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Chimera
by Brian Bara (Prospero761@gmail.com)

Rated: R   Genre: Horror   User Review:
NOT YET
RATED

A film crew descends on the NJ Pine Barrens to make a low-budget horror movie about a legendary creature that supposedly lives in the woods. They are soon quite surprised to find themselves the victims of of the very monster they all thought was just a legend.


This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.



FADE IN:

EXT. A CABIN IN A PINEY WOOD - NIGHT
                                                            
SUBTITLE: LEEDS POINT, NEW JERSEY – 1735
                                                            
A starless night. Thunder rumbles in the distance. From
inside we can hear a woman screaming.

The camera tracks through the woods, to the window and into
the cabin.
                                                            
 
INT. THE CABIN - NIGHT
                                                            
A one room cabin. A fireplace with a kettle; a rough-hewn
rocker; a table with two chairs; a bed. On it lays a WOMAN
in the throes of painful childbirth.

A MIDWIFE attends; a look of distaste on her face.
                                                            
                       MIDWIFE
Hang on, Dearie. It’s almost done.
I can see its little 'ead pokin’
through.
                                                            
The Woman screams in agony.
                                                            
                       MIDWIFE (cont'd)
It’s comin, it’s comin’! Good
lord, please let this child be al-
right. Please, sweet Jesus, save
this child from its mother’s sins.
                                                            
There is a crash of thunder as the rain begins to fall
outside. Raindrops sizzle in the fireplace and on the
kettle.
                                                            
                       MIDWIFE
Now push, Dearie! Push!
                                                            
The Woman screams in reply.
                                                            
                       MIDWIFE (cont'd)
Just a little more... that’s it.
that’s good. Here... it... com...
Oh, dear Jesus in heaven! May God
have mercy on your soul, woman!
                                                            

2.

There is an inhuman screech as the baby is born and takes
its first breath.

The Midwife stands, horrified, frantically wiping the
red/black blood from her hands and forearms.
                                                            
                       MIDWIFE
I’ll no more of this, Jane
shrouds! This is the work of the
devil, an' yer poor 'usband is
surely spinnin’ in his grave! Yer
damned, woman! Damned ta hell!
                                                            
The Midwife runs out into the rain, screaming in horror.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE PINEY WOODS - NIGHT
                                                            
A storm has begun to rage as the Midwife runs through the
trees. She is terrified, but running out of breath.

She stops to rest, holding her side and gasping for air.
Looking back to make sure she wasn’t followed, she leans her
hand against a tree, which is immediately struck by
lightning.

The Midwife jitters and convulses as smoke rises from her
upstanding hair and her dress begins to smolder and finally
bursts into flame.

Jump cut to CU on the Midwife’s charred, smoking face as it
strikes the ground.

Opening credits roll over INT. shots of the Woman in her
cabin, nurturing her always-covered baby. She suckles it;
she sings to it; she plays with it and talks to it; she
rocks and feeds it. The changes in seasons can be seen
through the cabin’s windows as time progresses and the
bundle gradually increases in size. The sequence ends with
the Woman leaning over a crib, talking baby talk, as a
scaly, red, black-clawed hand reaches up for the rattle she
is holding.

The camera pulls out of the credits to reveal an editing
bay.
                                                            
 
INT. AN EDITING ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Two men, DAVID MORTON and TIM WHITE, have been watching all

3.

we have just seen. David is 38, an idealistic filmmaker who
managed to max out his credit cards to produce the four
minutes or so of film they just watched. Tim is 37, David’s
business partner and best friend.
                                                            
                       TIM
David, I can’t believe you sold
this movie on a prologue and open-
ing credits alone
                                                            
                       DAVID
Dewitt loved it. And he read the
entire script in one night.
                                                            
                       TIM
And he agreed to use your cast?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Well, no. Not exactly... He went
for Joel, Maxine and Dana right
away. He had a little resistance
to Maya, but I convinced him that
ethnicity was good for a broader
audience base. And Mark, Caleb and
Andrew have all agreed to double
duty as crew, so he was happy to
save money there.
                                                            
                       TIM
So who was the problem?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Who do you think?
                                                            
 
INT. A SOUNDSTAGE - DAY
                                                            
PAULA GRIFFEN, early 30’s, in a desperate attempt to play
early 20’s, is having a screen test.
                                                            
                       OFF SCREEN VOICE
Paula Griffen screen test. Take
fourteen.
                                                            
The scene is clapped and Paula begins.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (As 'Melanie')
I don’t know why you brought me
to this horrible place, Anthony.
It’s dark, and it’s wet, and there

            (MORE)

4.

                       PAULA (cont'd)
are bugs and God knows what the
hell else out here. I’m tired, I’m
cold, I’m hungry and I want to go
home. Now!
                                                            
                       OFF SCREEN VOICE
      (Flat reading)
Melanie. You’re hysterical.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (As 'Melanie')
I am not hysterical, Anthony! What
I am, is mad as hell! You and your
idiot friend drag us all the way
out here to East Bum-Fucked New
Jersey, pretending to be looking
for some stupid monster, when it’s
all just a scam to party and try
and get your girlfriends wasted
enough to actually consider giving
you hand jobs! Well, I got news
for you, Mr. Anthony Hickox, I am
having no part of your little
charade!
                                                            
                       OFF SCREEN VOICE
Hooooowwwwwwwllllllllllll!!!!!!!
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (As 'Melanie')
What was that? Oh my God, Anthony,
what the hell was that!?!
                                                            
                       OFF SCREEN VOICE
Cut!
                                                            
                       PAULA
Was that not okay? Should I try
something different?
                                                            
The camera pulls back to reveal lights coming up in a
screening room, where David and MORGAN DEWITT, the producer,
have been watching Paula’s screen test.
                                                            
 
INT. A SCREENING ROOM - DAY
                                                            
                       DAVID
Should we run it again, Mr.
Dewitt?
                                                            

5.

                       DEWITT
I don’t think I need to see it
again, but I gotta tell you; I
really don’t know about this one.
She’s older than I pictured the
character when I read the script.
Her acting isn’t half-bad, though.
What has she done, lately?

                                                            
                       DAVID
Well, she’s done a lot of regional
theatre. Plenty of Shakespeare,
Ibsen, that sort of thing. A
couple of national touring com-
panies. Oh.. and… she was in
that... uh... TV show...
                                                            
                       DEWITT
What TV show?
                                                            
David mumbles unintelligibly.
                                                            
                       DEWITT (cont'd)
What was that?
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Wincing)
'The Chicken Coop'
                                                            
                       DEWITT
Not that shiny, wet turd on NBC
about the psychic midget detect-
ive?
                                                            
                       DAVID
No, no. I’m not really familiar
with that show. This one was a
sit-com. About a woman who ran a
brothel in Nevada.
                                                            
                       DEWITT
That stinking pile of manure? My
grand-mother could make a funnier
show, and she’s been dead for
thirty-five years!
                                                            
                       DAVID
Tim and I prefer to think of it as
'Miss Griffen’s Lapse in judge-
ment.’
                                                            

6.

                       DEWITT
Morton, I like you. And you have a
good script here. Everyone else
you have shown me has been top-
notch. Top-notch. You say this
Paula Griffen is the girl you
want, then Paula Griffen is the
girl you get. Go to New Jersey.
Make your movie. But I’m telling
you right now, if this thing
doesn’t make me money, I’ll have
your balls cut off and made into a
silver-plated paperweight. You got
me?
                                                            
 
INT. A BEDROOM - DAY
                                                            
JOEL McALLEN, a young, handsome and athletic actor, is
packing a suitcase. His life partner, DANIEL HARRISON,
watches.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I don’t know why you have to go
off to New Jersey, of all places.
It’s not like there aren’t any
woods in California, for Christ’s
sake!
                                                            
                       JOEL
There aren’t woods like these,
Daniel. The Pine Barrens are
pretty unique. When I was a kid,
we would drive through them to get
to the Jersey Shore. My dad would
try to scare us by telling us that
a demon lived in them and if we
didn’t behave, the Jersey Devil
was gonna get us.
      (Smiling at the
       memory)
And besides, it’ll do me good to
go home for a bit. See my folks.
You know.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I’m coming with you.
                                                            
                       JOEL
What?
                                                            

7.

                       DANIEL
Unless you don’t want me to...
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, Baby, it isn’t that. It’s
just... Well, I’m going to be
working and...
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I know. And I promised David and
Tim that I wouldn’t get in the way
at all.
                                                            
                       JOEL
What? David and Tim know this?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Actually, it was David's idea.
                                                            
                       JOEL
It was?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
He said I was welcome to come and
spend a few days camping on loca-
tion with you guys.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Daniel, have you ever been camp-
ing?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
No, but how hard can it be?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Are you kidding me? Your idea of
“roughing it” is one hundred-
eighty count sheets and a bottle
of store brand water. This is the
real deal. Tents. Sleeping bags.
Outside. Bugs. Bad food...
                                                            
                       DANIEL
So you have no faith in my abili-
ties to adapt?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Alright. Come along, then. I’m
thrilled to have you here, really,
but I don’t want to hear a single
complaint about this trip. Not
            (MORE)

8.

                       JOEL (cont'd)
one. Promise?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I swear on my left nut.
                                                            
They both laugh, then kiss as the scene fades to black.
                                                            
 
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
                                                            
A smartly decorated apartment living room. MAYA TENG sits on
the sofa, sorting through her purse. Maya is an exotic-
looking Amer-Asian woman in her late 20’s with intricately
braided hair and piercing green eyes. She is frantically
rooting through her purse. Her ROOMMATE, a young lady of
similar age, is watching out the window.
                                                            
                       ROOMMATE
Cab's here.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Oh, fuck!
                                                            
                       ROOMMATE
Now what?
                                                            
                       MAYA
I can't find my fucking cell
phone!
                                                            
                       ROOMMATE
Maya, I swear to God, I’m going to
put that thing on a chain and wrap
it around your neck.
                                                            
                       MAYA
How the hell am I going to go on
location without my fucking cell
phone?!
                                                            
                       ROOMMATE
Well, I’ll look for it and send it
to you. Where are you staying? I
can Fed-Ex it overnight.
                                                            
                       MAYA
That’s the whole fucking problem.
Except for one night in Philadel-
phia, we aren’t staying anywhere.
We are actually fucking camping in

            (MORE)

9.

                       MAYA (cont'd)
the fucking New Jersey Pine
Barrens! No fucking electricity;
no fucking running water; no
fucking phones; NO FUCKING; for
three fucking weeks! Ah! Got it!
                                                            
She holds the phone up triumphantly and stands to leave,
picking up her suitcase.
                                                            
                       MAYA (cont'd)
You’re a doll. Feed the plants and
water the fish, don’t erase any of
my messages and find me a gor-
geous, rich, STRAIGHT man while
I’m gone. See you in about a
month.
                                                            
                       ROOMMATE
Good luck, Maya. You deserve it. I
think this is the one that’s going
to make you a star.
                                                            
                       MAYA
      (At door)
Honey, the last time a horror
movie made someone a star, it was
Linda Blair, and we all know what
happened to that poor bitch’s
career.
                                                            
She is gone, leaving her Roommate shaking her head and
laughing.
                                                            
 
INT. AIRPORT BAGGAGE CLAIM - DAY
                                                            
SUBTITLE: Philadelphia International Airport

MAXINE “MAX” MINER, DANA FINCHER and MARK VANWOLFE wait a
baggage carousel. Dana carries a large makeup kit and a
suitcase. Mark has a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Max
is desperately searching the bags as they go by.
                                                            
                       MAX
Just lovely! In, I have no idea
how many years of flying, I have
never once lost my luggage. And
now, when I’m going to be spending
the next month about a billion
miles from the nearest Blooming-
dale’s, my entire wardrobe for
this movie is on its way to Hawaii
            (MORE)

10.

                       MAX (cont'd)
without me!
                                                            
                       MARK
Oh, stop being such a baby.
There’s lots of luggage still com-
ing out.
                                                            
                       DANA
There are still a couple of days
before we actually start shooting.
I’m sure if it comes down to it,
you’ll have time to buy a few
things until your bags show up.
                                                            
                       MAX
You don’t understand. I agonized
over what to bring for three solid
weeks. I worked with a fashion
counselor, an image consultant and
a color chart person. I spent a
thousand dollars on consulting
fees, another two on clothes, and
now, thanks to the geniuses at the
airline, it was all a complete
waste of three grand that I
couldn’t afford in the first
place! Besides, where the hell
would they deliver the bag, “The
Woods, Somewhere in New Jersey?”
                                                            
                       MARK
You spent three THOUSAND dollars,
of your OWN money, on clothes
just for this shoot?
                                                            
                       MAX
Good ol’ Visa Gold.
                                                            
                       MARK
Hmmm. Makes you wonder who the
real geniuses are.
                                                            
Max sees her bag on the carousel.
                                                            
                       MAX
Oh! There it is! Thank you, Saint
Anthony.
                                                            

11.

She reaches down and pulls an enormously over-sized bag off
the carousel with a grunt as Mark & Dana shake their heads.

They start to leave the baggage claim area when a very
dirty, scary-looking PANHANDLER comes up to them.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER
Gimme a dollar!
                                                            
They ignore him and keep walking.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER (cont'd)
I said, gimme a dollar!
                                                            
                       MARK
Sorry. No change.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER
Whazzamattah, Mr. Hollywood?
Smallest you got is a fifty? I’ll
take a fifty, if dat’s all you
got. I ain’t proud.
                                                            
Mark stops and turns around to face the Panhandler. Dana and
Max stop a few steps on.
                                                            
                       MARK
What did you call me?
                                                            
                       MAX
Come on, Mark. We’re going to be
late.
                                                            
Dana tries to pull Mark away, but he breaks free of her grip
and steps toward the Panhandler.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER
Oh, I know who you are, Mr. Holly-
wood. I know who you are and I
know where yer goin’. Yer goin’
straight ta hell before too long.
Straight ta hell! And de devil
himself is gonna take ya dere,
Hollywood. De devil himself! You
think yer too good to be nice ta
folks dat are just tryin’ to stay
alive. But dat ol’ devil? Fuck, he
knows ya, too. He gonna fine yer
sorry ass in ‘em woods and take it
straight back ta hell, where it
belong!
                                                            

12.

                       MARK
Who are you? Is this some kind of
a joke? David put you up to this,
didn’t he?
                                                            
                       DANA
Mark! The man is crazy, alright?
Let’s go.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER
Not so crazy as a bunch a Holly-
woods out in ‘em woods, makin’
movies bout things bes’ lef’ a-
lone. Yous are gonna die out dere,
an when yous do, dat ol’ devil
himself is gonna take you all ta
hell. Straight... ta... hell!
                                                            
Mark swings at the Panhandler, who deftly avoids the blow
and laughs.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER (cont'd)
Dat ol’ devil is gonna have him-
self a fine time takin’ you,
Hollywood. A fine time, indeed.
                                                            
The Panhandler turns and goes, laughing and muttering to
himself.
                                                            
                       MAX
Welcome to the “City of Brotherly
Love!”
                                                            
                       MARK
Did you hear what that guy said?
Did you hear what he said about
us?
                                                            
                       DANA
He was just some nutcase, Mark.
Leave it alone. Come on. The oth-
ers are all waiting at the hotel.
You don’t wanna be late for your
first day.
                                                            

13.

                       MAX
Yeah, Mark. It was just some
smelly, nasty drunk. He probably
says the same thing to everybody.
Let it go. I’m not going to be
late because you’re weirded out by
some crazy lunatic. Let’s go!
                                                            
They head toward the exit and vanish into the crowd.
                                                            
 
INT. A HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Seated around the table are Joel, Max, Dana, Maya, & Mark.
Seated in chairs along the walls are CALEB, VINCE, STEVE and
Tim. At the head of the table sits David. They all hold
scripts and pencils to take notes.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Well, it’s so nice to finally
have everyone together. I hope
you’ve all had a chance to relax
and to meet one another. If not,
we’ll take care of that at the
bar, following the read through. I
was hoping to get started by now,
but it seems we’re still missing
one of our little family members.
Tim, have you heard from Paula?
                                                            
                       TIM
Sorry. I tried calling, but she’s
not answering her cell. Her room-
mate says she left on time,
though.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Could you keep trying, please?
                                                            
                       TIM
      (Opening cell
       phone)
Sure, David.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Well, we can fill her in on what
happens when she gets here. I just
wanted to say that I’m very excit-
ed to finally be starting this
project after what seems like a
hundred years. This is going to be
            (MORE)

14.

