Red Planet Page #12

EXT. THE ROAD BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES, WITH LOUIS AND JUD

We see them crossing.

LOUIS (voice)

You still haven't told me why you

did it.

EXT. JUD AND LOUIS, ON THE CREED FRONT LAWN

JUD:

A man doesn't always know why he does

things, Louis. I think I did it because

your daughter ain't ready for her

favorite pet to die.

LOUIS:

What?

JUD:

Ellie's a little scared of death. And

the main reason Ellie's that way is

because your wife is a lot scared of

death. Now you just go ahead and tell

me I'm wrong.

But LOUIS'S reaction tells him he's not wrong--in fact, JUD has

hit the nail right on the head.

INT. BATHTUB FIXTURES, CU

LOUIS'S hands come into the frame and turn the spigots.

INT. THE BATHROOM, WITH LOUIS

He starts to undress, still looking troubled. We should notice

that the door behind him is firmly shut. The bathroom has no

windows.

INT. THE BATHTUB SPIGOTS

The hot water is steaming. LOUIS'S hands enter the frame and turn

off the faucets. SOUND of LOUIS climbing in.

INT. LOUIS IN THE TUB

A big sigh and an expression of exquisite pleasure. He relaxes in

the hot water. After a few moments he puts a wet washcloth over

his face.

INT. BY THE KITCHEN SINK, WITH RACHEL

RACHEL:

Don't shilly-shally, Louis. Give

the little girl her promise.

INT. THE KITCHEN TABLE

GAGE is in his high chair. ELLIE is at her place, crying. In

RACHEL'S place sits VICTOR PASCOW, bloody and wrecked. LOUIS sits

in his place. On the platter of bacon and scrambled eggs is

CHURCH'S mangled body.

PASCOW:

The door must not be opened. The

barrier must not be crossed.

LOUIS:

You don't understand--

INT. THE BATHTUB, WITH LOUIS

The washrag is slipping, but it still covers his face.

LOUIS (mutters)

--I'm a doctor.

INT. THE CREED KITCHEN TABLE

In attendance:
PASCOW, LOUIS, ELLIE, GAGE in his high chair. Lying

in the middle of the table, clotted with dirt and blood, eyes

staring, neck a gory mess of infected wounds, is SPOT. He's also

dotted with clots of scrambled egg and bits of bacon.

PASCOW:

Sometimes the dead do more than speak.

Remember, doc.

INT. RACHEL, AT THE KITCHEN SINK

RACHEL (with great force)

Don't shilly-shally, Louis. Promise me.

Promise me. Promise me.

INT. THE BATHTUB, WITH LOUIS

The washcloth has slipped enough so we can see his eyes are

closed--he's dozing.

LOUIS:

Promise...

INT. THE CREED KITCHEN TABLE

To LOUIS, ELLIE, PASCOW, GAGE, and the corpse of SPOT enters JUD,

his eyes shocked and staring.

JUD (to LOUIS)

You do it for all the best reasons,

but that ain't why. You do it because

it gets hold of you...you do it

because you have to.

INT. LOUIS, IN THE BATHTUB, CU

The washrag has worked its way down to his mouth by now. His doze

is deepening; he's started to snore a little.

SOUND:
A splash. Something has been dropped into the bath.

LOUIS opens his eyes. Looks puzzled. Looks down. Eyes widen in

shock.

INT. THE BATHWATER, LOUIS'S POV

A very large and very mangled dead rat floats in the bath,

actually brushing against LOUIS'S chest. Blood has begun to stain

the water.

INT. LOUIS

Turns his head, preparatory to leaping out.

INT. THE TOILET LID, WITH CHURCH

Its mouth yawns open. It hisses, showing bloodstained teeth.

INT. THE BATHROOM

LOUIS leaps from the tub. Grabs a towel and begins to rub himself

frantically. He's grossed out. The cat tries to arch against him

and he hits it. CHURCH falls to the floor, hissing.

LOUIS looks at the closed door.

LOUIS:

How the hell did you get in?

