the Senator herself? CRAWFORD hesitates She doesn't know what we're up to. And we can't afford to let her find out. Clarice looks at him, surprised. CRAWFORD She's the mother, Starling. She can't possibly comprehend what Lecter is. She'd make the mistake of pleading with him. Begging him He'd feast on her pain till the last second of that girl's life BALTIMORE STATE HOSP. FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE DAY Chilton approaches, walking briskly down a corridor in the administration wing. He looks quite agitated. CRAWFORD V.O.) We can't trust Frederick Chilton, either. He's greedy and ambitious. If he knew about Lecter's link to Bill, he's go straight to the newspapers Chilton falls into step beside Clarice, who has her briefcase. He points his gold pen at her accusingly. CHILTON What you're doing, Miss Starling, is coming into my hospital to conduct an interview, and refusing to share information with me. For the third time! CLARICE Dr. Chilton, I told you this is just routine follow-up on the Raspail case. CHILTON He's my patient! I have rights! grabs her arm, stopping her I'm not just some turnkey, Miss Starling. I shouldn't even be here this afternoon. I had a ticket to Holiday on Ice. She stares at him, with pity and distaste, till he lets go. CLARICE I'm acting on instruction, Dr. Chilton. handing him a card This is the U.S. Attorney's number. Now please either discuss this with him, or let me do my job. She walks away, leaving him speechless with frustration and hostility. He clicks his pen, watching her go. DR. LECTER'S CELL AND CORRIDOR DAY Dr. Lecter sits at his table, languidly sketching with charcoal on butcher paper. He uses his own hand and forearm as a model. His other drawings, books, and bedding have been restored. DR. LECTER Wouldn't you say, Clarice, that for a United States Senator, you're an odd choice of messenger? Clarice, sitting again at the desk-chair, is taking papers from her briefcase. CLARICE I was your choice, Dr. Lecter. You chose to speak to me. Would you prefer someone else now? Or perhaps you don't think you can help us. DR. LECTER That is both impudent and untrue Tell me, how did you feel when you viewed our Billy's latest effort? beat; he smiles Or should I say, his 'next-to-latest'? CLARICE By the book, he's a sadist. DR. LECTER Life's too slippery for books, Clarice. Typhoid and swans came from the same God. beat Tell me, Miss West Virginia was she a large girl? CLARICE Yes. DR. LECTER Big through the hips. Roomy. CLARICE They all were. DR. LECTER Mmm. And what else...? CLARICE She had an insect deliberately inserted in her throat. That hasn't been made public yet. We don't know what is means. DR. LECTER Was it a butterfly? CLARICE pause; staring at him A moth How did you predict that? DR. LECTER I'm waiting for your offer, Clarice. Enchant me. Clarice looks down at her papers, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She looks up at him again, evenly. CLARICE If you help us find Buffalo Bill in time to save Catherine Martin, the Senator promises you a transfer to the V.A. hospital at Oneida Park, New York, with a view of the woods nearby. Maximum security still applies, but you'd have reasonable access to books. He is silent. She rises, moves closer, carrying papers. CLARICE Best of all, though one week a year you'd get to leave the hospital and go here. points to a map Plum Island. Every afternoon of that week you can walk on the beach or swim in the ocean for up to one hour. Under SWAT team surveillance, of course His face remains neutral. She puts the papers in his food tray. CLARICE Copy of the Buffalo Bill case file, copy of Senator Martin's terms. Her offer is final and non-negotiable. If Catherine dies she slides his tray through You get nothing. A measured beat, before he rises smoothly, crosses, and looks down at the papers, without touching them. DR. LECTER 'Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center.' Sounds charming. CLARICE That's just part of the island. It has a very nice beach. Terns nest there. DR. LECTER Terns If I help you, Clarice, it will be 'turns' with us, too. Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though about yourself. Yes or no? she is silent Yes or no, Clarice. Catherine is waiting. Tick-tock, tick-tock She looks at him. A beat. They are standing uncomfortably close. CLARICE Go, Doctor. DR. LECTER What's your worst memory of childhood? she hesitates Quicker than that. I'm not interested in your worst invention. CLARICE The death of my father. DR. LECTER Tell me. Don't lie, or I'll know. Clarice cannot bear the feverish excitement in his eyes. She looks past him, hesitating again. CLARICE He was a town marshal one night he surprised two burglars, coming out the back of a drugstore They shot him. DR. LECTER Killed outright? CLARICE No. He was strong, he lasted almost a month. My mother died when I was very young, so my father had become the whole world to me After he left me, I had nobody. I was ten years old. DR. LECTER You're very frank, Clarice. I think it would be quite something to know you in private life. CLARICE Quid pro quo, Doctor. DR. LECTER The significance of the moth is change. Caterpillar into cocoon into beauty Billy wants to change, too, Clarice. But there's the problem of his size, you see. Even if he were a woman, he'd have to be a big one CLARICE puzzled Dr. Lecter, there's no correlation in the literature between transsexualism and violence. Transsexuals are very passive. DR. LECTER Clever girl. You're so close to the way you're going to catch him do you realize that? CLARICE No. Tell me why. DR. LECTER After your father's death, you were orphaned. What happened next? Clarice drops her gaze I don't imagine the answer's on those second-rate shoes, Clarice. CLARICE I went to live with my mother's cousin and her husband in Montana. They had a ranch. DR. LECTER A cattle ranch? CLARICE Horses and sheep DR. LECTER How long did you live there? CLARICE Two months. DR. LECTER Why so briefly? CLARICE I ran away DR. LECTER Why, Clarice? Did the rancher fuck you? CLARICE angrily No. DR. LECTER Did he try to? CLARICE No...! Quid pro quo, Doctor. DR. LECTER Billy's not a real transsexual, but he thinks he is. He tries to be. He's tried to be a lot of things, I expect. CLARICE You said I was very close to the way we'd catch him. DR. LECTER There are three major centers for transsexual surgery: Johns Hopkins, the University of Minnesota, and Columbus Medical center. I wouldn't be surprised if Billy has applied for sex reassignment at one or all of them, and been rejected. CLARICE On what basis would they reject him? DR. LECTER The personality inventories would trip him up. Rorschach, Wechsler, House-Tree-Person He wouldn't test like a real transsexual. CLARICE How would he test? Suddenly Dr. Lecter snarls, loudly, stretching. Clarice take a sharp step backwards before he smiles, turning his movement into an elaborate yawn. He gathers the papers from his tray. DR. LECTER That's enough, I think. Happy hunting. Oh, and Clarice next time you will tell me why you ran away. Shall I summarize? CLARICE shaken Yes, Doctor. Please. MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY VERY CLOSE ON a cocoon, split along its back, as a living Death's-head Moth wriggles torturously free. Trembling and damp, the new creature clings to a sprig of nightshade. DR. LECTER V.O.) You should try to obtain a list of males rejected from all three gender reassignment centers PULLING BACK we see a big wire cage, holding several of the moths. They crawl over the humus floor or feed at honeycombs, wings pumping lazily. In the distant background, the incongruous SOUND of show music. DR. LECTER V.O.) Check first the ones rejected for lying about criminal records CONTINUOUS MOVING ANGLE at about knee level, as we leave the cage, and begin to TRAVEL through this eerie, dimly-lit warren of a cellar. As we go occasionally TURNING corners, or skirting the dark openings of unexplored passages various objects loom briefly INTO VIEW, overhead a stainless-steel work table a big sink jars of chemicals neat racks of gleaming knives DR. LECTER V.O.) Among those who tried to conceal their past, look for severe childhood disturbances, associated with violence Possibly you'll find a childhood incarceration Then go to their personality tests We pass a row of female mannequins, some nude, some wearing colorful leather jackets, designer knockoffs, in various stages of completion then a huge maroon armoire, in Chinese lacquer; its double doors are slightly ajar The jaunty background. MUSIC is growing even louder: Fats Waller singing 'Bye Bye Baby.' And now we hear something else, too the rapid CLICKING of a sewing machine DR. LECTER V.O.) Study their drawings, especially. Billy's house drawings will show no happy future No baby carriage, out in the yard. No pets, no toys, no flowers, no sun We TURN another corner, and there is Mr. Gumb himself. As we APPROACH, his wide back is to us; he's hunched over an old fashioned sewing machine, humming cheerfully, and working a piece of material that we mercifully cannot see. A female wig rests near him on a head form. He wears a hairnet and a beautiful kimono, and pumps the treadle with his bare feet. DR. LECTER V.O.) His females will be more crudely sketched than him males but he'll compensate by adding exaggerated adornments jewelry, big breasts And his tree drawings oh, his trees will be frightful Next to Mr. Gumb is an antique phonograph source of the MUSIC. His little dog, Precious, perches by his plump ankles. As we PASS Mr. Gumb, Precious scurries away from him, panting happily, and we FOLLOW the little dog down another corridor, the music starting to fade behind us DR. LECTER V.O.) Billy hates his own identity, he always has and he thinks that makes him a transsexual. But his pathology is a thousand times more savage He wants to be reborn, Clarice. He will be reborn At the end of this final corridor, the cellar widens into a low-ceilinged chamber, with two additional doorways, and in the center of this is the gaping circle of the oubliette. Precious sniffs her way over to the edge excited, tail wagging than BARKS happily as we hear a hoarse, ghostly moan from below. CATHERINE Pleeeeeeeease.....! DR. LECTER'S CORRIDOR DAY MOVING ANGLE CLOSE ON Dr. Lecter's slippered feet, which rest on the shelf of a rolling hand truck. RISING along his tilted form, we see that his ankles are linked by steel restraints his legs, waist, upper torso, and arms are bound by heavy canvas webbing beneath the webbing is a strait-jacket and over his face is a hockey mask. CHILTON V.O.) Bad news, Hannibal WIDER ANGLE shows that Dr. Lecter, on the handtruck, is being pushed down his corridor by Barney, and back into his open cell. CHILTON V.O.) Gourmet magazine has rejected your recipe for braised kidneys DR. LECTER'S CELL DAY Chilton lounges on Dr. Lecter's cot, casually reading his large stack of private correspondence, and making notations with his gold pen on a little pad. Another orderly mops the floor. CHILTON Perhaps you should have been less specific about what kind. to Barney Stand him by the toilet. Then leave us. Barney props the hand truck into position, then both orderlies go. Chilton finishes another letter, sighs happily. CHILTON Such a lot of correspondence! I can hardly wait to analyze it in more detail But first things first. Tossing letters onto the cot, he rises, crosses out into the corridor, and bends to remove a small tape recorder from underneath Clarice's desk. He waggles it triumphantly at Dr. Lecter. CHILTON I thought she might be looking for a civil rights violation in Migg's death, so I bugged you Not a word to me in all these years, Hannibal. Then Crawford sends his bit of fluff over here, and you just turn to jelly. It's too pathetic. SIDE ANGLE TWO SHOT as Chilton, back in the cell, leans tauntingly close to the front of Dr. Lecter's mask. CHILTON You still think you're going to walk on some beach, and see the birdies? I don't think so, Hannibal I called Senator Ruth Martin, and she never heard of any deal with you. She never heard of Clarice Starling, either. They scammed you, Hannibal CLOSE ON Dr. Lecter's glittering eyes, behind their slits. CHILTON When Crawford gets through milking you, he's giving you to Baltimore Homicide for the Raspail murder. And they're preparing some special surprises for you right now, in my electroshock room. DR. LECTER'S POV FRAMED BY EYE-SLITS first looking at Chilton's moving lips then LOWERING to his soft, white, inviting throat CHILTON The Starling bitch wants you to rot here, in this little box, till your teeth fall out and you're soiling diapers. You've seen the old ones, Hannibal. They