Lou Page #17

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ANGLE ON VEE-

She has scooted beneath a tree, hiding under the boughs of an

enormous fir.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

(to himself)

Where did I go wrong with her?

-VEE’S POV:
Philip’s boots circle the tree she’s hiding

under.

96.

PHILIP (O.C.) (CONT’D)

(yelling)

Promises are important Vee. They

keep us from behaving like animals.

But I’m going to go ahead and chalk

this up to a learning experience.

Philip’s boots disappear from view. Vee breathes a sigh of

relief UNTIL Philip jerks up the pine bough, revealing Vee’s

hiding spot.

She scrambles away from him, running. Philip picks up a

forgotten Mr. Hippo, amused. He looks back at Vee -- that’s

when he sees it.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Vee! Stop! Right now! Or Mr. Hippo

gets hurt.

His grave tone stops Vee dead in her tracks. She looks down

and finds herself inches away from a gaping, rusty metal BEAR

TRAP, forgotten by a hunter long ago.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Don’t move. Or I’ll hurt him.

Vee’s eyes widen. She watches Philip approach.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Be still.

He reaches down, gently picking her up.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Hey, it’s okay. Look at me. Let me

see those pretty eyes.

Vee looks up, simultaneously whipping her small hand across

his face, leaving a red streak of TORN FLESH.

Philip stumbles, surprised, still holding onto Vee but

dropping Mr. Hippo. His foot lands INCHES from the jaws of

the bear trap.

He gives Vee an angry shake. A piece of the BROKEN PLASTIC

WINDOW drops from her hand. Blood drips down Philip’s face.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Why’d you do it Vee? Why? We were

having a good time.

(he drops her)

Answer me!

97.

VEE:

(from the ground)

I wanted to kill you with the

kindness.

Philip looks up at the sky, trying to calm down. While he

does this, Vee’s little hand searches for -- a ROCK.

Regaining himself, Philip bends down to Vee’s level, placing

his right hand on a nearby boulder.

PHILIP:

It’s not your fault. I don’t know

what your mother’s been teaching

you but that’s really f***ed up.

Vee takes the rock and slams it on top of Philip’s hand,

CRUSHING it on the boulder. Philip SCREAMS.

He grabs Vee, SLINGING her over his shoulder. Vee sees Mr.

Hippo lying on the ground.

VEE:

Mr. Hippo!

Philip turns, STOMPING on the soft animal with his heavy

boot, crushing his face into the earth.

PHILIP:

Actions have consequences Vee. It’s

about time you learned that.

EXT. CLIFF (LOU) - MORNING

Lou rests against the rock face, almost at the top. She looks

down at the ground. She’s high enough that a fall would kill

her. All she has to do is let go.

She SIGHS. Then uses her legs to push herself over the edge.

EXT. OCEAN (FRIDAY HARBOR) - MORNING

It’s a peaceful morning by the water. Waves, sunshine,

tranquility, until--

--in the distance, a LARGE BLACK ZODIAC with a WHINING MOTOR

speeds by the harbor creating a TUMULTUOUS WAKE.

EXT. BLACK ZODIAC (FRIDAY HARBOR) - CONTINUOUS

A SPECIAL OPS TEAM dressed in military tactical gear sit on

the boat’s floor. They pass around a LAMINATED SHEET. The

back has Philip’s PHOTO on it. The front has a photo of a

YOUNGER LOU. Beneath it reads: OPERATION HOAGIE.

98.

The UNIT LEADER stands up. He’s identified by a RAMBO LIKE

BANDANA. He looks at the shore with a pair of binoculars.

-BINOCULAR POV:
Rita and Mr. Lancaster, the bank manager, are

on the beach, rolling around on a brightly colored towel.

EXT. BEACH (FRIDAY HARBOR) - CONTINUOUS

Rita pauses their romp on the beach. She wants to talk.

RITA:

I missed you so much.