                       DAVID (cont'd)
a tight shoot. Small cast; very
small crew. Three weeks for prin-
cipal location shooting, two more
of interiors back on the coast
and then three weeks of scoring,
redubbing and editing.
                                                            
Caleb whistles
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
I know. DeWitt wants this picture
for Halloween. I have to find the
time to cut a trailer, too. It’s
going to be a bitch. That’s why I
asked all of you to be a part of
it.
                                                            
                       MAYA
What? Misery loves company?
                                                            
They all laugh.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Something like that, yeah. No,
that’s not it at all. I asked all
of you to be a part of it because
I know I can trust you all to give
me a good movie, on time and under
budget.
                                                            
The door bangs open and they all look up as Paula enters,
screaming into her cell phone. She is very over-dressed and
carries a small dog under one arm. Ignoring the people in
the room, she continues her conversation as though alone.
The dog squirms and yips, obviously wanting release from her
death grip.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Into phone)
Look, Eddie, I don’t give a rat’s
ass about your sister in-law’s
lumpectomy! You swore you were
going to have it for me before I
left! Now what the hell am I
supposed...
      (to group)
Be right with you, Preciouses.
      (Into phone)
Eddie. I am in Philadelphia for
one night and one night only. Then
it’s off to the godforsaken swamps
of south central New Jersey! Get
            (MORE)

15.

                       PAULA (cont'd)
it here! Tonight!
                                                            
She closes the phone with a snap and smiles broadly at the
others; a consummate actress, instantly changing character
for her new audience.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
Well, if there’s one thing I’ve
learned how to do, Darlings, it’s
make an entrance! Sorry I’m late,
Loves. My luggage took forever and
then some disgusting, homeless
junkie started screaming something
about the devil taking me to hell.
And just try and get a cab in this
town. It’s worse than L.A. But I’m
here now. Did I miss much?
                                                            
She sets the dog down and it immediately pees on the floor.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
Pickles! Bad girl!
                                                            
                       DAVID
Actually, Paula, we were just get-
ting started. Please, have a seat.
                                                            
Paula sits as everyone else watches her maneuver around the
chairs to squeeze in right next to David while Tim places
napkins over the puddle, making faces.
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
As I was saying, I know I can
count on everyone here to give me
a good movie. Now, I’d like to
start the read-through of the
scipt. We can skip the prologue,
as that’s already shot.
                                                            
                       PAULA
David?
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Hiding annoyance)
Yes, Paula? What is it, now?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Before we start, do you think
we could order a little snack or
lunch or something? Poor Pickles
is positively starving. Aren’t
            (MORE)

16.

                       PAULA (cont'd)
you, my pwecious widdle baby?
                                                            
She picks the dog back up and makes kissing noises at it.
The dog continues to squirm unhappily.

Everyone else seated at the table is aghast at Paula’s
behavior.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Aside to Joel)
Yeah, but poor Paula doesn’t look
like she’s been hungry since nine-
teen-seventy-two.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Aside to Max)
I like you; you’re a bitch.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Actually, Paula, lunch should be
here shortly. Tim, could you check
and see if it’s on its way up?
                                                            
                       TIM
Sure, David.
                                                            
Tim goes to the door, but just as reaches for the knob, it
flies open and the Panhandler from the airport bursts in,
screaming.
                                                            
                       PANHANDLER
      (Screaming)
Straight ta hell! Dat’s where yous
are all goin’! Straight ta hell!
                                                            
                       MARK
Jesus Christ! I can’t believe he
followed us here!
                                                            
                       PAULA
That’s the creep from the airport!
Don’t they have any fucking secur-
ity in this goddamned hotel?
                                                            
The others all react in similar ways, scrambling to get away
from the Panhandler.
                                                            

17.

                       DAVID
      (Laughing)
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to
introduce you to a good friend of
mine, Andrew Barton, our makeup
effects designer.
                                                            
ANDREW, laughing, begins to peel his makeup off.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Straight ta hell! Sorry I’m late.
Paula’s luggage took forever, and
then I couldn’t get a cab. Seems
no cabbies in Philly will pick up
a homeless person.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Not amused at all)
Oh, very funny, David! That’s just
hysterical.
                                                            
                       DANA
      (Laughing)
Mark, you have no idea how hard it
was to keep a straight face back
at the airport.
                                                            
                       MARK
You mean you knew about this? You
are so dead!
                                                            
                       MAX
Now THAT'S what I call an en-
trance!
                                                            
                       DAVID
In addition to his makeup duties,
Andrew will also be playing Jim
Whales. And now that everybody
really is here, let’s get started.

                                                            
They all sit and open their scripts, ad-libbing conversation
as the scene fades to black.
                                                            
 
INT. A HOTEL BAR - NIGHT
                                                            
Maya, Dana, Joel, Daniel and Mark are seated around a table,
each with a drink in front of them.
                                                            

18.

                       MAYA
So, what did David promise all of
you for doing this movie?
                                                            
                       DANA
A paycheck.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Really? that's all? He told me he
was going to make me a star.
                                                            
                       MAYA
And you fell for that fucking
shit?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Not really, but no one else was
offering.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Laughing)
He told me he’d pay me for the
lighting and get my face “out
there” for the acting. How about
you, Maya?
                                                            
                       MAYA
First, he tried to pull that star
shit on me. Then he said, “I
swear, this is going to be the
biggest horror movie since ‘The
Blair Witch.’” When I went off on
how fucking bad I thought “Blair
Witch” was, he promised me points.
Personally, I don’t think this
picture is going to make a fucking
dime, but what the hell? Like Joel
said, no one else was offering.
                                                            
They all laugh.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
And what’s the deal with Paula
Griffen? What do you think he
offered her?
                                                            
                       DANA
I think it was the other way
around. There’s no telling how far
            (MORE)

19.

                       DANA (cont'd)
a blow-job will take you in this
business.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Ooooh! Two bitches! I really think
I’m going to like this shoot!
                                                            
                       MARK
Oh yeah, bitchy women are always
fun to have around. Especially
camping.
                                                            
                       JOEL
They are when you’re one of ‘em,
honey.
                                                            
Dana, Maya and Daniel all laugh, ad-libbing things "You go,
girl!" etc.
                                                            
                       MARK
Okay. I am horribly outnumbered
right now and just a little less
than comfortable.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Oh, you have nothing to worry
about from me. A - you're
straight; B -
      (Takes Daniel's
       hand)
I'm basically married and C - I
am, after all, a man. Women scare
me almost as much as they scare
you. Especially big dykes with
crew cuts, studded leather vests
and bull-dog tattoos on their
massive biceps.
                                                            
Everyone laughs. Joel raises his glass.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
To women. And the men who are a-
fraid of them.
                                                            

20.

                       MARK
      (Returning the
       toast)
Here, here!
                                                            
                       MAYA
      (Raising her glass)
To women. And the men that are
smart enough to be afraid of them!
                                                            
They all raise their glasses.
                                                            
 
INT. A HOTEL - DAY
                                                            
David is busy organizing the loading of the vans. Tim is
making sure the cast is all there. Every one is present,
bags in hand, except Paula.
                                                            
                       TIM
Did anyone see her this morning at
breakfast?
                                                            
                       MAX
      (To Joel)
Never thought I’d see that one
miss a meal.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (To Tim)
You’re sure you checked her room,
right?
                                                            
                       TIM
Of course I checked her room. I
checked the whole goddamned hotel!
What do you think I am, some kind
of putz? I don’t know where the
fuck she is! If she screws this
picture up for us, I will...
                                                            
                       MAX
Tim, relax. There’s a huge blue
vein on your forehead that looks
like it’s going to blow any min-
ute. Besides, I think this is our
girl, now.
                                                            
A motorcycle roars up to the curb. Paula is riding behind
the handsome, but scruffy driver. She pulls off her helmet,

21.

dismounts, French kisses the driver passionately, hands him
the helmet and sashays over to the rest of the group as the
bike pulls away into traffic.
                                                            
                       MARK
Damn! She sure DOES know how to
make an entrance.
                                                            
                       DANA
Let’s hope that’s not all she can
do.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Good morning, Lovies! Is every-
body ready?
                                                            
                       TIM
Paula, where the hell have you
been? I’ve been going crazy look-
ing for you and you’re off with
some biker?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Ron is not “some biker,” Tim. He’s
a dear friend of mine. And I’m not
ate. The call was for seven, yes?
it is now...
      (Looks at watch)
...six fifty-eight.
                                                            
                       TIM
Alright, alright. But it would
have been nice if you had at least
let me know you were going and
that you’d be back. Okay, let’s
get moving, everybody. We have a
long drive and then quite a hike
in.

                                                            
                       PAULA
Hike? You mean we have to WALK to
the location? Where the hell is
this place, anyway?
                                                            
                       TIM
Paula, please. David explained all

            (MORE)

22.

                       TIM (cont'd)
this to you at the audition. This
is an independent film. That means
we have very little money. We have
only two Jeeps. With the equipment
loaded, there’s no room for pass-
engers. Everyone here is in good
enough shape to hike for a few
hours...
                                                            
                       PAULA
A few HOURS? You are fucking kid-
ding me, right?
                                                            
                       TIM
      (Pulls her aside)
Look. I don’t know who you think
you are or what kind of star thing
you’re trying to pull, but David
likes you and he’s doing you an
enormous favor by allowing you
to be a part of this movie. I’m
telling you right now; if you
don’t behave yourself, there are a
thousand talented, pretty, young
women in this town who would be
more than happy to suffer a little
discomfort to star in this movie.
                                                            
                       PAULA
How DARE you? I will not be spoken
to like that. I’ve got news for
you, Mister High-and-Mighty-Assis-
tant-Director. I am not some
snotty, seventeen year-old wannabe
with stars in her eyes and no god-
damn brain in her head!
                                                            
                       TIM
No, you are most certainly not
that, Paula. What you ARE, how-
ever, is a bitchy, thirty-seven
year-old who THINKS she’s a star.
Real stars have class, Paula, some
thing you are sorely lacking...
                                                            
Paula starts to speak again, but Tim stops her.
                                                            
                       TIM (cont'd)
And don’t think David isn’t one
hundred percent behind me on this,
because he is. Now, I have no idea

            (MORE)

23.

                       TIM (cont'd)
what other tricks you have up your
sleeve, but I suggest you put them
all away until you get back to
L.A. You can throw your career in
the toilet, but I’ll be damned if
I let take the rest of us down
with you. Are we clear on this?
                                                            
Paula fumes and says nothing.
                                                            
                       TIM (cont'd)
Are we clear?
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Gritting teeth)
Crystal.
                                                            
                       TIM
Good. Let’s go.
      (To others,
       smiling)
Okay, everybody, let’s get going!
Last chance for a pee break until
God-only-knows when. It’s now or
never, folks! Let’s move it!
                                                            
They load into the vans and the convoy pulls out into
traffic, with the equipment-laden Jeeps in the lead.

X-Fade to:
                                                            
 
INT. A VAN - DAY
                                                            
Max tries to start a round of “Ninety-nine Bottles” and is
pelted with empty coffee cups and crumpled napkins for her
efforts.

X-Fade to:
                                                            
 
INT. ANOTHER VAN - DAY
                                                            
Paula lights a cigarette, but after a very dirty glare from
Tim, she tosses it out the window.

X-Fade to:
                                                            
 

24.

INT. A ROAD IN THE NJ PINE BARRENS - DAY
                                                            
The convoy pulls onto the shoulder. The cast and crew get
out of the Jeeps and vans, stretching their legs.

Paula lights a cigarette and distances herself from the
group to walk the dog and smoke it in solitude.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Stretching)
Christ! Who knew New Jersey was
this damned big? How the hell long
have we been driving?
                                                            
                       CALEB
It’s only been an hour and a half.
                                                            
                       MAX
Well, my body feels like it’s been
ten. What the hell do they make
those van seats out of, rocks?
                                                            
                       MAYA
I didn’t mind the drive, but it is
good to get out into the fresh
air.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Breathing deeply)
Mmm. Smells just like I remember.
                                                            
                       CALEB
You’ve actually been here before?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, maybe not right here. I grew
up in the Philly suburbs and my
dad used to drive through the Pine
barrens when we went to the Jersey
Shore in the summer.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Cool. I guess you must have heard
all about the Jersey Devil, then.
                                                            
                       JOEL
When we were misbehaving, my dad
would tell us he was going to put
us out of the car and let the Jer-
            (MORE)

25.

                       JOEL (cont'd)
sey Devil take us. But there are a
lot of stories and urban legends
about the New Jersey Pine Barrens
other than the Jersey Devil.
                                                            
                       MAX
Really? Like what?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Let’s see. There’s “The White
Stag;” “The Black Doctor;” “The
Atsion Ghost Village...”
                                                            
                       DANIEL
What the hell is “The White Stag?”
I never heard you talk about that.
                                                            
                       JOEL
He’s supposed to be sort of the
opposite of the Jersey Devil.
                                                            
                       MAYA
How do you mean?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, part of the Jersey Devil
myth is that a sighting of the
Jersey Devil portends a disaster.
But seeing the White Stag is sup-
posed to mean something good is
going to happen. Sometimes, he
appears to people lost in the
barrens and guides them out.
                                                            
                       MAX
What’s the Jersey Devil supposed
to look like, Joel?
                                                            
                       JOEL
It depends. Some of the stories
say he’s only four feet tall, with
bat’s wings, a horse’s head, a
red-serpentine body and black
claws. Others say he’s eight feet
tall with gigantic wings and a
snake’s head on a scaly, red,
human-shaped body.
                                                            
                       DANA
Cool! Like this?
                                                            

26.

She produces a sketch of a hideous demonic creature.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Damn!
                                                            
                       DANA
This is the version David ap-
proved. The CGI guys are working
it up to add in when we finish
shooting. All the close ups will
be shot using the prosthetics I
brought with me.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Ohhh… who’s lucky enough to wear
those?
                                                            
                       DANA
Andy.
                                                            
                       TIM
Alright boys and girls. We hoof it
from here. David and I both have
maps and compasses, so I really
don’t think there’s any need to
worry about getting lost. The
camp site is maybe another hour
from here. We’ll stop for lunch
before we set up camp. Stick to-
gether, make sure you’ve got on
plenty of insect repellent and
let’s get rolling.
                                                            
They load their packs onto their shoulders and enter the
woods as teh Jeepas make their way past them.
                                                            
 
INT. THE BARRENS - DAY
                                                            
Shots of the group hiking, stopping for lunch, and hiking
some more. They finally arrive at their destination, where
the Jeeps await and several tents have been erected.
                                                            
 
INT. A CAMPSITE IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Everyone is seated around a fire, dinner dishes still being
scraped for the last morsels and crumbs.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Well, I hope everyone plans to get
a good night’s sleep. We start
            (MORE)

27.

                       DAVID (cont'd)
shooting at first light. That
means a four AM wakeup call for
cast and makeup and a five AM call
for lighting and cameras. I sug-
gest you don’t stay up too late,
kiddies. Goodnight.
                                                            
David sets his dish in the dishpan on the nearby picnic
table and makes his way to his tent. A light goes on inside
and we see his silhouette as he prepares for sleep.
                                                            
                       PAULA
What, is he kidding? It’s like
seven forty-five. I haven’t been
to bed this early since I was
four.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Truth be told, there really isn’t
a whole hell of a lot you can do
out here in the boonies without
electricity.
                                                            
                       TIM
David’s right. We have a very
tight schedule. If everyone
doesn’t get enough sleep, we’ll
waste time and there will be hell
to pay. I am going to bed. If you
had any sense, all of you would,
too.
                                                            
Tim leaves the fire and heads for his tent, a little further
off.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
This is way too early for me,
folks.
                                                            
Mark opens up a cooler filled with alcohol.
                                                            
                       MARK
Bar’s open. What’ll ya have?
                                                            
                       MAX
Oooh. Whatta ya got?
                                                            
                       MARK
Oooh. Whatta ya want, baby?
                                                            

28.

                       CALEB
I have an idea. Why don’t we all
get drunk and tell ghost stories?
                                                            
                       PAULA
What are you, twelve? I suppose
you want us to hold flashlights
under our chins, too.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Come on. When’s the last time you
heard a good old campfire spook
story? We’re making a horror
movie, for cryin’ out loud! In
fact, we’re making the ultimate
“monster-in-the-woods” horror
movie. We might as well set the
tone.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Joel knows some REALLY scary
stories.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Daniel...
                                                            
                       DANIEL
You do. Aren’t you the one that
told me all about the Jersey De-
vil in the first place?
                                                            
                       MAX
Wait a minute. You said your dad
used to scare you with Jersey De-
vil stories when you were a kid.
Come on.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, I do know some pretty good
Jersey Devil stories.
                                                            
                       DANA
So tell us, already.
                                                            

29.

