Gothika Page #14

(CONTINUED)

72.

CONTINUED:

Miranda stares at her fingertips. The tips are burnt.

The skin sizzles softly. 200 percent scientificallyimpossible. And when she looks up at the mirror again -the

image is gone.

It is now deathly quiet. And what she finds herself

staring at in the mirror is the reflection of somethingjust behind her. A folded newspaper discarded in the farcorner of the room.

She turns to look at it now. It's opened to the REALTYLISTINGS page. Doug must have left it there. She picksit up and looks closer: Focusing on a picture of a bank-

repossessed property.

The address is in Willows Creek.

Her brain wires start clicking. This must be what Rachel

wanted her to see. She stares at it.

PUSH IN ON the picture as we -MATCH

CUT TO:

EXT. WILLOWS CREEK PROPERTY - DAWN

A "FOR SALE" sign still flapping in the wind. The first

few rays of light break through the dawn sky.

Miranda's (Simon's) car approaches up the road until itFILLS the FRAME and parks. Miranda steps out.

She studies the house before walking up the drive. We

watch her peek through windows and walk around back,

looking for something. What exactly, we don't know.

(Neither does she.)

She makes her way back to the starting point and fixesher stare now on the barn. The one place he hasn'tlooked.

INT. BARN

Dark, empty. The WIND outside causes the ALUMINUM SIDING

to FLAP NOISILY. It's slightly unnerving, but hey, it'sjust the wind. Miranda covers the distance of the largeroom, perplexed. There is something about this place.

Something she can't quite put her finger on. Beckoningher.

With a last fruitless look, she heads towards the front

door when a glint of mental in the opposite corner stopsher. She moves to it.

(CONTINUED)

73.

CONTINUED:

And here, where the walls should meet, there is a narrow

gap, leading to a passage, maybe five inches wide. A

padlocked chain has been threaded through a hole in bothwalls, holding them together. Miranda inspects the heavypadlock, the source of the glint. She tugs on the walland opens it to the limits of the chain, but that's onlya few inches more. Miranda peers into the darknessbeyond, but can't see a thing.

Hesitating only a moment, she turns sideways and slidesherself into the claustrophobic slot.

She moves forward cautiously a few feet until her facebrushes against something hanging in the air. She stops,

startled. It's a pull-string hanging from a naked lightbulb.

She tugs on it. And now she has 60 watts of reddish glowto see the hatch on the floor immediately in front ofher. She pulls on the LATCH and it opens with a RUSTYCREAK. She peers into the pitch-black basement below.

Feels around for the beginning of a stepladder and climbsdown.

INT. SECRET BASEMENT

Miranda emerges from the ladder into total darkness.

Whatever dim reddish light was provided by the bulbupstairs does not reach here. She feels around the wall

for a switch. Nothing.

MIRANDA:

(to self)

It's not shrink-appropriate to be

afraid of the dark, right?

Abruptly there's a sharp CLICK as she lights Simon's key-

chain lighter, and the wavery light illuminates the vast

space. Rats scurry for cover. It takes a second to orient

ourselves. Something metallic catches the lighter'sreflection way in back. Miranda walks towards it.

MIRANDA:

Hello?

She takes a few more steps until her foot hits a bulk onthe floor. She stops. Kneels down and in the dim half-

light we make out a backpack. She unzips it and riflesthrough it (T-shirts, underwear, Walkman) until she findsa wallet. Opens the billfold and brings the lighter nextto the ID: the picture belongs to a teenager named"TRACY MARIE SEAVER."

(CONTINUED)

74.

CONTINUED:

MIRANDA:

Is there anybody here? Hello?

The lighter in her hand is getting hot, so she lets itclick off. When it comes back on we see she has wrappeda ragged T-shirt around it for insulation.

Miranda steps deeper into the room. Up ahead, she canmake out the metallic thing that reflected light before.

It is a hook in the ceiling. And suspended from it areseveral heavy chains.

Like a meat rack.

And now she catches a whiff of the terrible smell and

sees the body of the teenage girl: hanging upside down,

tied around the hands and ankles.

Medical training kicking in, Miranda quickly lowers thegirl to the ground, causing the angry rats to skitter

away.

MIRANDA:

Go away! F*** off!

(We see the following in between flicks of the lighter sothat we go from midnight black to wavery light in analmost strobe-light effect:)

She checks for vital signs, pulse, heartbeat -- Miranda'sadrenaline at full tilt -

MIRANDA:

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon -

She strikes the flint and brings the lighter to thegirl's pupils. Inspects them. Slaps her repeatedly,

clinically.

The strobe effect also allows us glimpses of theimmediate surroundings: household tools strewn about;

wire cutters, pliers -- a pool of dried blood.

MIRANDA:

Wake up, Tracy, wake up -

Nothing. She unties the wires around the girl's ankles.

The skin swollen grotesquely around them. She shakes the

girl. Slowly coming to the realization that it's toolate.

75.

EXT. BARN - LATER

Miranda comes crashing out of the barn, doubles over andthrows up. The bright light outside blinding hermomentarily. Her bloodshot eyes taking a moment toregister -

THE PATROL CAR:

parked in front of the house. A POLICE OFFICER

cautiously peering inside her stolen car. He looks upand notices her.

Miranda hesitates. Nowhere to run. The officer waves.

His name is TURLINGTON.

OFFICER TURLINGTON

Howdy there.

He says this while already strolling over. Miranda's

mind races a mile a minute -

OFFICER TURLINGTON

Everything okay?

MIRANDA:

Y-yes.

OFFICER TURLINGTON

That your vehicle, ma'am?

She stares at the young, friendly cop. His left hand

resting on his belt. Right next to his gun. But it

seems as if he has no idea who she is. At least not yet.

MIRANDA:

Yes -- I -- I just pulled over. I

was -- looking for a bathroom.

Morning sickness, you know...

OFFICER TURLINGTON

Congratulations. But I'm afraid

this is private property -- youcan't just waltz on in. You

understand that.

She nods, nerves shot to hell. Starts walking.

MIRANDA:

I'll be on my merry way now. Myhusband will never forgive me if Iget a ticket for trespassing.

(CONTINUED)

76.

CONTINUED:

The cop nods at that, seeming to have a fair grasp ofmarital dynamics. He flashes a smile but suddenly stops,

whips out his gun and trains it on her -

OFFICER TURLINGTON

Holy sh*t.

(clicks the safetyoff)

Lady, stay right where you are.

Miranda shuts her eyes, busted. Freezes.

OFFICER TURLINGTON

Hands up where I can see them.

Miranda awkwardly raises her shaky hands.

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