Gothika Page #20

DOCTOR:

Clear!

He begins chest compressions on Simon's heart. He spasmsviolently once, twice -- And then it stops. The Doctor

and Nurses stare at the monitor. Flatline.

Unseen by them, Rachel steps out of the room.

EXT. COUNTY POLICE STATION - NIGHT

WE SEE Turlington and two other COPS climb in a patrolcar and drive off. WE MOVE INSIDE the empty station...

INT. SHERIFF RYAN'S OFFICE

Sheriff Ryan takes a healthy chug from a fifth of Scotch,

slips it back in a drawer. Stares at his hands. Steady asa rock. Takes a deep breath. Knows what he must do next.

A religious man despite everything, he brings his thumbto his forehead and crosses himself.

INT. COUNTY STATION - HOLDING CELL - MOMENTS LATER

Miranda's eyes snap open at the SOUND OF DEADBOLTSSLIDING UNLOCKED. Hopeful. Could this be Rachel?

(CONTINUED)

105.

CONTINUED:

A looming figure appears at the door. Doesn’t bother to

shut it. Stares at her silently for a long while. And

so begins a claustrophobic cat and mouse game:

SHERIFF RYAN:

How did you know?

MIRANDA:

You tell me.

SHERIFF RYAN:

This isn't one of your wordassociation games, Doctor. Did

Douglas tell you that night?

MIRANDA:

Why wait this long if he had?

SHERIFF RYAN:

Maybe it's your amnesia. Maybeyou blocked it out.

MIRANDA:

Maybe. But it seems to me that

it's vital you know for sure.

He studies her. Takes a step towards her. Miranda

responds by stepping back. A slow motion semicircle, if

you will. She eyes the open door. Tempted.

SHERIFF RYAN:

You think me and Doug are

monsters. That this was all a

carefully laid out plan with thosegirls. But it wasn't that at all.

You do things sometimes and you'renot sure why you did them. Then

you realize you can live with themand so can everyone else. Life

goes on.

MIRANDA:

If you're looking for forgiveness,

you came to the wrong place.

She's stalling, trying to keep him talking and he knowsit.

SHERIFF RYAN:

One thing about fear is it makespeople say the dumbest things.

(CONTINUED)

106.

CONTINUED:

MIRANDA:

Be that as it may, you're afraidtoo -- because you know killing mewon't solve your problems.

SHERIFF RYAN:

My only problem is you.

MIRANDA:

What about Parsons? And Peter?

They know. And that girl in thehospital will never forget yourface. You miscalculated, now you

pay.

Patience tested, he suddenly WHACKS her across the face.

SHERIFF RYAN:

I hate a bad bluffer.

She makes a big effort to hide how much that stung.

MIRANDA:

I sure hope that felt good becauseyou can't afford too many moresigns of struggle. Can you?

SHERIFF RYAN:

Go ahead, hit me back. It's what

you want.

MIRANDA:

No, that's what you want me to do.

SHERIFF RYAN:

Back to profiling, huh? Your

thought process is completely

transparent.

And now Miranda briefly takes the reins of theconversation. Analyst and patient in session. Echoingher opening scene with Chloe.

MIRANDA:

So we're even. You left that door

open so I'd try and run, it's whatyou get off on, isn't it?

SHERIFF RYAN:

I guess we'll find out.

(CONTINUED)

107.

CONTINUED:

MIRANDA:

And yet you have to make me looklike a suicide. With what, yourbelt?

(off his shrug)

How would I get access to a belt?

SHERIFF RYAN:

Trust me, prisoners hang themselveswith just about anything.

MIRANDA:

I don't think that's going tosatisfy you. You won't be able to

do this clean. You have too much

guilt inside.

SMACK! Another slap across the face. Miranda's knees

buckle. But she remains standing. Her lip trembles.

MIRANDA:

You're losing grasp of thesituation. It was different with

those girls. I bet all they didwas cry and scream.

SHERIFF RYAN:

Don't worry, you'll scream.

(after a beat)

Take off your shirt.

This throws her off. She shoots a quick glance at thedoor.

MIRANDA:

Aren't I a little old for you?

SHERIFF RYAN:

Take it off.

She hesitates. He draws his gun, tired. Removes the

safety.

MIRANDA:

That's for show. You know youcan't shoot me.

SHERIFF RYAN:

But I can smash your teeth out andmake it look like you bashed yourhead against the wall. Now shut

up, take off your goddamn shirtand pull off your bra.

(CONTINUED)

108.

CONTINUED:

Miranda is petrified now. Running out of ways to hideit.

SHERIFF RYAN:

Today, Doctor.

In a sudden move, Miranda shoves the chair at him and

bolts out the door. The Sheriff doesn't move to stopher.

INT. HALLWAY TO CELL AREA - CONTINUOUS ACTION

Miranda dashes down the hallway, trying to escape. Takes

quick inventory of the space: two more holding cellslike her own, a row of filing cabinets, and a storagearea with barred windows. She makes a turn up ahead andreaches another gate down the corridor. A sliding gatethat closes off the cell area from the main station.

She tries the gate. Locked, naturally. She shakes and

bangs on it, desperate.

MIRANDA:

TURLINGTON!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!

No response. And no way to disguise the sheer panic inher voice. She fell for his trap. They're all alonehere.

INT. MIRANDA'S CELL - SAME TIME

Ryan smiles at that. Re-holsters his weapon and walkstowards her, taking his time. Relishing the hunt.

SHERIFF RYAN:

Doug mentioned you were painfully'modest.' But enough about you,

let's discuss Rachel.

INT. HALLWAY TO CELL AREA - CONTINUOUS ACTION

Now Miranda searches for a place to hide. His FOOTSTEPS

GETTING CLOSER -

SHERIFF RYAN (O.S.)

She was no crippled saint. Wasn't

the first time she turned up atDoug's house all messed up.

109.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Sheriff Ryan peeks down the corridor where we last sawMiranda. The gate still locked. She's not there. He

traces her steps, clearly enjoying this:

SHERIFF RYAN:

Sure she was a minor, but she

wasn't going to let that get inher way.

INT. STORAGE AREA - SAME TIME

Miranda is cramped underneath an upturned desk. The SHOT

is FRAMED so we can see the doorway. She prays silently:

MIRANDA:

(sotto)

Rachel, where are you when I needyou?

Clearly not here. Sheriff Ryan's voice getting closer:

SHERIFF RYAN (O.S.)

Those other girls -- make nomistake -- they knew what theywere getting into.

He appears at the doorway now, peeks inside the room.

Sensing her in there. Miranda holds her breath.

SHERIFF RYAN:

I'm not saying they knew they weregoing to die, but truth is, Doug andI didn't know it was going to end that

way. It was just the natural extensionof that moment. So yeah, we fuckedthem and we killed them. And we knew

it was wrong. Sure we did.

He reaches the upturned desk and flips it over with aCLANGING SOUND. Miranda wasn't underneath that one. She

scrambles to the door behind him as he turns -

INT. HALLWAY TO CELL AREA - CONTINUOUS ACTION

She slams the door shut on his fingers and fumbles toslide the deadbolt behind her when the door suddenlySMASHES OPEN against her, knocking her backwards onto thefloor -

He looms over her. She reaches around for anything todefend herself. Nothing there. Game over -

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