Here's this new thing I've written. The following is the more or less final or next to final draft. So, for those who don't like first drafts and want to check out the more polished stuff, this is for you. As always, opinion and criticisms needed and welcome. Sure, praise is nice, but you know what? Doesn't help make anything better. With no further ado:
BLACK
BANG! BANG! BANG! Three BURSTS OF LIGHT. Black.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT
A light fixture flickers, wavering between light, dark.
EXT. BEACH-DAY
Waves crash, lapping the feet of a young man. JOSH SHEPHERD, 17, shirtless, bleeds from
three holes on his torso.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT
The light flickers, goes dark a moment, then bursts into life, flickers: dark, light.
EXT. BEACH-DAY
A WOMAN JOGGER runs along the beach. She slows, stops as Josh, on crimson sand comes
into view. She gapes, her hand goes to her mouth before she turns and sprints back.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT
Dark. Light. The light dims, glows brilliantly, dims.
INT. AMBULANCE-DAY
Silence. Paramedics work on Josh, starting IV's, performing CPR. Josh's eyes are open,
fixed on the roof. The ambulance rocks, a light in the roof flickers.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT
The light goes dark, bursts back into life. Dark.
INT. OPERATING ROOM-DAY
Doctors work. The heart monitor FLATLINES, the only sound. Doctors prepare the
defibrillator. Josh's eyes stare, blind at a glowing light above... A very white light.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
YOUNG JOSH, 7, sits on his bed, playing with action figures. A knock on the door. His
mother (ADRIENNE Shepherd) enters. She is about 30, blonde, pretty, dressed for a
party.
ADRIENNE:
Time for bed, honey.
Young Josh continues playing with the action figures.
YOUNG JOSH:
Five more minutes.
ADRIENNE:
You had five minutes twenty minutes ago. Nope, time for bed.
Under the covers.
Young Josh sighs, tosses the action figures on the floor, and slips under the covers.
Adrienne tucks him in, kisses him on the forehead, walks to the door, and turns off the
light.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
If you need anything, the sitter's right downstairs. Night,
honey.
YOUNG JOSH:
Night, Mom.
She leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
Young Josh lies in bed a moment, staring up at the ceiling. Then he pulls the covers
up, rolls over, and closes his eyes.
BLACK
BANG! BANG! BANG! Three BURSTS OF LIGHT.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT
The light flickers on, off. Dark, light. Alive, dead. It flickers once, then dims to an
ember of filament.
Josh stares up at the light, eyes alert. He looks to the right. A rack of pouches,
tubes run to his arm, fluids drip into him. Beyond, a heavily curtained window and
dingy, cracked walls.
Josh bolts upright and stares around.
The light bursts back into life, flickers a moment, then glows steadily.
INT. HOTEL BATHROOM-MOMENTS LATER
The door to the bathroom bursts open. Josh staggers in, leans against the sink. He
stares at himself, eyes wide, panicked.
He is pale, sweaty, dark hair tousled, eyes bloodshot. He heaves into the sink.
He stares into the mirror. His shirt, a scrub top, is blood stained. Josh pulls the
collar, looks down. He tears the shirt off, groans in pain.
His middle is heavily bandaged, blood leaks through.
Josh picks at the bandages, peels the tape holding thick wads of gauze on his chest
away.
Bandages off, Josh stares into the mirror: three holes in his body, half stitched, red,
oozing. A dozen other healed and faded scars. Josh wobbles, heaves into the sink again.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-LATER
Josh is on the floor, against the bed, dabbing at his chest with a wad of toilet paper.
The room is ransacked.
Josh's eyelids droop, his head bobs, on the verge of collapse. His eyes glance over the
room, slip across the closet door, stop, stare, snap wide.
Josh pushes himself up and stumbles to the closet. He opens it. On a luggage rack, a
duffle bag.
Josh takes the duffle bag to the bed, opens it, rifles through clothes and shoes to
find a wallet.
INSIDE: several hundred dollar bills. A Washington driver's license, the name Josh
Shepherd on it, a current picture. A Social Security card, same name.
Finally, a black American Express card, the name ANDREW PORTER. Josh frowns, replaces
the cards, the money, sets it aside.
He takes out a shirt and starts to pull it on, stops. He sways, places his hand on the
bed as support. His eyes flutter shut, Josh gasps, and he falls to the floor.
INT. CELL (FLASHBACK)
The room is dim and windowless, concrete walls and floors. A single heavy steel door
occupies one wall. The door scrapes open.
Young Josh is pushed inside by an unseen GUARD'S HAND, naked, sopping wet, with a
bundle of threadbare clothes. He trips over his own feet, falls hard to the ground. The
door scrapes shut.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-HALLWAY-MORNING
A loud knocking on the door. Josh opens his eyes slowly, squinting in the morning
light. He's still on the floor. The pounding again. Josh winces at the noise, groans,
but gets to his feet and stares into a mirror over the dresser.
THE BULLET WOUNDS: Almost totally healed. Angry and red, still obviously wounds, but
healing. Josh prods them gently and winces.
More pounding. Josh opens the door, leans out. A grungy man (MANAGER) in a soiled t
shirt is there, snarling. He speaks broken English with a Chinese accent.
MANAGER:
Past time. You get out.
Josh isn't following. He frowns, shakes his head, loosening mental cobwebs.
JOSH:
What?
Slowly, as though Josh is the one speaking a foreign language.
MANAGER:
You past check-out time. You out. You week's up.
Josh stares. He disappears back into the room. Josh comes back, slaps a hundred dollars
into the Manager's hand.
JOSH:
That enough for another night?
The Manager gawks at the money. Probably for a month. He nods.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Thanks.
Josh disappears inside, slams the door.
INT. HOTEL ROOM-DAY
Josh is showered, dressed in clean clothes, still moving gingerly, sore. He's put the
room back together.
He packs up the remaining clothes, and shoulders the bag. He begins to leave but stops,
and takes out the wallet again. Josh removes the Amex card, and peers at the name
again: ANDREW PORTER.
Josh goes to the dresser, pulls open a drawer. Inside, a phone book. He opens it to the
P's, tears out several pages.
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING-DAY
Josh stands outside an apartment building. He stares at the pages in his hand. One A.
PORTER, APARTMENT 3G. He approaches the building, presses the buzzer. A voice comes
back.
A. PORTER:
Hello?
Josh hesitates.
A. PORTER: (CONT'D)
Hello?
Josh finally answers.
JOSH:
Hi. Does an Andrew Porter live here?
AARON PORTER:
Andrew? No.
Josh looks down at the page, checking.
JOSH:
Then who's A. Porter?
AARON PORTER:
Me. Aaron Porter. What's this about?
Josh hangs his head, folds the pages up.
JOSH:
Nevermind. Thanks.
Josh walks away. One down.
MONTAGE
1. Josh at another intercom, silently questioning. Not the right answer. He turns away.
2. A house. A man, standing there, shaking his head. Closes the door on Josh.
3. The phone book pages, a dozen names crossed off.
4. Josh at another house. A woman this time.
5. A house again. A nodding man. Andrew? He beckons to someone inside, and a ten year
old boy runs to the door with a toy truck.
6. Most of the names scratched off. One left.
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING-EARLY EVENING
Josh, tired-eyed and despondent, bags under his eyes, crosses the street to an upscale
building. No buzzers, an open lobby. Josh pulls the door open, enters...
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING, LOBBY-EARLY EVENING
Inside, lots of marble, a wide space, gleaming mailboxes. At a desk, an older man, the
DOORMAN, sits. He looks up, sees Josh.
DOORMAN:
Oh, Mr. Porter. Welcome home, sir.
Josh freezes halfway to the desk.
DOORMAN: (CONT'D)
Did you have a good trip, sir?
Josh stares at the man, tense, assessing. The Doorman frowns and steps around the desk.
DOORMAN: (CONT'D)
Mr. Porter? Are you alright?
Josh snaps back to his head, relaxes, and walks over to the desk.
JOSH:
Uh... Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Good trip. Fun.
DOORMAN:
Do you have any bags?
Josh pauses, stammers.
JOSH:
What? No. The... Uh, the airline lost them. Sent them to
Houston.
DOORMAN:
That's unfortunate, sir. When the airline delivers them, I'll
send them up.
Josh smiles, nods.
JOSH:
Oh. Yes. Thank you. Do you think-- Do you have a spare key? I
check mine so I don't have to bother with the metal
detectors.
The Doorman frowns, but takes a key from a pegboard behind the desk, and hands it over.
DOORMAN:
Here you are, sir. Will there be anything else?
Josh looks at the key. A sticker on it: 14-B.
JOSH:
Um... No. No, thank you.
Josh sets off for the elevator, at the far end of the lobby.
DOORMAN:
Have a good evening, sir.
Josh looks back, almost unsure who the Doorman meant.
JOSH:
Yeah. I mean, uh, you too. Night.
Josh arrives at the elevator, pushes the button. As he waits for it, he looks around,
as though he expects an April Fool's banner to drop any second.
INT. PORTER'S BUILDING, FLOOR 14-DAY
The elevator DINGS its arrival, doors open. Josh steps out. Less fancy up here. No
fountain, but marble floors, expensive artwork. A short hall, two doors.
Josh goes to 14-B, slides the key in the lock, opens the door and enters...
INT. PORTER'S APARTMENT-DAY
Inside, radically different from the hall and lobby. A large penthouse, a staircase
leading to an upstairs. But, a bare concrete floor, walls stripped to bare drywall.
Josh ventures deeper, looks at the place. He peers into...
INT. PORTER'S KITCHEN-CONTINOUS
Empty spots where appliances should be. Tiles gone, more bare concrete. No furniture.
Cabinets, no doors. All empty.
INT. PORTER'S BEDROOM-MOMENTS LATER
Bare hinges, stark walls. Josh enters. Wide windows, a view of Seattle. The room,
flooring gone again. Antiseptic. Josh runs his hand along the bare windowsill, brow
furrowed, deep in thought.
INT. PORTER'S BUILDING, LOBBY-DAY
The elevator opens and Josh rushes out, crosses the lobby to the Doorman's desk. His
voice has a slight quaver.
JOSH:
Hey, excuse me?
The Doorman looks up from a tabloid.
DOORMAN:
Yes, sir?
Josh takes a deep breath, forces calm into his voice.
JOSH:
Did I-- Would you happen to know if I had any visitors while
I was away?
The Doorman shakes his head, shrugs.
DOORMAN:
No sir, I don't believe so...
Josh's eyes drift, scan the lobby.
DOORMAN: (CONT'D)
Except for your mother, of course.
Josh's eyes snap back to the Doorman.
JOSH:
My mother?
DOORMAN:
Yes. She was here, just last night.
Josh looks towards the elevator doors, up the unseen shaft.
JOSH:
Last night?
The Doorman nods, half closes the magazine.
DOORMAN:
Yes, sir.
JOSH:
Did she say anything?
DOORMAN:
No, sir. You know her, doesn't speak to the help if it's not
for help.
Beat.
JOSH:
Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Josh stares at his hands, pressed hard against the desktop. He looks over at the rows
of mailboxes on the wall.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Do you-- Do you happen to have a key to my mailbox?
The Doorman smiles, bemused.
DOORMAN:
Sir, your apartment key opens the mailbox.
JOSH:
Oh. Yes. That's right.
DOORMAN:
Are you okay, sir?
Josh gives a hollow smile.
JOSH:
Yes, fine.
Josh goes to the mailboxes. He opens 14-B. Nothing. Again. Josh shuts it. Back to the
doorman.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Um, this is going to sound weird, but... My... mom, what'd
she look like?
The Doorman shrugs.
DOORMAN:
I'm not sure what you mean, sir.
JOSH:
She hadn't changed her hair or anything? She said she was
thinking about going blonde.
DOORMAN:
No, sir. Brunette, same as always.
Josh looks away, eyes in middle space. He half turns back.
JOSH:
Uh... Thanks.
Josh walks away, back towards the elevator.
INT. PORTER'S BEDROOM-NIGHT
No lights. Just the glow of the city through the windows. Josh leans against them.
In front of him, spread out: the clothes, inside out, pockets turned out. His wallet,
also turned out, each hundred dollar bill spread separately, smoothed. The IDs, license
and Social Security card.
In his hand, the Amex card. Josh turns it over several times, staring at it, lost in
thought. Who is Andrew Porter?
Josh leans his head back against the glass and sighs, dropping the hand holding the
card down, he closes his eyes.
INT. CELL (FLASHBACK)
Josh lies on a rickety bed frame and thin mattress, staring into the shadows of the
concrete room.
PLINK. PLINK. Water drips from a pipe running through the room onto the floor. A puddle
expands.
Josh sighs, rolls towards the wall, staring at the cracks and condensation.
BOOM! Somewhere outside the cell, a heavy door slams shut. Shoes click beyond, growing
louder, closer. A thin shaft of light in a slot in the door goes dark. The handle
squeaks. The door scrapes open....
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Young Josh lies in bed. Sitting beside him, a 30-ish man in a suit, tie loosened,
tired. His dad (PETER Shepherd). He's reading to him from a book.
