A Quiet Place Page #4

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Nearby, we see the monster’s warpath. The SPEAKER BOX is TORN

TO SHREDS. Wires and circuits everywhere.

April lifts what’s left of the WEATHER VANE. At one time it

pointed right back at the farmhouse. But now...?

She aims it FORWARD •

...doesn’t seem right...

She aims it LEFT •

...that’s not it....

She aims it BACKWARDS •

...oh no...

April is completely lost.

INT. SHED - NIGHT

Mia is asleep next to Will. The newborn lies on her chest.

John is kneeled on the other side of the small shed.

His eyes trained on the wall...

Peering through the razor-thin slats...

25.

THE SHADOW MOVES.

John lets out a GASP. His breath kicks up a tiny cloud of

dust.

THE SHADOW STOPS MOVING.

John is frozen like a statue. His mouth open a little.

He stays like that for a long time.

John carefully moves back to the wall. He looks through the

slats once more...

The DARK SHAPE has vanished from view.

John wipes sweat from his forehead. The silence grows heavy,

and then -THERE’S

SUDDEN MOVEMENT OUTSIDE. THE SOUND OF RUSTLING GRASS.

John jerks back, startled. Hits his head on a tie-beam,

creating the slightest THWAP and -WE

HEAR A HORRIBLE HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEK IN RESPONSE, WHALING

LOUD EVEN THROUGH FOURTEEN INCHES OF REINFORCED SOUND PROOF

PADDING and then BOOOOOOOOM the far wall shakes as a clawed

hand comes down hard from outside.

The entire FAMILY jolts awake.

EXT. CORN FIELD - NIGHT

April’s shoulders graze stalks of leaves as she moves toward

the figure, whose stark form remains threateningly still.

She’s not exhaling.

Not even a breath.

She takes the last few steps to the figure.

She waves at him.

No response.

His eyes sunken and dark. His body rocks back and forth, as

if agitated.

April reaches for him.

She pulls a piece of STRAW from the outline of a SCARECROW.

30.

She blinks. Makes up her mind. That’s where she’s headed.

April climbs down to the dismantled SCARECROW.

Her arms and legs feel heavy. She looks like a stranger in

her oversized attire. Her mind starts to drift.

Just then...

Nearby...

Only a few yards away...

A CROW CAWS!

April looks up, startled.

The CAWING continues all around her. Or is it in her mind?

We hear a displaced VOICE, feminine and soft...

VOICE (V.O.)

Can you tell Dad, that I’m not a

child anymore...

FLASHBACK:
EXT. CORN FIELD, SCARECROW - DAY

The voice belongs to April’s sister, IRIS, f.k.a. teenagerfrom the Polaroid. She’s in a heated argument with John.

IRIS:

...and that I can go out with my

friends whenever I want.

Young April relays to John as if he didn’t hear Iris.

APRIL JOHN:

Iris says, “She’s not a child

anymore, and can go out --”

Can you tell your sister that

as long as she keeps acting

like a child, she’s going to

be treated like a child.

APRIL IRIS:

Dad says, “As long as you act

like a child --”

Tell dad that he’s the one

acting like a child, and that

it’s ridiculous that he won’t

talk to me because I forgot

to cover the seeds last week.

32.

She fights her feelings at first, but eventually surrenders

to the sadness...

SHE WEEPS.

A DEEP MOURNING THAT QUIETLY GROWS IN INTENSITY -EXPLODING

INTO -A

SOFT WHIMPER -JUST

AS -She

cups her hand over her mouth.

Almost forgot how dangerous it is to cry.

April composes herself.

She begins her long journey to the GRAIN SILO.

EXT. SHED, ROOF - DAWN

John looks out from the SKYLIGHT HATCH.

The sun is just starting to climb over the horizon. Its warm

light spilling down onto the field of crops, giving the corn

a yellow glow.

John carefully hoists himself onto the SHED ROOF. He scans

the yard for any sign of movement.

Nothing.

The yard appears completely EMPTY.

John moves back to the hatch and gives Will a thumbs up.

Will climbs onto the shed roof.

The men close the hatch.

John carefully lowers himself over the rim of the roof. His

hands clinging precariously to LOOSE SHINGLE.

He doesn’t see the STAPLE that snags his shirt, so much as he

hears it...

...the fabric beginning to RIP...

John tries to steady himself.

33.

But his fingers are slipping on the rough surface, all the

way to the edge, dangling there, suspended ten feet off the

ground. The more he slips, the LOUDER the shirt gets.

Will tries to un-snag the shirt from the staple, but it only

makes MORE NOISE. To us it’s no louder than a whisper - but

to the monster, it could be DEAFENING.

John’s hands begin to shake. His face turns red. He’s using

all of his strength not to shift further down.

Desperate, Will pulls off one of the rotted shingle TILES and

uses the jagged corner to cut the speared fabric. It works!

The shirt goes slack.

Just as the SHINGLES are about to give, John releases his

grip and falls silently to the ground.

But it’s too late --

AN ENTIRE ROW OF TILES COMES SLIDING DOWN THE ROOF AFTER HIM.

John catches each tile. One by one. Just barely.

John and Will look at each other.

That was close.

EXT. CORN FIELD - MORNING

John and Will walk in opposite directions through the corn

field.

EXT. VALLEY - MORNING

Will has the LARGE DUFFLE slung around his shoulder. It’s

almost twice his size.

He nervously maneuvers the steep trail that leads into the

LAKE VALLEY. It’s the first time he has ever done this alone.

INT. SHED - MORNING

Inside the shed, Mia watches her sleeping newborn hold the

Monopoly DICE in its tiny hand.

35.

April shucks an EAR OF CORN and bites into it. It’s raw, but

nourishing. She takes an even bigger bite...

...SPITS IT OUT. Realizes the maize is INFESTED WITH WORMS.

April tosses the sweet corn.

It lands with a THUD.

JUST THEN WE HEAR AN IDENTICAL THUD BEHIND HER!

That’s odd...

April turns up the VOLUME on her hearing aid.

She hears stalks of corn MOVING.

THE CREATURE...

April hides under a PATCH OF OVERGROWN WEEDS.

We hear the RUSTLING SOUNDS approaching...

they are so faint

you almost

can’t even

hear them

AND THEN -JOHN

APPEARS FROM THE WALL OF CROPS.

He walks right past his daughter, who remains motionless,

hidden under leaves and grass.

Both father and daughter, completely unaware of how close

they were to finding each other.

INT. SHED - DAY

Mia has REPAIRED the shed doors. She cautiously swings them

open. Glances at the FARMHOUSE.

Checks to make sure the baby is still asleep, then slips out

the door.

38.

Impossible to see anything clearly.

Maybe it’s nothing.

Don’t be afraid.

There.

Is.

Nothing.

Under.

Your.

Boat.

Will steadies his SHAKING HANDS, summoning all of his

courage, as he pulls himself along the ROPE.

INT. FARMHOUSE, UPSTAIRS - DAY

Mia’s arms are full of FOOD. She’s about to leave for the

SHED, when -

INT. FARMHOUSE, BEDROOM - DAY

-- something grabs her attention.

The POLAROID OF APRIL’S SISTER, IRIS, poking out from under

the bed.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

Now holding the POLAROID and FOOD, Mia makes her way back to

the SHED.

Wait, the DOORS are open....

WIDE OPEN...

BOTH SHED DOORS WIDE F***ING OPEN NO NO NO NO NO NO -

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