Poltergeist Page #9

VOICE:

Mommy... there’s somebody here.

STEVEN:

(holding his head in his

hands)

Oh Jesus, this isn’t happening.

VOICE:

Mommy... is it you?

DIANE:

(fear enveloping her)

Who is with you?

VOICE:

(the voice is afraid)

Somebody’s coming!!

46.

72 INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - TAK - DUSK 72

He goes room to room looking for pranksters. When he gets to

the active bedroom he hesitates, listens through the door,

pulls in his courage and turns the knob. Of course, the door

is locked. Tak is never without a trick. He slips a file from

his utility belt and starts to jimmy the door. The lock gives

and Tak easily turns the knob, and lets out an agonizing

SCREAM! He falls backward holding his side, rolling over and

over until he is at the top of the carpeted staircase.

73 INT. LIVING ROOM - DUSK 73

VOICE:

Help! No, no, no, no...

The little voice hidden behind all the static SCREAMS.

DIANE:

(screaming back)

Run Carol Anne! Run away!!

CLOSE - RYAN

His eyes light up.

CLOSE - MONITORS AND READBACKS

Come to life and start registering wildly.

Diane can’t stand the screams. She holds her ears, in tears

now, imploring Dr. Lesh with her eyes.

DIANE:

Carol Anne! Oh God!!

Steve holds Diane to him, she pushes away and SCREAMS at the

ceiling.

.

DIANE:

You f***ing bastard, she’s just a

baby!

VOICE:

Mommy! Mommy!

DIANE:

(screaming through tears

to Dr. Lesh)

Help her! Can’t you hear what’s

happening?!

47.

We HEAR soft FOOTSTEPS running across the ceiling and down

the wall. Two lamps are turned over and smash to pieces on

the library table.

We next HEAR colossal FOOTFALLS BOOMING in pursuit. A gust of

interior wind races through Diane’s clothes and hair. She

SCREAMS in combined joy and horror.

DIANE:

She just moved through me. My God,

I felt her. I can smell her! She

went through my soul!!

Diane runs back to Steve and grabs his shirt, pulling him to

her.

DIANE:

Smell my clothes. It’s her. It’s

her all over me.

Steve smells and can’t believe it.

STEVEN:

It is her!!

The footsteps in pursuit grow louder. Diane turns to face the

sound. Dr. Lesh turns. Steve and Ryan turn. A perfectly foul

smell precedes an implosion of displaced air. Almost the

sound of thunder, the impact is so great. Lesh, Diane and

Steve blow backward, their clothes flapping in the gale as

the force passes through each one of them and out the picture

window that cracks in a dozen places but does not shatter.

DR. LESH

(picking herself up)

Have you ever heard of the term

“teleportation”?

DIANE:

Carol Anne!

ROBBIE:

That’s like when Mr. Spock beams up

Captain Kirk on “Star Trek”.

DR. LESH

Just about. In a recent case,

objects which disappeared from a

house would be seen much later

falling to the ground outside.

DIANE:

Carol Anne doesn’t answer. Steve?

48.

DR. LESH

(to Steve)

Where exactly do you suppose Carol

Anne was playing before she

vanished from sight?

.

DIANE:

Her bedroom closet. And she wasn’t

playing.

DR. LESH

Let’s go up there.

STEVEN:

It won’t let you in.

DR. LESH

We’ll just see about that.

Lesh practically rolls up her sleeves and heads for the

stairway, the rest following.

INT. BOTTOM OF THE STAIRCASE - DUSK

As they come around the corner they run smack into Tak, just

coming down the last step, rubbing his side.

DR. LESH

What happened to you?

TAK:

I was just about to check out the

locked bedroom when... I don’t

know... something took a bite out

of me.

Robbie gets very scared.

ROBBIE:

You got bit?

TAK:

That or the worst muscle spasm in

the world.

DR. LESH

Roll up your shirt. Let’s have a

look.

Tak turns to face the hall light and untucks his shirt,

rolling it up. Then rolling up his T-shirt. Everyone crowds

in to see.

49.

ANGLE - TAK’S STOMACH AND SIDE

Teeth marks bear out Tak’s story. The unusual thing is, the

bite wraps all the way around his side from kidneys to navel.

A pink and partially bruised eleven-inch crescent impression.

CLOSE - ROBBIE

Eye level with it, his little mouth hanging open.

ROBBIE:

Wow!

Dr. Lesh takes a tentative step up the stairs then turns back

demonstratively.

DR. LESH

Let’s everybody spend the night

down here.

STEVEN:

Honey, I want you and Robbie to

come with me. We’ll sleep in town

and tomorrow...

DIANE:

(firm and quick)

I’m not leaving Carol Anne.

ROBBIE:

I don’t want to stay here anymore.

This place’s got jaws.

DIANE:

You take Robbie into town.

STEVEN:

I’m not leaving you alone in this

house.

74-A INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 74-A

Dr. Lesh has returned to the living room. She bends over and

grabs the apron off the couch and pulls. It folds out. A

convertible bed.

.

DR. LESH

Blankets, pillows, sheets. Let’s

have a slumber party.

DISSOLVE TO:

50.

75 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 75

LATER THAT NIGHT

Robbie and Diane are curled up together in the convertible

bed. Steve has put two chairs together and sleeps fitfully.

Dr. Lesh looks over Tak’s shoulder at the oscilloscope and

electro hygrometer that is used for measuring changes in the

humidity.

75-A HALLWAY - RYAN 75-A

Ryan sits in a chair facing the staircase and the upper level

of rooms

His spectroscopic camera equipment is aiming directly up the

stairs. Lesh pats Ryan on the shoulders, he nearly jumps out

of his skin. They speak in whispers so as not to disturb the

others.

RYAN:

Jesus, my heart.

DR. LESH

(whispering)

Shhh. More thrills than grading

papers, wouldn’t you say?

RYAN:

(whispering)

I can leave any time, you know.

This isn’t the Army and you’re not

my mother.

DR. LESH

(whispering)

If push comes to shove, I bet I’ll

beat you to the door.

(indicating monitors)

Any movement out of those things?

RYAN:

(whispering)

There’s been some ionization fluct.

I’d like to make sure they’re not

caused by humidity coming from

structure leakage, but I’m not

going up there to find out.

51.

76 INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 76

Lesh goes to the console TV and, assuming everyone is asleep,

she turns it off. In a very small voice Diane leans on her

elbow.

DIANE:

Please. Leave it on.

Dr. Lesh smiles, it’s the first time we’ve seen her do this

and it reminds Diane at once of her favorite story-book

grandma who bakes cookies and knits comforters.

CLOSE - DIANE

She smiles back and motions for Dr. Lesh to come over.

DIANE:

When things get quiet like now I

can imagine how all this must look

from you end. I’m really

embarrassed.

.

DR. LESH

Oh, nonsense. I’ll tell you what is

embarrassing. My being here with

you nice people. Parapsychology

isn’t something you master in.

There are no certificates of

graduation, no license to practice.

I’m a professional psychologist who

spends most of her time engaged in

this ghostly hobby, which makes me,

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