PETER:
...And he often told of the nine-pin game. But the age was
getting a little fast-- The Revolution had come and passed,
And Young America, gathered about, Received his tales with
many a doubt, Awhile he hobbled about the town; Then, worn
and weary, at last laid down, For his locks were white and
his limbs were sore-- And Rip Van Winkle will wake no more.
Young Josh lies quietly a moment.
JOSH:
That's sad.
Peter shrugs.
PETER:
Yes, I suppose. But it's... A fable. About history. See, Rip
lost his past. And, well, without a past there's nothing.
Without a past, there's no--
Peter looks down; Josh's eyes are slipping shut.
PETER: (CONT'D)
No future.
Ethan leans down, kisses Josh on the forehead. Josh closes his eyes and rolls into his
pillow, into dreams.
INT. PORTER'S APARTMENT-DAY
Josh opens his eyes. He's slumped sideways against the windows. He sits up, picks up
the license: JOSHUA Shepherd. 213 MILL STREET, KEENE, WASHINGTON.
INT. BUS-DAY
Josh sits on a crowded bus, his eyes fixed on the woods whipping past outside.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Josh lies under the covers, watching the light turn off, the door swinging shut behind
his mother.
BLACK
BANG! BANG! BANG! Three BURSTS OF LIGHT. Black
INT. HOTEL ROOM-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Josh bolting upright in the bed, staring around the room at the squalor, the IV,
utterly lost.
INT. BUS-DAY
Josh digs in his pocket for his wallet, spreads the contents again, the license, social
security card, the Amex card.
He stares at the photo on the driver's license. It's him, smiling, perfectly normal:
clean, healthy. 17....
Josh picks up the black card, stares at it, examines the name, the numbers.
The bus' air brakes hiss, Josh looks up. The bus is entering a small city. The bus
rolls past a sign reading: WELCOME TO KEENE.
EXT. BUS STATION-DAY
Josh steps off the bus and pauses in the off-loading crowd; his eyes whip around the
crowd. People bustle about, getting on buses, off. Some of them hug family and friends.
Beyond the bus station overhang, rain pours. Josh turns toward it and begins walking.
EXT. JOSH'S STREET- DAY
Josh, sodden, walks down a street lined with houses, all very similar. They are all
large, well-kept, with nice cars in the driveways. Comfortably upper middle-class.
Josh slows, stops on the sidewalk, staring at the houses, unsure. He stares around at
the all too similar houses. Which one?
EXT. JOSH'S STREET- EVENING (FLASHBACK)
Young Josh and SEVERAL FRIENDS play roller hockey in the street. Josh steals the ball
from another player, sprints toward the other goal and slips it in past the goalie. He
and his team celebrate.
ADRIENNE:
Josh!
Josh spins around and stares at one of the houses, where his mother stands on the
porch.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
Josh, honey, time for dinner!
His friends erupt with laughter at the word "honey" and Josh's face goes red.
Josh waves bye to his friends and skates toward his house.
EXT. JOSH'S STREET- DAY
Josh is now staring at the house Young Josh skated to. He crosses the street toward it.
EXT. SHEPHERD HOUSE-DAY
Josh arrives at the door, his hand goes for the knob, freezes on it half turned. He
takes his hand away, raises it up, and knocks.
After a few seconds, the door opens. Inside, ten years older, is Adrienne Shepherd.
She stares at Josh, expectant.
ADRIENNE:
Can I help you?
Josh stares back. He opens his mouth to speak, closes it. He stands quiet for a second,
gets very interest in his shoes, then....
JOSH:
Mom?
Adrienne's face grows more serious. She frowns, looks at him, cocks her head. After a
few seconds, recognition dawns.
ADRIENNE:
J-Josh?
Josh nods.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
Oh my-- Oh, my God.
Adrienne all but collapses onto him, pulls him into a hug.
Josh freezes up, stands rigid a moment before he collapses into tears and hugs back.
INT. SHEPHERD LIVING ROOM-EVENING
Josh sits on a couch, exhausted. His mother stands behind him, her hands on his
shoulders. Across the room, DETECTIVE KINNIT sits on a chair, taking notes.
KINNIT:
You remember nothing?
Josh nods.
JOSH:
Nothing. I woke up in an... alley.
Kinnit's eyebrows arch. It's not flying.
KINNIT:
Nothing? For ten years you don't remember anything? No faces,
names, locations?
Josh thinks for second, glances up at his mom. He looks back to Kinnit. A 7 year old's
unease creeps into his voice.
JOSH:
I woke up in Seattle?
Kinnit nods.
KINNIT:
Yeah, I've already got that. But nothing else? Just a big
blank?
Josh goes quiet, he glances to the floor.
JOSH:
Sorry. I am trying.
Kinnit's expression softens; realizes he's dealing with a kid who's lost ten years.
KINNIT:
No, yeah, I know you are. It's just... Ten years is an awful
lot of lost time.
Josh stares past the detective, at a large tree in the living room window.
FLASHBACK, TEN YEARS EARLIER: THROUGH THE WINDOW, PETER SHEPHERD AND JOSH PLANT A
SAPLING INTO A FRESH HOLE. BACK TO PRESENT.
JOSH:
I know.
Adrienne finally speaks up. She's cordial but firm.
ADRIENNE:
Detective, it's getting a bit late. Do you think we could
pick this up tomorrow? Josh has had quite a day.
Kinnit considers for a moment. He nods, closes his notepad, and stands.
KINNIT:
That should be fine. Could you be there around 9? I'll get a
sketch artist in, see if we can get something from your son
as to who might be responsible for this.
ADRIENNE:
Of course. I'll show you out.
Kinnit waves her off.
KINNIT:
It's alright, I know the way.
Kinnit leaves. The sound of the door opening, closing. Adrienne circles to sit down
beside her son. She puts a hand on his knee.
ADRIENNE:
How are you feeling?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Okay. Tired.
ADRIENNE:
I could probably hold off the questioning a couple of days,
let you get your bearings.
Josh nods.
JOSH:
That'd be good.
They sit a second, uncomfortable. A bit too eagerly...
ADRIENNE:
Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat?
JOSH:
Um, yeah, thanks.
Adrienne gets up, begins to leave. Josh's eyes land on a picture on a table. His mom,
himself, his dad. Then....
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Where's Dad, off on business?
Adrienne freezes halfway across the room. She stands there a moment before turning
around, suddenly sad.
ADRIENNE:
We-- We should talk...
She walks over to Josh, sits down again, takes his hand. It's several seconds before
she speaks.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
Josh, about three years after you went missing, your dad was
on a business trip. There was... some bad weather, some
turbulence and....
Josh stares a second, as though expecting a punchline. Then, as it dawns...
JOSH:
No.
Adrienne just nods.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
No. You're joking.
ADRIENNE:
I wish I was, sweetie. No, he's been-- he's been gone for
seven years.
Josh snatches his hands away and stands up suddenly; he paces a second, stops, stares
at the staircase.
JOSH:
My room's still there?
ADRIENNE:
Just like you left it.
Josh walks quickly towards the stairs, stops, tries to put on a somewhat normal
expression.
JOSH:
I just-- I need a few minutes.
Josh turns quickly up the stairs, Adrienne stares after him.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-EVENING
Josh bursts into his room, slams the door. He paces back and forth, runs his hands
through his hair, upset.
His room is almost exactly like the room of memory, just cleaner, action figures lined
up neatly on the dresser, a bare bed.
A knock on the door. His mom's voice.
ADRIENNE:
Josh? Are you okay?
Josh stops and stares at the door. He shakes a little.
JOSH:
I-- Just-- Let me have a few minutes.
Josh turns away, gazes out the window.
Beat. The door opens and Adrienne enters. Josh turns to stare at her. His eyes are red.
Josh tries to hold off the tears. He fails. Adrienne goes to him, holds him. Josh
breaks down, pushes away, backs up.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Why? Why?!
ADRIENNE:
The plane. It wasn't maintained right and--
Josh slices an arm through the air.
JOSH:
No, this. Why is this happening to me? Not even two days ago,
you were tucking me into bed. Now, it's suddenly ten years
later and I wake up sho--. And I wake up and everything's
different and Dad's gone and I don't remember any of it. Why?
ADRIENNE:
I don't know. But we'll figure it out. You can go to a
therapist; maybe that'll help.
Beat. Josh's eyes shift, consider it.
JOSH:
I don't want to go to a therapist. I just... I just want life
to be normal. I want to... Settle back in. Can't we try that?
Adrienne stares at Josh, weighing it. Reluctant....
ADRIENNE:
Sure, sweetie. Whatever you want.
JOSH:
Thanks.
They stand in silence a moment.
ADRIENNE:
Did you still want dinner?
Josh tries to calm down, he smooths mussed hair. He tries to smile. It doesn't quite
work; he looks ill.
JOSH:
No. Thanks, though.
Adrienne sighs.
ADRIENNE:
Okay. There's food in the fridge if you want something later.
JOSH:
Thanks.
Beat. Josh stares at his mom, waits for her to leave. She does.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-LATER
Josh lies asleep in bed. He tosses and turns violently.
INT. EXAM ROOM (FLASHBACK)
Another windowless concrete room. This one's clean and dry, with various anatomy
posters and paintings on the walls. Young Josh sits shivering on an exam table.
The door opens and a man in his mid-thirties (DR. PAGET) enters. He looks tired, but
still smiles at Josh.
DR. PAGET:
Good morning. How are we today?
Josh just shrugs. He stares at the ground, avoiding eye contact.
DR. PAGET: (CONT'D)
That's no way to be, perk up. Once we're done here, you'll be
moved to a much nicer room.
Josh dares to look hopeful, and finally makes eye contact with Paget. His voice is
barely above a whisper.
YOUNG JOSH:
Really?
Dr. Paget smiles and nods.
DR. PAGET:
You bet. Now, what's your name?
Beat.
YOUNG JOSH:
Josh.
DR. PAGET:
Good to meet you, Josh.
Paget rummages in a cabinet, comes out with a thermometer.
DR. PAGET: (CONT'D)
I'm Dr. Paget. Now, I'm just going to take your temperature,
give you a little check-up, then a couple of shots.
At "shots", Josh shakes his head frantically.
DR. PAGET: (CONT'D)
Don't worry. They're special shots. Won't hurt a bit; no
worse than a--
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT (VISION)
Too dark at first. Just heavy breathing, a muffled scream.
Then, a MAN, a hooded sweatshirt obscures his face. On top of a GIRL, no more than 15,
a knife against her cheek slides down along her neck, to her shirt.
The knife pops one, two, three, four buttons off.
The shirt, suddenly open.
Off.
Dark, a scream.
The girl, covered in blood, lifeless, a trash bag carelessly tossed over a part of her,
hasty camouflage.
The man, hood still up, stalks out of the alley, knife in one hand.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-MORNING
Josh jerks awake, panicked, sweaty. He stares about, as though searching for the girl.
The room's just as it was: spare, dusty. Josh's breath slows.
INT. SHEPHERD LIVING ROOM-MORNING
Josh comes downstairs in the same thing as the night before. The living room's empty.
Josh looks around a moment, then approaches the coffee table, picks up the TV remote--
CRASH!
Metal clashes against metal. Josh spins around, suddenly in a fighting stance, the
remote clatters to the floor.
Josh moves slowly, slips out of the living room and into...
INT. SHEPHERD HALLWAY-CONTINUOUS
More clattering, not as loud, but closer. Josh proceeds down the hall to another
doorway. He leans close against it, peeks around the corner into...
INT. SHEPHERD KITCHEN-CONTINUOUS
Where a man (DAN KENDALL) of about 40 is at the counter. He grabs a knife from the
holder. Large, sharp. He turns his back to the doorway and Josh.
Josh launches into action. He rushes into the kitchen, attacks Dan from behind, slams
him against the counter, smashes the hand holding the knife against it, causes it to
drop to the floor.
Josh spins him, bends him back against the counter, arm across his throat, his full
weight on him.
ADRIENNE:
Josh? Josh, what're you--? Dan!
Josh looks over his shoulder. Adrienne has entered. She rushes to the two of them,
forces Josh off Dan. She helps Dan up. Dan coughs, rubs his throat, his wrist.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
Josh, what are you doing?
Josh gestures to the knife sticking in the floor.
JOSH:
He had a knife.
Dan's voice is a rasp.
DAN:
I was making breakfast.
Josh finally notices, too late, peppers and ham on the counter, eggs, bacon.
Adrienne sighs.
ADRIENNE:
This is my fault. Josh, this is--This is Dan. My boyfriend.
Dan stares from Josh to Adrienne.
DAN:
Josh?
Adrienne nods.
DAN: (CONT'D)
Josh your son?
Another nod.
Dan sighs, rubs his throat again.
ADRIENNE:
I should've told you last night, Josh. Dan and I, we've...
we've been living together.
(to Dan)
Josh came back last night. It's a bit of a long story.
Dan smiles. More than a little forced.
