ParaNorman Page #8

Norman pushes through the thick bushes into a secluded

plot of land behind the slab with seven gravestones

sticking out from the undergrowth.

NORMAN:

This is it!

The sun continues its descent, casting an ever

lengthening shadow of treetops across the graveyard.

NORMAN (CONT’D)

Read from the book, stop the

curse, go home and pretend this

never happened.

Norman steels himself, opens the book and starts to read.

NORMAN (CONT’D)

“Once upon a time, in a far-off

land there lived a king and queen

in a magnificent castle...”

He pauses, confused by what he’s reading.

NORMAN (CONT’D)

What? A fairy... tale...?

A hand reaches over his shoulder from nowhere, whipping

the book out of his grasp. He spins around to find Alvin

standing behind him.

ALVIN:

What ya got there, Geekula?

Norman launches himself at the book, but Alvin holds him

back at arm’s length.

NORMAN:

Give it back!

ALVIN:

Can’t wait to see everybody’s

faces when they hear about this

one!

ParaNorman 36.

50 CONTINUED:
(2) 50

NORMAN:

No, don’t! Alvin!

ALVIN:

Hey! Nobody makes me miss out on a

possible date with a girl that

almost had some interest in

talking to me. Yeah? Thought so!

You got nothin’ to say!

NORMAN:

Uh-oh.

ALVIN:

Dang straight “uh-oh”. That’s what

happens when Alvin gets around

here. Uh-oh is that Alvin? Uh-oh

Alvin’s gonna make me run home to

mommy.

As Norman twists and wrestles against the bully the

turbulent clouds in the sky above them twist and coalesce

into the vague semblance of a huge grinning face. The

face of a witch.

There is an enormous RUMBLE and a flash of lightning

silhouettes the boys.

ALVIN (CONT’D)

Uh-oh. What is that?

The wind has picked up, HOWLING through the gravestones.

Norman looks at the face leering out of the clouds.

NORMAN:

It’s her!

Another violent CRACK of thunder and flash of light, and

the wind instantly cuts out. The boys stand stock still.

Reaching down like a colossal arm, a great plume of cloud

spirals over the cemetery, enveloping the tumbledown

chapel and seeping around the gravestones. Fingers of

murky fog slither across the ground, occasionally pausing

and hanging in the air as though sniffing it. There is

something eerily playful in the movement of the tendrils.

The boys are jolted as an awful high pitched SCREAM blows

through the graveyard like a shockwave, pulsing through

the fog like a heartbeat.

Norman and Alvin cover their ears and cower as the fog

suddenly rears up like a claw and fiercely gouges into

the earth in front of the boys.

ParaNorman 37.

50 CONTINUED:
(3) 50

Silence, then the ground begins to RUMBLE beneath their

feet and ripples beneath the tombstones. Stone slabs

GRIND and shift. One CRACKS right through the center.

ALVIN:

What’s that sound?

Norman watches, horrified, as the wet earth atop one of

the graves splits and a skeletal hand bursts through!

Norman watches as more graves bulge and break open and

mud-encrusted shapes begin to emerge through the earth.

The air is filled with anguished MOANING, the glowing fog

dancing and whirling about the hatching figures.

The two boys are rooted to the spot, mouths hanging open.

CLOSE ON one of the figures crawling out of the ground

into a patch of moonlight. Ragged and rotten it wears the

mud-encrusted clothes of a colonial Puritan. It stares

down at its hands, almost in disbelief, then lifts its

face up to the sky and lets out a HOWL.

Thunder that sounds like deep and abysmal LAUGHTER echoes

through the turbulent clouds.

The boys find themselves backed up against another

headstone, this one engraved with the name “JUDGE

HOPKINS”. They leap aside as the ground swells beneath

their feet, and the DEAD JUDGE punches through the dirt,

bolt upright. His face wears a rictus grin and he looms

over the boys like the Grim Reaper in a powdered wig.

He tilts his head curiously when he sees the book in

Alvin’s hand, and HISSES through yellowed teeth.

Norman makes a last ditch attempt at reading the book as

the Dead Judge approaches, the other zombies gathering

behind him.

