FADE
IN:
EXT.
WOODS -- NIGHT
An
out-of-focus crescent moon fills the screen as blurry branches sway in front of
it, producing an interesting pattern. Thin clouds drift across the moon as
well, adding to the shifting hues and textures. Very slowly pull focus as the
OPENING CREDITS play over the scene, so that when the credits end, the moon is
in sharp focus. Pan down through the bare tree branches into the cold, snowless
winter landscape and drift along high above the ground, as though from the
point-of-view of a wandering ghost. Suddenly, a GIRL screams.
Cut
to the girl’s feet, shoeless, running through the woods, the brittle leaves
crunching with each stumbling step. Her pantyhose have been shredded by the
twigs and underbrush she has run through, and her legs are covered with scratches,
some bleeding. She trips on a stick and falls to the ground, hard, her face and
upper body entering the frame. It is MILLICENT COLLINS.
Millicent
is wearing her formal gown, but instead of a necklace, she has a heavy dog’s
choke chain around her throat. A chain leash is clipped to it and dangles from
her neck. Her wrists are tied behind her back with a strong nylon rope, which
winds about her waist, pinning her hands to the small of her back. Her face and
chest are covered with scratches, and her shoulder has a nasty gash that is
bleeding badly. She looks behind her, terrified, and struggles to her feet. A
flashlight beam shines on her face, and she starts running again.
A
few yards behind Millicent, her pursuer follows her in black leather hiking boots,
tight jeans, and a warm, black leather jacket with matching gloves. It is
TUPPENCE COLLINS, her hair pinned back tightly behind her head. Her face is
taut and cruel, but excited. She sweeps the flashlight beam around a bit, then
turns it off. She lifts a broadsword to rest it against her shoulder as she
continues on into the darkness.
Millicent
runs frantically along the edge of a creek, the faint moonlight reflecting off
the water’s surface. Suddenly, her leash catches in the roots of an overturned
tree, yanking her backwards to the ground. She lies on her back in the leaves,
choking and coughing from the violent constriction of the chain around her
throat. Without warning, the broadsword plunges down into her shoulder and she
screams. She looks up and sees Tuppence standing over her, silhouetted against
the sky. Tuppence withdraws the blade and steps back, allowing Millicent to
scramble back and free her leash from the roots. Both shoulders bleeding,
Millicent lurches off the way she came, only to slam face-first into a tree.
Dazed, she turns around, and Tuppence swings the sword into her side, cutting
down to her ribs. Millicent cries out and falls to her knees. Tuppence swings
the sword around and stabs Millicent in the thigh, then kicks her in the head,
knocking her over.
As
Millicent lies on the ground, bleeding and delirious, Tuppence wraps the other
end of the leash around a nearby tree, then pulls out of her jacket pocket a
length of nylon rope which she uses to tie Millicent’s ankles together. She
tears the tattered stockings away from Millicent’s right foot, then reaches
into her jacket’s inside pocket and produces a battery-operated cautery pen.
She removes the cap and presses the button, causing the filament to glow
yellow. With wicked glee, Tuppence takes the cautery pen to the underside of
the fourth toe on Millicent’s right foot. Millicent screams in agony.
CUT
TO:
INT.
COLLINS HOME -- BEDROOM -- THURSDAY NIGHT
ALBERT
COLLINS wakes with a start, Millicent’s scream still echoing in his mind. He is
sweating and shaking from the nightmare. The room is dark.
ALBERTMillicent! Oh, my god, Millicent!
EMMA
CORBETT, sleeping nude beside him, wakes up.
EMMAAlbert?
Albert
starts to cry. Emma puts her arms around him to comfort him.
EMMAAgain?
Albert
nods, sobbing.
EMMAOh, my dearest, dearest...
She
kisses him repeatedly.
EMMADo you need to go downstairs?
Albert
nods tearfully.
EMMAAll right, my love.
Emma
slides out of bed. Albert follows her.
CUT
TO:
INT.
COLLINS HOME -- BASEMENT -- NIGHT
A
single lightbulb illuminates a dismal corner of the unfinished basement. EMMA
sits on the cement floor, wearing a formal gown identical to Millicent’s, as
well as spike-heeled leather pumps and a rhinestone tiara. Her wrists are tied
behind her back with a strong nylon rope, which winds about her waist, pinning
her hands to the small of her back. Her ankles are likewise bound with nylon
rope, and she wears a heavy dog’s choke chain around her throat. A chain leash
is clipped to it and dangles from her neck. She looks up at ALBERT, standing
across the room in his flannel pajama pants, holding up a broadsword. He
advances toward her menacingly, his shadow falling over her as he moves past
the lightbulb. The broadsword moves slowly past Emma’s face as Albert kneels
down in front of her. Then he lays the sword on the floor and kisses Emma,
tears streaming down his face.
ALBERTI couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save her.EMMAI know.
Albert
gently lays Emma back onto the floor, kissing her repeatedly. She straightens
out her legs.
ALBERTI couldn’t... I couldn’t save my baby girl...EMMAIt’s all right, darling.
Albert
lies on top of her, kissing her neck and shoulders. Emma closes her eyes.
ALBERTCouldn’t save her...EMMAYou’re forgiven.
CUT
TO:
INT.
FBI FIELD OFFICE, AKRON -- FRIDAY MORNING
FRANKLIN
FOSGILL is standing at a desk. A large mural of a forest is on the wall behind
him. A SECRETARY brings him a cup of coffee.
FOSGILLGet me Agent Clayton Morris out in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!
The
secretary exits. DUNCAN MACNEIL enters and hands Fosgill a report in a manila
folder.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
IOWA BARNYARD -- MORNING
A
dilapidated barn at a farm outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a flurry of activity.
Several FBI AGENTS in business suits and trenchcoats confer with ARMY SOLDIERS
and IOWA STATE TROOPERS. Men in hazmat suits carry stretchers out of the barn.
The bodies on the stretchers are concealed by silver tarps. As each stretcher
appears, another man in a hazmat suit checks it with a Geiger counter. The
stretchers are then loaded into a truck. Several scruffy YOUTHS are on their
knees with their hands behind their heads. They wear baseball caps and T-shirts
with logos for MUFON and NICAP. A car phone rings, and one of the FBI agents
answers it.
FBI AGENTMorris!
CLAYTON
MORRIS, tall and lanky, dressed in a cheap suit & tie and a trenchcoat,
turns around from his conversation with the Army officer in charge.
MORRISExcuse me.
Morris
walks over to the car and takes the phone from the other agent.
MORRISMorris.
INTERCUT
-- MORRIS standing by the car and FOSGILL in his office.
FOSGILLClay! It’s Franklin Fosgill calling from the Akron field office! I’ve got a situation here that’s right up your alley! We’ve got an agent who’s gone off the grid!MORRISWho is it?FOSGILLIt’s Franklin Fosgill!MORRISWho is the agent?FOSGILLOff the grid! AWOL! Missing in action! He’s disappeared, Clay, without a trace! I’m having you flown out here ASAP! I’ll brief you at the airport! There’s someone I want you to meet!MORRISOkay, Franklin!
Morris
hangs up the phone and squints.
CUT
TO:
INT.
FBI FIELD OFFICE, AKRON -- MORNING
FOSGILL
hangs up the phone. DUNCAN stands in front of the desk.
DUNCANIf he’s as unstable as I think he is, it’ll take a strong man to bring him in.FOSGILLClayton Morris is the right man for the job!
DUNCANI hope you’re right.
They
sip their coffee simultaneously.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PORTAGE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT -- FRIDAY AFTERNOON
A
single-engine Cessna comes in for a landing at the rural airfield. It comes to
a stop near the main building and MORRIS gets out of the plane. FOSGILL is waiting
for him with SARA CICERO, a petite redhead in a sensible pantsuit and
cream-colored overcoat.
FOSGILLClay! Tip your hat to Dr. Sara Cicero! She’s done some first-rate work on PTSD -- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder!MORRISDoctor.CICEROAgent Morris.FOSGILLSorry to say, I think you’ll need her expertise! But first, I’ve brought along a friend of mine!
A
PUNK ROCK GIRL emerges from the main building and comes over to stand next to
Fosgill. She is wearing a mesh shirt over a black bra, a short leather skirt,
chunky-heeled lace-up boots, a spiked leather choker, and dark sunglasses,
among other accessories. She has a large silver maple-leaf pendant around her
neck. She waves to Morris and Cicero with a worried look on her face.
FOSGILLHer name is Sue! She’s an only child!
Fosgill
circles his ear with one finger, looking askance at the girl. Morris looks her
over carefully. Cicero is confused. Then, Fosgill gives the Punk Rock Girl a
nod and she finally stops waving and goes back inside the building. Fosgill
then hands Morris a manila folder with some papers in it. Morris looks briefly
at the papers, then hands the folder back to Fosgill.
FOSGILLGood luck, Clay! Sara, you and Clay will make a good team! One for the ages!CICEROYes, sir.FOSGILL(handing Morris a set of car keys)You can reach me at the Peoria office! I’m flying out today!
Morris
nods.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
RURAL ROAD -- AFTERNOON
MORRIS
and CICERO drive to their assignment in a government-issue car. As he drives,
Morris munches on sunflower seeds from a plastic bag.
CICEROWho was that girl? What was she doing there?MORRISYou might say Fosgill has his own M.O. I can explain it to you.CICEROPlease.MORRISWell, you saw Sue had a worried look on her face.CICEROI guess.MORRISThat means the local law-enforcement is already pretty overwhelmed, so they probably won’t mind the FBI stepping in.CICEROOh.MORRISAnd she was waving her hand, palm out, which means we can expect them to be friendly. Also, she was wearing a mesh shirt, which means they’re not hiding anything.CICEROOkay...MORRISSue also had sunglasses on, which means they’re in the dark.CICEROSo we shouldn’t expect any trouble?MORRISNot from the locals. But Sue had on a spiked collar, which means we’re entering a dangerous situation. She was also wearing chunky-heeled boots, which means there’ll be a lot of legwork.CICEROAnd the leather skirt?MORRISLeather skirts are code for a rogue agent -- who may have turned vigilante.CICEROOh.MORRISFosgill said Sue was an only child and twirled his finger around his ear to signal that she’s crazy. So we’re dealing with an agent who was working solo and may have lost his mind.CICERORight.MORRISDid you notice anything else about her?CICEROShe had a silver maple-leaf pendant.MORRISAnd what does that suggest to you?CICEROThat she’s Canadian?MORRISGood one. But I can’t tell you about that.CICEROYou can’t or you won’t?