weep when their stewed peaches get cold. That'll be you, too. Unless you trade with me. FAVORING CHILTON as he sits chummily on the table. CHILTON There never was a deal with Senator Martin but there is now. I've been on the phone for hours, Hannibal, on your behalf. Here's what you get: if you identify Buffalo Bill, and the girl is found in time, Senator Martin will have you transferred to Brushy Mountain State Prison, in Tennessee CLOSE AGAIN ON DR. LECTER'S EYES as they shift restlessly, away from Chilton then suddenly lock onto something. They widen with interest. CHILTON The Governor has already agreed. You get books, a view of the woods, and plenty of exercise time DR. LECTER'S POV EXTREME CLOSEUP On the cot, carelessly left there, lying half-hidden under the letters and the rumpled sheet is Chilton's gold pen. CHILTON And best of all, you'd be out of Jack Crawford's reach, forever. The Senator will verify these terms on the phone, and guarantee them in writing BACK ON DR. LECTER as he stares a moment longer at the pen, then shifts his eyes towards Chilton. We can almost hear his brain clicking. CHILTON In exchange, I get your full cooperation in publishing a professional account of this my successful interviews with you. You publish nothing. And I get exclusive access to any material from Catherine Martin So. Do you accept my demands? pause Answer me, Hannibal. A beat. Dr. Lecter is silent. Chilton sticks his face INTO SHOT, almost intimately close to the mask. He is agitated. CHILTON You'll answer me now, or by God, you'll answer to Baltimore Homicide. Who is Buffalo Bill? DR. LECTER pause; then softly I'll tell the Senator herself. But only in Tennessee JOHNS HOPKINS GENDER IDENTITY CLINIC DAY MOVING ANGLE as the very impatient Crawford, clutching a folder, strides down a hall beside DR. DANIELSON early 's, severe, in a lab coat. Nurses, doctors, glance as they pass. DR. DANIELSON I'm not having a witch hunt here, Mr. Crawford! Our patients are decent, non-violent people with a real problem. CRAWFORD Dr. Danielson, the man we want was never your patient. It would be someone you refused because he tries to conceal a record of criminal violence. Please, Doctor time is eating us up. Just show me the ones you've turned away. Danielson enters a cramped, stainless steel nurse's gallery, with Crawford following, and pours himself a cup of coffee. DR. DANIELSON adamantly Examination and interview materials are confidential. We've never violated an applicant's trust, and we never will. CRAWFORD You want to see a violation? This is a violation He takes a black & white photo from his folder, slaps it down in front of Danielson. From our angle, we can't see it clearly. CRAWFORD Her name is Kimberly Jane Emberg, she was just ID'd. I met her on a slab in West Virginia. And sometime tomorrow, or tomorrow night, he's going to do the same thing to Catherine Martin. DR. DANIELSON That's a childish, bullying stunt, Mr. Crawford. I was a battlefield surgeon, so you can put away your picture. Burroughs sticks his head in, looking for Crawford. BURROUGHS Phone, Jack. Director Burke. CRAWFORD snaps In a minute! Burroughs hurriedly retreats. Crawford strains for patience. CRAWFORD Look search your own records, if you prefer. You can do it a lot faster than us, anyway. If we find Buffalo Bill through your information, I'll suppress it. Nobody has to know this hospital cooperated. DR. DANIELSON I doubt very much that the FBI or any other government agency can keep a secret, Mr. Crawford. Truth will out And then what? Will you give Johns Hopkins a new identity? Put a big pair of sunglasses on this building, and a funny nose? CRAWFORD Oh, that's clever, Dr. Danielson. Very humorous. You like the truth? Try this. right in his face, enraged He kidnaps young women and kills them and rips their skin off. We don't want him to do that anymore. If you don't help me, just as fast as you can, then the Justice Department is going to ask publicly for a court order, We'll ask twice a day, just in time for the morning and evening news. And each one of our press conferences will focus on Dr. Danielson, over at Johns Hopkins, and how we're still hoping for his cooperation. And every time there's any news on the case when Catherine Martin floats, when the next one floats, and the next one why, we'll just issue another press release about good ol' Dr. Danielson, over at Johns Hopkins complete with all his humorous fucking remarks. DR. DANIELSON pause; stiffly It may be that I could confer with my colleagues on this. And get back to you. CRAWFORD Would you, Doctor? That would be so kind. THE SURVEILLANCE VAN DAY Crawford is on the scrambler phone. Burroughs watches silently. CRAWFORD on phone; stunned Transferred...? FBI BUILDING OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR DAY HAYDEN BURKE, the FBI Director, swivels in his big chair. Lean, late 's, very distinguished. His desk is flanked by flags. DIRECTOR BURKE on phone Already airborne for Memphis. Senator Martin's meeting him at the airport. uneasily Jack did you make some sort of promise to Lecter, in the Senator's name? Listening to the answer, he looks uncomfortably across his desk at PAUL KRENDLER, the Deputy Attorney General, very tanned, modish haircut. Krendler is irritable, impatient. DIRECTOR BURKE on phone We're going to have to talk about this, Jack. The Senator's mad as hell. Paul Krendler's over here from Justice, she's asking him to take charge in Memphis I know that But you're still in command of the task force, and Lecter's plane can still be ordered back. It's your call, Jack but I want it now. CUT BACK TO: THE SURVEILLANCE VAN DAY Burroughs starts to make an objection, but Crawford stills him with a hand motion. He is taut, frustrated. Long pause. CRAWFORD into phone Let him land. CLARICE'S DORM ROOM DOORWAY DAY Clarice opens her door, stares out at Crawford. She's just slipping on her blazer, over her shoulder holster. She's furious. CLARICE Chilton has killed her, hasn't he? That slimy little bastard! We were so close with Lecter and now her last chance is gone. CRAWFORD Let's get some coffee and talk. FBI ACADEMY GROUNDS QUANTICO DAY MOVING ANGLE on Clarice and Crawford, as they walk along a sidewalk, sipping from paper cups. The surveillance van trails them slowly, radios CRACKLING. CLARICE Are you in trouble over this, Mr. Crawford? Can Senator Martin do something to you? CRAWFORD I'm, Starling. If I found Jimmy Hoffa on national TV, I'd still have to retire in two years. It's not a consideration. But you are beat You've done enough. If I keep you out of school any longer, you'll be recycled. Cost you six months, at least. I can guarantee you readmission here, but that's about it. he stops, looks at her Now's your chance, Starling. Go back to class. Leave Bill to me. CLARICE If you didn't want me chasing him, you shouldn't have taken me to that funeral home. He looks at her steadily, then nods. They walk on. CLARICE Lecter is still the key, I know he is. Whatever he told me about Bill is just as good now as it was before. CRAWFORD Or just as worthless. But I want you in Memphis, close to him. Maybe when he gets tired of toying with Senator Martin, he'll talk to you again. There's a plane waiting for you now at the airstrip. She smiles at this acknowledgment; he never thought she's quit. CLARICE I lied to Lecter. I'll need some kind of peace offering Can I get the drawings from his cell? CRAWFORD Good idea. Meantime, try to get a feel for Catherine Martin. Her apartment, her friends how he might've stalked her. I'm going to the other two clinics, Minnesota and Ohio. he crumples his cup, tosses it Now's the hardest part, Starling. Use your anger, don't let it keep you from thinking. Just keep your eyes on Catherine. We've got less than hours. CLARICE hesitates Mr. Crawford can those cops down there handle Dr. Lecter? CRAWFORD grimly They'll use their best men. But they better be paying attention AIR NATIONAL GUARD HANGER MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE DAY CLOSE ON Dr. Lecter. Behind his mask, the alert, searching eyes. CRAWFORD V.O.) He will OFFICERS PEMBRY AND BOYLE two sturdy, well-armed, veteran prison guards are checking Dr. Lecter's restraints with clever, careful fingers. BOYLE Welcome to Memphis, Dr. Lecter. I'm Officer Boyle, this is Officer Pembry. We aim to treat you just as nice as you treat us. Act like a gentlemen, you'll get three hots and a cot. PEMBRY But we ain't pussy-footin' with you, buddy ruff. You get cute, try to bite somebody? we'll tie your asshole in a knot. You savvy? DR. LECTER Oh yes, Officer Pembry. I certainly do. The officers turn away, Boyle signing a clipboarded form. PEMBRY under his breath Shit, he's just an ol' broke-dick. Won't be no trouble as all if he don't flip out. BOYLE Dr. Chilton...? NEW ANGLE WIDER as we see that we're in a vast, dusty hangar. Parked to one side: an EMS ambulance and four highway patrol cruisers; a dozen troopers stand quietly chatting and smoking over there. Prentiss is pacing impatiently, casting anxious glances towards the open hanger doorway. BOYLE If you'll please sign right here, sir, we'll have us a legal transfer. Chilton instinctively pats his shirt pocket for his gold pen; it's gone. He searches other pockets, with growing unhappiness. BOYLE Use mine. PEMBRY Here they come. TWO BLACK STRETCH LIMOUSINES glide smoothly into the hangar, stop. Secret Service agents pour out of the lead car, form a cordon. A driver opens the rear door of the second car, and Krendler steps out, followed by the Senator's assistant, with a briefcase, followed, as last, by the Senator herself. Barely glancing around, she strides towards Lecter. NEW ANGLE DR. LECTER AND SEN. MARTIN as she stops, struck by the bizarre spectacle of his restraints. The others instinctively keep a distance, but Chilton, with theatrical relish, unstraps and removes Dr. Lecter's mask. CHILTON Senator Martin, meet Dr. Hannibal Lecter. They stare at one another for a long moment: the Senator tense, almost haggard, the madman with his unearthly poise. SEN. MARTIN Dr. Lecter, I've brought an affidavit guaranteeing your new rights You'll want to read it before I sign. He assistant unsnaps his briefcase, reaches for the form. DR. LECTER I won't waste your time and Catherine's time bargaining for petty privileges. Clarice Starling and that awful Jack Crawford have wasted far too much already. I only pray they haven't doomed the poor girl Let me help you now, and I'll trust you when it's all over. SEN. MARTIN You have my word. Paul? Krendler raises a pad, poised to take notes. DR. LECTER Buffalo Bill's real name is William Rubin. I met him just once. He was referred to me in April or May,, by my patient Benjamin Raspail. They were lovers, but Raspail had become very frightened. Apparently Rubin had murdered a transient, and done things with the skin. He thought if I could cure Billy, then Billy'd be safe from the police, and he's be safe from Billy Obviously, he was wrong. KRENDLER We need his address, a physical descr DR. LECTER Did you nurse Catherine? SEN. MARTIN pause; startled What...? DR. LECTER Did you breast-feed her? He flicks his tongue obscenely. KRENDLER You son-of-a The Senator stills him with a hand. She is trembling. SEN. MARTIN Yes I did. DR. LECTER Toughened your nipples, didn't it...? a beat; then rapidly, bored Six foot one, strongly built, about pounds. Hair brown, eyes pale blue. He'd be about now. He said he lived in Philadelphia, but may have lied. That's really all I can remember, Senator but if I think of any more, I'll let you know. SEN. MARTIN to the others Let's go with it. They start towards the car, but he calls out, stopping her. DR. LECTER Senator Martin...! You can't trust Jack Crawford or Clarice Starling. It's such a game with these people. They're determined to get the arrest for themselves. The 'collar,' I think they say. SEN. MARTIN Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep it in mind. DR. LECTER Oh, and Senator...? Love you suit. MR. GUMB'S BASEMENT DAY DIMLY LIT CLOSE ON scraps of food peas, chicken bones lying on the cement floor of the pit, near the foil tray of a TV dinner. CATHERINE muttering, feisty Close enough to fuck is close enough to fight CATHERINE is hunched over in concentration. The plastic toilet bucket is on her lap, and she has yanked down its cotton string. CATHERINE Get my legs round your neck, you goddamn creep, I'll send you home to Jesus HER FINGERS are tying a chicken bone to the bucket's handle, where it meets the string. The other end of the string is tied to her wrist. SHE STANDS gathers the coiled string in one hand, and swings the bucket by its handle, calculating this distance