Paranormal Activity Page #8

BARBARA:

That’s a good boy, Adam!

Adam stops, something occurring to him.

ADAM:

Mom?

43.

BARBARA:

(very tight) Yes...sweetheart?

ADAM:

This is sort of like my allowance.

BARBARA:

Your allowance?

ADAM:

Yeah, I wanted my allowance just

like you want to get out of the

basement.

BARBARA:

Adammm --

ADAM:

Maybe we should negotiate. You

know, give and take?

EXT. DAIRY FARM --SAME NIGHT

Josh, Athena, Collin, Jim and Ellen, watching Delila

gradually become quieter...and calmer...and then her eyes

return to normal.

JIM:

Will you look at that!

Jim approaches Delila, reaches out, scratches her head. She

huffs contentedly. Jim is too moved to speak. Ellen hugs

Josh, Athena and Collin in turn.

ELLEN:

Thank you! Thank you all so much!

JOSH:

We have to go.

INT. BASEMENT/JOSH’S HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Barbara, on the verge of losing it, listening to Adam.

ADAM (O.S.)

And in the second paragraph where

it says “Adam will pick up his toys

on a daily basis”? I want to amend

that to say, “Mom will pick up

Adam’s toys on a daily basis...

INTERCUT:

INT. HALLWAY/JOSH’S HOUSE --CONTINUOUS

Adam reading his contract.

44.

ADAM:

...and in the section on bicycle

care? I’d like “regular

maintenance to be performed by

Adam” to read “regular maintenance

to be performed by Mom”.

BARBARA:

(explodes) LET ME OUTTTTTT!!

INT. DINING ROOM/STROUDS HOUSE --CONTINUOUS

Ted and LaSandra eating dinner. They hear Barbara yelling.

TED:

What are they doing over there?!

LASANDRA:

Try not to listen to it, Ted. Just

eat your steak.

INT. BASEMENT/JOSH’S HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Barbara still at the door, roaring at Adam.

BARBARA:

IF YOU DON’T LET ME OUT OF HERE

ADAM YOU WILL BE SORREEEE!!

ADAM OS:

I’m sorry, Mom. I’m not going to

negotiate in an atmosphere of

intimidation.

Barbara starts to respond but hears a car ROAR up to the

house. She descends the stairs, crosses to the transom. She

can see the Acura in the driveway, Danni and Cal inside, Cal

yelling at her, Danni about to cry. Barbara snarls.

INT. FOYER/JOSH’S HOUSE --MOMENTS LATER

Danni enters, is met by Adam.

DANNI:

Where’s Mom and Dad?

ADAM:

Dad went out, Mom’s in the

basement.

DANNI:

What’s she doing in the basement?

Following them through the house.

45.

ADAM:

She’s acting really nuts! She’s

been yelling and screaming and

breaking stuff and --

Danni stops, looks at him.

DANNI:

You’ll understand this when you’re

like, older? It’s a girl-thing,

it’s called PMS. (beat) Stop

following me, okay? Go watch TV or

something.

INT. BEDROOM/JOSH’S HOUSE --MOMENTS LATER

Danni enters furtively, sees BARBARA’S HANDBAG.

EXT. FREEWAY --SAME NIGHT

The PCI van zooms past camera.

INT. BASEMENT/JOSH’S HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Barbara at the transom, watching Danni cross from the house

back to the Acura. She gets in, gives Cal some money. Cal

is disappointed with the amount. He yells at her, throws the

bills in her face, then peels out of the driveway.

Barbara bellows, goes into a mindless rage, knocking things

over, dumping out boxes and bins until something clatters to

the cement floor. A CROWBAR.

INT. DEN/STROUDS HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Ted and LaSandra watching TV. They hear a POUNDING sound.

They try to ignore it but the sound continues.

TED:

There’s only so much of this I’m

gonna take.

INT. BASEMENT/JOSH’S HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Barbara working on the door with the crowbar; savagely

pounding and prying at the wood.

INT. HALLWAY/JOSH’S HOUSE --CONTINUING

Adam watching the door get shredded, knows he’s in trouble.

ADAM:

You know what, Mom? We could leave

the contract the same!

46.

EXT. STREET --SAME NIGHT

The PCI van in suburbia now, speeding past camera.

INT. DEN/STROUDS HOUSE --SAME NIGHT

Ted and LaSandra still trying to watch TV, the POUNDING

sounds from next door continuing.

TED:

That’s it. Enough is enough!

LASANDRA:

Don’t get involved over there, Ted.

Just call the police.

TED:

I am the police!

EXT. STROUDS HOUSE --MOMENTS LATER

Ted comes out, crosses towards Josh’s house, LaSandra calling

to him.

LASANDRA:

Be careful, Ted!

The PCI van pulls into the driveway. Josh jumps out, rushes

to his front door, blocking Ted’s path.

JOSH:

Ted! What’s going on?

TED:

It’s your house, Josh, how the hell

would I know?!

Josh hears the POUNDING.

JOSH:

Oh that? Yeah, we’re having a

little work done on the house.

The door opens, Adam there, crying.

ADAM:

Mommy’s got a crowbar!

TED:

(at Josh) Mommy’s got a crowbar?!

JOSH:

She’s a real do-it-yourselfer.

TED:

Get outta my way!

47.

Ted barges past him into the house.

INT. VARIOUS ROOMS --CONTINUOUS

Ted moving through the house, Josh and Adam trailing.

JOSH:

Don’t you need a warrant to come in

here, Ted?

TED:

Not if I have probable cause that a

crime is being committed and Lord

knows I have that!

They arrive at the basement door. It’s completely

demolished. A trail of destruction leads away from them,

down the hall to the open back door. Barbara’s gone.

Ted glares at Josh.

JOSH:

(wanly) She probably went out for

some air.

END ACT 3

ACT 4

INT. CITY BUS --SAME NIGHT

The BUS DRIVER brings the bus to a halt, opens the door.

PASSENGERS get aboard, dropping money in the receptacle as

they pass. Someone goes by without paying.

BUS DRIVER:

Miss? You have to pay the --

The Bus Driver looks in the rearview mirror, sees TWO MOLTEN

ORBS. Barbara’s eyes.

BUS DRIVER:

Never mind.

48.

INT. PCI VAN --SAME NIGHT

Josh driving around the neighborhood, looking for Barbara.

Adam in the shotgun seat, Athena and Collin in the back.

JOSH:

She didn’t say anything about where

she was going?

ADAM:

No.

Favoring Athena and Collin. She glances at him, can see he’s

still chagrined about the way things have unfolded. She

gestures at the M-PAC.

ATHENA:

You know, I was thinking, maybe you

could teach me how to use that

sometime.

COLLIN:

Sure. Okay. (then) That was really

interesting, what you did with the

Laccophilia and the worms?

ATHENA:

Thanks.

COLLIN:

The notion of a ritualistic

transmutation is very intriguing

although I still think there might

be a biochemical explanation. I

hope you’re open to discussing it.

ATHENA:

Anytime, Collin.

On Athena, smiling to herself.

INT. CAL’S PLACE --SAME NIGHT

A loud drunken party in progress. A self-conscious Danni

moving through the CROWD, everyone older than her. She finds

one of the Band Members.

DANNI:

Have you seen Cal around?

BAND MEMBER 1

(mocking) Have you seen Cal around?

On Danni, resuming her search...

49.

EXT. (FLASHBACK) STREET --SAME NIGHT

Young Josh, sopping wet and terrified running down the

street. He arrives at his apartment building.

JOSH (V.O.)

I ran all the way home...

INT. (FLASHBACK) BEDROOM/APARTMENT --MOMENTS LATER

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