Lou Page #6

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INT. HUNTING SHACK (WOODS) - EARLY MORNING

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Philip’s watch goes off in the darkness. The LANTERN turns

on. It levitates through the shack toward the playhouse.

Philip slides the lock and opens the door. Vee wakes up,

frowning at him, shielding her eyes from the light.

29.

VEE:

Go away.

PHILIP:

You don’t have to be scared.

VEE:

I’m not.

PHILIP:

Do you want to come out?

VEE:

No.

PHILIP:

Why not?

Vee begins to cry. Philip is crushed but he keeps trying.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

I’ve got something for you.

He disappears. Vee sniffles. Suddenly, Mr. Hippo appears in

the doorway.

PHILIP (O.C.) (CONT’D)

(British accent)

Why hello Vee! It’s time for

breakfast! Would you like some tea?

Or, perhaps, a biscuit?

Vee grabs the toy from Philip.

VEE:

He doesn’t talk like that. And he

doesn’t like tea.

PHILIP:

Well, does he like cookies?

Philip holds up Lou’s PLATE OF COOKIES, stolen from the

counter last night. Vee eyes them, tempted.

VEE:

Those are Lou’s.

PHILIP:

She won’t mind if we have one.

Vee reaches forward, grabbing a cookie. And immediately

retreats to the back of the playhouse to glare at Philip. She

looks like an angry, trapped raccoon.

30.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

I know you don’t know me but I’m a

friend, just like-

He points at her stuffed toy.

VEE:

His name is Mr. Hippo.

PHILIP:

-- I’m a friend just like Mr.

Hippo. This is an adventure, Vee. A

great big, fun adventure which ends

with us finding Mom. How does that

sound?

Vee shrugs and pulls her pink blanket over her head.

EXT. WOODS (LOU AND HANNAH) - EARLY MORNING

Lou and Hannah trek through the woods. Lou leads, scanning

the horizon. Hannah follows with Jax, his white garbage bag

brown with mud. Having walked all night, they look exhausted.

HANNAH:

How much longer till we get there?

Lou pauses to check the compass hanging around her neck. Then

resumes walking. She doesn’t bother answering Hannah.

HANNAH (CONT’D)

I just want to know when I’m going

to see Vee.

(beat)

Why’d you bring me if you aren’t

going to talk to me?

LOU:

I didn’t.

HANNAH:

You didn’t what?

LOU:

Bring you. You decided to come.

Lou hits the side of her leg, signalling for Jax to join her

up front. He picks up the pace, trotting toward her.

HANNAH:

We should get to know one another.

I don’t know a thing about you.

31.

LOU:

(under her breath)

God help me.

Hannah hears this and pounces.

HANNAH:

See? Right there. I didn’t know you

were religious. Had no idea.

LOU:

I’m not religious.

HANNAH:

Me neither! I mean, I received

communion. But it didn’t stick.

Wasn’t too good at that whole state

of grace thing. Hey Lou? You got

any kids?

Lou addresses Hannah but she doesn’t turn around.

LOU:

We don’t need to know one another

to get Vee back. In fact, it’s

better if we don’t.

HANNAH:

Just making small talk.

(beat)

Wait. What do you mean “better”?

LOU:

I already know everything I need to

know. Additional information will

only confuse things.

HANNAH:

Isn’t knowing half the battle?

LOU:

The losing half.

Then Lou STOPS. Thinking. Maybe Hannah’s right?

LOU (CONT’D)

Actually, there is something you

can help me with.

HANNAH:

Yeah?

32.

LOU:

I don’t know how Vee will react to

this. To being taken. What do you

think she’ll do?

HANNAH:

She’ll fight. She’ll try to get

away. She’s feisty. Like me.

LOU:

And what if he’s nice to her?

HANNAH:

It could make a difference. She

likes attention. She also gets that

from me.

The wheels in Hannah’s head begin to spin.

HANNAH (CONT’D)

You think I should have gotten Vee

baptized? Maybe I should have, just

in case. You know? Just in case? I

should have done it.

LOU:

A little water on the forehead

isn’t going to help her now.

Hannah SNIFFLES. Tears are imminent. Lou realizes she’s said

the wrong thing. She MOTIONS to Jax. He reaches over and NIPS

Hannah’s leg.

She straightens up and keeps walking. Crisis adverted.

EXT./INT. ROAD/POLICE CRUISER - MORNING

SEVERAL LOCAL MEN with CHAINSAWS work on dismantling an

ENORMOUS TREE that’s fallen across the road, blocking it

completely. Berry supervises the production, turning as--

Rankin pulls up in his police cruiser. INSIDE -- a picture of

MILDRED, taped to the dashboard, stares into the car. It’s a

J.C. Penny portrait that shows off her classic beauty.

Berry jogs toward cruiser, motioning for Rankin to roll down

the window.

BERRY:

Hey Boss. We got a call at the

station this morning. About a tree

blocking the road.

33.

RANKIN:

(patient)

I can see that.

BERRY:

Well, one of the guy’s got

something interesting to tell ya’

about it, about the tree.

MOMENTS LATER:
Rankin and a LOCAL MAN stare at the TREE

STUMP. It’s cut clean across.

LOCAL MAN:

So we’re about ready to move this

thing but something isn’t right.

This tree. It didn’t fall. This

tree was cut.

RANKIN:

Cut?

LOCAL MAN:

Yeah. Look how clean it is. If it

fell, the stump would be like this--

The Local Man makes a zig zag motion with his chain saw.

Rankin quickly steps back, avoiding the blade.

LOCAL MAN (CONT’D)

Whoever did it, did a real good job

too. Fell right where he wanted it.

Across the road I guess. Why’d

someone cut a tree down in a storm?

RANKIN:

I suppose they didn’t want anyone

getting by.

BERRY:

(joining them)

Does anyone even live out here?

RANKIN:

Yeah.

BERRY:

Who?

RANKIN:

Lou.

MOMENTS LATER:
Berry watches Rankin’s police cruiser SPEED

past the cut-up tree, in the direction of Lou’s house.

34.

EXT. WOODS (PHILIP AND VEE) - MORNING

Philip walks into frame pulling the playhouse. He maneuvers

the cart with relative ease, considering the rough terrain.

PHILIP:

Hey Vee. If you need to use the

bathroom, just yell, “Hey Buddy! I

got to go!” Okay, Vee?

(beat)

Vee?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. VEE’S PLAYHOUSE (WOODS) - CONTINUOUS

Vee sits cross-legged in the playhouse holding Mr. Hippo’s

face up to the FROSTED PLASTIC WINDOW.

VEE:

What do you see?

She lets Mr. Hippo look before bringing his mouth to her ear.

VEE (CONT’D)

You’re right. He does look mean.

PHILIP (O.C.)

Vee? You hear me?

Vee continues to not answer Philip. She settles back,

bouncing as the wagon moves over the uneven ground.

Philip’s face falls, upset at being ignored. He shrugs.

PHILIP (CONT’D)

Kids.

EXT. DRIVEWAY (LOU’S HOUSE) - MORNING

CLOSE-UP ON:
the SMOULDERING REMAINS of Lou’s truck. CAMERA

PULLS BACK, REVEALING Rankin staring at the burnt mess.

Then he looks down the driveway at the DARK CIRCLE by

Hannah’s trailer.

MOMENTS LATER:
Rankin talks into his CB handset.

RANKIN:

(into hand set)

Berry. Whoever hit the airport has

something to do with...whatever’s

happening up here at Lou’s place.

(MORE)

35.

RANKIN (CONT'D)

We got similar incendiary patterns.

When’s the FBI getting here? Over.

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