The Sandman (Vertigo) Page #5

command nightmares:

SANDMAN:

At ... last.

He gathers himself, rises. Stands, a bit unsteady.

He looks down at the remains of Roderick Burgess, decayed and

brittle with age. He picks up the skull. Regards it.

Sandman squeezes. The skull SHATTERS. There is no joy in his

eyes as pieces sift out from between his fingers.

Sandman looks at the shelf that once held his belongings.

Empty. He looks away. Moves toward the door --

EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Sodium lamps cast a sickly yellow light on the nearly-empty

lot. A WOMAN hurriedly click-clacks toward her car, keys

already out. She unlocks the door, opens it --

Someone slams it shut: the CORINTHIAN. He has seemingly

appeared from nowhere. He smiles at her.

CORINTHIAN:

Beautiful night to be alive, don't you

think?

WOMAN:

Stay away from me.

She crouches slightly, flexes her fingers. Her red-painted

fingernails glint. She knows self-defense. The Corinthian

draws a knife lazily, steps forward.

The Woman kicks at his shin -- he avoids it. But she brings

her foot down on his -- hard. She grabs either side of his

head, her thumbs clawing for his eyes behind his sunglasses --

17.

She SCREAMS, yanks her hands back. She crouches, staring down

at her hands, which drip with blood.

WOMAN:

What did you do?

The Corinthian straightens his sunglasses. The woman crawls

under the car. The Corinthian grabs her ankle -- she SCREAMS,

clutches at the pavement, grabs for the tire, as she is

inexorably dragged out from under the car.

CORINTHIAN (O.S.)

Don't worry. I won't kill you. That would

draw all sorts of the wrong kind of

attention. I just want to look into your

eyes --

Suddenly, she is no longer being dragged. She twists, peers

out from under the car --

The Corinthian stands still, looking up toward the night sky.

CORINTHIAN:

He's back. He's BACK. No! It's not fair!

I won't allow it. I won't go back!

He looks down at the woman.

CORINTHIAN (CONT'D)

Don't worry. I can stop him. I'm not

going back.

She cowers in terror. Opens her eyes -- the Corinthian is

gone. She blinks -- it's as if he was never there --

-- except for her hands. The Woman drags herself out from

under the car. Raises her hands --

Her THUMBS BLEED, as though bitten through by tiny sharp

teeth. She starts to cry.

EXT. BURGESS MANOR - NIGHT

Boarded up, windows broken, overgrown. Sandman stands under

the night sky. Reaches out his arms. Shadows move, and

darkness stretches towards him.

Sandman wraps the shadows around him --

-- and he is gone.

18.

EXT. DREAM REALM - DUSK

A SANDSTORM rages; there is the WHITE NOISE of the howling

wind. Shadows flow inside of it, and Sandman's dark outline

emerges, one arm raised, a shield against the wind. He peers

ahead. In front of him is:

EXT. DREAM REALM - THE GATES OF HORN AND IVORY - DUSK

Ornately carved. Flanked by gargoyles. Sandman is relieved at

the sight.

SANDMAN:

The Gates of Horn and Ivory. Once

through, I will see my castle ... I will

see --

The gates part before him. Sandman steps through --

EXT. DREAM REALM - SANDMAN'S PALACE - DUSK

SANDMAN:

-- my home.

Sandman stares in horror --

Ahead of him are the remains of Sandman's Dream Palace.

Beautiful, once, but now overgrown and broken -- its glass

walls CRACKED, its delicate spires BROKEN. The majestic

columns have fallen into RUBBLE.

Sandman slumps before it as if struck down. From nearby comes

the sound of gentle weeping -- and a voice:

LUCIEN (O.S.)

Breaks your heart, my Lord, doesn't it?

Sandman turns.

SANDMAN:

Lucien?

In the shadow of the gates sits LUCIEN, Sandman's librarian.

He rises to his feet. Pointed ears and round spectacles,

dressed as a clown might dress for a formal dinner.

He stares at Sandman, smiling, tears in his eyes. We realize

he's weeping at Sandman's return.

LUCIEN:

One and the same, my Lord.

(he bows)

At your service, as always.

(his voice cracks)

Welcome home.

19.

SANDMAN:

What happened here?

Lucien takes a breath. Wipes the tears from his eyes.

LUCIEN:

What happened? You are the incarnation of

this dreamtime, Lord. With you gone, the

place ... it started to crumble ...

He takes off his spectacles, cleans them.

LUCIEN (CONT'D)

I was aware of it in my Library. Slowly,

the words began to fade. Some time after

you vanished, my books became volumes of

blank paper. The next day the whole

library was gone.

(puts on his glasses)

I never found it again.

SANDMAN:

I'm sorry, Lucien.

LUCIEN:

I ... I tried, sir. I did my best. We all

did.

SANDMAN:

Let's see how it is, then.

INT. DREAM REALM - SANDMAN'S PALACE - HALLWAY - DUSK

Sandman moves through the ruined palace, around fallen

columns and past broken statues.

LUCIEN:

(a sad fact)

Most of the palace servants turned back

into the dream stuff you made them with --

MATTHEW (O.S.)

He's back? He's really back?

A WILD FLAPPING SOUND and a sleek black raven -- MATTHEW

streaks down, hovers in front of Sandman.

MATTHEW:

Where have you BEEN? Are you all right?

What happened?

SANDMAN:

I was detained.

20.

MATTHEW:

Ha. Detained. You haven't changed, that's

good news.

SANDMAN:

Nor have you, Matthew.

Sandman surveys the devastation.

MATTHEW:

It's a pisser, ain't it?

LUCIEN:

It hurts me, too, lord.

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