Morris
gives her a half-grin but doesn’t answer.
NEW
ANGLE
The
car drives past the TWINSBURG welcome sign, heading into town.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TWINSBURG SHERIFF STATION -- AFTERNOON
The
government-issue car pulls in and parks. MORRIS and CICERO get out and look
around, then head into the building.
CUT
TO:
INT.
SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- AFTERNOON
MORRIS
and CICERO enter the building. Sitting at her desk is the Sheriff’s secretary,
ABIGAIL VOIGT, talking quietly on the phone and taking notes. Across the room,
SHERIFF ROBERT ARMSTRONG is speaking to a few DEPUTIES, giving them
instructions. He looks over at the two agents.
SHERIFFCan I help you?MORRISAre you Sheriff Robert Armstrong?SHERIFFThat’s me.MORRISI’m Special Agent Clayton Morris from the FBI. This is Agent Cicero.CICERO(shakes hands with Sheriff)Dr. Sara Cicero.SHERIFFA pleasure. What can I do for you folks?MORRISWe’ve an agent’s gone missing, and we’re here to look into it.SHERIFFOh, right. That Wynton Duke guy? I reported that a month ago. He took a prisoner out of our jail and they both disappeared--MORRISSheriff, we’re not here about here Agent Duke.SHERIFFYou’re not?MORRISNo.SHERIFFWell, then who?CICEROMartin Gale.SHERIFFWhoa, what? Agent Gale’s missing?CICEROI’m afraid so.SHERIFFBut he said he was heading to Peoria -- joining a big case there.CICEROWe’ve no record of that.MORRISAs we understood it, after wrapping up his investigation here, Agent Gale requested to take some vacation time.SHERIFFRight.MORRISThat’s the last we heard of him. When he failed to report in after two weeks, we started to get... concerned. Routine attempts to locate him were unsuccessful. So here we are.CICEROSheriff, did you notice anything unusual or odd about the manner of Agent Gale’s departure?SHERIFFNo. It seemed kind of sudden.CICERODid he seem at all upset or agitated?SHERIFFNot at all. He was just his usual straight-arrow self.MORRISWell, we’ll be making some inquiries. I hope we can count on your cooperation.SHERIFFYou got it. I’ll do what I can. Unfortunately, we’re kind of in the middle of a big murder case of our own right now. A woman was found tied to her dining room table. She’d choked on candle wax, asphyxiated. Looked like a sex crime.MORRISSounds like you’ve had more than your share of murders around here lately.SHERIFFYeah, I’ll say. Hopefully, it won’t happen again.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- AFTERNOON
PENNY
GARDNER walks down the sidewalk, heading home after school. She is feeling
wistful, with a tinge of melancholy. She stops at the curb in front of her
house and checks the mailbox. She takes out a few mail items and carries them
up the front steps to her house.
In
a car parked across the street, DANI CLAPSADDLE slouches, watching Penny go up
the stairs and into her house. Dani looks rather haggard, with dark circles
under her eyes. She continues watching the house, her face grim.
CUT
TO:
INT.
PENNY’S HOME -- AFTERNOON
PENNY
enters the house through the front door. She goes into the living room and
finds her mother, MARY GARDNER, wearing a track suit and riding a stationary
bicycle.
PENNYHi, Mom.MARYHello, Penny. Did you grab the mail?PENNYRight here.
Penny
puts the mail on the coffee table, except for a postcard, which she looks at
lovingly.
MARYWhat’s that?PENNYIt’s from Nicholas.MARYOh. And where is he now?PENNYFar away.MARY(stops pedaling)Well, I hope he enjoys riding his bike more than I do. This thing is killing me.PENNYThen why do it?MARYGot to keep your father’s interest.PENNYMom...MARYI’m just saying. Your father never left me behind to go on some absurd cross-country trek to find himself or whatever it is.PENNYNicholas is doing what he needed to do. It has nothing to do with me.MARYOh, fiddlesticks. It’s such a shame, dropping out of school so close to graduation. What a waste. But, well, growing up in a bicycle shop. It’s hardly an appropriate atmosphere. You’d have to expect something like this. Especially now that his uncle is marrying that crazy woman. Have you seen her? She’s like Jekyll and Hyde.PENNY(fed up)Oh, God, take me now!
Penny
storms out of the room.
CUT
TO:
INT.
SHERIFF STATION -- CONFERENCE ROOM -- FRIDAY EVENING
MORRIS
and CICERO are sitting at the table, looking at papers from a large accordion
file. SHERIFF enters.
MORRISSheriff, thanks for coming back in to talk to us.SHERIFFNot a problem. Not much to go home to, anyway.MORRISWe’d like you to tell us about your experience working with Agent Gale.SHERIFFOkay. Abigail got you set up with a fresh pot of coffee?MORRISYeah, it’s great.SHERIFFDid you get some doughnuts?MORRISUh... well, I’m still kind of full from dinner.SHERIFFDr. Cicero, do you need anything?CICEROI’m fine. Thank you.MORRISNow, about Agent Gale...SHERIFFRight.MORRISYou contacted the FBI for assistance after finding the body of... Millicent Collins.SHERIFFThat’s right.MORRISAnd Agent Gale arrived later that day to lead the investigation.SHERIFFCorrect. I hadn’t had a real murder like that before. Certainly not a serial killer. I’m not ashamed to say I was a little out of my depth.MORRISFour days into the investigation, the killer struck again...SHERIFFLeigh Pfiffer.MORRISRight, and just a few days later, you and Agent Gale caught the killer, “Tuppence” Collins, the first victim’s mother. Within a week of starting the investigation, that is something.SHERIFFAgent Gale knew his business. And we had a few lucky breaks.CICEROExcept Mrs. Collins died while resisting arrest.SHERIFFShe attacked Agent Gale with a sword. He acted in self-defense.MORRISOkay. What was your impression of Agent Gale’s methods?SHERIFFI thought his powers of observation and deduction were pretty damn impressive. He was very... intuitive about it.CICEROIntuitive?SHERIFFAnd thorough.MORRISYou’re familiar with an agent named Duncan MacNeil?SHERIFFYes. He did some forensics work for Agent Gale.MORRISRight. He submitted a report raising some concerns about Agent Gale’s fitness for duty. He said Agent Gale requested that he examine a sample of mud for any luminous substances, but none were found. It was just mud.SHERIFFYeah.MORRISAnd in his field notes, Agent Gale makes several references to some unexplained phenomena.SHERIFFWell, I sure as hell couldn’t explain it.MORRISWould you describe it as paranormal?SHERIFFSorry?CICEROSheriff, we’re concerned because Agent Gale reported experiencing several auditory and visual hallucinations in the course of his investigation, which he claims gave him special insight into the case. He also claimed that both Mrs. Collins and a mailman were possessed by evil spirits, and that he had uncovered some kind of secret war between light and dark. Finally, he insisted that he had interviewed a witness who died ten years ago. As a result of all this, he was placed on temporary suspension and recommended for a psychological evaluation. The suspension was soon lifted, but he immediately requested a leave of absence, then disappeared. I know you respect Agent Gale, but if he’s suffered a psychotic break, he could be very dangerous -- to himself and others.SHERIFFLook, I know that Agent Gale was a little out there with some of this stuff, but I saw some things with my own eyes. Things I still can’t make sense of.MORRISGo on.SHERIFFThe night we tracked Mrs. Collins to her hideout in the woods. She had captured another girl, Penny Gardner -- was going to kill her, but we got there in time. Like I said, she attacked Gale with a sword. He was wounded, but he got hold of this ceremonial dagger she had and stabbed her in the heart. They both collapsed. And then there they were.MORRISWho?SHERIFFThe spirits. Agent Gale called them Llewellyn and Gruffydd. They were like ghosts or something, but I saw them plain as the nose on your face. They sort of hovered there, fighting each other, then they just faded away. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Still gives me chills just thinking about it.CICEROIt was an extremely high-stress situation--MORRISHold on, Cicero. What else did you see, Sheriff?SHERIFFA couple days later, I was called to a construction site to settle a dispute, and this... thing came out of the woods. Looked like an astronaut, but glowing. Everybody saw it. It moved almost like it was in slow-motion. Gave me the creeps. It said something to me, then just kind of vanished into thin air.MORRISWhat did it say?SHERIFFJust one word, “Festival.” But that led us to the Festival of Lights, held the following weekend up at the Maple Lodge. That secret war you mentioned seems pretty real, Dr. Cicero. But it’s between two rival cults, and it’s been going on for damn near 150 years. Agent Gale discovered a historical pattern that led us to believe one of the cults was going to kidnap the winner of our Queen of Lights contest.MORRISIs that like a beauty pageant?SHERIFFRight. It’s a tradition, goes way back. And these kidnappings had happened before -- a few times, but several decades apart. Whenever there was some kind of convergence of... cult things.MORRISOkay. That’s all in Agent Gale’s field reports. Now, his last report was dated the morning of Saturday, February 14th, and he indicates that he’s getting ready to head out to the Festival of Lights to hopefully prevent the kidnapping. What happened at the Maple Lodge that day, Sheriff?SHERIFFWe got to the lodge early, before the doors opened for the festival. I’d called in extra deputies from the surrounding counties for backup. Agent Gale and I met with Sergei Krizman, he heads up the Maple Lodge Elders.MORRISWho are they?SHERIFFBenevolent association, mostly retired guys. They manage the lodge and the various events held there. So, we stayed close to the pageant contestants throughout the day, and when the winner was announced, we closed ranks around her. But several hours went by then, and nothing happened. At some point, Agent Gale and his date -- local woman name of Dani Clapsaddle -- slipped off into the woods.MORRISWhy?SHERIFFCan’t say for sure. Things got a bit chaotic when, believe it or not, there was a completely unrelated kidnapping. I was too busy dealing with that situation to mount a search for Agent Gale until the next night. Then we found both Gale and Dani unconscious in the woods. One of my men drove Dani home, and I took Gale back to his hotel room. The Doc gave him a once-over and said he seemed okay. I came back to the station to finish up a couple of things, then Agent Gale showed up, said a quick goodbye, and headed off to Peoria. At least, that’s where he said he was going.MORRISAnd what about the cult and the Queen of Lights?SHERIFFAs far as we know, they never made their move. We spoke to Dani about it the next day, asked her what happened to them in the woods. She said nothing happened. She looked a bit rattled, confused, but I chalked it up to Gale’s departure and let it go at that.MORRISCould you show us where exactly you found them, say tomorrow morning? I think we need to try to determine what happened to Agent Gale in the woods that night. Then we should probably talk to this Dani Clapsaddle.SHERIFFSure thing.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- SATURDAY MORNING
SHERIFF
leads MORRIS and CICERO to the pit filled with dark water and surrounded by
mossy rocks. Morris goes to the edge of the pit and stares down into the water.