NORMAN:

Once upon a time in a far-off...

Once upon a... In a...

ALVIN:

Make it stop right now, please!

NORMAN:

It’s not working!

The Dead Judge gives a hideous GROWL, but Norman frowns,

confused, because he can hear words.

DEAD JUDGE:

STOP!... YOU... MUST... STOP!

ParaNorman 38.

50 CONTINUED:
(4) 50

ALVIN:

Norman? What are you doing? Ithink I peed my pants!

Survival instincts finally kick in and Alvin makes a runfor it, scrambling through the graves toward the gate.

NORMAN:

Wait!

Norman follows, leapfrogging over headstones.

52 INT. NEIL’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 52

Neil sits on the floor in front of a huge TV, remotecontrol in hand, as the doorbell RINGS loudly from thehall.

MITCH (O.S.)

Neil! Will you get the door?

NEIL:

I’m busy!

MITCH (O.S.)

Are you freeze-framing Mom’s

aerobics DVD again?

ANGLE ON TV, with a still image of a Lycra-cladinstructor bending over. Neil quickly turns it off.

NEIL:

No!

The doorbell RINGS again.

MITCH (O.S.)

Neil! Would it kill you to get offyour butt and answer the door?

53 I/E. NEIL’S DRIVEWAY, FRONT PORCH - CONTINUOUS

COURTNEY:

I’m gonna kill them.

She impatiently leans down to push open the mail slot.

COURTNEY (CONT'D)

I know you’re in there! Slumber

party’s over, dorks!

The door opens and she finds herself face to navel withMitch, out of the shower with a towel around his waist.

53

ParaNorman 39.

53 CONTINUED:
53

MITCH:

Um, can I help you?

COURTNEY:

(under her breath)

Hell yeah.

Courtney catches herself and quickly affects a LAUGH.

COURTNEY (CONT'D)

Sorry to bug you so late, but

does, erm...

(checks page in hand)

...Neil live here?

MITCH:

Yeah, he’s my brother.

COURTNEY:

Oh wow! That’s great! Your brother

and my brother are like best

friends! I’m Courtney.

She tries to regain her composure as Mitch turns away.

MITCH:

Hey Neil! You come here a minute?

There’s a girl asking for you.

Neil’s face emerges dubiously from a room down the hall.

Courtney flashes her widest fake grin and puts on a high

pitched sing-song voice.

COURTNEY:

Hey there! How ya doin’... little

guy...

NEIL:

Neil?

COURTNEY:

Yeah, Neil. Do you know where

Norman is? He kinda disappeared.

NEIL:

Oh no...

(catches himself)

...idea! I have no idea where he

is. Sorry. Bye!

Neil goes to turn around but his brother stops him short.

MITCH:

Whoa, Neil! Better start talking,

buddy.

ParaNorman 40.

53 CONTINUED:
(2) 53

NEIL:

I didn’t really think he was

serious about going up to the oldgraveyard on his own!

So Norman!

COURTNEY:

MITCH:

Oh, man. That place is bad news!

Total slasher movie vibe! Why’d hego up there?

NEIL:

I don’t know. Maybe we should go

look for him.

MITCH:

I told you he was trouble.

(to Courtney)

Sorry. But I did.

COURTNEY:

No, it’s fine. He sucks. But I

really gotta make sure he doesn’t

die or anything tonight. Will youhelp me? Please?

Mitch gets an eyeful of her best damsel in distress act,

then SIGHS.

MITCH:

Okay... I guess I should go getsome clothes on.

Courtney gives a disappointed WHINE as he heads off downthe hall, shoving Neil’s head as he goes.

NEIL:

Uh, is Norman in trouble?

54 INT. MR PRENDERGHAST’S HOUSE, HALLWAY - LATER 54

The front door is kicked open and Norman and a nearhysterical Alvin rush inside, slamming and locking thedoor behind them.

ALVIN:

Are they gonna try to eat ourbrains?!

NORMAN:

I think you’ll be safe.

ALVIN:

Oh, thank God!

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