Mark has begun to pass around drinks, and nearly all of them
have one, except Paula. People are making themselves
comfortable, poking at the fire with sticks, leaning back on
logs, etc.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Okay. But I’ll tell you a differ-
ent Jersey Devil story. Not one of
my dad’s. A story I know first
hand is, at least partially, true.
Around nineteen twenty-eight, when
there wasn’t nearly as much devel-
opment in the area as there is
now, there was a family who made
their living digging clams and
crabbing in the bay.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (To Mark)
Better make mine a double, honey.
This could turn into a long story.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Even though they were pretty poor
by today’s standards, the husband,
wife and son lived quite comfort-
ably in their isolated home.
                                                            
 
INT. THE YARD OF A CLAPBOARD HOUSE - DAY
                                                            
1928. There is a picket fence, vegetable garden, rabbit and
chicken pens, a tool shed.

TEDDY, 11, is playing in the yard, digging elaborate
roadways with tin construction toys.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
One day, their son, Teddy, was
playing in the yard. Just beyond
the garden fence was the start of
the deep Pine Barrens. While he
was playing that day, Teddy caught
something out of the corner of his
eye.
                                                            
Something flashes past in the woods, and Teddy looks up to
see what it might have been.
                                                            

30.

                       JOEL (V.O.)
Thinking he had seen a deer or
some other forest animal, Teddy
ignored it and went back to play-
ing. That’s when he heard his
name, oh so softly, as though it
had floated on the wind.
                                                            
We hear an EERIE VOICE call Teddy's name.
                                                            
                       EERIE VOICE (O.S.)
Teddy! Teee-dee! Please come play
with me! I'm lonely...
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
And though Teddy’s parents had
warned him to never enter the
barrens alone, like any eleven
year-old, Teddy’s curiosity got
the best of him and he wandered
off after the voice and into the
barrens.
                                                            
Teddy climbs the fence and heads off into the woods.
                                                            
 
INT. THE CLAPBOARD HOUSE - NIGHT
                                                            
MOTHER and FATHER are frantically searching the house.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
That night, when Teddy didn’t come
in for supper, his parents got
worried and began to imagine the
worst.
                                                            
                       MOTHER
Papa, you don’t think he...?
                                                            
                       FATHER
I pray that he didn't.
                                                            
                       MOTHER
We have to go look for him, Papa.
                                                            
                       FATHER
It’s night, Mama. We can’t search
after dark. You know that.
                                                            
                       MOTHER
      (Almost hysterical)
Then I’ll go by myself!
                                                            

31.

She tries to leave, but he grabs her arms tightly.
                                                            
                       FATHER
Are you insane? I won’t lose both
of you! As soon as the sun’s up,
I’ll drive into Leeds Point and
get the police to help us look.
He’ll be alright, Mama. He knows
better than to go into those
woods. He knows... better.
                                                            
As Father fights to hold back his own tears, Mother
collapses into his arms, sobbing.
                                                            
 
INT. THE BARRENS - DAY
                                                            
A search party with dogs is trooping through woods.
                                                            
                       DANIEL (V.O.)
But of course, Teddy wasn’t al-
right.
                                                            
A SEARCHER stumbles on something and calls out.
                                                            
                       SEARCHER
Over here! For the love of Christ,
over here!
                                                            
They all rush toward him and gather around in a circle.

Father breaks through the crowd, takes a moment to look,
screams and then breaks down in tears. He gathers up a
bloody bundle in his arms and heads back the way they came,
crying all the way.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Some said it was a brown bear.
Others said it was some perverted
maniac. No one wanted to admit the
truth. The Jersey Devil had taken
little Teddy and torn him to
pieces. Too stunned and grief-
stricken to be parted from their
boy, Teddy’s parents buried him
in their yard, behind the tool
shed.
                                                            
 

32.

INT. THE YARD - DAY
                                                            
Day melts into night and back into day over and over; the
seasons change as time passes.

A series of X-Faded shots illustrate the following speech:
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
To make sure he was comfortable,
Teddy’s mother set his bed and his
favorite toys inside the shed,
creating a little shrine. Every
month or so, Teddy’s mother would
bring him a new gift, and soon the
gifts began to spill into the gar-
den. Eventually, Teddy’s parents
died, and were buried in the ceme-
tery in Leeds Point. But, for some
reason, folks kept bringing pres-
ents to Ted’s grave. They brought
Christmas trees and rocking
horses; they brought toys and
games and baseball cards; candles;
flowers; cereal box prizes and
decoder rings. They brought pi-
anos, drums and trumpets; banjos,
harmonicas and accordions. Balls;
bats; skates and bikes. TVs;
radios; chemistry sets; erector
sets; croquet and badminton sets.
They brought all sorts of crazy
things. But not once, in all that
time, did anyone ever take any-
thing.
                                                            
Time has passed and the camera tracks through the yard which
has become a bizarre assortment of the above- mentioned and
more. The cottage is boarded-over and the shed is
collapsing, but the assortment of tributes is overwhelming.
There are several Christmas trees - fully decorated; Easter
crosses; many ride-on toys; desks; chairs; lamps; teddy
bears; dolls; street signs; traffic cones; an Easy-Bake
oven; a hundred Frisbees; a thousand baseball cards; an
assortment of lawn ornaments; bags of plastic army men,
cowboys and Indians, dinosaurs, farm, zoo and circus
animals. Things are nailed to the shed, to the fence and to
the trees. The order seems totally random, but this is not a
pile of junk. Rather, it is a reverently neat and orderly
shrine. Though some things are obviously newer or older than
others, all of it is well-weathered and heavily overgrown
with weeds and vines.
                                                            
 

33.

INT. THE YARD - NIGHT
                                                            
The collection throws strange shadows upon itself and the
woods behind it.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
Soon, Ted’s grave was a well-known
monument, and it was rumored that
if anyone ever removed anything,
the Jersey Devil would come after
them and demand a sacrifice.
                                                            
We hear rustling in the vegetation nearby and the sound of
young voices and laughter. Three young men, drinking from a
whisky bottle and passing a joint enter from the road.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
Fast forward. It’s December, nine-
teen sixty-eight. Three buddies,
on a last bender before reporting
for service in Nam, are out at
Ted’s grave. Their girlfriends are
waiting for them in the car. One
of them, I think his name was
Carl, dared the others to take
something from Ted's grave.
                                                            
                       YOUNG MAN #1
No way, man. You fuckin take some-
thing.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
So Carl did.
                                                            
Camera follows CARL as he heads toward the shed doors,
opening his pocket knife and prying off a military medal of
some kind, which has become embedded in the wood.

Carl pockets the medal.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
After claiming his prize, he
turned to his friends and said...
                                                            
                       CARL
Yo, pussies! I got me a good luck
charm to take to Nam!
                                                            

34.

                       JOEL (V.O.)
But Carl’s buddies wanted nothing
to do with taking anything from
Ted’s grave.
                                                            
                       YOUNG MAN #2
Carl, you are fucking crazy! Good
luck charm, my ass! You’re gonna
be dead before anything in this
fucking place brings you luck!
                                                            
                       CARL
Pussy!
                                                            
The three laugh and head back toward the road.
                                                            
 
INT. CARL'S CAR - DAY
                                                            
Carl is driving very fast while his GIRLFRIEND leans against
him. The other two couples are making out in the backseat.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
On the way home, Carl’s girlfriend
felt the medal in his pocket and
pulled it out.
                                                            
                       CARL'S GIRLFRIEND
      (Examining medal)
What's this?
                                                            
                       CARL
Just a little good luck souvenir
to take with me when I gotta go up
against Charlie, baby.
                                                            
                       CARL'S GIRLFRIEND
You didn’t take this from Ted’s
grave, did you?
                                                            
                       YOUNG MAN #2
      (Leaning forward)
He sure as hell did. We told him
not to, but you know Carl; he
wants to do something, he’s gonna
do it.
                                                            
Young Man #2 goes back to making out with his girlfriend.
                                                            

35.

                       CARL'S GIRLFRIEND
Are you stupid? This is terrible.
Turn around and put it back, right
now!
                                                            
                       CARL
      (Taking medal back)
Why the hell should I?
                                                            
                       CARL'S GIRLFRIEND
It’s disrespectful. That’s some-
one’s grave, you ass. God, Carl!
Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing
with a lowlife like you!
                                                            
                       CARL
I didn’t hear you complaining last
night when we were...
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
Just then, something huge ran out
of the woods and across the road.
                                                            
                       CARL'S GIRLFRIEND
      (Screaming)
Look out!
                                                            
Carl swerves hard to avoid hitting the unseen obstacle.
                                                            
 
INT. A ROAD IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
EXT. A ROAD IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT

Carl’s car is skidding into a spin. Out of control, it
smashes into a tree.

Carl is thrown through the windshield and lands in a bed of
leaves. The car bursts into flames. A door opens and one of
the backseat occupants gets out, burning and screaming,
before falling to the ground, dead.

Carl slowly rises up and shakes his head to clear it. Amazed
to have survived unscathed, he stands and shakes the medal
in his fist at the car.
                                                            
                       CARL
Ha! You stupid motherfuckers! I
told you this was a good luck
charm! Who the hell’s dead, now,
huh? WHO'S FUCKIN DEAD NOW?
                                                            

36.

The camera tracks around Carl and we see an over-
the-shoulder shot of the burning wreck and body.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
What Carl didn’t know was that
something was behind him. Some-
thing that had been waiting in the
woods for him. Something not very
nice at all.
                                                            
Carl turns toward the camera and screams.

Something red and black flashes very quickly past him and
takes his face.

CU on the medal as it falls to the ground, splattered with
blood.
                                                            
                       JOEL (V.O.)
The last thing Carl saw before he
was ripped to pieces was the face
of his killer... the face of the
Jersey Devil...
                                                            
 
EXT. A CAMPSITE - NIGHT
                                                            
CU of Joel’s grinning face as he finishes his story.
                                                            
                       JOEL
...a face no one has ever seen and
lived to tell about.
                                                            
Thay all sit, quietly, looking at him, until Max laughs,
hysterically.
                                                            
                       MAX
Oh, come on. You’re trying to tell
us that story’s true and you know
first hand?
                                                            
                       JOEL
I said I knew PART of it was true,
first hand.
                                                            
                       STEVE
As if. What could you possibly
know is true about that story?
                                                            

37.

                       JOEL
Ted’s grave really does exist.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I
was in college. I had a friend who
took a couple of us out there one
night after a bit of partying. It
was kind of cool. Creepy, but
cool. Of course, I couldn’t
find the place again if my life
depended on it.
                                                            
                       STEVE
Of course not! Bet there’s no such
place!
                                                            
                       DANA
Did you leave a gift?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Yeah, but I’ll be damned if I
remember what. Some piece of junk
we found in the trunk of the car.
                                                            
Suddenly, there is an inhuman cry of pain from the woods.
Startled, they all turn towards the noise. Something is
crashing through the woods, headed right toward them. CU
shots on their faces as they react in fear and anticipation.


Another little cry and then they all scream and scatter as a
dark shape leaps into the campsite, smashes through the fire
and hits the side of one of the Jeeps before falling down,
dead.

Tim and David come running from their tents.
                                                            
                       DAVID
What the hell is going on out
here? I thought you were all going
to get some sleep!
                                                            
                       DANA
It’s a deer. Poor thing. It was
scared and it ran right into the
Jeep. Broke its neck.
                                                            
Caleb Crouches beside the deer and examines the body.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Except its throat was torn out
first.
                                                            

38.

He shines a flashlight on it, illuminating the vicious
wounds. A few people gasp or react in other ways.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Okay. Just relax. It was probably
just a brown bear. There are some
around here, but as long as we
keep the garbage and food sealed
up and away from the tents, they
won’t bother us. Now get some
sleep. We’ll deal with the deer in
the morning.
                                                            
                       CALEB
David. What if it comes back for
the deer?
                                                            
                       DAVID
I hadn’t thought of that. Alright.
We’ll keep watch. There are...
huh!How about that?
                                                            
                       MAYA
How about what?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Daniel makes us thirteen. I guess
that’s as lucky a number as this
movie is going to get. Anyway.
It’s eight o’clock. We have nine
hours until first call. Why don’t
we take two hour shifts? That’ll
give everyone at least seven hours
sleep. Caleb, will you and Steven
take the first shift?
                                                            
                       CALEB
And if it comes back?
                                                            
                       DAVID
I don’t know. Wake us up.
                                                            
                       STEVE
And THEN what?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Look, keep the fire going. The
chances of anything coming within
a hundred feet of that fire, are
ridiculously low. Tim and I will
take the second two hours.
                                                            

39.

                       JOEL
Daniel and I can go after you.
                                                            
                       VINCE
I can do three. It’ll give me a
chance to figure out where I’m
going to hang stuff and I won’t
have to rush, later.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Guess that leaves me with the
otehr ninety.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Good. It’s settled. Ladies, have a
good night’s sleep. And I promise,
nothing is going to happen.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Aside to Maya)
Bastards really will promise
anything, won’t they?
                                                            
They all slowly make their way to their tents, some looking
back at the deer as they walk, others talking quietly.

Paula lights another cigarette and walks alone toward her
tent, muttering to herself. As she passes Mark’s cooler, she
looks around to see if anybody is watching and then snatches
the bottle of Stoli from inside and hurries off to her tent.


Caleb and Steve begin to rebuild and stoke the fire.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Steve, man. That was no fucking
bear.
                                                            
                       STEVE
How do you know?
                                                            
                       CALEB
You ever hear of a bear hunting
deer? They eat fish. And berries.
They don’t hunt deer. They aren’t
cheetahs, for God’s sake.
                                                            
                       STEVE
So maybe it was a bobcat.
                                                            

40.

                       CALEB
I don’t think so. Not so close to
a fire.
                                                            
                       STEVE
So what are you saying? A PERSON
did this?
                                                            
                       CALEB
I don’t know what did it. But it
sure wasn’t a fucking bear! And
whatever it was, it’s still out
there, man. It’s still fucking out
there!
                                                            
Caleb looks back over his shoulder. The camera follows his
line of vision until it catches the deer, its throat
glistening and head pitched back at an odd angle as the shot
slowly fades to black.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - DAY
                                                            
Maya, as a very pregnant “Jane Shrouds,” walks through the
forest, her hair tangled and dirty, her clothes soiled and
torn.

A wicked and wild wind blows and she must fight to remain
upright. She is making her way through the woods, crying and
cursing. She arrives at a small cemetery and begins to
search among the graves.

Finding what she is looking for she falls to her knees
before a headstone which reads: "Thomas Shrouds. 1695 – 1734
Devoted Husband and Father. ‘May flights of angels sing thee
to thy rest.’ ’’ She begins to beat at the ground furiously.

                                                            
                       MAYA
      (As 'Jane Shrouds')
Damn you, Thomas Shrouds! Damn
your eternal soul for leaving me
with a thirteenth hungry mouth to
feed! I curse this child. I re-
nounce it! I render it up to
Satan, himself, before you and the
cruel God who took you away from
me. Do You hear me? I give this
child to the Father of Lies!
                                                            

41.

She falls to her knees in the dirt, and clutches her stomach
in agony.
                                                            
                       MAYA (cont'd)
      (As 'Jane Shrouds')
Kick away, you little beast!
You’ll not out until it’s time!
                                                            
                       DAVID (O.S.)
Cut! That’s good.
                                                            
The camera angle changes to include the crew, cameras and
the rest of the cast, most of who are sitting in canvas camp
chairs, waiting to be called.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Let’s take a half hour dinner. We
can get a few more night shots in
tonight and call it an early day.
                                                            
As the others disperse for dinner, Maya approaches David.
                                                            
                       MAYA
David, it wasn’t too much, was it?
                                                            
                       DAVID
What do you mean? Of course not. I
would tell you if it was.
                                                            
                       MAYA
I guess I’m just worried. I’ve
never done a horror movie. I’m
afraid it will sound silly, if I
get too big.
                                                            
                       DAVID
You’re absolutely right. And as
soon as you start to sound silly,
I’ll let you know.
                                                            
Tim approaches from behind Maya.
                                                            
                       TIM
David, I think we need to talk for
a minute.
                                                            

42.

