Lost Highway Page #9

FOREMAN:

We the jury find the defendant guilty

of murder in the first degree.

Fred faints. He is lifted up by his ATTORNEY and GUARDS in

attendance. Fred revives slightly.

JUDGE:

Fred Madison, the jury having found

you guilty of murder in the first

degree, it is my order that on a

date to be determined, you be put to

death in the electric chair.

We see Fred's eyes roll open as he cranes his neck around

and upwards, looking at the video camera high on the wall of

the courtroom, pointing down on him.

CUT TO:

INT. LINGERIE SHOP - DAY

MARIAN and RAQUEL, two exquisite young women, are looking

over the merchandise.

RAQUEL:

Did you see that about the guy who

chopped up his wife into a million

pieces?

MARIAN:

How could I miss it? The TV won't

quit with that stuff.

RAQUEL:

They're gonna cook him.

MARIAN:

Andy's from Utah. He says there you

have a choice... You can die by

hanging or by firing squad.

RAQUEL:

Which would you choose?

Marian holds up a black teddy to her body.

MARIAN:

Andy would go for this, don't you

think?... Firing squad, definitely.

RAQUEL:

Do they aim for the head or for the

heart?

MARIAN:

The heart, I guess.

RAQUEL:

I wouldn't... The brain would know

what's going on. Your heart would be

ripped open trying to pump blood,

blood pouring into the chest cavity.

Savage pain, Marian.

Raquel takes a red teddy and holds it up to her chest.

MARIAN:

Oh, that's hot... So you'd rather be

hung, huh?

They both giggle at the obvious joke.

RAQUEL:

Absolutely... Soon as your neck snaps,

you black out. It might take a while

for the body to die, but you wouldn't

feel it.

Marian reaches for a pair of panties with a hole in the

crotch.

MARIAN:

You might be right, Raquel.

Marian sticks a finger through the hole in the panties and

wiggles it. The girls giggle. Raquel sees Andy walking into

the store. He is sneaking up behind Marian, and motions with

a finger to his lips to Raquel not to say anything. When

Andy gets directly behind Marian, he puts his hands over her

eyes.

ANDY:

Guess who?

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON - DEATH ROW - DAY

Fred, in the custody of GUARDS, wearing handcuffs and leg

irons, is being escorted to his cell. He appears zombie-like

as the guards open the cell door, unlock and remove his

shackles, and lock him in.

GUARD:

Make yourself to home, fella.

The guards leave. Fred stands near the cell door, begins to

look around at the four walls, the single cot, the wash basin,

and the toilet bowl without a seat. He hears the muffled,

DISTORTED NOISES - VOICES from the surrounding cells. Lost

voices - the voices of death row. Fred realizes where he is

now. He walks over to the cot and slowly sinks down and sits

on the edge. Fred perched on the cot in his cell resembles a

man adrift on a tiny raft in the middle of an ocean.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. PRISON - DEATH ROW - DAY

A TRUSTEE is pushing a meal cart along the row. At each door,

the Trustee stops and takes a tray off the cart. He shoves

the meal tray through a slot in the door. We watch him

distribute the trays down the long row of cells.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON - DEATH ROW HALLWAY - NIGHT

The hallway is quiet - distant sounds reverberate.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON - FRED'S CELL - DAY

Fred sits on the edge of his bed, a tray of prison food sits

on the floor - uneaten.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON - FRED'S CELL - NIGHT

Fred lies awake on his cot - he stares at the ceiling.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON - DEATH ROW HALLWAY - NIGHT

The hallway is quiet - distant sounds reverberate.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRISON - EXERCISE YARD - DAY

This is a small narrow yard, not the large exercise yard for

population. This yard is for use by death row prisoners only,

to exercise in one hour each day, by himself. Fred is released

into the area, which is more like a dog run. The Guards watch

Fred as he walks slowly up and down the exercise yard.

CUT TO:

INT. PRISON - DEATH ROW - NIGHT

There is more activity on the row tonight than usual. A COUPLE

of MEN in suits walk through with an air of authority.

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