They Page #11

---

The

sound of mumbling and confusion seethes from the crowd. Julia rises out of her

chair. Paul takes her into her arms as CHILDREN can be heard CRYING throughout

the park.

Above

them, the wind HISSES through the trees.

EXT. CABIN - DRIVEWAY - NIGHT

Julia

sits on the porch. Paul is stretched out on the grass looking up at the stars.

PAUL:

So

the power went out. That doesn't mean anything.

JULIA:

Did

you hear what she said?

PAUL:

No.

JULIA:

She

was talking about the accident. The night you hit that thing on the road. She

knew about that.

PAUL:

Julia,

a psychic tells you some random sh*t and then lets YOU make sense out of it.

JULIA:

She

said it was waiting for us.

PAUL:

Oh

sure. An animal was waiting for us to come along and run it down. What was the

explanation? Rotten home life? Was it taking Prozac?

JULIA:

It

wanted to stop the car.

PAUL:

Why?

JULIA:

Something

about needing parts.

PAUL:

If

it needed parts, it shouldn't have committed suicide.

JULIA:

She

said there were more of them.

PAUL:

Who

cares what she said? It doesn't mean anything.

JULIA:

But

it's not just that.

Julia's

voice becomes soft. As if she were telling a secret.

JULIA:

(cont'd)

I've

also had this feeling. Ever since Sam disappeared. I can't shake it.

PAUL:

What

is it?

JULIA:

I:

feel like something's missing.

PAUL:

Something?

JULIA:

I:

don't know. It's on the tip of my tongue. I just feel like ever since we woke

up that morning, something's not right. Like ... there's someone who should be

here ...

PAUL:

Right.

Sam.

JULIA:

It's

not Sam.

(then)

Did

that palm reader say anything strange to you. Anything at all?

Paul

hesitates. He looks back at the night sky.

PAUL:

No.

Beat.

JULIA:

Can

I use your phone?

INT. LEVIN HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

A:

traditional home. The phone rings and Connor comes charging down the stairs. He

answers it.

CONNOR:

Hello?

INT. CABIN - BEDROOM - NIGHT - INTERCUT

Julia

is sitting on the couch.

JULIA:

Connor.

It's Julia.

CONNOR:

Oh.

I thought you were someone else.

JULIA:

Nice

to hear your voice too.

CONNOR:

You

having fun?

JULIA:

(understated)

Not

exactly.

CONNOR:

I:

got my PSAT's back. 720 verbal. 690 math. You think that's good enough to get

into Berkeley?

JULIA:

You'll

get in. Listen, is Dad there?

CONNOR:

No.

JULIA:

Well

could you leave him a message?

CONNOR:

Uh-huh.

JULIA:

Tell

him that the movers didn't come, so I'll be here a few more days. Tell him that

I have some stuff of Mom's that he might want.

CONNOR:

Okay.

JULIA:

Don't

forget.

CONNOR:

Jesus.

Show a little faith. When have I ever forgotten something?

INT. DARKROOM - DAY

A:

piece of developing paper is slipped into the tray basin.

Julia

gently rocks the basin back and forth. A picture starts to manifest on the

paper.

INT. CABIN - BATHROOM - DAY

Paul

splashes his face with water. He looks worse than he did the night before.

Weaker.

He

grabs some aspirin from the medicine cabinet.

INT. DARKROOM - DAY

Julia

leans forward to get a better view of the developing picture. An image is

slowly forming -- carousel horses, the vague outlines of poles and children.

INT. CABIN - BEDROOM - DAY

Paul

is shirtless and doing one-armed push-ups. His muscles churn. His body rises

and falls like a piston.

INT. DARKROOM - DAY

The

picture has come into view. The carousel. The children laughing as they ride

the horses.

And

something else ...

An

irregularity. A dark form in the center of the carousel.