SHERIFFThis is the spot. Gale was lying here, and Dani was just over there. They were both out cold when we found them. We were able to revive them, though they were pretty groggy. Otherwise, they didn’t seem to be injured at all.CICEROYou said a doctor examined Agent Gale. There were no signs of concussion or anything like that?SHERIFFNo, ma’am.MORRISWhat’s that smell? Do you smell that?SHERIFFWhat?MORRISSmells like... burnt sugar.SHERIFFOh?MORRISYou don’t smell that?
Suddenly,
a black-and-white CAT darts out of the underbrush and rubs itself up against
Cicero’s legs.
CICEROWell, hello there.MORRISLooks like you’ve made a friend, Cicero.CICEROWhere did you come from?MORRISActually, come to think of it, we’re pretty deep in the woods here, Sheriff. How did you manage to find Agent Gale and Ms. Clapsaddle out here in the dark?SHERIFFMr. Krizman from the Maple Lodge, he led us out here. The lodge isn’t too far from here. He must have decided to canvass the woods, and found them.MORRISHmm. I’d like to check out this Maple Lodge, maybe ask him a few questions.SHERIFFI can take you there, but then I’ve got to get back to the station.MORRISSure, that would be great.
They
head off through the woods. The cat follows them.
NEW
ANGLE
A
short distance off, DANI stands behind a tree, watching the investigators
through her binoculars. She then lowers the binoculars and squints.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MAPLE LODGE -- MORNING
MORRIS
and CICERO approach the building, looking around. Theirs is the only car in the
parking lot. All is quiet.
MORRISWell, the joint is definitely not jumping.CICEROIt’s still early, Morris.
Morris
tries the front door. It is unlocked.
CICEROWell, there must be someone around.MORRISSee who you can find, Cicero. I want to take a quick look around out here.CICEROOkay. Don’t get lost.MORRISFunny.
Cicero
smiles and goes inside. Morris walks around the side of the building, looking
intently at the power lines overhead.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MAPLE LODGE -- MAIN HALL -- MORNING
CICERO
enters. The main hall is partially decorated for St. Patrick’s Day, but no one
else appears to be present.
CICEROHello? Hello, is anyone here?
She
heads toward the back hallway.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MAPLE LODGE -- MORNING
MORRIS
comes around to the back of the building and sees RAMONA WINGFEATHER carrying a
bucket over by the horse-riding ring.
MORRISExcuse me!
Ramona
looks at him, puts down the bucket, and walks quickly toward the stables.
MORRISMiss?
Ramona
enters the stables and is lost from sight. Morris follows her.
CUT
TO:
INT.
MAPLE LODGE -- BASEMENT -- MORNING
CICERO
comes down a staircase into the lower level of the building. The walls are
covered with dark paneling and the floor is tiled with a zig-zag pattern.
CICEROHello?
At
the end of the corridor, Cicero finds a door which opens into a dark room. She
takes a small flashlight out of her coat pocket, turns it on, and steps through
the doorway. She shines the light around, revealing a large, mostly empty space
with the same zig-zag tile floor. In one corner, the flashlight briefly
illuminates three Art Deco chairs, a couple of torchiere floor lamps, and a
Greek statue. Suddenly, the black-and-white CAT screeches and runs between
Cicero’s legs and out into the corridor, startling her. She steps back into the
corridor and closes the door behind her.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MAPLE LODGE -- STABLES -- MORNING
MORRIS
enters the stables, looking for Ramona.
MORRISMiss? Hello? I just want to ask you a few questions.
He
checks around, but she has vanished. Confused, Morris heads back toward the
main building.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
MAPLE LODGE -- MORNING
MORRIS
comes up to CICERO just as she exits the building, closing the door behind her.
CICERONobody there. Maybe they don’t bother to lock up. Did you find anything?MORRISI saw a girl out back, but she scooted as soon as she saw me. Somehow, I lost her.CICEROThis seems like a dead end. Maybe we should head back into town.MORRISLet’s look up Agent Gale’s girlfriend and see what she can tell us.
They
head back to their car. RAMONA peers around the corner of the building,
watching them, then slowly steps back out of sight.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSEMARY’S PASTRY SHOP -- SATURDAY AFTERNOON
DANI,
looking tired and irritable, is loading the dishwasher in the shop’s kitchen
and keeping herself otherwise busy as MORRIS and CICERO question her.
MORRISAccording to the Sheriff, Ms. Clapsaddle, you were a senior account manager at the First Bank of Twinsburg until about three weeks ago?DANIYeah, so?MORRISAnd now you’re washing dishes at your sister-in-law’s pastry shop.DANITimes are tough. A person’s got to keep body and soul together.CICEROWe understand you were involved with Agent Gale in the week leading up to his disappearance. We were hoping you could give us some insight into his state of mind.DANIWho knows what goes on in men’s minds? You think you know someone, but then it’s all a bunch of lies. Story of my life, know what I mean?CICEROCan you tell us what happened on February 14th, at the Maple Lodge?DANINothing happened.MORRISWe know you and Agent Gale disappeared into the woods for nearly 24 hours. The police report says you were found lying unconscious on the ground without either a coat or shoes. Now, it was pretty cold that night, and not much better during the day.CICEROIf Agent Gale hurt you, we just want to--DANIYou don’t know what you’re talking about.MORRISEither way, we just want to find him.DANIHe’s a long way gone. And he’s not coming back.CICERODo you know where he is?DANIHe’s nowhere.
Morris
motions to Cicero that they should leave.
MORRISSorry to trouble you.
Dani
ignores them as they exit.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TWINSBURG INN -- SATURDAY NIGHT
CUT
TO:
INT.
TWINSBURG INN -- CICERO’S ROOM -- NIGHT
CICERO
is sitting on the bed, making a phone call. There are forms and reports spread
out around her on the bed. MORRIS is standing by the desk, looking at a large
map of the area. When no one answers, Cicero hangs up the phone.
CICEROStill no answer at the Maple Lodge. I haven’t been able to reach Mr. Krizman at home, either. It just rings and rings.MORRISI don’t know, Cicero. I still think Dani Clapsaddle is our best lead. Something happened to her in those woods that she doesn’t want to talk about.CICEROThe poor woman is clearly suffering from severe depression, Morris. And no wonder, considering what she’s been through in the last few weeks. First her husband turns out to be a drug dealer and is killed by the police, then Agent Gale romances her only to vanish without a trace, and finally she loses her job and is reduced to washing dishes. I probably wouldn’t want to talk about it, either.MORRISSure, but I get the feeling it’s more than that. Something in her eyes. They’re completely hollow. But 24 hours out in those woods might do that to you. Especially with that smell. What do you think that was?CICEROI don’t know. There could be some sotolone emissions from a nearby factory. Or, heroin smoke smells like that, too.MORRISYou think there’s a secret opium den in the woods?CICEROOr maybe a secret Waffle House.MORRISSheriff Armstrong didn’t seem to notice it.CICEROHe’s probably used to it.MORRISEverything seems to come back to those woods. That’s where the cult rituals were performed, where they found Tuppence Collins, and where the Sheriff saw those spirit forms. And that astronaut-thing.CICEROYou don’t seriously put any stock in those accounts, do you?MORRISYou heard the Sheriff yourself, Cicero. And he doesn’t seem the type to make up something like that. The other witness statements track with his, they must have seen something.CICEROThere could be any number of explanations.MORRISLike what, swamp gas?CICEROThere are numerous physical factors that can induce those sorts of hallucinations. Overstimulation of the temporoparietal junction, low-frequency sound waves, sleep deprivation. Mass hysteria is well documented, Morris. Agent Gale started in with the Twilight Zone stuff after just a couple of days. Of course the Sheriff would get caught up in it.MORRISAll right, I don’t blame you for being a skeptic, Cicero. I’m skeptical, too. But I’m not afraid to be open to a realm of possibility beyond the ordinary.CICEROI’m not afraid of the unknown. I’m afraid of the tricks a mind can play on itself if you let your guard down.MORRIS(folding up the map)Well, it’s getting late. I’m going to turn in. What do you want to tackle first in the morning?CICEROI think I want to go through these autopsy reports more carefully. The toxicology results look interesting, especially the one for Mrs. Collins.MORRISOkay, that’s fine.CICEROWhy, what are you going to do?MORRISI’m going to take a hike in the woods.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- NIGHT
The
full moon goes behind a cloud.
CUT
TO:
INT.
TWINSBURG INN -- CICERO’S ROOM -- NIGHT
CICERO,
now alone, is ready for bed. She gets under the covers and turns off the light.
Laying her head on the pillow, she looks at the digital clock on the
nightstand. It reads 10:13 PM. She rolls onto her back, and as her eyes adjust
to the darkness, she realizes the room is awash in moonlight. She looks down at
the blanket covering her and sees a shape like a large snake slithering under
it, right next to her legs. With a startled cry, she leaps from the bed and
turns on the light. She yanks the blanket off the bed, but there is nothing
there. Cautiously, she kneels down and looks under the bed. Again, there is
nothing. Freaked out, she wraps the blanket around herself and sits on the bed,
her back to the headboard. She rests her head on her knees and closes her eyes,
leaving the light on.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
ROSEMARY’S PASTRY SHOP -- SUNDAY MORNING
MORRIS
is sitting in his car, parked across the street from the pastry shop. He is
wearing sunglasses and keeping an eye on the front of the shop. He munches on
sunflower seeds from a plastic bag. Then, DANI emerges from the pastry shop,
carrying a large white paper bag. He watches as she goes to her car, parked on
the curb a little further down the street. A moment later, she pulls out and
drives up the street, passing Morris. He starts his engine and follows her.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
RURAL ROAD -- MORNING
DANI’s
car drives past. MORRIS’s car follows at a discrete distance.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SHADYGROVE DEVELOPMENT -- MORNING
DANI’s
car turns into the paved cul-de-sac left behind at the abandoned development
site. MORRIS spots her but doesn’t slow down.
MORRISDamn it.
