Poltergeist Page #12

DR. LESH

(smiles at this)

No, I suppose not. Well, I’m off.

I’ll take these back to the lab

along with the tapes...

(disturbed)

...I’ll have to display these, you

know.

Steve enters the kitchen.

STEVEN:

Just please not on “Sixty Minutes”.

DIANE:

Or... “That’s incredible”?

DR. LESH

I’m leaving Ryan with you. Tak

won’t be coming back you know?

STEVEN:

Yeah, he told me he wanted a day

job.

DR. LESH

But he’s promised not to talk about

this for several weeks. After that

we’re all on our own.

The front doorbell RINGS.

STEVEN:

I’ll get it.

63.

98 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 98

ANGLE - FRONT DOOR

Steve opens it and is immediately uncomfortable. An older

MAN, with gray hair and a pleasant smile, is standing there,

briefcase in hand.

MR. TEAGUE

We’ve missed you at the office,

Steve. The fellows were worried so

I took it upon myself to...

(closely scrutinizes

Steve’s appearance)

Jesus, Steve, you look like shut.

Aren’t you feeling any better.

Steve just stands there like a schoolboy caught playing

hooky.

STEVEN:

Still a little weak... this

particular strain of flu is not

easy to get rid of. The minute

you’re back on your feet... it,

uh... it’s back with you.

99 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 99

TEAGUE’S POV

Teague can see past Steve and into the living room and

staircase. All sorts of scientific equipment is strung

around. The big console TV is tuned to a static channel, so

is the kitchen portable, also visible from Mr. Teague’s

vantage.

.

Teague looks over Steve’s shoulder and Steve tries to subtly

block his view.

MR. TEAGUE

Looks like your cable is out there.

STEVEN:

Cable? Yes, the cable. Yes. We’ve

had no TV for several days.

MR. TEAGUE

Well, we should look into that. Is

the entire block dark?

64.

STEVEN:

Uh, no, no... just us. Just us.

Behind Steve the couch moves across the room gently bumping

up against the baby grand piano which produces a musical

vibration.

100 EXT. FRONT PORCH - DAY 100

Steve immediately steps outside with Mr. Teague and closes

the door behind him. The porch light comes on and even in the

bright daylight it glows to amazing intensity.

MR. TEAGUE

I see you have some electrical

problems as well. What’s screwed in

there, a three hundred watt bulb?

You afraid of prowlers or trying to

attract every insect in Cuesta

Verde?

(he laughs)

STEVEN:

My wife’s not feeling well either.

She got a little of my bug.

MR. TEAGUE

Tell me something, are you happy

here? I hope you don’t resent my

leaping out to ask these things. We

wouldn’t want to lose our best rep

to either the flu or... other

“opportunities”. All that software

set up in your living room made me

wonder whether you’ve got a little

something going on the side.

STEVEN:

Just hobbies. Popular Mechanics.

MR. TEAGUE

Are you up to a little ride? I want

to show you something.

101 INT. UPPER HALLWAY TO BEDROOMS - DAY 101

Diane hangs desperately onto any tangible reality. She moves

carefully through the house, cleaning up. When she passes

Carol Anne and Robbie’s room Diane hesitates. She listens

through the door. She knocks softly and prays.

65.

DIANE:

(lightly)

Hello. Anyone home?

(she raps softly)

Carol Anne?

Diane slips her hand down to the doorknob. Knowing it is

always locked she feels safe in trying it -- the knob turns

in her hand. Tak never locked up after his episode. Diane

GASPS and jumps back. As much as she wants to, Diane won’t go

in. She backs into her own bedroom and shuts the door.

102 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY 102

She turns and sees the bed is not made. Diane pulls off the

covers and the sheets, making them ready for the washing

machine. Dust rises off the bed and Diane SNEEZES. As she

tilts her head back for a second sneeze she freezes looking

at the wall over her head. The sneeze never materializes.

ANGLE - THE WALL

The STAIN HAS GROWN. It is three feet in diameter and shaped

like a black rose. Little black, wiggly lines, like veins,

scribble away from the black pistil in all directions. Diane

flinches and steps away from it. She sees a picture on her

other wall and determines to hang it over the stain.

103 EXT. THE TOP OF A HILL - DAY 103

STEVE AND TEAGUE

MR. TEAGUE

I’m so very proud of this place.

Steve and Teague stand on a hill overlooking the entire

Cuesta Verde Estates. Teague’s Bronco sits off to one side.

STEVEN:

I’ve been up here once or twice.

Diane calls it Vanity Point.

MR. TEAGUE

So who’s to say an artist shouldn’t

step back from his easel to admire

the sum of his parts?

STEVEN:

(almost forgetting his

ordeal for a few seconds

of mental freedom)

66.

STEVEN(cont'd)

When they build our model home,

there was nothing down there. Just

freshly turned earth and a lotta

wooden stakes and miles and miles

of string.

.

MR. TEAGUE

One of your children was born in

your house.

STEVEN:

(not smiling now)

Carol Anne.

MR. TEAGUE

I understand she’s missed a lot of

school lately. Trask’s daughter’s

in the same nursery class. She have

the flu as well?

STEVEN:

Yeah, we’ve all got the same thing.

MR. TEAGUE

I’m sorry. I didn’t see her.

STEVEN:

Oh, she’s around.

MR. TEAGUE

Are you?

STEVEN:

(his mind in the valley,

snaps out of it)

Am I what?

MR. TEAGUE

Are you thinking of leaving Cuesta

Verde?

STEVEN:

(dazed)

I can’t believe how a day can be so

beautiful. You wonder how anyone

can have a problem in the world on

a day like this.

MR. TEAGUE

(kicking up some sod with

his heel)

Nice spot for a bay window,

wouldn’t you agree?

67.

STEVEN:

If you’re living up here, great.

Wouldn’t be so terrific from the

valley, looking up at a lotta

houses cutting into these hills.

MR. TEAGUE

You don’t have to live in the

valley any more.

STEVEN:

What are you getting at?

MR. TEAGUE

Phase Five is going up right where

we’re standing. This could be your

master bedroom suite. That could be

your view. You interested?

STEVEN:

Mr. Teague, that’s a very generous

offer but I’m not a developer.

MR. TEAGUE

You’re responsible for 42% of

sales, almost half of what we’re

looking at down there. Almost

seventy million dollars of

dwellings and property. Maybe a

generation of security that no one

can put a price tag on. We should

have made you a full partner three

years ago... I don’t want to lose

you now.

Steve doesn’t know what to think. So much is piling up so

suddenly. It’s a golden opportunity that two weeks ago would

have meant a Hawaiian vacation and days of happiness and

celebration. Steve turns around to take in the view.

.

104 EXT. THE VIEW - DAY 104

CAMERA PANS AROUND 180 DEGREES

This whole conversation has taken place just inches outside a

quiet little cemetery with picket fences and both ancient and

recent headstones.

Steve scratches and gestures to the three-acre memorial park.

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