ParaNorman Page #6

ParaNorman 26.

36 CONTINUED:
36

ANGLE ON toilet paper in an industrial-sized roll. It

jitters on its mount and begins to turn slowly on its

own, unspooling sheet by sheet toward the floor. Norman

frowns and watches as it stops unravelling and a draught

of wind blows out of nowhere, ruffling his hair.

The toilet roll suddenly spins violently, flinging the

paper into the air in reams. The screws holding the

dispenser to the wall RATTLE fiercely.

The toilet underneath Norman begins to shake and shudder,

spilling water over the floor. Norman WAILS loudly as he

jumps onto the back of the cistern.

Alvin is frozen in place in his stall, hearing the noises

and really not sure how to react to them. He glances down

and sees toilet water leaking across the tiles.

He quickly pulls up his pants to cover his dignity, and

jumps up off the toilet with a SQUEAL.

In Norman’s stall everything stops dead and the lid of

the toilet slowly CREAKS open.

Norman GASPS as Mr Prenderghast’s face stares up at him

out of the toilet bowl. With some effort the old man’s

ghost shimmies out of the toilet, eventually POPPING out

like a cork from a bottle, hovering in the air in front

of Norman’s face.

NORMAN:

You died?!

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Yeah, but I got unfinished

business here!

NORMAN:

Ew! Couldn’t you use another

stall?

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

My ghost isn’t going anywhere

until I pass on my duty to

another! And that would be you!

NORMAN:

Me? No, you must have it wrong!

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Oh it’s you all right! I’ve been

holding back the witch’s curse for

years, but now I’m dead. It has to

be you!

NORMAN:

But I... I don’t know what any of

it means!

ParaNorman 27.

36 CONTINUED:
(2) 36

Before Norman’s eyes the bathroom stall and everything

beyond it is ripped away, revealing thick undergrowth and

tall trees. Norman is suddenly sat on the toilet in the

middle of a forest.

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

It means the past is coming back

to haunt you! Time is running out!

The anniversary of the witch’s

death is tonight. Her ghost is

going to wake up, and when she

does she’ll raise the dead! You

gotta keep her in her grave!

The toilet paper on the ground twists up beneath Norman’s

feet, sculpting skull faces and clutching hands that

reach for him as he shrinks back.

NORMAN:

But I’m just a kid! How am I

supposed to stop it?

In an instant the air and trees around him are eaten

away, the school bathroom reappearing through the holes.

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Read from the book at the spot the

witch was buried!

NORMAN:

What book?

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

The one in my hands!

Norman looks at the ghost’s wispy hands.

PRENDERGHAST GHOST (CONT'D)

Not these hands, my other hands!

The me that’s at home in my study

starting to smell a little funny!

Norman looks sick and overwhelmed, but the ghost doesn’t

let up, swirling right up to his face.

PRENDERGHAST GHOST (CONT'D)

Get the book and read from it!

Before the sun sets tonight!

NORMAN:

But this is crazy!

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Do I look crazy to you?

Norman pauses a beat. Mr Prenderghast is floating upside

down, various bits of bathroom detritus orbiting around

him. A piece of toilet paper dangles off his nose.

ParaNorman 28.

36 CONTINUED:
(3) 36

PRENDERGHAST GHOST (CONT’D)

Tell me you’ll do this!

NORMAN:

I... I...

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Swear!

NORMAN:

Y-you mean like the “f” word?

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

I mean promise!

NORMAN:

Okay, okay, I promise...

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

That’ll do!

Mr Prenderghast’s ghost begins to disappear, bubbling and

melting at the edges like a burning photograph.

NORMAN:

No! Mr Prenderghast, wait!

Alvin, hearing only Norman’s voice, gingerly peeks around

the corner of his stall.

PRENDERGHAST GHOST

Sorry kid, I’m done here! I’m

free! I’m finally free!

NORMAN:

Wait! No, you can’t leave now!

Please! I don’t understand.

Mr Prenderghast hangs in the air a moment, face scrunched

up as he awaits his release, CACKLING crazily.

The ghost explodes into a million particles of light,

blowing open the stall door and catapulting Alvin

backwards across the room. The mirrors behind him crack

and the light bulb shatters.

From the floor, Alvin groggily looks up and sees Norman

framed in the stall with the door hanging off its hinges.

He reaches over and flushes the toilet.

NORMAN (CONT’D)

Uh... yeah. You might want to give

that a few minutes.

He grabs his bag and runs out of the room.

ParaNorman 29.

40 INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY, LOCKERS - CONTINUOUS 40

Norman sprints madly for the main doors, passing Neil andSalma who glance up from their lockers as he stumbles by.

Norman?

NEIL:

Alvin tears around the corner in pursuit, but Neil standsin his way, waving his arms indignantly.

NEIL (CONT’D)

Hey! What’s the big deal?

ALVIN:

Don’t get your bra in a twist, fat

boy, this has nothing to do withyou! Keep out of my way!

Or what?

NEIL:

ALVIN:

Or I’ll punch you in the b*obs!

NEIL:

I don’t have b*obs. These are

pectorals!

Alvin jabs him in the chest.

Ow! My b*obs!

NEIL (CONT’D)

Neil swiftly steps aside.

Alvin reaches the door to see Norman disappearing alongthe path as fast as he can. Alvin YELLS after him.

ALVIN:

You’re dead, freakshow! Do you

hear me? D-E-D! DEAD! You’re gonna

be so dead you’re gonna have to

talk to yourself when you’re dead!

41 INT. BABCOCK’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - EARLY EVENING 41

Wearing her fanciest dress, Sandra bustles out of thekitchen to the front door.

PERRY BABCOCK:

I really don’t think we should be

leaving him.

SANDRA BABCOCK:

Perry, you promised me a meal that

someone else microwaved.

ParaNorman 30.

41 CONTINUED:
41

PERRY BABCOCK:

He’s probably up there right now

fiddling with his ouija, or his

orbs, or whatever it is he’s got

up there. This is not good.

42 INT. BABCOCK’S HOUSE, NORMAN’S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING 42

Norman paces his room looking pale and anxious as he

hears the front door shut downstairs. Everywhere he turns

he finds himself face to face with some zombie related

novelty, from his lurid horror posters to his shelves of

ghoulish action figures, and it’s not doing anything for

his nerves.

His cell phone BEEPS from his pocket, giving him a start.

He takes it out and reads a text; “COME TO THE WINDOW”.

Norman cautiously walks over and peers around the edge of

the window frame.

A figure stands motionless in the yard below, sheets of

laundry billowing off the clothes line beside it. It

stares up at Norman through the blank eye holes of a

hockey mask.

Norman GASPS and jumps back.

With a frown, he re-emerges and opens the window.

The figure lifts the mask, and Neil beams out from

underneath, waving excitedly.

NEIL:

You wanna play some hockey?

Norman SIGHS.

NORMAN:

I’ve kinda got other things on my

mind right now.

Neil looks a little uncomfortable.

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