DAN:
But with a happy ending, looks like. Apart from the sore
throat and wrist, anyway.
Dan smiles wider, genuinely approaches Josh again, goes to hold out his injured hand to
Josh, switches to the other. Josh shakes.
DAN: (CONT'D)
It's good to finally meet you.
Josh smiles faintly.
JOSH:
Uh, yeah, you too. Sorry about your hand.
Dan looks at the purpling bruise.
DAN:
Oh, don't worry. It's just a... Fracture.
He laughs.
DAN: (CONT'D)
What do you say you help me finish up breakfast, huh? We can
get to know each other.
Josh looks to Adrienne, who smiles hopefully. Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Yeah, sure.
INT. JOSH'S BATHROOM-MORNING
Josh enters the bathroom, switches the light on, hair mussed, a bit groggy. He pulls
his shirt off, and stares into the mirror.
The bullet wounds, healed now. They're still red, and they're the worst scars on Josh's
marked skin, but they're healed. Josh runs his hand over them. No pain.
INT. SHEPHERD LIVING ROOM-MORNING
Adrienne sits on the couch, watches morning news. Feet on the stairs. Josh enters, hops
the last few steps. A backpack on his shoulder, new clothes.
JOSH:
Mom, what time do I have to be there? Where's Dan?
ADRIENNE:
He had an early court date. Your appointment's at nine. In
the counselor's office.
Josh glances at his watch.
JOSH:
I should get going then.
Adrienne gets up.
ADRIENNE:
I'll drive you. Give me a few minutes.
Josh sighs.
JOSH:
Mom, you'll have to let me out eventually. It's been a month.
I'm still here.
ADRIENNE:
I know. It's just-- I don't know what I'd do if you--
Adrienne tears up a bit. Josh smiles and hugs her.
JOSH:
I'm not going anywhere. Well, I am, but you know where.
Josh hugs his mom and she kisses him on the cheek, holds him longer than necessary.
Josh leaves.
On the coffee table, unopened, a newspaper. Across the front page, the GIRL FROM JOSH'S
DREAM, a headline: SEARCH CONTINUES.
EXT. JOSH'S STREET- MORNING
Josh walks down the street. He approaches the curb and takes a nervous, first day of
kindergarten look back at his house. He stops off the curb into the street--
HONK! Brakes screech. A car bears down on him, too fast to stop. It slams into Josh,
knocks him to the ground. His head bounces of the pavement.
Josh's head lolls, he's dazed. A car door slams.
EXT. TREE HOUSE WOODS-DAY (FLASHBACK)
Young Josh stares up from the ground, at the underside of a tree house, sunlight
glaring through the floorboards, the several torn rungs of a rope ladder. A pretty girl
of 7 (YOUNG SARA) looks down at Josh, giggles.
YOUNG SARA:
Are you okay?
EXT. JOSH'S STREET- MORNING
Josh squints up, through the morning sun, at a young woman of 17 (SARA CARSON) staring
down at him, terrified.
SARA:
Oh my god! Are you okay?
Josh closes his eyes, opens them, blinks several times, and sits up, rubbing the back
of his head.
JOSH:
Ow.
SARA:
Are you okay? Are you bleeding?
Josh hasn't properly looked at her yet, more concerned with checking his head for
cracks.
JOSH:
No. I don't think so.
SARA:
What about your legs? Can you feel them? Are they broken?
Josh shakes his head, tries to clear it, winces with pain. He slowly gets up, legs
perfectly fine, Sara ready to catch him if his legs suddenly give out.
JOSH:
No, they seem okay.
SARA:
Really? Huh.
Sara looks at the front of her car. A dent, where Josh hit.
Josh looks up, sees the dent. He frowns.
JOSH:
Sorry about your car.
Josh finally looks at Sara, makes eye contact. She's beautiful, fair haired, pretty,
perfect. He stares.
SARA:
It's okay. I was going too fast. I just got the car. The gas
is too sensitive and the brakes are--
JOSH:
Sara?
Sara stops and looks at Josh properly for the first time. She takes a few seconds.
SARA:
Josh?
Josh nods, smiles.
JOSH:
Yeah.
SARA:
Wow. Wow!
Sara hugs him briefly but pulls away, unsure.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Wh... Where have you been?
Josh considers that a moment.
JOSH:
Can't remember.
SARA:
Did you hit your head that hard?
Josh smiles.
JOSH:
No, no. I couldn't remember before that. But, uh, who's Josh?
Sara looks worried, then gets it.
SARA:
You're still horrible.
JOSH:
Sorry.
SARA:
Really though, where have you been?
JOSH:
I really don't remember.
SARA:
Nothing?
Josh pauses briefly.
JOSH:
Just... Bits and pieces. Nothing that makes any sense.
SARA:
When did you get back?
JOSH:
A month ago. First time I've been out without my mom, though.
She's been clingy.
SARA:
Can't really blame her.
JOSH:
No, I guess not. So what are you up to?
SARA:
Headed to school.
She checks her watch.
SARA: (CONT'D)
And I'm late. What're you doing?
JOSH:
Going to school. I've got an appointment with the counselor.
SARA:
So you're going to be in school, then?
JOSH:
Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?
SARA:
Well, you haven't been in one in 10 years, yeah?
JOSH:
Yeah. I'll probably get thrown back to 3rd grade or
something. Bright side, I'll probably win at dodgeball.
Sara laughs.
SARA:
Do you need a ride or anything?
JOSH:
Uh, yeah. That'd be... Good. Just not on the hood.
Sara laughs.
SARA:
Come on, get in.
INT. SARA'S CAR-MORNING
Sara drives. Josh looks at her across the car, staring, infatuated. Sara glances across
at him.
SARA:
What's wrong?
Josh quickly turns his head to look out the front.
JOSH:
Nothing. Just... Good to be home.
EXT. KEENE HIGH-DAY
A mid-sized high school, older and made of brick. A bell rings.
INT. KEENE HIGH, HALLWAY-DAY
Josh follows Sara down empty locker-lined halls. Sara stops at a door.
SARA:
This is it. Counselor's office.
JOSH:
Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later.
SARA:
No problem. If you're still here at lunch, come find me. See
ya.
JOSH:
Bye.
Sara backs away, then turns and continues down the hall.
The closed office door reads: DOUG KEEGAN, COUNSELOR. Josh knocks.
KEEGAN:
Come in.
Josh turns the handle, enters...
INT. KEEGAN'S OFFICE-CONTINUOS
DOUG KEEGAN is in his late 20s, handsome, the sort who goes for high school work
because it was the best life got. He stands up as Josh enters.
KEEGAN:
Josh Shepherd?
JOSH:
Yeah.
Keegan extends his hand. Josh takes it. He shivers a bit.
KEEGAN:
Something wrong?
Josh stares at his hand.
JOSH:
No. Your hand's just cold.
KEEGAN:
Sorry, the AC gets stuck a lot. Either Alaska or Kenya. So,
how have you been? I talked to your mother last week. Quite a
story.
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Yeah, I'm thinking I'll thrown in a talking dog, go to
Hollywood.
Keegan gives a patronizing smile.
KEEGAN:
How're you settling in?
JOSH:
...Good. It's a bit strange.
Keegan nods sympathetically.
KEEGAN:
That's probably to be expected. If you need to talk with
anybody, I'm here. It's my job.
JOSH:
Right.
Keegan nods.
KEEGAN:
Of course. Well, time to get down to it. Now, usually, when
someone's lost some school time, we'd just start them back
where they were. For you, that's not really an option.
JOSH:
Actually, I still enjoy finger paints. Squishy.
Keegan laughs.
KEEGAN:
What we're going to do is give you an assessment test, the
core subjects: English, math, history, science. We'll see how
you do and go from there. See if any remedial courses are
needed. How's that?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Fine, I guess.
KEEGAN:
Okay, then. If you'll just come with me...
Keegan leads Josh to little more than a glorified walk-in closet.
INT. EXAM ROOM-CONTINUOUS
Keegan opens the exam room door. Inside, a desk and a computer, pencil and scrap paper.
KEEGAN:
Just go on in, have a seat, and follow the on screen
instructions. Good luck.
Josh sits down at a desk, clicks the icon on the screen to start the test.
An algebra problem appears on the screen. Josh stares at it, lost for a moment. Then--
JOSH:
(mouthing)
Please excuse... My dear Aunt Sally....
Josh pulls the scrap paper to him and begins scribbling.
INT. EXAM ROOM-LATER
Josh clicks a last question. The screen returns to the start page. Josh sits back,
stares at the screen perplexed.
EXT. KEENE HIGH QUAD-DAY
The quad is busy. Josh stands under a shedding tree, watching the crowd.
SARA:
Hey, Josh!
Josh turns, looks for the source of the call. He sees Sara, seated at a table with
several people. Sara waves at him. He goes over.
SARA: (CONT'D)
What's up? Going back to kindergarten?
JOSH:
Uh, no, I'm actually in. A junior.
SARA:
Really?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Apparently.
SARA:
That's great.
JOSH:
Yeah, I suppose.
Sara's friends are staring at Josh. Josh looks uncomfortable. Sara picks up on it, gets
up, leads Josh away with her.
SARA:
You okay?
Josh stares at Sara a few seconds. Sighs.
JOSH:
Not remotely. Everyday, things get weirder.
SARA:
It's bound to be hard. It'll take time to adjust.
JOSH:
It's... It's more than that.
SARA:
What do you mean?
Josh fumbles for words.
JOSH:
Just... Nothing. Well, no, like the test. I didn't know any
of that. Or I didn't think I did. But I saw the questions and
I knew the answers. I can do Calculus.
SARA:
So can I. In theory.
JOSH:
The last math lesson I remember was long division. And I
failed the quiz.
Sara stumbles.
SARA:
Well, okay, yeah, that is a bit odd. Maybe your memory's
starting to come back?
JOSH:
Maybe.
A bell rings.
SARA:
Jeez. Look, I've got to get to class. Are you going to be
here after school?
JOSH:
Yeah, they're setting up my schedule this afternoon.
SARA:
Okay. I've got soccer practice after school, but hang around
and I'll give you a ride home, okay? We can talk if you want.
Josh brightens.
JOSH:
Okay. Sure. See you later.
Sara backs away. She gives Josh an encouraging smile.
SARA:
Good afternoon. Bye.
Sara waves, turns and takes off, leaving Josh behind, alone in the quad.
EXT. KEENE HIGH-DAY
Everyone exits the school. Josh is with them. He strolls, in no rush. He surveys the
street in front of the school. His eyes fix on someone.
Kinnit leans against a car. Kinnit beckons Josh over.
KINNIT:
Hey, Josh. Remember me? Detective Kinnit?
JOSH:
Yeah. My memory's okay now.
KINNIT:
Right, of course. I've been trying to get in touch with you,
but your mom's been a bit protective. Think we could talk?
Josh's guard goes up. He tightens his grip on his bag.
JOSH:
What about?
KINNIT:
I wanted to check up on you, see how you were adjusting, if
you'd remembered anything else.
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
I'm okay. Nothing new, though.
KINNIT:
I was thinking you might like to come down to the station
sometime this week and see a sketch artist. See if he might
be able to get something from you.
JOSH:
I don't know, maybe. I'd have to ask my mom.
Beat.
KINNIT:
Right. If you do decide to come down...
Kinnit pulls a card from his pocket.
KINNIT: (CONT'D)
Here's my card. Call ahead so I can be sure I'm there.
JOSH:
Okay.
Ringing. Kinnit answers his cell phone.
KINNIT:
Kinnit. Where? I'm ten minutes out. Be right there.
(to Josh)
I've got go.
JOSH:
Sounds like it.
KINNIT:
If you think of anything, give me a call okay?
JOSH:
Yep. Will do.
Kinnit gets into his car and slaps a police light onto the roof. It flashes and he
pulls away.
The students still around stare at Josh.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
(muttering)
So much for starting off on the right foot.
EXT. ALLEY-DAY
Detective Kinnit pushes past reporters and onlookers, ducks under police tape closing
off the alley. Investigators photograph, collect evidence, prints.
At the end of the alley, a collection of trash. A few patrolmen.
Crouching over the body, a woman around 30, ELLA FISHER, the coroner. She stands up,
turns to Kinnit.
FISHER:
LILY CONLEY, 15. Disappeared about a month ago.
Even Fisher looks slightly ill as she glances back at Lily, the girl from Josh's dream.
FISHER: (CONT'D)
I'd say that's when she was killed, too.
Kinnit exhales.
KINNIT:
15. Horrible.
FISHER:
That's not everything. Come look.
Kinnit and Fisher bend over Lily, look at her, naked, leaking trash bags still on top
of her. Her body, a month along in decomposing.
Fisher points at cuts on her chest, neck, belly, thighs.
FISHER: (CONT'D)
He slashed her 15 times, exactly. Separate, distinct. Not
even slashes; very specific slices... It means something.
A few of the patrolmen look interested at this. Kinnit leans close, lowers his voice.
KINNIT:
Are you trying to start a panic?
FISHER:
I'm just saying--
KINNIT:
Don't say anything here. Wait till you get her back to the
morgue.
