Fatal Instinct Page #14

LANA:

(very convincing)

Coincidence, Ned. Beside... that's

the past. They're gone.

NED:

(sighs, resigned)

Yeah. I guess I can't bring them

back by not riding on a train.

LANA:

That's right.

She starts to raise the blinds again...

NED:

But I just can't get over this stupid

nagging fear that...

She abandons the blinds, leaving them raised part way...

LANA:

Fear! What about our baby, Ned? I

don't want to raise a child in a

home filled with fear!

There's a KNOCK at the door. Lana tugs on the cord and the

blinds drop with a CRASH. The KNOCKING stops. She pretends

it didn't even happen, racing on.

LANA:

But if you can conquer your fear...

maybe I can conquer my fear of having

a baby with a father who's fearful.

(goes for broke)

Ned... don't let a train kill our

child before it's even conceived!

NED:

(heaves a sigh)

I guess you're right.

She grabs the cord, then hesitates...

LANA:

You're sure now...?

A beat. He nods. She quickly pulls the blinds up.

NED:

But we'll never make it to the

station. By the time a cab gets

here...

A LOUD KNOCK at the front door. Lana opens it. It's Frank.

FRANK:

I was in the neighborhood. Thought

I'd stop by and pick up my tools.

LANA:

Frank will drive you. Won't you Frank?

FRANK:

Sure, I'll take you to the train

station.

They all freeze. Lana glares at Frank, who is completely

unaware of his faux pas... while Ned tries to figure out why

that response didn't sound right.

INT. FRANK'S VAN - DAY

They climb into the van. Ned nervously checks his watch.

NED:

Twelve minutes. We'll never make it.

EXT. FRANK'S VAN - DAY

The CAMERA BOOMS DOWN LOW to reveal Max Shady under the van,

hanging on like a leech, his back only inches from the road.

The van drives off.

INT. FRANK'S VAN - MINUTES LATER

At an intersection... they see a "DETOUR" sign. Frank and

Lana exchange concerned looks. Frank turns the corner. The

van starts vibrating violently, tossing them around.

NED:

(checks his watch)

We're not going to make it.

FRANK:

We'll make it!

He shifts gears, guns the engine. They rocket ahead, BOUNCING

WILDLY, their heads THUMPING the car roof! The van SPLASHES

through deep water, a huge fantail spraying out on both sides.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY

The train is pulling in. The CAMERA PANS to Frank's muddy

van as it drives up nearby. Frank waits in the van as Ned

and Lana get out and walk toward the train.

They pass a feeble OLD WOMAN struggling to drag a HUGE STEAMER

TRUNK along the platform... inches at a time. A REDCAP passes

her also, carrying a small overnight case for an attractive,

elegantly attired SOCIALITE. Everyone ignores the Old Woman.

Ned looks nervously at the train, already pale.

LANA:

Okay... now what're you going to do

if you feel queasy going through the

tunnel?

NED:

I'll stand in the vestibule between

the cars.

LANA:

That's right. When you get queasy...

go stand in the vestibule between

the cars.

She kisses his cheek. He reluctantly boards the train. Her

smile vanishes.

She hurries back to the next car, nods at Frank, boards the

train. Frank peels off his coveralls, follows her on.

ANGLE - COACH PLATFORM

Laura's Husband steps from the train, holding the deflated

Ninja Turtle float ring. He looks around, then walks toward

the cab stand. The CAMERA MOVES with him, then HOLDS ON...

MAN READING NEWSPAPER - TIGHT SHOT

The headline says: SHADY VOWS BLENDER VENGEANCE ON RAVINE!

Under the headline is a picture of Max Shady... muddy, bloody,

greasy, clothes ripped, cigar shredded... looking off.

The paper lowers, revealing Max... a battered mess, looking

off. He picks up a small violin case and quickly moves toward

the train as it starts to pull out.

We now SEE that the seat of Max's pants has been ripped out,

his naked buttocks scratched and scraped raw by the road.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Ned stares out the window... apprehensive, nervous.

Frank and Lana enter at the opposite end of the coach. They

spot Ned, quickly ducking into a seat where they can observe

him yet remain hidden from view behind the tall seatbacks.

INT. FIRST COACH CAR - DAY

Max walks through the car looking for Ned. He pauses, puffing

on his big cigar. A WOMAN PASSENGER looks up and is shocked

to see Max's scraped bare butt hanging out only inches away.

WOMAN PASSENGER:

OH! My dear gracious!

Max swivels around to look at her... turning his bare behind

toward an IRRITABLE MAN across the aisle.

IRRITABLE MAN:

SIR! Would you PLEASE extinguish

that foul smelling cigar?

MAX:

(turning slowly)

You want me to put out my CIGAR? YOU

want me to put out my cigar? You

want ME to put out my CIGAR?

IRRITABLE MAN:

Yeah.

MAX:

Certainly.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Max enters through the vestibule, without his cigar, stopping

in his tracks when he sees Ned. He smiles to himself, then

ducks back into the lavatory.

INT. LAVATORY - DAY

Max looks at himself in the mirror. He's a disaster. He opens

the violin case, pulling out his trademark "Ned Ravine" gray

suit on a hangar. It's not even wrinkled.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Ned looks pale... sweating... reacting tensely to every lurch

and bump the train makes. The feeble Old Woman strains to

pull her huge steamer trunk down the aisle, inch by inch,

toward Ned.

ANGLE ON FRANK AND LANA

Lana peers over the seat, watching Ned with a cruel smile.

LANA:

It's already getting to him. He'll

be out of that seat and into the

vestibule within ten minutes... I

guarantee it.

INT. LAVATORY - DAY

Max is cleaned up, dressed in the suit. He straightens his

tie, slicks his greasy hair back, sticks a big cigar in his

mouth and grins at himself in the mirror.

MAX:

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to

ME? You... talkin'... to... ME?

He reaches into the violin case, pulls out a complex

assortment of metal parts, assembling them swiftly. CLICK...

SNAP... CLUNK! It's an incredibly nasty looking high-tech,

automatic weapon with gigantic cartridge clip.

He screws on a long silencer and points the gun at the

ceiling. POOF!... a muffled gunshot! Debris fall around him.

He looks up. He has blown a HOLE through the roof of the

coach.

He adjusts the Silencer Volume Control, which has a scale

from 1 thru 11. He turns it all the way down to "0"... DEAD

SILENT. He pulls the trigger. The gun RECOILS, but there is

absolutely NO SOUND! He has blown another HOLE in the ceiling.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Ned looks across the aisle to see a GROSS SLOB pulling all

kinds of strange food items from a paper bag, making a big,

sloppy, disgusting SANDWICH that squirts and drips all over.

Ned turns away... really queasy now.

INT. LAVATORY - DAY

Max reaches into the case, pulls out A BLENDER! He plugs it

into the outlet and REVS it a couple times, grinning wickedly.

INT. SECOND COACH CAR - DAY

Max steps out of the lavatory and sees the CONDUCTOR coming

his way collecting tickets. He quickly spins around, slides

the door open and steps into the vestibule between cars.

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