up to the basement floor. CATHERINE Okay, Precious. Time for a treat She hurls the bucket upwards. AT THE LIP OF THE OUBLIETTE the bucket sails out, bounces LOUDLY, then falls back inside. ANGLE ON THE DOG, PRECIOUS who is elsewhere in the basement, worrying a toy. She cocks an ear, making a low GROWL, then sets off to investigate. DOWN IN THE PIT Catherine swings the bucket again, trying another cast. THE BUCKET LANDS two feet beyond the pit's edge, rolls a bit, stops. PRECIOUS TROTS UP then pauses, staring curiously towards VERY LOW ANGLE DOG'S POV the enticing chicken bone, six feet away. It twitches as Catherine tugs on the string, edging the bucket back towards the pit. Precious with her tail wagging, BARKS greedy but suspicious. CATHERINE staring upwards, pulls again, even so gently, at the string. CATHERINE softly Preeeeecious...! C'mon, boy, nice yummy bone c'mon, you little shit PRECIOUS edges reluctantly closer then suddenly rushes in, seizing the bone in her teeth. She tries to run away with it, but Catherine is pulling her towards the hole, working her like a hooked fish. Her toenails scrabble as she tries to stop. CATHERINE stares desperately, unable to see how she's doing. CATHERINE Hang on, boy hang on PRECIOUS still fights for the bone, GROWLING, as the bucket rocks precariously on the edge of the pit. A long, seesaw battle until finally, when one of her forelegs slips momentarily into the hole, she panics and lets go. The bucket flops over the edge. CATHERINE crouches, covering her head as the bucket bounces off her. CATHERINE Nooooo...! THE LITTLE DOG furious, BARKS down at her, then trots away in disgust. CLOSE ON CATHERINE as she sinks to the cold cement. She slaps aside the foil tray, the scraps of food, sobbing in utter despair CATHERINE MARTIN'S APARTMENT LIVING ROOM DAY CLOSE ON a framed photo of Sen. Martin and Catherine, held in Clarice's cotton-gloved hands. Powdered fingerprints on the glass. Clarice glances up from the photo, smiles disarmingly at A young STATE TROOPER sitting in Catherine's easy chair. He smiles back at her, then relaxes, returns to his newspaper. He also wears gloves. KITCHEN Clarice closes the refrigerator door, glances around. A big REEL-TO-REEL TAPE RECORDER has been set up on the breakfast counter, attached to Catherine's phone. Two new red phones are hooked up as well. BATHROOM Clarice slides open the medicine cabinet's mirror, looks inside. She reaches in, pokes carefully amongst the lotions. ATTIC CRAWL-SPACE A ceiling hatch bangs open, sending up dust clouds. Clarice, lit from underneath, pokes her head through, looking around. BEDROOM Flat on her back, Clarice wriggles out from under Catherine's bed. She sits up, brushing dust from her face and hair. BEDROOM CLOSE ON an open, multi-tiered jewelry box, resting atop a bureau, as Clarice's fingers pick through costume jewelry. Clarice closes the box, and is just turning away when a figure suddenly looms INTO SHOT, giving her a bad start; she cries out softly. Senator Martin is revealed, staring at her suspiciously. SEN. MARTIN Who are you, please? I thought the police were through in here. CLARICE I'm Clarice Starling, Senator. FBI. SEN. MARTIN softly, very angry Clarice Starling calls out Paul? Would you come in here, please...? Krendler enters from the hallway, looks at Clarice. SEN. MARTIN Miss Starling, you may know the Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Krendler. Paul, this is the trainee that Jack Crawford sent to Lecter She lied to him, pretending to have my authority, and thus jeopardized this entire investigation. Now she has the further gall to invade my daughter's privacy, again without permission. If her little games have killed my baby Overcome, she hurries from the room. Krendler shuts the door behind her, points sternly at Clarice. KRENDLER You're out of line, Starling, and you're off this case. Back to Quantico. CLARICE Sir, Mr. Crawford instructed me KRENDLER Your instructions are what I'm giving you now. Jack Crawford answers to the Director, and the Director answers to me. My God, Crawford's losing it...! He shouldn't even be on this, with his wife sick as she is How the hell did you get in here, anyway? He gave you what? Some kind of special ID? Let's have it. CLARICE stubbornly I need the ID to fly with my gun. The gun belongs in Quantico. KRENDLER Gun. Jesus. Turn in the ID as soon as you get back. The gun, too. Be on the next plane, Starling, there's one in minutes. Clarice, burning, starts for the door, then turns back. CLARICE Mr. Krendler Dr. Lecter trusts me. Or at least, he used to. If I could just KRENDLER Lecter has already named Buffalo Bill. Clarice reacts, surprised. Krendler takes a folded computer sheet from his pocket, shoves it at her. She takes it, reads. KRENDLER He gave us a perfectly good description, and we're on it now, so we won't be needing your little novelty act any longer or his, either. He's under close guard at the courthouse, pending a prison transfer. The next plane, Officer. CLARICE Sir, doesn't this 'William Rubin' strike you as I don't know kind of vague? Krendler moves in very close to her, pale with anger. KRENDLER Do you need a police escort, Starling? Or do you think you can find the airport by yourself? CLARICE Yes sir. I can find it by myself. SHELBY COUNTY COURTHOUSE DAY The old courthouse is a massive Gothic stronghold, with an armada of police cruisers parked at the curb. Clarice climbs from her rented car, SLAMMING the door angrily. Holding a rolled-up pile of papers Dr. Lecter's drawings she starts determinedly up the steps. A nearby commotion makes her pause. Dr. Frederick Chilton in a sea of interviewers and mini-cams, is preening grandly. Clarice carefully avoiding his gaze, slips up the steps and inside. COURTHOUSE GROUND FLOOR DAY SGT. TATE, a Memphis policeman, is studying Clarice's ID. He looks up at her from his command desk, a bit doubtfully. SGT. TATE Are you with Mr. Krendler's people? CLARICE I just left him. SGT. TATE Access to Lecter is strictly limited. We've been getting death threats. hesitates again Log in, and check your weapon. He picks up a phone, murmurs into it. As he does so, Clarice glances around this main ground floor lobby. HER POV The building looks like an armed fort. Cops with shotguns guard the front door, both ends of the hall, the foot of the stairs, the single elevator. More of them are coming and going. MURRAY V.O.) Shoot, we haven't had this kinda security since the President came through town ELEVATOR MOVING Clarice and OFFICER MURRAY, a young patrolman, ride up in an old-fashioned, CREAKING, metal-cage elevator. He is excited. MURRAY Every cop in Tennessee wants a look at this guy. 'Sit true what they're sayin' he's some kinda vampire? CLARICE beat I don't have a name for what he is. HISTORICAL SOCIETY ROOM TH FLOOR Pembry, at a desk by the door, looks up from examining the unrolled pile of Dr. Lecter's drawings. PEMBRY You know the rules, ma'am? CLARICE Yes, Officer Pembry. I've questioned him before. He waves her on her way, but retains the drawings for now. MOVING ANGLE WITH CLARICE as she crosses the big, spare, white octagonal room. A massive, temporary iron cage has been installed; Officer Boyle sits facing its barred door. He rises, nods, moving away to allow her privacy. INSIDE THE CAGE a cot and a small table, each bolted to the floor, and a flimsy paper screen, hiding a toilet. Dr. Lecter sits at the table, his back to her, studying the Buffalo Bill case file. He now wears a green prison jumpsuit. A small cassette player is chained to the steel table. DR. LECTER without turning Good afternoon, Clarice. She stops at a striped police barricade, before his bars. CLARICE I thought you might want your drawings back Just until you get your view. DR. LECTER How very thoughtful Or did Crawford send you here for one last wheedle before you're both booted off the case? CLARICE Nobody sent me. I came on my own. He spins in his swivel chair, stops neatly. A coy smile. DR. LECTER People will say we're in love. beat Pity you tried to fool me, isn't it? Pity for poor Catherine. Tick-tock He spins again in his chair, playfully. MOVING ANGLE FAVORING CLARICE as she circles the cage, trying to keep his face in sight. CLARICE Dr. Lecter, you find out everything. You couldn't have talked with this 'William Rubin', even once, and come out knowing so little about him You made him up, didn't you? DR. LECTER Clarice you're hardly in a position to accuse me of lying. CLARICE I think you were telling me the truth in Baltimore or starting to. Tell me the rest now. DR. LECTER I've studied the case file, have you...? Everything you need to find him is right in these pages. Whatever his name is. CLARICE Then tell me how. DR. LECTER First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing, ask: What is it, in itself, what is its nature...? What does he do, this man you seek? CLARICE He kills w DR. LECTER sharply, as he stops No! That's incidental. CLOSE ANGLE TWO SHOT as he rises, pained by her ignorance, and crosses to the bars. DR. LECTER What is the first and principal thing he does, what need does he serve by killing? CLARICE Anger, social resentment, sexual frus DR. LECTER No, he covets. That's his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer. CLARICE No. We just DR. LECTER No. Precisely. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Clarice? I hardly see how you couldn't. And don't your eyes move over the things you want? CLARICE All right, then tell me how DR. LECTER No. It's your turn to tell me, Clarice. You don't have any more vacations to sell, on Anthrax Island. Why did you run away from that ranch? CLARICE Dr. Lecter, when there's time I'll DR. LECTER We don't reckon time the same way, Clarice. This is all the time you'll ever have. CLARICE Later, listen, I'll DR. LECTER I'll listen now. After your father's murder, you were orphaned. You were ten years old. You went to live with cousins, on a sheep and horse ranch in Montana. And ? CLARICE And one morning I just ran away She turns from him. He presses closer, gripping the bars. DR. LECTER Not 'just,' Clarice. What set you off? You started what time? CLARICE Early. Still dark. DR. LECTER Then something woke you. What? Did you dream...? What was it? IN FLASHBACK The -year old Clarice sits up abruptly in her bed, frightened. She is in a Montana ranch house; it almost dawn. Strange, fearful shadows on her ceiling and walls a window, partly fogged by the cold; eerie brightness outside. CLARICE V.O.) I heard a strange sound DR. LECTER V.O.) What was it? THE CHILD RISES crosses to the window in her nightgown, rubs the glass. CLARICE V.O.) I didn't know. I went to look HIGH ANGLES ND STORY THE CHILD'S POV Shadowy men, ranch hands, are moving in and out of a nearby barn, carrying mysterious bundles. The mens' breath is steaming A refrigerated truck idles nearby, its engine adding more steam. A strange, almost surrealistic scene CLARICE V.O.) Screaming! Some kind of screaming. Like a child's voice THE LITTLE GIRL is terrified; she covers her ears. DR. LECTER V.O.) What did you do? CLARICE V.O.) Got dressed without turning on the light. I went downstairs outside THE LITTLE GIRL in her winter coat, slips noiselessly towards the open barn door. She ducks into the shadows to avoid a ranch hand, who passes her with a squirming bundle of some kind. He goes into the barn, and she edges after him reluctantly. CLARICE V.O.) I crept up to the barn I was so scared to look inside but I had to THE LITTLE GIRL'S POV as the open doorway LOOMS CLOSER Bright lights inside, straw bales, the edges of stalls, then moving figures DR. LECTER V.O.) And what did you see, Clarice? A SQUIRMING LAMB is held down on a table by two ranch hands. CLARICE V.O.) Lambs. The lambs were screaming A third cowboy stretches out the lamb's neck, raises a bloody knife. Just as he's about to slice its throat BACK TO THE ADULT CLARICE staring into the distance, shaken, still trembling from the child's shock. We see Dr. Lecter, over her shoulder, studying her intently. DR. LECTER They were slaughtering the spring lambs? CLARICE Yes...! They were screaming. DR. LECTER So you ran away CLARICE No. First I tried to free them I opened the gate of their pen but they wouldn't run. They just stood there, confused. They wouldn't run DR. LECTER But you could. You did. CLARICE I took one lamb. And I ran away, as fast as I could IN FLASHBACK a vast Montana plain, and crossing this, a tiny figure the little Clarice, holding a lamb in her arms. DR. LECTER V.O.) Where were you going? CLARICE V.O.) I don't know. I had no food or water. It was very cold. I thought if I can even save just one but he got so heavy. So heavy The tiny