                       DAVID
I’ll be right with you, Tim.
      (To Maya)
Now you go and get a sandwich and
stop worrying so much.
                                                            
David smiles warmly at Maya. She nods, smiling, and heads
off to the campsite.
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
Yes, Tim? What disaster are we
trying to avert now?
                                                            
                       TIM
Same one as usual. This time, she
refuses to eat.
                                                            
                       DAVID
What? For Christ’s sake, why?
                                                            
                       TIM
You want the diatribe verbatim?
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Sighing))
No, the abridged version will do
fine.
                                                            
                       TIM
Well, apparently, the catering
service didn’t pack any Kosher
vegetarian foods.
                                                            
                       DAVID
That didn’t seem to be a problem
yesterday, when she had a BACON
CHEESEBURGER! In fact, that NEVER
seemed to be an issue, before.
                                                            
                       TIM
Trust me, I know. She’s like a
little kid, testing her bound-
aries. Oh, yeah; I almost forgot.
Mark says she swiped a bottle of
Stoli out of his cooler last
night.
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Disgusted)
Shit! Where is she?
                                                            

43.

                       TIM
Her tent. Says she’s not coming
out until we get some tofu, veggie
burgers and organic carrots.
Carrots, for cryin’ out loud!
                                                            
                       DAVID
She’s gonna get my organic foot up
her organic ass!
                                                            
David storms off toward Paula’s tent.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CAMPSITE - DAY
                                                            
Everyone except David, Paula and Tim are gathered around
three folding, aluminum tables.

Vince and Dana are handing out foil-wrapped sandwiches and
deli salads.

Steve is dozing in his chair.

A camp stove sits on one of the tables, on top of which is a
large stockpot half-filled with steaming soup, from which
Mark is serving himself. The others are all seated and
eating. The conversation is lively and the mood is good.
                                                            
                       JOEL
That was nice work, Maya. I don’t
know that I could have played that
scene with a straight face.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Baby, you can’t play ANY scene
straight.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Keep it up, funny-boy.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I have you to keep it up for me.
                                                            
He kisses Joel as the others laugh.
                                                            
                       MAX
You guys have no idea how you
lucky you two are.
                                                            

44.

                       DANIEL
Who, us?
                                                            
                       MAX
Yeah, you. Do you have any idea
how hard it is to be single in
L.A.?
                                                            
                       JOEL
To be honest, no. We met about two
weeks after I moved out there.
                                                            
                       MAX
Ugh! Now, I really, really hate
you.
                                                            
                       VINCE
There’s nothing wrong with being
single in L.A., Max. Personally, I
prefer it.
                                                            
                       DANA
Of course you do. You’re a man.
You only have three basic needs:
food, shelter and sex. And you’re
willing to forgo the first two, if
it means getting the third.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
I distinctly detect the scent of a
male-bashing session in the air.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Oh, please. This from the gender
that calls women “the weaker sex.”
Try bleeding out of your dick for
a week every month and see how you
like it.
                                                            
                       CALEB
That’s a load of feminist bull-
shit, Maya.
                                                            
                       JOEL
And COMPLETELY disgusting, as
well.
                                                            
                       MAX
Caleb, do you think you could
stand the pain of giving birth?
                                                            

45.

                       CALEB
Probably not. But I’m not designed
to. No man is. So it’s really an
unfair question.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
This is starting to sound like one
of those feminist empowerment
meetings at the lesbian coffee
shop in West Hollywood.
                                                            
                       STEVE
      (Perking up)
Did someone say “lesbian?”
                                                            
They look at Steve, who shrugs, rises and heads for the
soup.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Okay. Here’s something I really
don’t get. How come straight guys
are so turned on at the thought of
two women muff-diving, but
straight women don’t get off on
two guys going at it?
                                                            
                       MAX
You just haven’t met the right
woman, Daniel.
                                                            
Everybody laughs.

There is a scream from the direction of the tents. Everyone
looks toward the sound, frightened.
                                                            
                       PAULA (O.S.)
You son of a bitch! How DARE you
come in here while I’m sleeping!
                                                            
They all relax when they realize it was Paula, but are
increasingkly annoyed by her.
                                                            
                       MAYA
“It” has been awakened.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
And “It” does not sound happy!
                                                            

46.

                       STEVE
What a bitch! I’d have canned her
ass back in Philly.
                                                            
He lifts the lid off the stock pot just as a boiling bubble
of soup bursts upwards and onto his hand.
                                                            
                       STEVE (cont'd)
      (Jumping back)
Jesus Christ!
                                                            
As he jumps back, Steve’s feet tangle around the table legs
and, reaching to steady himself, he pulls the entire pot and
camp stove down onto his face.

The others rush to his aid, ad-libbing distress and concern.

Caleb pulls the stove and pot off of Steve, revealing his
horribly burned face.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Ice water! In the cooler! NOW!!
                                                            
Maya and Dana rush to the cooler as Daniel and Vince hold
the screaming and writhing Steve.
                                                            
                       CALEB (cont'd)
      (To Max)
Max. There’s a huge first aid kit
in the Jeep. Get it.
                                                            
Max heads for the first aid kit as Maya and Dan return with
the cooler. Caleb begins to scoop water out of the cooler
onto Steve's face.
                                                            
                       CALEB (cont'd)
      (To Mark)
Mark, get me something strong. The
scotch. He needs something for the
pain.
                                                            
Mark takes the scotch out of the cooler and begins to
administer it to Steve. Max returns with the first aid and
begins to open bandages as Dana serches the kit for burn
ointment.
                                                            

47.

                       CALEB (cont'd)
      (To Vince)
This is bad. We can’t treat him
here. He needs to go to a hosp-
ital.
                                                            
                       VINCE
I know. Nearest one is about an
hour away. At least, that’s how
far it was since I saw a hospital
sign.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Whatever. Just get him in the Jeep
and go. I’ll go get David and Tim.
                                                            
Dana and Mark help a bandaged and moaning Steve into the
Jeep. Vince gets in along side him, buckles them both in and
takes off.
                                                            
 
INT. PAULA'S TENT - DAY
                                                            
Paula is sitting on the cot, holding the dog, which is
panting loudly and as unhappy as always to be held. David
stands.
                                                            
                       DAVID
I really don’t care, Paula. I have
spent the last three years trying
to find a backer for this picture,
and now that I am actually on
location, I will be goddamned if I
am about to let some arrogant,
alcoholic coke-head ruin it for
me! You will do what is asked of
you, plain and simple. And if I
feel that you aren’t doing what-
ever is asked of you, I will
personally drop you at the air-
port, on my to hire your replace-
ment. This is the end of our
first, and last, discussion on the
subject. If you have anything else
to say, now is the time.
                                                            
Paula stares at the ground.
                                                            
                       DAVID (con't)
I thought not. Your makeup call is
at five.
      (Starting to leave)
            (MORE)

48.

                       DAVID (cont'd)
Oh. I suggest you eat something
before you finish off that bottle
of Stoli.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Wait. I do have something to say.
You’re right. I have been child-
ish. This hasn’t been the best of
years for me, David, you know
that. And I really do appreciate
the job. I’m very sorry. I will
try to be better, I promise.
                                                            
The dog has begun to squirm and she sets it down.
                                                            
                       DAVID
That’s all I’m asking.
                                                            
He opens the tent flap to leave and the dog runs out,
barking.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Standing)
Oh, shit! Pickles! Pickles, come
back here!
                                                            
                       DAVID
Sorry.
                                                            
                       PAULA
It’s okay. She probably just has
to pee or something. Look,
David... I...
                                                            
                       DAVID
Go find your dog.
                                                            
Paula goes after the dog, as Tim enters the tent.
                                                            
                       TIM
Where’s she going?
                                                            
                       DAVID
After that yappy little dust rag
she calls a dog.
                                                            
                       TIM
You get everything straightened
out with her?
                                                            

49.

                       DAVID
I hope so.
                                                            
                       TIM
Good, ‘cause we’ve got bigger
problems.
                                                            
                       DAVID
NOW what?
                                                            
                       TIM
Steve pulled the whole pot of
soup, and the stove, down on his
face. He’s been burned pretty
badly.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Jesus! Is he okay?
                                                            
                       TIM
I don’t know. I don’t think so.
Which leads me to our second prob-
lem...
                                                            
                       DAVID
And that would be...?
                                                            
                       TIM
Vince took one of the Jeeps to
take Steve to the hospital.
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Looking up)
Why? Why does it have to be so
hard? I just want to make a little
horror movie. Is that so wrong? Am
I such a bad person?
      (To Tim)
Alright. So both our cameramen are
off location. We just won’t shoot
tonight. We’ll rearrange the
schedule a bit and everything will
be fine. Now stop worrying and go
eat something. It’s going to be
dark soon. I’ll make sure we have
enough wood for the fire. We don’t
another visit from whatever the
hell it was that visited last
night.
                                                            

50.

Tim looks at him, ready to protest, but David stops him
before he can speak.
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
Tim, really. It’s going to be
okay. NOTHING is going to keep me
from getting this movie made.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
It is dusk. Paula is wandering through the trees. We can
hear the dog barking in the distance.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Pickles! Pickles! C’mere, girl!
That’s a good girl! Where’s my
baby? Pickles!
                                                            
She finds the dog as it is furiously digging away at the
ground beneath a fallen tree.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
Pickles! What the hell is wrong
with you, girl? Come here!
                                                            
Pickles continues to dig.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
Pickles! Get over here right now,
you bad dog! What are you doing
over there? What have you got?
                                                            
Pickles ignores her, still digging. Paula walks over and
picks the dog up. Looking at the spot where Pickles has been
digging, Paula sees something white and rounded in the dirt.


She bends down and begins to brush the loosened dirt aside
and then suddenly stops, screaming.

CU on a partially buried human skull beneath the tree.

Paula drops Pickles, who immediately goes back to digging at
the skull.

Still screaming, Paula runs off in terror.
                                                            
 

51.

EXT. THE CAMPSITE - NIGHT
                                                            
In the distance, we can hear Paula’s screams. Everyone stops
and listens.

David raises his fist to the sky.
                                                            
                       DAVID
You’re just pissing me off, now!
                                                            
                       JOEL
Was that Paula?
                                                            
                       MAYA
It sure as hell wasn’t Mariah
fucking Carrey.
                                                            
                       TIM
I think she’s screwing with us
again.
                                                            
Another scream is heard, though a little farther away.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
That really doesn’t sound like
she’s screwing around, Tim. I
think she’s really in trouble.
                                                            
                       JOEL
We should call for help.
                                                            
                       TIM
Sure. I’ll just light the Bat
Signal and we’ll see if anyone
shows up.
                                                            
                       JOEL
We all have cell phones, Tim.
                                                            
                       TIM
I know that, Joel. Have you tried
getting a signal, lately?
                                                            
They all produce cell phones and begin dialing. One by one,
we see a “No Service” message appear on each of them.
                                                            

52.

                       DAVID
Shit! Piss! Motherfucker! Goddamn
it to hell!! Alright. As much as
it pains me, we have to go look
for her.
      (To Tim)
How many flashlights do we have?
                                                            
                       TIM
There’s one for each tent. And one
in each of the Jeeps.
                                                            
                       MARK
Screw flashlights. I have some
portable halogens that’ll light
these woods up like a Bourbon
Street strip joint at Mardis Gras.
                                                            
                       DAVID
How many did you bring?
                                                            
                       MARK
Five.
                                                            
                       DAVID
One for every other person. Mark,
go get your halogens. Dana, get
the flashlights, too. And grab a
coil of rope, just in case. We’ll
make a line. Stay within sight of
each other’s lights.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula has stopped screaming and, realizing that she is
hopelessly lost, has begun to cry softly as she continues to
stumble through the trees. Unable to accurately judge where
she is walking, her feet get tangled and she falls, hitting
her head on a tree trunk. As she slides to the ground, a
bracelet falls off her wrist, onto the ground.
                                                            
 
INT. THE JEEP - NIGHT
                                                            
The Jeep is racing along.

Steve, his face covered in bandages, like a mummy, moans
softly in the passenger seat. Vince is doing his best to
watch both the road and Steve.
                                                            

53.

                       VINCE
Stevie, man... hang on.
                                                            
Steve moans again and Vince looks at him. As he does, a huge
shadow crosses the road in front of the Jeep.

Catching it in the corner of his eye, Vince swerves to avoid
it, sending the Jeep into a 360 degree spin. The Jeep slides
off the road and slams into a tree.

After a moment, a groggy Vince gets out of the car. He
staggers a bit and then his head clears. He looks into the
Jeep to find that Steve is dead, his neck impaled by a
branch which has come through the vinyl window.

Vince turns to look at the road, trying to see whatever it
was that ran in front in front of him. There is nothing. He
walks away from the wrecked Jeep, heading back the way he
came, shuffling his feet and stumbling every so often.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
The others are searching for Paula; walking a line through
the woods in the direction they believe they heard her
screaming. Every so often, they call her out her name.

There is a rustling in the brush and they all freeze. After
a moment, we hear Pickles barking and she comes running
toward them through the trees. She stops at Joel’s feet,
yapping and wagging her tail happily.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Hey there, girl. Good girl.
      (To others)
I've got the dog.
      (To dog)
Where’s Mommy, Pickles? Go
find Mommy!
                                                            
He sets her down, but she remains beside him.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Go on. Go find Mommy. Where’s
Mommy?
                                                            
The dog doesn't move.
                                                            

54.

                       JOEL (cont'd)
Oh, great. You hate her, too,
don’t you? Alright. Come on.
                                                            
He picks her back up and slides her inside his shirt.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Just what I need. We better find
that bitch, because I am not
taking on a dog.
      (To dog)
You hear me, Pickles? No dogs.
Daniel and I just got new carpets!
                                                            
From the woods comes one last scream, long, pained and blood
curdling.
                                                            
                       DANA
Jesus Christ! That sounds like
something’s killing her! I don’t
like this, David! I don’t like
this one bit! I want to go. I want
to go now!
                                                            
They all begin to move in toward Dana, the other women
agreeing with her
                                                            
                       MARK
We can’t just leave her out there.
She might be hurt or...
                                                            
                       MAYA
And if she’s dead, we can’t do a
fucking thing for her! I say we go
back to the Jeep, and get the hell
out of here.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Alright. We’ll vote.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Vote?! You gotta be fucking
kidding me! I’m getting the hell
out of here. This is starting to
sound too much like David’s fuck-
ing movie to me.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Wait. You’re both right. Maya,
Dana, Max, and, uh..,. Daniel and
Joel should go. Here are the keys
            (MORE)

55.

                       DAVID (cont'd)
to the Jeep. The rest of us will
keep searching.
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, I want to stay and help find
Paula.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I’m certainly not leaving without
Joel. What? Do you think because
we’re gay, we should get out with
the women?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Don’t be ridiculous. I wanted a
couple of capable men with them. I
was being sexist, not homophobic.
                                                            
Daniel glares at David.
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
Fine. Caleb and Mark, please go
back to the Jeep with the women.
And take the dog with you.
                                                            
                       JOEL
No. I want to keep the dog with
me. Maybe she’ll react if she
picks up Paula’s scent.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Okay. Good idea. Mark, as soon as
you get where a cell phone will
work, call the State Police.
Search and rescues must go on in
this place all the time. Oh. I
expect every one of you back on
location Wednesday. This is a
minor setback. Come hell or high
water, this movie is getting made.
                                                            
They all look at each other to acknowledge David’s passion
edging into obsession.
                                                            
                       DAVID (cont'd)
Well, let's get moving.
                                                            
 

56.

INT. A TUNNEL - NIGHT
                                                            
It is pitch black. We hear Paula softly moaning. Then the
sounds of her moving about. A click is followed by a feeble
spark. Another is followed by the ignition of a butane
lighter, which Paula raises above her head in order to see.

She wrinkles her nose in disgust at an awful smell. She is
in a low-ceilinged tunnel. Tangled pine roots form the roof
and heavily packed earth forms the walls. Wound about the
roots, are bits of jewelry and rotted clothing, shoes and
handbags, hats, umbrellas and any number of personal items
and accessories.

Looking in both directions, Paula can see no end or changes
in the dim light provided by the lighter. Sniffling, she
shrugs her shoulders and begins to crawl slowly forward,
holding the lighter in front of her as she goes.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CAMPSITE - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Caleb lead Maya, Max and Dana back to the Jeep.
Just before they reach it, Mark and Caleb stop.
                                                            
                       MARK
Oh my God. This just keeps getting
better and better!
                                                            
The camera pans over to the Jeep, which has been completely
trashed. The tires are in shreds; the hood is up, hoses and
wires laying over the fenders like disemboweled intestines;
the windows shattered; the upholstery in shreds and deep
furrows scratched into the metal of the body.
                                                            
                       MAYA
Well that’s just fucking terrific!

