Poltergeist Page #7

CAMERA STARTS TO MOVE IN. Going beyond Steve to his hands at

work as he lifts the last layer of mayhem off Carol Anne’s

favorite pink blanket.

There is a folded lump beneath it. The lump doesn’t stir.

Diane covers her mouth and hyperventilates as Steve gently

removes the fuzzy blanket and...

IT IS THE CLOWN DOLL, SMILING UP AT THEM OUTRAGEOUSLY.

STEVEN:

She’s not here!

DIANE:

(turning and calling)

Carol Anne!

Dana goes to the shattered window and calls out.

DANA:

I’ll check the kitchen!

STEVEN:

Don’t go in there! I’ll check it.

You look in your room.

DIANE:

I’ll go!! Look in the bathrooms!

CLOSE - ROBBIE

Robbie’s expression never changes as everyone pushes past him

on the run. He slowly walks to the closet and looks in.

ROBBIE’S POV

The clown.

58 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 58

Steve swings into the room. The television set is on but the

local transmitter must be out. There is only static snow.

STEVEN:

Carol Anne!!

No answer.

35.

59 INT. DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM - NIGHT 59

Dana opens the door.

DANA:

Carol Anne! Carol!

She walks over to the shower stall and suddenly parts the

curtains. There is nothing inside.

.

60 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 60

Diane passes the TV. Snow, but no transmission. She checks

the bed, the closet, the bathroom, becoming more frantic with

every dashed hope.

DIANE:

Oh Jesus Christ Almighty. Carol

Anne!

STEVEN:

This is crazy. I’ve looked

everywhere.

DIANE:

(suddenly realizing)

Oh my God. The swimming pool!

Everyone breaks running. Again passing Robbie in the hall.

Robbie turns into his mother’s room. The SOUND OF TV STATIC

and blue video glow growing stronger with every step.

61 EXT. BACK YARD POOL EXCAVATION - NIGHT 61

Dana, Steve and Diane race to the edge. The rain has softened

the edges and Dana’s feet slide out from under her. She

starts to fall when Diane grabs her wrist, Dana simply

dangles above the deep end, filled with two feet of rainwater

and mud. Steve slides down the steep muddy shoot from three

to nine feet and plunges his hands into the quagmire.

He finds nothing.

62 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 62

CLOSE ON ROBBIE:

The blue TV light flattens Robbie’s features, accentuating

his lingering catatonia.

36.

The TV HISS is growing steadily and Robbie starts to register

something. From the back of his eyes, awareness regains

awareness that shifts to terror. Robbie opens his little

mouth and produces a low MOAN that slides relentlessly to the

upper registers of primal release.

ROBBIE:

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MOMMY!

MOMMY!!!

63 EXT. POOL EXCAVATION - NIGHT 63

CLOSE ON DIANE:

She almost has Dana pulled out when the SOUND reaches her. A

preferential instinct forces Diane to let go. Dana falls four

feet into her father’s arms.

63-A INT. STAIRS/UPPER HALLWAY - NIGHT 63-A

Diane is already inside the house and heading down the hall.

.

64 INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT 64

Robbie is stationed not six inches from the nineteen-inch

screen, hysterical, holding his hair in his fists. Diane

grabs him up and locks her eyes to his.

DIANE:

What is it?! Oh my Christ, what is

it?!!!

The STATIC HISS is almost unbearable. Through it all we can

still make out “the voice”.

VOICE:

Mommy...

Diane frantically searches the room.

DIANE:

Carol Anne! Where are you?!

Diane puts Robbie down and runs in a wide circle looking. The

HISS is everywhere. E. Buzz growls at the TV.

VOICE:

Mommy...

Diane is hysterical now. The first time we’ve seen her lose

control.

37.

DIANE:

I’m here, baby! Oh God, baby, I’m

here!

CLOSE - ROBBIE

Walking to the TV screen again.

ROBBIE:

Mommy. Here! Here!!

Diane turns to look. She freezes, and only the rivulets of

perspiration move across her. Diane doesn’t even breathe.

TV SET - SLOW PUSH IN

Carol Anne’s voice is heard again, buried deeply behind the

horizontal blurring, the electron bombardment, the swirls of

snow and noise.

VOICE:

I can’t see you. Mommy. Where are

you?!

EXTREME CLOSE SHOT - DIANE

Her eyes roll white, her head lulls and we

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:
(3 DAYS

LATER)

65 INT. DR. LESH’S OFFICE - U.C. IRVINE 65

Three banks of cold fluorescent purr down from the ceiling.

CAMERA PANS DOWN, past rows of metal bookshelves from which

reams of notes, files and textbooks hang in no organized

manner. Finally, the view STOPS on DR. MARTHA LESH, Professor

of Psychology at the University of California at Irvine.

Wearing a purple afghan to hide the urge for jelly beans and

souffles, Norm looks up from her questionnaire and takes off

her reading glasses. She is sixty-one and full of pep. Next

to her are two long-haired graduate students, TAK and RYAN.

.

DR. LESH

Who are the members of the

household involved? What are their

ages?

38.

STEVEN (O.S.)

(monotone)

Diane, my wife, she’s 31. Uh.. 32.

My oldest daughter, Dana, 15.

Robert, my son, he’s 9. And Carol

Anne...

(trails off)

DR. LESH

Yes... Carol Anne...

Dr. Lesh writes five years old on the form.

DR. LESH

Has there been any publicity about

the events?

STEVEN (O.S.)

Absolutely no. Uh uh.

DR. LESH

Can you be reasonably sure of not

letting any get started?

STEVEN (O.S.)

It’s the last thing in the world we

want.

DR. LESH

Would your family welcome a serious

investigation of the disturbances,

by someone who could make firsthand

observations?

ANGLE - STEVE FREELING

His eyes are dark shadows and the unflattering light features

the patches of stubble and parched lips. He speaks in hoarse

whispers, viewing these surroundings with great suspicion.

STEVEN:

Dr. Lesh. We don’t care about the

disturbances... the pounding... the

flashes or the music. We want you

to find our little girl.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

39.

INT. FREELING HOME - STAIRWAY - UPPER HALLWAY - DAY

Dr. Les is mounting the stairs, followed by her two

associates, TAK and RYAN. Steve is in the lead while Robbie

keeps his distance in the rear.

STEVEN:

I should warn you we’ve had to lock

off the room from the rest of the

house. Robbie sleeps with us now.

Dana, our oldest, spends a lot o

time with... with friends.

DR. LESH

How many disturbances have you

recorded in this room?

STEVEN:

We don’t go in there any more.

RYAN:

We’ll record any psychotronic

energy or event.

DR. LESH

Ryan filmed an extraordinary

episode during a case in Redlands.

.

RYAN:

A child’s toy, small matchbox

vehicle, rolled seven feet across a

linoleum surface. The duration of

the event was seven hours.

STEVEN:

Seven hours for what?

RYAN:

For the vehicle to complete the

distance. This would never register

on the naked eye, but I have the

event on the time-lapse camera.

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