FISHER:
Look, you'll need to seriously consider--
KINNIT:
Later--
FISHER:
That there might be more.
Kinnit doesn't look happy about that possibility. He stares down at what's left of
Lily, shakes his head.
EXT. SOCCER FIELD-BLEACHERS-DAY
Josh sits on the bleachers along the soccer field, watches the girls' team-- Sara,
specifically-- practice. She's good.
From beneath Josh, a crash. Josh looks between the steps and sees a kid (NOAH BOWDITCH)
knocked down against the frame of the bleachers, two large, mean BULLIES close on him.
Josh stares. One of them kicks Noah in the stomach.
Josh pauses barely a second before he sets off down the bleachers.
EXT. SOCCER FIELD-UNDER BLEACHERS-SAME
Josh slips through the frame of the bleachers behind the bullies. The crunch of gravel
gives him away. The bullies turn away from Noah. BULLY 1 stalks toward Josh.
BULLY 1:
What're you doing down here?
JOSH:
I could ask you the same.
Bully 1 moves closer to Josh, in his face. He looks down at him.
BULLY 1:
Not if you like your teeth.
He pushes Josh, who stumbles back a few feet. Bully 1 returns to his friend and Noah.
BULLY 2 places another kick to Noah's stomach.
BULLY 2:
You gonna do the term paper, or not?
Noah bleeds from his nose. He's scared, but his answer is a firm...
NOAH:
No.
Another kick. Josh stares at Noah, lying on the ground now, fetal, groaning. Helpless.
INT. NEW ROOM
Another room, concrete but cleaner, painted nicely, a desk, bed, toilet and shower
stall.
Young Josh: on the bed, straps hold his arms and legs. He writhes, jerks, screams in
agony. The door is closed, no one hears him.
EXT. SOCCER FIELD-UNDER BLEACHERS-SAME
Bully 2 kicks Noah again, who groans into the gravel.
Josh scoffs.
JOSH:
"Not if you like your teeth"? Seriously? Where's that from,
Bullying For Dummies? You couldn't try something of your own?
I mean, a riff on molars, something? Come on, be creative!
Josh grins.
Bully 1 fast walks at Josh, raising his fist; he swings--
Josh blocks the blow. His face goes hard. He rams a knee up into Bully 1's gut, who
doubles over with a sharp--
BULLY 1:
Ooph!
JOSH:
Or, you know, not.
Bully 2 sees this and charges Josh, going for a tackle. Josh lets it come, takes the
hit, rolls through and launches the boy hard against the steps of the bleachers.
Josh gets to his feet and dusts himself off. Bully 1 is on his feet-- mostly. He glares
up at Josh. Josh's expression stays hard.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Okay, I'm not joking now. Literally, if you like your teeth,
walk away.
Bully 1 keeps glaring. Josh keeps staring.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Now.
Bully 2, behind Josh, has gotten to his feet. Bully 1's eyes glance over Josh's
shoulder as Bully 2 takes a swing.
Josh catches the glance, and kicks Bully 1 once more, this time square in the solar
plexus, then spins around, inside Bully 2's swing, slamming hard into Bully 2 and
driving him back against the frame of the bleachers.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
This is me asking nicely. It's best that you believe that.
Walk away.
Josh slams Bully 2 against the bleachers once more, then backs away.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Your court. What'll it be?
Bully 2 circles wide around Josh, helps Bully 1 up; they take off at a brisk limp.
Josh watches them go, then approaches Noah. Noah pushes himself to his feet, waves off
a helping hand Josh offers.
NOAH:
I've got it.
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Are you okay?
Noah takes a few deep breaths before managing to straighten up. He spits blood.
NOAH:
Yeah. Just a little... internal bleeding.
Noah smiles red.
JOSH:
Do you need a doctor?
Noah shakes his head.
NOAH:
No, don't think so. My father is one, so if I pass out at
dinner I'll be in good hands. If he's home. If not, our maid
is pretty and knows CPR, so at least I'll die happy.
Beat.
JOSH:
Okay, then.
They begin walking, climb out of the bleachers and walk along the space between...
EXT. SOCCER FIELD-BLEACHERS-DAY
JOSH:
Who were those guys?
NOAH:
Bullies. Fifth year seniors. Interning for their future
careers as muggers and/or generally abusive trailer trash...
You don't live in a trailer, do you?
Josh chuckles.
JOSH:
No, you're safe. They wanted you to do their term papers?
NOAH:
Yeah. That's what being two years ahead gets you. That, and
girls don't look twice at you. It's a crapshoot.
JOSH:
Two years ahead, though? You must be pretty smart.
NOAH:
Only technically. My dad enrolled me in first grade instead
of kindergarten when I started school. I had my ABC's down
and he wasn't a fan of nap time. Then, he decided sixth grade
was really just fifth grade and a half and hopped me to 7th.
JOSH:
Oh. Rough. I'm Josh. Shepherd. New kid.
Noah pauses.
NOAH:
Noah Bowditch. Hey, wait... Why do I know that name? Josh
Shepherd? That missing kid?
Josh stares.
JOSH:
Yeah. How'd you know?
NOAH:
My dad made me read the paper everyday since I was could.
It's supposed to be "Enriching". Aren't you dead?
JOSH:
That was the thinking. But no.
NOAH:
Where were you? In a white slavery ring? A pedophile's
closet? Doing Baby Gap ads?
Josh stares at Noah.
JOSH:
I hope not. But I don't know. I can't remember. Amnesia.
NOAH:
Weird. I thought only people on soaps got real amnesia.
Josh nods.
JOSH:
You know, that would explain the organ music.
SARA:
Josh!
Practice is over. Sara runs over to Josh and Noah.
JOSH:
Hey.
They stand for a moment, speechless.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
So, how was practice?
SARA:
Fine. How was your first day of school?
JOSH:
Great. I got a Calculus class and Physics and books that are
half my body weight. It's like Christmas.
Noah stutters up.
NOAH:
Hi Sara.
SARA:
Hey. What's up, Noah?
Noah goes red, freezes up.
NOAH:
N-nothing.
Sara notices blood running from Noah's nose.
SARA:
You've got a little...
Sara gestures at her own nose.
Noah wipes his nose and sees the red.
NOAH:
Ugh. I'm gonna go get... Stitches. See you later, Josh. And
thanks.
JOSH:
No problem. See ya.
Noah takes off, jogs for the school. Sara and Josh walk off the soccer field and
across...
EXT. STUDENT PARKING-CONTINUOUS
SARA:
What was he thanking you for?
JOSH:
Oh. Nothing. Just a little problem.
SARA:
You mean the beating you gave those two fifth years under the
bleachers?
JOSH:
No-- well, yeah. That. You saw?
SARA:
Everybody saw. The coach didn't stop you because they keyed a
few of the teachers' cars a couple weeks ago. Couldn't prove
it, though. Where'd you learn to fight like that?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
I don't know. It just kinda came to me. Channeling Seagal
without the platform and ponytail.
Sara looks sideways at Josh.
SARA:
Huh. Hey, some friends and I are going out tonight? You want
to come along?
Josh is speechless a second.
JOSH:
Uh, yeah. Sure.
SARA:
Great. Do you live in the same house?
JOSH:
Yeah, same house.
(to himself)
Mostly.
They get in the car.
INT. MORGUE
Kinnit and Fisher stand over Lily Conley's body. She's covered in a sheet, cleaner now.
FISHER:
Lily Conley. 15, freshman at the high school. Went missing
one night, after her boyfriend dropped her off at her house.
KINNIT:
I know. I'm the detective.
FISHER:
Sorry. What you don't know is this. The killer, he knows what
he's doing. Gloves, condom, he either shaves his head or
wears a hair net. Not one shred of evidence. No DNA, prints.
Nothing.
Kinnit shrugs.
KINNIT:
Doesn't narrow it down any, either. Any idiot watches CSI
could pull this off.
FISHER:
What we do know, he's left handed. Angle of the cuts, nearly
impossible to fake it. Also, he's... Not very well off.
KINNIT:
You can tell if he's poor?
FISHER:
Not what I mean. The girl was a virgin. She still is.
KINNIT:
He could've used some kind of tool.
FISHER:
We found spermicide. Seems pretty unlikely he'd put a condom
on anything but himself. Could be some kind of motive.
Psychologically. Childhood humiliation, laughed at his first
time, needs to take it out on someone. Sees this girl,
something clicks, then--
KINNIT:
Could you stop with the serial killer thing? We've got
absolutely no evidence. This could be a one off loon.
FISHER:
The kind of symbolism there seems to be in those cuts, the
anger, it doesn't seem like once. Or even the first time.
And, it looks like he might've taken a trophy. Look here--
Fisher rounds to Lily's head, gently tilts her head to the right. Her left ear, ripped,
something torn free.
FISHER: (CONT'D)
It'll probably match this--
Fisher goes to a table, grabs an evidence bag. Inside, a small gold hoop earring.
FISHER: (CONT'D)
Probably nothing, just lost in the struggle, but it's
something to look out for.
Kinnit takes the bag, examines the earring.
KINNIT:
Thanks. Not much, but it's more than we had.
Beat.
FISHER:
Look, Tom, regardless of if he does this again, you'll still
need to contact the schools, put them on alert. There could
be a violent pedophile out there.
KINNIT:
Ephebophile.
FISHER:
What?
KINNIT:
The killer. He'd be an ephebophile. Girl's past puberty.
Nevermind. I've talked to the principals. Quietly.
No nighttime activities, as little after school stuff as
possible. Anything else, I'd cause a panic.
Fisher looks down at Lily.
FISHER:
Maybe you should.
KINNIT:
Yeah. Well, we cross that bridge if we come to it.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT
Josh sits in his room, at a new desk. The room has been refurnished: a larger bed,
larger dresser, a computer on the desk. The action figures remain.
Josh is online. A webpage he's created. His picture. The header: HAVE YOU SEEN ME?
Below that, comments, all pointless. One reading: YOUR CUTE. ASL? Another with: WTF, UR
UGLY! Josh closes it, goes to his bed, flops back, stares at the ceiling.
DING-DONG! Downstairs, the doorbell. Josh sits up. A second later...
DAN:
Josh!
Josh bolts up and rushes from the room.
INT. SHEPHERD FOYER-NIGHT
Josh enters. Dan's standing at the door. Sara's outside, not particularly dressed up,
but Josh can't help staring.
JOSH:
Hi.
Sara smiles.
SARA:
Hey. You ready?
JOSH:
Yeah, just let me grab a coat.
Josh grabs a coat and starts to leave. Dan stops him gently. The interaction is
awkward, Dan not sure he's allowed, Josh looks unsure whether he'll hit him.
DAN:
Before you leave. Where're you off to?
SARA:
Oh, just a party. My boyfriend's house.
Josh does a take at Sara. Boyfriend? Sara doesn't notice.
DAN:
Okay. Josh, don't be too late.
Josh stares at him, you're not my father.
DAN: (CONT'D)
Your mother will worry.
Josh tries to hold Dan's gaze but can't manage. He yields.
JOSH:
Okay. How's ten?
DAN:
Deal. Have fun.
Josh goes through the front door to...
EXT. SHEPHERD HOUSE-NIGHT
Josh and Sara walk down the path to the road. At the end, an SUV.
JOSH:
That's not your car.
SARA:
Oh. No, it's Rob's. My boyfriend. You'll like him.
Josh looks down at his feet.
JOSH:
Yeah, I'm sure I will.
They reach Rob's truck. Sara gets in the front, Josh the back.
INT. ROB'S TRUCK-NIGHT
Josh closes the door behind him. In the driver's seat, a good looking guy Josh's age.
ROB WARNER looks back at Josh.
ROB:
Hey, you must be Josh.
JOSH:
Must be.
ROB:
What's up?
JOSH:
Not much.
Beat. Pleasantries done, Rob turns back to the front. He kisses Sara on the cheek.
ROB:
Should we get going?
SARA:
Yeah.
EXT. HOUSE PARTY-NIGHT
A lawn packed with cars, music blasts out, muffled, into the night.
INT. HOUSE PARTY, LIVING ROOM-NIGHT
The house is packed. Kids dance, stand around talking, drinking, and making out.
On a couch in a corner, Josh is cornered by a pretty, dark haired girl, CLAIRE.
CLAIRE:
Nothing?
Josh shakes his head.
JOSH:
Tabula rasa.
CLAIRE:
Huh?
Josh sighs.
JOSH:
Nothing.
CLAIRE:
That is so weird. It's totally like this episode of--
JOSH:
Yeah. Hey, could you excuse me? I've got to use the bathroom.
Josh pops up and takes off across the room. Sara dances to a slow song with Rob. Josh
taps her on the shoulder. Sara leaves Rob, and goes aside with Josh.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
So, I'm gonna go.
Sara frowns.
SARA:
Why?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
It's late.
SARA:
It's only eight.
JOSH:
Yeah, well, I haven't been in this part of town in a decade.
I want to walk around a bit.
SARA:
Oh. Well, okay. See you tomorrow.
