Jacob's Ladder

EXT. VIETNAM - DUSK

A swarm of helicopters swoops out of a yellow sky and

deposits an army of men over a Vietnamese hillside.

The SOLDIERS scramble over the terraced rice paddies for the

protection of the jungle. Falling into coulmns, like strands

of soldier ants, seventy-five men, at combat readiness,

assemble on the edge of a sweltering wilderness.

It is dusk. The mood is lazy, soporific. Members of one

platoon huddle close to the ground smoking a joint.

JERRY:

Strong stuff.

ROD:

(to JACOB, a soldier

squatting several yards

away)

Hey, Professor, how many times can

you sh*t in an hour?

GEORGE:

Don't bug 'im.

DOUG:

Where are those gooks already?

FRANK:

Some offensive. I don't even think

they're out there.

PAUL:

Jesus, this grass is something else.

JACOB SINGER returns to the group, pulling up his pants.

ROD:

Why even bother to pull 'em up?

FRANK:

You jackin' off out there again, huh

Jake?

PAUL:

Hey, get off his back.

ROD:

It's called philosophizing, right

Professor?

JACOB gives them the finger.

JACOB:

Up yours, you adolescent scum.

Laughter.

SERGEANT (V.O.)

Mount your bayonets.

FRANK:

(frightened)

Oh sh*t!

PAUL:

Goddam!

ROD:

Gimme that joint!

JERRY:

Hey, something's wrong.

GEORGE:

What is it?

JERRY:

My head.

GEORGE:

It's nerves. Take another toke.

GEORGE reaches out, extending a joint. Suddenly he gasps and

falls to the ground, his body convulsing uncontrollably. The

others stand back, startled. JACOB grabs him and shoves a

rifle barrel between his chattering teeth.

ROD:

What's going on?

Before anyone can answer JERRY grabs his head, screaming. He

turns frantically in all directions.

JERRY:

Help me! Help me!

PAUL:

What the hell ... ?

In seconds JERRY is spinning wildly out of control, his head

shaking into a terrific blur. He crashes into FRANK with the

force of a truck. FRANK slams into the ground as all the air

rushes from his lungs. He begins gasping and

hyperventilating. His eyes grow wide and frenzied as he

gulps for air. Fear and confusion sweep across his face. The

MEN watch, horrified, as FRANK's terror escalates beyond

reason into all-out panic.

Suddenly FRANK begins howling. He lunges for his bayonet

and, without warning, attacks the MEN around him.

PAUL:

God Almighty!

PAUL spins out of the way as FRANK's bayonet impales the

ground. JACOB jumps on top of FRANK and wrestles him into

the tall grass. PAUL rushes to his assistance.

JACOB stares at FRANK's face as FRANK struggles beneath him.

It is the face of a madman.

PAUL:

Good God! What's happening?

The sudden chaos is intensified by the sound of fighting

erupting behind them. Guns crackle and bursts of light

penetrate the darkening sky.

ROD:

Behind you! Look out! This is it!

The MEN spin around. PAUL panics and jumps to his feet,

leaving JACOB alone with FRANK. FRANK's eyes burn with

demonic force as he gathers his strength.

JACOB:

Don't leave me.

Dark figures, silhouetted by the setting sun, are storming

at them. SOLDIERS squint to see. It is a horrifying vision.

PAUL:

They're coming!

Gunfire explodes on all sides. Suddenly PAUL flips out. He

begins screaming uncontrollably, ripping at his clothes and

skin. FRANK is struggling like four men and JACOB is

weakening in his effort to restrain him. Bayonets glimmer in

the exchange of fire. Bodies fall. More bodies keep coming.

The first wave is upon them.

ROD shoots into the air. Shadowy forms hurl forward

screaming like banshees. ROD, squinting, jabs with his

bayonet, piercing the belly of his attacker. Agonizing cries

accompany his fall. ROD yanks the bayonet out and stabs

again.

In the midst of this madness FRANK shoots to his feet and

slams the butt of his rifle into JACOB's back. There is a

cracking sound. JACOB's eyes freeze with pain. His hands

rush for his spine. As he spins around one of the ATTACKERS

jams all eight inches of his bayonet blade into JACOB's

stomach. JACOB screams. It is a loud and piercing wail.

CUT ON THE SOUND OF THE SCREAM to a sudden rush through a

long dark tunnel. There is a sense of enormous speed

accelerating toward a brilliant light. The rush suggests a

passage between life and death, but as the light bursts upon

us we realize that we are passing through a SUBWAY STATION

far below the city of NEW YORK.

INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT

THE WHEELS OF AN EXPRESS TRAIN screech through the station.

JACOB SINGER, sitting alone in the last car, wakes up. The

sounds of the scream and the grating wheels merge. He is

dazed and confused, not certain where he is.

JACOB glances around the empty car. His eyes gravitate to

overhead advertisements for hemorrhoid perparations and

savings banks. Gradually his confusion subsides. Shifting

uncomfortably he pulls a thick book out of his back pocket,

"The Stranger" by Albert Camus. He begins reading. Another

station blurs by.

JACOB is a good-looking man, of obvious intelligence. He is

in his mid-thirties. It is surprising that he is wearing a

mailman's uniform. He doesn't look like one.

The subway ride seems to go on interminably. JACOB is

restless and concerned. He glances at his watch. It is 3:30

A.M. Putting his book in his back pocket, JACOB stands up

and makes his way through the deserted car.

INT. SUBWAY TRACKS - NIGHT

JACOB enters the rumbling passageway between the cars. The

wheels spark against the rails. The dark tunnel walls flash

by. He pulls the handle on the door to the next car. It is

stuck. He struggles with it. A LADY sitting alone inside

turns to look at him. She seems threatened by his effort. He

motions for her to help. She turns away.

A look of disgust crosses JACOB's face. He kicks the door.

It slides open. The WOMAN seems frightened as he approaches

her.

JACOB:

Excuse me, do you know if we've

passed Nostrand Avenue yet?

(she doesn't answer)

Excuse me.

(she does not

acknowledge his

existence)

Look, I'm asking a simple question.

Have we hit Nostrand Avenue? I fell

asleep.

WOMAN:

(speaking with a Puerto

Rican accent)

I no from around here.

JACOB:

(glad for a response)

Yeah, you and everyone else.

JACOB walks to the other end of the car and sits down. The

only other passenger is an OLD MAN lying asleep on the

fiberglass bench. Occasionally his body shudders. It is the

only sign of life in him.

The train begins to slow down. JACOB peers out of the

window. Nostrand Avenue signs appear. He is relieved. He

gets up and grabs hold of the overhead bar.

The OLD MAN shudders and stretches out on the seat. As he

adjusts his position, tugging at his coat, JACOB catches a

brief glimpse of something protruding from beneath the

coat's hem. His eyes fixate on the spot, waiting for another

look. There is a slight movement and it appears - a long,

red, fleshy protuberance. The sight of it sends shivers up

JACOB's spine. It looks strangely like a tail. Only the

stopping of the train breaks JACOB's stare.

INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT

JACOB is the only passenger getting off. The doors close

quickly behind him. He glances at the LADY sitting by the

window. There is a fearful expression on her face as the

train carries her back into the dark tunnel, out of his

sight.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes