Psycho Page #11

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EXT. THE PORCH

As Norman stands in the doorway, he is suddenly and blindingly

lit by the bright headlights of a passing car. The flash of

the lights and the SOUND of the SPEEDING CAR are over in a

flicker of a moment, but it takes a few seconds for Norman

to regain his former tense composure. Then he goes to the

car trunk, raises it with his foot, throws the suitcase and

the pail into it, slams it shut. He pauses a moment, then

realizes he has left the bathroom light on in Mary's cabin.

He returns to cabin. As he enters, his eye is caught by the

newspaper on the bedside table. He goes to it, takes the

newspaper, and looks once again into the bathroom. His glance

goes right over the toilet bowl.

He turns out the lights, crosses the darkened cabin, goes

out onto the porch.

He reopens the trunk, tosses in the newspaper and closes it.

He goes around and jumps into the car and starts away.

We HOLD on the trunk, follow it for a while, then

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE SWAMP - (NIGHT)

The car pulls away from a CLOSE ANGLE on the trunk and as

CAMERA HOLDS we see that we are now in a swamp area.

It is quiet except for the irritating noises of night insects.

Norman stops the car at the very edge of the swamp, turns

off the lights, gets out, leaving door open. He looks at the

swamp, seems doubtful of its ability to swallow up the car,

realizes he has no choice. He leans into the car, releases

the emergency brake, starts to push. The front of the car

begins to roll into the swamp. Suddenly there is the LOW,

THROBBING SOUND of a motor. Norman freezes, listens.

The SOUND grows louder and Norman realizes it is an airplane

flying overhead. The car is rolling quickly now. Norman jumps

away, slams the door shut, stands tense. The SOUND of the

plane overhead grows louder.

Norman looks up.

NORMAN'S VIEWPOINT - THE BLACK SKY

We see no plane. The SOUND of the motor is beginning to

diminish.

CUT BACK TO:

NORMAN:

We see the relief in his face. He looks at the car.

More than two-thirds of it have already sunk into the swamp.

The trunk alone seems to hold poised above the sand and slime,

as if refusing to go the rest of the way. Norman begins to

panic, he steps dangerously close, pushes with his foot. And

slowly the car sinks, until finally it is gone and we hear

only the gentle plop of the swamp's final gulp, and see only

the small after-bubble, like a visual burp.

Norman waits a moment, then begins stamping out the tire

marks, so obvious in the wet ground around the swamp.

He stamps and drags his feet over the markings as we:

DISSOLVE TO:

CLOSE UP NORMAN:

standing on the porch of the motel, leaning against a post.

He is staring out into the night, a look of guarded, casual

innocence on his face, as if he were taking one last moment

of peaceful night air before retiring. Then he glances down

and CAMERA follows his gaze. A hose is lying on the ground

outside Mary's cabin, its stream of water obliterating the

tire marks.

After a moment, Norman's hand comes into shot, picks up hose,

places it in a new position. As CAMERA PULLS BACK, we see

that the water from the hose has erased and rearranged the

road markings so that it would be impossible to tell that a

car had been parked here.

After a short wait, Norman goes to the hose-faucet, turns it

off, unscrews the hose. As he rolls the hose, he walks away

from the spot, past the office, heading for the path that

leads to the house. He goes up the path, pauses at the steps

of the house, tosses the curled hose onto the lawn, goes up

the steps and into the house. CAMERA FOLLOWS him in, PAUSES

as he pauses at the foot of the stairs. Norman goes up the

stairs.

On the landing he stops. The door to his mother's room is

closed. Lying in a heap outside the door are a blood-stained

dress and a pair of elderly-woman's shoes. From an EXTREMELY

HIGH ANGLE, we look down on Norman as he bends to pick up

the stained dress and shoes.

He rolls the shoes into the dress, tucks the small, neat

bundle under his arm, and starts down the stairs, heading

for the basement.

EXT. A LONG SHOT OF THE OLD HOUSE - (NIGHT)

It stands silhouetted against the sky. There is a long wait.

Then, slowly, a curl of smoke comes out of the chimney.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. BACK ROOM OF SAM'S HARDWARE STORE IN FAIRVALE - (DAY)

Sam is seated at his desk, writing a letter. Sequence

begins with CAMERA IN CLOSE, over Sam's shoulder, and we can

read as mush as he has written of the letter. The letterhead

reads "Sam Loomis - Hardware," and the letter reads: "Dearest

right-as-always Mary: I'm sitting in this tiny back room

which isn't big enough for both of us, and suddenly it looks

big enough for both of us. So what if we're poor and cramped

and miserable, at least we'll be happy! If you haven't come

to your senses, and still want to...

CAMERA begins PULLING AWAY as Sam turns the sheet of paper

over, continues backing away out of the small back room and

heads, backwards, down the corridor, we see a young clerk,

BOB SUMMERFIELD, Sam's assistant, standing behind the counter,

a look of handsome patience on his face. He is waiting on a

meticulous, elderly woman customer, who is holding and

examining a large can of insecticide. As CAMERA PASSES:

WOMAN CUSTOMER:

...They tell you what its ingredients

are and how it's guaranteed to

exterminate any insect in the world,

but they do not tell you whether or

not it's painless. And I say insect

or man, death should always be

painless.

CAMERA, by this has reached the front door of the hardware

store and we now see a girl standing just inside the door.

She is an attractive girl with a rather definite manner, a

look of purposefulness. She carries a handbag and a small

overnight case. She is Mary's sister, LILA CRANE.

Bob Summerfield has noticed Lila, smiles brightly at her,

gives her an I'll-be-with-you-in-a-moment nod.

Lila starts to walk toward the counter, never taking her

eyes off Bob. As she approaches, she asks quietly:

LILA:

Sam?

SUMMERFIELD:

You want to see Sam?

LILA:

Sam Loomis.

SUMMERFIELD:

(yelling toward back

room)

Sam! Lady wants to see you!

Lila looks to the back room. The woman customer goes on

worriedly examining the fine print of the insecticide can.

Sam comes to the door of his room, pauses, looks at Lila a

moment, starts toward her, his expression indicating that he

does not know her. Lila studies him with a quiet, worried

expression.

SAM:

Yes?

LILA:

May I talk to you?

SAM:

(a bit mystified)

Sure...

Lila glances at the customer and the clerk, turns, starts

toward the front of the store. Sam holds a moment, then

follows. As he reaches her, she turns, her eyes studying him

intently as she says:

LILA:

I'm Mary's sister.

SAM:

Lila.

LILA:

(quickly)

Is Mary here?

Sam is mystified, and is also aware of the worried, hostile

expression on Lila's face. He studies her for a quiet moment.

Behind them is a display of various size carving knives.

SAM:

Is something wrong?

LILA:

I want to know if my sister is here.

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