Sara gives Josh a quick hug; Josh mostly receives.
JOSH:
Yeah. See you.
Josh walks away, and Sara stares after him before Rob spins her round, pulling her
attention back to him. They dance, and Sara glances back once more towards the door.
EXT. HOUSE PARTY, LIVING ROOM-NIGHT
THROUGH BINOCULARS: Josh walks down the street away from the house, hands in pockets.
We follow him to the corner, where Josh turns from sight.
A sedan, dark grey, newish, the embodiment of nondescript, starts up, flicks on its
headlights, and pulls away the direction Josh went.
EXT. STREET-NIGHT
Josh walks up the street. A business district. Further down, he passes a parked SQUAD
CAR; a PATROLMAN stands at the mouth of an alley lined with yellow tape. Josh stops,
looking past the Patrolman into the dark mouth of the alley.
He turns to the Patrolman.
JOSH:
What happened here?
The Patrolman, forty-ish, overweight, eyes Josh, considering him. Finally...
PATROLMAN:
Murder.
Josh goes stiff, pale.
JOSH:
What murder?
PATROLMAN:
You don't read the paper?
JOSH:
Not really, no.
The Patrolman scoffs.
PATROLMAN:
Kids. Lily Conley. Missing girl?
Josh shakes his head.
PATROLMAN: (CONT'D)
Homeless guy found her today, covered in garbage. There about
a month. Not a pretty sight.
At "a month", Josh's eyes flick towards the alley again, deep into the shadows.
JOSH:
Who did it?
PATROLMAN:
Don't know, do we?
The Patrolman frowns, suddenly suspicious.
PATROLMAN: (CONT'D)
Why're you asking so many questions?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
No reason.
PATROLMAN:
Yeah? Well, move along. You'll contaminate the crime scene.
Josh shrugs, hurries along the street. He turns the corner onto...
EXT. STREET 2-NIGHT
And stops in front of a newspaper machine. The same paper from that morning, from the
dream. Lily Conley, smiling up from the newsprint, the headline: SEARCH CONTINUES.
Josh buys a copy.
There's a bench nearby. Josh sits down, opens the newspaper. He begins reading.
EXT. ANOTHER STREET-LATER
Josh folds the newspaper up. He stares at Lily's picture on the front page. Then he
stands.
Josh jogs along the street until he reaches a gap in the buildings. A fire escape. Josh
jumps up, snags the ladder and drags it down.
EXT. ROOFTOP-NIGHT
Josh picks his way over the rooftop, stepping carefully. He reaches the edge.
Josh inches to the front of the building and looks down. Below, the Patrolman stands
guard in front of the alley. Josh melts back into the shadows up top.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT
A soft clatter and Josh hits the ground hard. He groans in pain, rolls on the ground.
PATROLMAN:
What the...?
Josh is on his knees. He looks back at the mouth of the alley. The Patrolman turns on
his flashlight, ducks under the tape.
Josh moves swiftly behind a Dumpster. The Patrolman's footsteps move closer, stop right
at the end of the Dumpster, inches from Josh. He peers into the shadows at the end of
the alley. He shrugs, turns back to his post.
Josh peers around the Dumpster. The Patrolman has his back turned. Josh stands, moves
quietly to the end of the alley.
At the end, nothing. Lily's body is gone, along with all the garbage she was under. The
only thing, a dark stain. Josh approaches it. He crouches, staring at it. Josh closes
his eyes.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT (VISION)
Too dark at first. Just heavy breathing, a muffled scream.
Then, a MAN, a hooded sweatshirt obscures his face. On top of a GIRL, no more than 15,
a knife against her cheek slides down along her neck, to her shirt.
The knife pops one, two, three, four buttons off.
The shirt, suddenly open.
Suddenly off.
Dark, a scream.
The girl, covered in blood, lifeless, a trash bag carelessly tossed over a part of her,
hasty camouflage.
The man, hood still up, walks away down the alley, knife in one hand.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT
Josh's eyes snap open, fixed on the stain.
He looks up. Suddenly, Lily's lying there, no garbage, just her, cut and bloody, eyes
lifeless, staring open and blind at Josh.
Josh loses his balance, sits on the ground, staring, terrified, at Lily. He clinches
his eyes shut for a long time, shakes his head a few times. The rush of blood in his
ears. He opens them.
Lily's gone. Josh continues to stare at the spot.
INT. SHEPHERD LIVING ROOM-NIGHT
The door slams closed. Adrienne and Dan are on the couch, Adrienne's lying against Dan.
Josh enters the room. Adrienne sits up.
ADRIENNE:
You're back early. Bad date?
Josh is pale and sweaty, out of breath. He doesn't look directly at his mom.
JOSH:
Uh... yeah.
ADRIENNE:
You want to watch TV with us?
Adrienne gestures to a seat. Josh shakes his head.
JOSH:
No, I think I'm gonna go to bed. School tomorrow.
Josh heads upstairs. Dan and Adrienne are quiet a moment.
DAN:
Is he okay? He's been really quiet lately. Spending a lot of
time in his room.
Adrienne shrugs.
ADRIENNE:
I don't know. He says he's okay, but he doesn't talk about
anything. If I try to ask about anything older than a month,
he clams up completely.
DAN:
Maybe you should have him see a therapist.
ADRIENNE:
He said he didn't want to.
DAN:
You may need to force him. It might be the best thing.
Adrienne glances at the empty stairs.
ADRIENNE:
Yeah, Maybe.
Adrienne snuggles back up to Dan but stares off into middle space, lost in thought.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT
Josh lies in bed again. He tosses, turns, groans.
EXT. MOVIE THEATER-NIGHT (VISION)
From the shadows. Looking out, THREE GIRLS leave the glow of the theater's marquee.
They're happy, laughing. None of them older than 14.
EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET-NIGHT (VISION)
Two of the girls peel off, walking up a path to their house. The third GIRL continues
on alone, the street only lit by a few lights.
Rush now, speed up behind her. Closer, closer.
Grab her, dark gloves on her shoulders, spin her.
Dark. A scream.
EXT. OLD WOODS-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Young Josh, sprinting through trees, barefoot, wearing scrubs. He glances back often,
terrified.
FWIPP!
Josh stumbles, trips, rolls head over heels downhill, comes to a stop unconscious. A
dart sticks out of his shoulder.
EXT. WOODS-NIGHT
On top of her now. Same thing. Knife slides down. This girl's worse off, she fought
more; she's bruised, scratched.
The shirt, cut and ripped open. Off.
Dark. A scuffle.
The gloves, drenched in blood.
Dark again. A whimper. A scream.
The girl, lying dead on the forest floor.
The man stalks away through the trees.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-MORNING
Josh snaps awake, lurches over the side of the bed and heaves onto the floor. He sits
up, panting, stares at his hands, expecting to see the gloves and blood. Nothing.
Clean.
Josh leans over the edge of the bed and spits. He stares at the floor with glazed eyes.
They slowly focus. Just under the edge of the bed, something glints. Josh reaches under
the bed, grabs it.
Josh holds a gold hoop earring in his hands, caked blood on it. Josh closes his eyes.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT (VISION)
Too dark at first. Just heavy breathing, a muffled scream.
Then, a MAN, a hooded sweatshirt obscures his face. On top of a GIRL, no more than 15,
a knife against her cheek slides down along her neck, to her--
Stop. Skip back. The knife jumps up her neck, freeze. Lily's ear, blood flows, torn.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-MORNING
Josh's eyes snap open, on the bloody earring, eyes wide. He lurches over the bed again.
INT. KEENE HIGH-DAY
Sara is at her locker. Claire pops out of nowhere, painfully perky.
CLAIRE:
Hey, Sara. You going to help with posters for the food drive?
Sara plasters on a fake smile.
SARA:
Gee, I'd love to, but--
Claire levels a judging finger.
CLAIRE:
The poor and homeless need you, what's a can of--
SARA:
I'm already volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Claire breaks off.
CLAIRE:
Oh. Well. That helps, too, I guess.
Claire's gaze drifts from Sara down the hall. Keegan is approaching. Claire waves,
smiles wide.
CLAIRE: (CONT'D)
Hi, Mr. Keegan!
Keegan stops, smiling.
KEEGAN:
Hello, Claire. Sara.
Sara takes a book from her locker, slips it in her bag.
SARA:
Hey, Mr. Keegan.
KEEGAN:
So, you two helping out with the food drive? Claire's really
been eager getting donations.
Claire bats her eyes.
CLAIRE:
Well, I am, of course, but Sara's not. She volunteers at a
soup kitchen, apparently.
KEEGAN:
Oh, really? Which one?
Sara stares. Opens her mouth, nothing.
KEEGAN: (CONT'D)
The one on Main or the one over in Aberdeen?
Sara takes the way out.
SARA:
The one in Aberdeen.
Keegan grins, pats her on the shoulder, hand lingering a second longer than necessary.
KEEGAN:
Well, good for you. I've got to go. Advising to do.
Keegan begins to walk away. Claire chases after.
CLAIRE:
Wait, Mr. Keegan. Are canned fruits perishables or not?...
Sara sighs and shuts her locker.
SARA:
Dodged that bullet.
EXT. WOODS-DAY
A POLICE SUV rolls through trees and stops just outside a perimeter of yellow tape.
Kinnit climbs out, ducks under the tape, and approaches a knot of people near the
center of the cordoned off area.
Fisher crouches over the girl from Josh's dream. She notices Kinnit, stands,
immediately takes him to the side, whispering.
FISHER:
It's another one.
KINNIT:
What do you mean?
Fisher holds up an evidence bag, a student ID.
FISHER:
Wendy McKee, 13, student at the middle school. Sliced-
sliced, not slashed- thirteen times. No obvious evidence, and
I think we'll find that despite vaginal tearing, she's still
a virgin.
Kinnit takes the bag and gazes at the ID. Wendy, happy and smiling, with braces.
KINNIT:
Why the ages? Why cut them that number of times?
Fisher shrugs.
FISHER:
Why eat people? Why perform back alley hysterectomies? I
couldn't begin to guess this guy's reasons. Maybe to
reinforce how old they are. It might have huge significance
for him. If he was teased as a teen, that might explain it.
Then, he could be nothing more than a complete nut with no
rhyme or reason.
Kinnit looks back at the body, being zipped into a body bag. He massages his forehead.
KINNIT:
We'll need to bring the FBI in. Alert the schools, shut down
all the after school activities, tell parents to watch their
kids. Could this be worse?
Ella looks back at Wendy.
FISHER:
Yeah. If the third one's mine.
INT. CARSON HOUSE, HALLWAY-DAY
Sara's wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. She stops at a door, knocks quickly,
enters...
INT. CARSON HOUSE, PARENTS' ROOM-DAY
SARA:
Mom, I'm going for a run. Be back in a-- Ugh.
Two figures under the covers have stopped moving. A young WOMAN, probably no more than
20, pulls the covers up to her chin. She can't be Sara's mom. A man of about 40 (JOEL
CARSON), sits up. He smiles.
JOEL:
Okay, honey. Have fun.
Sara looks at her father with the utmost disgust.
SARA:
You couldn't get a room? Mom could be home any minute.
She leaves the room, slams the door.
Joel climbs back on top of the woman, chuckling.
JOEL:
Better hurry then.
The woman giggles.
EXT. WOODS, TREEHOUSE-DAY
Sara runs. She glances up and stops abruptly. She stares up the tree at Josh, sitting
on the remains of the tree house from ten years before.
SARA:
Josh? What're you doing up there?
Josh holds up a newspaper. A special edition. PICTURES of LILY CONLEY and WENDY MCKEE.
The headline: KEENE SLASHER?
JOSH:
Trying to figure out whether or not I'm a psycho killer.
Sara frowns.
SARA:
What? Josh, what're you talking about?
Josh doesn't look at Sara.
JOSH:
Lily and Wendy. I think I may have done it.
SARA:
Done what?
Josh flings the paper out of the tree, at Sara's feet.
JOSH:
God. Killed them, obviously. What else could it be?
SARA:
You think you killed them? Why would you think that?
Josh stumbles over his words.
JOSH:
The dreams. They're-- I started-- About a month ago--
Sara holds up her hands, stopping him.
SARA:
Look, Josh? Just calm down. You know? Come down here, and we
can talk about it.
Josh sighs, pushes himself off the ledge. He lands lightly on his feet. Sara blinks up
at the tree house twenty feet above and back at Josh. Huh. She moves on.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Now, just start at the beginning. Okay?
Josh sighs, thinks. Finally...
JOSH:
A month ago, I woke up without any memory of the last ten
years.
SARA:
Yeah, you said. It was probably traumatic, you blocked it out
or something. Doesn't that happen?
JOSH:
Yeah, but... That's not everything. I was shot, too. Three
times.
SARA:
Shot? Josh, listen to what you're say--
Josh undoes buttons on his shirt, pulls it open, revealing two of the bullet wounds.
Sara stares at them. She approaches, reaches out and touches one.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Josh. But a month, is that long enough for them to...?
