"HALLOWEEN" (1978)

OPEN on a black screen. SUPERIMPOSE in dark red letters:

HALLOWEEN

Then we slowly:

Darkness, with a small shape in the center of the screen. As MAIN TITLES CONTINUE OVER, CAMERA SLOWLY MOVES IN on the shape.

We get closer and closer until we see that the shape is a Halloween mask. It is a large, full-head platex rubber mask, not a monster or ghoul, but the pale, neutral features of a man weirdly distorted by the rubber.

Finally CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE on the eyes of the mask. It is blank, empty, a dark, staring socket. SUPERIMPOSE FINAL CREDIT.

Black screen. SUPERIMPOSE:

HADDONFIELD, ILLINOIS OCTOBER 31, 1963

It is night. We move toward the rear of a house through someone's POV. CAMERA MOVES UP to a Jack-O-Lantern glowing brightly on a windowsill. It is a windy night and the curtains around the Jack-O-Lantern ruffle back and forth. Suddenly we hear voices from inside the house.

Then LAUGHTER.

The POV moves from the Jack-O-Lantern down to another window and peers inside. We see the sister's bedroom through the blowing curtains.

Into the bedroom comes the SISTER, 18, very pretty. She GIGGLES as the BOYFRIEND jumps into the room. Also 18, he wears a Halloween mask and costume.

The boyfriend grabs the sister and kisses her.

The boyfriend rips off his mask. He is a handsome young man underneath. They kiss again, this time with more passion. The boyfriend begins to unbutton the sister's blouse. She responds to him.

The POV swings away from the window and begins to restlessly pace back and forth, agitated, disturbed. We HEAR THE SOUNDS of the sister and boyfriend inside the bedroom growing more and more passionate.

Finally the POV moves back up to the window. Inside through the moving curtains, we see the sister and the boyfriend on the bed, naked, making love.

The POV springs back from the window and stalks quickly down the side of the house, past the Jack-O-Lantern, around to a door. Quietly the door is opened and the POV moves inside.

The POV glides silently through the house into the kitchen, up to a drawer. The drawer is opened. A large butcher knife is withdrawn.

Then the POV swings around and moves to the kitchen door. We look down a hallway to the front door. The boyfriend steps out of the bedroom door, buttoning his shirt. The sister stands in the doorway, a sheet wrapped around her.

They kiss again and the boyfriend walks to the front door. The sister watches as he leaves and shuts the door behind him. Then she turns and steps back into the bedroom.

The POV moves slowly down the hall to the bedroom door and peers around inside. The sister sits at her night-table brushing her hair. She is still completely nude.

Slowly the POV moves into the room. Suddenly we move down to the discarded Halloween mask on the floor. The POV bends down and picks it up. Then suddenly the POV is covered by the mask and we see through the eye-holes.

The POV moves up behind the sister. Sensing a presence, she spins around and stares at the POV, covering her breasts quickly.

Suddenly the POV lunges forward. The sister continues to stare incredulously. There is a rapid blur as the POV drives the butcher knife into the sister's chest and out again almost before we've seen it.

The sister looks down at the blood forming at her hands, then back up at the POV with an astonished disbelief.

Then in a wild paroxysm the butcher knife blurs continuously in and out of frame, slashing the sister mercilessly. She begins to SCREAM, trying to fend off the blows with her hands, then suddenly falls out of frame to the floor.

The POV moves back away from the sister's lifeless body, spins around and careens out of the bedroom.

At top speed the POV races through the darkened house, to the front door, out the door, down the steps and rapidly up the street. The CAMERA careens along in frenzied flight, up the sidewalk, up a small side alley, down someone's back yard, then to a sudden, abrupt halt in front of MOTHER and FATHER just coming out of a neighbor's house.

Mother and Father stare at the POV, at first in puzzlement, then slow, growing horror.

The father's hand reaches up and rips off the Halloween mask, revealing MICHAEL, 6, underneath, a bright-eyed boy with a calm, quiet smile on his face. CAMERA PULLS BACK, revealing the blood-stained butcher knife in his hand, then further back, CRANING UP past his parents standing there, up from the neighbor's house to a HIGH SHOT of the neighborhood as the sounds of POLICE SIRENS rise in the distance.

Black. SUPERIMPOSE:

SMITH'S GROVE, ILLINOIS OCTOBER 30, 1978

Two headlights appear in the darkness, backlighting the rain that pours down on a lonely strip of highway. A station wagon HISSES along the wet road surface.

The back seat is separated from the front by a wire-mesh screen, much like a police car. MARION, 30, drives. She is dressed in a crisp, white nurse's uniform. Next to her in the passenger seat is SAM LOOMIS, a clinical psychiatrist. He is a tough-looking man in his forties who flips through pages in a manila folder.

Through the rain we see a large sign:

SMITH'S GROVE - WARREN COUNTY SANITARIUM

Behind the sign is the sanitarium itself, a cold-looking building surrounded by a fence.

Loomis glances at Marion as she lights a cigarette. She shoves the matches into the pack and tosses it on the dashboard. Loomis stares at the cigarette pack. The pack of matches reads: "The Rabbit in Red Lounge - Entertainment Nightly". Loomis turns his eyes back to the rain-slicked road.

Both of them suddenly stare out the windshield in front of them.

Through the rain we see a field off to the side of the road. Dimly lit by the car headlights are FIVE PATIENTS, dressed in wind-blown white gowns, drenched by the rain, wandering aimlessly around the field.

They look up ahead.

Standing by the side of the road is a MALE PATIENT, a wild-looking man in his sixties dressed in a white gown, who stares at the station wagon.

Marion slows the station wagon and pulls off to the side of the road. Loomis jumps out.

Through the windshield we see Loomis rush over to the patient, stand and talk for a moment, then hurry back.

Loomis climbs back in, dripping from the rain.

Marion starts down the road.

Ahead of them is the entrance to the sanitarium.

Marion slows down to turn.

Through the rear window we see a SHAPE spring up out of the darkness, streak through the rain and leap up on the rear of the station wagon.

The station wagon bounces up and down. The roof sags in and out with the weight of someone on top.

The roof continues to buckle in and out wildly.

Marion stops and rolls down her window to look inside. Loomis opens his door and steps out. Suddenly he is hit in the face by a powerful fist from the roof. Loomis staggers backwards and falls by the side of the road.

Marion starts to react. Suddenly a hand reaches in through the window and lunges at her.

The fingers grab her hair. She SCREAMS. The fingers tighten around her hair and the hand pulls Marion roughly to the window.

Twisted around in the seat, Marion's foot jams down all the way on the gas pedal. The station wagon ROARS forward.

Marion continues to SCREAM, clawing at the hand.

Through the rain the road spins crazily ahead, the wipers erasing sheets of rain.