figure stops, and after a few moments sinks to the ground, hunched over in dispair. CLARICE V.O.) I didn't get more than a few miles before the sheriff's car found me. The rancher was so angry he sent me to live at the Lutheran orphanage in Bozeman. I never saw the ranch again DR. LECTER V.O.) But what became of your lamb? no response Clarice...? BACK TO SCENE as the adult Clarice turns, staring into his feverish eyes. She shakes her head, unwilling or unable to say more. DR. LECTER You still wake up sometimes, don't you? Wake up in the dark, with the lambs screaming? CLARICE Yes DR. LECTER Do you think if you saved Catherine, you could make them stop...? Do you think, if Catherine lives, you won't wake up in the dark, ever again, to the screaming of the lambs? Do you...? CLARICE Yes! I don't know...! I don't know. DR. LECTER a pause; then, oddly at peace Thank you, Clarice. CLARICE a whisper Tell me his name, Dr. Lecter. DR. LECTER Dr. Chilton I believe you know each other? NEW ANGLE as Clarice turns, startled, and the fuming Chilton seizes her elbow. Pembry and Boyle are beside him, looking grim. CHILTON Out. Let's go. PEMBRY Sorry, ma'a m we've got orders to have you put on a place. Clarice struggles, pulling free of them for a moment. DR. LECTER Brave Clarice. Will you let me know if ever the lambs stop screaming? CLARICE moving closer to the bars Yes. I'll tell you. DR. LECTER Promise...? she nods. He smiles Then why not take your case file? I won't be needing it anymore. He holds out the file, arm extended between the bars. She hesitates, then reaches to take it. VERY CLOSE ANGLE SLOW MOTION as the exchange is made, his index finger touches her hand, and lingers there, just for a moment. DR. LECTER'S EYES widen, crackling at this touch, like sparks in a cave. DR. LECTER Good-bye, Clarice. CLARICE hugging the case file to her chest, stares back at him as the men crowd in on her, pushing her away. HER POV MOVING as Dr. Lecter, head cocked in a smile, slowly recedes GARMENT SWEATSHOP DAY MOVING ANGLE MR. GUMB'S POV as he pushes a rolling rack of completed leather garments, each wrapped in plastic, down as aisle. SOUND of many sewing machines, all clattering at once, as he passes row on row of work tables. The seamstresses, mostly black or Hispanic, glance up as he passes, then quickly avert their eyes, his presence disturbing them in some nameless way. A thin FOREMAN in a flowery shirt, sees him approaching. He rises from his desk and comes over cheerfully, as the rack rolls to a stop. FOREMAN Hello, dear! Punctual as always. And what have you brought us today? He seizes one of the dangling jackets, pulling up the plastic wrapper. He examines it, stroking the sleeve. FOREMAN Oh, marvelous You know, I always say you're the Leonardo of leather. MR. GUMB a harsh whisper Oil. FOREMAN Pardon...? MR. GUMB You're leaving oil on the skin. The foreman quickly releases the jacket. FOREMAN Of course You'll be wanting your Mr. Gumb's hand reaches INTO SHOT, snatching an envelope from him. The foreman is watching him walk away, as a seamstress comes over to take the rack of garments. The foreman is vaguely troubled, but shakes it off. He strokes the jacket again, admiringly. FOREMAN to seamstress I wish we had a dozen like him SOUND UPCUT Glenn Gould playing Bach's Goldberg Variations MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOUNGE AREA DUSK Clarice, in a line of other passengers, is moving slowly towards a departure ramp. Through a huge plate glass window, we can see her plane. She glances back over her shoulder at A pair of UNIFORMED COPS brawny and impassive, their arms folded, waiting to make sure she board the flight. Clarice sighs, turning wearily back towards the jetway. The BACH CONTINUES, as we SHELBY CO. COURTHOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ROOM NIGHT CLOSE ON a steaming, rather elegant dinner tray, being carried by Pembry, as he approaches Dr. Lecter's cell. PEMBRY shouts Ready when you are, Doc! IN THE CELL the BACH is issuing from the cassette player. Beside it, on the table, the pile of Dr. Lecter's drawings. The top one is an accurate, sensitive portrait, from memory, of Clarice. Beyond the table, we see Lecter's shadowy form, seated behind the paper screen. He calls out from there. DR. LECTER Just another minute, please! Pembry grunts, sets the tray down. Boyle joins him, handing him a riot baton and a Mace cannister, which Pembry fastens to belt clips. Boyle is similarly armed, and carries a ring of keys. PEMBRY Sumbitch demanded lamb chops for dinner, extra rare. BOYLE laughs What you reckon he'll want for breakfast some fuckin' thing from the zoo? INSIDE THE SCREEN Dr. Lecter sits fully clothed on the toilet swaying slightly, eyes closed, lost in the music, tongue working in his cheek. Suddenly, like magic, a little shiny piece of metal protrudes from his lips. He plucks it out, opens his eyes. IN EXTREME CLOSEUP he is holding the pocket clip from Prentice's disassembled pen a straight, thin strip of metal, with a circular collar at one end, a square edge at the other. DR. LECTER lines up his thumbnail just shy of the square edge, then braces it against the stainless steel toilet rim. He pushes down, hard, using both hands for leverage. After a moment he smiles, holding up the result, and twirling it before his eyes. IN EXTREME CLOSEUP the straight end of the clip now forms a tiny right angle, and the circular end anchors nicely between his fingers. OUTSIDE THE CELL Pembry and Boyle turn as the toilet FLUSHES, and Dr. Lecter reappears, looking jaunty. PEMBRY Okay, Doc, grab some floor. Same drill as lunchtime. Dr. Lecter sits on the floor, legs straight, then wriggles backwards. He stretches his arms behind him, hands and wrists through the bars, with two bars between them, and clasps his hands. DR. LECTER I'm ready when you are, Officer Pembry. Pembry comes around the cell to squat behind Dr. Lecter. He tugs his hands farther out, rather roughly, handcuffs his wrists. He shakes the cuffs, making sure of them, then nods to Boyle. NEW ANGLE AT CELL DOOR as Boyle picks up the dinner tray, and Pembry crosses around. Pembry takes the keys from Boyle, unlocks the cell door, and pushes it inward. Boyle goes inside with the tray. DR. LECTER watches as Boyle approaches the table, above five feet from him. Boyle has to set his tray down on the floor to clear off some of the mess of drawings. The MUSIC plays on. VERY CLOSE ON Dr. Lecter's hands, outside the bars, as the makeshift key, held between the tips of his right index and middle fingers, searches for the keyhole of the cuffs. And finds it. NEW ANGLE FAVORING BOYLE as he finishes clearing the drawings, then turns back towards Dr. Lecter, stooping to pick up the tray. BOYLE'S RIGHT HAND is just inches from the tray when Dr. Lecter's hand darts INTO SHOT, snapping a handcuff onto his wrist. BOYLE looks up, astonished, to find himself right in the grinning face of Dr. Lecter who just as quickly rolls sideways, and snaps THE OTHER CUFF around the bolted leg of the table. And suddenly all natural SOUND and MOTION are suspended, as the MUSIC soars much louder, each separate note of it now echoing distinctly, and we see VARIOUS ANGLES EACH BLURRING INTO STOP-ACTION Pembry starting into the cell, reaching for his riot baton Dr. Lecter smashing against the cell door, driving it into Pembry, pinning him across the chest, against the door frame Boyle, on one knee on the floor, digging desperately in his pants pocket for his handcuff key Pembry's hand, mashed against his body by the door, as he strains frantically to reach the baton at his waist Pembry's eyes, widening in horror as he stares at Dr. Lecter's bared teeth, flashing towards him Dr. Lecter gripping Pembry's face in his jaws, shaking it like a dog shakes a rat Boyle finding his key, but in his terror dropping it Dr. Lecter yanking the mace can and riot baton from the dazed Pembry's belt, spraying him in his bloody face, then clubbing him to his knees Boyle, mouth open in a silent scream, finding his key again, unlocking the handcuff, but then, as he starts to rise, seeing Dr. Lecter standing over him, with the riot baton raised high; he swings it viciously down, again and again and again Then normal SOUND and MOTION are restored as we go to CLOSE ANGLE ON the cassette player, and the portrait of Clarice, both now flecked with blood. In addition to the Bach, we now hear soft PANTING, close by, and whimpering SOBS in the background. ANGLE ON DR. LECTER eyes closed, lost in a favorite passage of the music. His bloody fingers drift airily with the notes, as his breathing slows to normal. He opens his eyes, sighs contentedly, looks down. HIS POV By the sprawled legs of Boyle lie various objects that spilled from his pants pocket coins, a comb, a big pocketknife. DR. LECTER picks up the pocketknife, examines it happily. About a four inch blade. He becomes aware of the WHIMPERING, off screen, turns. LOW ANGLE ON PEMBRY as he crawls, with torturous slowness, towards the command desk, and the phone. He is crying, but frantically determined. PEMBRY'S POV PARTIALLY BLURRED, THEN CLEARING Above the desk, hanging from pegs, are his and Boyle's holstered revolvers COURTHOUSE GROUND FLOOR LOBBY NIGHT The bronze arrow above the elevator swings towards ',' then indicates a stop there, at the top floor. FAVORING SGT. TATE at his command desk, as he stares at the indicator. Another cop, JACOBS, sits on the desk's edge, flipping through a magazine; many more cops can be seen beyond them, idling in the lobby. SGT. TATE What is this shit...? Did somebody go up to five? Jacobs shakes his head Call Pembry, ask him what A GUNSHOT, and then, moments later, TWO MORE quick ones, echo down the nearby stairwell. Sgt. Tate jumps to his feet, grabs a radio mike, as the other cops stir, confused and noisy. SGT. TATE into mike CP, shots fired on five! Repeat, shots fires on five! Outside posts look sharp, we've got a Ho-ly shit. THE BRONZE ARROW has begun to descend. Down to, then past BACK ON SGT. TATE as he reacts. The other cops, behind him, are now in a full uproar, shouting, pulling out guns. SGT. TATE to the others SHUT UP...! Guard mount, double up on your outside posts. Bobby, get the vests. Rainey, Howard, cover that fucking elevator if it comes all the way to A COP It stopped! THE BRONZE ARROW has, indeed, frozen at . Sgt. Tate lifts the microphone again. SGT. TATE into mike Seal off a ten-block radius. Get me the SWAT team and an ambulance, double quick. We're going up. STAIRWELL NIGHT DIMLY LIT HIGH ANGLE on Sgt. Tate as he leads a five-man squad, all in bulletproof vests, up the stone stairs. They move fast but carefully, covering each other from landing to landing with drawn revolvers, shotguns. The distant Back MUSIC makes a ghostly echo in here THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR NIGHT DIMLY LIT A thin rectangle of light on the floor from the open elevator door. We can't see inside. The MUSIC sounds closer. SGT. TATE approaches very cautiously, gun aimed. The other cops, behind him, fan out silently to set up angles of fire, checking the various office doors all locked as they creep up. MOVING ANGLE OVER TATE'S SHOULDER as he reaches the side of the elevator, hesitates, then spins to point his gun inside. It's empty. He backs away. SGT. TATE shouts at ceiling Pembry? Boyle...? HISTORICAL SOCIETY ROOM NIGHT BRIGHTLY LIT ANGLE on the door, from inside, its lettering reversed on the frosted glass. The Bach is VERY LOUD. After a moment the door is shouldered open, hard enough for the glass to shatter, Tate following his gun inside, moving low, then other cops appearing behind him in the doorframe. They all freeze, staring in utter horror. SGT. TATE Oh no no THEIR POV is a brief snapshot from hell. The two uniformed bodies, one sprawled on its back near the door, the other still in the cell, have been savaged by a knife. Blood and gore everywhere. The faces are unrecognizable. SGT. TATE struggles for control, as the other cops move grimly around him, into the room. He pulls his walkie-talkie from his belt. SGT. TATE into mike Command post Two offi a beat; clears his throat Two officers down. Prisoner is missing. Repeat, Lecter is missing He's stripped the bed, might be making a rope, check all windows. Where the fuck is my ambulance? IN THE CELL a cop angrily punches OFF the music. Jacobs kneels with his fingers on Boyle's neck. JACOBS Boyle is dead, Sarge. His gun's gone AT THE OTHER BODY a cop gently removes a revolver from the bloody fist. Murray, the young patrolman, brings his ear reluctantly close to the gory face. A bloody bubble appears there; the wreckage GROANS, very softly. MURRAY This one's alive! Tate