The Exorcist Page #8

CHUCK:

I suppose you've heard.

CHRIS:

Heard what?

Chuck takes his hat off and holds it to his chest.

CHUCK:

You haven't heard.

Chris turns around to face him and looks baffled.

CHUCK:

Burke's dead. (Short pause)

He must of been drunk. He fell down from the top of the steps

right outside, by the time he hit 'M' Street he'd broken his

neck.

Chris puts her hands to her mouth.

CHRIS:

Oh God!

Chris breaks into tears and press up against the wall. Chuck

gently hugs her from behind.

CHUCK:

Yeah, I know.

Chuck backs away.

CHUCK:

I'll see you later.

Chuck exits.

CHRIS:

Oh Burke! Poor Burke!

SHARON:

I can't believe it.

Chris lowers her brow into her hand, leaning against the door.

She shakes her head, exhales.

CHRIS:

I guess everything-

She breaks off, staring with horror at something descending the

stairs. It's Regan on all fours. She's gliding, spiderlike,

noiselessly and swiftly, down the staircase. She halts directly

at the bottom. Staring at Sharon. Sharon is shocked and eyes

fixed on Regan. Regan's tongue begins to flicker rapidly in and

out of her mouth. She crawls very speedly toward Sharon with her

tongue sticking out. Sharon screams and runs toward the door,

Chris falls on Regan trying to hold her back.

CHRIS:

Call the doctor!

We fade to black

PSYCHIATRIST:

Now when I touch your forehead, open your eyes.

We fade back with a full face shot of Regan, with two fingers

wiping her brow.

INTERIOR- MACNEIL HOUSE- CHRIS' BEDROOM- DAY

We stay fixed on Regan's full mug shot.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Are you comfortable Regan?

REGAN:

Yes.

PSYCHIATRIST:

How old are you?

REGAN:

Twelve.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Is there someone inside you?

REGAN:

Sometimes.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Who is it?

REGAN:

I don't know.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Is it Captain Howdy?

REGAN:

I don't know.

PSYCHIATRIST:

If I ask him to tell me, will you let him answer?

We now get a view of the whole room. Chris and Dr. Klein are also

present.

REGAN:

No.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Why not?

REGAN:

I'm afraid.

PSYCHIATRIST:

If he talks to me, I think he'll leave you. Do you want him to

leave you?

REGAN:

Yes.

We get a close up of the psychiatrist.

PSYCHIATRIST:

I'm talking to the person inside of Regan now. If you are there

you too are hypnotised and must answer all my questions. Come

forward answer me now.

A framed picture of Regan drops to the floor. We switch to a

close up of Regan who is growling like some kind of animal. Chris

and Dr. Klein both cover there nose and mouth as if a foul stench

is circulating the room.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Are you the person inside of Regan?

Regan's eyes are fixed on the psychiatrist. Her arm is propped up

like a cobra ready to strike.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Who are you?

Regan's hand drops and grips the psychiatrists scrotum, squeezing

like a vice. The psychiatrist screams in pain.

PSYCHIATRIST:

ARGHHHH Harold!!! Help me!

Dr. Klein grabs Regan and pulls her away. Regan falls back and

screams extremely loud.

EXTERIOR- RUNNING TRACK- GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY- DAY

In training gear, Karras is running laps. Seated on a bench at

the edge of the track, watching Karras, Lt. Kinderman. Karras

seems curious, if not disturbed, by Kinderman's presence. When

Karras stops, panting, Kinderman rises and moves toward him.

KINDERMAN:

Father Karras?

Karras picks up his towel and wipes his brow.

KARRAS:

Have we met?

KINDERMAN:

No we haven't met, but they said I could tell; that you looked

like a boxer.

Kinderman shows his badge.

KINDERMAN:

William F. Kinderman. Homicide.

KARRAS:

What's this about?

KINDERMAN:

Yeah, it's true. You do look like a boxer. John Garfield, in Body

and Soul. Exactly John Garfield anyone told you that Father?

KARRAS:

Do people tell you look like Paul Newman?

KINDERMAN:

Always.

Karras walks away toward the campus.

KINDERMAN:

You this director was doing a film here, Burke Dennings?

KARRAS:

I've seen him.

KINDERMAN:

You've seen him. You're also familiar with how last week he died?

KARRAS:

Only what I read in the papers.

KINDERMAN:

Papers. Tell me, what do you know about the subject of

witchcraft? From the witching end, not the hunting.

KARRAS:

I once did a paper on it

KINDERMAN:

Really?

KARRAS:

From the psychiatric end.

KINDERMAN:

I know. I read it. These desecration's in the church…you think

they have anything to do with witchcraft?

KARRAS:

Maybe. Some rituals used in Black Mass. Maybe.

KINDERMAN:

And Dennings, you read how he died?

KARRAS:

Yeah, a fall.

KINDERMAN:

Let me tell you how Father, and please confidential. Burke

Dennings, good Father, was found at the bottom of those steps

leading to 'M' Street, with his head turned completely around.

Facing backwards.

KARRAS:

Couldn't it of happened on the fall.

KINDERMAN:

It's possible. Possible however…

KARRAS:

Unlikely.

KINDERMAN:

Exactly. So on the one hand we've got a witchcraft type of murder

and a Black Mass style of desecration in the church.

KARRAS:

You think the killer and the desecrator are the same?

KINDERMAN:

Maybe somebody crazy, someone with a spite against the church,

some unconscious rebellion, perhaps.

KARRAS:

Sick priest, is that it?

KINDERMAN:

Look, Father this is hard for you- please. But for priests on the

campus here, you're the psychiatrist; you'd know who was sick at

the time, who wasn't. I mean this kind of sickness. You'd know

that.

KARRAS:

I don't know anyone who fits the description.

KINDERMAN:

Ah, doctor's ethics. If you knew you wouldn't tell, huh?

KARRAS:

No I probably wouldn't.

KINDERMAN:

Not to bother you with trivia, but a psychiatrist in sunny

California was thrown in jail for not telling the judge what he

knew about a patient.

KARRAS:

Is that a threat?

KINDERMAN:

No, I mentioned it only in passing.

KARRAS:

Incidentally I mention only in passing that I could tell the

judge that it was a matter of confession.

Karras walks off toward his dormitory and Kinderman chases him.

KINDERMAN:

Hey, Father? You like movies?

KARRAS:

Very much.

KINDERMAN:

I get passes to the best shows in town. Mrs. K though, she gets

tired and never likes to go.

KARRAS:

That's to bad.

KINDERMAN:

Yeah, I hate to go alone. You know, I like to talk film; discuss

the critique. D'you wanna see a film with me? I got passes to The

Crest. It's Othello.

KARRAS:

Who's in it?

KINDERMAN:

Who's in it? Debbie Reynolds, Desdemona, and Othello, Groucho

Marx. You're happy?

KARRAS:

I've seen it.

KINDERMAN:

One last time:
Can you think of some priest who fits the bill?

KARRAS:

Come on!

KINDERMAN:

Answer the question, Father Paranoia.

KARRAS:

Alright. You know who I think really did it?

KINDERMAN:

Who?

KARRAS:

The Dominicans. Go pick on them.

KINDERMAN:

I could have you deported, you know that?

Karras walks to the front door.

KINDERMAN:

(shouts to Karras)

I lied!

Karras turns around.

KINDERMAN:

(shouting to Karras)

You look like Sal Mineo!

Karras smiles and walks inside.

EXTERIOR- BARRINGER CLINIC- DAY

The leaves blow as the camera zooms in on the Barringer Clinic.

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