Suddenly the other hand reaches down from the roof and grabs the wiper, holding it tightly. Rain splashes on the windshield obscuring the road.

The hand rips at Marion's hair. SCREAMING. Clawing.

The windshield is completely obliterated by rain.

The station wagon skids and WHAMS into the shoulder on the side of the road. Marion is hurled across the seat against the passenger door.

Suddenly the hand springs down from above and SLAMS against the passenger window, shattering it.

SHRIEKING, Marion scurries across the front seat, opens the driver's door and scrambles out.

Marion frantically crawls her way across the rain- drenched road away from the station wagon. CAMERA TRACKS with her as she slides down into the muddy shoulder. She looks back.

From the shoulder we see the station wagon in the rain, and the shape jump in the driver's seat and SLAM the door.

Then the station wagon takes off and disappears down the road into the darkness.

Loomis runs up out of the rain and helps Marion to her feet. She CRIES hysterically. Loomis stares off down the road at the disappearing tail-lights.

Black screen. SUPERIMPOSE:

HADDONFIELD OCTOBER 31, 1978

LAURIE, 17 and pretty in a quiet sort of way, steps out of her two-story frame house, down the front walk to the street. Her face has a soft, innocent quality, her eyes bright and alive. Her FATHER steps out of the door behind her and walks to the car in the driveway. His car has "STRODE REAL ESTATE" emblazoned on the side door.

CAMERA MOVES with Laurie as she walks down the residential street. She carries a large bundle of schoolbooks in her arms. Across a backyard TOMMY DOYLE, an eight-year- old boy with tossled brown hair and bright blue eyes comes running with his books.

He catches up with her and they walk along down the street.

They walk up to the front of the old, two-story Myers house set back from the street. It is now weather- beaten and dilapidated. Laurie walks through the front gate and starts up toward the porch.

Laurie holds up a key.

Laurie strolls up to the front porch. She bends down, lifts the welcome mat and places the key under it.

Through a front window, we see Laurie bending over the welcome mat. Suddenly a dark shape, the outline of a man, leans forward, watching her. As she walks back to Tommy at the street the shape moves to watch them, then fades back into the interior of the house.

Laurie and Tommy continue walking down the street.

Tommy breaks stride and runs across the street.

Laurie continues walking alone. She begins to sing quietly to herself.

We see Laurie walking off down the street in the distance. CLOSE TO CAMERA the dark shape moves into frame, watching Laurie disappear around the corner.

Sam Loomis strides quickly out of the front of the sanitarium followed immediately by DR. WYNN, a gray- haired man in his fifties. CAMERA TRACKS with them across the parking lot.

Loomis reaches a car and unlocks it.

Loomis gets in the car. Wynn leans down to the window.

Loomis starts up the car and pulls away from the sanitarium. Wynn watches him go, then hurries back into the building.

Laurie sits at the back of a classroom of HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CAMERA MOVES IN on her as a TEACHER drones away at the front of the room.

CAMERA MOVES to a CLOSE-UP of Laurie. She barely listens to the teacher as she doodles in her notebook in front of her.

Laurie lets her gaze move to a window. She stares dreamily outside.

From the window she can see the street, and a station wagon parked along the sidewalk.

Behind the station wagon stands the shape of a man. We can't quite see his features from here, but it is clear that he is looking in the school window.

She turns away from the window and begins to doodle again.

We see Laurie draw:

LAURIE STRODE

She glances up from the book and out the window again.

The shape behind the station wagon is still there and staring right at her.

She frowns, staring back at the shape.

This springs her around from the window.

Laurie sneaks a glance back to the window.

The shape and the station wagon are gone.

She turns back from the window and back to her notebook.

She has written:

LAURIE STRODE IS LONELY.

We see a car parked in front of a small, closed-down gas station/diner by the side of the highway. CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS over to a phone booth. Loomis is inside on the telephone.

Loomis hangs up the phone and steps out of the booth. He looks up the highway.

The highway disappears off into the distance. There is an old weatherbeaten sign that reads:

HADDONFIELD 73 MILES

Just above the horizon huge clusters of clouds, dark and ominous, are blown along by the wind.

Loomis turns and walks back to his car. He glances at the old gas station as he walks.

The building is dark, empty, dilapidated. On the padlocked door are huge marks like the clawing of an animal wanting to get in.

Loomis stops, stares at the door and then slowly walks over to it. He touches the marks with his hands, then looks at the dirt driveway around the building.

There are definite tire tracks leading from the highway up to the door, then back to the highway again.

Then his gaze returns to a discarded object crushed in the dirt of the driveway: a pack of cigarettes.

He picks up the cigarette pack.

Stuck in the cellophane of the crushed pack are matches: "The Rabbit in Red Lounge - Entertainment Nightly".

Loomis turns and quickly strides back to his car, gets in and roars away from the lonely gas station.

The playground is filled with CHILDREN just getting out of school for the day. Some are dressed in Halloween costumes, some carry pumpkins and orange and black streamers, some carry Jack-O-Lanterns.

Tommy Doyle comes out of the door carrying a very large pumpkin. He is followed by three BOYS, RICHIE, KEITH and LONNIE, who are LAUGHING and pushing him.

Lonnie runs up to Tommy and wiggles his fingers in Tommy's face. The other boys form a circle around Tommy and taunt him. In unison they sing:

The boys LAUGH. Richie runs up to Tommy and makes a face.

The other boys join in the chant.

Tommy turns from them and starts to run away. Richie sticks out his foot. Tommy trips and falls to the concrete, SMASHING his pumpkin beneath him. The other boys run away GIGGLING and SCREAMING with delight.

As the boys race out of the playground, Richie barrels through the gate and runs right into the dark shape.

We don't see the shape's face, just his lower body. He is dressed in pants and a shirt that look too big for him. He grabs Richie and holds him back at arm's length.

A large object falls out of his pocket. Richie quickly stares down at it. The shape lifts his foot and SMACKS it down over the object to hide it. Quickly Richie and the other two boys run around the man and on down the block.

The shape lifts his foot. Underneath it is a large butcher knife. He quickly picks it up and shoves it into his pocket.

Slowly the shape turns and walks away from the playground gate, CAMERA TRACKING WITH HIM. Across from him in the playground we see Tommy get to his feet, wiping the demolished pumpkin off his shirt and pants.

We TRACK WITH the shape to a station wagon. On the side of the door is a state emblem.

The shape gets in the station wagon. We still don't see his face. Separating the front and back seats is the wire-mesh screen. It is Loomis' vehicle. The shape starts the engine. He pulls away from the curb.

Slowly the station wagon moves down the street. We see Tommy hurrying along the sidewalk, still rubbing off the pumpkin splatter. Tommy turns off the sidewalk and cuts up a side alley.

The wagon picks up speed and continues on down the street.

