Signs Page #19

BOY WITH HAT:

Esta atras da garagem! Esta atras de

ai! Is behind!

THE BOY GESTURES TO THE GARAGE BUILDING. THE IMAGE SETTLES

BACK ON THE WINDOW. WE STARE AT THE NARROW ALLEY. THE IMAGE

ZOOMS A BIT. SEARCHES THE EDGE OF THE GARAGE BUILDING. THE

IMAGE STARTS WIDENING OUT.

AND THEN WE SEE IT.

THE KITCHEN ERUPTS WITH CHILDREN'S SCREAMS AS A LARGE NON-

HUMAN FIGURE MOVES FROM THE GARAGE BUILDING TO BEHIND THE

WALL. IT'S OUT OF SIGHT IN LESS THAN A SECOND.

Merrill is frozen like a statue. His mouth is open a little.

The closet FILLS WITH THE PANDEMONIA OF THE KITCHEN ON THE

VIDEO.

THE VIDEO IMAGE ON THE NEWS, PAUSES. BEAT. WE SEE IT REWIND.

WE SEE THE FIGURE ZIP BACK BEHIND THE GARAGE IN A FLICKER.

THE VIDEO STOPS. PLAYS AGAIN.

THE IMAGE ZOOMS A BIT. SEARCHES THE EDGE OF THE GARAGE

BUILDING. STARTS TO WIDEN OUT. THE KITCHEN STARTS TO FILL

WITH SCREAMS AS THE FIGURE APPEARS... THE IMAGE FREEZES.

THE NEWS HAS PAUSED THE VIDEOTAPE ON THE EXACT MOMENT THE

NON-HUMAN FIGURE IS VISIBLE. IT'S HALFWAY ACROSS THE ALLEY.

IT'S MOTION HAS BLURRED IT, BUT YOU CAN TELL ITS SHAPE NOW.

Merrill Hess stares stunned at the IMAGE OF AN UPRIGHT ANIMAL

LIKE CREATURE. THE STRIATIONS ALL OVER ITS BODY LOOK LIKE

BRANCHES. EXACTLY LIKE BRANCHES. THEY MATCH THE BUSHES WHERE

IT WAS HIDING, PERFECTLY.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

The door swings open slowly. Graham steps into Ray Reddy's

kitchen.

Cabinets are open. Dishes are broken. Chairs are turned over.

The faucet is running full blast.

Graham's eyes move across the room. The kitchen table is

upside down and leaned up against the pantry door.

THE SOUND OF A GLASS JAR BREAKING ON THE GROUND CAN BE HEARD

INSIDE THE PANTRY.

Graham takes a few conservative steps to the middle of the

kitchen.

He leans a little bit and listens. From behind the pantry

door WE HEAR THE SOUND OF BREATHING. THERE ARE QUIET MOVEMENT

SOUNDS. THE SOFT SOUND OF GLASS BEING CRUSHED AS IT'S BEING

WALKED ON.

Graham can almost see the bottom of the door around the

leaning table. Graham stands up straight and thinks it over.

Beat.

Graham takes two small steps closer.

When he leans, he can now see the entire bottom of the pantry

door. THERE IS LIGHT LEAKING OUT FROM BENEATH IT. THERE IS

SHADOW BEING THROWN FROM INSIDE THE PANTRY. THE SHADOW MOVES

BACK AND FORTH UNDER THE DOOR.

GRAHAM:

Hello.

THE SHADOW STOPS MOVING.

Beat.

GRAHAM:

(loud)

The police are here... I am with

them... I am a police officer.

(beat)

I just want to talk to you.

SILENCE. There is no movement from the pantry. Beat.

GRAHAM:

(loud)

We know all about the hoax. We already

took some of your friends downtown

in the paddy wagon.

(mouths to himself)

Paddy wagon?

THE ONLY SOUND IN THE KITCHEN IS THE SOUND OF THE FAUCET

RUNNING. Graham waits for a reply, but none comes.

GRAHAM:

If you tell us your name and why you

did it, we'll give you the same deal

we gave the others. Don't throw away

your life son.

Beat.

Graham bends down where he stands. He puts his head near the

wood floor. He tries to look under the door. All he can see

are the bottoms of a couple shelves in the corner of the

pantry. He's at too severe an angle.

Graham sits up. He's only four feet away from the pantry

door. He looks around not knowing what to do. His eyes fall

on a bunch of kitchen knives that have spilled from a drawer

onto the floor.

He takes a butcher knife from the group and moves closer to

the door. Beat. He reaches with the butcher knife underneath

the slanted kitchen table. He uses the knife like a mirror

to see under the door. Graham watches the SOFT REFLECTION IN

THE FLAT STAINLESS STEEL SURFACE OF THE BLADE. WE CAN MAKE

OUT BROKEN GLASS AND RIPPED OPEN PACKETS OF RICE AND CEREAL

ON THE GROUND. THERE ARE POCKETS OF SHADOWS WE CAN'T SEE

INTO.

Graham pulls the knife out. He sits there kneeling two feet

from the door. Beat.

He takes a deep breath and starts to lower his head under

the slanted table.

He stops halfway down. He loses his nerve and sits up. He

rises to his feet as he places the butcher knife on the

counter. Graham starts walking across the kitchen. He gets

to the door. Puts his hand on the doorknob.

He stays like that for a long time. Beat.

Graham lets go of the doorknob -- He turns and walks quickly

across the kitchen -- He picks up the butcher knife -- He

kneels down next to the pantry -- He ducks his head under

the slanted kitchen table -- He places his cheek to the floor,

only inches from the bottom of the door, and looks into the

pantry.

There is broken glass and rice throughout the wooden floor

of the pantry. Nothing else.

Graham stares at his VIEW OF THE FLOOR. Something's wrong.

Parts of it feel like a painting. THE PAINTING MOVES.

TWO BLACK EYES OPEN -- SEEMINGLY SUSPENDED IN THE MIDDLE OF

THE ROOM. THEY ARE SIDEWAYS. THEY LOOK AT GRAHAM.

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