Apt Pupil Page #33

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Todd comes around the rear of the car and stops at the door to

the back seat. He opens it.

FRENCH:

Listen, Todd... Please.

Todd bends down to get something from the back seat. His voice

is muffled from the inside of the car.

TODD:

That's how it all happened, you know. One

thing lead to another and before I knew it...

Todd pops back up holding the rifle, fully assembled and aimed

at French's chest.

TODD (CONT'D)

...you showed up in my driveway, wearing

those same f***ing sneakers.

FRENCH:

Whoa. To--

Todd rapid-fires. French's chest explodes red as his lifeless

body sails back onto the grass. In the front yard, a dozen

birds evacuate a tree in a panicked exodus. Todd swoons back on

his heels, overcome by something. But it isn't pain, rather,

it's a rush of pleasure. A laugh slips out.

INT. HOSPITAL - DUSSANDER'S ROOM - DAY

Dussander takes the tube from his mouth and lets it fall to the

floor. The camera moves along the tube and stops at Dussander's

arm, where it ends. He lies back in his bed and waits...

EXT. BOWDEN HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - DAY

Todd regains his balance. French stares wide-eyed as Todd steps

up to him, the muzzle aimed at French's head. Todd grins

widely. For the first time he looks ...happy.

A single round obliterates half of French's skull. Todd chokes

back a giggle like a drunk chokes back a belch.

INT. HOSPITAL - DUSSANDER'S ROOM - DAY

Dussander lurches up in the bed in a spastic, contortive fit as

the air embolism reaches his heart. His arm flails against the

IV unit, sending it crashing to the floor. The monitors next to

him reflect a drastic turn in his condition. The door flies

open and a pair of nurses charae in through the swarm of

journalists. Richler and Weiskopf run in and the eager

cameramen follow. The room is bathed in flash explosions as the

nurses try to subdue Dussander.

INT. BOWDEN HOUSE - GARAGE - DAY

Todd throws open a cabinet door above the workbench and eyes the

boxes and boxes of ammunition. He lets out a beautifully wicked

laugh as he dumps all of the cartons into his backpack. He

leaves the cabinet door open as he slips the bag over his

shoulder.

EXT. BOWDEN HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - STREET - DAY

Todd zooms out of the garage on his bike, the rifle slung over

one shoulder, the backpack over the other. He zips past

French's body and out into the street. In the distance, we hear

the faint, but rising wail of sirens.

A front door or two slams shut as Todd passes. Suddenly he cuts

up between two houses. A man standing in his back yard sees

Todd and freezes. Todd ignores him. He steers the bike through

the yard and picks up the dirt path he has used so many times

before.

INT. HOSPITAL - DUSSANDER'S ROOM - DAY

From above we see Dussander's eyes, wide open, motionless. Yet

the expression on his face is one of odd satisfaction. A doctor

pounds on his chest, barks orders. The trauma team prepares the

defibrillator, but we know they are too late...

EXT. DIRT PATH - DAY

Todd rides fast over the dry, rocky ground. The wind streaks

back his hair. His excitement is as palpable as the grin

dancing across his face.

An aerial shot follows him as he angles the bike off the trail

and up a steep embankment. As the camera moves ahead of him, we

see the crest of the hill, and beyond it...

The freeway, teeming with rush-hour traffic.

BLACK.

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