Laurie and LYNDA stroll down the front steps of the high school and turn up the street. Laurie carries another large stack of books. Lynda is a knockout in tight jeans and tight T-shirt. She carries no books. CAMERA TRACKS WITH THEM up the street.

ANNIE comes out of the side doors of the high school and calls after Laurie and Lynda.

The girls stop and wait for Annie.

Laurie suddenly stops and turns back toward the school.

Laurie glances down the street.

The station wagon slowly moves up the street toward them. The shape isn't visible behind the windshield.

Laurie stares at the station wagon as it moves past. She looks directly at the shape inside. There is a quick glimpse of him, a strange pale face staring back.

The shape is close to CAMERA, out of focus. Out the window we see the three girls on the sidewalk.

The shape stares at Laurie looking back at him, then tromps on the accelerator. The wagon whizzes past them.

Up the street the wagon suddenly stops. It sits there, waiting.

For a moment the station wagon just sits there. Then it takes off down the street and disappears around a corner.

The girls start walking again. Laurie is quiet, puzzled by the appearance of the man in the car.

The three girls stop in front of Lynda's house, a modest suburban home on a quiet, tree-lined street.

Lynda strolls up to her house. Annie and Laurie start down the street. CAMERA MOVES IN to a CLOSE SHOT of Laurie's face. She stares ahead along the sidewalk.

Up the sidewalk is a series of bushes lining the street. There, partially hidden in the shadows of a bush, is the shape of a man, watching them. He is barely visible, almost blending in with the dark foliage.

Annie looks.

The shape is gone. Just bushes.

Annie walks right over to the bushes and kicks them hard. Nothing happens.

Laurie just stands on the sidewalk several feet from the bushes.

Slowly Laurie walks over and stares at the bush.

They start walking down the sidewalk again.

Laurie glances back at the bushes behind them.

The two girls stop in front of Annie's house, another small suburban home.

Annie walks up to her door.

For a moment Laurie looks around cautiously before starting down the sidewalk again, CAMERA TRACKING WITH HER. A strong wind rises and blows her hair in front of her face. Again she turns around and glances back down the street.

There is still nothing there.

Suddenly, Laurie walks right into a man standing on the sidewalk in front of her. She SCREAMS and drops her books.

It is LEE BRACKETT, Annie's father. He is a tall man in a county sheriff's uniform. He quickly bends down and picks up her books.

Brackett walks down the sidewalk to his house. Laurie bundles her books and hurries up the street.

Laurie walks up on the front porch of her house. She pauses a moment and glances down the street.

Several CHILDREN in costumes are going door to door collecting their treats.

Laurie strolls through the living room. Through the doorway into the kitchen we see LAURIE'S MOTHER busy making candied apples.

Laurie turns and hurries up the stairs.

Laurie walks into her bedroom. She tosses her books on the bed and starts to her telephone.

The wind blows her curtains through the open window. Laurie crosses to the window and leans up to close it.

From her room in the second story, Laurie can see into the back yard next door. There is a clothesline with sheets blowing in the wind. In between the sheets we glimpse the shape standing there, looking up at Laurie.

She freezes and stares down fearfully.

The sheets continue to twist and turn in the wind, but now the shape is gone.

Laurie SLAMS the window and locks it. She slowly walks to the middle of her room and stands there for several moments, unsure as to whether she has actually seen it.

Suddenly, the phone RINGS, loud and shrill, startling Laurie. She answers it.

Silence.

There is a SOUND from the receiver, like chewing...

The chewing continues. She slams the receiver down.

Almost immediately, the phone RINGS again. Laurie looks at it. It rings again. She picks it up.

Laurie hangs up.

WIDE SHOT of an old graveyard on a windy hillside. CAMERA BOOMS DOWN as a car pulls up on the small road in f.g. Sam Loomis gets out, along with TAYLOR, the graveyard owner. Taylor is a small, officious man in his late sixties. He glances at a small note pad.

The two men begin walking along through the graveyard, winding arlund headstones and flowers.

Taylor stops cold.

He points to a plot right in front of them. Loomis stares. The headstone is missing, uprooted from the ground.

Taylor checks his notebook, then counts the rows and plots.

Taylor gives Loomis a quizzical look. Loomis shakes his head and looks out across the graveyard.

CAMERA BEGINS on the trees that line the residential street, twisting and writhing in the dusk wind. SLOWLY CAMERA BOOMS DOWN to Laurie waiting outside her house by the street. She carries a totebag with schoolbooks and knitting needles stuck inside, and a large pumpkin. The sun is a pale glow behind the trees.

Laurie turns her gaze down the street.

More CHILDREN in costumes walk from house to house, some with MOTHERS and SISTERS, trick or treating. The wind blows their costumes, billowing them outward.

She watches the trick or treaters as a car swings around the corner and pulls up in front of her. It is Annie.

Laurie walks around to the passenger door and gets in.

Annie pulls away from the curb and hands Laurie a joint.

Laurie lights the joint and puffs vigorously.

Behind them through the rear-view mirror, we see Loomis' station wagon pull out of an alley and follow along.

Annie's car drives through the main square of Haddonfield. Following behind is the station wagon.

Annie points up ahead and quickly hides the joint.

Two police cars are parked in the street in front of Nichols Hardware Store. An ALARM BELL inside the store CLANGS SHRILLY.

They quickly roll down the windows and begin wildly clearing out the marijuana smoke. Behind them the station wagon disappears off down a side-street.

Annie's car stops at the police cars. Lee Brackett strolls out to the car and leans down to the window.

Annie turns to Laurie.

Behind Brackett, Sam Loomis walks up the street. We see Loomis talk to a COP who points over to Brackett.

Just as Brackett is about to speak the alarm goes off.

Brackett smiles as Loomis walks up behind him.

Annie's car pulls away.

As they talk CAMERA SLOWLY MOVES AROUND THEM to a view of the street.

Loomis' station wagon moves by behind them. Loomis doesn't see it.

Through the blowing trees we see the full moon rising in the night sky. There are SOUNDS of wind and CHIRPING CRICKETS.

Annie's car moves down a quiet little residential street and pulls up in front of a two-story house set back from the street: the Doyle house.

We are in the front seat of the station wagon. Through the windshield we see Laurie get out of Annie's car, say goodbye and walk up to the Doyle house.

Then Annie's car makes a wide U-turn in the street and starts down the other direction. The station wagon pulls forward and follows her.

Annie stops three houses down the street and pulls into a garage. The station wagon stops several feet away.

We see Annie come out of the garage and walk to another two-story frame house: the Wallaces'.

The shape gets out of the station wagon, close to CAMERA so we can't see him. He glances down the street. Gusts of wind blow the costumes of children going from house to house.

The shape moves. CAMERA TRACKS behind him as he walks toward the Wallace house.