                                                            
                       MAX
Now what do we do?
                                                            
                       CALEB
We get the fire going again. And
we find anything we can use as
weapons.
                                                            
                       MARK
Caleb, man. What the hell has
claws big enough to do that?
                                                            

57.

                       CALEB
Honestly, I don’t want to know.
                                                            
                       MAYA
No. No, way. Someone is fucking
with our heads. David and Tim are
trying to scare us, like those
guys did on the ”Blair Witch” set.
                                                            
                       MARK
Trashing a Jeep is an awfully
expensive way to fuck with
people’s heads, Maya. Let’s just
all calm down. Caleb’s right. We
need to get that fire going
again. Max, will you go with him
to get some wood?
                                                            
                       MAX
I’d rather not, please. I don’t
want to go back into those woods.
                                                            
                       DANA
I’ll go with Caleb.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Are you sure?
                                                            
                       DANA
No, not really. But if I have
something to do, maybe I can keep
my mind off all this until we find
out what the hell is going on.
                                                            
                       MARK
Don't go too far.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Oh, you don't have to worry about
that.
      (To Dana)
Come on, Dana.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Oh, you don't have to worry about
that.
      (To Dana)
Come on, Dana.
                                                            
Dana follows Caleb back into the woods.
                                                            
 

58.

INT. A ROAD IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Vince, bloodied, limping and in shock, makes his way along
the road. Tears roll down his cheeks.

Something moves in the brush on his left, and he freezes,
waiting to see what it is. The noise gets louder. A deer
leaps from the woods and bounds across the road.

Vince lets out a shriek and then laughs when he realizes
what it was.
                                                            
                       VINCE
It was a deer, asshole. Just a
deer.
                                                            
There is more rustling in the brush.
                                                            
                       VINCE (cont'd)
Just a deer. Just a deer. Just a
deer. Just... a...
                                                            
There is a strange growl behind him. Vince turns and lets
out a scream as something red and black flashes past the
camera.
                                                            
 
INT. A CAVERN - NIGHT
                                                            
Finally able to stand fully, Paula emerges from the tunnel
into a large, circular cavern, about fifty feet across. In
the center of the cavern is a stagnant pond. The water is
black and seemingly depthless. She raises the lighter to see
how high the ceiling is.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (looking up)
Oh my God!
                                                            
The camera follows her gaze.

From rough hewn wood, a bizarre cathedral has been formed
inside the cavern. The structure is all strange angles and
odd geometrics, as though designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
while on peyote. Tucked in amongst the labyrinthine beams,
are dozens of human skeletons, arranged like stained glass
portraits of saints and martyrs.

The camera pans across the entire room, coming down on the
other side of the pond to reveal a long, low altar comprised
entirely of skulls and topped with a blood-stained wooden

59.

slab. Behind the altar hangs an inverted cross. Crucified
upon it is a man’s skeleton with a goat’s skull.

From the tunnel behind her, Paula hears movement. Unsure
what to do, she dashes across the pond, which is only ankle
deep, and hides behind the altar, dousing the lighter.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Tim, David, Joel, Daniel and Andrew are continuing the
search, though the light from the halogens is getting dimmer
and dimmer as the batteries begin to fail.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
We should go back, guys. When
these batteries finally go, we
won’t have enough light to get
us back to camp.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Andrew’s right. It’s been two
hours since we’ve heard anything.
I’m beat. It’ll be easier to look
during daylight.
                                                            
David looks at them and then to Tim, who shrugs his
shoulders.
                                                            
                       TIM
This is your show, David. Always
has been.
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Defeated)
Alright. Let’s go back. Maybe
they’re on their way back with
help by now, anyway.
                                                            
They turn to leave when Tim’s lamp catches something shining
on the ground. It is Paula’s bracelet. He reaches down to
pick it up, and the ground beneath him gives way, dropping
him into a deep pit. The others rush over, trying to get as
close to the edge as they dare.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Tim! TIM!!! Jesus Christ, Tim,
answer me!
                                                            

60.

They shine their lights down the hole, but it is too deep
for them to penetrate.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
This sucks, Joel! I know I prom-
ised not to complain, but this
really sucks!
                                                            
                       JOEL
I couldn’t agree more, baby.
      (To David)
This is getting pretty bad, David.
It’s getting pretty fucking
horrible, as a matter of fact.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
This isn’t the time to start
arguing with each other. This
isn’t David’s fault. This isn’t
anybody’s fault. Now we have to
figure out how to get Tim out of
that hole without falling down
into it and killing ourselves.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Dana and Caleb are gathering firewood and each of them
carries a bundle under one arm.
                                                            
                       DANA
This is a little more than I bar-
gained for, Caleb. What do you
really think is going on?
                                                            
                       CALEB
I don’t know what to think. I
just want to get out of here. I
want to get on a plane, fly back
to L.A., flop on the couch in my
safe little apartment and watch
reruns of The Andy Griffith Show
on TV Land.
                                                            
                       DANA
That sounds good to me. Except the
Andy Griffith part. I hate that
show. Hate TV, actually. I’d
rather be in my studio, happily
sculpting some hideous beast for
some other crap-fest of a movie,
            (MORE)

61.

                       DANA (cont'd)
listening to some Chopin or may-
be some Mozart for atmosphere.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Really? Now I had you pegged as a
Mary Tyler Moore fan.
                                                            
Dana laughs and bends down to pick up a nice dry branch.

Noticing her boot lace is untied; she sets her wood down and
ties it as she speaks.
                                                            
                       DANA
Nope. I grew up without a TV in
the house – my parents didn’t be-
lieve in it. Besides, what little
I’ve seen over the years has been
pretty awful, so I just never
bother.
                                                            
She gathers her branches and stands
                                                            
                       DANA (cont'd)
The TV was probably your baby-
sitter. I had art teachers, music
teachers, acting teachers and
dance teachers. From the time I
was six, I had one day a week to
mysel...
                                                            
She realizes that Caleb is gone.
                                                            
                       DANA (cont'd)
Caleb? Caleb, where are you?
Caleb, this isn’t funny. You hear
me, Caleb? Goddamnit, you answer
me!
                                                            
Caleb steps out from behind a tree, zipping his fly.
                                                            
                       CALEB
Sorry. Nature called.
                                                            
                       DANA
Oh, thank God.
                                                            
                       CALEB
      (Laughing)
First time I’ve ever gotten THAT
            (MORE)

62.

                       CALEB (cont'd)
response to those words.
                                                            
                       DANA
No. I thought you were gone. You
have no idea how scared I...
                                                            
Caleb’s face suddenly becomes twisted in fear.
                                                            
                       DANA (cont'd)
What?
                                                            
                       CALEB
Ruh... ruh... ruh... RUN!!!!!!
                                                            
Dana turns to see what he is looking at, as something flies
past in front of her.

CU on her face, looking quite astonished.

Medium shot as she stands for a moment, and then falls apart
into several pieces.

Caleb screams and runs wildly into the trees, dropping his
flashlight and disappearing into the dark.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CAMP SITE - NIGHT
                                                            
Maya, Max and Mark are trying to find salvageable items in
the Jeep when they hear Caleb’s screams. They all look up
and towards the sound, then at each other.

Max is crying silently and Mark is furiously trying to wring
more light out his flashlight’s batteries, shaking and
slapping it as it sputters in and out.

Maya steps out of the Jeep, looking in the direction of the
screams.
                                                            
                       MAX
This is not happening. This is
NOT happening!
                                                            
                       MAYA
      (Shouting at trees)
Okay, this is really not fucking
funny anymore!
                                                            

63.

She walks deliberately up to the tree line and addresses the
trees.
                                                            
                       MAYA (cont'd)
You hear me, motherfucker? I will
not be played with, you fucking
psycho son of a bitch! I... am
not... playing! So fuck you! You
hear me, asswipe? FUCK YOU!!!
                                                            
She turns defiantly back towards the Jeep. She takes one
step when something huge and dark swoops down at her from
the trees, taking her head with it as it passes. Her body
falls to the ground, blood gushing from her neck.

Max and Mark scream. From above them comes a sound of
inhuman laughter.

They look up as Maya’s head lands on the hood of the Jeep
with a thud and they scream again.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Joel, Daniel and Andrew are standing around the hole,
lowering a rope. David stands off to one side, feeding the
rope.
                                                            
                       DAVID
We’re almost at the end guys. See
anything?
                                                            
We see into the hole, in which they have lowered a light on
the end of the rope to try and see the bottom, though it is
difficult to see much detail.
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, nothing. This really doesn’t
make any sense. There aren’t any
cave systems out here.
                                                            
                       DAVID
What do you mean?
                                                            
                       JOEL
The ground here is too sandy to
create holes like this. The sand
should just keep filling it in.
And it doesn’t even look like sand
            (MORE)

64.

                       JOEL (cont'd)
or dirt.
                                                            
David comes over for a closer look.
                                                            
                       DANIEL (cont'd)
This hole was built. Look at those
walls. What do they look like
their made of to you, David?
                                                            
                       DAVID
It’s hard to tell. It looks like
concrete. Or roots, maybe.
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, not just roots, David. Look
again.
                                                            
The camera moves closer into the hole, revealing human bones
interlaced with the roots that cover the hole’s walls.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Oh, Jesus. Jesus Christ in heaven!
                                                            
                       JOEL
We gotta get out of here, David.
Whatever’s going on here, we are
not equipped to deal with it. It’s
dark, we’re tired, and we’re
scared. Let’s go get the others
and get the hell out of this
place.
                                                            
                       DAVID
You just want to leave Tim down
there?
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, I don’t. But we can’t help
him, David. We’re not a Search
and Rescue team. We’re actors,
for fuck’s sake! And I don’t give
a shit how much money Morgan
De-Witt is going to lose. I really
don’t even give a shit if your
movie gets made or not. This whole
thing has gotten way out of hand,
David. It’s time to get out before
anyone else gets hurt.
                                                            
 

65.

INT. THE CAVERN - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula crouches behind the altar. A light grows in the
tunnel. We can hear footsteps and the sound of something
being dragged. She peers between the skulls in the altar.

A man (THOMAS) appears in the tunnel mouth, holding a
lantern in one hand and dragging a large bundle in the
other. He is dressed in overalls, covered by a black,
plastic butcher’s apron. He wears large, black gloves and
heavy, waterproof boots. We do not see his face, as Paula’s
view through the skull altar is fairly well obstructed.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Zat you?
      (Siffing the air)
Don’t smell like you. I can hear
ya breathin’, though.
                                                            
He drags the bundle through the puddle and, as if it weighs
no more than a few pounds, he plops it on top of the altar.

Paula stiffens, and tries to make herself smaller.

Thomas has started to whistle “Moon Dance” as he works,
cutting open the bag. A man’s arm flops down off the altar
in front of Paula’s face and she stifles a scream.

The man continues to whistle as removes the bag and tosses
it behind the altar.

Sweat runs down Paula’s face as she tries to keep from
screaming and revealing herself.
                                                            
                       THOMAS (cont'd)
I think yer gonna like dis one.
I got him on de road. He looked
pretty bad, but no broken bones,
I think…
      (Whistles again)
I know yer dere. Don’t worry, I
ain’t lookin’ for ya. I’m gonna
leave dis right here for ya and
go. The missus will be mad if my
dinner dries out. Bon Apetit!
                                                            
He cackles madly and starts to go, whistling again.

Paula watches as he turns to leave. When the light finally
fades, she lights her lighter and stands to look at the
altar.

66.


Vince, dead and naked, lies on it. His eyes are gone. Paula
shoves her fist in her mouth to keep from screaming.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - DAY
                                                            
Max and Mark are running through the woods, looking back at
an unseen pursuer. Mark trips and takes both of them down.
He scrambles to get up, but Max stays on the ground.
                                                            
                       MARK
Max, let’s go. Max, that thing
is coming. Get up and let’s go!
                                                            
                       MAX
I’m not moving.
                                                            
                       MARK
What?
                                                            
                       MAX
Don’t you get it? It doesn’t
matter where we go, Mark. It
doesn’t want it us here, but it’s
not going to let us leave, either.
                                                            
                       MARK
Max, you have got to stay focused
here. There is some kind of animal
out there that wants to kill us.
We have to...
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Laughing)
An animal? You think it was some
kind of animal that laughed at us
when it killed Maya? A flying hy-
ena, maybe?
                                                            
                       MARK
Max, calm down.
                                                            
                       MAX
Oh, I’m calm, Mark. I just know
that there’s no way out of this.
We both know that.
                                                            

67.

                       MARK
So you’re just going to give up?
Just sit and wait for it to take
you? Well I’m not going to let
you. I don’t want to die, Max. I
don’t think you do, either. I
can’t promise that we’ll get out
of here alive. But I won’t give
up. And I’m not going to let you
give up, either.
                                                            
                       MAX
You sound like Gene Hackman in
'The Poseidon Adventure.”
                                                            
                       MARK
You’re a lot prettier than Shelley
Winters.
                                                            
He holds his hand out to her and she takes it.
                                                            
                       MAX
Thanks.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Helping her rise)
And you’re a lot lighter, too.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Very small voice)
Mark, I’m scared.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Almost a whisper)
I know. So am I
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Caleb is running through the trees, stumbling in the brush.
Breathing hard, he stops to lean against a tree. He is
trying to control his panting. He squats down, listening.
                                                            
                       CALEB
      (To himself)
Okay, calm down. You’re gonna get
yourself lost.
                                                            
His breathing slowing down, he looks back the way he came to
try and get his bearings. He shivers and wraps his arms
around himself.
                                                            

68.

                       CALEB (cont'd)
      (To himself)
Ok, boy! You are NOT going into
shock. Hear me? Keep it together
man!
                                                            
Suddenly, there is laughter in the trees above him. He looks
up.

POV changes to whatever is in the tree as it swoops down on
Caleb, who looks on in mute terror.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Joel, Andrew, Daniel and David are trying to find their way
back to the camp. The one remaining lamp is growing weaker
and weaker.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Shouldn’t we be there by now?
                                                            
                       DAVID
I don’t think so. We’ve been out
here quite a while.
                                                            
                       JOEL
What time is it?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
      (Looks at watch)
Eleven thirty-four.
                                                            
                       DAVID
It can’t be too much farther.
      (Consults compass)
We’re still headed in the right
direction.
                                                            
From deep in the woods comes an inhuman cry, then the sound
of what could be a man, crying and screaming. It stops
abruptly.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
What the fuck was THAT?
                                                            
                       DAVID
A dog.
                                                            

69.

                       JOEL
Oh, come on, David. If that was
a dog, I’ll sleep with Julia Ro-
berts.
                                                            
                       DAVID
It was a DOG, Joel. It was just
a dog! Now let’s...
      (Something catches
       his eye)
What is THAT?
                                                            
He points off into the trees ahead of him. The camera
follows his finger and we see two lights in the distance.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Is that... is that a HOUSE?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
In the middle of the woods?
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Maybe they like their solitude.
Who cares? They might have a
phone.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I don’t know. This doesn’t feel
right, guys.
                                                            
                       DAVID
What do you mean?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Doesn’t it strike you as just a
little bit “Hansel and Gretel?”
                                                            
                       ANDREW
I don’t care if it’s the fucking
Three Bears’ house and they’re
throwing a party for the goddamned
Big Bad Wolf. Let’s go.
                                                            
David stands, staring off into the woods as the others start
for the lights. Andrew turns and calls to him.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
David. David! We're going!
                                                            

70.

                       DAVID
      (Wild eyed)
A dog...
                                                            
 
INT. THE CAVERN - NIGHT
                                                            
Turning away from Vince’s corpse, Paula notices another
tunnel opening in the wall behind the altar. Grimacing, she
pulls at a femur on the wall and it comes away with a
crunching rip. Avoiding looking at the body, she rips a
strip of cloth from the bag that held it and wraps the cloth
around the bone to make a torch.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Ha! Take that, Sigourney Weaver!
                                                            
Lighting the torch with her lighter, she enters the tunnel.
                                                            
 
EXT. A HOUSE IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
A simple clapboard house. The downstairs windows are lit
from within.

Andrew, David, Joel and Daniel approach the front door.
Andrew takes a breath and then knocks. He waits a moment and
knocks again.

He is about to try the knob when the door opens to reveal an
elderly woman (JANE), looking quite cross.
                                                            
                       JANE
Did ya forget yer keys again?
      (Seeing them)
Oh. Who are you? What do ya want?
                                                            
                       ANDREW
We’re sorry to bother you this
late, Ma’am. Our friend has been
hurt and we need to get some help.
Do you have a phone we could use?
                                                            
                       JANE
      (Laughing)
A phone? What do you think this
is, the Hilton?
      (Suspicious)
Which one of ya is hurt?
                                                            

71.

