Eight Legged Freaks Page #7

EXT. WADE’S RANCH -OSTRICH PEN -DAY

Mike doesn’t see the dog. He’s too busy looking in the

hole.

INT. UNDERGROUND BURROW -TRAPDOOR SPIDER POV -MIKE

The kid is FRAMED IN the burrow opening just a few feet

away.

EXT. WADE’S RANCH -OSTRICH PEN -DAY

Mike senses something approaching in the darkness.

Suddenly he’s grabbed from behind. Sam drags him away as

CLYDE the cattle dog continues BARKING.

WADE:

(to Clyde)

Now you’re on the job?! What the

hell were you doin’ last night?!

SAM:

Come on, Mike. Let’s hit it.

Sam leads her son toward the house. Mike glances back.

EXT. WADE’S RANCH -DIRT DRIVEWAY -DAY

Mike and Sam are in the cop car. Wade is at Sam’s

window.

WADE:

I need to know what happened to my

birds!

(CONTINUED)

38.

CONTINUED:

SAM:

If I find anything I’ll let you

know.

(a beat)

So you can fill out that insurance

form.

Sam drives down the driveway. Wade takes off his hat and

wipes his brow. He watches Clyde run parallel to the

accelerating police car.

INT. POLICE CAR (DIRT DRIVEWAY) -DAY

Sam eyes the road ahead. Mike is lost in thought.

MIKE:

We have to go back.

SAM:

Mike?

MIKE:

That was a trapdoor spider’s

burrow.

SAM:

What are you talking about?

MIKE:

Joshua was feeding his spiders

bugs from the creek. And they

were getting bigger.

Mike glances out the window at the dog running nearby.

MIKE:

(agitated)

What if they didn’t stop growing?

What if they broke out of their

tanks. Ate Joshua. And went into

the mines?

Sam looks at him like he’s out of his mind.

MIKE:

That could be why the other

species are coming out into the

open. They’re trying to get away

from the giant spiders.

(a beat)

The ecosystem is out of balance.

(CONTINUED)

39.

CONTINUED:

SAM:

Have you been overdosing your

Ritalin?

She checks him for a fever.

EXT. WADE’S RANCH -DIRT DRIVEWAY -FENCE LINE -DAY

CLYDE runs next to the car. Suddenly he disappears

underground with a YELP. Only still frame on a DVD

player will capture the trapdoor spider’s lunge from a

camouflaged den. The dog’s empty collar rolls to a stop

in a cloud of dust.

INT. POLICE CAR (DIRT DRIVEWAY) -DAY

Mike turns from his mother and looks out the window. He

is confused when he doesn’t see any sign of the dog.

MIKE:

Maybe I am losing it...

He checks himself for a fever.

INT. ABANDONED TRUCK STOP (DESERT) -DAY

A dingy collection of buildings surrounded by dunes and

rock. The structures have boarded windows. Graffiti on

the walls. Teenagers hang out. Off-road motorcycles

parked nearby.

Bret Hale’s monster truck does donuts in the parking lot.

Ashley hangs out the passenger window shrieking with

glee.

INT. BRET’S TRUCK (TRUCK STOP) -DAY

Bret smokes a Phillies Blunt as he donuts his TRUCK.

Ashley laughs hysterically. Bret steers them around to

the back of the truck stop. He SKIDS to a stop.

ASHLEY:

Woo-hoo!

Bret offers his stogie. Ashley refuses. Bret puffs

away.

ASHLEY:

Haven’t you had enough of that?

(CONTINUED)

40.

CONTINUED:

BRET:

No such thing. Norman’s bud is

da’kine.

He coughs and they both laugh.

BRET:

When I medal at the X-Games, Honda

will give me full sponsorship.

Then I’ll take you with me on the

Supercross tour.

Ashley is silent.

BRET:

Are you still thinking about going

away?

ASHLEY:

I don’t know. I want to do

something with my life, Bret.

Help people. Maybe med school is

still an option.

BRET:

Not if you keep hanging out with

me.

ASHLEY:

Thanks, Mom.

They kiss. Things head toward a serious level of "get

down." Bret slides his hand up Ashley’s shirt. Ashley

gets into it. But then Bret slides his hand toward the

buttons of her 501s. Ashley removes his hand.

ASHLEY:

Slow down...

Bret persists. Ashley climbs off of him.

BRET:

I thought you loved me.

ASHLEY:

I do!

BRET:

Then what’s the problem? You want

to leave town. You don’t want to

make out.

ASHLEY:

I don’t feel...

(CONTINUED)

41.

CONTINUED:

BRET:

What?

ASHLEY:

I don’t want to lose my virginity

in the front seat of a monster

truck.

BRET:

Why didn’t you say so? We can go

outside. I’ve got a blanket in

the back.

ASHLEY:

No... I guess... I’m just not

ready.

BRET:

Tammy and Larry do it every night!

ASHLEY:

Then call them! Have a menage a

trois!

BRET:

Come on, Ashley. Mommy’s not

around. You don’t have to play

the good girl. Let Daddy give you

what you really want.

Bret goes after her once more. Ashley’s not into it.

ASHLEY:

Please, Bret... Please don’t...

But Bret won’t listen. Ashley isn’t strong enough to

fight him. She reaches into her purse and pulls out her

stun gun. She rams it up in Bret’s crotch and pulls the

trigger.

Bret howls like a baboon in a wood chipper. He

spasmodically jerks off of Ashley and tumbles out the

driver’s side door.

EXT. BEHIND TRUCK STOP -DAY

Bret twitches on the ground.

BRET:

My balls? Ahh! My balls!

(looks down)

I pissed myself?! Damn, bee-otch!

(CONTINUED)

42.

CONTINUED:

Ashley watches from the truck.

ASHLEY:

I told you to back off!

Ashley closes the door of the truck and rolls up the

windows.

Bret is dazed as he gets to his feet. Then his eyes

rack-focus to a nearby dune. A Rottweiler-sized jumping

spider stands atop it. Two large eyes surrounded by six

smaller orbs. Orange and black designs on its abdomen.

Wiry hair. Dagger-sized fangs. Bret can’t quite believe

what he sees.

Ashley STARTS the TRUCK. This snaps Bret back to

reality.

BRET:

Ashley, wait!

ASHLEY:

Screw you, Bret. I’m going home.

Bret sees the spider leisurely coming down off the dune.

He runs over to the door of the pickup and tries to open

it.

Please!

sorry!

BRET:

Open the door! I’m

ASHLEY:

I can’t believe my mom was right

about you. Do you know how

embarrassing that is?

Ashley starts to pull away. Bret keeps banging on the

glass.

BRET:

Open the door, baby! I love you!

I want to marry you! Have my

children! Please!

Ashley flips him the bird and BURNS RUBBER. As the truck

moves out of the way, Bret finds himself staring at

several more jumping spiders that are methodically

approaching. Bret sprints around to the other side of

the truck stop.

43.

EXT. TRUCK STOP -PARKING LOT -DAY

Bret runs from behind the building. Larry Witzer and a

bunch of other kids see him coming.

LARRY:

Dude, did you piss in your pants?

RANDY:

Ha-ha! Bret pissed his pants!

All the kids start laughing and pointing at Bret. None

of them see the approaching jumping spiders.

BRET:

Get out of here! They’re coming!

RANDY:

The only one coming is you, dude.

Larry and Randy high-five. A jumping spider lands on

Randy’s back, piercing him with its fangs, throwing him

to the ground. Randy screams. The kids have a front-row

seat as the spider’s pincers mash their buddy into an

edible pulp.

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