They Page #10

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Julia

observes this scene until she hears ...

WOMAN'S

VOICE (O.S.)

I'm

your mother.

Julia

steps out of the crowd. Searches for the voice.

A:

HOMELESS WOMAN is shadowing a COLLEGE-AGE GIRL walking with her boyfriend.

They're trying to ignore her.

HOMELESS:

WOMAN:

I'm

your mother ... I'm your mother ... I'm your mother ...

The

couple walks faster. The Homeless Woman is left behind.

HOMELESS WOMAN:

(futile)

I'm

your mother ...

Julia

stares helplessly.

EXT. PARK - CAROUSEL - DAY

Spinning

merrily in the center of the park. Bright lights. Loud CALLIOPE MUSIC. Young

kids and teenagers occupy the horses and benches.

Julia

slowly walks towards the carousel, snapping pictures of the children and

whirling lights. Behind her, the sound of a SCREAMING CHILD rises above the

music and laughter. She turns and finds a two year old BABY sitting on her

father's shoulders, crying and pointing at --

THE:

YOUNG BLOND BOY ...

Wearing

his blue Superman shirt. He's sitting on a swing set by himself. Sad and alone.

He

makes eye contact with Julia. Waves timidly. She smiles at him and waves back.

CLOSE:

ON:
THE CAROUSEL

Gears

turning. The poles spearing the horses rising and falling into the floor. The

platform rotating near the grass.

The

CALLIOPE MUSIC becomes the HUMMING of MACHINES.

EXT. SANTA MIRA - PARK - NIGHT

Julia

is wandering through a maze of shooting galleries. She searches through the

crowds of teenagers and children at the booths. Finally, she locates ...

PAUL:

...

Approaching

her with a large Teddy Bear under his arm.

JULIA:

Where

did you go?

PAUL:

Basketball

toss. I won this for you.

Julia

smiles at the bear.

JULIA:

You

sure you want to give him up?

PAUL:

(nice smile)

I:

think he'd crowd my Barbie collection.

Julia

kisses him. He kisses her back and winces in pain.

JULIA:

You

okay?

PAUL:

Head

still hurts.

JULIA:

Need

some aspirin?

PAUL:

Already

took some. I'll be okay.

Paul

notices that they've wandered into a row of PSYCHIC and TAROT CARD BOOTHS.

PAUL:

(cont'd)

Hey,

look. Want to get your palm read?

JULIA:

As

long as you're feeling up to it.

PAUL:

I:

am. Come on.

Julia

spots another booth with a sign overhead: "THE PAST THROUGH

POSSESSIONS."

JULIA:

Just

a minute. You go to the palm reader. I want to check out this one.

PAUL:

"The

past through possessions?"

(unimpressed)

Scam

city.

JULIA:

And

palm reading isn't?

She's

got him there.

PAUL:

All

right. I'll meet you over there.

JULIA:

Thanks.

She

kisses him quickly. They split up.

EXT. PALM READER'S BOOTH - NIGHT

Paul

approaches the booth.

An

African-American woman in her mid-forties, TESS, sits behind the counter. Loose

and upbeat. Wearing more colors in her clothing than even a rainbow could

provide.

PAUL:

Can

you read my palm?

She

grins.

TESS:

You

got five bucks?

EXT. PSYCHIC BOOTH - NIGHT

Julia

walks to the front counter of the booth.

A:

pair of women are sitting behind the counter, but the one who sticks out is

ROSEMARY, sixty, psychic and clairvoyant. She wears a purple kaftan which

barely hides her weakness for ice cream and cookies.

ROSEMARY:

Can

we help you, honey?

JULIA:

You

can tell me things just by holding something of mine. Right?

ROSEMARY:

Absolutely.

I have a perfect track record. I found two missing children in the spring of

'74, and helped the state police catch a murderer in '81.

JULIA:

Wow.

That's amazing.

ROSEMARY:

(sourly)

My

grandchildren aren't quite as impressed.

(a little brighter)

What

did you want me to look at?