The shape stops in front. Through the front room windows we can see Annie talking to the WALLACES as they put on their coats.

The front door opens. CAMERA and shape quickly move behind a tree to hide from sight.

The Wallaces step out of their house and walk to the garage. Annie and LINDSEY WALLACE, a pretty little nine-year-old, stand in the doorway framed by the hall light. Out of the garage comes the Wallaces' car. It turns and disappears down the street.

Annie closes the door. The shape steps out from behind the tree and stares at the house.

The shape moves to see inside a window of the Wallace house.

Inside, we see Annie turn on the TV. She goes to a mirror on the wall and begins to brush her hair.

A police car pulls up in front of the Myers house. Brackett and Loomis get out and stand by the front gate.

Looking down the side of the house we see Loomis and Brackett walk up to the front porch. A broken, rusted rain gutter CLANGS back and forth against the house in the wind.

The front door slowly opens. Brackett and Loomis stand in the doorway. They glance at each other. Brackett draws his gun and the two men step inside.

It is totally dark in the house. Brackett's flashlight comes on, illuminating the two men. As they move through the house CAMERA TRACKS with them.

Suddenly Brackett stops. He trains his flashlight on a small object in the corner of the room.

For a moment Brackett doesn't speak. Then he steps closer to the object.

Both men look down off screen at the animal. Brackett bends down to it.

He stands back up and looks at Loomis.

Brackett gets a disgusted expression and steps away.

Brackett looks back at the dead animal.

Loomis and Brackett cautiously step into the bedroom, the same room where the murder took place fifteen years ago. The glow from a distant streetlight casts the shadows of blowing trees on the walls.

Loomis walks over to the spot where the sister was sitting.

Loomis turns and glances at the window. He slowly walks toward it.

CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS IN toward the window.

Loomis stops by the window.

Blown loose by the wind, the rain gutter suddenly swings down and SMASHES through the window with a THUNDERING CRASH of broken glass.

Loomis jumps back, reaches into his coat pocket and draws a .357 magnum revolver.

Brackett stares at him. Loomis sees Brackett's reaction and slowly reholsters the revolver.

Brackett just looks at him a moment.

Brackett turns and walks out of the bedroom. For a moment Loomis stares at the rain gutter in the broken window.

CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS through the Doyle house. It is a large home with a staircase that leads to the bedrooms upstairs. Through a doorway we see a very modern kitchen. There is a dining room and living room with a big bay window that looks out into the street.

Laurie sits with Tommy Doyle on the couch reading him a story. Tommy has his Halloween costume on and a big bag of candy on the floor.

Tommy pulls out a stack of comic books from underneath the couch.

Laurie glances through the stack of comic books.

The phone RINGS in the other room. Laurie goes to answer it. She picks up the receiver in the den.

Annie stands making popcorn, the phone at her ear.

Lester, a large, ferocious-looking German shepherd, trots happily into the kitchen, spies Annie and walks over to her. He nudges her legs with his head.

She turns and reaches for Lester uncertainly.

Lester GROWLS at her menacingly.

Lindsey trots into the room.

Immediately Lester walks over to the back door. Lindsey opens the door and the dog trots out. Then Lindsey closes the back door and walks back into the living room.

INTERCUT WITH LAURIE IN DEN

Tommy walks to the front window and looks out.

A couple TRICK OR TREATERS walk by.

Behind them, across the street, stands the shape, looking into the house.

CAMERA is behind the shape, looking into the Doyle house. We can see Laurie talking on the phone. The shape's head moves slightly and WE PAN to see Tommy at the front room window looking out. Tommy moves away from the window. PAN BACK to see him enter the den and pull on Laurie's blouse.

Tommy runs to the window in the den and points. Laurie walks over with the phone and looks:

The street is empty.

Tommy runs out of the den.

Tommy dashes up to the front window and looks out.

We see the man as he passes under a streetlight on his way toward the Wallace house.

Annie stands by the kitchen stove making popcorn.

The shape stands close to CAMERA watching Annie make popcorn. She puts the butter in the pan.

Annie starts to pour the butter over the popcorn but instead pours it on herself.

Annie hangs up. She quickly takes off her blouse and blue jeans. She stands in the kitchen with only her panties on. She pulls a box of cornstarch out of the closet and sprinkles it out on the stains of butter.

The shape moves closer to the kitchen window and knocks over a potted plant. It CRASHES noisily against the side of the house.

Annie is startled by the crash. She looks outside the window.

A hanging plant swings in the wind. It BUMPS against the side of the house.

She turns from the window and walks out of the kitchen.

The hanging plant continues to WHAP against the house. A hand suddenly stops its motion. The shape leans up close to the kitchen window, looking inside.

From the darkness of the back yard Lester springs forward into CAMERA, SNARLING and BARKING viciously.

The shape darts away from the kitchen window, the dog SNAPPING right after him.

Annie listens to the GROWLING of the dog. She turns to Lindsey in the living room.

Suddenly the GROWLING sounds abruptly stop.

Annie turns and walks into the living room.

We see the shape's legs a few feet from the house. Next to him are Lester's legs, kicking and struggling a few feet above the ground.

Off screen, the shape is strangling the dog in mid-air.

Finally the dog's legs stop moving and dangle lifelessly. The shape moves away from the house.

Laurie and Tommy are sitting on the couch watching the Horrorthon on TV.

Laurie holds out her hand. Tommy takes it and together they walk into the kitchen.

Annie walks through the passageway to the laundry room. She is wearing a nylon robe and carrying her clothes to be washed. The wind blows the robe open.

The shape stands behind a tree watching Annie walk along the passageway.

Annie walks into the dark laundry room.

Almost immediately the wind blows the door shut!

Annie stands motionless for a moment, then begins looking for the light switch.

The door creaks open. Behind the door we see the outline of the shape standing there.

Annie turns toward the slightly opened door.

Silence.

Silence. The wind blows the door open a little wider. In the light from the main house, Annie sees the light switch. Quickly she flicks on the switch and the laundry room lights up. She glances outside the door.

There is no one there.

She steps back inside and crosses to the washing machine. She opens the top and dumps her clothes inside.

Suddenly a big gust of wind comes through the opened window above her. The door slams shut!

Annie hurries to the door and tries to open it. It won't open.

She tries to pull the door open. Behind her, in the open window above the washing machine, we see the shape looking in.

LINDSEY WALLACE, 8 years old with a pretty face, watches the Horror Marathon at top volume on TV. She doesn't hear Annie's call.

Annie turns and glances at the window above the washing machine. The shape is gone.

She quickly crosses to the washing machine, climbs up on top of it and starts out the window. Half way through she gets stuck. She tries to squirm her way back in but it's hopeless.

From the house Annie hears the phone ring.

