"THE CABIN IN THE WOODS" (2012)

~h• Cabin ID The Wood•

Steve HADLBYand Richard SITTERSON are workaday white collar joes getting coffee and vending snacks as they chat. Hadley is blandly handsome, Sitterson bordering on nerdy, but they have a sweet rapport.

SI!l'TBUO.N At all?

Hoisting files and, in Sitteraon's case, a small white cooler -- the kind that might carry organs -- they exit into:

It's an anonymous concrete maze. A few other workers pass by as the men talk.

Wendy LIN, a nervous woman in a labcoat, joins them.

u -.·...·;··.··.·.\.·.· can't trust. • • what do you a.all people \ .-i~

from Stockholm?

Hadley points at him, 'oh no you didn't' making a big

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They turn a corner and find a row of golf carts at the end of a long, featureless hall. The boys hop in.

He peele out, Sitterson trying not to spill his coffee. We stay with them •••

Very suddenly there is a horribly loud musical sting and a smash cut to titles:

TU CABIM IB TD WOODS

The horrible sound gives way to jaunty rock. We see a street with a good, boho student vibe, not unsanFranciscolike. Ara in on a nice three story townhouse and into the second story window of:

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....,it.'i/'·.'··

DANAPOLR, a thoughtful, attractive college sophomore. Her room is like herr restrained and well ordered, but with funky touches of color and whimsy. A few sketches and watercolors of her own dot the walls as well.

Dana is in shirt and undies, packing for a trip and bopping softly to the music, which now comes from her little stereo. She does that singing-along thing where you start to sing too soon, looks sheepish even though she's alone.

She takes a couple of political science textbooks, drops them in her suitcase. Crosses to grab some art supplies, including a battered sketchbook. She pauses, flipping through her sketches -- which aren't bad -- til she gets to a portrait of a handsome thirtysomething man with longish hair and glasses.

CLOSB ON Dana staring sadly at the picture when Julie uJULEsw Louden comes into frame next to her. Jules is bubbly, sexy and as of ten minutes ago, blonde.

(_

s.

She holds up Dana's bikini from her open drawer.

She pulls the text books out.

CURT Vaughan is Julee's boyfriend and yes, that's a letterman jacket he's wearing and yes, that's a football he's throwing right at the girls.

REVERSE on them yeeping and flinching as the ball goes right between them and out tll• window.

CUR~ (CONT'D) Well, faeter than that .••

Dana moves to look out the window, is in time to see:

ANGLE: DOWNON THE STREET

Curt's friend HOLDENMcCrea rushee into the street and catches the ball, a slowing car bumping his leg. It's an impressive catch.

ANGLEON: the two girls at the window, Curt behind Jules, all looking out.

(

He graba Julee's boobs from behind.

CUR'l' (to Dana. shyly) I'm sort of seeing this gir1, but, uh, you're way blonder than eh• is, and I was thinking we could ••• what is this?

He pries the books from Julee.

In mock weep, she flees the room. Curt holds the first book up to Dana.

·'...)?..:.'»-·..'k whole book in his lectures. , ', (MORE)

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He tosses the books back on the bed, calling out to:

Dana, panicked, hoists her jeans on, heading out after Curt into:

Julee is opening the door for Holden, and he's even better looking up close. Less of a wild man than Curt.

He tosses it back to Curt am:1grabs his weekend duffle bag, entering~

(

Holden ie dumping Julee's last suitcase (she has overpacked) into the RAMBLER,the trailer Curt owns, with the dirt-bike attached to the rear. Dana's inside, takes it from him (polite smile between them) as he turns back to Julee and a bag-laden Curt.

' ·,,~ / . }• DANA ', , ...•,'4/f'../:]

(looking off) Oh my god •••

ANGLE: A CAR hae just finished parking. Martin "MARTY" Mikalski is getting out of the driver's seat while aaoking a huge bong. It's difficult to maneuver, but definitely not his first time.

His friends inetantly look around for, oh, say, police •••

He pours the water out. Removes the bowl, sticks it in a little holder inside the tube and telescopes the entire thing down, pulls a lid off the bottom and pops it on the top, making it look exactly like a can of Fresca.

As Bolde~ raises hie eyebrows and Ju.Lee rolls hec eyes

Marty hope in, calling out:

The key is turned, the gas stepped on. Curt looks in the rear view at his peeps.

General assent.

