Monkeybone Page #9

MONKEYBONE cowers in fear as the REAPER gets up, shaking a fist at them.

But STU isn't intimidated. He grabs another ball and winds up.

MONKEYBONE:

Stu? Stu? I think weve got this backwards. Your

behavior...is disturbing me.

The REAPER, scared shitless, jumps back on his bike and PEDALS OFF as

the ball whizzes past. STU starts chasing after him!

The REAPER turns down a side street and pedals up an incline - one of

the "fingers" of the hand that holds Dark Town. When the bike hits the

end of the finger, it TAKES OFF into the void and KEEPS ON GOING.

STU:

That's right. Run! And don't come back unless

you've got my e-ticket!!

The REAPER vanishes. STU sits dejectedly on the edge of the curb.

STU:

Who am I kidding? I'm never gonna get out of

here. I'll never see her again.

Just then, a multi-armed MESSENGER BOY in royal livery toodles past on a

CHILD'S SCOOTER. He stops...

MESSENGER BOY:

Miley? Stu Miley?

STU looks up. Six arms reach into six pockets. Finally the MESSENGER

finds an ENVELOPE and hands it over. Inside is an ENGRAVED INVITATION:

YOU Are Invited to a

PAJAMA PARTY:

at HYPNOS' HIDEAWAY

Penthouse Suite - 10 PM Sharp

"If You Snooze, You Lose"

STU'S EYES widen with excitement as the MESSENGER scoots off.

STU:

Hypnos! The god of nightmares! Do you know what

this means, Monkeybone? He's finally going to

hear my case. I'm going home!

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. STU'S PRIVATE ROOM - MORNING

As she's done every morning for the last three months, JULIE brushes

STU'S TEETH. Although she looks a bit more worn and haggard than when we

saw her last, she always affects a cheerful manner around STU - on the

off chance that he might be aware of her presence.

She packs the toothbrush away, runs a hand along his stubbly cheek.

JULIE:

I think we can go another day without shaving.

Long as you don't look like you're growing one

of those stupid little goatees.

She opens up the entertainment section of the daily newspaper.

JULIE:

Hey, there's an article about the Monkeybone

show. They've run that one episode about eight

times now. Herb says it gets higher ratings

every time...they're hoping you'll give 'em some

new material soon...

(long, bored pause)

Wanna hear another joke?

She refolds the paper and reaches into a bedside drawer for a paperback

entitled The Book of Raunch. She pages through it for a moment.

JULIE:

Okay...let me see...here we go. A plane full of

explorers crashlands in New Guinea; they are

captured by a cannibal tribe and taken to the

chief's hut, where...wait a minute. I know this

one...

(reading ahead)

You stinker! You swiped this joke for a

Monkeybone strip!

She whacks him on the arm with the book. No response at all.

JULIE:

Okay. Let's try again. Why did the pervert cross

the road?

The sound of SOBBING interrupts her joke. She looks up and sees KIMMY

standing in the doorway, red-eyed and crying.

JULIE:

Kimmy! What's the matter?

KIMMY:

This is hard for me, Julie...very hard...but

it's been three months now, and...

(long pause)

I gave the order.

JULIE just stares at her for a beat or two, refusing to understand. Then

it sinks in. Her hand goes to her mouth in horror and grief.

FADE THROUGH TO:

EXT. HYPNOSPIRE - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT

CAMERA TRACKS up the seemingly endless length of the HYPNOSPIRE - up,

up, THROUGH a heavy layer of clouds, to the ROTATING PENTHOUSE DOME of

the building...

...which is festooned with oodles of 18-INCH DSS SATELLITE DISHES.

INT. HYP'S HIDEAWAY - NIGHT

ELEVATOR DOORS open, and we glide into the swank, swingin', space-age

bachelor pad of HYPNOS, God of Sleep. A giant flying CUPID welcomes us,

tiny bumblebee wings somehow keeping his vast bulk aloft.

HYP'S HIDEAWAY occupies the entire penthouse floor, and there's always a

party in full effect. A rotating disco ball flashes colored light on

walls, floors, and ceilings covered with shockadelic OP-ART PATTERNS.

MONKEYBONE:

Now this...is livin'.

Of course, a party needs party animals - and the DARKTOWNERS on the

scene are in fine fettle, working up a sweat on the dance floor. DJ

SLEEPY ZZZ'S has three turntables spinning at once.

As STU wanders through, he gets a big surprise. Reproductions of his old

NIGHTMARE PAINTINGS are hanging on the walls! They've been turned into

ONE-SHEETS for the coming attractions at the Morpheum.

MONKEYBONE:

Y'call that art? Why, my three-year-old can

paint better than that.

STU:

Like you'd know. You started out on the back of

a napkin, you little...doodle.

Scowling at each other, the boys turn their backs and part ways. We

follow MONKEYBONE to the wet bar, where he almost immediately bumps into

a statuesque GORGON with a full head of writhing SNAKES.

MONKEYBONE:

Hey! Like the do. So tell me, are you a, uhh...

natural snakehead?

GORGON:

Only fifty dollars to find out.

MONKEYBONE:

Fifty dollars?! Bite me!

GORGON:

You got it, big boy.

He grins and shrugs: what the hell. As they head for a back room, the

BARTENDER hands him a SNAKEBITE KIT.

A look of apprehension crosses MONKEYBONE's face. But before he can

change his mind, the GORGON'S HAND yanks him out of frame.

STU, meanwhile, is crossing the dance floor, moving among glittering

animal-people who DANCE in their bizarre, uninhibited way. A FIVE-LEGGED

WOMAN - the bottom half of her body a big human HAND - SMILES at STU as

he passes. He tries to talk to her, but she's dancing, and with five

constantly moving legs it's difficult to get in close.

STU:

Say, have you seen Mr. Hypnos?

HAND WOMAN:

Hyp? He was here a while ago. Aren't you Stu

Miley? The nightmare guy?

STU grins meekly, nods yes. She pulls him over to dance.

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