Lindsey still sits in front of the TV. She lets the phone ring away. Finally she gets up and walks to the phone, her eyes pivoted on the TV. She picks up the receiver.

Lindsey hangs up the phone and walks through the kitchen to the back door. She calls from the door.

Lindsey crosses to the laundry room door. It is bolted from the outside. She lifts the bolt and looks inside the room.

Lindsey pulls on Annie's legs and she slides from the window onto the dryer.

As Annie and Lindsey walk back inside the house, the phone rings. Lindsey races across the room and picks it up.

Lindsey sets down the receiver and walks out of the kitchen. Annie gives Lindsey a dirty look and picks it up.

Suddenly behind Laurie the shape walks through the hallway between the living room and the kitchen. She doesn't see it.

Annie hangs up the phone. She walks into the living room. Lindsey is back watching the TV Horrorthon.

Annie calculates a moment.

Lindsey's eyes light up.

Annie and Lindsey come out of the Wallace house. Lindsey carries a bowl of popcorn. Annie has a coat over the negligee.

They walk down the street to the Doyles. The wind blows strong and whips the negligee around Annie's legs.

As the girls make their way down the street. The shape steps into the glow of the streetlight and watches them. He pulls a large knife from his pocket. The blade glistens in the light.

Laurie and Tommy are covered with pumpkin meat when the doorbell rings. Tommy runs to answer it. He opens the door. Annie and Lindsey stand there.

Lindsey sees the TV on and runs into the living room. She takes off her coat; sits in front of the TV and eats her popcorn.

Laurie comes from the kitchen. She glances at Annie's coat.

Laurie glances at Lindsey.

Before Laurie can say anything else, Annie rushes out the door. Laurie closes the door and looks in at Tommy and Lindsey engrossed in the Horrorthon.

Annie hurries across the back yard and steps into the garage. She walks to her car.

She tries the door. It is locked.

Quickly she turns and walks out of the garage.

Annie wanders through the empty house looking for her purse. She finds it in the front room, takes out her brush and lipstick and stands in front of the mirror primping.

She glances up at her image in the mirror.

Suddenly the phone RINGS. Quickly Annie grabs it.

She hangs up, grabs her purse and rushes out the door.

Annie walks into the garage, over to her car and opens the door. It is now unlocked, but Annie doesn't notice.

Annie slides in and inserts the key in the ignition. The car starts. Annie glances at the car door lock. Suddenly she remembers it was locked. She stares at it, puzzled.

An instant later, a man sits up in the back seat.

He wears a Halloween mask made of rubber with the grotesque features of a man. He reaches forward and grabs her.

Annie SCREAMS. She lurches for the door. The man puts one hand over her mouth and brings the huge butcher knife up to her throat.

From outside the car we see the struggle inside. Annie's anguished face presses against the steamed window. Her SCREAMS are muffled by the closed car.

Suddenly, the struggle stops.

Annie's face slides down the car window leaving a track in the wet surface. Then slowly the track in the glass steams over again.

Music from Invasion of the Body Snatchers fills the room. Lindsey and Tommy are riveted to the screen.

Tommy glances at Lindsey and slowly sneaks away from the couch. He jumps to a window and ducks behind a curtain.

Lindsey turns around and looks for Tommy.

No answer. Lindsey gets up from the couch to search for Tommy.

Tommy hides, preparing to jump out and scare Lindsey. For a moment, he glances out the window.

The figure of a man carries what seems to be a body across the Wallace's back yard.

Tommy SCREAMS and jumps out from the curtain, scaring the hell out of Lindsey, who also SCREAMS and begins crying.

Laurie rushes in from the kitchen finding the children in tears.

Tommy points out the window.

At this, Lindsey begins to CRY even louder. Laurie bends down to comfort her.

Tommy turns away from Laurie and Lindsey and walks over to the couch in front of the TV set. Almost instantly, Lindsey stops crying and follows him.

Lindsey sits up next to Tommy and hugs him.

Laurie shakes her head and walks back into the kitchen.

The old Myers house looks ominous and foreboding silhouetted against the dark, whishing trees. CAMERA TRACKS behind the hedge to where Loomis sits waiting.

Suddenly; there are noises from the street. Loomis parts the hedge in front of him and stares.

Three boys, Keith, Richie and Lonnie (from the playground) creep up to the edge of the sidewalk in front of the old house. They stare fearfully at the dark, tomb-like structure.

For a moment Lonnie hesitates, then slowly moves through the front gate up toward the porch.

He watches the young boy walk toward the house, unsure whether he should interfere or just watch.

Lonnie makes it to the front porch and tentatively steps up to the door. He glances back to his friends in the street.

Loomis' POV moves to the street.

Then Loomis' POV moves back to Lonnie at the front door. The boy turns to open the door. He's scared out of his mind.

Loomis quietly stands up behind the hedge.

Lonnie spins around and stares in horror at the talking hedge.

Moving like the wind, Lonnie barrels off the porch and races back to his friends. The three boys hurtle off down the dark street in utter terror.

He watches them race away, smiling to himself.

Suddenly, two hands enter frame and grab Loomis' shoulders. Loomis jumps and spins around. Standing there is Brackett.

Brackett turns and walks back to the street. Loomis watches him for several moments.

The house is quiet, dark. The lights are all out. Annie's car is parked in the garage.

A car pulls up in front of the house and parks. Its lights flick off. The sounds of LAUGHTER come from inside.

BOB SIMMS, a good-looking 17-year-old, POPS open a can of beer. Next to him Lynda guzzles hers. They embrace.

Bob grabs Lynda and she starts giggling. The can of beer falls over onto the front seat.

Bob opens the door and together they fall out onto the ground. Bob picks Lynda up and carries her up to the front door.

Lynda squirms in Bob's arms. As he sets her down her foot accidentally hits the front door and it swings open. Lynda and Bob both stop.

Bob and Lynda enter the house.

The living room is empty. The lights are off. Lynda and Bob enter the house and begin turning on the lights.

Bob walks over to Lynda.

They embrace. Bob pulls Lynda over to the couch and turns out the light. They kiss. A shadow comes over them. They continue kissing, unaware of the shape of a man on the stairway watching.

The house is totally black inside. The only sound is the music score from "The Thing".

Suddenly, the sound of laughter is heard from the kitchen. Then an orange light floats through the room. As it gets closer, we see that Laurie is carrying a Jack-O-Lantern, with a candle illuminating from the center of the pumpkin. Behind Laurie is Tommy and Lindsey making scary noises. The procession continues through the house.

The procession continues to the front window. Laurie places the Jack-O-Lantern on the window sill. She looks down the street toward the Wallaces.

Laurie sees Bob's car parked in front of the house.

Laurie smiles to herself.

Laurie sits down on the couch and sighs. Lindsey and Tommy cuddle up with her, one on either side.