Morris’s
car drives past as Dani parks her car at the edge of the woods.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
RURAL ROAD -- MORNING
MORRIS
pulls his car into a nearby driveway to wait. He checks his watch and tries to
see through the trees to the cul-de-sac, but it’s too far away. He takes out
his map of the area and unfolds it, looking it over.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
SHADYGROVE DEVELOPMENT -- MORNING
MORRIS’s
car pulls into the cul-de-sac and parks near Dani’s car, which is empty. Morris
gets out and peers into Dani’s car as he walks past. No sign of the white paper
bag. Reaching the trailhead, Morris checks the ground for fresh footprints,
then heads off down the trail into the woods.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
MORRIS
follows the trail through the woods. He takes a small pair of binoculars out of
his coat pocket and scans the area. Then he stops looking through the
binoculars and listens intently. He hears what sounds like the distant crack of
a whip.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
CU
-- DANI is tied to a tree by her wrists. A ball-gag is strapped into her mouth,
and her upper body is naked. She is being whipped by an unseen assailant, and
she winces in pain as the lash strikes her back.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
MORRIS
tries to head in the direction the sound of the whip is coming from, but he
can’t pinpoint it. He turns around a few times, listening to the distant cracks
with his eyes closed. He leaves the trail and heads through the trees, changing
direction a couple of times as the sound echoes across the landscape.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
CU
-- DANI’s whipping continues. Tears stream down her face.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
MORRIS
moves quickly along the bottom of a ravine, listening for the distant cracks of
the whip. He’s trying to move quietly, but his feet crunch on the dry leaves
covering the ground. The whipping seems to have stopped. Then, Morris hears the
sound of a woman moaning coming from over a rise. He scrambles up the hill to
check it out. Peering over the top of the hill, Morris looks down at a NAKED
WOMAN frolicking with a GREAT DANE in a shallow stream. He squints at her, then
backs off before she sees him. He sits on a log, frustrated, and hears the dog
bark a couple of times.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MORNING
CU
-- DANI, still gagged, closes her eyes. A shadow moves over her. Slow-motion.
FADE
OUT
FADE
IN:
EXT.
PENNY’S HOME -- MORNING
CUT
TO:
INT.
PENNY’S HOME -- LIVING ROOM -- MORNING
PENNY
is seated on the couch, dressed up for church in a dark floral-print dress,
tight black sweater, pearls, and high-heeled pumps. CICERO is sitting in a
chair, wearing a navy blue pantsuit.
CICEROSorry to keep you home from church this morning.PENNYHonestly, you did me a favor.CICEROI need to ask you a few questions about the day you were abducted by Tuppence Collins.PENNYDo you mind if I smoke?CICERONo, please.PENNY(lights a cigarette)My mom, now she would mind. It’s disgusting, she’d say. Boys don’t like girls who smoke. Of course, it’s okay for her to sneak one in the laundry room. She’s a bitch.CICEROI’m sorry, I know this must be painful for you.PENNYMrs. Collins, she didn’t mind. Millicent and I would take her cigarettes and smoke them in the basement while she made us brownies. She never said a thing. She was always so nice.
Penny
takes a long drag on her cigarette, then closes her eyes while she exhales.
PENNYAt least my mom never tried to kill me.CICERONow, Mrs. Collins took you to the woods, to an old hunting cabin, correct?PENNYYes.CICEROAnd she was there with you for several hours before the police arrived.PENNYPretty much all day.CICERODuring that time, did you speak with her?PENNYNo. I couldn’t talk. She’d wedged an apple between my jaws. I couldn’t bite through the whole thing. I couldn’t open my mouth any wider. It was just stuck there. My jaw was so sore afterwards, I might have been better off dead.CICERODid she speak to you?PENNYNo. Yes. I don’t remember.CICEROPlease try to think back, Penny. I know it’s hard. But it could be very important.PENNYShe kept talking about this lady of the night, who was going to drink my blood. Maybe she thought she was a vampire, I don’t know. She talked about the people she had killed, and the people she was going to kill. She talked about shadows and fire and darkness. It was crazy. It didn’t make any sense. She was insane. She was insane.CICERODuring your ordeal, did you see Mrs. Collins take any pills or give herself any injections?PENNYWhat? No.CICERODid she eat or drink anything?PENNYNo... I don’t think so. No.CICERODid she drug you at any point?PENNYI don’t think so.CICEROOkay.(hesitates)One more question.PENNYOkay.CICEROWhen Agent Gale and Mrs. Collins were fighting each other... did you see anything... strange?PENNYStrange?CICEROAny sort of weird... phenomena? A hallucination, perhaps?PENNYNo...CICEROOkay. Thank you, Penny. Thank you for your cooperation. I’m truly sorry.
Cicero
stands up. Penny rocks herself and smokes her cigarette.
CICEROI’ll let myself out.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PENNY’S HOME -- MORNING
CICERO
comes out the front door, closing it behind her. She sees MORRIS waiting in the
car across the street.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- MORNING
CICERO
gets into the car. MORRIS is in the driver’s seat.
MORRISI got your note.CICEROHow was your hike?MORRISFrustrating. And a little disturbing, to be honest. Did you get anything useful from Penny Gardner?CICEROWe need to get the Sheriff to take us up to that cabin.MORRISOkay.
Morris
starts the engine.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS AND CABIN -- SUNDAY NOON
SHERIFF
leads MORRIS and CICERO to the ramshackle cabin surrounded by maple trees.
SHERIFFThis is the place.MORRISIt looks so homey.SHERIFFDeerhunters used to use it.
Morris
takes a compass out of his pocket and walks around, looking at the dial.
SHERIFFThat way’s north.MORRISSheriff, can you tell me where exactly you saw the spirits?SHERIFFRight about over there.
Morris
walks over to the spot, looking at his compass.
CICEROCan we go inside now?MORRIS(closes his compass)Okay, Cicero.
CUT
TO:
INT.
CABIN -- NOON
SHERIFF,
MORRIS, and CICERO enter the cabin. Cicero begins to search intently through
the few drawers and cupboards.
MORRISWhat are you looking for, Cicero?CICEROThe toxicology report showed Mrs. Collins had extremely high levels of alprazolam in her system, along with traces of phenobarbital and haloperidol. Penny didn’t see her take the drugs, but alprazolam metabolizes so quickly, she must have done it here in the cabin. I thought she must have a hidden stash here.MORRISAll right, maybe there’s a loose floorboard.
Looking
around at the floor, Morris notices a mouse sniffing around a metal
wastebasket. He walks over to it, causing the mouse to scurry away.
MORRISOh, crap.SHERIFFWhat is it?
Morris
reaches into the wastebasket and pulls out the white paper bag, which has been
crumpled up.
MORRISDani Clapsaddle was carrying a bag like this when I lost her in the woods this morning.SHERIFFThose bags are pretty common around here.
Morris
dumps out large crumbs from the bag onto the table.
MORRISI don’t think doughnut crumbs would last too long out here.CICEROOh, my god. Morris.
Morris
walks over to her. Cicero produces a bullwhip from a drawer.
MORRISIt looks wet.CICEROThe tip is caked in blood.MORRISI heard a whip cracking this morning, but I couldn’t--SHERIFFOh, no.
Sheriff
has found Gale’s tape recorder.
SHERIFF(stunned)This is Agent Gale’s.MORRISLet me see that. There’s no tape in it. Are you sure it’s his?SHERIFFPretty sure. He used it all the time.MORRISPeoria, my ass.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
TWINSBURG LIBRARY -- SUNDAY AFTERNOON
PENNY,
now dressed casually, comes out of the library, carrying a stack of books. She
walks over to her bicycle in the bike rack, only to find it has two flat tires.
PENNYWhat?! God damn it!
DANI
pulls up in her car next to Penny.
DANIHi, Penny. Having trouble?PENNYI don’t know what happened.DANICan I give you a lift?PENNYThanks.
Penny
gets into the car. Dani pulls out into the street.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- AFTERNOON
DANI
drives PENNY through town in her car.
DANII’m so sorry you didn’t win the Queen of Lights contest. I thought you gave a wonderful speech.PENNYThank you. I think it’s just as well, especially with that kidnapping business. I can’t believe they didn’t tell us what was going on.DANIThey didn’t want everyone to panic.PENNYI would have freaked out. I’m sure I’d have quit the contest right then and there. Who would even do something like that?DANIThey said it was a cult of some kind. They said they’d been kidnapping girls since the 19th century.PENNYWow.DANIThey said no victim had ever escaped them.PENNYScary.DANIYes. I have some pies in the trunk, I need to run them out to the Maple Lodge. Do you mind?PENNYI’m in no hurry to get home.
Dani
accelerates.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
RURAL ROAD -- AFTERNOON
DANI
drives her car, a little too fast, down a road that runs along the edge of the
woods. PENNY is in the passenger seat.
PENNYWhen I was in the bank last week, they said you didn’t work there anymore.DANINo. I couldn’t stay on there.PENNYI’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay?DANII have new work to do.PENNYAren’t we going kind of fast?DANI(sings)When came the night’s dark melody...
Dani
jerks the steering wheel to the right. The car goes off the road and smashes
into a tree.
The
mangled car sits quietly for a moment as the dust settles. Move in to reveal
that Dani has received a nasty gash on her forehead from banging her head into
the steering wheel, and it’s starting to bleed. She’s breathing heavily from
the adrenaline and lets out an involuntary giggly laugh. Penny has been
stunned by the impact and is unconscious. Dani looks over at her, wide-eyed,
then opens the glove compartment and takes out an apple. Dani leans over and
wedges the apple tightly into Penny’s jaws.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSEMARY’S PASTRY SHOP -- AFTERNOON
ALBERT
and EMMA sit down at a table to have a snack, a cheese plate with crackers and
fruit.
ALBERTWayne looked so proud to earn that badge. He really seems to enjoy being a part of the troop.EMMAHaving a man about the house has done wonders for him. And for me.ALBERTHow long till their meeting’s done?EMMALess than an hour.ALBERTHmm, too bad. Probably not enough time to slip off somewhere.EMMANaughty boy.
Emma
bites into an apple, flirtatiously, but suddenly her eyes go wide and she
begins to choke.
ALBERTEmma?
She
starts to panic, then her eyes roll back in her head and she falls onto the
floor, writhing and convulsing.
ALBERTOh, my God! Oh, God, what’s happening?
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- AFTERNOON
MORRIS
and CICERO are at what’s left of the rock formation where the cult rituals took
place. There is rubble strewn about from the explosion six weeks ago, and the
sacrificial stone has broken into pieces and collapsed.