ANGLE: FROMUP HIGH we see the rambler rolling off into the distance. The camera arms up to watch it go, the side of the building in frame.

(

It reaches the roof and pans over as we find a group of six men in Clean Room Suits standing silently. After a beat, one speaks into his earpiece.

A beat, then he circles his finger in the air, scrambling the men to pick up cases and head for the door to the stairwell.

A thick metal door (not vault-sized, but impressive) wheezes open, a military guard standing behind it. His name is Alex TRUMAN,and his exact military affiliation is unclear. He is upright, exacting, and pretty new at all this.

'RBV-ERSBQD Sitterson and Hadley as they pull off their

badqea aad swipe -hem over Truman's handheld reader. He con'firme:

The control room has two levels. On the lower level are a couple of tables with built-in monitors and phones.

The upper level, behind, is a wonderland of screens, switches and dials, with two rolling chairs for Sitterson and Hadley to move about in. On the far wall, over the lower space, are three big screens, also off. The place resembles a movie mixing stage, or a tiny Houston Control.

Hadley and Sitterson make their way up, talking with Truman.

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Hadley is shrugging, hitting a bank of switches on the wall that audibly powers up the control room. He crosses to his chair and starts flipping switches there as well.

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Sitterson is already entering data into a computer, locking and testing knobs and levers.

Sitterson rolls to another bank of controls, flips the cover off a row of buttons.

The screens all come to white, blank life, their light brightening the dim room.

It trucks along an old road, nothing but brush visible.

The gang is in mid-ride, clearly a couple hours in. Curt is still driving. Jules, riding shotgun, is checking both a map and the GPS. Marty sits at the little table, cautiou.e.ly rolling an elegant, filtered .row of joints. Dana aita with him, Bolden in the batbrootft with the doo• open, where we can see they've staimed a keg. He's filling three cupa.

,.,

He grins at her, holds up a gorgeous joint.

( my other etash about it beoause it would

become jealous.

DAN1\ (pointing ahead) A sign. Up there.

Holden brings up beers for Curt, Jules and Dana, who smiles at him shyly.

(

Dana gives her a 'shut up' look.

CU!tl' I thought you were droppin9 art.

Jules swats curt, gives him a look.

,.

I

i . l HOLDEN

(to Dana) Is it okay if I didn't follow that?

They all look ahead.

It is as decrepit and abandoned looking as it can be. An

old pump squats in front of a monument to rust, windows clouded with grime.

ANQJ..B: FROM INSIDE through the windows we see the rambler pull up~ The inside of this place do88ll't look any more invi-ting than the 011taide. once upon a time thin~ were fixed and good8 were 8Q.ld in here, but not of late-

The kids pile out, stretching, looking about. Curt and Marty examine the pump.

Curt moves a pace to see if anyone is around.

ANGLE: HOLDENis inside, moving slowly toward the back. We hear Curt's offecreen:

But no reply. Holden keeps walking, tracing his finger along the countertop.

CLOSE ON: HIS FINGER trailing a line of clear glass into the grime.

(

ANGLE: THE GIRLS

Are making their way nimbly around back.

They stop, staring in horror.

REVERSE ON: THE BATHROOM. It's just as horrible aa it could be. The door off, the room tiny -- the walls stained with what might be actual slime. The toilet is lidless, broken and filled with brownish sludge.

A weird little gurgle comes from it. C,;.) Dana movea forward, brow fttrrowed. She 1eana in and looks down.

In the toilet, a scorpion struggles, drowning in the fetid muck.

ANGLE: HOLDENis heading back outside. We're behind him,

and through the open doorway we can see curt and Marty trying to figure out how to work the pump.

The ATTENDANTfills the doorway, having come around from the outside. He speaks aa he appears, over the surge of music and Holden's shocked jump --

The attendant is old, weathered, and creepy as hell. One eyeball is hideously red, tobacco chaw spills over his stained lips, and he carries a permanent scowl of disgust.

curt is making his way over to him, Marty judiciously hanging back.

But he doesn't move to help. The girls come around, no more anxious to get close once they've seen him than Marty waa.

The attendant looks at her, the name registering. She

kind of wriggles under his gaze.

He starts ambling toward the pump, pulling out a ring of keys and unlocking a latch.

(

The attendant sticks the nozzle in the rambler's gas tank. The numbers on the pump start going up manually (like they used to back when), but creak to a stop almost immediately.

