Predator Page #18

EXT. HUNTER'S POV - JUNGLE - NIGHT

Emerging from his camp, the Hunter swings into the nearby tree line,

moving to the uppermost branches. The Hunter travels silently from tree

to tree, arriving at the canyon rim where far below he SEES in the

canyon, the BONFIRE, a leaping, shifting, multi-colored collage of HEAT

WAVES and FLARES, luring him onward.

SCHAEFER:

Hidden back within the deep notch of several large LOGS and broken

trees, in the river canyon. Below him, on the rock plateau, is the

bonfire, illuminating in SHIFTING PATTERNS of LIGHT, the awaiting arena

of destiny.

His eyes shift, trance-like, moving from side to side, watching the

approaches to the fire below. His senses are alert; his nerves on a

wire edge.

EXT. HUNTER - NIGHT

His SHADOW-FORM descending through the canyon, a rippling movement of

grays and blacks, passing through the shifting light patterns on the

rocks, cast by the growing bonfire below.

EXT. HUNTER'S POV - NIGHT

His eyes probe the canyon, drawn to the swirling patterns of HEAT given

off by the gaseous COMBUSTION of the bonfire.

EXT. HUNTER - NIGHT

Continues on, moving silently down through the canyon.

SCHAEFER:

Sits motionless, nearly invisible in his mud camouflage amid the

darkness of the logs.

Suddenly, over the CRACKLING of the FIRE, the BUZZING, CLICKING of

INSECTS, and the CROAKING of FROGS, suddenly CEASES.

Slowly, painfully he draws the bow to full arch, his wounded shoulder

trembling, the BLOOD beginning to seep through the bandage.

The bow straining at full draw, Schaefer stares intently,

concentrating, searching for the Hunter's form in the dancing light

below.

EXT. THE HUNTER - NIGHT

Like a giant insect, drops from above, fifteen feet above Schaefer, his

steel-like spurs digging deep into the log.

EXT. SCHAEFER - NIGHT

He freezes at the sound of the Hunter dropping, his eyes wide with

fear. The slightest movement will bring an instant attack from the

Hunter behind him. But to wait, his back exposed.

EXT. THE HUNTER - NIGHT

Jumps from the log above and to Schaefer's left, onto a boulder,

gaining a better vantage point of the arena and fire below. He raises

his weapon, his EYES glistening in the dim light, searching. A quiet

HISS emerges from his mouth.

EXT. SCHAEFER - NIGHT

Spins and fires at the movement of the Hunter.

EXT. ARROW - NIGHT

Flies into the night, lodging into a BRANCH of an exposed tree, just

missing the Hunter's head.

In a blur, the Hunter's arm streaks downward, a dull flash of light

leaving his fingers as he fires the weapon, the projectile STREAKING

downward, EXPLODING into the log, inches from Schaefer, sending a

SHOWER of wood chips and bark, flying in every direction.

SCHAEFER:

In a flash, is up and running, clutching his weapons, leaping from

boulder to boulder. He jumps down into the lighted area below, landing

hard, rolling into the protective shadows of the rocks, putting the

loping fire between he and the Hunter's position on the rocks above.

He moves forward, darting to look backwards before leaping off the lip

of the table rock into the boulder field below, a flat plane littered

by weirdly shaped, water-erroded rocks, forming a giant stone

AMPITHEATER. Shadows leap and dance across the boulders, cast by the

bonfire from the plateau above.

Schaefer crouches between two large boulders, quietly breathing through

clenched teeth, feeling the pain of his now freely bleeding shoulder

wound.

EXT. HUNTER - NIGHT

A nightmarish silhouette appearing for an instant on the rim of the

plateau above.

EXT. SCHAEFER - NIGHT

Over the SOUNDS of the FIRE and the softly flowing RIVER, distinguishes

a NEW SOUND, one that brings fear and a savage determination to his

heart:
the rhythmical CLICK-SCRAPE, CLICK-SCRAPE of the Hunter's feet,

moving over the rocks, somewhere above him.

Drawing back on the bow, Schaefer moves around the boulder to his left,

heading towards the sound of the Hunter.

INT. HUNTER. SOMEWHERE IN THE BOULDERS - NIGHT

REVEALED in flashes of strobing light, pauses at the juncture of

several towering rocks.

He stands, erect, tilting his head slowly, turning it from side to

side, his ears trying to orientate to the diversity of SOUNDS

reflecting off the circular walls, enclosing the boulder field.

INT. HUNTER'S POV - NIGHT

His vision, accustomed to another spectrum, has little available heat

to register vivid images of the inert, lifeless forms of the stones. He

SEES instead, a world of soft, ill-defined shapes in a pale MAGENTA

field of flickering heat.

INT. SCHAEFER - NIGHT

Creeping forward, carefully placing one foot in front of the other,

suddenly stops, hearing the CLICK-SCRAPE, CLICK-SCRAPE, now on his

right.

Starting to move in this new direction, he stops again, HEARING the

sound now directly across from him. Listening, he hears the sound again

from yet another direction, the sound ECHOING in the natural

amphitheater of rock.

Schaefer, uncertain of where to turn, waits. Suddenly he crouches and

freezes, HEARING the unbelievable SOUND of a HUMAN VOICE, softly

echoing through the amphitheater.

ANNA'S VOICE (O.S.)

(filtered; in Spanish)

Look out, behind you!!!

Schaefer spins, his breath catching at the sound of Anna's voice. Wide-

eyed, straining, he waits, hearing only the muted FLOWING of water, the

HISSING and POPPING of the dying fire above, the shadows growing

longer, darker with each minute.

And then again, Anna's VOICE.

ANNA'S VOICE (O.S.)

(in Spanish)

... Look out, behind you!

SCHAEFER:

(to himself)

Anna...?

Trance-like he moves towards the sound.

THE HUNTER:

His head canted, throat distended, utters another mimicry.

SCHAEFER:

Moving towards the space between two boulders from which the VOICE

seems to emanate.

SCHAEFER:

(louder)

Anna...?

THE HUNTER:

His ears now directed towards the SOUND of Schaefer's voice, his slowly

approaching FOOTSTEPS, raises his weapon.

SCHAEFER:

Pauses before the opening of the passageway. All is silent. He

hesitates to enter. Listening. He starts to move and then hears a NEW

VOICE:

HUNTER (O.S.)

(Mac's voice)

Dillon, over here...

Schaefer, horrified at the sound of the dead man's voice, backs quickly

into the space between a boulder and the high rock wall of the

amphitheater.

INT. HUNTER - SOMEWHERE IN THE BOULDERS - NIGHT

His feet moving quietly over the rock, the shadow-light deepening with

the dying fire above, closing in.

EXT. SCHAEFER - NIGHT

Bow drawn, trapped against the rock, HEARING the sound of the Hunter

approaching from the left, now the right, is helpless, not knowing

where to fire, the Hunter's deadly strike only an instant away.

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