The Relic Page #25

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D'AGOSTA

There's some kind of animal loose in

the museum. Pendergast's alone. He

needs help. I want volunteers to go

with me.

BAILEY:

I'm in.

KAWAKITA:

(swallows)

Me too.

CUTHBERT:

(voice rising in fear)

I'd do it gladly but someone needs

to stay with these people.

D'AGOSTA

All right. You're elected. Bailey,

get all the guns and flashlights,

give the mayor your walkie talkie so

we can keep in touch. Cuthbert, keep

everyone together and make sure they

stay quiet.

Frank steps forward.

FRANK:

I was in the Marines. Give me a gun.

I'd go with you, too, but I've got

my daughter.

D'AGOSTA

What's your name?

FRANK:

Frank.

D'AGOSTA

All right. You guard these people

and your daughter.

D'Agosta gives Frank his service revolver.

MAYOR'S WIFE

(to D'Agosta)

Where are you going? Don't leave us

alone!

The remaining crowd begins to whimper. The Mayor rises.

MAYOR:

Everyone quiet. The Lieutenant's in

charge.

Bailey and D'Agosta carry shot guns. They quietly move to the back

stairwell at the far end of the Hall of the Heavens. Everyone else

bunches together and watches.

D'AGOSTA

Bailey, we'll go first and check the

stairwell. Jonathan, you and Greg

guard the door.

Jonathan gives Hobbes' leash to the Mayor. D'Agosta hands Greg

Kawakita a shotgun, tightens his grip on his own. Then he gives the

signal and Bailey yanks open the door to the stairwell.

INT. STAIRWELL - NIGHT

D'Agosta and Bailey go in slowly. Jonathan stays in the doorway,

sweeping the stairwell with his flashlight. Kawakita gingerly holds

his shotgun. He's scared out of his mind. He turns to Jonathan,

whispers.

KAWAKITA:

Excuse me. Could you tell me how

this thing works?

JONATHAN:

Oh Jesus. Don't point it at me. Just

aim and shoot.

D'Agosta heads down the stairs in the lead, with Bailey close behind.

The stairwell is windowless and dark. D'Agosta shines his light and it

cuts into the blackness. He moves quietly, makes the first landing and

stops. Bailey watches his back from several steps behind as D'Agosta

signals for him to wait. The flashlight flares into a glass door one

flight down. D'Agosta raises his hand.

D'AGOSTA

(low)

Hold on. I thought I saw something.

Everyone stops. Bailey pumps his shotgun. So does Jonathan. Kawakita

fumbles to do like the others. They wait. D'Agosta moves alone down

several more steps. The silence is heavy. Suddenly D'Agosta wrinkles

his nose.

D'AGOSTA

Whoa... You smell that?

JONATHAN:

Lieutenant! Get back!

Too late. At this something DROPS FROM ABOVE! A huge dark shape LEAPS

INTO THE STAIRWELL, descending two floors! It lands, pounces on BAILEY

and the marble walls echo with a ROAR.

D'AGOSTA

BAILEY!!!

Bailey SCREAMS in terror as Mbwun pins him down!

BAILEY:

NOOOOO!

CLOSE ON BAILEY... Three claws close on his neck and WRENCH HARD!

There's a horrifying snap as Bailey's HEAD COMES OFF! Blood SPURTS all

over and drips down the stairs.

D'AGOSTA levels his shotgun at the monster and fires, with no apparent

effect. When the shots stop echoing we hear SCREAMS and FRANTIC

BARKING from the hall.

MBWUN'S GREEN EYES look up and it's FORKED TONGUE LICKS OUT. The

monster LEAPS PAST Bailey's body and heads for the door! D'Agosta,

seeing what's happening, screams at the top of his lungs.

D'AGOSTA

Jonathan! Don't let it get into the

hall!

ON JONATHAN... frozen in the doorway, Kawakita by his side. Both of

them are rigid with horror. Disbelief in their eyes. The BEAST leaps

up directly at them as they jump to try and close the door.

D'Agosta keeps firing until he's pumping an empty chamber. Plaster is

falling all around. SCREAMS resound in the Hall of the Heavens as

D'Agosta stumbles up the stairs.

INT. HALL OF THE HEAVENS - NIGHT

D'Agosta throws open the doors and charges into the Hall. Jonathan

lies on the ground, dazed. Kawakita stands to one side, teeth

chattering in shock. His hand shakes so badly that the barrel of the

gun swings in his hand.

D'AGOSTA

(yells)

Where is it?!

JONATHAN:

I don't know! It hit me hard.

D'Agosta pumps two shells in the shotgun. Screams can be heard from

the people crouched together at the edge of the room. Hobbes is

barking wildly, foaming at the mouth. It's too dark to see what's

happening.

D'AGOSTA

(screams)

Somebody tell me! Where is it now?

MAYOR:

(quiet)

Lieutenant. In the south corner.

D'Agosta sweeps his light to the Mayor who stands rigid in front of

the others, points to his left. The light moves to the far end of the

room where THE DARK SHAPE OF MBWUN crouches over the body of a man.

It's lunging up and down with odd, jerking motions. The man is long

past making a sound. From the monster comes a faint crunching and

slobbering. Jonathan rises, comes to D'Agosta. So does Frank. They

stand shoulder to shoulder, raise their guns. D'Agosta motions for

Kawakita.

D'AGOSTA

On three.

Kawakita stumbles to join them, tries to join in. The barrel of his

shot gun still swings wildly. He steadies it by taking it in both

hands.

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