MORRISNow, the Sheriff says this is the site where the cult rituals took place. Blood rites, sex magick, human sacrifice, the whole nine yards. Looks like this would have been the sacrificial stone.
Morris
walks about twenty feet over to a raised stone wall, about six inches high and
six inches thick, enclosing an area about five feet across, filled with dry
leaves.
MORRISThis is interesting.CICEROIt’s a bit of a mess now.MORRISAgent Gale thought blowing it up would exorcise the inhabiting spirit that was committing the murders. Then he seems to have become convinced he’d got it wrong somehow and the spirit would return to claim more victims.CICEROOf course. And then he could charge in and kill it again. Again and again.MORRISI don’t get you, Cicero. We’re here to find Agent Gale, but you seem like you want to re-open the Collins case. Why were you so intent on finding a drug stash at that cabin? What would that prove?CICEROThe drugs in Mrs. Collins’ system were powerful antipsychotic medications and depressants used to control extreme anxiety. Given the apparent dosages, she must have been self-medicating, probably obtaining the drugs on the black market. That’s playing with fire -- they can interact with each other in unpredictable ways, leading to paradoxical reactions like heightened aggression, mania, delusions--MORRISYou think Gale’s inhabiting spirits were just a bad trip?CICEROShe and Penny were in that cabin together for almost 20 hours, Morris. If she was off her meds, she may have been coming out of it. If she had taken a high dosage of alprazolam just before Gale and the Sheriff arrived, as the toxicology report suggests--MORRISBut we didn’t find any drugs.CICERO--and if it had had a chance to take effect, then maybe she could have been reasoned with. Instead, Agent Gale stabbed her in the heart.MORRISYou’re not suggesting he murdered her?CICEROI’m open to the possibility.MORRISThat just doesn’t sound like Martin Gale to me. I’ve read his case files, psych evals, Cicero. The man is not a killer.
Suddenly,
MARTIN GALE emerges from behind a tree. Unshaven and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt
and jeans, he strides quickly toward Morris, carrying a thick, short log in his
hand.
CICEROMorris!
Gale
swings the log and hits Morris in the face, knocking him into the stone square.
The leaves give way, revealing a deep pit, and Morris drops out of sight.
Cicero fumbles for her gun, but Gale hits her in the head with the log. As soon
as the log makes contact, cut to black.
FADE
IN:
INT.
CAVERN -- SUNDAY EVENING
MORRIS
slowly wakes up, lying in the leaves and dirt. Groggy, he looks around.
MORRISCicero?
He
looks up and sees he has fallen about 20 feet from the top of the pit. He
stands up, unsteady on his feet, and tries to find a handhold in the walls of
the pit, but the stone is too smooth. There’s no way he can climb out. He feels
around in the gloom and finds the cavern extends beyond the perimeter of the
stone wall above. He takes a small flashlight out of his coat pocket and shines
it around. He finds a narrow crevice in one of the walls, but it does not look
promising as an escape route. Leaning in, he shines his light through the
crevice. To his surprise, he sees the black-and-white CAT in a chamber on the
other side. The cat meows at him.
MORRISHey.
Morris
takes a deep breath and squeezes himself through the crevice into the dark
chamber beyond. He shines his light around and sees three tunnels leading off
it, each one about four feet high. The cat sits at the mouth of the right-hand
tunnel, meows at him again, then scampers off down the tunnel.
MORRISOkay. Follow the leader.
Morris
enters the tunnel, moving as quickly as he can. His breathing is labored, he’s
fighting off claustrophobia and a mounting sense of panic. His flashlight
fails, leaving him in the dark. He stumbles and limps along, his body aching
from the fall and the tension. Finally, he sees a light ahead and rushes toward
it.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET -- EVENING
MORRIS
emerges from the tunnel, which looks like a cement culvert on this end. He sees
the black-and-white CAT sitting in the grass, waiting for him. Morris looks up
from the ditch he is in and sees the Collins house. The front door opens and
EMMA steps out, wearing a lacy négligée under a long white satin robe. The cat
runs up to her feet, and Emma bends down and picks the cat up.
EMMAPlease come in. I believe I can help you.
CUT
TO:
INT.
COLLINS HOME -- KITCHEN -- EVENING
MORRIS
sits at the kitchen table, holding an ice pack to the spot where Gale hit him
with the log. EMMA finishes up making some pancakes while the black-and-white
CAT sleeps on the windowsill.
MORRISIs that your cat?EMMANo, she just belongs to herself, as far as I know. But she comes and visits me from time to time.MORRISI’m sorry, Mrs. Corbett, but you said you had some information for me?EMMAPlease, call me Emma.
Emma
serves Morris a heaping stack of pancakes topped with melting butter.
MORRISThat’s very kind of you, but it’s really not--EMMAHush now. You’ll need your strength for what’s to come.
Emma
pours hot maple syrup onto Morris’s pancakes.
MORRISI really need to get--EMMAAgent Gale had a gallon jug of real maple syrup. He received it after he’d been here a week. But did he ever have any of it? No. If he had, things might not have gone the way they did.MORRISI lost my partner in the woods. I need to find her.EMMAYou won’t find anyone in the woods now. It’s getting dark. Eat up.
Feeling
conflicted, Morris starts eating the pancakes.
MORRISWow, that’s really good.EMMAThat’s local syrup, made from the maple trees of Shadygrove Woods. These trees have excellent sap, you know.MORRISWell, it’s delicious.EMMASuch a shame about Agent Gale. We tried to help him.MORRISWe?EMMAThere’s an old lady lives here in town. Like Agent Gale, she followed the beat of her own drum. I don’t know her name. Folks called her the Box Lady. But then she lost her box. Now, no one calls her anything.MORRISDid she try to help Agent Gale, too?EMMAOh, yes. She might even be able to help you. But many things can’t be put into words. Sometimes you just have to look and see.MORRISWhere can I find her?EMMAAsk the Sheriff. He knows how to find people.
Morris
nods and continues to eat his pancakes, almost in spite of himself.
CUT
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- SUNDAY NIGHT
CICERO
slowly opens her eyes. She is sitting on the floor, slumped against a gray cinder-block
wall. Dried blood from her head injury is caked on her face and in her hair. As
she comes to, she realizes her wrists are shackled to the wall, holding her
arms out to either side of her.
CICEROOhh... what?
Cicero
looks around. She is in a filthy, unfinished basement illuminated by a single
light fixture hanging from the exposed rafters. The small windows are covered
with black plastic. Across the room, she sees PENNY, in her bra and panties,
securely hog-tied with twine, the apple still stuffed in her mouth.
CICEROPenny? Oh my god. Oh my god.
Cicero
rattles her chains, but to no effect. Penny, who has cried mascara all over her
face, moans in despair.
CICERO(yells)Help!!!
She
hears creaking footsteps above her, and her eyes follow them to the door at the
top of the stairs, which opens. A man and a woman, cloaked in shadow, come down
the stairs.
CICEROHello? I am a federal agent! You don’t want to do this!
GALE,
unkempt and grungy in a black T-shirt and jeans, steps into the light. DANI
hangs back in the shadows, holding a gallon jug of maple syrup. She has a large
square bandage stuck to her forehead.
GALEYou shouldn’t have come looking for me, Sara. You spoiled the surprise.CICEROOh, my god. Agent Gale! What’s this all about? What happened to you?GALEYou know what it’s all about, Sara. Blood. The circle of blood, unbroken for generations. Lambs, wolves. Flies, spiders. Humans, mosquitoes. The thirst for blood that can never be quenched. The Lady of Night thirsts. The Lady of Night is thirst.CICEROMartin... I can help you. I can help you through this. I can help you find your way back.GALEThank you, Sara. I appreciate that. But I already have a helper.
Gale
gestures, and Dani shuffles toward Cicero, carrying the jug.
CICEROWhat... What are you doing?
Gale
turns his attention to Penny. Dani stops in front of Cicero, holding the jug
out over Cicero’s head.
CICEROWhat are you doing?!?
Dani
turns the jug over, pouring maple syrup onto Cicero’s head.
CICEROOh!
Dani
empties the entire jug onto Cicero while Gale bends down to Penny, brandishing
a steel awl with a wooden handle.
GALEThe fire still burns, Penny. It never stopped burning for you.
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO, viscous syrup pouring over her head, starts to hallucinate.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
CAVE -- NIGHT
DANI
is in a cave, wearing an iron collar and chain, dancing languidly within a
circle of fire.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- NIGHT
PENNY
screams through her apple-gag as GALE slowly pushes the awl into her side.
GALEThe red veil! The white light! Darkness comes!
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO’s goopy head lolls, her eyes roll back.
DISSOLVE
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- NIGHT
The
MAN WITH A DRUM, wearing a tuxedo, fades into view among the trees, beating on
a large kettle drum. He is illuminated by an offscreen fire. He fades away again.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- NIGHT
Her
jug empty, DANI walks backwards over to a lightswitch on the wall. She looks
over at GALE, who stabs PENNY with the awl again. Gale’s hands are bloody, and
a pool of blood is forming under Penny, who continues to scream and moan.
GALEYour body is mine now. Your blood is for the Lady. Your soul goes to the fire.
Dani
starts turning the light on and off every few seconds.
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO’s head falls forward, then snaps back, her eyes open wide.
DISSOLVE
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
GALE,
clean-shaven and wearing his dark suit and tie, walks down the sun-dappled path
through the pine forest. Looking down a narrow side-path, Gale sees a strange
spectacle. MILLICENT, wearing her formal gown, is on her knees, her hands tied
behind her back and her ankles also bound with nylon rope. She is wearing a
choke chain around her neck and a leash. Holding the leash is TUPPENCE,
brandishing a hot poker in her other hand. LLEWELLYN stands behind Tuppence,
holding her arms and directing her movement as if she were a puppet. The
broadsword is stuck in the ground in front of them. ALBERT is in a large cage
nearby, blindfolded, rattling the bars. They are all screaming.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- NIGHT
CU
-- PENNY’s mouth, with the apple stuck between her jaws. Blood and saliva drain
out around the apple as the light snaps on and off.
GALE (O.S.)The circle. The circle closes.
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO stares hard into the darkness as the syrup drips down her face.
DISSOLVE
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
GALE,
in his dark suit and tie, continues quickly down the woodland path. He finds
TUPPENCE, now on her knees, her hands and feet chained around a tree behind
her. She is collared, with a chain going up to a sturdy branch. She looks up at
him. Then, to Gale’s surprise, he suddenly sees himself in Tuppence’s place,
bound and helpless. The two Gales stare at each other in disbelief.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- NIGHT
CU
-- PENNY, her eyes rolling back in her head as blood and saliva drain out
around the apple in her mouth. GALE leans in close to her ear.
