Corpse Bride Page #7

BLACK WIDOW:

You are a very trusting bride.

MAGGOT:

She is warmhearted.

BLACK WIDOW:

But we're all cold-blooded now.

CORPSE BRIDE:

Not Victor.

BLACK WIDOW:

No. Not Victor. He's back in the Land of the Living. And I'm sure he has a lot to catch up on.

MAGGOT:

What are you implying?

BLACK WIDOW:

Out of sight, out of mind. Out of mind... out of the picture.

Corpse Bride looks over at the two-gabled house in the distance.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. EVERGLOT MANSION - NIGHT

Victor approaches the house cautiously, not sure what to expect. Then he spies two silhouettes in one of the downstairs windows.

He carefully approaches.

FINIS (O.S.)

(silhouette)

If I ever get my hands on that Van Dort boy, I'll strangle him with my bare hands.

INT. EVERGLOT DRAWING ROOM - CONTINUOUS ACTION

MAUDELINE:

Your hands are too fat, and his neck is too thin. You'll have to use a rope!

FINIS:

Hmmmf.

BACK TO VICTOR:

Startled, he creeps back away. He nearly gives up altogether, when he notices a -­

ANGLE - LIGHT

In an upstairs window.

BACK TO SCENE:

With the courage of the damned, he reaches for a rickety trellis, hoping to climb it. But his hands pass right through it.

VICTOR:

Drat! There must be a way. Think, Victor, think!

As he wracks his brain, we notice his shoes have floated up off the ground.

VICTOR:

The skeleton called it a haunting spell. That would make me a... ghost.

Only now does he realize that he's floated up to the second level. He can look in the window.

CUT TO:

INT. VICTORIA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Victoria sits in her armchair, frantically stitching away at her quilt.

She hears a WHISTLE. She turns to see Victor on her balcony -- muddy, disheveled, his jacket torn, his hair wild. She rushes over and opens the French doors. Victor enters.

VICTOR:

Victoria -­

VICTORIA:

Victor! Oh, it is such joy to see you. What's happened to you!

(beat)

Your coat -­

VICTOR:

(desperate)

Victoria, you have to help me.

VICTORIA:

You cannot know what they have been saying...

Suddenly Victor freezes with horror. He is facing the window, and he alone sees...

Corpse Bride's SKELETAL ARM appearing over the railing of the balcony.

Victor lets out a panicked gasp.

He quickly steps in front of the window, so Victoria won't see the bride.

VICTORIA:

Victor, what's wrong?

VICTOR:

(hastily)

I seem to find myself married. And you should know it's unexpected.

Corpse Bride heaves the rest of herself over the edge of the balcony, losing a leg in the process. She grabs the leg to reattach it.

Corpse Bride, distracted with fixing her leg back on, doesn't notice Victoria.

CORPSE BRIDE:

(merrily)

Oh dear, and I did so want to make a good impression! I couldn't wait, darling. I wanted to meet...

Now she sees Victoria, and freezes.

Both women stare at each other. Corpse Bride, puzzled, goes up to Victor, putting a possessive hand on his arm.

CORPSE BRIDE:

Darling? Who is this?

As her hand rests on his arm, Victoria sees the RING.

VICTORIA:

(stunned)

Victor! Who... What is this?

VICTOR:

Victoria, wait, you don't understand -­

(desperately)

I can assure you it's not what you think. She's dead! Look!

He grabs the Corpse Bride's bony arm, flapping it for emphasis.

Victoria SCREAMS.

CORPSE BRIDE:

Who is she?

VICTOR:

Victoria Everglot. The girl I'm supposed to marry.

Suddenly there's a POUNDING on the bedroom door.

MAUDELINE:

(behind the door)

Victoria! What's going on in there! Open this door at once! Finis, get the key!

CORPSE BRIDE:

(to Victor)

You tricked me!

She grabs him tightly around the chest.

CORPSE BRIDE:

Hopscotch!

VICTOR:

What?

(realizing)

Wait! No!

Suddenly, Corpse Bride and Victor begin to fade.

VICTOR:

Victoria, you have to help me!

He reaches out to her. Their fingers nearly touch, before Victor completely disappears.

CUT TO:

INT. ELDER'S STUDY (LAND OF THE DEAD) - PERPETUAL TWILIGHT

Elder Gutknecht sits at his desk when suddenly Corpse Bride and Victor awaken on the floor. She pushes herself up.

CORPSE BRIDE:

You lied to me! Just to get back to that other woman.

Victor stands there, guilty as charged.

VICTOR:

(miserably)

Don't you understand? You are the other woman.

CORPSE BRIDE:

(more hurt than furious now)

No! You're married to me! She's the other woman.

Corpse Bride bursts into tears. Unsure of what to do, Victor turns to the Elder for support.

ELDER GUTKNECHT:

(shrugging his shoulders)

She's got a point.

CORPSE BRIDE:

(sobbing)

Oh, and I thought... I thought this was all going so well...

Her eye plops out with the force of her weeping. Victor picks it up and hands it back to her.

VICTOR:

Look, I'm sorry but... this just can't work.

CORPSE BRIDE:

(putting her eye back in)

Why not?

(self-consciously)

It's my eye, isn't it?

VICTOR:

No... your eye is fine.

CORPSE BRIDE:

(blinking)

Really?

VICTOR:

Yes. Listen, under different circumstances, well, who knows. But, we're just too different. I mean, you're dead.

CORPSE BRIDE:

You should have thought about that before you asked me to marry you.

VICTOR:

Why can't you understand? It was a mistake! I would never marry you!

The words sting. Corpse Bride dejectedly lowers her head. She turns and walks out of the Elder's study, leaving Victor standing there, feeling like a heel.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY WAY (LAND OF THE DEAD) - LATER

Corpse Bride walks down the alley. She reaches into a hidden pocket of her gown, and pulls out a dried, crumbling wedding bouquet. Petals drift off it.

CORPSE BRIDE:

Roses for eternal love... lilies for sweetness... baby's breath...

She drops the bouquet on the ground and walks off.

Victor stands in the shadows, watching the Corpse Bride walk away. He follows, but keeps a good distance back.

Black Widow and Maggot are perched on the bride's shoulders. As the bride wipes off a tear, we see that the moisture floats away like feather down.

BLACK WIDOW:

Forget him. He's not worth the tears, darling.

MAGGOT:

But what tears they are! Strong and wispy!

CORPSE BRIDE:

(ignoring)

I can't compete with that woman. She has everything he wants. Including a pulse.

BLACK WIDOW:

Nonsense!

MUSIC RISES for a song, "Break My Heart."

BLACK WIDOW:

All she has is life,

You have everything after!

All she has is blood and hair,

You have glorious laughter!

As Black Widow and Maggot get into it, they start swinging around the bride, flying on spider web lines.

MAGGOT:

All she has is colour,

Which fades with every day.

The best in you is black and white,

And shades of blue-ish grey!

Corpse Bride smiles, despite herself.

BLACK WIDOW:

Famine, death and pestilence,

Haven't troubled you in years,

The best part of being dead,

Is burying your fears.

MAGGOT:

Everyone, eventually,

Dies and rots and stinks,

Victor, he will too, one day.

No matter what he thinks.

CORPSE BRIDE:

He _thinks_ I'm a monster.

MAGGOT:

You _are_ a monster. A beautiful monster.

BLACK WIDOW:

So start acting like one.

A little inspired, Corpse Bride takes on a verse:

CORPSE BRIDE:

Cut me with a knife,

I feel nothing.

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