Signs Page #3

Bo pushes the bowl closer.

HOUDINI MOVES...

BO'S HAND PULLS BACK...

HOUDINI'S JAWS SNAP SHUT IN THE AIR WHERE HER HAND USED TO

BE. HE WAS JUST A FRACTION OF A SECOND LATER...

BEAT. The children turn white.

MORGAN:

Houdini?

HOUDINI BEGINS TO GROWL. Bo stands up.

MORGAN:

Bo don't run.

Houdini crouches down.

MORGAN:

What's wrong boy?

THE DOG'S GROWL BECOMES DEEP, MENACING.

MORGAN:

Stop it Houdini!

The German Shepherd trembles. His body tightens. He's about

to leap. Beat.

MORGAN:

(soft)

Bo, run.

CUT TO:

EXT. CROPS - LUNCHTIME

Officer Edgar Paski stands facing Graham fifty feet away.

They are on opposite ends of the crop circle. Beat.

The crops all around them sway as the wind blows. Beat.

Officer Paski yells over the wind.

OFFICER PASKI:

(yelling)

It's the strangest thing Father.

GRAHAM:

(yelling)

Don't call me Father.

OFFICER PASKI:

(yelling)

What's that?

GRAHAM:

(yelling)

Don't call me Father. It's just Graham

now.

OFFICER PASKI:

(yelling)

Sorry.

They stands in awkward silence fifty feet away from each

other. Beat.

GRAHAM:

(yelling)

You said something was strange.

What's strange?

OFFICER PASKI:

(yelling)

The footprints.

GRAHAM:

(yelling)

What about them?

OFFICER PASKI:

(yelling)

There are none.

CUT TO:

EXT. CORN CROPS - LUNCHTIME

Officer Paski's knee touches the ground. He points to a single

stalk of corn laying flat on it's side.

OFFICER PASKI:

(soft)

Look at where it's bent over.

Graham stands next to him and leans in. The joint where the

stalk bends from the ground is a perfect "L".

GRAHAM:

It's not broken.

OFFICER PASKI:

What kind of machine can bend a stalk

of corn over without cracking it?

Graham looks around at the hundreds of thousands of corn

stalks bent over each other in a perfect wave.

GRAHAM:

(softy)

Can't be by hand... It's too perfect.

Beat.

OFFICER PASKI:

Doesn't sound much like Lionel

Prichard and the Wolfington brothers.

They can't take a piss without wetting

the front of their pants.

Graham, nods in agreement. Officer Paski stands up.

OFFICER PASKI:

Second thing this week I can't

explain.

GRAHAM:

What was the first thing?

OFFICER PASKI:

Some animals around the county

exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior.

Sometimes violent behavior. Theo

Henry had two of his fingers bit off

by his cow.

GRAHAM:

Sounds like a virus.

OFFICER PASKI:

No Father, they're edgy. On alert.

Like they act when they smell a

predator around... Peeing on

themselves and everything.

We see a thought catch in Graham's eyes. He turns back and

stares in the direction of the house. You can barely see the

roof over the crops. Beat.

GRAHAM:

(preoccupied)

Edgar, please don't call me Father.

The two men stand as the wind blows lightly around them.

Officer Paski notices the still expression on Graham's face.

OFFICER PASKI:

What's wrong?

Beat.

GRAHAM:

I don't hear my children.

CUT TO:

EXT. BACKYARD - LUNCHTIME

Morgan watches the thin line of smoke rising from the charred

patties on the grill next to the overturned picnic table.

Morgan's attention moves as the crops part and his father

and Officer Paski enter the backyard. They stop cold when

they look in his direction. They begin a slow walk towards

him.

Morgan Hess is seated under the jungle gym with Houdini on

his lap. Morgan is petting Houdini's fur gently. Bo is on

top of the jungle gym curled up in a ball.

As Graham and Officer Paski get closer, they see Morgan is

crying.

Then they see the dog is laying on it side and has a BARBECUE

FORK DEEP IN ITS NECK.

Beat.

They stare at Morgan as he slowly pulls an inhaler from his

pocket and brings it to his mouth. He inhales the asthma

spray. Beat. He lowers the inhaler so he can speak.

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