JOSH:
No. It should've taken longer. They should've gotten
infected. I should be dead.
SARA:
But you're not.
Josh nods.
JOSH:
But I'm not. And then...
Josh turns away, wringing his hands.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
And these dreams. I'm seven again, and I'm thrown into a
room, wet and cold. Other times, a doctor's, giving me a
check up. Then... Jesus, then, out of nowhere, this alley,
and a guy in a hoodie's on top of Lily and he's cutting her
shirt off and...
Josh trails off into silence, stares at the newspaper on the ground, the smiling
pictures of Lily and Wendy.
Sara stares at Josh. He's crying. She looks at the pictures of Lily and Wendy.
Then, her eyes land back on Josh, who's still staring at the pictures, an inch away
from sobbing on the ground. No way. She goes to him, hugs him.
Josh freezes up.
SARA:
There's no way, Josh. Whatever's going on, we'll figure it
out. It's probably just stress. Coming home, then all this
Slasher stuff, it got jumbled up in there. We'll figure it
out, okay? I know you, you could never have done this. Not
ten years ago, not now.
Sara's still holding onto him.
JOSH:
What about this?
Josh backs away, holding up the bloody earring
Sara stares at it.
SARA:
What is that?
JOSH:
From the dream. Lily's. I think it got torn off in the.... I
found it in my room.
Sara's mouth drops open and she takes a step backward, eyes fixed on the earring. She
looks past it, at Josh, shaking, crying, barely on his feet. She looks back to the
earring, Josh.... Still no way.
Sara takes a slow step forward, then all the way to Josh. She lowers the hand holding
the earring and holds it, leans close.
SARA:
Look, Josh, I don't know what's going on, but you know
there's no way you did this. I mean, look at you. Just
thinking you did it you're a mess. Whatever's going on, we
can figure this out.
Josh glances up.
JOSH:
What if I did do it?
SARA:
You didn't, okay? You hear me? Wherever that earring came
from, you didn't do it. I know you, you know you. You
honestly think you could do something like that?
JOSH:
That's the problem. I don't know what I can do. I don't know
who I am, just who I was. The seven year old, he couldn't
have done it. But--
SARA:
Neither could the seventeen year old. You don't have it in
you. You didn't even make those guys beating on Noah bleed.
You should've, by the way.
Josh laughs a bit.
JOSH:
Think so?
SARA:
Yes, absolutely. They put a peephole in the girl's showers.
Josh pulls himself together. He finally looks Sara in the eyes.
JOSH:
Let's say you're right and I'm innocent. Is that really any
better? Before I'm a psycho killer, now I'm just a psycho
imagining killings?
SARA:
Well, the dreams are real, aren't they?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
I don't know. They feel real, I can feel the girls' fear, the
killer's... It's like... Revenge. Like this freezing rage.
It's nauseating.
SARA:
Well, okay, if they're real, you're not crazy, are you?
JOSH:
Just a freak. Lateral move.
SARA:
Still, if they're real, then they make some kind of sense,
right? That means we can figure it out.
JOSH:
Right, because I'm a rocket scientist and you're a brain
surgeon.
Sara smirks.
SARA:
That's right, crybaby, and we're going to figure it out,
because I have a plan.
JOSH:
You do? Care to let me in on it?
SARA:
No, I don't think so.
Sara turns around and heads back the way she came. She glances back.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Coming, Scarecrow?
Josh jogs to catch up.
JOSH:
Where are we going?
SARA:
To find a brain.
EXT. BOWDITCH MANSION-AFTERNOON
Sara and Josh approach the front door of the massive house on a large, perfectly
landscaped estate. Josh stares up at it.
JOSH:
For a quick and not entirely appropriate Wizard of Oz
metaphor, it really worked out well for you.
Sara clicks her tongue.
SARA:
Now who's the psychic?
Sara knocks on the door. It opens, and Sara and Josh are looking at a very short maid.
Sara leans into Josh.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Just wait, the Horse of a Different Color is due any minute.
INT. NOAH'S ROOM-AFTERNOON
Large, filled with bleeding edge entertainment equipment, bookshelves lined with books
and various collectibles, among them Beanie Babies. At one side, a staircase, leading
up to a loft. It's an apartment, not a bedroom. Josh and Sara sit on a couch across a
coffee table from Noah, on another couch, in front of a window looking out on the lake.
Noah holds the ring up to the light.
NOAH:
Yeah, you didn't do it.
Josh half smiles.
JOSH:
Just like that? How can you tell?
Noah shrugs, and a superior attitude slips on.
NOAH:
It's really pretty simple. Let me ask you a question.
Actually, 'bout eight, because I've got a really great little
set-up going.
JOSH:
Okay, shoot.
He tosses the earring onto the table.
NOAH:
This earring, you found it when?
JOSH:
This morning.
Noah nods.
NOAH:
Where?
JOSH:
Just under my bed.
NOAH:
Right, and which side?
JOSH:
Left.
NOAH:
And which side do you sleep on?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Left.
NOAH:
Right. And, this murder, and your dream, happened when?
JOSH:
Just after I got back, a month ago.
Noah nods.
NOAH:
And, just guessing here, when you got back you needed to
change your room, redecorate? I mean, GI Joe and Power
Rangers are a bit odd, no?
Josh looks to one of Josh's bookcase. Star Wars figurines line it.
JOSH:
If you say so.
NOAH:
Hey, they're collectible. Your room, you had to clean it? A
decade of dust, cobwebs.
JOSH:
So?
Noah spreads his hands.
NOAH:
New bed?
Josh sits back. Noah nods.
JOSH:
Yeah.
NOAH:
Yeah. So, if we're saying that earring's been there a month,
through all that, we're also saying you're Helen Keller. But
with hearing. So, just a deaf woman and I really should've
thought that through; it worked in my head.
Josh leans forward again.
JOSH:
What about the dreams?
Noah shrugs.
NOAH:
Assuming you're not going on blackout rape-murder sprees, and
I don't happen to think you are-- the papers make this guy
out to be too clean-- then we have to assume they're real.
SARA:
Yeah, but they can't be. You can't see the future. Or the
present. Or anywhere you can't... see.
Noah shrugs.
NOAH:
Mostly true, for most of us. Most of the time. But Joshua,
here, appears to be an exception. He's a viewer.
The grand reveal tone of "he's a viewer" gets only blank looks from Josh and Sara.
NOAH: (CONT'D)
Remote viewer? Nothing?
Josh and Sara shrug.
JOSH:
Sorry. But, it sounds really impressive. Nice delivery.
SARA:
Yeah, really cool. In fact, you should probably explain, so
that we actually understand you.
Noah stands.
NOAH:
Okay, it's pretty simple. 1972, the CIA contracts the
Stanford Research Institute to develop a process for remote
viewing-- projecting the mind to remote locations for gather
intelligence. It was largely a result of a perceived "psi
gap" between the US and Russia, where Russia was apparently
having tremendous success with various psychic operatives.
Not sure of the defensive benefit of a spoon bender, but I
suppose you get the Barnum and Bailey goodwill.
SARA:
Oh, God, you don't actually have a Technicolor horse, do you?
NOAH:
What?
SARA:
Nevermind. Sorry, continue. Good job. Riveting. Wishbone.
NOAH:
Thanks. Anyway, the CIA, later DIA, they funded research into
this to varying degrees into the 90's.
Never managed to prove anything, really, it depended on how
you looked at the numbers, evaluated the experiments. It
managed to be just vaguely successful enough to never be
totally, totally debunked, and as far as psychic phenomena
go, it's just about the only one that doesn't get you looked
at funny if you mention it.
Josh and Sara look at Noah funny. Josh stands up.
JOSH:
Noah, not to be rude, I mean, really cool story, fun little
factoid, brilliant at cocktail parties, I'm sure, but I don't
see what it has to do with me. I mean, I wasn't even around
in '72, and I don't "see" anything else.
Noah gazes at Josh, thinking. Noah shrugs and smiles.
NOAH:
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it's completely ridicu--
Suddenly, he grabs Josh's hand and wrenches his middle finger back. Josh twists with it
and yells in pain.
JOSH:
Noah, what the hell are you doing?!
Noah, pulls further back. Josh screams. Sara hops up and tries to pry Noah away; Noah
yanks back harder, Sara stops.
NOAH:
I will break it. Right now, what do my underwear look like?
JOSH:
How do I know? Look, let go before you get hurt.
Noah yanks again.
NOAH:
Now! What do they look like?
JOSH:
Noah, I don't--
Noah pulls.
NOAH:
Blue! Blue boxers, with plaid in red and white!
Noah releases Josh's finger. He drops to the floor, holding his hand. The next second,
he's up with Noah pressed against the window. Noah holds his hands up, in surrender.
Josh backs up slowly.
JOSH:
What the hell did you think you were--
Noah pulls up his shirt and pushes down his pants' waist to reveal--
NOAH:
Blue boxers, with plaid in red and white. How do you explain
that?
Noah grins.
NOAH: (CONT'D)
How d'you explain that?
Josh stares at the bit of exposed fabric, then looks away and approaches the window,
staring out at the lake and the setting sun. He half turns towards Sara.
JOSH:
Um, not to be creepy, Sara, but... You aren't, by any chance
wearing a sort of white, kind of satiny bra with matching,
uh, panties, are you?
Sara's mouth drops open, and she stares at Josh, then covers her chest.
SARA:
Could you not do that?
Josh looks back out the window.
JOSH:
Sorry.
Josh looks up and turn to Noah.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
How do I stop it? Turn it off?
Noah shrugs.
NOAH:
I don't know if you can. I mean, natural or learned, however
you sort of got it, you have it. Hypnosis, maybe, drugs with
side effects that impair dreaming, but... I don't think
they'd be too effective. Remote viewing, it's-- no one
understands it, it's not even really real. Or it wasn't.
Josh half smiles.
JOSH:
It would've been nice if it stayed that way.
SARA:
(forceful)
Yeah, well, it didn't.
Josh and Noah turn to face Sara, who's standing and looking very determined.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Josh, not to take away from the really big moment, and it's
not that it's undeserving of the weighty angst you're giving
it, but there is a serial killer out there, and you are--
NOAH:
Actually, he can't officially be called a serial killer until
he's done it three times, I think.
Sara cocks an eyebrow at Noah.
SARA:
Okay, there is a potential serial killer out there, and you
are the only one who's got even a vague clue about how to
find him or what he's planning.
JOSH:
What am I supposed to do about it.
Sara smiles at him.
SARA:
Figure out what sort of underwear he's wearing.
INT. NOAH'S ROOM-LATER
Josh sits in the middle of the floor, watched by Sara and Noah on the bed. Surrounding
him, colorful candles and several incense holders, all lit, the only light apart from a
laptop on Noah's... lap. New age music plays in the background.
Josh sniffs.
JOSH:
Vanilla and Cranberry don't blend well.
Noah types on the computer.
NOAH:
Sorry. It was all my mom had left from her Buddhist phase.
We're about a decade late on the hash brownie Amsterdam
phase. Sorry.
Josh stares around at the candles and incense.
JOSH:
Well, what am I supposed to do?
Noah looks at the screen.
NOAH:
The stuff online says you need to relax. And you need, like,
a target. Something about the killer. Was there anything at
all distinctive?
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
Not really. I feel like an idiot. Do we really need the Enya?
NOAH:
It's not Enya. And it'll help you relax. Now, something,
anything about the killer.
Josh closes his eyes. Thinks.
EXT. WOODS-NIGHT (VISION)
The killer's gloves drenched in blood. Leather, expensive looking, but worn.
INT. NOAH'S ROOM-MOMENTS LATER
Josh opens his eyes again.
JOSH:
I think I have it.
Noah consults the monitor.
NOAH:
Okay. Just... Think about the target. Don't focus on it. More
like free association. Think about it. Wonder about it. Muse.
Sara and Josh frown.
SARA:
Muse?
JOSH:
Yeah, muse?
Slightly irritated.
NOAH:
Yes, muse. Muse like your life depends on it, because
someone's does.
Josh sighs and closes his eyes. Takes a deep breath, then...
JOSH:
Ohhmmm. Sorry.
Josh stays quiet. The candles burn. The incense smolders.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT (VISION)
Rubs his hands together. The gloves, clean now, but cracked. They're expensive.
Leather. Italian maybe. Sleeves of the hoodie slide back. White skin beneath.
A coffee shop, across the street. The doors open, a girl exits, wearing a uniform top.
About 16, 17. Dark hair, pretty. Claire.
Move out of the shadows, closer....
INT./EXT. KILLER'S CAR/STREET-NIGHT (VISION)
Slowly. Behind her, gaining. It's cold, she shivers. No coat. Be a good Samaritan.
Slow, stop. Put the window down. She turns, leans in the window. Smiles. Know him? No
sound. Open the door. Get in. Close it.
The car pulls away. Red. License plate, focus.
The car, dark. A shadow slams against the window, pounds, muffled yells.
Suddenly, no movement. The car speeds up, around a corner.
