The X-Files
- Year:
- 1998
- 60 min
- 917 Views
FADE IN:
EXT. SNOWSCAPE
A BLINDING WHITE SCREEN, under which we hear an ominous
low end Dolby THX Big Screen rumble. We're not in 19"
television land anymore, Toto. As the rumble builds, TWO
BLACK FIGURES appear on what now has resolved into a
distant horizon. From their movements we can shortly see
that the figures are men. Moving along a windswept ice
sheet in an otherwise featureless land.
A LEGEND appears: NORTH TEXAS, 35,000 B.C.
Continuing toward us, we can now see that they are
dressed in crude garments made of animal skins. If we
squint we can see their hair is long, their jutting
foreheads significant of primitive Homo Sapiens. They
continue toward us, the wind beating against them,
CAMERA IS CRANING DOWN to the snow that lies before
them. To LARGE THREE-TOED TRACKS.
FOLLOWING THE PRIMITIVES
As they track the three-toed prints to a rocky crevice in
the hard-pack ice. The prints stop here, and so do the
men. Dropping down into the crevice in pursuit of their
quarry.
CUT TO:
INT. ICE CAVE
Dark in here, except where the sunlight penetrates the
thick, glassy ice walls. The silhouettes of the
Primitives stark against the glistening cavern. The
sound of flint being struck, then A TORCH CATCHES FIRE,
illuminating their faces. And:
A CREATURE:
Deeper in the cave. Fleeing the light and the men. We
get only a brief glimpse of it in the torch light,
seeing that it moves upright on two legs and has gray,
dinosaur-like skin. And large black eyes. But it moves
quickly enough away that any other identifying feature
is lost in the deeper shadows.
THE PRIMITIVES:
Removing crude weapons made of sharpened bone from under
their thick fur garments, and scrabbling into the
constricting cavern, giving chase.
Following them as they moves with animal-like agility
through the tightening space. Predatory hunters. Their
torchlight catching:
THE CREATURE:
As it disappears into a tight opening in a smaller
crevice leading off the main one. The Primitives
entering frame after a moment, only a few steps behind.
The LEAD PRIMITIVE dropping to the cave floor,
pulling himself into this same tight fissure in pursuit.
Splitting off from his partner who exits frame still on
the run.
INT. SMALLER ICE CAVE - HIGH ANGLE DOWN
The fiery torch comes through first, held by the lead
man. Throwing dancing shadows on the walls of what
appears to be a box cavern.
Rising quickly to his feet. Not seeing what the torch
illuminates just behind him: The face of a dead
Primitive Man, his body frozen into the ice. He does
finally notice this, turning to see it, when he's
ATTACKED VICIOUSLY FROM BEHIND.
The torch falls to the floor so that the fight is
difficult to see, but it is loud and cruel. The creature
squealing wildly as the grunts of the Primitive now turn
to the sounds of painful struggle. Until:
Suddenly appears, driving his bone weapon into the body
of the Creature. Again and again, until the Creature is
driven away into the shadows.
The Second Man grabs the torch now, not to see if his
hunting mate has survived, but in pursuit of the
Creature. In the light we see that he and his weapon are
covered with spatters of OILY BLACK BLOOD. As is the
First Primitive whose body lies heaving on the floor.
The Second Primitive stepping over his hunting mate,
stalking the Creature into the shadows, where it has
collapsed. The torch finally landing, for the first
time, on its face.
When the torchlight hits its face, the Creature attacks.
But the Primitive prevails. He drops his torch and
dispatches the already wounded Creature with strong
hard stabs of his weapon, one of which penetrates the
Creature's eye.
LOW ANGLE ON THE DEAD CREATURE
The torch, which lies on the ground, illuminates the
dead creature's face. Its wounds are flowing with the
oily black blood, which, oddly now, BEGINS TO POOL. As
if it has intelligence, sentience. Pooling and traveling
into a fissure in the cave floor. And disappearing.
Watching this, unknowing. His chest heaving from the
fight, as the spots of Oily Black Blood which have
spattered onto him begin to crawl. Crawling toward his
eyes and mouth. Causing him to let out grunts of fear.
Which are the sounds we hear as the CAMERA SLOWLY CRANES
UP past the struggling Primitive to the roof of the
cave, where the dancing shadows of the torch FADE AWAY
with the sounds of struggle. Moving into darkness and
silence. But only for a moment. Until:
SUNSHINE BREAKS THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE CAVE - PRESENT
DAY:
Along with the spade of a shovel. And then -- the
earthen cave ceiling gives way and A BOY wearing Nikes
and an old t-shirt falls through it. Falling PAST
CAMERA. We hear a YELL, then a THUD, and a CLATTERING of
the shovel that's fallen in with him. Then a pained
GASPING.
Then SEVERAL HEADS appear in the opening. These are BOYS
of ten to eleven, staring down into the cave. Hot
sunlight blazing in. We have traveled far, far forward
in time.
2ND BOY
Hey, Stevie. You okay?
On the floor below covered with dirt, in his nose and
mouth. Spitting out. (All these boys have Texas in their
voices.)
STEVIE:
I got...I got....I got....
(straining)
....the wind knocked out of me.
This draws no sympathy from above, only LAUGHTER.
Staring excitedly.
3RD BOY
Looks like a cave or something.
2ND BOY
What's down there, Stevie? Anything?
Stevie has gotten up, moving out of the patch of
sunlight. Disappearing from view for a moment. Then
reappearing, still spitting out dirt. But holding:
STEVIE:
Human skull.
One side partially missing from the cranium. But it
brings WHOOPS of delight from the boys above.
3RD BOY
Toss it up here, dude.
STEVIE:
No way, buttwipe. I found it. It's
mine.
The other boys looking down at him. Stevie looking at
the skull. Strangely, the light shines through it. It is
milky, opaque, as if it's bone that's turned somehow
glassy in places. Then:
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"The X-Files" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_x-files_528>.
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