Hellboy Page #10

OMIT:

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Two strolling ORDERLIES shine their flashlights inside the

rooms on both sides of a long corridor.

INT. HOSPITAL - LIZ'S ROOM, MIN. SECURITY WARD - NIGHT

A flashlight beam sweeps Liz's room. It illuminates a

CORKBOARD covered with hundreds of Polaroids depicting scenes

of everyday life.

When the beam of light crosses her face, she turns slowly,

still asleep.

As the light fades, the shadows in the room grow deeper.

Grigory emerges from a dark corner. He gazes down on the

bed, extending his right hand.

GRIGORY:

The Master is calling your name now,

my girl. We are all part of his plan.

You must return to the child... So,

once again...

He gently caresses the scar on her forehead. Under his skin,

a hideous movement, a writhing rearrangement of muscles. His

fingers start to glow.

GRIGORY:

...dream of fire.

Liz convulses. A small ripple of heat rises from her forehead.

FLASH BACK TO:

EXT. TENEMENT BUILDING COURTYARD - DAY

Somewhere in a smokestack city, grown-ups and kids hang

banners and prepare a ragged birthday party in a cement

courtyard.

ANGLE - LIZ - CONTINUOUS

Sitting on some tenement steps, LIZ, age 11. Sullen, alone,

a gold CRUCIFIX hanging on her chest.

A WOMAN -- Liz's MOTHER -- comes down the courtyard steps,

carrying a basket of apples.

MOTHER:

(to Liz)

Liz!! Liz!! Come on, darling, give

Mummy a hand.

Nearby, under a balloon archway, munching candy-coated

apples... three KIDS giggle and point at her.

BLONDE KID:

Freak!

Liz turns to see them.

BLONDE KID:

(to his friend)

See? She knows her name.

Liz shies away from them.

BLONDE KID:

Go home, you freak. We don't want

you here.

They start throwing stones. One hits the steps. Another misses

her by inches. A third hits her in the shoulder.

Scared, Liz turns but a rock catches her full on the face.

She falls down, blood trickling from her forehead, splattering

the pavement. She starts sobbing. Another rock sails across,

but this time, in mid-air, it catches fire and turns to ash.

A ripple of heat starts crawling up Liz's hands. Soon a pale

blue flame rings her entire arm.

LIZ:

(sobbing)

Not again, please, not again...

Firelight glints off the crucifix.

EXT. TENEMENT COURTYARD - DAY

MOTHER is dunking the apples in a pot of caramel. A

heartbreaking cry reaches her ears.

LIZ:

Mommy! Mommy!

Mother sees...

EXT. TENEMENT COURTYARD - STEPS - DAY

Liz:
outlined by licking flames!

LIZ:

(panicked)

Mommy! Help me! I'm burning!

Mother screams, horrified.

LIZ:

Help meee!!!

She then explodes. A white-hot supernova engulfs the

courtyard. Her mother's body burns like flash paper. Then

the rest of the people are --

THE ENTIRE TENEMENT COURTYARD

-- devoured by an explosion of atomic proportions. Benches,

people, trees. Everything. The four surrounding apartment

blocks collapse as a shock wave hits like a wrecking ball.

The frame whites out. And at ground zero there is but one

figure left standing:

Liz... a little girl, still crying.

FLASH FORWARD TO:

INT. BELLAMIE HOSP. - LIZ'S ROOM, MIN. SEC. WARD - NIGHT

Liz screams, her back arching, her body now in flames. Her

chest glows, silhouetting organs and ribs.

The rubber bands on her wrist vaporize.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - MIN. SEC. WARD - NIGHT

The glow from Liz's room streams into the corridor.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - SECURITY ROOM - NIGHT

In their glass kiosk, two ORDERLIES are listening to the

radio and sharing a pizza. A red light flashes repeatedly on

a panel.

They silence the radio, grab their batons and get up. A low

rumble shakes the room.

Through the VIBRATING glass window they see...

CORRIDOR MINIATURE / COMPOSITE

...A BALL OF FLAME pushing inexorably through the corridor.

The inside of the glass booth is absolutely silent, making

the vision both terrifying and strangely serene.

ORDERLY:

Oh my --

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - SECURITY ROOM (SET)- NIGHT

As the glass explodes, the fire ROARS, drowning everything.

The orderlies hit the floor, taking cover under a shelf.

EXT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL (MINIATURE) - NIGHT

The top floor blows up. Flame pours out of every window,

showering glass into the streets below.

OMIT:

INT. B.P.R.D. - FREAK CORRIDOR "A" - DAY

Myers pushes the breakfast cart. On it, three dozen pancakes

and a mound of bacon and toast.

He opens the door to Hellboy�s den.

INT. HELLBOY'S DEN - DAY

Inside, Hellboy is leaning over Broom, glaring at the old

man.

HELLBOY:

How many buildings does she have to

burn? She belongs here!

BROOM:

That's not how she feels. She may

never feel it.

Myers enters, deliberately clearing his throat. They ignore

him.

BROOM:

It's her choice --

(beat)

She's human --

HELLBOY:

Oh, as opposed to -- ?

Broom grows silent.

Hellboy stomps over to a mirror and -- using a hand-held

belt sander -- savagely shaves his horns. Sparks fly every

time he goes at the round stumps.

HELLBOY:

Mmmh -- "Pamcakes." We're going out --

MYERS:

Professor, that girl you were talking

about --

HELLBOY:

(whirls around)

Hey. You:
think twice --

MYERS:

I think I can help -- Talk to her --

I can bring her back.

HELLBOY:

(chuckles)

What landed you this job, pushing

"pamcakes"? Punctuality? What was

your area of expertise?

Myers murmurs --

HELLBOY:

What was that??

MYERS:

Hostage negotiations.

Hellboy's face lights up.

OMIT:

EXT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - DAY

Part of the building is demolished. Repair crews and firemen

are still hosing down smoldering piles of debris.

Myers arrives in a taxi cab.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - MAX. SECURITY WING - DAY

Myers looks at LIZ through a see-through mirror. She sits on

a bench inside a padded cell. A security CAMERA AND MONITOR

records her constantly.

A worried-looking Dr. Marsh stands alongside him.

DOCTOR MARSH:

She's been like this since it

happened. There were no casualties.

But it's put a big dent in our

Thorazine supply...

(dubious look at Myers)

Are you sure you want to go in?

Myers nods, loosens his tie and enters.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - PADDED CELL - DAY

Liz doesn't acknowledge Myers' presence. He kneels and looks

up at her.

MYERS:

Miss Sherman? I'm Agent Myers, FBI.

Liz turns away.

MYERS:

Miss Sherman? I'm Agent Myers, FBI.

(no response)

The hospital called us. They don't

feel they're capable of caring for

you any longer, and --

Silence.

MYERS:

Liz -- can I call you Liz? It's a

beautiful name --

LIZ:

(sighs)

60% OF THE WOMEN IN THIS WORLD ARE

NAMED "LIZ".

MYERS:

It's still impressive by my standards:

My name's John.

She looks at him. He offers his hand. She looks away.

MYERS:

Dr. Broom asked me to invite you

back to the Bureau. No special

precautions, no security escorts.

You and me in a taxi. Like regular

folks.

LIZ:

Doesn't sounds like him.

MYERS:

Miss Sherman, he's asking you back,

but it's entirely your choice.

Liz turns to the 2-way mirror. Both their reflections are

there.

LIZ:

Choice, huh? That's cute. I've quit

the Bureau thirteen times. I always

go back.

(snaps two rubber

bands)

Where else would I go?

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