crosses, kneels to see for himself. Murray looks green. SGT. TATE Take ahold of him where he can feel your hands, son. Talk to him. MURRAY What's his name, Sarge? SGT. TATE It's Pembry, now talk to him, God dammit. into radio, looking around Boyle's dead, Pembry's read bad. Lecter is missing and armed he took Boyle's gun The other cop, checking the cylinder of Pembry's gun, holds up one finger to Tate. SGT. TATE into radio Pembry got off one round there's a chance Lecter was hit. We heard a total of three shots fired, so he's got four left He's got a knife, too. STREET IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE NIGHT VARIOUS ANGLES on a floodlit scene of barely controlled pandemonium. Flashing red lights, men shouting commands, SIRENS in the distance. SWAT members, in full gear, leap from a black van fan out swarm up the steps EMS orderlies unload a gurney from an ambulance Cops kneel for cover behind cars, aiming guns and rifles up at the windows HISTORICAL SOCIETY ROOM NIGHT A trio of EMS orderlies work fast over the body, already strapped on its gurney. They bandage a big plastic airway into place, over the butchered face, checking for a pulse at the neck. Young Murray crouches, sickened, gripping a bloody fist. MURRAY You're just fine, Pembry, lookin' good, buddy, you're gonna make it One orderly massages the heart. Another is popping a plasma bag, ready to insert the needle, when the body starts convulsing. ORDERLY Downstairs let's go! Quickly the gurney is elevated, wheeled out of the room, with cops rushing forward to open the doors, help push, SWAT men are running by in the hall, automatic rifles at the ready THE ELEVATOR DESCENDING NIGHT Sgt. Tate, riding down with Jacobs, has his radio out. SGT. TATE into mike Ten-four, Lieutenant. I'm on the elevator, bringing it down. Pembry and Boyle are both cleared, top three floors secured, main stairwell secured. He's somewhere on A spot of blood falls on his cheek. He and Jacobs stare at each other. Another spot hits his shoulder. They look up. THEIR POV Blood is dripping slowly from the corner of the service hatch. Sgt. Tate motions for silence, as both men draw their guns. SGT. TATE into mike Uh, we're pretty sure he's somewhere on two, sir That's all for now, over. GROUND FLOOR LOBBY NIGHT The elevator doors open, and Tate and Jacobs hurry out, stepping quickly to the side. Tate reaches back in and CLOSE ANGLE Locks the elevator into position, with its doors open. OTHER COPS are rushing up to them, curious, as Tate frantically pushes them aside, gesturing for silence. SGT. TATE whispers He's on the roof of the elevator! THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR NIGHT Two SWAT officers, PETERSON and KUBELL, turn a key, unlocking and opening this floor's elevator doorway. The shaft is dark. Lying prone, they inch up to the edge, Peterson extends a mirror, on a long pole, out into the shaft. IN THE MIRROR DISTORTED BY THE ANGLE Is a distant figure, in a green prison jumpsuit, lying on his stomach, atop the elevator. A shiny revolver is near one hand. PETERSON whispers into a radio, as Kubell carefully tips an assault rifle, with a flashlight taped to its barrel, over the edge. PETERSON I see him There's a weapon by his hand. He's not moving RADIO VOICE Can you get the drop? PETERSON We got the drop. RADIO VOICE One warning. Then take him out. Peterson nods to Kubell, who switches ON the flashlight, as Peterson shouts down the shaft. PETERSON Quinn!! put your hands on your head!! IN THE MIRROR the green figure shows no movement. ANGLE ON THE COPS AGAIN as Peterson mutters to Kubell. PETERSON Put one in his leg. VERY CLOSE ON The figure below, as Kubell's gunshot ROARS, echoing hugely in the shaft, and a slug rips through the jumpsuited leg. The figure doesn't stir. PETERSON staring down the shaft, raises his mike again. PETERSON No movement. RADIO VOICE Okay, Johnny, hold your fire GROUND FLOOR LOBBY NIGHT A small army of cops is now covering the elevator doorway, from both sides. Tate crouches next to the SWAT COMMANDER. SWAT COMMANDER into radio mike We're coming into the car, we're opening the hatch. Watch his hands. Any fire will come from us. Affirm? PETERSON'S VOICE Got it. The SWAT commander hands his radio to another cop, then looks at Tate. A long, tense moment. Then he waves a signal. MOVING ANGLE as we follow a picked team of four SWAT cops, in full body armor, rushing into the elevator car. Two men move to the corners, aim assault rifles at the ceiling. A third man sets a stepladder in place, and the fourth man, armed with a big Colt, hurries up the ladder and unclips the hatch. CLOSE ON the service hatch, as the hinged cover drops open, and a body tumbles through, dangling head first, until it's caught at the waist. We see the back of the head. SGT. TATE shoulders through the SWAT cops for a closer look. He turns towards the SWAT commander, astonished. SGT. TATE That's Pembry! EMS AMBULANCE MOVING In the rear chamber, a young EMS ATTENDANT is braced against the vehicle's sway. Behind him, the stretchered form of his patient, and, through a curtained opening, the driver. SOUND of the siren. ATTENDANT into radio mike He's comatose, but his vital signs are good. Pressure's over Yeah, ! Pulse Behind him, in slightly BLURRED FOCUS, the bloody figure sits slowly upright ATTENDANT His convulsions have stopped, but he's got so much loose skin on his face, it's hard to tell if Suddenly he stops, becoming aware of a strange HISSING. He turns, puzzled THE POCKETKNIFE BLADE in Lecter's fist, flashes high in the air SIX-LANE FREEWAY NIGHT ARC LIGHTS MOVING ANGLE on the EMS ambulance, as it races along normally, its SIREN blazing, the heavy flow of traffic parting to make way for it. Then suddenly it begins to weave erratically, changing lanes, before drifting dangerously to a full stop, almost side-ways. Cars swerve to avoid hitting it, HONKING angrily CLOSER ANGLE on the stopped ambulance. After a long, still moment, the wind-shield wipes come on, incongruously, then stop. Then the SIREN is shut OFF, and the flashers. The ambulance starts rolling again at first jerkingly, then with increasing speed. We follow it for several more moments, until is passes and we LINGER on BIG GREEN INTERSTATE SIGN that reads 'Memphis International Airport / miles.' CLOSE ANGLE THROUGH AMBULANCE WINDSHIELD Dr. Lecter's face is slowly REVEALED, as he wipes across it with a fistful of gauze, tossing it aside MONTANA PLAIN DUSK IN FLASHBACK MOVING ANGLE, rushing with dizzy swiftness over the prairie, over waving grasses a long passage before we come at last to the girl Clarice, sitting with her lamb, hunched in despair. She rises, her face tear-stained, and turns from us. Holding the lamb, she starts back the way she came COUNTRY DIRT ROAD NIGHT BRIGHT MOONLIGHT MOVING ANGLE, very rapid, down this road coming at last to a stopped highway patrol car. Clarice, with her lamb, is standing in the car's headlights. She starts wearily towards the sheriff RANCH BARNYARD NEAR DAWN CRANE ANGLE sweeping rapidly DOWN into the barnyard towards the arriving highway patrol car, as it stops RUSHING to the little girl as she steps from the car, holding the lamb. The dark figure of the rancher ENTERS FRAME. As he roughly takes the lamb from her, we HOLD on a CLOSEUP of her face stunned, blank. She EXITS FRAME BARN NIGHT MOVING ANGLE CLARICE'S POV as she walks towards the open barn doorway It looms CLOSER The rancher is revealed, a shadowy figure, pinning the lamb on the killing table. His knife hand sweeps up high, then holds He turns TO CAMERA, his face breaking into the light and it is the face of Dr. Lecter. He smiles his terrible smile at the young Clarice FBI DORM PAY PHONE IN HALLWAY NIGHT MOVING ANGLE coming in very CLOSE on the adult Clarice's face shocked, devastated as she stands alone by the dangling receiver SHOWER STALL FBI DORM NIGHT CLOSE ON a shower head, as water suddenly blasts out. Clarice moves INTO SHOT, as she scrubs her face and hair compulsively, almost desperately, unable to get clean ARDELIA V.O.) They found the ambulance CLARICE'S DORM ROOM NIGHT Clarice is hunched on her cot, in a bathrobe, her hair wet. The Buffalo Bill case file, a thick bundle, rests by her feet. Ardelia hovers anxiously nearby. ARDELIA In the parking garage at Memphis airport. The crew was dead. He killed a tourist, too. Got his clothes, cash By now he could be anywhere. Clarice looks up. Her eyes are red-rimmed with exhaustion, and something close to despair. She reads Ardelia's thought. CLARICE No. He won't come after me. ARDELIA Why not? CLARICE bitterly It would be rude. And he wouldn't get to ask any more questions Ardelia sits beside her, touches her arm. ARDELIA Clarice you did the best anybody could have for Catherine Martin. You stuck your neck out for her and you got your butt kicked for her and you tried. It's not your fault it ended this way. CLARICE The worst part the thing that's making me crazy is that Bill is right in front of me. Only I can't see him touching the case file Lecter said, everything I need to catch him is right here, in these pages ARDELIA Lecter said a lot of things. CLARICE shakes her head He's here, Ardelia. Ardelia stares back at her. SOUND UPCUT the low throb of a washing machine LAUNDRY ROOM ACADEMY DORM NIGHT VERY LATE Clarice has spread out the case file across two washing machines. Ardelia, cross-legged on a dryer, studies another pile of forms. Nearby is their laundry basket, detergent box. ARDELIA surprised Hey, is this Lecter's handwriting? She holds up the map, with its location markings for the kidnapping and body dump sites. Clarice takes it, looks. INSERT THE MAP with newly inked words in Dr. Lecter's precise, elegant hand. DR. LECTER V.O.) Clarice, doesn't this random scattering of sites seem overdone to you? Doesn't it seem desperately random like the elaborations of a bad liar? Ta Hannibal Lecter. NEW ANGLE TWO SHOT as Clarice looks up at Ardelia, puzzled but excited. CLARICE 'Desperately random.' What does he mean? ARDELIA Not random at all, maybe. Like there's some pattern here...? CLARICE But there is no pattern. There's no connection at all among these places, or the computers would've nailed it! They're even found in random order. ARDELIA Well, except for the one girl. CLARICE beat What girl? ARDELIA The one that was weighted down. Where is she...? Fred something. They search among the inserts. Clarice finds the graduation photo. CLARICE Fredrica Bimmel, from Belvedere, Ohio. The first girl taken, but the third body found Why? ARDELIA 'Cause she didn't drift. He weighted her down. CLARICE But why? He didn't weight the others. Clarice moves, on fire, unable to keep still. CLARICE The first, what the hell did Lecter say about 'First principles,' he said. Simplicity What does this guy do, he 'covets.' How do we first start to covet? 