A Quiet Place Page #6

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JOHN:

Nevermind. It’s nothing.

A SPEEDING VAN CUTS THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND BROADSIDES

THEIR TRUCK WITH TREMENDOUS MOMENTUM -

SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING:

THE TRUCK FLIPS:

END OVER END:

CRASHING TO A VIOLENT STOP

A silent beat. Smoke billows from the hood. Glass shards

litter the street.

John crawls out of the overturned pickup.

JOHN:

NO NO:

He pulls April out of the wreckage.

JOHN:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

There’s a BODY forty feet away. She’s not moving. It’s Iris.

John stumbles to Iris. Picks her up. She’s dead.

JOHN:

NO PLEASE NO IRIS PLEASE IRIS IRIS

April stands behind John. Her ears are BLEEDING.

52.

INT. FARMHOUSE, LAUNDRY ROOM - SUNRISE

John stops by the MARKER BOARD labeled BABY NAMES.

He crosses off HOLLY and re-writes IRIS.

EXT. VALLEY - MORNING

John travels through the valley. The backpack around his

shoulders.

EXT. LAKE - MORNING

John pulls himself across the lake.

EXT. WELL - MORNING

John reaches inside his backpack for a TIMER. He winds the

DIAL. Places it on the well. It starts counting down:

TIMER #1:
59 minutes

John inputs the corresponding time into his WRISTWATCH. He’s

using the timers as LURES.

EXT. HILLTOP - DAY

John travels into the deep horizon. The scenery is truly

breath-taking.

He checks his watch: 42 minutes

EXT. WIND FARM - DAY

John comes upon a shortgrass prairie. He sees a dozen WIND

TURBINES in the distance. They each have three PROPELLER

BLADES and make up what is called a WIND FARM.

John checks his watch: 30 minutes

We sense he’s nervous about the time. John unpacks the second

TIMER and winds the dial.

TIMER #2:
29 minutes

SUDDENLY, THE TURBINE PROPELLERS START TO MOVE -A

heavy WIND rips across the field, carrying a flurry of DEAD

LEAVES into John’s path.

54.

INT. TURBINE, BASE - DAY

John climbs into the turbine. Leaves the door WIDE OPEN.

The first thing we notice are the DEAD BODIES. Probably WIND

TECHNICIANS slaughtered by the monster long ago. They are

decomposing. The smell of rotten flesh is unbearable.

They have one important thing in common - their necks are

broken and all of their VOCAL CORDS have been ripped out.

Above is a mostly HOLLOW TUNNEL, with a single LADDER that

runs all the way to the top of the tubular steel tower.

The tower itself is bisected by 3 platforms along the way,

each with a GATE that can be opened or closed.

John is nervous. Keeps checking his watch. The journey took

longer than planned.

He sets the final TIMER and starts to climb the ladder.

TIMER #3:
22 minutes

By the way, it takes approximately 30 minutes to climb the

Statue of Liberty, so if John wants to get to the top of this

turbine before the timers go off, he needs to HAUL ASS.

INT. SHED - DAY

COME IN ON WILL’S STRICKEN EYES. Reeling. Shock doesn’t even

begin to explain what he’s seeing...

His hands hold a SEGMENT OF BRAIDED ROPE that John somehow

left behind.

Mia sees it too. Can’t believe it. Wonders for a moment what

they can do. Decides: there’s nothing they can do.

Will runs the ROPE to the shed door, prepared to bring it to

John. Mia BLOCKS him. Too dangerous.

Will backs away. His heart pounds. No time to think.

EXT. SHED, ROOF - DAY

Will opens the hatch on the roof and climbs out.

Mia watches in horror.

55.

INT. TURBINE, PLATFORM ONE - DAY

John is halfway up the turbine. It is COMPLETELY DARK up here

except for the light coming through the doorway below.

John shuts and locks the LADDER GATE on platform one. It

closes with a faint CLINK noise; a threatening reminder to

stay QUIET.

Keeps climbing. He’s moving fast, but each footstep ECHOES

loudly in the chamber, tempering his escalation.

