ParaNorman Page #5

ParaNorman 22.

30 CONTINUED:
30

He looks down from it and catches Neil’s eye. Neil makes

a puzzled expression.

NEIL:

What?

KIDS:

Kill the witch! Kill the witch!

The chanting seems to deepen and slur and the air grows

dark and thick. The shapes of the audience and the kids

beside him swim around, blurring like a finger pulled

through oil paint. The ceiling disintegrates into clouds,

which CRACKLE with lightning.

NORMAN:

(under his breath)

Oh no! Not again!

All around trees have sprouted out of nowhere, and

through the darkness in the distance are occasional

lights of small houses. This might be how this very spot

looked three centuries ago.

31 EXT. OLD FOREST - NIGHT 31

As Norman turns on the spot GASPING, he hears a RUSTLE in

the bushes behind him and spots several dark and ominous

figures in Pilgrim clothing scouring the undergrowth.

PURITAN:

Witch! We know you’re out there!

Norman stands on a twig which, naturally, CRACKS loudly,

and the figure turns around and points at him.

PURITAN (CONT’D)

There!

NORMAN:

No!

PURITAN:

Witch.

More figures emerge from out of the darkness, wielding

hayforks. They SHOUT threateningly and, as one man, surge

toward him. Norman turns and runs.

The trees around him are shifting, but there’s no wind

blowing the branches. Limbs GROAN as they twist, bearing

down on him like ragged talons trying to stop his escape.

Soon he can run no further, the way ahead tangled up into

a wall of thorny fingers.

ParaNorman 23.

31 CONTINUED:
31

Norman finds himself pushed up against the trunk of a

huge tree, and a knothole grimaces at him, wood splitting

open into a hag-like mouth. It furrows a mossy brow and

speaks in a low rumbling voice.

TREE:

The dead are coming!

Norman GASPS and tries to push himself away, but the

pursuing figures are drawing closer, and there’s no

escape.

A familiar voice whispers out of nowhere.

NEIL (O.S.)

Hey buddy! Are you okay?

Norman turns around to find the knothole is now Neil’s

face, bulging out of the side of the tree with a look of

concern. This is the last straw, and Norman SCREAMS.

32 INT. SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - NIGHT 32

Norman stands next to Neil on stage, eyes closed and

WAILING. Everyone around him stares in stunned silence

as, still SCREAMING, he runs into the spotlight.

NORMAN:

THE DEAD ARE COMING!

He continues running directly off the edge of the stage

and lands on the floor with a THUMP.

For a moment no one knows quite how to react. Mrs

Henscher quizzically checks her script.

Norman’s eyes focus and he sees everyone standing around

him, staring. Sandra pushes through the crowd.

SANDRA BABCOCK:

Norman!

MITCH:

Did he say the dead are coming?

PERRY BABCOCK:

(nervous laughing)

No, no, no!

NORMAN:

YES!

Everyone jumps as Norman abruptly sits up, eyes wild.

NORMAN (CONT'D)

The tree told me!

ParaNorman 24.

32 CONTINUED:
32

Perry’s face drains of color while the other parents

MURMUR and MUTTER, crowd speak for “what a weirdo”.

Norman sees their expressions of disgust and suspicion.

Worst of all, peering around parents’ legs with a look of

shock and fear is Neil. Norman catches his eye a moment,

and Neil looks down at the ground.

33 INT. STATION WAGON - LATER 33

Barely keeping his fury in check, Perry drives home,

Norman sitting despondently in the back seat.

PERRY BABCOCK:

This is where it stops! It’s one

thing being a mental case in front

of your family, but not the whole

freaking town! There’s not gonna

be any more talking to ghosts, or

grandmas, or, or... what is it

now?

SANDRA BABCOCK:

I think it’s trees.

PERRY BABCOCK:

You’re grounded! You hear me?

Perry pulls the car up in the Babcock’s drive and gruffly

climbs out of the car.

NORMAN:

This is ridiculous. I wish

everyone could see what I see! I

didn’t ask to be born this way!

Perry mutters as he slams his door shut.

PERRY BABCOCK:

Funny, neither did we.

Norman catches the remark and feels it hard in his gut.

His mother hears it too, and leans over her seat with a

look of sympathy.

A beat as she sees the pain in her son’s face.

SANDRA BABCOCK:

Y’know, sometimes people say

things that seem mean, but they do

it because they’re afraid.

NORMAN:

He’s my dad. He shouldn’t be

afraid of me.

ParaNorman 25.

33 CONTINUED:
33

Sandra’s eyes are filled with sorrow.

SANDRA BABCOCK:

He’s not afraid of you. He’s

afraid for you.

Sadly, Norman climbs out of the car.

35 EXT. SCHOOL - AFTERNOON 35

Ominous clouds roll long shadows over the schoolbuilding.

Norman stands at the bottom of the school steps, tryingto prepare himself for what he knows is going to be a badday. He steels himself, and SIGHS.

35A INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - MORNING 35A

Norman walks the familiar gauntlet of school kids, onlythis time the abuse is tenfold.

KID #1

Look! It’s AbNorman!

KID #2

What’d the tree tell you today,

Norman?

KID #3

Are the dead coming soon, Norman?

36 INT. SCHOOL BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS 36

An overhead bulb casts a dim light over chipped walltiles and yellowed ceramic sinks with leaky faucets.

The door opens and Norman hurries inside, a number ofvoices still SHOUTING behind him. He shuts the door,

cutting them off, and leans against it, taking a breath.

He heads over to the first stall. The door is locked, sohe takes the next one.

CLOSE ON Alvin, sitting on the toilet in the next stallscribbling obscenities on the wall to pass the time. Hepauses as he hears the lid drop next door, then resumeshis vandalism.

Norman sits on the lid of the toilet, pulling his kneesup under his chin feeling sorry for himself.

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