The Haunting Page #8

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Theo goes running for another door and is out.

Nell, realizing she's being left behind, springs after her into

another mysterious hallway --

INT. STATUARY HALL - DUSK (CONTINUOUS)

-- into a wide hall lined with niches and classical statuary. Theo

strides down it pointing left and right, bending over, straddling

the pieces, provocative:

THEO:

Here. Here. Here.

(under a leering

gargoyle)

Oh yes! Oh yes oh YES! Here!

Nell laughs -- appalled and loving every minute of it.

THEO (cont'd)

Can't you just see it?

NELL:

Theo!

INT. HALL OF MIRRORS - DUSK (CONTINUOUS)

Through a narrow passageway, and large double doors they suddenly

stand at the threshold of a fantastic ballroom lined with mirrors

and chandeliers. Rows of mirror-coated octagonal pillars, rise to a

vaulted, mirrored ceiling far above. With the door opening, there's

a CLICK, and a mechanism of some sort is activated. The FLOOR

begins to MOVE like a slow turntable.

Theo comes right up, looks over Nell's shoulder. Nell steps out.

She traipses out across the room, her million reflections waltzing

with her into infinity. Theo dances after her. They dance, not

quite together. Nell stops and pronounces:

NELL:

I love this house. I really love

this house.

THEO:

(gently, recognizes

that Nell is

different)

You're okay.

Nell blushes... and they burst out laughing. They take off running,

their reflections with them, stampeding for an archway on the far

side of the room and out --

INT. 1ST FLOOR HALLS (VARIOUS) - DUSK (CONTINUOUS)

-- into yet another hallway. They race down the hall, turn into

another hall, then another, all dimly lit by the very last rays of

day, all furnished in the House's dark, impossibly complicated,

impossibly ornate fashion. As they go, the mood is growing darker,

the women unaware that they are getting lost.

THEO:

(having fun)

Rats! We're rats in a maze!

That's what this experiment is

going to be!

They open a door to --

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE LOCKED ROOM - DUSK (CONTINUOUS)

They stand at the end of a long hallway to one of the House's

forgotten outlying wings. It is dark. Too dark. Nell and Theo

regard the darkness.

At the far end of the hall stand a pair of MAHOGANY DOORS, closed,

almost black, oily-looking. Surrounding them, an enormously complex

geometrical frieze.

The doors themselves are plain. In their simplicity there is

something about them enormously disturbing. It is as if the doors

are looking back at them, Nell goes cold. Theo holds herself.

NELL:

We should go back.

Theo nods. They turn around, Theo opening what she thinks was the

door they came through.

INT. NARROW STAIRCASE - DUSK

They hurry down a narrow staircase, Theo first, Nell right behind.

NELL:

Theo, I'm scared --

They fly down a set of steps, Theo flings open a final door -- and

SCREAMS!

INT. GRAND ENTRY - NIGHT

The Grand Entry, where they bump into LUKE SANDERSON, 20's, charming

and cynical.

LUKE:

Hi, Luke Sanderson, bad sleeper,

I'm your basic tosser-turner, and

you are...

NELL:

Uh... Nell Vance...

LUKE:

And what kind of sleeper?

NELL:

Well, I... uh...

LUKE:

Obsessive worrier. Join the club.

(to Theo)

And you? I'd guess...

THEO:

You'll never guess.

She won't answer.

Marrow comes in the front door. He looks at the house like

MacArthur studying a beachhead.

MARROW:

There we are. You're Eleanor,

you're Luke, you're Theo.

ALL:

Hi... hello... Dr. Marrow...

MARROW:

And this is Todd, he just came up.

TODD comes in.

TODD:

Hi. I'm Todd Aubochon.

LUKE:

(1950's alien

spaceman)

Greetings fellow insomniac.

TODD:

(playing)

Greetings fellow sheep counter.

MARROW:

And this is my assistant, Mary

Lambretta.

LUKE:

Greetings.

And Mary enters. Crossing the threshold, she catches her breath,

and when she comes into the hall and sees everyone, she also sees

the house in its detail. And she has a bad feeling.

Marrow is still putting everyone at ease.

MARROW:

Eleanor, how was the drive?

NELL:

You can call me Nell, Dr. Marrow.

MARROW:

Nell. Good enough. And I'm Jim.

NELL:

I'm really... honored to be part

of this study, Jim.

MARROW:

Well... we're glad to have you.

His smile is devastating. Nell reddens, instantly taken by Marrow's

warmth, observant sensitivity. Theo notices.

MARROW:

Have either of you seen David

Watts?

THEO:

No, but Nell's been here longer

than I have.

NELL:

I only saw Theo drive up.

LUKE:

Who's Watts?

MARROW:

The man who completes the group.

For a long moment they stand there, silent, looking at each other --

polite smiles, but awkward, even Marrow. One by one they all look

to him for a cue.

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