The phone rings.

Laurie gets up to answer it.

Lynda sits on the couch in the dark. Her hair and clothes are messed up. Bob lies on the couch, his head on her lap.

Lynda hangs up the phone and grins.

Lynda grabs Bob's hand and stands up.

Bob grins.

Lynda pulls Bob up from the couch and they walk quickly up the stairs.

Laurie stands by the telephone. She walks to the window and glances out.

It is dark.

Laurie shrugs, turns away from the window and walks back to Tommy and Lindsey sitting on the couch.

Sounds of lovemaking come from the bed. The only light is a candle illuminating the sheets as they move slowly up and down and from side to side. Empty beer cans leave a trail from the door to the bed.

The moans from Lynda begin increasing. They get louder. Building to a crescendo. The phone rings. The lovemaking suddenly stops.

Lynda rises up on one arm. The sheet falls away from her, showing a very beautiful young body. Her hair is a mess and she is frustrated. The phone continues to ring.

Bob opens a fresh can of beer. He chugs it down.

The phone stops ringing.

Lynda reaches over and kisses Bob behind the ears. She slowly moves around his ear with her tongue. Bob grabs Lynda and pushes her down on the bed.

CAMERA MOVES BACK from the bed as their lovemaking continues, back through the bedroom doorway. Standing there in the darkness is the shape watching them.

Finally, Bob and Lynda climax. Bob rolls off Lynda. She lights a cigarette and hands it to Bob, then lights one for herself.

Bob gets out of bed and pulls his jeans on. He looks for his glasses. He finds them and puts them on.

Bob leans over and kisses Lynda. He leaves.

Lynda leans back onto the pillows. She smiles to herself.

Bob comes through the swinging doors. He opens the refrigerator and takes out two beers. He looks around the kitchen. He opens some cupboards and takes out a bag of potato chips. In another cupboard, he finds a can of peanuts.

Bob gathers the food and beers into his arms. He shuts out the light with his elbow. He turns to leave the doors. WHAM! He steps into a chair, knocking him backwards. The beer falls on the floor along with the chips and peanuts. Bob leans down to pick them up.

Bob has his head down, intent on cleaning up the mess.

There is a SLAM from across the kitchen. Bob looks up.

The back door of the kitchen slowly swings open, as if it has been slammed shut and the bolt didn't catch. It squeaks on its hinges as it swings back and forth.

Slowly, Bob gets to his feet and walks over to the door.

He steps to the door and looks outside.

The yard is empty. Just the wind blowing the trees.

He turns from the door.

There is a SQUEAK from one of the two closet doors by the kitchen counter.

Bob freezes, staring at the two doors.

He walks to one of the doors and opens it. Nothing inside.

He steps to the other door and opens it.

Right behind the door stands the shape wearing the rubber mask. He steps out and grabs Bob around the neck in an instantaneous lunge.

Bob tries to jump away, but the shape has a firm hold on his neck. Bob COUGHS and GAGS from the pressure.

Then the shape lifts Bob up off the floor.

Bob's feet leave the floor.

He makes a guttural sound deep in his throat as the shape's hand closes tightly around his windpipe.

Behind the mask are two burning eyes. The shape moves forward.

Still holding him up with one hand the shape SLAMS Bob against the wall, holding him up several feet off the floor. Bob struggles to get free.

The shape lifts his other hand. It holds the butcher knife.

The shape drives the knife deeply into Bob's chest with a SLAMMING THUD, the other end of the knife stuck through the wall.

Then the shape steps away. Bob hangs there, impaled on the wall, eyes still open in horror, dead.

Lynda lounges on the bed smoking another cigarette. She hears Bob enter the room but doesn't look up.

No answer. Lynda turns around and looks.

The shape stands in the doorway. He is covered with a sheet like a ghost. He wears Bob's glasses.

The ghost doesn't answer.

Lynda looks at the ghost. She slides the sheets down from her body.

The ghost doesn't answer. He continues to stare at Lynda.

Lynda laughs at her own joke, then stops when she sees the ghost is motionless.

Nothing. The ghost just stands there.

Lynda gets out of bed. She is nude and looks beautiful and sensuous in the candlelight. She walks over to the phone.

Lynda sits down on a chair by the telephone. In the b.g. the ghost stands in the doorway. She starts to dial the phone. The ghost starts walking toward her.

The house is very quiet. The kids are asleep. Laurie is sitting on the couch knitting. The phone RINGS.

Laurie crosses to answer the phone.

Lynda holds the phone to her ear. The ghost walks up slowly behind her. He raises his hands to grab her.

Laurie answers the telephone.

Lynda hears Laurie's hello as the ghost grabs the phone. He clamps one hand over Lynda's mouth. She squirms and writhes. He takes the telephone cord and wraps it around her neck.

Laurie hears SQUEALS, and rustling sounds across the phone.

Laurie continues to hear weird SOUNDS.

Lynda tries to fight off the ghost. He wraps the cord around her neck. He pulls tight. Lynda reaches up and pulls on the sheet. It slides off of the man, to reveal the grotesque Halloween mask.

Lynda gasps and tries to scream. The man pulls the cord tighter. Her face turns blue. She opens her mouth, trying to get air, then slowly slumps forward and remains motionless. Lynda is dead.

The shape picks up the receiver and puts it to his ear.

Silence over the phone

Silence.

More silence.

Suddenly the phone goes dead.

Laurie stares at the receiver, then hangs up. She crosses to the window and looks out toward the Wallace house.

The street is quiet, dark and windy. Bob's car is parked in front of the Wallace house.

Suddenly a light goes on in the bedroom.

She stares at the house, puzzled.

Then the light goes off.

Laurie moves from the window back to the telephone and dials Annie's number. We HEAR the phone ringing on the other end.

CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS through the darkened bedroom of the Wallace house. There is no sign of a struggle. The room is empty. The phone RINGS away.

Laurie finally hangs up the phone. She stands for a moment considering it, then turns and walks upstairs.

Laurie opens the door to the bedroom. Tommy and Lindsey are sound asleep on the bed. She looks at them a moment, then closes the door behind her.

Laurie comes back downstairs. She takes a key out of her purse and again steps to the window.

Dark and silent.

She steps to the front door.

Loomis sits in silence behind the hedge watching the Myers house. Frustrated, he gets up and walks to the street.

For a moment he glances back at the Myers house, then starts down the quiet residential street.

It is empty except for a station wagon parked several blocks away.

He turns away from the street. Then a thought strikes him. He looks again.

The lone car is Loomis' station wagon.

He's not certain of it. Slowly Loomis starts walking down the street toward the station wagon.

Laurie locks the Doyle house and walks away out into the street. The wind whips her clothes and hair.

MOVING SHOT toward the Wallace house, dark and ominous.