GALEThe light fails. The light dies.
He
stabs her again. Penny bites through the apple and it falls out of her mouth. She
coughs up blood.
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO with a look of utter horror.
DISSOLVE
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- EVENING
CU
-- The WOMAN IN RED LEATHER leans in toward the camera and suddenly bursts into
flames.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT.
BASEMENT -- NIGHT
DANI
continues turning the light on and off, shaking as she watches Penny being
murdered.
PENNY (O.S.)(screams)Mommy!!!
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- The bloody chunks of apple in a pool of blood on the floor.
PENNY (O.S.)(screams)Mommy!!!!
NEW
ANGLE
CU
-- CICERO’s head falls forward as she passes out. Fade to white.
FADE
IN:
INT.
HOSPITAL -- BOX LADY’S ROOM -- NIGHT
Fade
from white to close-up of the BOX LADY, staring hard into space and trembling.
Then she licks the back of her hand. Pull back to reveal her sitting in a chair
next to her hospital bed, looking at the darkness outside the window. Then, Dr.
LYLE TERRENCE escorts SHERIFF and MORRIS into the room.
TERRENCEAs you can see, Sheriff, she’s still completely unresponsive.SHERIFFAgent Morris here seems to think she can help.TERRENCEWell, no harm in talking to her. But she hasn’t said a word in over a month.MORRISThank you, Doctor.
Morris
crosses over and squats down next to the Box Lady.
MORRISHello, ma’am. I’m Agent Clayton Morris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m here looking into the disappearance of Martin Gale. I understand you spoke to him several times in the course of his investigation.
Box
Lady seems oblivious to his presence. She licks the back of her hand again.
MORRISI think I saw Agent Gale today, but I can’t be sure. It all happened so fast. He hit me with something, a log, I think. I fell. I blacked out. Now my partner is missing. I think he might have taken her.
Box
Lady keeps staring at the window. Sheriff kneels down on the other side of her
chair.
SHERIFFMa’am? I think Agent Gale needs our help.MORRISI met Emma Corbett today. She made me some pancakes. She told me about the maple syrup. She said you could help me. Ma’am?
While
Morris is speaking, Sheriff follows the Box Lady’s line of sight and realizes
she’s staring at something on her window ledge. Sheriff gets up and goes over
to the window. He finds a single black feather from a raven’s wing. He hands it
to Morris.
SHERIFFLook at this.
As
soon as Morris takes the feather, Box Lady closes her eyes. Morris notices,
looks at the feather, and squints.
CUT
TO:
INT.
COLLINS HOME -- BEDROOM -- NIGHT
EMMA
is asleep in bed. Next to her, ALBERT sleeps fitfully. A dream comes to him.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS IN SUMMER -- DAY
After
a burst of white light, ALBERT finds himself walking through a forest in his
pajamas. There are no signs of modern civilization, and he breathes in the
unusually fresh air. He sees a bright light moving through the trees, and it
envelops him. As the light fades, Albert sees MILLICENT and TUPPENCE, both
wearing elegant black gowns with their hair done up in sophisticated styles.
They approach Albert, smiling.
ALBERTTuppence...? Millicent...?MILLICENTI am Weltschmerz.TUPPENCEI am Schadenfreude.MILLICENTWe dance within the flame.TUPPENCETime is of the essence.
They
take Albert’s hands, and there is a burst of flame.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
FIELD IN WINTER -- DAY
As
MILLICENT and TUPPENCE stand on either side of him, ALBERT looks around
frantically. He finds himself in a desolate field surrounded by high-voltage
transmission towers that recede into the distance.
MILLICENTWho has lost his way?TUPPENCEHe who is of the lightning.
There
is another burst of flame.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
FIELD IN WINTER -- NIGHT
As
MILLICENT and TUPPENCE stand on either side of him, ALBERT now finds himself on
a lonely hilltop, standing under the light of the full moon. Stormclouds roll
in suddenly and completely obscure the moon.
MILLICENTWho has gone away?TUPPENCEHe who is of the moon.
There
is another burst of flame.
CUT
TO:
INT.
CAVE -- NIGHT
As
MILLICENT and TUPPENCE stand on either side of him, ALBERT now finds himself in
the cave where DANI, wearing an iron collar and chain, dances languidly within
a circle of fire.
MILLICENTWho has entered the cave?TUPPENCEThe slave of a slave.
There
is another burst of flame.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
As
MILLICENT and TUPPENCE stand on either side of him, ALBERT now finds himself in
the sun-dappled pine forest, watching a group of CULTISTS in hooded brown robes
walking in a large circle.
CULTISTS(repeating chant)Black are the stars that bring me lightBlack the souls that bring delight
Albert
pushes through the line of cultists to enter their circle. Within he finds
CICERO, wearing a diaphanous gown, chained spread-eagle to a large sacrificial
stone. Behind her stands the CULT LEADER, in hooded robe and facemask, wielding
the ornate dagger.
ALBERTStop it! Stop it! No more!
Two
of the cultists silently break from the line and grab Albert’s arms, holding
him in place. The Cult Leader walks around in front of Cicero, opens his robe,
and mounts her.
CULT LEADERSara... Sara...ALBERTNo... No...CULT LEADERSara... Sara...
The
Cult Leader slashes with the dagger, slitting Cicero’s throat.
CU
-- CICERO, her throat cut, lies dead on the stone.
ALBERTNo...
CU
-- CULT LEADER turns around, his open robe revealing his bare chest. He reaches
up and removes his mask. It is GALE, grinning.
CUT
TO:
INT.
COLLINS HOME -- BEDROOM -- NIGHT
ALBERT
wakes with a start. He sits up. EMMA continues to sleep soundly beside him. Albert
realizes the bed is covered with fresh green maple leaves.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
VALLEY -- NIGHT
The
full moon shines over the valley.
FADE
OUT
FADE
IN:
EXT.
SHERIFF STATION -- MONDAY MORNING
CUT
TO:
INT.
SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- MORNING
ABIGAIL
is at her desk, recording receipts in a ledger. Several DEPUTIES stand around
eating doughnuts and drinking coffee. SHERIFF and MORRIS come out of the
conference room.
SHERIFFNow, I got a call from Mrs. Mary Gardner, saying her daughter Penny didn’t come home last night.MORRISShe was the victim you rescued from Tuppence Collins?SHERIFFRight.MORRISThat’s not good, Sheriff. What about the crashed car found up on Forestview Drive?SHERIFFIt definitely belongs to Dani Clapsaddle. It hasn’t been reported stolen. In fact, there’s been no sign of Dani since yesterday morning. I sent a deputy out to her house, but the place was empty. Now, we found some library books in the front seat of the car. They were checked out to Penny yesterday afternoon.MORRISThat’s it. If Gale’s been possessed by the same spirit that was controlling Tuppence, then he’s probably taken Penny to finish the job. And Cicero could be next. But if they didn’t take her to Dani’s house, where could they have gone? After wrecking the car, they couldn’t have gone far.SHERIFFWell, there’s been a number of foreclosures in that area over the last couple of years. I’d say there’s at least two dozen vacant houses within an easy hike from where we found the car.MORRISWe’ll have to check them all. The clock’s ticking, Sheriff, we’d better get moving.
ALBERT
and EMMA rush into the station. Albert is wearing a business suit and
trenchcoat, Emma has on her white fur coat and a matching Mongolian fur hat.
ALBERTSheriff! Thank goodness we caught you!SHERIFFAlbert, what is it?ALBERTIt’s about Agent Gale!MORRISHave you seen him?ALBERTYes, last night -- in a dream.MORRISWhat?!ALBERTSheriff, Millicent and Tuppence appeared to me. They led me through the woods, to Agent Gale.MORRISWe don’t have time for this.SHERIFFHang on. What did you see, Albert?ALBERTThere was a group of men in robes, marching in a circle. Agent Gale was in a robe, too, and a mask. I remember a mask. And there was a woman -- oh, God, that poor woman -- chained to a rock.MORRISSheriff...SHERIFFWho was she? What did she look like?ALBERTShe was petite... red hair... He called her Sara.MORRISWait, what? Where did this happen?ALBERTIn the woods... there were pine trees. Big, majestic...SHERIFFNot much in the way of coniferous forests around here. Mostly oaks and maples.ALBERTHe killed her. God help me, he raped her and then he killed her. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move...SHERIFFAlbert, why don’t you go home and get some rest. We’ll take it from here. Emma, take care of him.EMMAYes, I will.MORRISLet’s go.
Morris
and Sheriff head for the door.
EMMAAgent Morris.
Morris
pauses in the doorway and turns around.
EMMATime is of the essence.
Morris
gives her a nod, then heads outside.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- MONDAY NIGHT
A
number of CULTISTS in hooded brown robes approach the shattered rock formation,
carrying flashlights. At the front of the line is GALE, wearing the Cult
Leader’s hooded robe and facemask. Behind him is CICERO, bound and gagged and
wearing a diaphanous gown, being marched along by two burly cultists. Her hair
is a mess from the sticky maple syrup, and she shivers in the cold night air.
She is taken to the broken sacrificial stone and tied down to it with ropes
attached to some steel stakes that have been hammered into the ground. Gale
watches, holding the ornate dagger. While Cicero is being tied down, the rest
of the cultists begin marching in a large circle around her.
CULTISTS(repeating chant)Black are the stars that bring me lightBlack the souls that bring delight
When
Cicero has been secured, the two burly cultists merge into line with the others
and join the chant. Gale steps towards Cicero, holding the dagger up in the
air.
GALEBlood has been spilled. The Lady of Night has drunk deep. She has feasted upon the pain and sorrow. Now she gives us this reward.
Cicero
strains weakly against her bonds.
GALEThe doe will tremble. The sow will squeal. The bit--
A
gun is fired in the air. Startled, Gale whirls around, pulling his mask away
from his face. MORRIS and SHERIFF, followed by several DEPUTIES, charge at the
cultists, who scatter in a panic. The deputies go after the fleeing cultists
and manage to catch the slower ones. Morris heads straight for Cicero, shining
his flashlight on her as he runs. Gale immediately drops his mask and bolts for
the open square pit twenty feet away. Just as he jumps into the pit, Sheriff
takes a shot at him but misses. Sheriff runs to the pit and shines his
flashlight down into it, but Gale has escaped. Morris frees Cicero from her gag
and starts to untie her.