INT. NOAH'S ROOM-NIGHT
Josh's eyes snap open and he shoots to his feet, knocks over candles. They've burned
down, the incense is extinguished.
On the couch, Noah and Sara are asleep, Sara's head on Noah's shoulder. At Josh's
commotion, she opens her eyes groggily, realizes who she's sleeping against, and bolts
up as quickly as Josh. Noah follows.
JOSH:
He's taken someone else.
Josh sets to blowing out all the candles, turning on light, shutting off the music.
Noah stands.
NOAH:
Do you know who he is?
Josh shakes his head, grabs his coat and pulls it on.
JOSH:
No, just who he took.
SARA:
Who is it?
Josh snags Sara's eyes.
JOSH:
Claire. We need to get to the coffee shop, where she works.
Right now, fast.
NOAH:
I can help with that.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP-NIGHT
An expensive, fast car screeches to a stop. Josh, Noah, and Sara pile out. The
building's dark. Closed.
Noah pounds on the doors.
Sara looks down an alley next to the building.
Josh stands uncertainly for a minute, then spins, eyeing the alley across the street.
He crosses and enters...
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT
Josh stops just inside. He pauses, turns, backs up slowly, purposefully. He has
purpose, knows what he's doing now.
He backs up until he has the same view as the killer, the same angle on the shop.
The scene washes out, the sound washes out, replaced by clutching tinnitus.
INT./EXT. KILLER'S CAR/KEENE HIGH-NIGHT
Drive along. A dark road. Trees. Round a corner, no more trees, open up--
The school ahead. The car slows at the parking lot entrance, closed fence.
Shift, the car enters a parking spot near a side door.
The killer, out of the car, round to passenger side.
Open it--
Passenger seat. Claire slumped, unconscious, bruised.
EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT
Josh's eyes snap open. He sprints out of the alley.
EXT. COFFEE SHOP-NIGHT
Noah has his face pressed to the shop windows, trying to see inside. Sara comes back
from the alley next door, looks around.
SARA:
Where's Josh?
The car's engine starts. Noah and Sara spin around.
Josh climbs out of the car, leans across the roof, tosses a business card at them. Noah
catches it.
JOSH:
Get that guy. The school. Quick as he can.
Josh ducks back into the car, shuts the door. The car takes off jerkily, then roars.
Gears grind, then catch, squeals off.
NOAH:
He's gonna ruin the transmission.
Sara gapes at him.
NOAH: (CONT'D)
What?
EXT. KEENE HIGH-NIGHT
The car slows in front of re-locked gates, then guns it, smashing through them.
Josh squeals to a stop behind the red car. He gets out, approaches it. He looks from it
to the side door, ajar. Josh closes his eyes.
INT. EXAM ROOM-NIGHT (VISION)
Dark. A tiny bit of light leaks in under a door, illuminates Claire, eyes wild,
struggling and screaming against a gag, arms bound behind her, a cut on her forehead
bleeding.
EXT. KEENE HIGH-NIGHT
Josh opens his eyes, he stares around. Nothing to go on. No clue. He sighs, stares at
the door to the school again. He runs toward it.
EXT. POLICE STATION-NIGHT
Sara and Noah run up to the police station entrance. Sara yanks the door open, ready to
enter.
Noah stops her.
NOAH:
Wait.
SARA:
For what?
NOAH:
What are we going to tell him?
SARA:
That he's taken Claire.
NOAH:
And when they ask how we know?
Sara pauses.
SARA:
What are we supposed to do? Not say anything?
Noah stares past Sara, down the street.
NOAH:
No. I've got an idea.
INT. KEENE HIGH, GYM-NIGHT
Josh dashes down the basketball court, and crashes through a set of double doors, the
noise echoing loudly.
INT. KEENE HIGH, HALLWAY 2-NIGHT
Josh sprints down a hall, try every doorknob and finding them locked. Josh reaches the
end of the hall and tries the last door. Locked. He slams his foot into the bottom of
the door-- and through it.
Josh pulls his foot out of the hole, staring at his foot. More. He groans, and yells--
JOSH:
Claire!
CLAIRE:
Help! Help m--!
Josh turns towards the sound, and races back up the hall.
INT. KEENE HIGH, HALLWAY-NIGHT
Josh skids around the corner into the hall and freezes. He stares up the hall, past
doors and lockers.
Nearly identical to the other one, only this one has a room with a light on. Josh
approaches it.
He stops in front of the cracked door. DOUG KEEGAN, COUNSELOR.
INT. EXAM ROOM-DAY (FLASHBACK)
Josh is answering questions quickly and easily.
His foot fidgets under the desk, moving back and forth, pushing a gold earring caked in
blood around the floor.
INT. EXAM ROOM-LATER (FLASHBACK)
Josh clicks a last question. The screen returns to the start page. Josh sits back,
stares at the screen perplexed.
Then, Josh stands up. He pushes the chair in.
From the floor, as Josh exits the exam room, the heel of his shoe, the earring wedged
tightly into the tread.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
DING-DONG! Downstairs, the doorbell. Josh sits up. A second later...
DAN:
Josh!
Josh bolts up and rushes from the room.
Behind him, on the floor by his bed, the earring, left behind in the imprint of his
shoe on the carpet.
INT. KEEGAN'S OFFICE-NIGHT
Josh pushes the door open and enters the office. Perfectly normal. Clean, well-lit.
BANG! BANG!
Josh's eyes snap to the exam room door. He rushes to it, tries the knob. Locked. A
frosted window over half the door. Josh sheds his coat, wraps it around his fist.
JOSH:
Uh, Claire, close your eyes!
Josh slams his fist into the glass, and it shatters. Josh shakes the coat off, reaches
in, turns the knob from the inside. It opens.
Josh looks in on Claire, bound and gagged. She stares up at him with wild, frightened
eyes, around a swelling black eye and cuts, glass splinters in her hair.
Josh crouches and pulls the gag free.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Shh, quiet.
Josh reaches to untie her hands. Claire looks out at the office.
CLAIRE:
Jo-- Josh?
JOSH:
I'll explain in a minute.
Claire pulls back.
CLAIRE:
No, Josh?
Josh looks at her.
JOSH:
What?
A shadow slips across her face. Josh turns.
WHAM! Keegan cracks Josh across the head with an aluminum bat.
EXT. POLICE STATION-NIGHT
Down the road, police station still in view, a phone booth. Sara stares at it.
SARA:
Does it even work?
Noah picks up the receiver. A DIAL TONE sounds. Puts it back down.
NOAH:
Yeah.
Sara takes her cell phone from a pocket.
SARA:
How about I use this? It's free.
Sara begins to dial. Noah snatches it away.
NOAH:
But, they can trace a cell. This, it doesn't matter.
Noah picks up the phone, deposits coins. He consults Kinnit's business card, dials.
INT. HALLWAY 2/NURSE'S OFFICE-NIGHT
Eerie. The nurse's office, clean, white, sterile, STD posters on the wall. The lights
are off, a few candles light the room.
And, Keegan. He stands in front of Claire, re-gagged on a bed in a little alcove,
staring at him with terror. His shirt is unbuttoned, and he's smiling serenely at her.
KEEGAN:
Don't be afraid, Claire. I mean, I know it's a big step, but
I love you. You love me. I've known for a long time. Relax.
Keegan sheds his shirt, lays it neatly on a counter. He sits on the edge of the bed and
reaches for Claire to unbutton her shirt.
INT. EXAM ROOM-NIGHT
JOSH:
Ugh....
Josh's eyes slip open. He drags his face along the floor, it brushes up against the
metal leg of the desk. Josh closes his eyes again, sighs, cool....
INT. HALLWAY 2/NURSE'S OFFICE-NIGHT
Claire's top is off entirely, just a bra now, and she's pressed herself back into the
corner of the alcove. Keegan leans toward her, and places a hand on her hip. She jumps.
KEEGAN:
I'm sorry, I know, I thought Lily and Wendy were the ones,
but they weren't. Too young, immature.
What happened to them, can't happen to you. You're too good,
lovely. You're perfect. My love, my one.
Keegan leans across the bed, in for a kiss. Claire recoils back, as far as she can. Not
far enough. He kisses her, through the gag.
INT. EXAM ROOM-NIGHT
Josh stirs again, a groan slips out. His eyes flutter half open. They flit around the
small room, then open wide. Josh sits up.
JOSH:
Ugh....
He grabs hold of the desk and hauls himself onto shaky legs. His feet shuffle over the
shattered glass. He grabs the doorknob, turns and leans through, staggering out into--
INT. KEEGAN'S OFFICE-CONTINUOS
Josh leans on the desk, breathing hard. PLOP. A drop of blood hits the desk. Josh
frowns, reaches up to touch his head. It comes back bloody wet.
Josh groans, turns to sit on the edge of the desk. He stares in at the exam room--
A shriek. A girl's. Josh's bolt up, still unsteady but on. He runs from the room.
INT. HALLWAY 2/NURSE'S OFFICE-NIGHT
CLAIRE:
AHHHHH!
Keegan slides off the bed, stands.
KEEGAN:
Claire, you have to be quiet, baby. This is supposed to be
special. You're ruining it.
Keegan reaches across the bed, caresses her cheek. Claire jerks away. Keegan withdraws
his hand, and his face and tone go hard.
KEEGAN: (CONT'D)
Fine.
Josh walks down the hall. Another room, another light, dimmer and flickering. Josh
crosses to slide along the wall, cheek pressed against the cool wall.
He reaches the sidejamb and stops.
KEEGAN: (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Fine. Fine. If you must.
Josh peers around the jamb, and sees Keegan standing, back to him, talking to Claire.
KEEGAN: (CONT'D)
We'll do this the... Hard way.
Keegan moves his hands to his pants. He unbuttons them.
Rages wells on Josh's face, it goes dark. He stands up straight.
KEEGAN: (CONT'D)
I'm only doing this because I love you, Claire. You need to--
JOSH:
Arghh!
Josh rushes into the room and slams into Keegan's back, tackling him into the alcove
and bed, on top of Claire.
Josh grips Keegan's hair and yanks him off, slamming him into the counter and sending
supplies flying. He knees Keegan in the back of the knee and sends him to the floor.
Josh hits him across the face, sending him onto his back.
Not done. Josh kicks Keegan, who rolls and crawls out into the hall.
Josh prepares for another kick at Keegan.
KEEGAN:
Stop!
Keegan cries, nose and lip bloodied. He holds up his hands, flinching. Josh freezes.
Josh stares at Keegan, who struggles to his knees.
KEEGAN: (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, stop. Don't.
Josh stares at Keegan, quivering. Every inch wants to finish him, but--
JOSH:
Stand up. Turn around. Hands on the wall.
Keegan gets to his feet.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
Turn around.
KEEGAN:
Can I button my pants first?
Josh gives a short nod. Keegan reaches for the buttons. Josh glances back to Claire.
Keegan's fast. The knife comes from the waistband and is flashing towards Josh's neck
in an instant. Josh catches the movement, dodges. Keegan overcommits, lurching forward.
Josh doesn't hesitate. Keegan's falling. Josh speeds it up, hurls the man to the floor.
CRACK! Keegan goes limp immediately. Blood flows onto the tile.
Josh looks up, stares at Claire, who stares back. The knife lies in the puddle of
blood. Josh surveys the scene, Keegan (or his corpse), Claire. He picks the knife up
with a couple of fingers and places it in Keegan hand, wraps it around it. He wipes his
hands on the man's shirt.
Josh enters the nurse's office and pulls Claire's gag free, begins working on her hands
and feet.
CLAIRE:
Is he...?
Josh glances at Keegan. He's breathing, just barely.
JOSH:
Not yet.
CLAIRE:
Will he be?
Josh looks into Claire's eyes.
JOSH:
It depends on when you call the police.
Beat.
CLAIRE:
When I--?
Josh cuts her off.
JOSH:
I can't be here. I wasn't here. I'm not here. Whatever they
say, it was you and him, he came after you, you fought for
your damn life. You got lucky, you take karate, it doesn't
matter. I'm not here. Understand?
CLAIRE:
Josh, you saved my--
JOSH:
I'm not here.
SIRENS. Josh turns. Claire's hands are free.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
You can get your feet, right?
CLAIRE:
Yes, but--
JOSH:
I have to go. Please. I wasn't here. Whatever you do.
CLAIRE:
Josh.
JOSH:
Please.
CLAIRE:
Thank you.
Josh stops. He tries a smile that fails. He turns and takes off out of the room.
INT./EXT. KEENE HIGH-NIGHT
Police cars race up to the school, through the broken gates, sirens wailing, lights
flashing.
Beside the road, woods. Further in, down a narrow little access road, the car. Inside,
Josh looks in the rear view at the scene taking place. He's shaking, face screwed up,
holding back onrushing tears.
EXT. BOWDITCH MANSION-NIGHT
The car rolls up to the front door of the house. Immediately, the door opens and Sara
and Noah come out.
Josh gets out of the car. Sara and Noah talk to him, no sound, just faint ringing. Josh
stares down at his hands, pink with Keegan's blood and raw. He collapses.