She moves down the street, shivering in the chill wind. She puts the key to the Doyle house in her pocket.

A car turns the corner and drives past the Wallace house, casting a strange shadowy pattern across the front of the house.

She picks up her speed now up the sidewalk.

The house looms closer and closer.

TRACKING SHOT with Loomis as he walks up the street.

The station wagon moves closer.

He recognizes it and races forward.

CAMERA TRACKS IN to the station wagon, right up to the state emblem emblazoned on the side.

CAMERA MOVES UP to the front of the Wallace house. Laurie walks up to the front porch. She stands there a moment, listening, as if to hear some sound of life from the inside.

She KNOCKS on the door and RINGS the doorbell. She waits.

Silence.

She steps off the porch and walks around to the side of the house, CAMERA TRACKING WITH HER. She moves to the garage and peeks inside. There is Annie's car.

Laurie thinks a moment, then looks to the street.

Bob's car sits there on the street.

She turns and walks through the breezeway between the house and garage around to the back door.

The kitchen door is ajar, swinging back and forth in the wind.

Laurie pulls open the door and steps into the house.

The kitchen is dark. Laurie stands there a moment staring into the blackness.

No answer.

No one answers. Laurie searches for the wall light. She flips it and nothing happens. She looks again into the darkness.

Nothing. Laurie moves forward into the house, CAMERA TRACKING WITH HER.

Laurie walks into the living room. She stops to let her eyes get accustomed to the almost total darkness. She reaches for a nearby lamp and trips over the cord. The lamp CLUNKS to the floor.

Suddenly there is a CRASHING SOUND from upstairs.

Laurie spins around and stares up the dark staircase.

Another SQUEAK from above.

Laurie smiles.

Silence.

Another SOUND from upstairs, a DRAGGING across the floor.

Laurie moves to the head of the staircase. The dragging sound stops abruptly. Silence.

A SCRAPING SOUND, then silence.

Slowly Laurie starts up the staircase.

Loomis stands by his car glancing up and down the empty street. Finally he makes up his mind and starts moving down the street, almost running, looking back and forth at the rows of houses on either side for something out of place.

SLOWLY TRACKING up the staircase.

as she slowly moves up the stairs. She reaches the top and stops.

It is totally dark. At the end of the hall is the bedroom door. From around the edges of the door is the faintest orange glow.

She moves for the door, CAMERA TRACKING WITH HER.

She reaches the door. Her hand reaches out and touches it.

The door swings open.

A Jack-O-Lantern casts an eerie glow around the room. There is someone lying on the bed but from this position Laurie can't see.

She moves forward toward the bed.

CAMERA MOVES FORWARD. There on the bed is Annie! Her face is a chalky white and there is a huge red gash across her throat.

At the head of the bed is Judith Myers' tombstone.

She stares at the bed and then SCREAMS at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly something drops down at her from above.

Laurie jumps back to the door.

Strung up to the light fixture on the ceiling, dangling there in the middle of the room, is Bob, eyes open and staring.

Laurie backs out of the bedroom. Her mouth is open in speechless horror.

Suddenly a door next to her slowly opens. There is Lynda standing there, propped up by a chair, staring at her with glazed, dead eyes.

Laurie shrinks back into a dark corner. She can only stare in horror at the sight of her friend.

Suddenly we are aware of something there in the dark corner. It is almost as if our eyes have suddenly begun to adjust to the darkness and we see the outline of a man standing right behind her.

The outline becomes more and more clear. It is the shape, wearing the mask, the butcher knife in his hand, gleaming, right behind Laurie.

Laurie suddenly moves away from the corner.

The shape lunges out at her.

The hand grasps a piece of Laurie's blouse and RIPS it.

She SCREAMS and spins around.

He stands there holding up the piece of material, then raises the butcher knife and moves for her.

CAMERA MOVES WITH HER as she backs away, SCREAMING at the top of her lungs.

He lunges at her suddenly with the knife.

The knife slices across her arm, ripping her flesh.

Laurie suddenly jumps backward, raising her arm instinctively.

Laurie bumps back into the railing.

He lunges again with the knife.

She leaps backward to avoid the blade and slips over the edge of the railing.

CAMERA PLUNGES DOWN from the second floor and SLAMS into the floor.

She hits the floor and rolls over, holding her leg painfully. Then she looks up at the staircase.

The shape moves to the top of the staircase and starts down toward her.

She pulls herself up off the floor and hobbles into the living room.

The shape races down the stairs.

She moves for the kitchen. She trips on the fallen lamp and falls to the floor.

The shape steps into the living room, knife raised.

She crawls to the kitchen, rolls inside and SLAMS the kitchen door behind her. In a flash she leaps up and CLICKS the lock.

There is a POUNDING on the door from the other side.

Laurie slowly climbs to her feet and limps toward the back door.

Suddenly the kitchen door EXPLODES, the middle of it breaking apart. The shape reaches through, groping for the lock.

Laurie reaches the back door.

Her hand tries the door. It is key-locked.

Desperately she tries the door, glancing behind her.

The shape's hand reaches for the lock.

She steps back from the door into the kitchen.

She sees the kitchen window over the sink.

She hobbles to the sink, climbs up on it and grabs the window. With a heave she opens it up half-way.

The shape's hand grabs the lock and CLICKS it open.

She can only get it three-fourths open. Headfirst she crawls through the window.

The shape pushes the door open and leaps into the kitchen.

She drags herself roughly out the window.

The shape grabs at Laurie's legs as they disappear through the sill.

Laurie picks herself up from the ground and runs as fast as she can, limping across the back yard, CAMERA MOVING WITH HER. She passes the driveway and scurries into the neighbor's backyard, up to the back door of the house. She POUNDS furiously on the door.

She looks behind her.

No sign of the shape. The house is dark and silent.

The back porch light comes on. Laurie continues to POUND on the door.

Through the glass in the back door we see an OLD WOMAN dressed in a nightgown approach.

The old woman stares at her suspiciously for a moment, then turns from the door and walks away.

The porch light goes out.

she turns around and looks back.

Nothing. No sign of the shape.

She hobbles off the back porch and runs across the yard to the street. CAMERA MOVES WITH HER as she limps along.

Laurie rushes up to the front door. She reaches in her pocket for the key and drops it on the porch.

Quickly she bends down and scrambles for it. She looks back toward the street.

The street is empty. The wind WHISHES the trees. Leaves sprinkle down.

Laurie gropes around for the key. It lies over a crack in the wooden porch. She reaches for it but her fingers nudge the key between the crack, down out of sight.

Laurie SCREAMS with frustration and glances back at the street.

The shape walks slowly down the middle of the street, right toward her!

Laurie begins to BANG on the front door.

She grabs a planter on the porch, steps back and hurls it at an upstairs window.

