Eight Legged Freaks Page #4

SAM:

Where did you learn that it’s okay

to talk to me like this?

ASHLEY:

Relax, Mom. He’s hot for an old

guy. I can admit it. Why can’t

you?

Sam watches Chris get into his truck. He gives her one

last look before pulling out. Sam smiles with her

daughter.

INT. MINING MUSEUM (MAIN STREET, TOWN) -DAY

Vintage mining gear. Walls covered with sepia-tone

photos chronicling the history of the McCormick mines.

GLADYS LAUDERBACK (50s) sits at a desk. She blows smoke

from her Kool into the breeze of an air conditioner.

Ignoring the signs behind her head: "NO SMOKING!",

"DANGER GAS!"

As Chris enters, Gladys hides her lit cigarette in a

drawer.

GLADYS:

Did you pop him one?

CHRIS:

He had it comin’. But Sam

Palmer... That woman abuses her

power.

GLADYS:

Why? Because she stopped you from

givin’ Wade another pop?

CHRIS:

I’m not proud of it.

Chris goes to a table and a map of the mines that

honeycomb beneath the town. Many of them are marked

"explored." Many aren’t. Chris checks another tunnel

off the list. He sniffs the air and glares at Gladys.

Smoke rises out of her desk drawer. Gladys yanks it open

and puts out the flame.

(CONTINUED)

21.

CONTINUED:

CHRIS:

I thought you were trying the

patch.

GLADYS:

I am.

She raises her sleeve to reveal several nicotine patches.

Chris exits through a door at the back of the museum.

INT. MUSEUM -LIVING ROOM -DAY

Chris enters the family living quarters. The furniture

was new in 1947. He continues to the adjacent kitchen.

INT. MUSEUM -KITCHEN -DAY

Chris takes a beer out of the fridge. Then he notices an

odd CLICKING. He tracks the sound to a stove burner

permanently on "light."

Chris moves to a fuse box in the adjacent hallway. He

removes the fuse for the stove. The SPARKING STOPS.

Chris sits at the table and has a cooling sip of beer.

Gladys enters with a stack of bills.

CHRIS:

That burner’s on the fritz again.

GLADYS:

Oh something’s broken? What else

is new?

(lays bills on table)

You need to pay these by the end

of the month.

CHRIS:

(looks at bills)

Today... For a split second... I

actually thought I had it.

GLADYS:

Another vein of iron pyrite?

CHRIS:

Yeah... Then a rat stole my lunch.

I practically blew myself up

trying to get it back.

(CONTINUED)

22.

CONTINUED:

GLADYS:

I’m glad you like my bologna

sandwiches.

(beat)

Maybe you should talk to Wade.

CHRIS:

What are you saying?

GLADYS:

Honey, if he really does have a

buyer...

CHRIS:

You of all people know how much my

dad wanted to find that mother

lode.

GLADYS:

Your daddy wanted to get rich. I

don’t think he cared how that

happened. If he was still alive,

maybe he’d sell those mines.

Chris takes umbrage...

CHRIS:

And maybe you didn’t know him so

well after all.

A tense beat.

GLADYS:

You’re right... I’m just worried

about how we’re going to pay these

bills.

CHRIS:

Don’t give up on me, Gladys. I

promised him I’d find the gold.

And I will.

Gladys steels her fear, patting Chris on the hand.

EXT. TOWN -ESTABLISHING SHOT -DAWN

The sun rises. The town slowly comes to life.

HARLAN (V.O.)

Good morning, Prosperity, Nevada.

It’s another beautiful day on the

frontier.

Locals prepare their stores for business.

23.

INT. JOSHUA’S HOUSE (DESERT) -DAY

HARLAN (V.O.)

No charges have been filed in

yesterday’s fracas between Chris

McCormick and Wade Hale. And

we’ve got...

Joshua turns the radio down. He holds a tape measure to

a glass spider tank, recording the size of an unseen

arac.

JOSHUA:

An exponential growth rate...

That’s impossible.

CHARLIE:

Me so horny. Me love you long

time.

Joshua doesn’t look back at the parrot sitting on its

perch.

JOSHUA:

Be quiet, bird!

Charlie looks over at the tarantula tank. Watching

curiously as the cloth cover moves slightly. As if one

of the spiders is escaping. Charlie flies over to

investigate. He lands on the counter and peers around

the back of the tank.

CHARLIE:

Charlie’s in the wire! Incoming!

Something yanks the parrot O.S.

JOSHUA:

Stop screwing around...!

Joshua looks back in search of the parrot. He notices

several feathers floating down to the floor. He heads

over to investigate. Joshua pulls the blanket clear to

reveal the top of the cage has been pushed aside. No

sign of any tarantulas. Joshua checks the back side of

the tank.

JOSHUA:

Where’d you go? Consuela?

She’s nowhere to be seen. Joshua spots something

sticking out from under the table. Two parrot feet.

Joshua pulls Charlie out from under the table. It’sa

horrible sight. The bird is wrapped in spider webbing.

His body desiccated.

(CONTINUED)

24.

CONTINUED:

JOSHUA:

Charlie... Semper fidelis.

Joshua sees Charlie is attached to a web. He tugs on the

webline. Something tugs back. Joshua leans down to look

under the table. His eyes go wide at what he sees. Then

a shadow looms over his head. Joshua looks up and...

EXT. JOSHUA’S HOUSE (DESERT) -DAY

SCREAMS and the sounds of BREAKING GLASS come from

within.

EXT. PALMER HOUSE (TOWN) -DAY

Ranch style. Cop car in front. Chris’s pickup cruises

by.

INT. PICKUP TRUCK -OUTSIDE PALMER HOUSE -DAY

Chris drives past. He catches sight of a figure in a

window.

INT. PALMER HOUSE -BATHROOM -DAY

Sam is brushing her teeth at the window as Chris drives

by. They make eye contact. Chris moves on. Sam looks

at herself in the mirror. Bathrobe. No makeup. Messy

hair. Mouth full of toothpaste.

SAM:

Work it, babe.

INT. PALMER HOUSE -HALLWAY -DAY

Sam comes out of the bathroom dressed in her uniform.

SAM:

It’s all yours.

Ashley and Mike exit their rooms. Mike is dressed for

the day. Ashley in a robe. They race for the bathroom.

Mike is first. Then Ashley hip-checks him out of the

way, slamming the door in his face.

ASHLEY (O.S.)

Ladies first.

(CONTINUED)

25.

CONTINUED:

MIKE:

What’s your excuse!?

Sam sticks her head out of a room at the end of the hall.

SAM:

You still want a ride, Mike?

MIKE:

I’m just going to the mall.

SAM:

Have fun.

Mike heads down the hallway and out of the house.

INT. PALMER HOUSE -BATHROOM -DAY

Ashley turns on the shower, drops her robe, and climbs

in.

INT. BATHROOM -SHOWER -DAY

Ashley is surrounded by steam. She sings an edgy gangsta

rap tune by NWA. Tres’ bizarre, non? Shampoo lather

cascades down her face. Her eyes close. She is

oblivious to a small spider crossing a web in front of

her. The spider gets clear as Ashley rinses off the

soap.

Ashley rubs conditioner into her hair. The lather

builds. Covering her face. Forcing her eyes closed once

more. The spider returns across its web right in front

of her eyes.

The water stops. Ashley reaches for the showerhead

blindly knocking the spider off its web. She feels no

water coming out, and fumbles for a washcloth. Reaching

with eyes closed, she can’t see the little spider has

landed on top of the cloth. As Ashley retrieves it, the

spider scurries onto its opposite side.

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