I Walked with a Zombie Page #15

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RAND'S VOICE

Jessica!

She does not seem to hear but continues walking toward the

gate. We hear the sound of running feet. Holland and Betsy

run up to Jessica. Holland takes her arm, but she continues

to walk forward. He tries to hold her. It is apparent he

cannot do so without the use of considerable force.

BETSY:

Jessica! Jessica!

She pays no attention but continues to move forward toward

the gate. Betsy, realizing that is something outside of her

previous experiences with the woman, has the presence of mind

to run forward and slam shut the great wrought-iron gate.

Jessica walks up against the gate and stands there, unable to

move any further. They stand and look at her perplexed.

EXT. HOUMFORT -- NIGHT

The doll has stopped moving. The Sabreur is exerting all his

force. We can see the sweat soaking his white shirt. The

others are chanting, louder now, swaying in rhythm with his

pulling movements. The conch is being blown with a more

insistent and compelling note. Still, the doll-figure

refuses to move. The Sabreur stops. The conches are

suddenly silenced.

EXT. GARDEN GATE -- NIGHT

In this sudden silence, Holland and Jessica look at each

other across the motionless figure of Jessica.

HOLLAND:

The Houmfort -- they're trying to

get her back there.

Betsy and Holland look at each other. Then Betsy takes

Jessica's arm.

BETSY:

Come with me, Jessica.

Obedient again, Jessica allows Betsy to turn her around and

lead her back to the open tower door. As Betsy and Jessica

go into the bedroom, the door closes behind them.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. THE HOUMFORT -- EARLY EVENING

CLOSE SHOT of an enormous black hand. The fingers of this

hand are spread out limply. On this hand stands the little

five-and-ten-cent store doll which represents Jessica. From

beneath this hand, another smaller black hand comes in and

closes the great fingers around the doll.

The CAMERA PULLS BACK to show the exterior of the Houmfort.

The light is fading. The posts of the Houmfort and the

figures of several voodoo worshippers are outlined in

silhouette against the darkening sky. A single rada drum is

being beaten in light, quick rhythm. Someone sets fire to a

heaped-up bonfire of dry leaves. The flames blazing up

illuminate the scene more clearly, so that we can see a small

group of voodoo adepts squatting on their heels in a ring

around the bonfire. Near the bonfire stand Carre-Four and

the Sabreur, with the drummer crouched behind them. The

Sabreur takes the doll from Carre-Four's hand and holds it a

foot or so away from him. The great black hand reaches for

it. Again the Sabreur takes the doll away and dances off

with mincing steps to a distance of a few yards. Carre-Four

lumbers after him, his hand extended. Again, the Sabreur

lets him take the doll.

CLOSE SHOT of Carre-Four's hand with the doll upon it. From

underneath, the smaller hand of the Sabreur comes in and

closes the great black fingers over the little white doll.

DISSOLVE:

INT. MRS. HOLLAND'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT

The room is in darkness. In the faint light from the barred

windows, we see Betsy sleeping on the chaise lounge. A

shadow moves across her face. Through the window, we see the

great, cadaverous figure of Carre-Four. His hand closes

around the bars, his face presses against them. Then he lets

go of the bars and slips out of sight. His figure reappears

at the next window. Again, he tries the bars and peers into

the room. Again, he vanishes in the darkness. We hear a

faint sound from the tower. Betsy wakens. Her eyes go

quickly to the bed, where the outline of Jessica's figure

reassures her. There is another muffled, dragging sound from

the tower. Betsy sits up, listens intently. She gets up and

goes toward the door leading into the tower. At the foot of

Jessica's bed, she stops to grab up Jessica's white negligee,

throwing it around her she continues to the door and opens it

slowly and cautiously.

INT. THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE TOWER -- NIGHT

Betsy steps into the lower tower room. The thick blackness

of the place is faintly lit by the open door into Jessica's

windowed bedroom. She stands at the foot of the circling

stone stairs, straining to see into the darkness above.

Overhead, there is a sudden commotion of wings and shrilling

- something has disturbed the bats. Very slowly and

hesitantly, Betsy moves up a few steps.

The CAMERA PANS UP from Betsy, around the circling walls of

the stairs, to where the sharp blade of light from the slit

window of the tower strikes across the wall. A big black

hand slides down the shaft of light. The CAMERA PANS BACK to

Betsy. She can see nothing, but she hears the dry,

whispering sound of the hand moving along the wall. She

backs down the few steps and across to the tower door leading

to the garden.

EXT. THE GARDEN AT FORT HOLLAND -- NIGHT

Betsy slips out of the tower door. She stands irresolutely

by the fountain, watching and listening. She can see nothing

in the black patch of the open tower door. She walks slowly

into the garden. There is a faint sound behind her.

Fearfully, Betsy looks back across her shoulder. She sees a

shadow slip into the deeper shadows of the fountain, merge

with them. Quickly she moves behind a tall shrub, looks

again toward the tower. She sees nothing.

A CLOSE SHOT of the fountain shows the surface of the water

in the cistern broken by a spreading ring of ripples. Taut

with fear, Betsy leaves the shadow of the tall shrub and

slips over to a bush nearer the living room porch. As if in

answer to this move, a whispering rustle comes from the

screen of bamboo against the tower-wing of the house. She

stares toward the bamboo. She sees nothing.

A CLOSE SHOT of the bamboo shows the leaves trembling

slightly. Betsy looks across the empty, defenseless space

between herself and the porch steps. Steeling herself, she

moves into it, walking with the slowness of nightmare fear,

looking from side to side with the slightest possible move of

her head. At the foot of the steps, she turns to look back

at the bamboo. A distorted shadow slithers out from under

the stalks. Her panic released, Betsy runs up the steps,

down the shadowy porch to the door of Holland's bedroom.

BETSY:

(in a very low, choked

cry)

Paul...Paul...

She flings herself against the door, turns the handle, and

runs into the room, closes the door behind her. Into the

space before the porch steps moves the great gaunt figure of

Carre-Four. This is our first full sight of him in the

scene. He is bare to the waist, wearing only a pair of dark,

ragged trousers. He starts up the steps.

EXT. PORCH -- NIGHT

Betsy comes out of the door to Holland's bedroom, followed by

Holland who has put on a robe. In a CLOSE SHOT, we see the

shock that springs into their two faces as they see Carre

Four facing them across the length of the porch, moving

toward them, a single slow step at a time. As Carre-Four

sees Betsy's white-clad figure, his hands come up slowly from

his sides.

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