Watchmen Page #18

RORSCHACH:

Some nice flowers.

The Psychiatrist eyes him, dubious. Holds up another card.

FLASH OF:
Rorschach as a little boy looking up at TWO OLDER

BOYS, teasing him. Calling him "son of a whore." Rorschach

just wants to be left alone when one of the Boys SPITS in his

face. Suddenly, Rorschach's face changes. He attacks the Boy

like a wild animal--biting, clawing .

RORSCHACH (CONT'D)

Clouds.

The Psychiatrist sighs, puts the cards down.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Tell me about Rorschach. Will you do

that?

RORSCHACH:

Why are you here with me, doctor?

PSYCHIATRIST:

Because I want to make you well.

(CONTINUED)

68.

CONTINUED:
(2)

RORSCHACH:

There's other men in here with behavior

more extreme than mine. Of course,

they're not famous. You want to know

about Rorschach, doctor? I'll tell you

about Rorschach

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

Rorschach, walks through intermittent STREETLIGHTS. In his

GLOVE, he holds a PHOTO of an angelic SIX YEAR OLD GIRL.

RORSCHACH (V.0.)

I was investigating a kidnap case. Blair

Roche, 6 year old girl. I was young then.

Too soft on criminals. I let them live.

EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

A creepy, deserted-looking house. Rorschach peers through a

slatted fence at TWO GERMAN SHEPHERDS FIGHTING.

RORSCHACH (V.0.)

Broke a man's arm to get a tip. Led me to

the missing girl's location.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

CRACK! The front door is KICKED OPEN, smashing the lock.

Rorschach moves between a line of headless MANNEQUINS. In one

corner rests an old WOOD-BURNING STOVE. Rorschach peers

inside, removes a BLACKENED scrap of UNDERWEAR. It's

decorated with little hearts and bears.

RORSCHACH (V.0.)

I knew the girl was here. But when I

searched the place I found nothing.

INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

Rorschach enters the kitchen. Out the window, the DOGS are

fighting. Rorschach opens a cupboard, where a line of KNIVES,

CLEAVERS and a HACKSAW hang on hooks. Outside, the snarling

dogs get LOUDER.

Slowly now, Rorschach's gaze moves from the knives . to

the counter. He runs his gloved finger along RED STAINED,

DEEP-CUT GROOVES in a THICK WOODEN CHOPPING BLOCK. Blood. His

gaze continues out the window

RORSCHACH (V.0.)

And then I found her.

(CONTINUED)

69.

CONTINUED:

. to the dogs, still fighting over the BONE, which we now

recognize as a small, HUMAN FEMUR--that of the little girl.

Rorschach clenches his hands in fury, his fists tremble

and suddenly, he relaxes. Calms.

Rorschach slowly turns to the cupboard. He reaches for a

large CLEAVER .

EXT. HOUSE - LATER (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

The CHILD MOLESTER, greasy and fat, walks past the now-silent

fence.

RORSCHACH (V.0.)

It was dark when the murderer got back.

As dark as it gets.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

The Man flicks a LIGHT SWITCH. Nothing. He draws a GUN.

INT. HOUSE KITCHEN - NIGHT (FLASHBACK - 13 YEARS AGO)

He tries the light in here. Nothing again. He turns away as

the BODY of a DEAD GERMAN SHEPARD CRASHES THROUGH THE WINDOW!

He SCRAMBLES through the warehouse, falling over mannequins.

He FIRES madly into the dark. The SECOND DOG SMASHES INTO HIM

FROM A SECOND WINDOW. His gun goes flying. He scrambles

backward against the stove.

FROM BEHIND, Rorschach CUFFS THE MAN'S WRIST TO THE STOVE.

When the Child Molester sees that "face," he loses his

bladder. Rorschach just stares, mask-blots shifting

CHILD MOLESTER:

You think I had something to do with that

girl? I didn't! Where's your evidence?

Rorschach calmly points to body of the dog. (It is the

same image Rorschach saw in the first blot-card.)

CHILD MOLESTER (CONT'D)

Okay, I confess! I kidnapped her! I

killed her! Arrest me!

RORSCHACH:

Men get arrested.

Rorschach RAISES THE CLEAVER, high over his head

(CONTINUED)

70.

CONTINUED:

RORSCHACH (cont'd)

Dogs get put down.

Rorschach SWINGS the cleaver DOWN. Blood SPATTERS his mask.

INT. PRISON PSYCH ROOM - DAY

The Psychiatrist listens, paralyzed. Horrified.

RORSCHACH:

A tremor of impact shook my arm. Warm

blood splashed my face. It was Walter

Kovacs who screamed, who closed his eyes--

it was Rorschach who opened them again.

The silence reels out

RORSCHACH (cont'd)

You see, Doctor. God didn't kill that

little girl, fate didn't butcher her and

destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If

God saw what any of us did that night, he

didn't seem to mind. From then on, I

knew. God doesn't make the world this

way. We do.

The Psychiatrist rises shakily. He crosses to the GUARD.

PSYCHIATRIST:

I can't help him.

INT. PRISON COMMISSARY - EVENING

The Mess hall is PACKED, hundreds of INMATES eat dinner.

Rorschach enters. The place goes instantly, heavily SILENT.

Suddenly someone yells:

RANDOM VOICE:

Hey Rorschach, I heard your momma was a

whore!

A cruel RIPPLE OF LAUGHTER and the mass conversation begins

again as Rorschach takes his place in the food line. A HUGE

PRISONER moves in behind him. He whispers:

PRISONER:

Hey, Rorschach. You're pretty famous,

right? Y'know, I'm pretty famous too.

Maybe I can give you my autograph.

The Prisoner slides a SHIV from his sleeve

(CONTINUED)

71.

CONTINUED:

Rorschach doesn't register this. He waits for the FRY-COOK

behind the counter to turn away--

--then casually reaches across and lifts the DEEP-FRYER

BASKET from its mount--

--the Prisoner JABS the shiv forward--Rorschach spins,

GRIPPING the man's wrist and FLINGING the BOILING GREASE INTO

THE MAN'S FACE. The man SHRIEKS like a FIRE WHISTLE and

CRASHES TO THE GROUND. The Guards DESCEND on Rorschach.

Rorschach is calm as he's dragged away. As the injured man's

screams fall away to weak, bubbling hitches, the room once

again goes silent. Rorschach eyes the fearful, hateful eyes

of the room, marking each one. And in the silence he speaks,

his icy voice carrying easily.

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