The Time Machine Page #16

TIME TRAVELLER:

What have you done? Thousands of

years of building and rebuilding

creating and re-creating so that

you can let it crumble to dust.

With one hand he grabs the Young Man and shakes him.

TIME TRAVELLER:

A million yesterdays of sensitive

men dying for their dreams. For

what? So you can swim and dance

and play.

He releases him and leaves.

THE HALL - MOVING SHOT 195

The Time Traveller stomps among the Eloi, hating

them for their dissipation.

Without emotion they watch him walk toward the

entrance. Only Weena jumps to her feet. Her

former indifference is gone.

AT THE ENTRANCE 196

From the top step, the Time Traveller looks down

at them.

TIME TRAVELLER:

I am returning to my time! Not to

tell of the uselessness of the

struggle - not to tell of the

hopeless future - but only so that

I can die among men!

He turns and strides toward the door.

EXT. ENTRANCE - MED. SHOT - (DUSK) 197

The Time Traveller bursts out of the building. A

moment later Weena appears in the archway. She

stands there, looking after him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST - LONG SHOT - (NIGHT) 198

There are patches of mist and haze between the

trees. With a blazing torch the Time Traveller

strides across.

EXT. TIME TRAVELLER ON THE PATH - (NIGHT) 199

Coming from the distance the CAMERA PANS HIM TO

THE EDGE OF LAWN, where he stops short, jerking

the pipe from his mouth, his eyes wide with con-

sternation. He raises the torch high to see:

EXT. THE LAWN - FULL SHOT - (NIGHT) 200

There is no Time Machine.

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 201

In stunned shock.

THE PATH - FULL SHOT 202

Holding his torch high, the Time Traveller hurries

toward the bushes around the edge of the lawn

looking for his Machine, beating the branches with

his free hand. After he passes one of the bushes,

a white indistinct creature dashes out of it and

disappears in the darkness. Unaware of this, the

Time Traveller stops in the mindle of the lawn

where the Machine was last seen.

(NOTE:
The surrounding is suggestive of the spot

where the Time Traveller's house once stood.)

He looks about, slowly turning in a complete circle.

Meanwhile the CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE. Then, sud-

denly remembering, he digs his free hand into the

pocket of his trouser, drawing out the lever he

had removed and looks at it with self-assurance.

Returning the lever to his pocket, he drops to his

knees and by the light of his torch, scrutinizes

the grass.

THE GROUND - TIME TRAVELLER'S P.O.V. 203

The turf has been ripped in parallel grooves as

though some heavy object had been dragged across.

CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY FORWARD following these grooves

and HALTS where small misshapen, half-human foot-

prints stand out clearly in the freshly turned

earth.

TIME TRAVELLER - MOVING SHOT 204

He straightens slowly, his eyes narrowed.

Nervously he looks around, then steps on follow-

ing the grooves.

BACK TO THE FOOTPRINTS 205

THE CAMERA CONTINUES TO FOLLOW the grooves

straight across the lawn to the flagstones around

the white sphinx. There are dark scratches on the

stones leading to the wide panel in the base of

the pedestal. Here the marks end.

AT THE PEDESTAL - MED. SHOT 206

The Time Traveller pauses, then gives the panel an

exploratory KNOCK. It responds with a HOLLOW SOUND.

The Time Traveller thrusts his torch between the

claws of the sphinx. With both hands now free,

he tries unsuccessfully to push the panel either

to right or left or up or down. Taking a penknife

from his pocket, he runs the blade around the panel's

edge hunting for a secret latch. No success.

Then he pauses, searching for a tool, and sees a

loosened flagstone. He picks it up. With this

heavy weight he batters the panel. At each blow

it RESOUNDS LOUDLY, not unlike a gong. Four times

he strikes, and then on the fifth blow the rock

shatters in his hands. He stops in despair.

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 207

He senses he is under observation by an unseen

presence. Alarmed, he whips around then looks up

to:

THE SPHINX - LOW ANGLE - (MINIATURE OR MATTE) 208

The marble face looks baleful, almost smiling in

the torch light.

BACK ON TIME TRAVELLER 209

He turns and peers toward:

THE BUSHES 210

In the shadows, beyond reach of the light, is a

wide semi-circle of luminous eyes, reflecting the

flame of the torch.

TIME TRAVELLER - FULL SHOT 211-213

He grabs his torch from the pedestal and slowly

paces toward the nearest bush. But as he ap-

proaches, the glowing eyes vanish in the haze,

followed by a ghostly impression of pale,

fleeing creatures.

The Time Traveller halts and turns in another

direction. The same thing happens.

Then he has an idea. Bending, he beats the torch

against the moist soil and extinguishes it. Now

in the darkness he straightens and waits, peering

around until he hears a twig CRACK, then moves

into the deep shadow of a tall bush, looking off.

THE PATH 214

Through the mist in the foliage a pale figure

approaches slowly. It emerges onto the lawn.

TIME TRAVELLER - MED. SHOT 215

The CAMERA FOLLOWS as he leaps forward, grapples the

other figure and bears it to earth. For a moment

there is a struggle and then the other figure lies

perfectly still. The Time Traveller rears back to

get a look at it.

THE FIGURE ON THE GROUND - EXTREME CLOSE SHOT 216

It is Weena. The moving shadow of the Time Traveller

reveals her pale face, with closed eyes, wearing an

expression of helpless terror. She appears to be

waiting for the inevitable end, but when it does

not come, she slowly opens her eyes. She sees the

Time Traveller and her face records a wave of

relief.

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