The planter SMASHES against the window. A light goes on. Tommy appears sleepily at the window.

She looks back at the street.

The street is empty. The shape is gone.

She stands there breathlessly, her eyes burning in the darkness.

Finally the door opens. Tommy stands there in his pajamas. Laurie leaps inside and SLAMS the door.

Laurie bolts the door from the inside.

Tommy turns and runs upstairs CRYING.

Laurie moves from the door to the telephone. She picks it up, dials a number and waits.

Then suddenly she reacts. The phone is dead. No dial tone.

She puts down the phone and stands very still. There is a slight breeze blowing her hair.

Slowly Laurie moves around the couch.

From the living room we see into the kitchen. The back door is open.

Laurie doesn't move. She begins crying softly, her eyes wide with fear.

Silence. No movement anywhere in the house.

Slowly Laurie sinks down to her knees by the couch.

Her hand brushes against the knitting needles protruding from her totebag.

She reacts to the feel of the knitting needles and pulls one out. It is long and deadly sharp. She stares at it.

Suddenly the shape leaps up from behind the couch! He springs at her, plunging the butcher knife.

The blade of the butcher knife THUMPS into the couch.

Instinctively Laurie raises the knitting needle and drives it home, right into the shape's neck!

The shape springs backward, clawing at the needle, rolling his head back and forth. Then suddenly he freezes, hands outstretched, motionless, and falls in a heap on the floor.

Laurie sits there.

The shape doesn't move.

Laurie begins to cry again, harder and harder.

CAMERA MOVES WITH LOOMIS as he moves along the street.

Suddenly two headlights hit him and a police car swerves to a stop next to him. Brackett gets out.

Brackett turns and hurries back to the car.

Loomis starts up the street again as Brackett pulls off in the other direction.

WIDE SHOT of the living room. Laurie is on one side of frame, the motionless shape lying behind the couch on the other.

Slowly Laurie stands up, stares at the shape and then moves to the staircase.

Slowly, painfully, Laurie climbs up the stairs.

Tommy and Lindsey are huddled in a corner WHIMPERING softly. The door opens and Laurie steps in. The two children run to her CRYING. She holds them in her arms tightly and nudges the door shut with her foot.

She takes the children back to the bed and sits down with them.

Suddenly the bedroom door swings open. Standing there is the shape, the butcher knife raised.

Both children SCREAM. Laurie shoves them into the bathroom and pulls the door shut, leaving herself outside in the bedroom.

The shape moves for her, slowly now, but relentless, the knife glistening.

There is a CLICK as the bathroom door is locked. Laurie leaps away from the door and circles around the bed.

The shape keeps coming.

Laurie dashes to a clothes closet and ducks inside.

Laurie pulls the sliding doors closed and crawls back into the small, dark interior of the closet.

Suddenly the doors begin to buckle as the shape pounds on them.

She reaches up and grabs a wire hanger from the top of the closet. She rips off the shirt and begins unhooking it.

The door buckles inward as the shape SMASHES against it.

She twists the top of the hanger, unwinding the wire.

The door BREAKS IN. The shape steps inside, pushing aside the clothes.

She unhooks the hanger and bends it out straight.

The shape leans in, peering down at Laurie in the corner, raising the knife.

Holding the hanger with both hands she thrusts it forward with all her might.

The wire hanger flashes into the shape's right eye.

He leaps back in pain, dropping the butcher knife, grabbing his eye with both hands.

She grasps the butcher knife with both hands and jabs it upward.

The butcher knife plunges into the shape's mid-section, right down to the hilt. The shape stumbles backward out of the closet.

She just sits there in the corner of the closet. There is a THUMP from the bedroom, then silence.

Slowly Laurie crawls around and peeks out of the closet doors.

The shape lies on the floor by the bed, the butcher knife protruding from his stomach.

Laurie emerges from the closet and carefully crosses the bedroom, avoiding the shape's body. She goes to the bathroom door and knocks softly.

There is a silence, then the door opens. On the other side are Tommy and Lindsey, looking utterly terrified. Laurie bends down and shields them from the sight of the shape.

She stands up and guides the children carefully across the bedroom to the door and ushers them outside. She watches for a moment as they walk down the stairs, then slumps down against the door frame in an exhausted heap.

Tommy and Lindsey run out of the house and down the walk to the sidewalk. They rush up the street. As they leave frame we see Loomis on the other side of the street.

He watches the children with a puzzled frown.

Shrieking with fear, Tommy and Lindsey run up the sidewalk.

He stares at them for a moment, then moves for the Doyle house.

We see through the bedroom door. In f.g. sits Laurie, slumped against the door frame, staring out at nothing; tears streaming down her face. In b.g. lies the shape.

Slowly Laurie begins to pull herself together once again. She gets up to her knees and begins to pull herself up to her feet.

Her back is to the shape. As she starts to stand the shape sits up, the head turning to Laurie.

Laurie rises into frame, holding herself erect by grasping the door frame.

Behind her the shape rises up into frame, quickly, silently.

Laurie just hangs there on the doorframe. An exhausted, ironic smile comes over her face.

Slowly the shape moves for her, his hands outstretched.

Just as he is about to grab her, Laurie manages to step out the door.

Unaware he is behind her, Laurie limps toward the stairs. Suddenly the shape jumps out of the bedroom and grabs her, hands around her neck.

Laurie SCREAMS. She twists and squirms and claws at him, her fingers ripping at his mask. She pulls it off over his face, wriggles out of his grip and turns around.

The shape, Michael, stares at her with his one eye. He has a dank, white face with blond hair. There is some- thing completely unhuman about his features, the open mouth, the dark staring eye.

Michael lunges at her again.

Suddenly there is a THUNDERING EXPLOSION and Michael is blown off his feet. Laurie falls back against the wall.

Standing at the top of the stairs is Loomis, gun in his hand. He moves forward down the hall.

Michael slowly gets to his feet, still refusing to die. Loomis stops and takes aim. BLAM!BLAM!BLAM!

Michael is hit three times, each bullet throwing him backward further down the hall until he hits the window at the end and SMASHES through it.

Michael falls from the second story right down into CAMERA with a CRASH!

Loomis rushes to Laurie and bends down beside her. For a moment she just cries in his arms, sobbing hysterically.

Then she looks up at him with a glazed, wild expression.

Loomis looks down at her, then up at the shattered window at the end of the hall.

He walks slowly down to the window and peers out.

He looks down at the spot where Michael should be, but there is nothing there, just a trampled patch in the grass.

He stares down with growing fear, then looks out from the house.

The back yard, the neighboring yards, the street, all are empty, quiet, dark. There is only the SOUND of the wind swelling in the trees.

Michael is gone.

FADE TO BLACK.

ROLL END TITLES.

THE END