                       JOEL
He’s not here. He fell into a
hole. We had to leave him.
                                                            
                       JANE
A hole?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Yes, Ma’am. A pretty deep one,
too.
                                                            
                       JANE
Well... none of yas look too dan-
gerous. Course, they never do.
What are ya boys doing out here,
anyway?
                                                            
                       ANDREW
We’re making... well, we WERE
making a movie.
                                                            
                       JANE
A movie? Out here?
      (Laughs)
Must be the most boring movie ever
made, then. It ain’t one of them
NATURIST movies, is it?
                                                            
                       ANDREW
I’m sorry. What kind of movie?
                                                            
                       JANE
You know. One of them dirty stag
reels where everybody takes off
their clothes and plays badminton.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
      (Fighting laughter)
Oh, no. No, Ma’am. Not at all.
This isn’t a movie like that at
all.
                                                            

72.

                       JANE
I suppose ya can come in. Ya look
half scared to death. The barrens
ain’t no place to go messin’ a-
round if ya don’t yer way. The
mister’ll be home soon. Matter a
fact, I thought yas might be him,
when ya knocked. The mister’ll
know what to do.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Max are making their way through the trees,
carefully, listening for any sounds. Max starts laughing.
                                                            
                       MARK
What's so funny?
                                                            
                       MAX
I was just thinking. Two days ago,
my biggest problem was a three
grand credit card debt.
                                                            
                       MARK
Hopefully, by this time tomorrow,
it‘ll be your biggest problem
again.
                                                            
                       MAX
Mark, do you really think that
thing is... you know...?
                                                            
                       MARK
The Jersey Devil?
                                                            
                       MAX
Yeah.
                                                            

73.

                       MARK
I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe it’s
what everyone calls the Jersey
Devil. Or maybe it’s some
psycho-path who’s been living like
an animal out here for years.
Maybe it’s an evil E.T. or some
government experiment gone wrong.
Maybe it’s an irradiated flying
squirrel. It could be anything.
Whatever it is, it’s all like a
bad comic book I wouldn’t want to
read.
                                                            
                       MAX
Do you think the others are still
alive?
                                                            
                       MARK
I don’t know, but this thing can’t
be everywhere at once. I’m sure
the others are fine. We’ll find
them.
                                                            
 
INT. A TUNNEL - NIGHT
                                                            
The ceiling is higher here. Paula holds the smoking torch
behind her head, so she doesn’t breathe the fumes. She hears
something in the tunnel ahead and freezes, listening.

There is movement coming from in front of her, and she
waits, the torch raised as a weapon.

More sounds and then a cough. Slowly moving into the
torchlight, Tim makes his way down the tunnel towards her.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Tim? Tim, is that you?
                                                            
                       TIM
      (Sheilding his
       eyes)
Paula? Christ, no wonder we
couldn’t find you. How the hell
did you get down here?
                                                            

74.

                       PAULA
Tim, we gotta get out of here.
There are all these bones and
skulls. And... Vince is down here,
Tim. He’s... he’s dead.
                                                            
                       TIM
What?!?
                                                            
                       PAULA
He’s dead. Vince, the cameraman.
They... they took his eyes.
                                                            
She finally allows herself a little breakdown and starts to
cry.
                                                            
                       TIM
Took his eyes? What the hell are
you talking about?
                                                            
                       PAULA
I don’t know. A man. I... I
didn’t See his face. He said he
could hear me breathing, like he
thought I was an animal or some-
thing.
                                                            
                       TIM
You’re not making sense, Paula.
                                                            
                       PAULA
He lifted Vince like he was a sack
of potatoes and threw him on the
altar.
                                                            
                       TIM
Alright, Paula. You are really
freaking me out. What altar?
Where?
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Pointing)
Back there.
                                                            
Tim moves to pass her and see for himself, but Paula grabs
his arm.
                                                            

75.

                       PAULA (cont'd)
No! No, don’t. It’s horrible. And
whoever or whatever that man was
talking to, it might actually be
there, now. The man said “Bon
Apetit!” as he left. I think
whatever he was talking to is
going EAT Vince, Tim.
                                                            
                       TIM
But Vince was taking Steve to the
hospital. How’d he get down here?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Same way I did. Someone or
someTHING brought us down here.
                                                            
                       TIM
What do you mean, “someTHING?”
                                                            
                       PAULA
I followed Pickles into the woods.
She dug up some old skull and I
freaked out, I guess. I tried to
find my way back to camp, but I
was too far away and too dis-
oriented. I think I tripped and
fell. I’m not sure. When I woke
up, I was in a tunnel, like this
one. Then I found my way to that
horrible room... and then that
man...he... he picked up Vince
like a bag of laundry and tossed
him on the altar and...
                                                            
                       TIM
What man?
                                                            
                       PAULA
I told you, I didn’t see his face.
I just want to get the hell out of
here. I want to get the hell out
of here, right now. That man, or
whatever the fuck he’s feeding,
will be coming back here and I
don’t want to be here when he
does. I don’t want to die, Tim.
                                                            
                       TIM
Okay, okay. Relax. No one is going
to die. Let’s go back to where I
            (MORE)

76.

                       TIM (cont'd)
fell in. When David and the others
come back, that’s where they’ll
look.
                                                            
They begin to move down the tunnel, back the way Tim just
came.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Max continue through the trees.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Pointing)
What’s that?
                                                            
                       MAX
What?
                                                            
                       MARK
Those lights. Looks like it might
be a house.
                                                            
                       MAX
Out here?
                                                            
                       MARK
Why not? I imagine there are lots
of people who would rather live
far away from the rest of the
world.
                                                            
                       MAX
Yeah. Norman Bates, Jason Voorhees
and Hannibal Lecter, maybe.
                                                            
                       MARK
Ooohh... you think they’re all in
there together?
                                                            
                       MAX
Very funny.
                                                            
                       MARK
Whoever lives there might have a
phone. Or at least a safe place to
stay until morning.
                                                            
                       MAX
I do believe you have a point.
                                                            

77.

                       MARK
I’ve been known to, occasionally.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Smiling)
I’m glad this is one of those
occasions.
                                                            
                       MARK
And I’m glad to see you still have
a sense of humor.
                                                            
                       MAX
It’s about all I have left, thank
you.
                                                            
They begin to make their way toward the lights.
                                                            
 
INT. A HOUSE IN THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Jane is pouring hot water for tea, while Joel, Daniel, David
and Andrew sit around the dining table.
                                                            
                       JANE
So, are you boys from California?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Not originally, no. Not all of us,
anyway.
                                                            
                       JANE
Well, where are you from?
                                                            
                       JOEL
I grew up in Pennsylvania. Right
across the river from Trenton.
                                                            
                       JANE
Trenton? Those bastards! You know
what the state wants ta do?
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Politely)
No, Ma’am.
                                                            
                       JANE
That danged new governor wants ta
declare my property “protected.”
            (MORE)

78.

                       JANE (cont'd)
      (Laughing, wildly)
Can’t get no more protected than
it is now!
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Confused)
Ma’am?
                                                            
                       JANE
I wouldn’t worry about that,
right now. When the mister gets
home, we’ll get everything sorted
out.
                                                            
 
INT. A TUNNEL - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula and Tim are making their way through the tunnel.
                                                            
                       TIM
I think we might have passed it.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Are you sure?
                                                            
                       TIM
No. Who can be sure in a place
like this? But I think we’ve been
walking longer than it took me to
find you. It seems longer, anyway.
                                                            
                       PAULA
What should we do?
                                                            
                       TIM
Let’s keep going. There has to be
a way out, eventually.
                                                            
                       PAULA
But what if...
                                                            
                       TIM
There is no “what if,” Paula. What
we need to do is get out of here.
                                                            
They continue forward a bit and then Paula stops, grabbing
Tim’s arm.
                                                            
                       PAULA
What’s that?
                                                            

79.

                       TIM
What's what?
                                                            
                       PAULA
That sound. Don’t you hear it? It
sounds like... I don’t know...
like paper rustling or... some-
thing.
                                                            
                       TIM
I don’t hear anythi...
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Cutting him off)
Shhh. Listen...
                                                            
They stay still, listening. In the distance, we can hear a
flapping sound, as if from a thousand wings at once.
                                                            
                       TIM
What IS that?
                                                            
                       PAULA
It’s ahead of us, whatever it is.
                                                            
                       TIM
What do you want to do?
                                                            
                       PAULA
I’m not going back, Tim. I can’t
go in that room again.
                                                            
                       TIM
Alright...
                                                            
They continue towards the sound.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE BARRENS - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Max make their way toward the light. As they get
closer, it appears to be coming from a single window in a
small shed. As they get closer, they slow down.
                                                            
                       MAX
You don’t really think someone
lives there, do you?
                                                            

80.

                       MARK
It’s a hell of a place to put a
utility shed.
                                                            
                       MAX
Maybe it’s a still or something.
                                                            
                       MARK
Come on, Max. This New Jersey,
not Arkansas.
                                                            
                       MAX
Trust me, there are plenty of
hicks in New Jersey.
                                                            
As they watch, Thomas emerges from the shed. We still do not
see the Man’s face. the Man turns the light off inside and
locks the door.

Max is about to say something, when Mark grabs her arm and
presses his finger against her lips.

Thomas begins to walk through the woods.
                                                            
                       MARK
Let’s just see where he goes,
first.
                                                            
They begin to follow him, moving as stealthily as they can.
                                                            
 
INT. A PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Joel, Daniel, David and Andrew sit uncomfortably on
Victorian furniture that has seen better days.

They look at each other uneasily. Andrew is fighting to stay
awake. Pickles is asleep in Joel’s lap. A fire burns in the
fireplace and candles and oil lamps provide the only other
light.

Jane is seated in a rocker, knitting. Somewhere a radio
plays Big Band music in the background.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Any idea when your husband might
be home, Ma’am?
                                                            

81.

                       JANE
Nope. He’s out hunting. Could be
gone all night. Depends on how
good the pickins are.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
      (Whispering to
       David)
Did she just say “pickins?”
                                                            
                       JOEL
Hunting? I never heard of anybody
hunting at night. Isn't that
dangerous?
                                                            
                       JANE
Well, the mister ain’t exactly got
a license, ya see. He only hunts
for food. Nothin he brings down
goes to waste, though. Not like
those men who have antlers and
heads on their walls. All the meat
gets eaten, round here. Lotta
mouths ta feed.
                                                            
                       JOEL
You have a family, then?
                                                            
                       JANE
      (Cackling)
I guess ya could say that, young
man.
                                                            
Jane sets down her knitting and leans closer to them.
                                                            
                       JANE (cont'd)
I know what ya boys need. How
about a nice slice of home-made
peach pie? It should still be
warm. I just took it out before ya
boys arrived.
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Whispering to
       Daniel)
And who the hell bakes at eleven
o’clock at night?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Oh, nothing for me, thanks.
                                                            

82.

The others politely decline, as well.
                                                            
                       JANE
      (Indicating Andrew)
Looks like we oughta get yer
friend there, ta bed.
                                                            
Andrew is now fully asleep, his head leaning on David’s
shoulder.
                                                            
                       DAVID
      (Shaking Andrew)
Andy! Andy, wake up!
                                                            
                       JOEL
Let him sleep, David. It’s been
a long night for all of us.
                                                            
                       JANE
So, what were yas doing out in
the barrens at night, when yer
friend fell in the hole?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Looking for another one of our
group that got lost.
                                                            
                       JANE
Did ya find him?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Her. And, no, we didn’t.
                                                            
                       JANE
The barrens ain’t no place ta be
if ya don’t know what yer doin.
Seems ta me, movie folks got no
business wanderin around in the
woods after dark.
                                                            
Daniel is unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn.
                                                            
                       JOEL
You’re probably right, Ma’am.
                                                            
 
INT. A TUNNEL - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula and Tim continue to follow the noise, which grows

83.

increasingly louder as they approach.

Rounding a bend, they find themselves at a dead end. A
ladder in the wall leads up. Tim goes first.

After a minute of climbing, Tim comes to a landing and a
large, wooden door. As Paula climbs onto the landing, Tim
tries the door and finds it open.

Dim light pours out, but the sound of the flapping is
deafening. Paula shrugs her shoulders and indicates that
they should enter. They do, and find themselves in an
enormous cavern filled with millions of bats.

The ammonia from the thick guano on the floor is nearly
overpowering, and they pull their shirt tails over their
noses to try and keep it out.

At the far end of the room is an archway that leads to a
staircase. Slowly, so as not to disturb the bats, they make
their way toward the staircase, keeping to the wall.

Finally, they are on the stairs and on their way upwards
again.
                                                            
                       PAULA
I didn’t know there were that
many bats in the whole world.
                                                            
                       TIM
I don’t know anything anymore.
Let’s just get the hell out of
here.
                                                            
They begin to climb the stairs.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CLAPBOARD HOUSE - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Max have followed the Man to the clapboard house.

Thomas climbs the steps to the back porch and enters the
house.

Mark motions to Max to follow him around to the front.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Same seating arrangement as before, except now, David is

84.

pacing nervously. Joel sits watching David and Jane. Andrew
and Daniel are both fast asleep.

We hear the sound of a door opening in the rear of the
house.
                                                            
                       JANE
That’ll be the mister. Hang on.
                                                            
She rises and makes her way to the back of the house. Joel
tries to listen as we hear their muffled voices in the
background. They are apparently arguing, and their voices
grow louder and louder until we finally hear the man say:
                                                            
                       THOMAS (O.S.)
I said no! I’m too tired! I just
can’t...
                                                            
Joel and David exchange furtive glances. Deciding they have
had enough, they start to wake Daniel and Andrew when there
is a knock at the door.

Jane rushes out to answer it.
                                                            
                       JANE
Good Lord, have mercy. Now who
could THAT be?
                                                            
She opens the door to find Max and Mark.
                                                            
                       MARK
Excuse me, Ma’am. We hate to
bother you this late...
                                                            
                       DAVID
Mark! Max! What are two doing
here?
                                                            
                       MAX
David! Oh, thank God! Where’s
everyone else?
                                                            
                       DAVID
Where are Dana, Maya and Caleb?
                                                            
                       MARK
Maya’s dead, David. Something took
her head off, for Christ’s sake!
We... we haven’t seen Caleb or
Dana.
                                                            

85.

                       DAVID
What do you mean, something took
her head off? Talk sense.
                                                            
                       MAX
No, David. I saw it, too. It came
down out of the trees and took her
head. It was... it was...
                                                            
Max begins to cry. Jane takes Max in her arms.
                                                            
                       JANE
There, there, sweetheart. It’s
okay. Yer here now, with yer
friends.
                                                            
Closing the door behind them and surreptitiously turning the
lock and taking the key, Jane ushers Mark and Max into the
parlor, sitting Max down on the sofa next to the sleeping
Andrew and Daniel.
                                                            
                       JANE (cont'd)
You rest right there, darlin.
I’ll get ya some tea.
                                                            
She leaves the room.
                                                            
                       MARK
What is up with HER? And where’s
Tim?
                                                            
                       JOEL
He fell in a hole.
                                                            
                       MARK
What?
                                                            
                       DAVID
The ground just kind of collapsed
under his feet.
                                                            
                       MARK
And you just left him there?
                                                            
                       DAVID
The hole was too deep. We couldn’t
even see him. We thought we’d do
better to get some help.
                                                            

86.

                       MARK
This is just getting more and more
bizarre. Any sign of Paula?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Not yet. Just Pickles, here. And
she’s not talking.
                                                            
                       DAVID
What about Caleb and Dana?
                                                            
                       MARK
We went back to the camp. The Jeep
was trashed. Caleb and Dana went
to get firewood. Max, Maya and I
were going through what was left
of the Jeep when we heard a
scream. It sounded like Caleb.
Maya got angry and started
shouting at the trees. And then
something... something big flew
down at her and... and...
                                                            
Mark is overcome by emotion and cannot continue.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Okay. Okay, I can deal with this.
Tomorrow I’ll drive into New York
and find replacements for them...
                                                            
Joel angrily stands, dumping Pickles to the floor
                                                            
                       JOEL
Are you crazy? David, Steve has
been seriously burned, your
leading lady is missing, Maya is
DEAD, and all you care about is
your fucking MOVIE? I always
thought you were a ruthless son of
a bitch, but you’ve just confirmed
it for me.
                                                            
                       DAVID
Three years, Joel. Three years,
I’ve done nothing but work on get-
ting this movie made. And now,
after one day of filming, it’s all
going to hell. Well, I’m not going
to let that happen.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Fuck you, David.
                                                            
 

87.