CICEROMorris...?MORRISHang on, Cicero. We’ll get you out of here.CICEROAgent Gale...MORRISI know.
Sheriff
comes up and helps untie Cicero.
SHERIFFHe got away. Some kind of tunnel, maybe we can follow him.MORRISThere’s three tunnels down there, Sheriff. No telling which one he took, or where they come out.CICEROThe pool. He’ll head back to the pool, where you found him.MORRISWhat?CICERO(agitated)The black water. It’s where he came from!
Free
from her bonds, Cicero sits up. Morris puts his trenchcoat around her.
MORRISHow do you know that?CICERO(terrified)I can see him!SHERIFFGood enough for me.
Sheriff
takes off running down a path through the woods, shining his flashlight in
front of him. Morris helps Cicero to her feet.
CICEROI’m all right! Go!
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- NIGHT
SHERIFF
and MORRIS arrive at the pit filled with dark water and surrounded by mossy
rocks. CICERO, wearing Morris’s trenchcoat, is close behind. Sheriff shines his
flashlight on the pool, revealing GALE, waist-deep in the water. Gale grins,
then takes another couple of steps and fades away.
SHERIFFWhat the hell?MORRISNo, no!
Morris
runs over to the pool and wades in, but nothing happens. He splashes the water
in a rage.
MORRISNo! We don’t have the key!
Cicero
puts her hand over her mouth and shivers.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- NIGHT
The
full moon shines behind a high-voltage transmission tower.
CUT
TO:
INT.
SHERIFF STATION -- INTERROGATION ROOM -- NIGHT
DANI
is in handcuffs, seated at the metal table, as SHERIFF paces around her.
SHERIFFWhere is Agent Gale?DANII told you. I told them FBI people, and I told you. He’s nowhere.SHERIFFYou were with him yesterday, weren’t you? You took him doughnuts out to the cabin in the woods. We found his tape recorder. We found the whip that he whipped you with.DANII ain’t never been whipped by nobody!SHERIFFThen how did you get those wounds on your back?DANIThat was what you would call a freak accident.SHERIFFYou crashed your car on Forestview Drive yesterday afternoon.DANISo what?SHERIFFSo we found some library books in the front seat that had just been checked out to Penny Gardner. And Penny hasn’t been seen since she left the library. Where is she? What happened to her?DANIPenny? I don’t... I...SHERIFFYou drove her somewhere! She left her books in your car! Where did you take her? What did you do with her? Where is she?DANIWe’re not gonna talk about Penny! We’re not gonna talk about Penny at all! We’re gonna keep her out of it!SHERIFFAnswer the question!DANI(points to the bandage stuck to her forehead)I cracked my head on the steering wheel. It struck me as funny.
Dani
starts to get the giggles.
DANIIt struck me... as funny!
Sheriff
turns around and rubs his neck in frustration. Dani continues to giggle and
laugh.
SHERIFFJust tell me where to find Penny.DANIYou want to find Penny?SHERIFFYes.DANIWell, I’ve got a whole jar of pennies.
Dani
bursts out laughing.
DANIPennies are worthless.
Sheriff
slams his hand on the table. Dani tries to contain her giggles, with little
success. Then, the door opens and MORRIS enters, having changed out of his wet
clothes and put on a fresh suit.
MORRISSheriff.SHERIFFI can’t get anything out of her.DANII can’t get anything out of her. Maybe Agent Morris can get something out of her.MORRISMs. Clapsaddle, Agent Cicero reports that she witnessed you helping Martin Gale kill Penny Gardner.SHERIFFOh, my God.DANIDo you want to get something out of me, Agent Morris?MORRISAll we need to know is where--
Dani
grunts. Blood starts gushing out of her nose.
MORRISWhoa!SHERIFFOh, jeez!
Dani
moans and shakes and her eyes roll back in her head as blood keeps gushing from
her nostrils. Sheriff hurries from the room and returns a moment later with a
hand towel. A DEPUTY follows him in.
SHERIFF(to the deputy)Take over here. I’ll call Doc Terrence.
CUT
TO:
INT.
SHERIFF STATION -- LOBBY -- NIGHT
SHERIFF
and MORRIS come up from the basement, and Sheriff goes directly into his office
to make the phone call. MORRIS is distracted as ALBERT and EMMA enter, dressed
as before.
ALBERTAgent Morris, we’ve been so worried. Did you--MORRISWe found Agent Cicero in time. She’s all right.ALBERTThank heaven.MORRIS(to Emma)But Agent Gale escaped. He disappeared. We tried to follow him, but we couldn’t.EMMAThe door closed.MORRISIf there’s anything you can tell me...EMMAWere you able to visit my friend in the hospital?MORRISShe couldn’t tell me any-- But she did give me this.
Morris
takes the raven feather out of his pocket and shows it to Emma.
EMMAAgent Morris, in order to find Martin Gale now, you’re going to need a guide.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
RAMONA’S HOME -- NIGHT
The
outside of the run-down house is illuminated by a large halogen lamp high on a
pole. A dilapidated pick-up truck sits outside the garage. The Sheriff’s
cruiser and the government-issue car pull into the driveway. SHERIFF, ALBERT,
and EMMA get out of the cruiser. MORRIS and CICERO get out of their car. Cicero
has showered, washed her hair, and put on a fresh pantsuit.
CICEROAre you sure about this?MORRISI’m not sure about anything.
The
five of them go up on the creaky porch. Morris knocks on the door. After a
moment, the door opens slowly, revealing RAMONA. Morris holds up his badge.
MORRISAre you Ramona Wingfeather?RAMONA(peering out at the group)Who wants to know?MORRISI’m Agent Morris. This is my partner, Agent Cicero. You know the Sheriff.EMMAHello, Ramona.MORRISMay we come in, please?
Ramona
looks at Emma, then opens the door to admit them.
CUT
TO:
INT.
RAMONA’S HOME -- NIGHT
RAMONA
stands back as MORRIS, CICERO, SHERIFF, ALBERT, and EMMA enter the front hall.
They can see through a passageway to the living room, where KENT CLAPSADDLE is
sitting on the couch. Standing in the middle of the living room is a large,
white HORSE.
RAMONAWould you mind taking off your shoes?MORRIS(indicating the horse)Does he have to take off his shoes?CICEROMorris.
They
all slip off their shoes. Ramona gestures to Kent.
RAMONAKent...
Kent
gets up and leads the horse to another room, out of sight. Ramona then shows
the others into the living room.
MORRISI suspect you know why we’re here.RAMONAI can’t help you.MORRISYou can’t or you won’t?EMMARamona...RAMONALook, it’s not that easy. You can’t get something for nothing.MORRIS(reaching for his wallet)How much will it cost?RAMONAMore than I’m willing to pay.EMMA(gestures to Morris to leave his wallet in his pocket)Ramona, I know it’s frightening. I know that better than anyone. But I’ve seen beyond the darkness, and it’s a place both wonderful and strange.RAMONAWhat about my grandfather?EMMAHe’s waiting for you. The fire burns low, as low as it ever has. Now’s the time. It may not come again until the last tear has been shed.
Kent
comes back into the room.
RAMONAAll right. I’ll do it.KENTDo what?RAMONAI have to take these people where they need to go.KENTWhen will you be back?RAMONAI don’t know. Maybe never.
Kent
is stricken. Ramona walks out of the room.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
WOODS -- NIGHT
MORRIS,
CICERO, RAMONA, and SHERIFF approach the pit filled with dark water and surrounded
by mossy rocks. Sheriff sits on a nearby log, shining his flashlight at the
pool. Ramona walks to the water’s edge and holds her hands out to her sides.
RAMONATake my hand, Clayton Morris. The shadows grow longer.
Morris
walks up beside Ramona and takes her hand.
RAMONATake my hand, Sara Cicero. Time is of the essence.
Cicero
walks up beside Ramona and takes her hand.
RAMONAThe red veil is lifted. The white light shines. Darkness falls.
Ramona,
Morris, and Cicero step down into the water and fade away.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
MORRIS
and CICERO wake up lying on their backs on the ground just inside the entrance
to the pine forest. The sun is shining on their faces.
CICEROMorris?MORRISAre you all right?CICEROYeah. Where are we?MORRISI think we’ve crossed over.
They
stand up and look at the wide path leading deeper into the forest.
MORRISNow what?CICERO(taking a few steps down the path)We go this way.MORRISHow do you know that?CICEROI just know.
She
heads off down the path. Morris follows her.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
MORRIS
and CICERO walk along the wide path. There are many small side-paths diverging
from the main one. Sunlight filters through the tall trees. Finally, they stop.
Looking down one side-path, they see a strange spectacle. PENNY, in her bra and
panties, is hog-tied with twine and an apple is stuck between her jaws. GALE,
unkempt and grungy in a black T-shirt and jeans, holds her by the hair,
brandishing an awl in his other hand. LLEWELLYN stands behind Gale, holding his
arms and directing his movements as if he were a puppet. Another Cicero is in a
large cage nearby, wearing opaque goggles and rattling the bars. They are all
screaming. Morris blinks, uncertain of his own senses. Cicero, astonished,
walks into the midst of the group, causing them all to shimmer and fade like a
mirage. She looks at Morris, her eyes heavy-lidded. She sways, falling asleep
on her feet.
MORRISCicero? Hey, come on back.
Cicero
staggers toward him, closing her eyes.
MORRISFollow my voice. Cicero? Sara! Just keep walking. Come on.
She
gets close enough for him to reach out and grab her. He pulls her back onto the
wide path and she immediately perks up.
CICEROOh!MORRISAre you okay? You looked like you were dead on your feet.CICEROI felt like I was drifting away.MORRISCome on, we’ve got to watch ourselves out here.
They
continue on down the path.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
Soon,
MORRIS and CICERO come upon TUPPENCE. She is on her knees, her hands and feet
chained around a tree behind her. She is collared, with a chain going up to a
sturdy branch.
TUPPENCEHelp me! Please, help me! I didn’t do anything wrong! Please, free me!
They
stop and look at her.
TUPPENCEI don’t know you. Who are you? Are you real? Have you come to save me? Please, I can’t stand any more torture! I didn’t kill anybody! Set me free! You can do it, just touch the chain! Please, please!
Cicero
takes a step toward Tuppence, but Morris stops her.
MORRISCicero!CICEROWe have to help her.MORRISWhat if it means taking her place?TUPPENCE(sobs)Please, help me!CICEROI know what I’m doing.
