Lake Placid Page #6

HECTOR:

That hurt my feelings.

And it did a little. Hector is a big Teddy Bear.

JACK:

(arriving)

If we're gonna go we better go.

CUT TO:

EXT. LAKE - SUNSET

Keough and Kelly are in one canoe, Hector and Jack are alongside

in another. Hector is operating one of his sophisticated sonar

devices. The calm. The still. The beauty.

HECTOR:

If he's here, I'll find him.

(to Jack, re Kelly)

Did she tell you we had sex

together?

KELLY:

I never had sex with you!

HECTOR:

Even so, you're allowed to boast.

You look thin by the way, I've

mentally undressed you, I can see

your ribcage.

KEOUGH:

I really don't mean to be

discourteous.

(patronizing)

But how is it a person could come

to believe that a crocodile is in

New England?

HECTOR:

They have saltwater glands, they

can swim across oceans, it's only

a matter of time.

KEOUGH:

And what would he do come winter?

HECTOR:

They can survive winter. As long

as their nostrils don't freeze,

they survive,

(to Kelly)

am I foolish to explain things, he

had such trouble with my name?

KELLY KEOUGH

(scolding) Hey.

Hector.

HECTOR:

(to Keough)

Is this where it happened?

KEOUGH:

Around here. Yeah.

HECTOR:

(knows his crocodiles)

If he's eaten in the area, he

shouldn't be far away. Crocs hang

around the food source.

KELLY:

But they're nighttime hunters,

Hector, he'd probably be on land

now anyway.

HECTOR:

'Cept he wasn't before, was he?

(then to Keough)

You know, when friends or family

members say things, they tend not

to register so sometimes it helps

to hear it from a total stranger.

You're fat.

KELLY:

Hector.

Suddenly there are ripples, fish breaking surface about thirty

feet away.

JACK:

What's that?

KEOUGH:

White perch.

JACK:

Are they feeding?

KEOUGH:

Doesn't look like it.

JACK:

They look like they're jumping.

KELLY:

They look scared.

Upon which something grabs the front of Kelly's canoe and with

one crisp yank, flips it over like a spoon on a dinner table,

sending them all flying.

In an instant, Keough and Kelly are swimming for their lives.

Screaming/yelling, they scramble for the canoe, climb onto it's

flipped-over back. Breathless, they all exchange confused

looks. "What the hell happened"?

KELLY (CONT'D)

My hair.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAMPSITE - SUNDOWN

Kelly, still in wet clothes, is talking on her portable phone.

Keough is there as Hector approaches. Jack is approaching as

well. Activity bustles in the b.g.

KELLY:

(into her phone)

None of us actually saw anything.

(then)

I realize this Sir, but something

flipped us over, I doubt very much

it was a mink.

HECTOR:

What's going on?

KEOUGH:

They don't believe her.

KELLY:

(still into phone)

Thank you, it's so rewarding to

imagine my tax dollar finding its

way to you, you F***er.

(she clicks off)

HECTOR:

Such the flirt.

KELLY:

U.S. Wildlife won't send anybody

without a confirmation.

JACK:

Same thing from Fish And Game.

KELLY:

Something's in that water.

JACK:

Well until we see it, we're not

gonna be convincing too many

people.

As DEPUTY SHARON GARE approaches--

GARE (O.S.)

(calling)

Sheriff.

Keough looks over.

GARE:

(pointing to the ground)

You might want to see this.

They all walk over.

ANGLE THE GROUND

There's hundreds, maybe a thousand worms squirming,

surrounding... a human toe.

KELLY (O.S.)

Oh God, worms. I got a thing about

worms.

RESUME:

GARE:

It's a human toe.

Hector studies it, picks it up. Then--

HECTOR:

Some decomposition, little acidic,

it has been swallowed.

(to Keough; holding the

toe)

Is this the man who was killed?

Keough deadpans back. Then--

KEOUGH:

We'd only just met.

HECTOR:

Well, you've got a croc alright,

they're keystone species.

KEOUGH:

Keystone what?

HECTOR:

Species, keystones affect the

entire ecosystem, that could

explain all these worms, the water.

You've got a crocodile.

(proffering the toe)

Bury your friend.

Hector gives the toe to Keough, then heads off. Keough stands

there, holding the tow, as we:

DISSOLVE TO:

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