INT. THE STAIRWELL - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula and Tim continue to climb.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Listen, Tim. About those things
I said, yesterday...
                                                            
                       TIM
Don’t go there, Paula. You can
apologize when we’re back in L.A.
                                                            
                       PAULA
I just feel terrible about how I
behaved, and I want to make sure
someone knows how I really feel
before... before it’s... too late.
You know?
                                                            
                       TIM
Stop talking like that. We’re go-
ing to be fine. We’ll get out of
here, find the others and go home.
You’ll see. Everything will be...
                                                            
Before he can finish, a large, dark shape swoops down on him
and he is gone, pulled back down the stairwell they have
just ascended.

Paula tries to scream, but is too stunned by what has just
happened and can only gasp in terror.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Joel and David are close to a physical fight. Mark and Max
do their best to keep them apart.
                                                            
                       MARK
Stop it, both of you! Just stop
it!
                                                            
Hearing the commotion, the Man enters from the kitchen and
we see his face for the first time. He appears much younger
than Jane.
                                                            

88.

                       THOMAS
I won’t have fightin in my house.
Ya boys are guests here, and as
long as yer here you’ll be civil
ta one another, understand?
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Sheepishly)
Yes, sir. I’m sorry.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
The missus tells me ya boys was
makin some kind of movie out here
and got lost?
                                                            
                       MARK
More or less.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Sir, please. Some friends of
ours are missing. One of them
is dead. Is there any way to get
the authorities out here to help
us?
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Barrens ain’t no place to be wan-
derin around at night, son. Ya
won’t be able to help yer friends
if yas get hurt or lost, too.
                                                            
 
INT. THE STAIRWELL - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula, crying, sits on the stairs.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Tim! Tim, I’m sorry. Come back!
TIM!!!!
                                                            
Realizing he is gone for good, she begins to climb the
stairs again, trying to keep a watch for anything that might
be swooping down on her.

Rounding a corner, she sees a bulkhead door a few steps
away. She reaches it, opens it and steps up into the shed.
                                                            
 

89.

INT. THE SHED - NIGHT
                                                            
The door has been locked from the outside. She looks around
for a tool of some kind, but the shed is empty. Using her
elbow, Paula breaks out the window and climbs through,
cutting her hands as she does.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE SHED - NIGHT
                                                            
Once outside, Paula looks about and then collapses down the
side of the building, sitting on the ground and crying.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Daniel and Andrew are still deep asleep. Joel and David sit
on opposite sides of the room, sulking and yawning. The
Woman is serving tea to Max and Mark.
                                                            
                       MARK
This is very kind of you, Ma’am.
                                                            
                       JANE
Call me, Jane, dear.
                                                            
                       MARK
Jane... What’s in the shed out in
the woods?
                                                            
                       JANE
What shed, dear?
                                                            
                       MAX
We followed your husband from a
shed in the woods.
                                                            
                       JANE
I’m sure you’re mistaken, dear.
There’s no shed in the woods.
                                                            
                       MAX
But we saw your husband come out
of a shed. He turned off a light
and bolted the door from the out-
side.
                                                            
                       MARK
That’s true, Ma'a... Jane.
                                                            

90.

                       JANE
Guess we’ll have to ask him, then.
Won’t we?
                                                            
                       MARK
No! No, that isn’t necessary.
Don’t bother him. We must be mis-
taken.
                                                            
Max looks at Mark quizzically, but he shakes his head,
slightly.
                                                            
                       JANE
I have some peach pie, if you’d
like. I just made two. Should be
cool enough to eat, now.
                                                            
                       MARK
Yes, please. That would be great.
                                                            
Jane leaves to get the pie.
                                                            
                       MAX
      (To Mark)
What is wrong with you? You know
very well...
                                                            
                       MARK
      (Interrupting)
This isn’t right.
      (To Joel)
Joel, you said Tim fell in a hole?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, not exactly. It was more
like the hole opened up underneath
him.
                                                            
                       MARK
Like maybe he’d sprung a trap?
                                                            
                       JOEL
I don’t know. I guess it could
have been something like that.
                                                            
David has begun to snore in the corner. Mark looks over at
him.
                                                            

91.

                       MARK
Joel, how much tea did you have?
                                                            
                       JOEL
None, really. I only took a sip,
to be polite. I don’t really care
for tea all that much.
                                                            
                       MARK
And the others?
                                                            
                       JOEL
I don’t know. I think they each
had at least a cup. Daniel drank
his and mine. Why?
                                                            
                       MARK
      (To Max)
Max, don’t drink that tea.
                                                            
                       MAX
You don’t think...?
                                                            
Before Max can finish, the kitchen door bursts open and Jane
comes flying out, screaming in rage while wielding a large,
steel cleaver.

Max screams and leaps out of the chair.

Mark and Joel jump to their feet and assume defense
positions.

Jane moves closer, slashing the air with the cleaver.

Seeing her steaming mug of tea on the table, Max picks it up
and throws the tea in Jane's face.

Jane screams and drops the cleaver.

As Mark and Joel rush to subdue her, the blast of a shotgun
stops them in their tracks.

Thomas is standing behind them, having fired into the
ceiling.

Andrew, Daniel and David remain asleep.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Get away from her!
                                                            

92.

                       MAX
Are you crazy? She just attack-
ed us with...
                                                            
                       THOMAS
I know what she done! I told
her not to do it, but she done,
it anyway. I was gonna let yous
all go. Dey been fed, plenty, to-
night.
                                                            
                       JOEL
FED? What the hell are you talk-
ing about? Who’s been fed? You're
as crazy as she is.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Yeah, I’m crazy. Crazy fer stay-
in here all dese years an feedin
em bastards. An I’m gettin too old
now. Too old to keep it up. Some-
one don’t feed em, dey get cranky.
Start huntin on dere own. I hate
ta think what’s gonna happen when
me an the missus is gone. Cause
den dere gonna go out an start
huntin again. Dough it sounds like
dey been doin dat tonight, any-
ways.
                                                            
He points the shotgun at Max.
                                                            
                       THOMAS (cont'd)
      (To Max)
You. Go git some cold water fer my
wife. And don't try nothin funny,
er one a yer friends here gets a
belly full.
                                                            
Max nervously goes into the kitchen.
                                                            
                       MARK
Mister, please. We didn’t mean to
hurt your wife. We just...
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Shut up! I gotta think!
                                                            
 

93.

EXT. THE SHED - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula, still crying, picks herself up and begins to limp
around the shed.

She turns the corner and finds Caleb hanging by his ankles
on a steel rack. His back is to her, though she can hear him
moaning, softly.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Caleb? Oh my God, what did he do
to you?
                                                            
She turns him around. His eyes are gone and blood flows from
the empty sockets. She unties his feet and does her best to
gently lay him gently on the ground.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
You poor, poor man. Caleb? Caleb,
can you hear me?
                                                            
                       CALEB
      (A hoarse whisper)
P... Paula?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Shhhh... don’t speak. Rest.
                                                            
                       CALEB
No. I... I have to... t... tell...
                                                            
                       PAULA
Tell what?
                                                            
His lips move, but she can’t hear him. She leans in closely,
her eyes widening as Caleb whispers in her ear. He finishes,
and is gone. Paula lays his head down on the ground.
                                                            
                       PAULA (con't)
Goodbye, Caleb.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Jane is lying on the sofa, with an ice pack over her eyes
. The Man is making Max tie Mark and Joel back-to-back.
                                                            
                       JANE
I told ya to take em, Thomas.
                                                            

94.

                       MAX
      (Crying)
Please… let us go. We won’t tell
anyone… we swear.
                                                            
                       JANE
      (Sitting up)
Shut up, ya little bitch! If I
could see, I’d kill ya m’self!
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Stop it, Jane! Stop it!
                                                            
                       JANE
Thomas, y’old fool! Don’t ya think
if they had the chance, they‘d
kill us right now?
                                                            
                       JOEL
You know that’s not true, don’t
you, Thomas?
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Did I say ya could call me that?
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, sir. And I’m sorry to be so
forward, sir. But if you’ll...
                                                            
                       JANE
Don’t you listen to that boy, Tho-
mas! He’s got one of them Holly-
wood silver tongues!
                                                            
                       THOMAS
THAT'S ENOUGH, JANE!!
                                                            
                       JOEL
Please, sir. You know this is
wrong. Let us go.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Sorry, young man. Don’t really see

how I can. If I was ta let ya go,
ya’d go right to the police and
bring em back here. It ain’t like
            (MORE)

95.

                       THOMAS (cont'd)
yer a bunch a drunken teenagers
tellin tales. They’d believe folks
like yous.
                                                            
                       MARK
What do you want? Money? We have
money. We can give you as much as
you want. More than you’ll need
for the rest of your life.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
      (Amused)
What the hell am I gonna do with
money? Do ya have any idea how
old I am, boy? I was old when yer
daddy was in diapers! I got no use
fer yer money!
                                                            
Max boldly steps forward and unbuttons her blouse.
                                                            
                       MAX
I know what you REALLY want...
                                                            
                       THOMAS
      (Laughing)
Girl, I ain’t been interested in
dat fer 50 years or more! Naw, all
I want is ta rest. Ta be done with
it.
                                                            
                       JANE
Thomas! Thomas, I will NOT let you
do this!
                                                            
                       THOMAS
I tole ya, once an fer all, Jane,
shut... UP!!!
                                                            
 
EXT. A TOOLSHED - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula stands before the padlocked door of another shed which
sits behind the back porch of the clapboard house. Looking
around, she grabs the axe from a nearby woodpile and begins
to hack away at the door.

She hears a shot from inside and turns to look at the house,
crouching down to make herself smaller.
                                                            
 

96.

INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
The sofa is splattered with gore; Thomas is staring at
Jane’s headless corpse.

Max, Joel and Mark are stunned.

Thomas drops the shotgun and walks over to the sofa.

Mark nods to Joel, indicating the abandoned shotgun on the
floor.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Damn it ta hell, Jane! Look what
ya went an made me do!
                                                            
He picks up the corpse and begins to rock with it, sobbing.

Joel motions to Max who begins to undo the ropes tying him
and Mark together.
                                                            
                       THOMAS (cont'd)
      (Crying)
Oh God, take me! Take me and send
me ta hell, where I belong! Jane!
Jane, what am I gonna do without
ya?
                                                            
Max has untied Joel and Mark. Joel slowly stands and picks
up the discarded shotgun, pointing it at Thomas.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Sir? Sir? Please...
                                                            
Thomas ignores Joel, continuing to cry and rock Jane's body.
                                                            
                       JOEL (con't)
Sir? Sir! THOMAS!
                                                            
Thomas finally lays the corpse back down and turns to Joel.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Now, if you’ll kindly tell me what
the hell is going on?
                                                            
                       THOMAS
      (Wiping his eyes
       and nose)
I suppose someone should know the
            (MORE)

97.

                       THOMAS (cont'd)
truth, after all dese years. I
guess ya heard a da Jersey Devil?
Well, I’m here ta tell ya, it’s
real. Only dere’s more den one.
Dere mus be about twenny er thirdy
of em, by now. De Shrouds women,
dat’s all dey kin make. If it’s a
girl, it’s fine. But if it’s a
boy, it’s one a dem tings. We feed
em, and dey… well, dey keep us
alive. I ain’t exactly sure how.
All I know is, I been married ta
dis woman fer eighty-two years.
Eighty-two years a huntin folks
down so’s we kin feed dem mon-
sters! And I’m so tired. So tired.

                                                            
He begins to cry again.
                                                            
                       MARK
Is there a way to kill them?
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Ya can’t kill em. Not any ways dat
I know.
                                                            
 
INT. A TOOL SHED - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula has broken in to find a long-unused generator and many
gallons of gasoline.

Pulling a wheelbarrow off the wall, she begins to load
gasoline cans into it. She sees something in the corner and
goes to look at it. Her eyes widen and she douses her
lighter.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
Mark and Max are trying to rouse the others. Joel continues
to hold the gun on the Man.
                                                            
                       JOEL
There’s got to be some way to kill
those things.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
I know I’m goin ta hell fer what
I done. Ain’t no ‘scapin it, I
            (MORE)

98.

                       THOMAS (cont'd)
s’pose. I should send de lot of
ya out ta de shed an down de
steps. You ain’t known scairt till
you seen one of em eatin someone
you know.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Please, mister. Help us. Help us
stop them from killing more
people.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Dey ain’t scairt, dough. Dey jes
laugh at scairt people. Dat laugh
is somethin awful ta hear.
                                                            
                       MARK
Think. Please... There’s got to be
some way to kill those things.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
No, can’t say I know anyway ta
kill em. Never tried. Never dawned
on me ta try. After all dis time…
Guess I was... afraid, too.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CLAPBOARD HOUSE - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula has finished pouring gasoline all over the house’s
walls. Reaching in her pocket, she produces the lighter.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Die, you sick fuck!
                                                            
She lights a line of gas on the ground. The camera follows
its quick movement to the house. There is a huge WHUMPH as
the gas on the walls ignites. Paula watches in delight.
                                                            
 
INT. THE PARLOR - NIGHT
                                                            
They all hear and see the flames erupt through the windows.
                                                            
                       MARK
Jesus Christ! Max, come on, help
me get them out of here.
                                                            
They scramble to get out, only to find the door is locked.

99.


Raising the shotgun, Joel shoots the lock and the door flies
open with the impact. Max rushes outside as Joel and Mark
grab Daniel and Andrew and begin dragging them to the door.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (To Thomas)
Help us!!
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CLAPBOARD HOUSE - NIGHT
                                                            
Paula is watching the house burn, laughing.

Max comes rushing out of the house. Paula is stunned to se
her and runs to help her.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Max, what the hell were you doing
in there?
                                                            
                       MAX
The others are still inside.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Others? What others?
                                                            
                       MAX
Mark, Joel...
                                                            
                       PAULA
What about HIM?
                                                            
                       MAX
David? Yeah. Daniel, too. Paula,
where have you been?
                                                            
                       PAULA
No, not David. HIM! The sick bas-
tard who’s been killing everybody!
                                                            
Mark and Joel come through the door, dragging Daniel and
Andrew. Paula and Max help them get to a safe distance.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Shocked)
Paula...? You’re alright.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Not exactly, but I’ll live.
                                                            

100.

                       JOEL
We gotta go back for David!
                                                            
                       PAULA
It’s too late.
                                                            
Joel turns to look as the porch roof collapses, blocking the
door from reentry.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
I’m sorry. If I had known all of
you were in there... I thought it
was just that psychopath...
                                                            
                       MARK
It’s okay, Paula. It’s okay...
                                                            
Mark, Joel, Max, and Paula watch as the house burns.

FADE TO:
                                                            
 
EXT. THE CLAPBOARD HOUSE - DAY
                                                            
Early morning light filters through the trees. The house
lies in smoking ruins.

Daniel, Andrew and Paula are asleep in the grass.

Max watches as Joel and Mark carefully poke through the
rubble.

Daniel wakes up and sees what’s left of the house.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Holy shit! What the hell happened?
                                                            
Andrew and Paula wake up.
                                                            
                       PAULA
I, uh... I guess I kind of burned
the house down. I didn’t know you
guys were in there, though, I
swear.
      (To Joel and Mark)
What are you guys doing?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Looking for David and the old man!
                                                            

101.

                       ANDREW
How the hell did I sleep through
all of this?
                                                            
                       MAX
      (Helping him up)
You were drugged. She put it in
the tea.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
What?!? The old lady? Why?
                                                            
                       PAULA
It’s a long story. We’ll fill you
in later.
                                                            
While going through the rubble in the far corner, Mark
discovers a metal bulkhead in the ground.
                                                            
                       MARK
Hey guys! Look here.
                                                            
They gather around as Mark wraps his shirt around his hands
and pulls at the handle. The door doesn’t budge.
                                                            
                       MARK (cont'd)
Locked from the inside.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Not for long.
                                                            
She produces a stick of dynamite from her jeans and lights
the fuse.
                                                            
                       PAULA (cont'd)
I’d suggest you all get as far
away as possible.
                                                            
They all run as Paula backs up and then tosses the dynamite
at the bulkhead, running away as fast as she can.

The blast knocks her to the ground, but opens the bulkhead.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (Helping Paula up)
Where they hell did you get THAT?
                                                            

102.