INT. CABIN - BEDROOM - DAY

CLOSER:

ON Paul's arm as he does push-ups, sweat beading on his biceps, muscles

rippling.

The

SOUND of MACHINES pulsates and segues into ...

INT. DARKROOM - DAY

Julia

takes the picture out of the developing basin.

WE MOVE INTO THE PHOTO - There's a dark SHAPE

standing in the middle of the carousel. Blurred and indistinct. ALMOST LIKE A

SILHOUETTE OR A SHADOW.

EXCEPT THAT it's waving at the camera.

INT. CABIN - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Paul

is sitting on the couch, wearing a UCLA cross country tank top and tying his

shoes. Julia enters from the basement. She's carrying a stack of developed

pictures.

JULIA:

Paul,

you have to see this. The picture came out, but there's something really

strange in the middle of it. Just like the other one of the shed.

He

looks at the picture.

PAUL:

Looks

like someone on the carousel.

JULIA:

But

there's no features. It's like a shadow.

PAUL:

So

there wasn't enough light.

Paul

rubs his forehead. Julia is genuinely concerned.

JULIA:

What's

the matter?

PAUL:

My

head feels worse.

JULIA:

Maybe

you should lie down.

PAUL:

I:

have to go running.

JULIA:

No

you don't.

PAUL:

Of

course I do. Your body's like a machine. It needs upkeep.

JULIA:

Not

when you're physically ill.

PAUL:

I'll

be okay.

JULIA:

Paul

...

PAUL:

I'll

be okay.

(about the picture)

Is

that it?

JULIA:

Not

exactly.

(beat)

When

I saw this picture, I decided to look at the other one. Just for comparison's

sake.

PAUL:

So?

Julia

takes out another photograph.

JULIA:

I:

pulled this one by mistake. The picture of that little girl from the party.

She

hands him the picture.

JULIA:

(cont'd)

Look.

Paul's

face collapses into slack disbelief.

THE LITTLE GIRL HAS DISAPPEARED from the

photo. Vanished.

Paul

turns to Julia as she looks into his eyes with a mixture of fear and

apprehension.

JULIA:

(cont'd)

What's

going on?

This

time, he doesn't have an answer.

EXT. WOODS - WALKING TRAIL - DAY

Murky

and still. A few shafts of sunlight permeate the gloom.

Paul

is jogging along the trail, keeping a steady pace, the sounds of the forest all

around him.

EXT. CREEK BRIDGE - DAY

The

trail snakes towards a wooden bridge that spans over a trickling creek. Paul

runs across, the soles of his sneakers SLAPPING on creaking wood.

He

moves deeper into the woods.

EXT. WOODS - TRAIL - DAY

A:

lonely part of the woods where almost all the daylight is blocked out by the

trees.

Paul

jogs along the trail when he slows to a halt, sweaty and out of breath. His

skin is pale. His limbs are shivering. Paul cradles his head, shutting his eyes,

suffering from obvious pain.

PAUL:

(very soft)

Oh

God .... make it stop ...

He

starts walking forward again. Very slowly.

A:

slight TINKLING sound as he kicks something at his feet. His eyes blink open as

he looks down ...

There are several pieces of metal littering

the trail. Almost like nuts and bolts, but alien in their design.

Paul

reaches down and picks one of the bolts up. Studies it. He keeps walking,

following more pieces of metal that lead off the footpath.

EXT. FOREST - DAY

A:

darker spot enclosed by pine trees. A few birds are singing overhead.

Paul

enters the forest, pushing back branches, following the trail of discarded

metal until he freezes ... his eyes staring directly ahead at ...

CLUMPS:

OF BLACK SKIN ...

Hanging

from branches. Scattered on the ground. Like the skin of a snake which has been

shed.

Paul

is completely unsettled. He kneels down, picking up a flap of skin from the

ground, peeling it away from a steel ROD dripping with oozing slime. Holds it

up. It's still black in color but almost transparent in the murky light.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes