Dark City Page #7

He hangs up.

TIGHT ON - Walker's hands flicking through the phone book. He

finds the "Walker" page, rips it out, and shoves it in his pocket.

Then he decides to rip some more pages out.

He steps from the phone-booth and sits on the sidewalk, takes off

his shoes. He folds the pages, stuffs them into his shoes to plug

the holes, then puts his shoes back on.

Now he thinks of something. He takes out his wallet and removes

Schreber's card.

INT. SCHREBER'S OFFICE - NIGHT

TIGHT ANGLE - A phone on a shiny desk rings and a hand picks it up

immediately - TILT TO SCHREBER.

SCHREBER:

Yes... This is Schreber...

He listens for a moment then suddenly reazlises who it is.

SCHREBER:

Where are you? I've been very

concerned about you. You must come

and see me immediately...

INT. PHONE BOOTH - SAME - INTERCUT WITH SCHREBER AS

NEEDED:

Walker on the phone, scans the street nervously.

WALKER:

You know who I am?

SCHREBER:

Of course, Mister Walker.

WALKER:

I called because I thought you could

help. I'm finding it difficult...

remembering.

SCHREBER:

I understand. Of course I can help

you. But you must come and see me -

we cannot discuss this matter on the

phone...

Walker is very agitated now, his voice getting edgy.

WALKER:

What do you know about me? How well

do you know me?

SCHREBER:

I know you are in trouble, if that's

what you mean...

WALKER:

(cuts in)

Am I the killer?

There's a pause on the other end of the line.

SCHREBER:

You don't know the answer to that?

WALKER:

(loses it)

I told you, I can't remember a damn

thing! I mean, I thought because I

couldn't remember I might have...

but the idea of killing... it

repulses me, do you understand?

SCHREBER:

Of course. Please, calm yourself...

Suddenly Walker sees TWO FIGURES APPROACH. He drops the phone and

runs, hides behind a wall.

INT. SCHREBER'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Schreber realizes Walker is not there.

SCHREBER:

Mister Walker? John!

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Walker, still hiding behind the wall, watches the figures approach.

He accidentally backs into some trash-cans.

ANGLE ON - the figures. O.S. sound of a trash-can getting

kicked. They turn towards the noise: STRANGERS - Walker's

bizarre pursuers.

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

A BLACK SEDAN drives over a rusty suspension bridge. Stone

gargoyles look down at the lone vehicle. Streets are empty.

INT. BUMSTEAD'S CAR - NIGHT

INSIDE THE CAR Bumstead has appointed his unmarked-marked police

vehicle with all the comforts of hime: hot thermos, note pad holder

(complete with light), coat hanger, gun rack. A system for

everything.

Bumstead stares blankly ahead. He chews on the last bit of

sandwich, removes a small brush from the glove box, and delicately

cleans the crumbs from his trousers.

EXT. HOSPITAL ENTRANCE - NIGHT

BUMSTEAD'S CAR pulls up and stops.

INSIDE THE CAR - Bumstead grabs a bunch of flowers off the back

seat.

INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT

BUMSTEAD pushes through a swinging metal door - enters a sterile

air-conditioned room - and walks to an INTERN sitting behind a

glassed-in counter. He talks to the intern through a tiny opening

in the window.

BUMSTEAD:

Bumstead. I'm here to see my

mother.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - SAME

Bumstead enters darkness - pneumatic MACHINE NOISE fills the

gloom. He walks quietly to his MOTHER, encased in a metallic

contraption, something like an iron lung.

BUMSTEAD:

(whisper)

Brought you these.

He places the flowers into a small vase on the bedside table -

arranges them, then re-arranges them.

ON HIS MOTHER - who just stares expressionless, in a coma. Her

life-sustaining machines hiss and breathe.

Bumstead seems pleased finally with the flowers and he sits on a

metal chair, looks at the woman.

BUMSTEAD:

I've been doing some thinking

lately. I've been trying to

remember things before you got

sick...

He stops momentarily and stares into a dark corner of the door.

BUMSTEAD:

(Cont.)

Do you remember the two little girls

I used to play with when I was

young, the twins who lived next

door? I was thinking about them

yesterday and I couldn't remember

for the life of me what they looked

like... Then I realised why...

He brushes at a small piece of lint on his trousers.

BUMSTEAD:

(Cont.)

They... didn't have faces.

He removes the lint and lets it float away in an air current.

BUMSTEAD:

(Cont.)

Just... skin. Here.

(waves his hand past his

face)

No mistake. I just hadn't

remembered it that way. Until that

moment, they had been normal little

girls in my memory.

He looks at his mother.

BUMSTEAD:

(Cont.)

I think I'm going mad.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

A PRIEST - is at the altar, cloaked in a blood-red robe, flanked

by two ALTAR BOYS also in red. Behind them is a statue of some kind

of INSECT.

The trio start to walk in circles as they chant softly. Then they

stop and stare at the CONGREGATION through eye-slits in their hoods.

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