EXT. KEENE HIGH-NIGHT
The lot is busy with PATROLMEN setting up a perimeter, CSI's processing the car. Fisher
and Kinnit watch as Keegan is loaded onto an ambulance. PARAMEDICS swarm around him.
They wheel him away. Keegan stares after him.
KINNIT:
We got him. Or we will once the girl gives a statement.
FISHER:
Who is she, anyway?
Kinnit consults some notes.
KINNIT:
Claire DAWSON, 17. High school student. Cheerleader. Junior
class Secretary.
Kinnit shrugs.
KINNIT: (CONT'D)
Her mother was a bragger. She'll be okay, right?
Fisher smiles, and they look over at another ambulance where Claire gets her cuts and
bruises tended to. Her shirt's back on.
FISHER:
Oh, yeah. Just some bruises, a concussion. She'll recover in
time to add Homecoming Queen to the resume, though. She did a
real number on him.
KINNIT:
Yeah. Right. How'd she manage that.
Fisher playfully elbows him.
FISHER:
Hey, girls can fight, too.
A CSI passes. Kinnit stops him.
KINNIT:
Hey. What've you guys found?
CSI:
A knife. Surveillance pictures of the girls. And what looks
like three sets of prints.
Kinnit stares.
KINNIT:
Three? Not two?
The CSI shrugs.
CSI:
Pretty sure it's three. Won't know for sure until we run them
officially. Still, it's three.
The CSI continues on. Kinnit turns to Fisher.
KINNIT:
So there were three people here. We've got Dawson and Keegan.
Who's number three?
Fisher shrugs.
FISHER:
Batman? Does it matter?
INT. NOAH'S ROOM-MORNING
Josh opens his eyes. Light pours through the windows. Josh lies in Noah's bed, over the
rest of the room, covered in blankets. Sara's asleep in a chair next to him. Josh sits
up and Sara comes awake. A smile slides across her face.
SARA:
Morning. How do you feel?
Josh looks down at his hands. They are scrubbed clean.
JOSH:
Not great.
Sara grabs his hand, draws his attention.
SARA:
Hey. Josh. What happened?
Josh takes his hand back, rubs them together, stares at his lap.
JOSH:
I think I killed him.
SARA:
Killed who?
Josh looks up at her, surprised.
JOSH:
You don't know?
SARA:
No. It's early. The newspaper's not out yet. What happened?
Josh thinks for a minute.
JOSH:
Keegan. He did it.
SARA:
Keegan? Mr. Keegan?
Josh nods.
SARA: (CONT'D)
But he was so nice. And cute.
JOSH:
Always are. Yeah. He killed those girls. And he tried to kill
me. But I... I killed him.
Josh is ringing his hands now, he twists them roughly, bends them further than he
should. Sara reaches out, forces him to stop, and takes his hand back.
SARA:
Are you okay?
Josh gives a hollow laugh.
JOSH:
Yeah. Just fine. Why didn't I go to the cops?
SARA:
You did. Or, we did, Noah and me. Told that guy exactly what
you saw, told them to hit the school.
Josh stares at his lap, thinking.
SARA: (CONT'D)
But what happened? Is Claire okay?
Josh nods.
JOSH:
Yeah. Physically, at least. Some bruises, but she'll probably
be okay.
SARA:
And Keegan? What happened to him?
JOSH:
We fought. I beat him, and I was going to take him in, but he
came at me with a knife, and I... dodged it and-- he was off
balance, and I-- I pushed him. Threw him. To the ground.
Cracked his head, I think.
Sara holds Josh's hand tighter.
SARA:
That's horrible. But... He was trying to kill you, right?
JOSH:
Yeah. So I guess I don't feel so bad about it. But it's
still... Strange. I just did it so easily, like it was
nothing. More questions.
SARA:
And you'll get answers, I'm sure. It'll just take time. Your
memory will come back or you'll figure out where you were
some other way.
JOSH:
What if I don't?
Sara shrugs.
SARA:
You start a new life. Move past whatever happened and start
over. Be who you want to be. That's your choice.
JOSH:
How, though? Nothing's the same anymore. Most of my friends
don't know me, my dad's gone, my mom's living with some guy.
SARA:
You deal with it. Dan seems like a nice guy. And you've got
friends.
Josh looks up at Sara.
JOSH:
I do, don't I?
Sara smiles.
SARA:
Some pretty good ones, if I do say so myself. You know, I
could've just assumed you were a killer. The evidence was
pretty bad.
JOSH:
Yeah, why didn't you?
Sara pauses. She starts to say something, then--
SARA:
Like I said, I'm your friend.
Josh looks back at his lap.
JOSH:
Hey, Sara, what if I wanted to be... wanted to be more than--
The door opens and Noah enters with a pile of clothes and a newspaper. He looks up at
the loft, waves the paper.
NOAH:
Laundry and news, come and get it.
Josh gets out of bed and heads down. Sara holds onto him.
Josh sits down on the couch, picks up the paper, looks at the front page. A smiling
PICTURE of KEEGAN, creepy in context, posing at a CHEERLEADING FUNDRAISER CAR WASH. The
headline: KEENE SLASHER is SCHOOL COUNSELOR: ARE YOUR KIDS SAFE?
Noah nods at the paper, sits down on the end of the bed.
NOAH: (CONT'D)
Good job. They said he was totally out when they found him.
Josh turns to Noah.
JOSH:
He's not dead?
NOAH:
No. A coma. But there was a lot of bleeding, major head
injury. They don't expect him to wake up. Killer tomato now.
Sara manages a half smile.
SARA:
Well... That's good, isn't it? He didn't die.
JOSH:
But he will. And it's still my fault.
Noah shakes his head.
NOAH:
I wouldn't feel too bad about it. Mr. Keegan had three
different jobs before this one. In every town, girls went
missing. The paper's saying his toll might be 20. I figure
you let him off light.
Sara ponders that a second, then suddenly shivers.
JOSH:
Are you okay?
Sara shakes her head.
SARA:
Yeah. I just realized. He could just as easily picked me.
Sara gives Josh a quick kiss on the cheek.
SARA: (CONT'D)
Thanks. You did the right thing.
JOSH:
Killing him?
SARA:
Stopping him. If that's what it took... That's what it took.
Josh stares at Sara. Sara stares back. She looks away, then at her watch.
SARA: (CONT'D)
I've gotta go, game day.
Sara collects her things and leaves. Josh sits, fingers on his cheek. Then, he pops
back into the real world.
JOSH:
Crap! I've gotta go, too!
NOAH:
If you want to go after her, you can just tell me.
Josh pulls on his shirt.
JOSH:
It's not that. My mom doesn't know where I was last night.
She'll be flipping out.
NOAH:
Well, you've got your clothes. Oh, almost forgot.
(Noah pulls a wallet and key from his pocket)
Here's your wallet and keys. Sorry, they're a little washed.
Josh stops.
JOSH:
I didn't have any keys.
He approaches Noah, takes the wallet, the key. He stares at it.
NOAH:
It's not to your house?
JOSH:
No.
NOAH:
Where'd you get it?
JOSH:
I don't know.
Josh looks at the wallet. He opens it, searches. A tiny, barely noticeable rip in it.
Josh takes the key, pushes it inside. It fits.
JOSH: (CONT'D)
(whispering)
How'd I miss that?
NOAH:
What?
Josh pauses, touches his cheek where Sara kissed him. He smiles.
JOSH:
Nothing. Just another question. It can wait.
EXT. PARK-MORNING
Josh walks along a little lake, ducks and geese quacking and swimming back and forth.
People jog, walk their dogs. Josh stops to sit on a bench. He takes the earring out,
and stares at it.
JOSH:
(whispering)
I'm sorry, Lily.
Josh stands, and throws the ring out into the lake. He turns and walks away.
INT. SHEPHERD FOYER-DAY
Josh rushes inside and immediately hits his mom, rushing from the living room. She's
terrified, angry, relieved.
ADRIENNE:
Where have you been?
Josh hesitates.
JOSH:
I-- I spent the night at a friend's. Noah's.
Adrienne sighs in relief, then bounces right back to angry.
ADRIENNE:
Why didn't you call?
Josh fumbles.
JOSH:
I... I forgot.
ADRIENNE:
You forgot? How could you forget?
JOSH:
I... Just did?
ADRIENNE:
You should've called.
Josh shrugs.
JOSH:
I know. But I was safe... I swear.
Adrienne hugs Josh.
ADRIENNE:
Don't do it again. Okay? And we're going to get you a cell
phone, so you're never out of touch.
JOSH:
Okay.
Adrienne takes a deep breath.
ADRIENNE:
And, I know we discussed it, but I think you should see a
therapist. You're going to see a therapist.
JOSH:
But, Mom, I'm okay--
ADRIENNE:
No argument. I think it could help you deal with everything.
With your memory, your dad, Dan and me.
JOSH:
But I'm fine with it. I like Dan.
Adrienne raises her eyebrows.
ADRIENNE:
You do? Even so, I think it would help. We'll try it, and if
it's not working, then we'll talk about it. Okay?
Josh sighs, defeated.
JOSH:
Okay. Can I go? I could use a shower.
ADRIENNE:
Of course.
Josh starts upstairs.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
Josh?
Josh stops and looks back.
ADRIENNE: (CONT'D)
I love you.
Josh smiles.
JOSH:
I love you, too.
Josh continues up and Adrienne goes into--
INT. SHEPHERDS' KITCHEN-CONTINUOUS
Where Dan leans against the counter. He smiles, encouraging.
DAN:
You did good.
Adrienne frowns.
ADRIENNE:
I don't know. I think he hates me.
Dan takes her, kisses her on the forehead.
DAN:
There's no one who can hate you. Except teenagers. It's a
thing. Sorry.
Dan laughs.
Adrienne smiles, nuzzles his shoulder.
ADRIENNE:
You're sweet. And he likes you, too.
Dan pulls her into a hug. He stares at the wall. No smile.
DAN:
That's great.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-DAY
Josh enters and collapse backwards on his bed. He pulls out the wallet, frees the key.
He stares at it. Where does it go?
Josh lowers the key and stares at the ceiling, then closes his eyes once more.
EXT. KEENE HIGH-NIGHT (DREAM)
Keegan's fast. The knife comes from the waistband and is flashing towards Josh's neck
in an instant. Josh catches the movement, dodges. Keegan overcommits, lurches forward.
Josh doesn't hesitate. Keegan's falling. Josh speeds it up, hurls the man to the floor.
CRACK! Keegan goes limp immediately. Blood flows onto the tile. The blood reverses
course, flows back in. Josh watches again....
As he dies.
As he dies.
As. He. Dies.
BLACK
BANG! BANG! BANG! Three BURSTS OF LIGHT. Black.
INT. STATEROOM-NIGHT
Dark at first. The sound of someone falling, then ragged, fluid breathing
A man dressed all in black lays on the floor, gripping his chest, providing useless
pressure to freely flowing blood.
Footsteps. A MAN kneels down, yanks the black mask roughly off.
It is JOSH, sweaty, pale. He coughs. Blood comes up.
The man moves quickly, slamming Josh's face, knocking him out.
INT. JOSH'S ROOM-NIGHT
Josh jerks awake, his hand still scrabbling where it was in the dream. His shirt is
ripped, the skin beneath scratched.
Josh calms down, sits up. He turns the light on, gets the wallet from the nightstand,
removes the key and the black American Express card. He's still staring at them as
we...
FADE OUT.
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4 comments:
Hey this is good. I am hooked. I read through half of it but I gotta stpo to do something. I'll finish after. I'm impressed.
Hi, this is really good, but have the characters a little older, would seem more appropriate, instead of highschool college or university.
Other then that, excellent, although I wonder how you can extend this to a TV series, but should be interesting. A film could be another take if it doesn't get picked up.
I'm jealous of your dialogue however, and teh scenes of the visions are terrific. Keep up the good work.
Hey Ryan, I found your blog through your post at the Water Cooler and read through about half of your script. I'll try to finish it tonight and post some comments but I wanted to suggest that if you're going to continue posting your scripts online (as opposed to downloadable pdf's - which I highly recommend) you change your background colour, it makes your work kinda difficult to read.
j.
You kept my interest throughout; I was only going to read a bit but ended up reading the whole damned thing. ;-D
I know you probably hate comparisons but my first thought was Angel's Doyle, my second Dark Angel, my third Heroes' Claire (prescient, aren't you?), and my fourth John Doe. Whatever it reminds me and others of, I enjoyed it. I don't know enough about scripts to know what makes one good or bad but I don't think you need to change the ages or anything. I'm sure there's a reason for their youth; maybe future episodes would deal with how Josh has to get permission from his mom to go out and save the world, how the kids always have to resort to subterfuge to get police attention, etc.
Technical note: When Noah is bending back Josh's fingers to get him to start viewing, you gave the wrong character name - you said Noah gave the description of his own underwear which isn't exactly gasp-inducing. I assumed you meant Josh but I had to read it a couple times to make sure.
And there are a couple grammar errors, not sure if you even want to know at this late date.
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