Cicero
walks up to Tuppence, holding out her hand. Her fingers brush up against the
chain connected to Tuppence’s collar. Tuppence closes her eyes and smiles, then
fades away, leaving her chains behind. As Cicero watches, the chains, too, fade
into nothingness. Cicero walks on. Morris pauses, looking at the tree with
amazement, then follows her down the path.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
PINE FOREST IN SUMMER -- DAY
MORRIS
and CICERO come to the end of the path, which runs along the edge of a steeply
sloping ravine. They stop for a moment, then turn around. Behind them, a few
yards away, is a strange J-shaped tree that makes a natural seat. Sitting on it
is GALE, clean-shaven and wearing his dark suit and tie. Morris and Cicero walk
up to him, on their guard. Gale stands and smiles at them.
CICEROAgent Gale?
Gale
reaches into his jacket pocket and takes out a small piece of slate with a
primitive drawing on it. The drawing shows several strange symbols, as well as
a stick-figure picture of a person with two heads, one colored in and the other
not. Surrounding the figure are a moon, a drum, a flame, and a lightning bolt.
He hands it to Cicero, and she and Morris look at it with interest. Gale points
to something behind them, and as they turn around, Cicero slips the piece of
slate into her own pocket.
Standing
behind them is the bad Gale, unshaven in his black hooded sweatshirt and dirty
jeans. Morris and Cicero are shocked. They turn and look at the good Gale, in
his suit and tie, still standing by the J-shaped tree. When they turn back, the
bad Gale has been replaced by LLEWELLYN, standing in the same spot.
CICEROLlewellyn.MORRISYou’re the killer.
Llewellyn
grins. Behind him, the MAN WITH A DRUM, wearing a tuxedo, and the WOMAN IN RED
LEATHER fade into view. Between them, MILLICENT fades into view as well, wearing
her elegant black gown. The Man With a Drum and the Woman in Red Leather each
take hold of one of Millicent’s arms, holding her in place.
CICEROMillicent.
Morris
squints, then he and Cicero turn around to see the ELECTRICAL MAN, a human form
made of electricity, and the ASTRONAUT, in an unmarked, glaringly white
spacesuit, appear on either side of the good Gale and take him by the arms.
Llewellyn
bends down and picks up a thick piece of tree branch that looks like it would
make an excellent cudgel. He points at Morris.
LLEWELLYNNow we fight. Or the fire will consume your soul.MORRISOkay.
Morris
draws his gun and shoots Llewellyn in the chest.
Unfortunately,
the bullet passes harmlessly through him. Llewellyn grins and swings his
cudgel, knocking Morris’s gun out of his hand. Then, Llewellyn roars in a
berserker rage and attacks Morris, who does his best to evade his foe by
scrambling behind trees. Finally, Morris finds a thick log on the ground. He
picks it up and smashes Llewellyn over the head, but the log merely crumbles
into bits. Llewellyn hits Morris in the head with his cudgel, knocking him to
the ground, but Morris manages to scramble away and get back on his feet.
Millicent,
held in place by the Man With a Drum and the Woman in Red Leather, stares hard
at Cicero, who is watching the fight with great anxiety. As Llewellyn chases
Morris between them, Cicero notices that Millicent is staring at her. They make
eye-contact, then Cicero’s eyes glaze over. With a vacant expression on her
face, Cicero takes the piece of slate out of her pocket and drops it on the
ground next to her. Then she draws her gun, looks down, and aims at the piece
of slate. She pulls the trigger, and the bullet shatters the piece of slate.
The gunshot echoes through the forest.
The
Man With a Drum, the Woman in Red Leather, the Electrical Man, the Astronaut,
Llewellyn, Millicent, and Gale all freak out and run around screaming. Cicero
regains her senses, and Morris drops to his knees, exhausted. The seven
screaming beings throw themselves into the ravine and disappear from sight.
Cicero runs after them, and Morris goes after her.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
GORGE IN SUMMER -- DAY
MORRIS
and CICERO come out of the forest into a large gorge with high, rocky walls all
around. There is a pond in the middle of the gorge, fed by a waterfall, and
above the waterfall is a stone-arch bridge. The pond feeds into a stream that
wends its way out into the forest. Along one side of the gorge is a large
recess cave. At the near end of the pond, with the waterfall in the background,
is the Fountain of Utter Blackness, a large, ornate stone structure with dark,
brackish water frothing in it. The MAN WITH A DRUM, the WOMAN IN RED LEATHER,
the ELECTRICAL MAN, and the ASTRONAUT are running around the edge of the pond
haphazardly, still freaking out. LLEWELLYN is also racing madly about,
splashing through the shallow end of the pond and screaming. He is driving
MILLICENT and the good GALE, in his dark suit and tie, along in front of him,
holding chain leashes that are attached to collars around Millicent’s and
Gale’s throats.
MORRISWhere in hell are we?CICEROThe Great Abyss. I’m sorry, Morris.MORRISFor what?CICEROI should have warned you.
Morris
looks at Cicero, worried. Then, the waters in the Fountain of Utter Blackness
begin to churn and the sky grows dark. Llewellyn stops running around and
forces Millicent and Gale to their knees in the shallow pond. They stare at the
fountain expectantly. The Electrical Man and the Astronaut fade away while
still running around. The Man With a Drum and the Woman in Red Leather walk out
into the pond and stand on either side of Llewellyn.
Then,
a dark figure rises from the waters of the fountain, standing high above all
the others. It is the LADY OF NIGHT. She is dressed in an elaborate gown of
leather, lace, and feathers, all black. A red lace veil covers her eyes. Her
face is pallid with blood-red lips, and she wears a strange black headdress
that covers her hair. She holds up her hands, clad in tight red leather gloves.
LADY OF NIGHTWho calls forth the darkness? The pain and the sorrow? Who calls forth death and destruction? The Lady of Night answers.
Morris
and Cicero are dumbstruck.
LADY OF NIGHTThe war was lost, but I shall rise again. Let the battles resume, and annihilation descend. Woe to the world.
She
glares down at Morris and Cicero.
LADY OF NIGHT(sternly)You don’t belong here!
She
gestures, causing Morris and Cicero to fade away, with startled looks on their
faces. Then, without moving her legs, the Lady of Night rotates to face
Llewellyn, Millicent, Gale, the Man With a Drum, and the Woman in Red Leather.
LADY OF NIGHTMy faithful servants. Prepare for the slaughter.
Llewellyn
laughs. Millicent reaches out and takes Gale’s face in her hands. Tears
streaming down her cheeks, she kisses him on the lips. Llewellyn yanks her away
from him, dropping Gale’s leash. He pushes Millicent down onto her back and
gets on top of her. He winds her leash around his hand. He holds up his other
hand. A wicked-looking knife suddenly appears there, and Llewellyn grins.
Suddenly,
Gale jumps up, grabs the Woman in Red Leather, and embraces her. She bursts
into flames, but Gale discharges a massive amount of electricity from his body.
Lightning bolts shoot from Gale’s body and strike the Man With a Drum and
Llewellyn, sending them flying. Millicent’s collar falls apart as Llewellyn is
launched into the air, freeing her. The Woman in Red Leather’s flames flare up
and engulf Gale, but he consumes her. Having become a blazing pillar of fire,
Gale throws himself into the Fountain of Utter Blackness. Across the pond,
Llewellyn screams and goes into convulsions with blood spewing out of his mouth.
The Man With a Drum explodes. Millicent laughs.
CUT
TO:
INT.
CAVE -- NIGHT
DANI
is in a cave, wearing an iron collar and chain, dancing languidly within a
circle of fire. Suddenly, the fire goes out and Dani falls to her knees,
screaming in anguish. She fades away, leaving the collar and chain behind.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
GORGE IN SUMMER -- DAY
CU
-- LADY OF NIGHT lets loose a blood-curdling scream. Fade to white.
FADE
IN:
INT.
SFX
A
white flash fills the screen, accompanied by a long, low roll of thunder.
Slowly move down a tunnel of swirling colors and electrical discharges. GALE
and MILLICENT float along, weightless, their hair blown about by wind. There is
another flash, longer this time, during which the sound of an angelic chorus
rises. When the flash fades, the LADY OF LIGHT has appeared. She is a beautiful
woman in a flowing white gown adorned with wildflowers. Light streams from
behind her and from her very being. Millicent and Gale are awestruck, but then
they turn their heads to look in the opposite direction. They see the LADY OF
NIGHT floating there, weeping. The Lady of Light sweeps past Millicent and Gale
and embraces the Lady of Night. Then, the two women merge into one, forming the
GODDESS in a gorgeous lavender Greco-Roman gown. Millicent gives Gale a
magnificent smile, then fades away. The Lavender Goddess floats up to Gale and
kisses him on the lips.
FADE TO WHITE
ROLL CREDITS
Special Agent Clayton Morris, 38. FBI agent and paranormal investigator.
Special Agent Sara Cicero, 36. FBI agent and medical doctor.
Penny Gardner, 17. High school senior.
Dani Clapsaddle, 29. A woman in trouble.
Box Lady, 53. Local eccentric.
Mary Gardner, 45. Mother of Penny.
Emma Corbett, 25. Vivacious local woman with psychic sensitivities.
Duncan MacNeil, 38. FBI forensics expert.
Lyle Terrence, 62. Local doctor.
Ramona Wingfeather, 18. Native American mystic.
Millicent Collins, 17. Murdered high school senior.
Franklin Fosgill, 52. FBI regional supervisor.
Kent Clapsaddle, 16. High school sophomore, Ramona’s boyfriend.
Sheriff Robert Armstrong, 36. Sheriff of Twinsburg.
Abigail Voigt, 24. Sheriff’s secretary.
Tuppence Collins, 46. Dead librarian, mother of Millicent.
Albert Collins, 48. Business executive, father of Millicent.
Special Agent Martin Gale, 34. FBI agent/homicidal maniac.
Lady of Night/Lady of Light/Lavender Goddess. Mystical beings.
Llewellyn the Marauder. Killer from the Dark Ages.
Man With a Drum. Mystical being with a tuxedo and kettle drum.
Woman in Red Leather. Mystical being who bursts into flames.
Astronaut. Mystical being in a bulky, glowing astronaut suit.
Electrical Man. Mystical being composed of electricity.
Punk Rock Girl
Twinsburg Sheriff’s Deputies
Naked Woman in the Woods
Cultists
FBI Secretary
FBI Agents
Army Soldiers
Iowa State Troopers
Scruffy Youths