'We covet what we see -' She stops, turns. She grabs the photo of Fredrica from Ardelia, stares at it. She looks up, trembling. CLARICE ' every day.' ARDELIA softly Hot damn, Clarice. CLARICE V.O.) He knew her...! FBI BUILDING OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR DAY Clarice and Crawford are seated in front of Director Burke, who's at his desk. Another chair is empty, because Krendler is pacing. All four are nearing their boiling points. CLARICE Maybe he lives in this, this Belvedere, Ohio, too! Maybe he saw her every day, and killed her sort of spontaneously. Maybe he just meant to give her a -Up and talk about the choir. But then KRENDLER Starling CLARICE But then he had to cover up, make her seem just like all the rest of them. That's what Lecter was hinting! KRENDLER The market in Lecter hints is way down, today, okay? I've got two good men dead in Memphis, and three civilians. I've got CRAWFORD Who the hell's fault is KRENDLER a U.S. Senator who's half out of her head because her daughter's going to be murdered today! And all because of your mind games with fucking Lecter! CRAWFORD If you hadn't interfered, he'd still be in custody in Baltimore! BURKE Jack KRENDLER You sent in a green recruit, with a phony goddamn offer CRAWFORD You're just trying to cover your ass for letting him escape! BURKE THAT'S ENOUGH! All of you A long silence, as they all struggle to regain composure. Crawford, who was at the point of striking Krendler, finally retakes his seat. Burke looks sadly at Crawford and Clarice. BURKE very reluctantly Starling, I'm afraid I have no choice. You're suspended from the Academy. Crawford starts to interrupt Not another word! to Clarice This is pending a reevaluation of your fitness for the service. I promise you'll get a fair hearing. pause Jack you're ordered to take compassionate leave. You'll spend the rest of the day briefing the AG's office, then transfer command of the task force, effective by hours. beat I'm sorry, Jack Go home. Take care of Bella. Clarice and Crawford stare back at him, drained. A long and very painful silence. Not even Krendler looks happy. SIDEWALK OUTSIDE FBI BUILDING DAY Clarice and Crawford walk out slowly, stand there a moment, not knowing what to say, not wanting to face each other. CLARICE All his victims are women His obsession is women, he lives to hunt women. But not one women is hunting him except me. I can walk in a woman's room and know three times as much about her as a man would. beat I have to go to Belvedere. CRAWFORD You heard them. I don't have that authority anymore. CLARICE You do until six p.m. He stares at her sadly. He looks, for the first time, defeated, old beyond his years. CRAWFORD Ohio is cold ground. Picked over, ten months ago. Our people worked it, so did the locals. CLARICE But not from this angle. Not thinking he knew her. You've got to send me! CRAWFORD I'm Bureau for years, Starling. I won't disobey orders, not even now. CLARICE But I just became a private citizen. I can go anywhere I want to. CRAWFORD With ID and a gun...? Impersonating a federal agent is a felony. CLARICE He's going to kill her, Mr. Crawford. This morning, or maybe at noon, but today, and Belvedere's our last chance. I'm flying there, right now, unless you stop me. You want my ID? Here take it He stares at her, a long moment. Catherine's life. Clarice's passion, and future. His loyalty to the Bureau. Call it. CRAWFORD pulls out his wallet There's about $ here And a hotline code number. They'll patch you through to me, wherever I am. She raises her hand to him. She wants to touch him face, or his neck, but can't. Finally she takes his money and card. CLARICE Thank you. He watches, frightened for both of them, as she backs away, smiles, then turns, racing towards the surveillance van. SOUND UPCUT the scratchy recording of Fats Waller SINGING, as we MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY DIM LIGHT CLOSE ON the needle of the Victrola, on the spinning record, as Mr. Gumb's fingers lift away. MUSIC continues in background. MR. GUMB calling out Preeeeecious...! CLOSE ON the moth cage, as Mr. Gumb's fingers search through the humus, and find a plump new cocoon, lifting it out. The door of the cage is left open, and one or two of the adult moths flutter out. MR. GUMB Precious, come on Precious! Busy busy day today CLOSE ON a clean towel, beside the sink. The cocoon is gently placed in readiness alongside four shiny skinning knives. MR. GUMB Momma's gonna be sooo beautiful! CLOSE ON a stainless steel Colt Python, with a six-inch barrel, as the cylinder is spun, and the hammer gets a practice cock. The metallic CLICK is deep and loud. A note of alarm has entered Mr. Gumb's voice. MR. GUMB You come here this minute, you little scamp! LOW ANGLE on Mr. Gumb, wearing the kimono, as he walks through his sewing workroom. His back is to us; he is looking anxiously under the furniture. He stops, straightens. Genuinely scared. MR. GUMB Precious...? LOW ANGLE OVER THE PIT OPENING Towards Mr. Gumb, as he stops at one of the doorways of the oubliette chamber. He stares inside; his face in shadows. MR. GUMB Sweetheart...? From the distant bottom of the pit, we hear Catherine's voice. CATHERINE She'd down here you sack of shit. Mr. Gumb's fist flies to his mouth, and he sags against the doorframe. A little groan escaped him; the dog answers with a series of YIPS. UPWARD ANGLE, FROM THE PIT BOTTOM as Mr. Gumb's dark shape leans cautiously over the edge. MR. GUMB Precious, are you all right? REVERSE ANGLE ON CATHERINE crouched to one side, clutching the dog to her chest. Seeing Mr. Gumb, the dog squirms frantically, BARKING. CATHERINE Get me a telephone. Lower it down to me. Do it now, mister! I don't want to have to hurt this little dog. UPWARD ANGLE on Mr. Gumb, as, with a cry of fury, he whips the Colt from inside his kimono. The muzzle gleams as he takes aim. Catherine yanks the dog up, into his line of fire, screaming at him. CATHERINE You shoot motherfucker you better kill me quick or I'll break her fucking neck, I swear to God! MR. GUMB wails Nooooooo! Tucking the dog under one arm, she grabs its muzzle, twisting the head. The dog WHINES piteously. CATHERINE Back off, you son of a bitch! Back off! UPWARD ANGLE as Mr. Gumb cries out again a terrible, inarticulate scream of rage and anguish. But then he slowly lowers his gun. REVERSE ANGLE On Catherine, as she maintains her grip. CATHERINE That's better Now get me a live telephone. Get a long extension and lower is down here And you better do it fast, too, 'cause I think her leg's broken. She's in pain, mister, she needs a vet. MR. GUMB stares down at her, a long beat, breathing heavily. MR. GUMB You think she's in pain? You don't know what pain is. But you're going to find out And abruptly he vanishes. SOUND of his footsteps, rushing off. CATHERINE begins shaking, hands and arms twitching uncontrollably. She hugs the little dog tight to her chest, buries her face in its fur, sobbing RESIDENTIAL STREET BELVEDERE, OHIO DAY HIGH ANGLE as a rented sedan pulls up to the curb, stops. After a moment Clarice climbs out, a bit stiffly. Double checking this address, she glances up from a folded street map to AN OLD, THREE-STORY WOODEN HOUSE in a row of similarly shabby homes, all backing onto a narrow river. A path of boards, laid over mud, leads back along this house towards the brown water. SOUND of hammering from there. BIMMEL HOUSE BACK YARD DAY An awesome huddle of pigeon coops sprawls by the brackish water. The birds' COOING mixes with the HAMMERING. A tall, gaunt man in a knit cap is obsessively pounding nails into a new coop. CLARICE approaches him, and the man lowers his hammer. He has red rimmed eyes of watery blue. His face is deeply seamed. CLARICE Mr. Bimmel...? He stares back at her, warily. BIMMEL HOUSE STAIRCASE DAY HIGH ANGLE LOOKING DOWN as Mr. Bimmel leads Clarice up a steep flight of steps. The bannister is worn, sags a bit. MR. BIMMEL I don't know nothin' new to tell ya. The police been back here so many times already Fredrica went into Columbus on the bus to see about a job. She left the interview OK. She never come home. Clarice pauses, at the landing, to look at a framed photo: the familiar graduation portrait. Others pictures show Fredrica as a young girl, toddler, infant plump and hopeful at each age. MR. BIMMEL Her room's how she left it. Just shut the door when you're done. FREDRICA'S BEDROOM DAY CLARICE'S POV MOVING SLOWLY as she takes in flowery chintz curtains posters of Madonna and Blondie a twin bed, with worn, stuffed animals on the pillow a big sewing machine in the corner. CLARICE turns, absorbing nuances. There is loneliness here, an echo of desperation under this steeply pitches ceiling. A shrill MEOW, and she looks down BIG TORTOISESHELL CAT is rubbing against her ankles. CLARICE picks up the cat, scratches behind his ears. She glances up. IN A FULL-LENGTH MIRROR she and the cat stares back at their own reflection CLARICE sitting at the desk, turns the pages of a high school yearbook. The cat is curled on her lap CLARICE kneeling by the old Decca record player, flips through LPs and singles. The cat has wandered off CLARICE pulling a string to light up the closet. She is surprised and intrigued to see an extensive wardrobe, groaning from the rod. A shelf above the rod is stacked high with sewing supplies, in clear plexiboxes. She flips through the hanging clothes, pulls out one dress, on its hanger, for a closer look. THE DRESS is very big, to fit Fredrica, but beautifully cut. Some of the seams still look unfinished. She turns it around, sees a blue tissue dressmaker's pattern still pinned to the back. FAVORING THE SEWING MACHINE as Clarice turns, looks towards it. She hangs the dress on the closet door knob, crosses to sit at the machine. She takes off its dust cover. She runs one hand over the cool metal, as a taunting memory forms in her mind. DR. LECTER V.O.) Billy wants to change, too, Clarice. But there's the problem of his size, you see She turns, looks again at the unfinished dress. Suddenly she straightens, her attention riveted by something CLARICE'S POV On the printed pattern, down at the lower back of the outlined dress, are two bold black triangles. We RUSH CLOSER to there shapes, before jumping back to CLARICE who stares at them, starting to tremble. DR. LECTER V.O.) Even if he were a woman, he'd have to be a big one IN FLASHBACK those missing triangles of skin on the dead girl's back, in the funeral home in West Virginia CLOSE ON CLARICE as she jumps to her feet, with a fierce joy. CLARICE Sewing darts. You bastard. BIMMEL PARLOR DOWNSTAIRS DAY Clarice paces, in an exuberant rush, amidst the worn furniture. CLARICE into phone He's making himself a 'woman suit,' Mr. Crawford out of real women! And he can sew, this guy, he's really skilled. A dressmaker, or a tailor CRAWFORD V.O.) Starling CLARICE That's why they're all so big because he needs a lot of skin! He keeps them alive to starve them awhile to loosen their skin, so that CRAWFORD V.O.) Starling, we know who he is! And where he is. We're on our way now. CLARICE pause; surprised Where? FBI TURBOJET FLYING DAY Crawford sits at a communications console, with Burroughs, in headphones, by his side. This forward section of the cabin is crammed with hi-tech equipment, all lit up and WHIRRING. Through a window we see clouds, part of the jet's wing. CRAWFORD into speaker phone Calumet City, edge of Chicago. I'll be on the ground in minutes with the Hostage Rescue Team. I'm back in charge, Starling. He's mine. INTERCUTTING as Clarice reacts; her happiness for Crawford is tinged with disappointment at being so suddenly out of the hunt. CLARICE on phone Sir, that's great news. But how CRAWFORD Johns Hopkins finally came up with a name for us. We fed him into Known Offenders, and he came up cherries. takes a paper from Burroughs Subject's name is 'Jamie Gumb,' AKA 'John Grant.' Lecter's description was accurate, he just lied about the name. INSIDE THE JET MOVING ANGLE from the rear of the cabin forward, as we slowly PASS the twelve-man HRT. They're seated in full gear, hardshell armor, quietly checking and rechecking their bulging cases of weapons silencer automatics, shotguns, stun grenades CRAWFORD This Gumb's a real beauty. Slaughtered both his grandparents when he was twelve, and did nine years in juvenile psychiatric. Where, Starling, he took vocational rehab, and learned a useful trade INTERCUTTING CLARICE Sewing CRAWFORD Take a bow. Customs had some paper on his alias. They stopped a carton two years ago at LAX live caterpillars from Surinam. The addressee was 'John Grant.' Calumet Power & Light's given us two possible residences under that alias. We're hitting one, Chicago SWAT's taking the other. CLARICE eagerly Chicago's only about miles from here. I could be there in CRAWFORD No, Starling, there isn't time. And you've still got crucial work to do in Ohio. We want him for murder, not kidnapping. I'm counting on you to link him to the Bimmel girl, before he's indicted. Clarice tries hard to swallow her disappointment. CLARICE Yes sir I'll do my best. CRAWFORD pause; gently Starling you've earned back your place in the Academy. We never would've found him without you, and nobody's ever going to forget that. Least of all me. CLARICE Yes sir. Thank you, sir CRAWFORD switches off, feeling bad for her. On the console near him, the fax machine starts to CHATTER. He turns, looks. BURROUGHS Here he comes, Jack. CLOSE ON an emerging sheet, as Gumb's face is printed out. We see just his hair, then the top of his forehead, before we BIMMEL BACK YARD DAY Clarice walks slowly across the yard, absorbing all this news, before suddenly leaping into the air and pumping her fist in triumph, with a happy yelp. Then she sees MR. BIMMEL staring at her in surprise. He sits by his coops, smoking. CLARICE somewhat embarrassed, crosses over to him. CLARICE Mr. Bimmel did Fredrica ever mention a man named Jamie Gumb, from Calumet City? Or John Grant? he shakes his head Did she know any men that sew? MR. BIMMEL She sewed for everybody. Stores, ladies, whatever. I don't know about men. CLARICE Who was her best friend, Mr. Bimmel? Who'd she hang out with? AN ISOLATED RUNWAY O'HARE AIRPORT DAY The FBI turbojet is parked, its gangway down. Crawford, Burroughs, and the HRT squad, carrying their bags of weapons, CLATTER rapidly down the metal steps STACY V.O.) Freaked me out. Get your skin peeled off, is that a bummer...? SAVING & LOAN BELVEDERE DAY STACY HUBKA short, perky, early 's sits nervously at her desk, talking