                       PAULA
      (Grinning)
Same place I got the gasoline. I
have more, too.
                                                            
She produces two more sticks from her back pocket.
                                                            
                       JOEL
I wouldn’t carry that around in my
pocket. TNT is not the most stable
stuff in the world.
                                                            
                       PAULA
I know a thing or two about ex-
plosives. My father owned a mining
company. This stuff is pretty
fresh. It only gets less stable
when it gets older. I think the
old man had just gotten this.
Probably going to do some more
tunneling. Don’t you worry about
me. I can handle myself.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, you’re just full of sur-
prises, aren’t you?
                                                            
The six gather around the hole where the bulkhead was and
look down into it.

A stone staircase, exactly like the one on the shed, leads
down in to the ground.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Guys… I'm not sure I can go back
down there.
                                                            
                       MARK
It’s okay, Paula. No one’s going
anywhere, yet.
                                                            
                       JOEL
But, what about David?
                                                            
                       MARK
What about him? He’s dead. No one
could have survived that fire.
                                                            

103.

                       JOEL
We don’t know that. We only found
the old woman’s body. If they died
in the fire, we would have found
something. I think they went down
there. And if that old man has
David down there...
                                                            
                       MARK
IF he does. We don’t know that for
sure. All we know is that it was
locked from inside. That could
have been done last night, last
week, last year...
                                                            
                       JOEL
Mark, if they died in the fire, we
would have found something. We
found the old lady, didn’t we?
                                                            
                       MARK
You’re assuming we found the old
lady, because what's left of the
corpse has no head...
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Damn! Sounds like I missed quite a
show.
                                                            
                       JOEL
David wouldn’t let us give up on
Paula and I won’t let us give up
on him.
                                                            
                       MARK
If it weren’t for David, none of
us would be in the middle of this
horse shit right now. Five people
are dead. Besides, do you really
think that whatever the fuck is
living in those tunnels, is going
let David live? Christ, he only
cared about making his goddamned
movie, anyway.
                                                            
                       JOEL
If David is alive, and I do no-
thing to help him, I won’t be able
to live with myself... And even if
he is dead, we have to try to kill
those things before they kill any-
one else.
                                                            

104.

                       MARK
KILL THEM?!? You’re as crazy as
the old man. Joel, if those things
are just some kind of natural
freaks, the product of inbreeding;
a genetic anomaly of some kind,
that would be one thing. But if
the old man was telling the truth,
then these... creatures are some-
thing no one here is equipped to
deal with. A couple sticks of dy-
namite and your foolhardy brava-
do aren’t going to save the day.
I’m getting the hell out of here,
once and for all. If you want to
get yourself torn to shreds and
eaten, then be my guest. Anyone
who wants to come along with me is
welcome. You too, Joel.
                                                            
                       JOEL
What you call foolhardy bravado,
Mark, I call doing what’s right. I
can’t force you or anyone else to
help me. All I can do is have
faith in God and in myself. And
hope that you’ll help me do this
because you know it’s the right
thing to do, too.
                                                            
Daniel steps forward and takes Joel's hand.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I love you, Joel McAllen.
      (To the others)
Who else is coming?
                                                            
Max walks over and takes Joel’s other hand. Andrew then
takes hers.

Mark looks at Paula as if to say “Are you coming?”

Paula takes a deep breath, and then resolutely takes
Andrew’s hand.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Mark?
                                                            
Mark looks at them for a moment, and then sighs heavily.
                                                            

105.

                       MARK
I hope to Christ you at least have
a plan.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Actually, I do. Paula, there’s
more gas, right?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Ten or twenty gallons, at least.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Were there any bottles or jars in
that shed?
                                                            
                       PAULA
I think there were a few old can-
ning jars, yeah.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Go get them and fill them with
gas. And anything you think we can
use. Daniel, would you help her?
                                                            
                       PAULA
There was more dynamite, too.
                                                            
                       JOEL
If you really think it’s safe,
then bring a few more sticks.
                                                            
Paula and Daniel head for the toolshed as Joel removes his
shirt and hands it to Max.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Max, start shredding this into
strips, say about two inches wide
and maybe ten long.
                                                            
Max starts shredding the shirt.
                                                            

106.

                       JOEL (cont'd)
Andrew, you and Mark go see if
you can find anything else we can
use as a weapon. Tools, knives,
anything. Be careful picking up
metal though, it’s likely to be
hot.
                                                            
                       MARK
And what are you going to do?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Pray.
                                                            
 
INT. THE TOOLSHED - DAY
                                                            
Paula is pulling boxes down from a shelf and handing them to
Daniel.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Hey, look, we hit the jackpot!
Rope. And lanterns! We’re going
to need that wheelbarrow over
there.
                                                            
Daniel takes the wheelbarrow from the wall and brings it
over to Paula and they begin to load it with supplies.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
You know, I think I owe you an
apology.
                                                            
                       PAULA
An apology? Why?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Well, to be homest, I pretty much
hated you up until now. I mean,
well, you weren't exactly...
                                                            
                       PAULA
Miss Congeniality? I know. But
spending the night in hell kind
of changes your outlook
                                                            
                       DANIEL
I can imagine.
                                                            

107.

                       PAULA
No. You can’t. Trust me. Come on,
let's get this stuff out of here.
                                                            
They continue loading items into the wheelbarrow.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE HOUSE'S RUINS - DAY
                                                            
The six of them are roped together at six foot intervals;
Joel is in the lead, followed by Daniel, Paula, Max, Mark
and finally, Andrew. All carry lanterns. Paula wears the
dynamite in her belt. Daniel carries the shotgun. Knives
are worn in the others’ belts.

Looking at his and Andrew’s full hands and then at the four
Molotov cocktails they have managed to make, Joel is
puzzled. Then he gets an idea.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Well, this may be the first and
last time I ever say this, but
ladies, would you please remove
your bras?
                                                            
                       MAX
Remove our bras? What the hell
for, Joel?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Just do it. You’ll see. We need
them.
                                                            
                       MAX
Oh, alright.
                                                            
Reaching under their t-shirts, Paula and Max remove their
bras and hand them to Joel.

Joel takes one and hangs it around his neck, placing two of
the cocktails in the cups. He hands the other bra to Andrew,
who does the same.
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Laughing)
Only a gay man could find another
use for a bra!
                                                            

108.

                       DANIEL
You should see what he can do with
a jockstrap!
                                                            
Joel shoots Daniel a look, but restrains himself.
                                                            
                       MARK
      (To Joel)
You’re sure about this?
                                                            
                       JOEL
No, but think about it. They
didn’t attack our camp the first
night and they didn’t attack us
last night while we stood in the
open. Why? The fire. I think fire
scares them because it can kill
them.
                                                            
                       MARK
If we don’t get killed, first.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Last chance to bow out.
                                                            
No one moves.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Okay then. Let's go.
                                                            
 
INT. A STONE STAIRWELL - DAY
                                                            
Light pours in from above, but diminishes as they descend.

They pass several openings to other tunnels as they descend,
but Joel keeps leading them downwards.

They reach the bottom of the stairs and continue forward as
the tunnel ceiling gets lower and lower, until their heads
are brushing against the roots.
                                                            
                       PAULA
This looks like where I woke up.
It shouldn't be much farther.
                                                            

109.

                       JOEL
Quietly, now. From what Paula
says, we’re likely to see some
pretty horrible things down here,
so be prepared.
                                                            
They continue along for a bit, crouching now, and then Joel
stops to listen.

In the distance, we can hear Thomas whistling “Moon Dance.”
                                                            
                       PAULA
      (Whispering)
Jesus, that’s him!
                                                            
They continue and enter the “cathedral.”
                                                            
 
INT. THE CAVERN - DAY
                                                            
Thomas is at the altar, his back to them. A figure, whose
face is blocked by Thomas' body, lies on the altar. A bloody
skeleton, presumably Vince’s, lies on the floor beside it.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Hey! Hey, you little rat-bastards!
I brought yas some breakfast!
                                                            
He laughs madly.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Just hold it right there!
                                                            
Thomas slowly turns to look at them, grinning.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Yous people jest don’t know when
to give up, do yas? Well, it’s a
little late fer yer friend.
                                                            
He steps away from the altar, and reveals David’s eyeless
body. Thomas laughs again. He picks up the corpse, turning
the head to face them.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
      (To David's corpse)
Look! Yer friends er here ta save
ya!
                                                            

110.

He cackles, insanely.
                                                            
                       PAULA
You fucking son of a bitch!
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Ain’t right, callin people names
like at. Ain’t right at all. You
think I LIKE this, missy?
                                                            
                       PAULA
I just have one question...
                                                            
                       THOMAS
      (Laughing again)
Just one?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Why have you taken their eyes?
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Y’ain’t guessed? A smart gal like
yerself, an y’ain’t guessed it?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Let's suppose I’m not as smart as
you think I am.
                                                            
                       THOMAS
Ha! None of yas is as smart as
yas think y’are! Ain’t ya never
heard dat de eyes er the winder
ta da soul?
                                                            
In the distance, there is a rustling of wings.
                                                            
                       THOMAS (cont'd)
Oooh! Here dey come
                                                            
The rustling grows closer and Daniel raises the shotgun.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Daniel, no!
                                                            
Daniel fires, hitting Thomas in the abdomen. Thomas laughs
again and leaps across the water, grabbing Mark, who is
closest to him, by the throat.

Andrew and Max try to pull as far away from Mark as the rope
will allow them.

111.


They all watch in horror as Thomas' now forked tongue snakes
out of his mouth and ruptures Mark’s eyes.

A bright, blue light pours from Mark’s eye sockets.

Thomas leans in and begins to draw the light into his mouth.
As he does, the wound in his belly heals as his face begins
to grow younger.

Joel pulls a stick of TNT from Paula’s belt and lights it.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Hey! Thomas!
                                                            
Thomas turns to look at Joel, still sucking teh light from
Mark's eyes.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Suck on this, asshole!
                                                            
Joel shoves the lit dynamite into Thomas' mouth and pushes
him away from them.

Thomas falls back into the water, stunned.

Joel, Daniel, Paula, Max and Andrew duck as the dynamite
explodes, blowing Thomas to pieces all over the cavern.

After a moment, they all stand and look where Thomas used to
be.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Well. He blowed up real good!
                                                            
Max is attempting to lift Mark's body.
                                                            
                       MAX
Mark! Mark!!
                                                            
                       ANDREW
      (Gently)
He’s gone, Max.
                                                            
                       MAX
He knew. He didn’t want to come,
because he knew.
                                                            
Max begins to scream hysterically until Paula slaps her.
                                                            

112.

                       PAULA
Max! Keep it together!
                                                            
The rustling of wings has been joined by a horrible
screeching and has grown even louder. It is apparent that
the noise is coming from behind them.
                                                            
                       JOEL
We’d better go. Cut, now!
                                                            
They all produce knives from their belts and cut the rope,
releasing them from one another.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Paula, which way?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Behind the altar. Just keep going
straight and then up.
                                                            
They splash across the room and into the tunnel behind the
altar
                                                            
 
INT. A TUNNEL - DAY
                                                            
The group makes it way through the tunnel.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (To Paula)
Now what?
                                                            
                       PAULA
Keep moving! I have an idea.
                                                            
Behind them the screeching has crescendoed.
                                                            
                       JOEL
RUN!!!!!
                                                            
They do.

Joel is the first to arrive at the ladder. He
helps Max up and the others follow quickly behind.

There is a tremendous din behind them as the tunnel fills
with the screeching, flapping creatures.

Max reaches the landing with the wooden door.
                                                            

113.

                       MAX
Christ! What’s that smell?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
It smells like ammonia.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Bat shit. Cover you noses and
mouths. Keep right. There’s an
archway that leads to a staircase.
Go!
                                                            
She takes one of Andrew's cocktails and lights it as they
start to move through the door.
                                                            
                       JOEL
      (To Paula)
I’m not leaving you here!
                                                            
Joel lights one of his own cocktails.
                                                            
Something swoops down at them and Paula lobs her cocktail,
which explodes against the tunnel wall, briefly illuminating
one of the creatures.

It is red and scaly, looking like a cross between every
genus known to science. Leathery wings drape from bony,
black-clawed arms. Its face, seen briefly, is that of a
hound with cat eyes and a snake’s tongue. A thick black tail
ends in a scorpion’s barb, while its muscular legs are
finished with taloned bird’s feet.

The monster screeches and backs off, covering its face with
its batwing arms.
                                                            
                       PAULA
Get out of here, Joel!
                                                            
Joel tosses his lit cocktail at another of the flapping
forms, setting it aflame.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Not without you!
                                                            
There is another series of screeches as Joel grabs Paula’s
arm and drags her through the door and into the bat room.
                                                            
 
INT. THE BAT ROOM - DAY
                                                            
The bats are going crazy, swooping and screeching

114.

themselves, adding to the din.

They all cover their heads with arms. The noise is
deafening, and the only communication possible is through
gestures.

Paula pushes them all towards the archway as Joel protests
and attempts to light his remaining cocktail. Paula shakes
her head vehemently and pushes Joel’s hand down, pointing
toward the archway.

Joel looks at the others, who are making their way up the
stairs. He looks back at Paula.

She shakes her head and mouths the word “Go.”

Behind her, the doorway has begun to fill with flapping
shadows. She mouths the word “Run.”

Joel runs for the archway, and takes one last look at Paula,
who is moving to the center of the room.

A tear forming in his eye, Joel goes through the arch and
follows the others up the stairs.

Paula stands in the center of the room, bats flying all
around her.

As the creatures pour into the room, Paula begins to laugh.

She reaches into her pocket and then raises her closed fist
above her head, grinning.
                                                            
 
INT. THE STAIRWELL - DAY
                                                            
Max, Andrew, Daniel and Joel scramble up the stairs,
dropping weapons as they go.
                                                            
 
INT. THE BAT ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Paula stands center, her hands clasped in front of her face.
The creatures and the bats swirl about her. We see her lips
moving as she recites the 23rd Psalm.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE SHED - DAY
                                                            
Andrew bursts through the door, followed by Max, Daniel and
Joel.
                                                            
 

115.

INT. THE BAT ROOM - DAY
                                                            
Slo-mo as Paula raises her fist again, exposing the butane
lighter.

CU on her face as she screams.
                                                            
                       PAULA
FUCK YOU, MOTHER FUCKERS!!!!! YER
ALL GOIN STRAIGHT TA HELL!!!!!!!!!
                                                            
CU on her hand as she spins the wheel on the lighter.

CU on the lighter sparking.

Full shot of the cave as Paula explodes in the center, the
fire spilling out into and consuming the chamber.
                                                            
 
INT. THE STAIRWELL - DAY
                                                            
Fire races upward, engulfing the stairwell.
                                                            
 
EXT. THE SHED - DAY
                                                            
The shed explodes, showering the area with shrapnel as the
four take cover in the trees. The explosions continue in
slo-mo for a few moments.

There is silence for a moment. Then we hear a bird singing
nearby.

Finally, the four stand, brushing themselves off.
                                                            
                       JOEL
Is everyone okay?
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Baby, I don’t think I’m ever going
to be okay again.
                                                            
They make their way to the smoking hole where the shed once
stood and look down into it.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Do you think they’re dead?
                                                            

116.

                       JOEL
I don’t see how anything could
have lived through a blast like
that.
                                                            
                       MAX
Poor Paula.
                                                            
                       JOEL
I know. I can’t believe she sacri-
ficed herself for us. I guess you
never know what you’re capable of
until you face a situation like
that.
                                                            
There is a rustling in the bushes behind them, and they all
turn, staring in fear.

More rustling and then Pickles comes out of the trees,
barking happily at Joel. He picks her up and she begins to
lick to his face.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
      (Grinning)
I already told you, no dogs!
                                                            
Pickles licks him again and barks.
                                                            
                       JOEL (cont'd)
Oh, alright. Since you put it that
way.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
      (To Joel)
Honey, can we go home, now?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Baby, there is nothing I would
like better. Anybody care to guess
which direction we should go?
                                                            
                       ANDREW
I don't believe it.
                                                            
                       MAX
What now?
                                                            

117.

Daniel points toward the trees. The camera follows his
finger across the clearing to find a pure white stag staring
at them. The stag snorts and stamps its foreleg.
                                                            
                       DANIEL
Well I’ll be damned!
                                                            
                       JOEL
Hey, if the Jersey Devil was real,
why not?
                                                            
Exhausted, they all laugh and cry at the same time.
                                                            
                       ANDREW
Shall we?
                                                            
                       JOEL
Yes, let’s.
                                                            
Their arms around one another’s waists, they make their way
toward the stag as the scene fades to black.
                                                            


THE END


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