What Lies Beneath Page #7

The noise abruptly stops. Claire clicks off the phone and

replaces it in the sweater pocket. She tunes the stereo to a

classical music station.

INT. WORK ROOM - NIGHT

She walks in, places the cordless phone on a BASE UNIT, then

hears a different set of musical notes from the computer.

She stares at the screen, stunned.

ANGLE:

The game has been finished. Cards with faces swarm chaotically

across the screen with the message: YOU WIN!

CLAIRE:

Oh. Kay.

Without warning, the radio dial rips cacophonously past

several stations and comes to a stop on some angry, punkish

rock and roll.

CLAIRE:

Jesus...

She bolts around a corner to the stereo. The music is chaotic

and deafening. She finds Cooper growling at... no one. She

turns off the stereo. Cooper suddenly bolts down the hall.

She follows him.

INT. FOYER - NIGHT

The foyer's empty, but the front door is open. Claire

nervously walks out and looks around.

CLAIRE:

Cooper!

POV - THE GARDEN

No sign of the dog.

Claire turns to go back inside. When she touches the doorknob,

she hears the whispering again. A fleeting shadow draws her

eye to a COAT RACK MIRROR which reflects directly into the

study.

CLAIRE:

Hello...?!

The whispering stops.

INT. NORMAN'S LAB - NIGHT

Claire walks in to find Norman surrounded by several GRAD

STUDENTS. At school he's a very different man; pressed shirt

and tie, hair neatly brushed back.

They're performing some unseen procedure on a live sheep in

a containment harness. She stops by the door to watch him.

NORMAN:

...and then what... Courtney?

An intense ASIAN GIRL answers.

COURTNEY:

We administer the Halothane.

NORMAN:

Dosage?

She glances at her notes.

COURTNEY:

Three point five cc's.

NORMAN:

Excellent. Properties? Andrew from

downtown...

Andrew, tall razor thin, was waiting for this.

ANDREW:

An organic, neuromuscular blocking

agent, which when administered in

aerosol form temporarily renders the

subject immobile.

NORMAN:

Nothing but net.

He measures out the liquid from a blue plastic bottle into

an apparatus connected to an inhalation mask on the sheep.

NORMAN:

Prudence here's an old friend.

He moves to the sheep's head and strokes it as he nods to

Courtney who turns a valve on the apparatus. The sheep

suddenly goes completely still. Norman moves around and begins

a brief procedure.

NORMAN:

I try to stay on her good side because

I owe her my career and most of our

grant money. Why else?

He completes the procedure. They look at him blankly.

NORMAN:

Always do unto others as you'd have

others do unto your ewe.

Groans, laughter. He stops Claire.

NORMAN:

That'll do it. Write this up for

Tuesday!

Andrew and Amy tend to Prudence, the rest leave. Claire moves

over to him. They kiss. Norman packs notes and some of the

chemicals into a LEATHER CASE.

NORMAN:

(warm)

What are you doing here?

CLAIRE:

There were some noises. I didn't

want to disturb you.

She watches as the sheep slowly becomes reanimated and is

led out of the room.

NORMAN:

What do you mean? Some noises where?

CLAIRE:

In the house. I was scared.

NORMAN:

Did you call the police?

CLAIRE:

No. Can you drive me home? I'll bring

you back in the morning.

NORMAN:

Of course.

He takes her arm.

INT. THE FOYER - NIGHT

Norman pushes open the front door. Cooper pads over, wagging

his tail. They walk together past the stereo into...

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

...the living room. All is quiet. They move into...

INT. NORMAN'S STUDY - NIGHT

It's undisturbed. Norman checks the window locks.

CLAIRE:

It was there. This angry music all

by itself. And I heard whispering.

NORMAN:

What kind of whispering?

CLAIRE:

I don't know. Just... whispering.

He nods as Cooper appears.

NORMAN:

What'd you see, Coop?

The dog stares blankly.

CLAIRE:

(to Cooper)

Tell him!

Norman smiles.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Norman sits on the bed and pulls off his shoes.

NORMAN:

I'm gonna have the police check on

the house.

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