The Tall Man Page #3

Mrs. Denning!

Here. Here. Let me help you.

Okay? Can you stand?

FEMALE DISPATCHER: (OVER RADIO)

Lieutenant, request received.

Central is sending reinforcements. Two cars.

They're leaving Seattle right now.

ETA two hours. Repeat, ETA two hours.

MAN:
(OVER RADIO) Dodd, I'm on my way.

I'm on the highway already.

This is the guy we're looking for, right?

OFFICER 2:
(OVER RADIO)

I'm on my way too, Lieutenant.

Going as fast as I can.

We're going to get that son of a b*tch.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

DODD:
Come on. You're going to be okay.

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

You're going to be just fine.

(GASPS)

Damn!

- We got an emergency here.

- Oh, my God!

Julia! What happened to you?

I found her on the road.

The a**hole who did this is still out there.

Here, take her.

You want me to go with you?

No, you stay here.

Get an ambulance. Take care of her.

You sure?

Everything will be all right.

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

Yeah.

Okay.

Hey! Give it a rest.

Yeah. Give her some space, huh?

You're hurt, sweetie.

What happened, Julia?

(GASPING)

(SOBBING)

Oh, it's okay.

It's okay.

Now, you wait right here.

I'll be right back.

(CLATTERING)

Go get cleaned up.

I left a towel and

some clean clothes in my office.

And when you're done,

maybe you can tell me what's going on.

(WHISPERS) Thank you.

(PANTING)

(DOOR OPENS)

CHESTNUT:
(CHUCKLES)

I don't know, Douglas.

DOUGLAS:
Think carefully, Sheriff.

Think about your pension.

How far are you away from retirement?

Eight months?

CHESTNUT:
We've got to warn

the department in Pittsville.

DOUGLAS:

Yeah, and the army too, while you're at it.

CHESTNUT:
It wasn't

supposed to happen like this.

And that's why you

have to go to the mine.

I want to know what she's up to.

(LAUGHS) Jesus Christ!

We're on the same boat, brother.

CHESTNUT:
Don't "brother" me, you prick.

I have to think. Let me think!

Yeah, you do that.

(SIGHS)

(GROANS)

(RUNNING FOOTSTEPS)

She's looking at the kid's picture.

She suspects something, I could tell you.

What'll we do?

I'll go get her.

Don't move.

Take a seat.

(JUKEBOX PLAYING)

(GRUNTS)

Sh*t!

She's left!

That b*tch is in the forest!

(ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

MAN:
Come on.

Grab what you need out of your trucks.

Steven! I need you to take that group,

take them into the forest.

If you find her, you bring her to me.

(LAUGHS) I'll find her.

Don't do anything stupid!

You find her, you hang on to her.

- Then leave her to me.

- (ALL SHOUTING)

MAN:
Let's get round the back of the building!

MAN 2:
If I get a chance,

I'm gonna kill her!

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

You still need to think, big boy?

Come on. All of us. Let's go!

She's not gonna go far. Let's stop her now.

OFFICER:
(OVER RADIO)

Sheriff, this is Campbell.

Uh, we just received a call

from the Feds in Seattle.

They're sending reinforcements.

It sounds like Dodd is chasing our guy.

Are you aware of this?

OFFICER:
(OVER RADIO)

Sheriff, did you get that?

Do you copy, Sheriff?

- Uh, Sheriff?

- Yeah, yeah, I'm copying.

(MUMBLES) A**hole.

How am I supposed to do this job?

I got two lousy cars, I got a useless deputy,

Feds all over my back...

(MUTTERING)

(GROANS)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(OBJECTS CLATTERING)

CHESTNUT:
No, no, no. She's not at home.

She's hiding in the forest.

They'll get her. You stay put. I'll call.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(MACHINERY CLATTERING)

(CREAKING)

(CARTOON ON TV)

That's a little inappropriate.

I have to stick to lighter reading.

Hold your retrorockets. I'm coming.

I wonder who that could be.

FELIX:
Hi, Poinsy, Merry Christ...

POINDEXTER:
Why, Mr. Felix!

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

What are you

doing outside on a day like today?

Stand still.

(DOOR THUDS OPEN)

I can't understand you, Mr. Felix.

Let's go inside.

I'll put you somewhere to thaw out.

(LOUD CRASHING)

(DOOR OPENS)

(PANTING)

(DOOR OPENING)

(SOFTLY) David. Oh.

(WHISPERS) David.

(PANTING)

(YELLS)

(GRUNTS)

(LIGHTNING CRASHING)

(PANTING)

Mommy!

(SHUSHING)

(PANTING) It's all over, angel.

Everything's okay.

She scares me.

(SHUSHING)

It's all over, baby.

It's all over.

(CRACKLING)

(GASPS)

(SIGHS)

It took me an hour to calm him down.

Just to get him to recognize me.

Do you know how a mother feels

when her child does not recognize her?

He'd been brainwashed.

You told him I was gone.

What the f*** are you up to?

Last night,

like almost every night, I went into the woods

to try to find the bastard that took my son.

The Tall Man.

Old lady Ashcroft said

she'd seen him twice at nightfall,

so I'd walk.

I walked...

And I walked.

And then, by chance, I came to your house.

Chance or intuition, call it what you like.

(WHISPERING) And he was there.

I couldn't believe that he was there.

It went around and around

and around in my head,

trying to make sense of it.

Did I dream that?

My mind turned to Trish.

She made an altar for him,

like she did for all the others.

Four candles and prayers for his return.

When you talk to Trish, she listens.

She never saw me as a freak.

She wasn't the first one I saw.

When I looked into your eyes, I knew.

I wasn't mad.

It wasn't enough for you to see me like that?

You had to offer me your God damned coffee?

With your innocent air,

and your angel face, right?

Were you worried?

Did you feel guilty?

Or are you just

the most cynical b*tch the world has ever seen

that you offer a coffee

to a woman whose child you kidnapped?

(PANTING)

I waited for you to leave.

I waited for the diner to empty.

At first, Trish didn't believe me.

People around here

all trust you, Julia Denning.

But I talked,

and I talked, and I talked

until she started to have doubts.

And when they were

big enough, just big enough,

I told her I was going to get my kid back,

and she said,

"You're going to break into Julia's house?

And I said,

"if he's not there,

you can drive me to the loony bin yourself."

She decided to keep the diner open all night.

Waiting up for my news

with some of the other regulars.

But it's not me they saw arriving.

When I saw you at the window with my son,

I thought about calling the cops,

but I don't trust them.

All they've ever done for me is

kick me out of my house.

They don't care.

Look where they forced me

to live with my son.

You took my baby away,

and the other children, too.

Where are they?

Where are the other kids?

Julia, you tell me

what you've done with the other children,

or I swear you'll die.

I gave them to the Tall Man.

Who is he?

Don't you know?

The whole town is talking about him.

Don't mess with me, Julia. Who is he?

He's the one everyone's talking about.

(GRUNTS)

(GASPING)

DAVID:
Mommy?

Come here, angel.

She won't hurt you anymore.

Look, at my son, Julia,

and tell him you lied.

Tell him you're nothing to him.

He has to hear it from you.

- (GRUNTS)

- (DAVID SHRIEKS)

(PANTING)

(MOANING)

(GASPS)

JULIA:
David!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(RATTLING)

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