Dark Was the Night Page #3

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his Indian ancestors,

they knew about a creature--

He's about as

Indian as you or I.

You really think there's a

monster in the woods, Donny?

No.

Okay.

But...

These stories, they just sounded

a lot like what's been going on.

Donny:
I don't know.

And then he mentioned

something about a boy.

-(Paul sighs)

- Donny:
He was out in the woods

a few years ago,

and then he went missing.

They couldn't find

him until they--

They found a body

up in the tree.

Right.

That boy was murdered, Donny.

No monsters needed.

Bad things happen,

'cause people let them happen.

Paul:
Somebody's always

responsible, Donny.

(tag jingles)

(Paul sighs)

(engine starts)

Donny:
Yeah, all good.

Susan:
Thank you so much, Donny.

Yeah, my pleasure.

Actually, my dad was a mechanic.

I always thought I was

gonna end up being one.

Why didn't you?

After my mom left us, uh...

I spent so much time

in the police station

bailing my dad out.

Just, uh, figured I may

as well become a cop.

Has he told you?

About Tim?

Susan:
I had taken Adam

to a friend's,

and Paul was watching Tim.

We had one of

those kiddy pools.

They think he slipped and

hit his head on the bottom.

I'm sorry.

Susan:
I don't blame him,

you know.

It was an accident.

It wasn't his fault,

it could've so easily been me.

The problem is,

he blames himself.

He doesn't think he deserves

what he has, but he does.

It's hard to make somebody see

in themselves what

you see in them.

(sighs)

(eerie music)

(cell phone rings and vibrates)

(engine roars)

- Ron:
I told you--

-(wheels crunch over gravel)

Claire:
I don't want

you to get yourself shot!

Ron:
I'm gonna handle

this right now, myself!

I'm gonna handle this

myself, right now.

-(Paul murmurs)

- Claire:
Calm down, Dad.

Listen to the sheriff.

Hey, calm down.

Claire said that

you think something's

still bothering your horses,

that right?

Past few days, the horses

have been real uneasy.

Jumping around in the stalls.

But for the life of me, I

couldn't figure out what it was.

Till last night.

What happened last night?

'Bout 3 o'clock I

hear someone bangin'

on the side of the barn.

Beatin' the living

hell out of it.

- So tonight I'm ready for him.

- Claire:
Dad!

Ron:
Now, get outta my way!

Paul:
Hey, hey, hey.

Now, what if it's...

What if it's one of the

neighbor's boys

just playing around?

Paul:
Come on, gimme this.

Come on.

Come on. Good.

(horse whinnies)

Those horses--

Are your livelihood, I know.

Paul:
I know, Ron.

Now look, if you hear anything

coming from that barn,

you call me at home

and I'll come over.

We'll take care of

this the right way.

- Ron:
Yeah.

-(horse whinnies)

Good.

There they are!

- Stand back.

-(horses squeal)

Donny:
Get back.

(horses whinny and

kick at barn walls)

Donny?

Yeah, boss?

You make sure that Ron

and his shotgun stay here.

-(horses whinny)

-(bang from the barn)

-(knocking from the barn)

-(horses whinny)

Hey!

- Paul:
Hey!

- Get in, get in.

- Paul:
Hey!

- Boss!

Donny:
You okay?

What was it?

I don't know.

It's too dark.

(horse whinnies)

Come back in the morning.

Paul:
Assuming

that this wall wasn't like

this before last night?

- Ron:
No.

- Donny:
Look at the mud.

Ron:
I shoed all

the horses last week.

And these tracks

ain't got any shoes.

And look at this.

The size is right

for horse tracks,

the two cloven

halves are the same,

but this right here?

This ridge ain't normal.

It's like the hoof is divided

into three narrow pieces.

A hoof divided

into three parts.

What purpose would that serve?

I haven't got the

faintest idea, Sheriff.

Ron:
Before right now,

I didn't know prints

like these even existed.

Radio:
A storm system

is making its way into the area.

Voluntary evacuation

protocol will be in effect

for Maiden Woods,

Smith, and Knobb's Run.

In other news, zoologists

from the State University

are baffled by the

sudden and unexplained

migration of wildlife

from the northeastern

forest surrounding Tanner.

Hunters looking to end

the season on a high note

seem out of luck this year.

(telephone rings)

(answering machine beeps)

Paul:
(phone) Sheriff,

this is Paul Shields

from Maiden Woods County.

Call me back when

you get a chance.

I wanna check with

you and your men

up in Tanner about something.

I'm working a theory and

I got some questions.

Hoping you can help.

(cafe customers chatter)

(silverware clinks)

Man:
Hey, Sheriff.

Mom? When are we going home?

Right after lunch.

I do have to run by the

store first, though.

I meant home with Dad?

Sweetie, let's not talk

about that right now, okay?

Why not?

- Adam...

- Just eat your food.

Adam:
I don't want

everyone to be sad, any more.

Who's sad?

I see you crying sometimes.

You always pretend like

you weren't, but I see you.

Do you guys still

love each other?

Adam, I don't think

that this is the place--

Yes.

But sometimes it's a little

harder than that, buddy.

Radio:
In local weather news,

the storm front

continues to make headway

and should be in our neck

of the woods in 24 hours.

-(bell rings)

- Local residents have already

begun evacuation procedures.

While not mandatory,

the Ranger Service

does recommend people

take such precautions,

as roadways will be closed,

and access to remote areas

Claire:
You lost?

Radio". will be intermittent

over the course of the storm.

Oh. Coffee.

It's up front by the squirrel.

(Donny laughs)

So is it true?

You're from New York City?

Ah, yeah.

I've always wanted to go

there and ride the subway.

Most people wanna go

see the Statue of Liberty.

Well, I'm not most people.

The subway's not

really that great.

It's full of bums

and pickpockets.

(Claire laughs)

Well, no wonder you left.

So Why'd you come here?

Oh, you know, just...

Change of pace.

Well, normally

I'd say this town's

pace-deprived, but lately...

Yeah, yeah, it's not

exactly what I expected.

So you'll be leaving us, then?

Nah, I just found the coffee.

Who knows what

I'll find tomorrow?

(suspenseful music)

(engine dies)

Paul:
Hey, Donny,

is your radio on?

Yeah, boss.

Paul:
(radio) Need to clear

a deer from the highway

at marker five.

We'll have to come pick

it up tomorrow, some time.

Maybe it died of loneliness.

(Paul chuckles briefly)

-(leaves rustle quickly)

-(Paul gasps)

-(branches crunch)

-(eerie clicking)

(radio static)

-(rustling)

-(creature snarls)

(Paul grunts)

(footsteps rapidly run away)

-(computer beeps)

-(quick rumble)

-(keys jingle)

-(engine starts)

-(crunching)

-(eerie chattering)

- Earl:
Here you go.

- Donny:
Thanks.

Earl:
What can

I get for you, Stu?

Donny:
Hey.

You take care of that deer?

Let's find somewhere to talk.

Paul:
I think we're thinking

about this the wrong way.

I think that deer was all...

Who knows?

Other deer were gone,

that one wasn't.

It looked older.

Maybe it couldn't keep up,

maybe all the other

ones left it behind,

I'm not really sure.

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