The Ghost and the Darkness Page #19

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SAMUEL with his rifle, as he climbs higher into his tree.

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PATTERSON in the next tree, climbing higher, until he's fifteen

feet up.

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THE DARKNESS, on the ground, circling the trunk of Patterson's

tree, raging with frustration.

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PATTERSON, exhausted but it's okay now, he's safe, and as he looks

across at the next tree not far away where Samuel is-

SAMUEL:

(embarrassed)

Afraid of lions.

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PATTERSON.

PATTERSON:

It's all right, Samuel- we all

get hit-

(Now he shuts up

fast and-)

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THE DARKNESS, as it does this incredible thing- it starts to climb

the tree after Patterson. Lions are cats and when they want to

climb, up they go and that's what The Darkness is doing now, going

up and

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PATTERSON, and it's terrifying- he reaches for the branch above,

climbing higher and

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THE DARKNESS, climbing higher too and the tree is sturdy but there

is a four hundred pound thing rocking it now and

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PATTERSON, going still higher but the branches are getting thinner

and the tree is shaking, and he could fall-

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THE DARKNESS, climbing on, nothing can stop it-

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PATTERSON AND THE DARKNESS, together in the tree, and there's no

further Patterson can go and it's harder for The Darkness too, but

slowly it moves in and

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PATTERSON, calling out-

PATTERSON:

Samuel!

(And he gestures for

the rifle and the

instant he does-)

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SAMUEL, and he takes the rifle between his two hands and

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THE DARKNESS, steadily moving in and

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SAMUEL, tossing the rifle with great care and Patterson's less

than fifteen feet away and

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PATTERSON, hands out to catch it and

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THE RIFLE in mid-air and

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PATTERSON, both hands ready and

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THE RIFLE as it strikes a tree branch, spins away to the ground.

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THE DARKNESS, almost on Patterson now and

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PATTERSON, suddenly leaping out of the tree, and yes it's a long

way and sure it's going to damage him but sometimes there aren't a

lot of choices in this world and

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SAMUEL, staring as Patterson falls and

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PATTERSON, crashing hard to earth, stunned, hurt, ribs broken, leg

broken and

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THE DARKNESS, and it's so big it's hard for it to get room to turn

but it does and

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PATTERSON crawling for the rifle, and he's in terrible pain but he

reaches the weapon, grabs for it and

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THE DARKNESS, skittering down the tree and as it reaches the

ground

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PATTERSON, forcing himself to his feet and

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THE DARKNESS, a dozen feet away as with a roar it starts its

charge.

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PATTERSON, aims, fires and

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THE DARKNESS, hit again and down it goes again but up it comes

again and

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PATTERSON, firing the final shot and

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THE DARKNESS, hit again and it has to stop, it just has to-

-but it doesn't.

It roars and roars and moves slowly toward Patterson.

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PATTERSON; all bullets gone, no place to hide.

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THE DARKNESS. Still moving forward.

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PATTERSON. He takes a step backward, falls backwards over a

branch, lands hard and

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THE DARKNESS, framed between Patterson's legs. Six feet away, now

four, now-

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PATTERSON, helpless on the ground.

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THE DARKNESS, and the eyes glow-

-a branch is on the ground in front of it- it buries its huge

teeth into the branch-

-now a long dying sigh... and it goes to the ground.

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PATTERSON. Can't breathe.

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THE DARKNESS, dead, its teeth still buried in the tree branch.

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PATTERSON. CLOSE UP. And suddenly he just empties and tears pour

down his face and he begins to cry out loud, his body wracked with

sobs. He manages to get to his knees, moves next to the animal-

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PATTERSON AND THE DARKNESS. Just the sound of Patterson's tears...

HOLD.

KEEP HOLDING.

CAMERA BEGINS TO RISE-

-WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BRIDGE NOW- AND IT'S FINISHED!

-hundreds of people are watching as the first train goes oer it-

-Samuel is there- lighting up the world with his smile-

-and Patterson's there, too. He stands with Helena, his young son

in his arms.

Everybody smiles, everybody waves, the train goes triumphantly by.

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PATTERSON. He looks wonderful again, vibrant and young. Watching

him, you might think he hadn't been through the nightmare as he

stands there, holding the boy tightly.

But with his other hand, he fingers the lion claw necklace...

HOLD ON PATTERSON.

Now slowly dissolve to an African evening. Animals stretch from

one horizon to the other.

SAMUEL VOICE (over)

Here we still wonder about them.

How did they escape for nine months?

And kill 135 men? And stop the

railroad?

(beat)

And were they only lions?

(beat)

If you want to decide for yourself,

you must go to America. They are at

the Field Museum in Chicago, and

even now, after they have been dead

a century, if you dare to lock eyes

with them...

(beat)

...you will be afraid.

In the distance, the animals continue to move.

SAMUEL VOICE (over)

Sleep well.

HOLD ON THE ANIMALS. They seem to go on forever...

FINAL FADE OUT.

THE END:

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