to Clarice, who jots in her notebook. In the background. beyond them, bank tellers, lines of waiting customers, MUZAK. STACY They said she was just rags, like somebody CLARICE Stacy, did Fredrica ever mention a man named Jamie Gumb? Or John Grant? Stacy shakes her head Do you think she could've had a friend you didn't know about? STACY No way. She had a guy, I'da known, believe me. Sewing was her life, she was really great at it. Poor Freddie. CLARICE Did you ever work with her? STACY Oh sure, me'n Pam Malavesi used to help her do alterations for old Mrs. Lippman. Lots of people worked for her, she had the business from all these retail stores? But she was like, totally old, it was more'n she could handle. CLARICE Where does Mrs. Lippman live? I'd like to talk to her. STACY She died. She went to Florida to retire, like two years ago? She dies own there. Clarice reacts, disappointed at the ending of this trail. STACY beat; shyly Is that a pretty good job, FBI agent? CLARICE I think so. STACY You get to travel around and stuff? I mean, better places then this? CLARICE Sometimes you do. STACY Freddie was so happy for me when I got this job. This toaster giveaways, and Barry Manilow on the speakers all day she thought this was really hot shit. What did she know, big dummy Suddenly she's fighting tears. Clarice reaches to hug her. RESIDENTIAL STREET CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS DAY WIDE ANGLE on what appears to be, at first, a calm, ordinary neighborhood of working class two and three-story houses. But the street is strangely quiet, deserted. After a few moments, we become aware of movement armed, dark-clad figures creeping swiftly and in silence from shrubs to garage corners, from parked cars to porches, appearing and then disappearing MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY DIM LIGHT CLOSE ON Mr. Gumb, as he settles a big pair of infra-red night-vision goggles over his eyes. Moths flutter past his face. His mouth is set in a grim line STREET IN CALUMET CITY FRONT YARD DAY An HRT cop, prone beneath a hedge, is joined by a nd HRT Cop, who throws himself to the grass beside him. They both take aim with their scoped rifles at TELEPHOTO ANGLE WITH RIFLE CROSSHAIRS The front door of a big, nearby, split-level house MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY DIM LIGHT CLOSE ON a fuse box, as Mr. Gumb reaches in, flips a switch. The lights go out. SOUND of a second switch, and the cellar is bathed in a green glow STREET IN CALUMET CITY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE DAY A little boy, riding his tricycle in his driveway, is suddenly startled to find himself staring into the grim face of A MEMBER OF THE HRT crouched by his garage, armed to the teeth. As the little boy starts to cry, the cop pulls him into the shadows, covering his mouth. MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY GREEN LIGHT Mr. Gumb, in his kimono and goggles, creeps silently through his workrooms knees bent, painted toes places ever so delicately, the Colt held aloft as more moths flutter past him in the eerie light STREET IN CALUMENT CITY DAY A florist's van turns the corner, comes slowly down the street and stops at the curb in front of the split-level. The driver, in a gray deliveryman's uniform and cap, climbs out of the cab, walks briskly to the panel door, on the street side of the van, and slides it open. He leans in, comes out with a long, thin red-ribboned floral box, starts calmly towards the house MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY GREEN LIGHT MR. GUMB'S POV MOVING ANGLE on the top of the oubliette, a glowing green circle in the dark, as it draws closer and closer and then Catherine comes INTO VIEW, at the bottom of the pit. She is crouched, exhausted, staring straight up at him but she can't see him in this infra-red darkness. Precious is curled into her stomach, asleep. The futon is up to Catherine's waist, but there's a clear shot at her head and neck. MR. GUMB Looking down at her, smiles STREET IN CALUMET CITY SUSPECT'S HOUSE DAY MOVING ANGLE on the 'deliveryman,' seen from behind, as he mounts three steps to the split-level's front porch. Tucked into the small of his back if a mm. automatic. CRAWFORD AND BURROUGHS have slipped out of the van, and are crouched behind it now, with drawn guns, watching tensely as THE 'DELIVERYMAN' settles the floral box in the crook of his left arm, reaches out with his right hand towards the buzzer MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY GREEN LIGHT Slowly, savoring the moment, Mr. Gumb aims the big Colt, which is already cocked, using both hands He is just about to squeeze the trigger, when we hear his DOOR BUZZER, surprisingly loud and close by. He turns, startled, and sees DUSTY BLACK METAL BOX the extension buzzer, mounted high on the wall, which is making the hideous, grating JANGLE. It finally stops, but not before waking Precious, who starts frantically BARKING, off screen, as MR. GUMB raises his gun again, spinning back towards HIS POV THE PIT BOTTOM where Catherine, hearing but still not seeing him, quickly yanks the futon over both herself and the dog. Instantly the two of them become one squirming, indistinguishable mass. MR. GUMB bites his lip, his aim wavering, as he can't decide where to safely place his shot. The maddening BUZZER sounds again, even more insistently, and he cries out with frustration and fury. But as the BUZZER continues, he reluctantly uncocks his gun, looking up angrily towards his front door MR. GUMB'S FRONT DOOR DAY The door opens, on a chain, and Clarice peers in, smiling. CLARICE Good afternoon I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for Mrs. Lippman's family? Mr. Gumb frowns out at Clarice. For the first time ever, we get a well-lit view of his bland, pale-eyed moon of a face. MR. GUMB They don't live here anymore. FRONT DOOR OF SUSPECT'S HOUSE CALUMET CITY The 'deliveryman' yanks a lb. sledgehammer from the floral box, swings it with all his might against the door knob, blowing it through as MOVING ANGLE Crawford and Burroughs race towards the door, guns up MR. GUMB'S FRONT DOOR DAY Mr. Gumb starts to close the door, only to have Clarice push back against it, politely but firmly. She holds up her ID. CLARICE Excuse me, but I really do need to talk to you. This was Mrs. Lippman's house. Did you know her? MR. GUMB beat Just briefly. What's the problem, Officer? SUSPECT'S HOUSE CALUMENT CITY DAY A bedroom window disintegrates as a flash grenade is shot through it, EXPLODING on the floor. An instant later, a black clad HRT cop dives through the shattered glass, rolls across the floor, comes up on one knee swiveling his sawed-off shotgun MR. GUMB'S FRONT DOOR DAY Clarice and Mr. Gumb, still eyeing each other through the door crack CLARICE I'm investigating the death of Fredrica Bimmel. Who are you, please? MR. GUMB Jack Gordon. CLARICE Mr. Gordon, did you know Fredrica when she worked for Mrs. Lippman? MR. GUMB No. Wait Was she a great, fat person? I may have seen her, I'm not sure SUSPECT'S HOUSE CALUMET CITY DAY MOVING ANGLE as Burroughs moves quickly down a hallway and enters the living room, where Crawford is standing, with his gun held down by his side, surrounded by several other cops. Burroughs shakes his head: Nothing here MR. GUMB'S FRONT HALLWAY DAY Mr. Gumb glances briefly over his shoulder, towards his kitchen, then turns back to Clarice with a smile. MR. GUMB Mrs. Lippman had a son, maybe he could help you. I have his card somewhere. Do you mind stepping inside, while I looks for it? CLARICE Thanks. ANGLE FAVORING THE COLT PYTHON which rests on a counter, just inside the open kitchen doorway. THROUGH this doorway, we watch as Mr. Gumb, at the end of his front hall, slips the chain. Clarice enters, closing the door behind her. FRONT YARD OF SUSPECT'S HOUSE CALUMET CITY DAY MOVING ANGLE towards the front door, as frustrated HRT cops file out of the empty house, rifles slung across their shoulders. WE PICK OUT CRAWFORD walking across the grass towards the van, when all at once he stops in his tracks, shaken by a sudden flash of intuition. CAMERA RUSHES VERY CLOSE on his stricken face CRAWFORD Clarice. MR. GUMB'S PARLOR DAY Clarice, pulling her notebook from her shoulder bag, glances around the musty-looking room. MR. GUMB That horrible business, I shiver every time I think about it Overstuffed furniture, porcelain figurines. One archway onto the front hall, another onto a dining alcove, and through there, the kitchen. Mr. Gumb is crossing to a rolling desk, raising the top. He bends over, begins poking through cubby holes. His tone is casual, neutral. MR. GUMB Are they close to catching somebody, do you think? CLARICE I think we may be, yes. Mr. Gumb stiffens, almost imperceptibly. His back is to her, as he continues opening drawers, rustling papers. CLARICE Mr. Gordon, did you take over this place after Mrs. Lippman died? MR. GUMB Yes. I bought the house from her, two years ago. CLARICE Did she leave any records here? Tax or business records? Maybe a list of employees? CLOSE ON MR. GUMB'S BACK as he continues his rummaging. MR. GUMB No, nothing at all. Has the FBI learned something? Because the police here don't seem to have the first clue Out of the folds of his kimono crawls a Death's-head Moth. It creeps slowly to the center of his back, raising its wings. MR. GUMB Do you have his description yet, or some fingerprints...? CLARICE unaware, is still glancing around the room. For several agonizing moments, we think she won't see the moth but then she turns, does see it, and her eyes freeze. A beat of pure fear. A tremendous struggle to keep her voice calm. CLARICE No no, we don't. Very carefully, she drops her notebook back into her bag, lowers the bag to the floor. With her fingertips she brushes back the edge of her blazer, loosening its drape. MR. GUMB turns back towards her cheerfully, holding out a business card. MR. GUMB Ahhh. Here's that number. CLARICE keeps her distance. They are about ten feet apart. CLARICE Good, thank you. Mr. Gordon, do you have a phone I can use? MR. GUMB is about to reply when the moth suddenly flies up from behind him, flutters past his face. He turns, looking at it. He looks back at Clarice, his mouth still open. HER EYES are unmoving, locked on his. HIS EYES stare back at her, widen. And they know each other. MR. GUMB softly In the kitchen. I'll show you. CLARICE whips her gun out, gripping it in both shaking hands. CLARICE Freeze! MR. GUMB slowly tilts his head to one side, smiles at her. CLARICE tries to force more authority into her voice. CLARICE Okay Okay, Mr. Gumb, you're under arrest. Down on the floor, hands and legs spread, move it. MR. GUMB turns, then all at once, in two quick steps, he is gone, disappearing into his dining alcove, then kitchen. CLARICE hesitates, just a split second, to shoot him in the back and then it's too late. CLARICE Shit! MR. GUMB'S KITCHEN DAY Clarice hurries inside, moving low, swivelling her gun. HER POV MOVING The kitchen is empty. To one side, a door still shuddering on its hinges CLARICE rushes to this pauses then elbows the door aside, aiming her gun down AN EMPTY STAIRWELL brightly lit, leading to the cellar. Two doors facing the bottom, both open. No sign of Mr. Gumb. CLARICE hates this, hates this, which door, it's a trap, what to do: she is very scared, but suddenly hears The distant SCREAM of Catherine Martin, somewhere down there in that killing maze. CLARICE rushes through the doorway, and down the stairs. BEHIND HER, ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER there's an empty space; the Colt Python is gone. MR. GUMB'S CELLAR DAY MOVING ANGLE WITH CLARICE hurrying down the steps. More SCREAMS; they seem to be coming from the left door. Clarice goes that way, entering a brick-walled passage pipes over head, naked bulbs. The lighting, though dim, is incandescent; Mr. Gumb has switched off his infra-red system. Clarice comes to a T-shaped intersection, stops. Another SCREAM, again to her left, and the BARKING of a dog CLARICE follows her gun around the corner, looking right. EMPTY PASSAGEWAY but doors opening off it he could be lurking behind any of them. She looks left sees an opening onto some kind of chamber. The noises are LOUDER, coming from there. CLARICE moves cautiously towards this chamber OUBLIETTE CHAMBER DAY DIMLY LIT Clarice moves in, hugging the wall, gun swivelling HER POV MOVING the open top of the pit beyond it, the other two doorways, opening onto this room Jesus, he could come through either one of them, or come up behind her She moves to the pit, looks down, very briefly, sees Catherine SCREAMING, hysterical, and a little white dog BARKING CLARICE