Monkeybone Page #15

Dark Town!! By now they're well out onto the turnaround. STU pedals

frantically, BOUNCING over tracks and ties. MONKEYBONE bites his

fingernails down to the quick as he watches the column of REAPERS

pursuing them onto the tracks.

INT. OFFICE - ON DEATH

watching through a crooked spyglass as the boys pedal down the tracks.

DEATH:

Now we've got 'em.

Petting his hellhound, he reaches for a WALL SWITCH.

EXT. TRAINYARD - HIGH ANGLE

The boys are almost at the Dark Town tunnel. The REAPERS, on foot, will

never be able to catch them. But as they pick up speed for the stretch

run, the GROUND begins to move beneath them!

DEATH has activated the TRAIN TURNAROUND - the rotating platform at the

end of the line which allows an engine to reverse direction. Before they

know it, they're doing a full 180!

EXT. TRAINYARD - ON BICYCLE

The boys continue to bounce down the tracks - but the tunnel entrances

seem to be SPINNING before their eyes. Before they know it, they're

pedaling directly TOWARD the mob of ANGRY REAPERS!!

MONKEYBONE:

Weren't we just here?

STU jerks the handlebars HARD RIGHT and JUMPS THE TRACK he's on. He

WINCES IN PAIN as the bike BOUNCES over a series of rails...

MONKEYBONE:

What'd I tell you? You go to the Land of Death,

wear a jockstrap!

EXT. TRAINYARD - HIGH ANGLE

The REAPERS are SPREADING OUT around the turntable - encircling it! STU

rides around the periphery of the great turning platter, but there's no

getting off. They're completely surrounded!

EXT. TRAINYARD - ON BICYCLE

MONKEYBONE covers both eyes and wails in fear. But STU is rattling the

ignition switch, making ONE LAST EFFORT to get the bike aloft...

THE ENGINE CATCHES. Trailing black fumes, the BICYCLE RISES! The REAPERS

converge in its path, and RAISE THEIR SCYTHES...

But the bike JUST MANAGES TO CLEAR the tangle of scythes - leaving the

REAPERS slicing at empty air!

INT. OFFICE - ON DEATH

Through the big window, he sees the boys leveling off, flying toward the

DARK TOWN TUNNEL. They're moments away from a clean escape.

INT. STU'S ROOM - NIGHT

STU's readout monitors are registering frantic nightmare activity when

JULIE and ALICE enter. JULIE sets her purse on STU's bedside table -

removes a SYRINGE and a test tube filled with PURPLISH FLUID.

JULIE:

What's the maximum safe dose?

ALICE:

Most we've ever used is half a CC.

JULIE:

Five CC's.

CLOSEUP - DEATH

He unlocks a RED SECURITY BOX on his wall. Inside is a TOGGLE SWITCH

labelled "FATE WORSE THAN DEATH." He flips it...

CLOSEUP - THE SYRINGE

The plunger goes down, injecting fluid into STU...

EXT. TRAINYARD - ON FLYING BIKE

MONKEYBONE is sitting on STU's shoulder, facing backward, thumbing his

nose at the REAPERS. STU glances back as well, laughing, unable to

believe his own good luck.

Since they're both looking the wrong way, neither of them sees the

sheer, monolithic WALL rising up DIRECTLY IN THEIR PATH.

It's no ordinary wall. It's STU'S PAINTING - the one ALICE found in the

closet, the wolf-surgeon canvas from his scary period -

- and as the bicycle SLAMS INTO IT, it begins to TOPPLE OVER - PINNING

STU against the ground underneath!

STU'S DREAMSCAPE

No bike. No monkey. Just STU - who finds himself on an operating table,

with the world of the painting coming to 3-D life around him. The WOLF-

FACED SURGEONS are closing in on him, baring their fangs, brandishing

their scalpels and their metallic REPLACEMENT PARTS...

Suddenly the fabric of this weird reality TEARS - just like a rip in a

canvas. A FURRY PAW reaches through - GRABS STU by the hand...

MONKEYBONE:

This ain't my nightmare!

EXT. TRAINYARD - JUST OUTSIDE TUNNEL

MONKEYBONE PULLS STU through the rip in the back of the giant toppled

canvas. The bike's there waiting. They hop aboard and pedal off INTO THE

DARK TOWN TUNNEL a split-second before the REAPERS arrive to slice them

to ribbons.

INT. DARK TOWN TUNNEL - ON BICYCLE

STU pedals so hard his heart is about to burst. He feels down at his

side - the yellow pouch containing the E-ticket is still there. The

REAPERS are clustered at the mouth of the tunnel, but they aren't

following.

The boys WEEP WITH GLEE. It's a miracle - they've cheated Death!

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DARK TOWN GATES - NIGHT

An exhausted STU huffs and puffs as he pedals the bike up the last

stretch of track to the platform outside the gates. He climbs off the

bike and stares back - it looks like the last thousand miles or so have

all been uphill. He slings the YELLOW POUCH over his shoulder...

STU:

You saved my life, Monkeybone. I never would've

made it without you.

MONKEYBONE:

Move it. We got exactly five minutes left.

STU:

It's just...now that I'm leaving, I feel like

there's lots of things I haven't said. Who's

gonna look out for you? Are you gonna be okay

when I'm gone?

MONKEYBONE:

Oh, don't you worry. I'll be fine.

STU:

You've been a hell of a figment, pal. I sure

wish I could take you home with me.

The gates slide open. STU passes through. But MONKEYBONE lingers behind

a moment - just long enough for one of the SINGING SPHINXES to slip him

a big, nasty BASEBALL BAT.

MONKEYBONE:

Awwww. Worried about my feelings, are you? Well,

there's a new twist.

STU:

Don't joke around, little buddy. I mean it. I

really do love y--

He turns - and MONKEYBONE MARK McGWIRES HIM upside the head! STU

crumples in a heap...

MONKEYBONE:

Love you too. Boss.

Laughing maniacally, MONKEYBONE STEALS the E-TICKET and goes RACING OFF

DOWN THE MIDWAY!!

STU'S HEAD is swimming. It takes him a few seconds, but he gets to his

feet. By now, MONKEYBONE is halfway to the E-ticket ride. Worse yet,

STU'S WATCH reads 8:59 AM!!!

STU:

Stop! Monkeybone! Please!!

EXT. DARK TOWN PLAZA - NIGHT

The STREETS ARE LINED with Darktowners ROOTING MONKEYBONE ON as if he's

the hometown favorite in a big footrace. Which he is.

MONKEYBONE reaches the E-TICKET RIDE - drops his E-TICKET into the

receptacle at the gate. The drawbridge lowers...

As STU sprints down the street, the SNAIL MAN oozes into his path - and

TRIPS HIM! Before he can get up, cackling DARKTOWNERS converge on him -

forcing him back to the ground and HOLDING HIM THERE.

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