Julia

reaches into her pocket and gently places something on the counter in front of

Rosemary.

THE:

METAL OBJECTS FROM THE CLOSET AND THE LIVING ROOM.

EXT. PALM READER'S BOOTH - NIGHT

Tess

takes Paul's hand.

TESS:

So

what do you want to know?

PAUL:

It's

kinda stupid. But I sorta wanted to know about my Dad. If I should see him.

TESS:

(knowingly)

You

and your father don't get along.

PAUL:

No.

TESS:

Something

happened?

PAUL:

My

parents got divorced when I was sixteen. I got into a fight with him. Said some

stuff.

He

bows his head a little. A tough subject for him.

TESS:

Let's

take a look ...

Tess

c*cks her head a little to the side. She looks confused.

TESS:

(cont'd)

(soft)

I'll

be damned.

PAUL:

What's

wrong?

TESS:

Well

kid, you might be the first person to make me hang up my fortune telling

degree. Usually the palm makes sense, and this one doesn't.

PAUL:

How

do you mean?

TESS:

According

to this, you don't exist.

OFF:

Paul, his face turning white.

EXT. PSYCHIC BOOTH - NIGHT

Rosemary

handles one of the metal objects, turning it over in her palm. Julia watches

her as she goes through this ritual.

ROSEMARY:

This

is interesting.

JULIA:

Let

me guess. They came from a vacuum cleaner, right?

Beat.

ROSEMARY:

Machines.

JULIA:

Excuse

me?

ROSEMARY:

This

came from a machine. But not a household appliance.

JULIA:

Where

did it come from?

Rosemary

turns the object over in her palm. Over and over.

ROSEMARY:

Something

that was alive.

Julia

leans forward in her seat.

JULIA:

But

you just said it came from a machine.

ROSEMARY:

I:

know.

JULIA:

So

how can a machine be alive?

ROSEMARY:

I:

don't make the news. I just report it.

JULIA:

I:

found the larger one inside of a closet. Do you know how it got there?

Rosemary

continues meditating. Turning the object over between her fingers. Staring at

it.

Gradually,

she falls into a trance. Her breathing slows.

ROSEMARY:

We

shed our parts.

JULIA:

What?

ROSEMARY:

And

our skin.

JULIA:

I'm

sorry. What are you talking about?

Rosemary

is oblivious to anything around her.

ROSEMARY:

But

they need to be replaced. Some of the parts we can find.

(beat)

Others

need to be harvested.

The

other PSYCHIC seated next to Rosemary throws her a curious glance as she counts

up some money.

ROSEMARY:

(cont'd)

We'll

wait on the side of the road. Until one of the machines come.

(beat)

One

of us will be sacrificed. That will stop the machine. Then we can take whatever

skins are inside.

(softer)

We

can use their parts.

Paul

walks up.

PAUL:

Julia?

She

motions for him to be quiet.

ROSEMARY:

We

stopped the machine. But there are more of the skins than we thought ...

PAUL:

Julia.

Let's take off.

JULIA:

Hold

on.

ROSEMARY:

We

must wait. More of us are needed to capture them.

PAUL:

What's

she talking about?

JULIA:

Wait

just a minute. Please.

Beat.

The

objects continue turning in her hand ... and turning ... and turning ... and

turning ...

ROSEMARY:

There

are more of us now. We've surrounded them. But they're leaving too quickly.

PAUL:

Julia?

... and turning ...

ROSEMARY:

We'll

follow them. We'll watch them.

(beat)

We'll

take them as the need for parts becomes necessary ...

PAUL:

(louder)

Julia?

The

wind gently HISSES through the booth's tent.

ROSEMARY:

Maybe

we'll only take one ...

(beat)

Maybe

we'll take another ... and another ... and another ... and another ...

A:

sudden gust of wind rises through the tent as ...

THE:

POWER FAILS THROUGHOUT THE PARK. LIGHTS START GOING OUT IN SECTIONS UNTIL THE

ENTIRE FAIR IS PITCH BLACK.

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