kneels, staring up from one door to another, she can't cover them all, she's totally exposed and what's a dog doing there? CLARICE FBI, Catherine, you're safe. CATHERINE Safe, SHIT, he's got a gun! Getmeout. GET ME OUT! CLARICE You're all right! Where is he? CATHERINE Get me out! CLARICE I'll get you out! Just be quiet so I can hear. Shut that dog up. still swivelling Is there a ladder? Is there a rope? CATHERINE I don't know! Get me out!! CLARICE Catherine. Listen to me. I have to find a rope. I have to leave this room, just for a minute, but CATHERINE NOOOOO! You fucking bitch don't you LEAVE ME down here, DON'T YOU YOU CLARICE Shut UP! then, louder The other officers will be here any minute! you're perfectly safe now! Ignoring Catherine, whose shouts turn to sobs, she backs away, turns, picks one of the other doorways, moves into it quickly. NEW PASSAGEWAY DAY DIMLY LIT CLARICE'S POV MOVING down this passageway, towards a new room pausing at the doorway, straining to hear no sound except Catherine's CRYING, not in the background, and Clarice's own RAPID BREATHING. Then she crouches LOWER ANGLE bursts forward, through the doorframe, sidestepping WORKROOM DAY DIMLY LIT Clarice weaves back and forth, half-crouched, gun out, back to the wall. Her face glistens with sweat, as she takes in HER POV MOVING NERVOUSLY Mr. Gumb's sewing machine his swivel chair the old Victrola Big moths are crashing into the light bulbs, overhead; they're everywhere. Suddenly, from just behind her, a CLICK and a HUM, and CLARICE spins, almost shoots, before seeing A SMALL REFRIGERATOR with its thermostat just switching ON. CLARICE gasps for breath, fighting for calm. She turns again, slashing her free hand at the moths, moving quickly on SKINNING ROOM DAY DIMLY LIT Clarice moves past the mannequins, all of them naked now then quickly past the huge Chinese armoire, ready to shoot into it. Its doors yawn open; it is empty except for several padded hangers She moves on, past the big sink, with its DRIPPING faucet the counter, with its gleaming knives the rows of chemical jars. At the end of this room is A CLOSED DOOR Clarice starts to open it, then hesitates. Looking around, she seizes a wooden chair, wedges it under the door know, sealing off this section of the cellar. With her back thus defended, she turns, softly retracing her steps. WORKROOM DAY DIMLY LIT Passing again through the workroom, Clarice pauses, seeing a half-curtained door, to one side, that she had previously skirted. She crosses to the door, listens and hears no sound inside, takes a deep breath and reaches for the knob. She twists it, and, as it turns, shoves hard and follows her gun inside, all in one quick move BATHROOM DAY BRIGHTLY LIT An old-fashioned bathroom: tiled floor, sink, toilet and a big, free-standing tub. An opaque shower curtain, suspended from an oval ring, hides whatever might be inside. CLARICE centers her gun on the curtain, at chest height, and yanks it aside with her left hand. No one standing there. Something lower down catches her eye. She leans in, stares more closely, not understanding, at first, that she's seeing FEMALE HAND AND WRIST sticking up from the tub, which is filled with hard red-purple plaster. The hand is dark and shriveled, with pink nail polish and a dainty wristwatch. As CLARICE is reacting with horror to this sight, the lights go out, to be replaced, a split-second later, by the eerie green glow of Mr. Gumb's infra-red system. Clarice cries out, turns blindly, reaching for the door, can't find it, free hand clawing desperately into what is, for her, utter darkness. SOUND of Catherine KEENING again, in the far distance. Clarice stumbles, goes to her knees, rights herself, finally clutches the door frame MR. GUMB'S WORKROOM DAY GREEN LIGHT Clarice emerges from the bathroom in a half-crouch, arms out, both hands on the gun, extended just below the level of her unseeing eyes. She stops, listens. In her raw-nerved darkness, every SOUND is unnaturally magnified the HUM of the refrigerator the TRICKLE of water her own terrified BREATHING, and Catherine's faraway, echoing SOBS Moths smack against her face and arms. She eases forward, then stops again, listens She eases forward again, following her gun, and creeps directly in front of, and then past MR. GUMB who has flattened himself against a wall, arms spread like a high priest, Colt in one hand. He wears his goggles and kimono, and under that draping down over his naked arms, like some hideous mantle his terrifying, half-completed suit of human skins. This is an exquisite moment for him a ritual of supreme exaltation. He smiles at Clarice as, completely unaware, she moves beyond him, exposing her back. Very slowly and quietly he steps out behind her, taking his gun in both hands, aiming CLOSE ON the Colt Python as in SLOW MOTION his thumbs cock the hammer, the SOUND registering as a LOUD METALLIC CLICK, and CLARICE spins, still in SLOW MOTION, flame already leaping from her gun muzzle, as we see THE TWO FIGURES almost at point-black range, guns ROARING hugely, one FLASH from Mr. Gumb, and one two three four FLASHES from Clarice, overlapping his, and then, as the ECHOES crash deafeningly CLOSE ON CLARICE LOW ANGLE with NORMAL SPEED RESTORED, as the side of her face hits the floor, and she is gasping, stunned by the noise and flames; there is blood on her check, and an ugly powder burn, but she ignores them, twisting to yank her speedloader from her jacket pocket, locking it blindly onto her gun's cylinder, reloading, right in front of her face, then rolling onto her stomach, aiming her gun upward again, blinking her dazzled eyes, straining to locate him in the darkness Where is he, where...? Then, as the ECHOES finally fade, she hears something else a tortured, sucking, WHISTLE from perhaps eight feet away MOVING ANGLE WITH CLARICE as she crawls forward, on her elbows, following her gun, until it bumps against Mr. Gumb's shoulder. He is lying on his back, chest a bloody mess. She slides her muzzle against his head, hard, but he doesn't move; another shot isn't needed. He stares upwards, through his goggles, bloody lips working. He tries to speak, but cannot. One hand reaches slowly upwards, the fingers twitching, as if to seize something, overhead Then a final, ghastly groan, his hand drops, he is dead. Clarice feels for a pulse at his neck, making sure. Then, and only then, does she permit herself to roll over, collapsing onto her back beside him. OVERHEAD ANGLE down at the two faces intimately close together, like lovers on their pillow. Then, as we PULL SLOWLY AWAY, we see that her staring eyes, and his dead gaze, are both locked onto A DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH perched on an infra-red bulb, overhead, its wings pumping slowly. SOUND UPCUT wailing SIRENS, many excited VOICES, as we MR. GUMB'S HOUSE DUSK The front porch of the tall Victorian house is bathed in a glare of TV lights, police and ambulance flashers. Cars and vans and even a firetruck choke the street; cops, reporters, EMS workers and curious civilians swarm around the ineffective barricades. The BUZZ of their voices goes even higher as CLARICE dazed, her face bandaged comes out of the house, walking protectively beside Catherine, who is wheeled on a gurney. They are followed out by uniformed cops, then two firemen with an extension ladder. Catherine, blinking in confusion, is still clutching the little dog, and refuses to give her up even as she's trundled into an ambulance. Clarice sways with exhaustion; everyone seems to be shouting at her at once, pulling her sleeve. She tries to fight free of them, desperate for a familiar face. AN OHIO HIGHWAY PATROL CAR pulls up, stops, and Crawford climbs out of the back seat. He makes his way anxiously through the press of bodies, stopping when he sees Clarice. THEY LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER for a long moment, Crawford choked with pride for her, with sorrow for her ordeal, with love, but unable to find any words. And then he does. CRAWFORD Starling your father sees you. And then all at once she is sobbing, her knees giving way, but he is there to catch her, he is hugging her fiercely. HOLD ON them for a long beat. DIRECTOR BURKE V.O.) over loudspeaker Congratulations! You are now officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation GROUNDS OF THE FBI ACADEMY WEEKS LATER DAY The forty members of Clarice's class, resplendent in their best dark suits and dresses, rise, cheering themselves, then turn happily to wave to their audience, as APPLAUSE mounts. Beyond them, on a gaily tented platform, the Director stands behind his podium. CLARICE AND ARDELIA look at one another solemnly. Ardelia holds up both fists, in a power shake, and Clarice taps them with her own. She is radiantly beautiful in a navy dress and pearls, the thin scar on her cheek almost healed. Ardelia turns, waving towards the crowd, the Clarice's thoughts are elsewhere. She turns, searching among the dignitaries on the platform, till she locates CRAWFORD who smiles back at her with quiet pride, and offers a little salute. CLARICE grins more happy than we've ever seen her then turns to wave towards the crowd with the others. MOVING ANGLE over the admiring sea of spectators, several hundred of them, still rising from their folding chairs, APPLAUDING in celebration of these special young people, this perfect, sunlit day. SOUND UPCUT rock music, laughter as we ACADEMY DORM REC ROOM THAT NIGHT A LOUD party is underway food, beer, dancing as the new grads celebrate ferociously. Ardelia weaves her way through the crowded room, reaches Clarice, who is flanked by her special guests Pilcher and Roden, the two ardent scientists. Ardelia has to shout at Clarice over the din. ARDELIA Agent Starling! Telephone! CLARICE surprised Agent Mapp! Thank you! She nods to Pilcher, leaves them. Roden, who is quite happily drunk, grabs the startled Ardelia around the waist. RODEN Hel-lo, gorgeous! Let's get down. Ardelia looks at Pilcher, confused. PILCHER Just ignore him. He's not a Ph.D. DORM HALLWAY NIGHT Clarice picks up the dangling pay phone, speaks happily. CLARICE Starling. DR. LECTER V.O.) Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming...? She freezes, stunned by the familiar voice. Then she turns, waving frantically towards ARDELIA who is just inside the rec room door, at the end of the hall, lost in conversation with Pilcher and Roden. Ardelia glances at her briefly but misunderstands, waves cheerfully back. DR. LECTER V.O.) Don't bother with a trace, I won't be on long enough. CLARICE turns back, gripping the phone more tightly. CLARICE Where are you, Dr. Lecter? A CLEAR NIGHT SKY Very beautiful, glittering with countless stars. DR. LECTER Where I have a view, Clarice MOVING DOWN we see a rolling lawn, a curving bay. Boats ride at anchor, lights shimmering DR. LECTER Orion is looking splendid tonight, and Arcturus, the Herdsman, with his flock DR. LECTER smiles into his mobile phone. He is stretched out on a lounger, on a tiled patio, languidly paring an orange with a penknife. His appearance is quite altered a beard, glasses, lighter hair. He's has some cosmetic surgery, as well. DR. LECTER into phone Your lambs are still for now, Clarice, but not forever You'll have to earn it again and again, this blessed silence. Because it's the plight that drives you, and the plight will never end. CLARICE Dr. Lecter DR. LECTER I have no plans to call on you, Clarice, the world being more interesting with you in it. Be sure you extend me the same courtesy. CLARICE V.O.) You know I can't make that promise. DR. LECTER Goodbye, Clarice and then, softly You looked so very lovely today, in your blue suit. DORM HALLWAY NIGHT As Clarice reacts, the fill weight of his words sinking in. CLARICE Dr. Lecter Dr. Lecter...! But only a DIAL TONE comes from the phone. She is still staring at her receiver, in shock, as we CUT BACK TO: THE MOONLIT PATIO Dr. Lecter sighs, sets his phone down, then rises. Popping an orange section into his mouth, he turns towards the brightly lit house. Stepping delicately over the sprawled body of a uniformed security guard, he walks in through open french doors. A BOOKLINED STUDY In a swivel chair, amidst the wreckage of his papers and books, is the writhing figure of Dr. Frederick Chilton. The extreme intricacy of his bindings recalls Dr. Lecter's own former restraints. His screams are muffled by the tape over his mouth; he stares at Dr. Lecter like a rabbit trapped in headlights. DR. LECTER Considers him for a genial moment, then raises the little pen-knife. His eyes are twinkling. DR. LECTER Well, Dr. Chilton. Shall we begin?" ] }
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