Lake Placid Page #14

KEOUGH:

So does he.

KELLY:

(obsessing)

I'm gonna get ticks. I know it.

They're drawn to me. I got a thing

about ticks.

JACK:

(quickly)

Ssssh!

KELLY:

What?

JACK:

I heard something.

He's staring at a brush thicket. After a beat, we HEAR a slight

RUSTLE. The guns go up quickly. A beat. Nothing. Jack bends

down, picks up a stone. Tosses it into the thicket. And out it

charges. Kelly screams, they're all about to fire before they

realize it's only a beaver. It scurries into the water.

KELLY:

(trying to gather herself)

Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t.

KEOUGH:

(suddenly)

Look.

ANGLE A GIANT PAW PRINT

embedded in the mud. It must be two feet in diameter.

RESUME:

JACK:

(to Keough)

Guard the water.

Kelly and Jack go quickly to examine the print.

JACK (CONT'D)

That's pretty big.

EXT. LAKE - CONTINUOUS

The chopper is descending. Hector and Gare are inside.

GARE:

It seems like we're getting lower.

HECTOR:

It happens when I land.

GARE:

Why are we landing?

HECTOR:

'Cause this is the cove he

obviously lives in.

GARE:

(alarmed)

So why are we landing?

(then)

Hector.

EXT. SHORE - CONTINUOUS

Kelly and Jack are still working on the footprint. Physical

proximity, which they're both a little distracted by.

KELLY:

Thing we can lift it?

JACK:

Maybe. Don't mush it.

KELLY:

(annoyed)

I'm not mushing it.

JACK:

You're mushing it a little around

the--

KELLY:

I'm not mushing it.

Suddenly another beaver scurries out from underfoot, scaring all

of them, but particularly Kelly who jumps. Her foot lands on a

long extended branch, and even more suddenly Burke's severed

head seesaws out of the shallow water, hitting her in the shin.

She screams as they all jump back.

ANGLE THE HEAD:

RESUME:

They just stare, as Kelly continues to scream.

JACK:

(holding her)

Okay. Okay. Okay.

KELLY:

That is it!!

JACK:

Really--

KELLY:

No. I keep getting hit with heads!

JACK:

(holding her shoulders)

Calm down.

KELLY:

You calm down!

JACK:

Calm down.

She takes a couple of calming breaths.

KELLY:

I'm being very calm. I'm composed.

This is the second time I've been

hit with a severed head, I'm

entitled to complain.

STEVENS:

(re the head)

Is that uh...

KEOUGH:

I can't recognize him from the

back. It looks like him.

Keough takes a stick. Squeamish, he tentatively pokes the head,

trying to turn it over.

ANGLE THE HEAD:

It is Burke.

RESUME:

Keough leans in for a closer look.

KEOUGH:

That's him.

(re something)

What the...?

Something appears to be in his mouth. Keough takes a small

twig, pries back a cheek... the mouth is full of worms.

KEOUGH (CONT'D)

Now I'm gonna puke.

JACK:

(seeing something)

You gotta be kidding.

KELLY:

What?

JACK:

(pointing)

Look.

THEIR P.O.V.

About a hundred yards north, Mrs. Bickerman is leading a

blindfolded cow to the water.

RESUME:

Kelly raises her binoculars. So does Jack.

KELLY:

What is she doing now?

(then)

Mother of God.

KEOUGH:

What?

KELLY:

Look ten feet into the water.

THEIR P.O.V.

There waiting... mouth fully open... is the f***ing crocodile.

RESUME:

Kelly, Jack, and Keough, as they lower their scopes. They look

at each other, then back at the foregoing.

EXT. BICKERMAN HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Mrs. Bickerman, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is happily leading

the blinded cow to the shore. The cow, tentative, just allows

itself to be led, not knowing what the plan is. As Mrs.

Bickerman gets to the water, she looks out to the croc.

BICKERMAN:

Come and get it.

And with that, she whips the hind of the cow causing it to jump

forward. Almost simultaneously, the croc makes its charge and

the cow is dead before it has a clue.

CUT TO:

ANGLE JACK, KEOUGH, AND KELLY

utterly agape. After a long beat:

CUT TO:

INT. BICKERMAN HOUSE - DAY

Keough, Kelly, and Jack are questioning a slightly hostile Mrs.

Bickerman.

BICKERMAN:

(indignant)

I haven't broken any laws.

KEOUGH:

(bordering on

condescension)

Oh, but you have, Ma'am. You lied

to us, that could be obstruction of

justice. A man's been killed in

part 'cause of your silence, I

could make out a charge of reckless

endangerment and I'm sure PETA

would be annoyed at how you treat

your cows.

BICKERMAN:

The reason I lied is if I'd told

you the truth, you'd just hunt it

down and kill it which seems to be

exactly what you're doing.

KELLY:

How long have you been feeding this

thing?

Rate this script:3.3 / 3 votes