He may not know that, but he knows how it's going to get out. He

opens the door to the upstairs hall. If CHURCH doesn't go at once,

LOUIS helps it with his foot.

Then he looks down at:

INT. THE BATHTUB WITH BRER RAT, LOUIS'S POV

INT. LOUIS

Staring at the rat. Over this: THE SOUND OF JET ENGINES.

EXT. A DELTA 727

Its landing gear unfolds preparatory to touching down at Bangor

International Airport.

INT. A DEPLANING AREA DAY

Lots of people making their way up the jetway.

INT. LOUIS, OUTSIDE THE SECURITY POINT

He's looking anxiously for his people. In one hand he's got half a

dozen roses. His face lights up.

INT. THE DEPLANING AREA, LOUIS'S POV

Here comes LOUIS'S family. ELLIE is a little ahead. RACHEL is

pushing GAGE in his stroller. ELLIE sees LOUIS and lights up.

ELLIE:

Daddy!

She runs for him.

INT. JUST OUTSIDE THE SECURITY POINT

ELLIE comes belting up to LOUIS, weaving among the deplanees like

a slalom skier. She leaps into his arms. LOUIS swings her

cheerfully.

LOUIS:

Hi, sugar!

She smacks him noisily. He smacks her back just as noisily.

ELLIE:

Daddy, is Church all right?

LOUIS'S face changes. All at once he's watchful.

LOUIS:

Yes...I guess so. He was sleeping

on the front porch when I left.

ELLIE:

Cause I had a bad dream about him.

I dreamed he got hit by a car and

you and Mr. Crandall buried him in

the Pet Sematary.

LOUIS (trying to smile)

That was a silly dream, wasn't it?

ELLIE:

Is he really all right?

LOUIS:

Yes.

ELLIE:

Because you promised.

LOUIS:

I know.

RACHEL reaches them. She's pretty tired. Hair hanging in her face,

good travelling clothes now looking a bit wrinkled and a bit

stale.

RACHEL:

Want to take your son, doc?

LOUIS does. GAGE is ecstatic.

LOUIS kisses RACHEL deeply.

INT. THE CREED KITCHEN, NIGHT

CHURCH at the door, waiting to be let out. ELLIE does the honors.

CHURCH oils out into the shed/garage. ELLIE closes the door. She

looks distressed. She crosses the kitchen again.

INT. THE CREED LIVING ROOM, NIGHT

RACHEL, in a flannel nightgown, is watching TV. LOUIS is reading a

medical tome and making notes. GAGE, zipped into a warm blanket

suit, is sacking on the couch.

ELLIE (entering)

Can cats have shampoos?

RACHEL:

Yes--you have to take them to someone

who grooms animals, though. I think

it's pretty expensive.

ELLIE (still upset)

I don't care. I'll save up my allowance

and pay for it. Church smells bad.

LOUIS:

I've noticed it, too. I'll cough up

the money, Ellen.

ELLIE:

I hate that smell.

INT. LOUIS, CU

He looks both grim and sad--a man discovering that what you pay

for you own, and what you own always comes home to you.

LOUIS:

Yes--I hate it, too.

BLACK. And on it, a fourth title card: MISSY DANDRIDGE.

SOUND:
A pen scratching over paper.

INT. A STUDY DESK, CU

A single sheet of lined paper is spotlighted by the glow of the

desk-lamp. On it, MISSY'S right hand is just finishing: "Dr. says

Intestinal Cancer. Cannot face this Pain. Sorry."

The hand puts the pen down. It tears the paper in two, leaving

just the half with the message.

INT. THE DANDRIDGE CELLAR, NIGHT

A light comes on and we see a hangman's noose strung over a beam.

It dangles above a kitchen table which has been relegated to

cellar duty.

SOUND:
Descending footsteps.

INT. THE NOOSE, CU

SOUND of MISSY climbing onto the table.

Her face enters the frame. She looks very sick. She puts her head

into the noose and rakes it tight at the hyoid bone.

EXT. THE DANDRIDGE HOUSE, NIGHT

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