MR. LANCASTER

Me too. Me too.

Rita senses insincerity. She sits up, her shirt’s pulled down

to her waist, exposing her bra.

RITA:

Being alone during that storm put a

lot of things into perspective for

me. Mainly, I don’t like being

alone.

MR. LANCASTER

You’re not alone. You’ve got --

you’ve got your work at the bank.

Rita grabs a handful of sand and throws it into his face.

-BINOCULAR POV:
Rita stands, pulls up her shirt, then yanks

the towel out from under Mr. Lancaster, sending him toppling

onto the beach.

ANGLE ON BOAT-

The Unit Leader lowers his binoculars as the boat disappears

around the coast line.

EXT. FIR GLEN (HANNAH) - DAY

Hannah walks among the Christmas trees, checking her compass,

looking less confident in her decision to leave Lou behind.

Jax is nearby, rubbing his hind quarters on a tree trunk.

Somewhere in the woods a BRANCH BREAKS. Hannah’s hand jumps

to her KNIFE. Jax’s EYES NARROW but he keeps scratching.

Hannah turns, looking for the source of the noise and steps

directly onto Mr. Hippo. Excited, she picks him up, showing

Jax.

99.

HANNAH:

Vee’s here! Find her Jax!

Jax sniffs the toy. Then the air. But doesn’t move.

HANNAH (CONT’D)

Go find her!

Jax still doesn’t move.

Hannah tucks Mr. Hippo into her shirt so his head PEEKS over

her collar. She begins running through the trees.

HANNAH (CONT’D)

Vee? You here? Vee! Where are you?

Mommy’s here!

Silence. Hannah’s desperate now.

HANNAH (CONT’D)

Vee! Vee!

We see the rusty, old BEAR TRAP. Hannah does not. Jax BARKS

but it’s too late.

SNAP!

EXT. WOODS (LOU) - CONTINUOUS

Lou has finished the climb. Without the coordinates, she’s

forced to squint at the ground, following Hannah’s tracks

until she hears-DISTANT

SCREAMING.

Lou starts running.

EXT. WOODS (PHILIP AND VEE) - CONTINUOUS

Philip turns in the direction of Hannah’s SCREAMS. His jaw

tightens. This was not in the plan. He’s no longer the calm

man we saw last night.

Vee BANGS on the playhouse door.

VEE (O.C.)

Let me out!

Her little hand reaches through the broken window.

PHILIP:

I can’t take it Vee, I just can’t

take it. You’ve got to shut up.

100.

He KICKS the wall of the playhouse near the window. Vee’s

hand quickly disappears back inside.

EXT. WOODS (BEAR TRAP) - DAY

Lou runs through the trees until she sees Jax. She follows

him as he leads her to Hannah.

Hannah’s leg is caught in the trap’s teeth. Years of rust

have prevented it from fully closing. The leg’s a mess but

her bone’s still intact.

HANNAH:

It’s bad, Lou.

Lou tightens her belt around Hannah’s thigh.

LOU:

Hm. It’s not too bad.

HANNAH:

That’s only something people say

when it’s real bad.

Hannah CHUCKLES, clearly in the throes of numbing adrenaline.

Lou jams a rock between the jaws of the bear trap to keep it

from shutting further.

LOU:

I’ll come back. Give me the

coordinates.

Ignoring her, Hannah grits her teeth and yanks on her trapped

leg. The pain’s spectacular now. Lou realizes her only option

is to help.

LOU (CONT’D)

On three, you pull. One, two,

three-

Lou pulls on the upper jaw of the trap, giving Hannah a few

more precious millimeters. The teeth cling to Hannah’s flesh,

ripping it further as she extracts her leg. She’s free.

LOU (CONT’D)

Hannah. I need the coordinates.

Beat. Hannah knows Lou is Vee’s only hope.

HANNAH:

Keep going north, to the shore.

We’re close. You need to get there

first.

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