A NOTE about Wind Turbines: people who ascend the central

ladder, in any other context, would only do so if they were

properly HARNESSED TO A SAFETY CABLE, because to fall while

climbing a turbine ladder, at this height, would be DEATH.

Which is why it’s so terrifying when...

JOHN SLIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!

EXT. VALLEY - DAY

Will runs with the ROPE SEGMENT. It’s dangerous to move this

quickly and recklessly.

EXT. LAKE - DAY

Will jumps into the ROW-BOAT. Unlike last time, he is not

afraid anymore.

Will pulls himself across the lake.

He can almost see the TIMER ticking away on the WELL.

How much time is left? 20 minutes? Or does it say 15?

Will gets closer. The dial on the timer coming into crisp

FOCUS:

Oh no...

TIMER #1:
1 minute

He has to stop that timer!

INT. TURBINE - DAY

John hangs on for dear life. One hand on the ladder, the

other holding his BACKPACK. Dangling in inky darkness.

56.

He regains his footing. Takes a step.

THE RUNG BUCKLES

JOHN FALLS TO PLATFORM ONE

LANDS ON HIS ARM. THE BONE BREAKS WITH A DRY SNAP. JOHN

WRITHES IN PAIN, UNABLE TO MOVE.

EXT. LAKE - DAY

Will pulls himself across the lake as fast as he can.

TIMER #1:
5 seconds

His hands are bleeding.

4 seconds

Face red.

3 seconds

Tears in his eyes.

2 seconds

Will braces himself.

DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL THE QUIET THAT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP SUDDENLY EXPLODES IN

ONE DEAFENING SHRIEK AS THE CREATURE LEAPS OUT OF THE LAKE,

CAPSIZING THE BOAT, PLUNGING WILL INTO RED ALGAE.

EXT. HILLTOP - DAY

The quiet prairie.

TIMER #2:
DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

INT. TURBINE, PLATFORM TWO - DAY

John climbs one handed. His BROKEN ARM completely useless.

He arrives at PLATFORM TWO. Locks the gate. Below we hear...

TIMER #3:
DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John is rattled. Everything is going wrong. He looks down.

58.

The ALIEN’S bark reverberates through the tubular tower.

Sounds of movement against the walls rush toward us.

THE ROOF DOOR CREAKS AS PRESSURE IS PLACED AGAINST IT.

There’s a series of clanks and shuffling sounds. BREATHING.

Then POUNDING and CLAWING.

THE ROOF DOOR BENDS OUTWARD IN THE SHAPE OF AN INHUMAN HAND.

JOHN REPELS OFF THE SIDE OF THE TURBINE.

ALL THE WAY DOWN.

FALLING.

FALLING.

FALLING TOO FAST.

FALLING WAY TOO FAST.

JOHN SLOWS HIMSELF DOWN.

THE ROPE BURNING THROUGH HIS HANDS AND SLEEVES BEFORE HE

COMES TO A FULL STOP. HOLDING. DANGLING.

There’s about a fifty foot gap between the end of the rope

and the ground.

John spots a LADDER on the other side of the base. If he can

just swing over to it, he can get down...

WE HEAR THE ALIEN DESCENDING THE TOWER FROM INSIDE.

John holds the rope with his good arm, and runs alongside the

outer wall of the turbine.

A few tries and he’s there. Grabs the ladder with his broken

arm and climbs down in excruciating pain.

John lands at the base of the turbine.

HE THROWS THE FRONT DOOR CLOSED AND LOCKS IT FROM OUTSIDE.

THE ALIEN IS TRAPPED INSIDE THE TURBINE.

This is his chance. THIS IS WHAT JOHN CAME HERE TO DO:

JOHN:

(at the top of his lungs)

APRIL!! APRIL!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

59.

No response. John yells LOUDER.

JOHN:

APRIL!! WHERE ARE YOU?! APRIL!!

THE LETHAL ARMS OF THE ALIEN SMASH THE TURBINE WALLS FROM

INSIDE. THE STEEL BUBBLES AND BENDS AROUND THE BASE. DOING

EVERYTHING IT CAN TO BREAK OUT OF THE TURBINE.

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