She takes a step back, freaked. Dana takes her arm.

The attendant stops for a second, not expecting this guy to have come back at him. Glances at Jules, mutters:

Curt is about to clock him but Holden puts a hand to Curt's chest, steps forward.

".)

)

He pulls out the nozzle as the gang moves back in, Curt contemptuously throwing a twenty at the guy's feet.

ANGLE: THE RAMBLER'STIRE

Spins in the sand and takes the heap right out of there,, cruising down the road.

The attendant watches, spits chaw. Watches.

BX~. WOODS- DAY

A helicopter shot £loats over the rambler as it winds through an endloe expanse of firs, finally consumed by them.

The Rambler comes up the side of a steep drop-off. We see Jules in the passenger seat smiling .••

And we pan with the vehicle as it enters the mountain tunnel, slowing down a bit -- it's a tight fit. The camera moves up the mountainside, looking down to see the rambler come out the other end.

A bird comes from behind camera, flying directly above the tunnel. About halfway across it hits an invisible barrier and falls in a shower of sparks as for one moment an electrical grid seems to appear where it struck, before sparking away into nothing.

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--;:_,)··,.

There's no audio but music as the kids all crowd the front of the van to look at their vacation spot. The lake appears up ahead, sun rippling over the water, and they look and point, talking a bit.

Finally the camera races through the forest and finds the cabin. It equate uninvitingly, a fairly ramshackle -- though not overly rustic -- single story structure. Windows on either side of the door, not unlike closed eyes.

The van pulls up and the kids come out, more slowly than they did at the gas station, taking it in. Dana's a little entranced, Holden curious, Curt pumped, Jules mildly excited, Marty wary.

MARn' (to hims•li) This houaa is talking a hlue s~reak •••

As the boys start unloading the keg, Dana approaches the front door ••• s.JA,wly turns the knob •••

She enters the living room. It's also, if you turn to the right, the kitchen; the stove is a classic old wood- burning Kalamazoo Wonder, the sink clearly retro-fitted. The decor is sparse and antlery. A wolf's head is

mounted on one wall.

A hall goes own the middle, with two bedrooms on either

side. Dana makes her way around the room as the rest of

the gang pours in.

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Jules runs down to the hall, to look in the rooms, grabbing a doorknob --

She pulls her finger back -- it's cut, slightly on the tip, a little blood welling up.

Dana looks over at Marty, who stands ·in the doorway, looking around warily.

He looks around, not ready to make his move.

Holden throws his bag on his bed, which squeaks appallingly. Be looke around the decrepit -- but not entirely un-homey -- room, focusses on a picture opposite

the bed.

ANGLE: THE PICTURE is like 19th century print, but it's of a hunting party with machetes and dogs tearing a lamb to pieces and, upon close examination, ie repulsive.

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He takes the picture off the wall, camera follows him as he leans it on the floor, comes back up to find Dana staring at him blankly through a hole in the wall. Once again, he jumps.

She barea her teeth at him. He stops, not getting what's going on at all, then as she starts picking between them, he gets it. Moves forward and puts his hand to the one- way airror between th-.

He watches her for a bit, first amused, then a little hypnotised. She really is kind of beautiful. She musses her hair a little, gives up, grinning at her own vanity. Moves to her bed and starts unbuttoning her shirt.

Be bob's back and forth between thia golden opportunity and comme~ human (yawn) decency. Moves away from the hole, out of frame. Moves back.

Finally bangs on the wall, ducking his head just as she's about to take it off

The gang is all in there, checking it out.

He makes ape noises off screen. Dana is still staring at the glass.

He grabs his bag and they head out as she says:

She makes cringe face.

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In her (now hie) room, he dumps hie stuff and she grabs here.

Dana exits, clearly frustrated with her lame exit line. She enters her new room and# dropping her luggage, moves to put the picture back. She' a stopped by the sight of . Holden, alsG looking a littlafruatrated. A moment, and

he pul.la hi• shirt over his head. Re' a in pretty good shape. He pulls his bathing suit out of his bag, etarta unbuttoning hie pants

Sheepishly, she grabs the picture and replaces it. Takes a moment to look at the slaughtered lamb scene •••

We cut to a high and wide of her placing a little blanket over the picture, and suddenly the frame is that of a monitor, as we pull back to see:

••. we're watching Dana on a MONITOR. And as we continue

to PULL OUT, we see MOREMONITORS. ON THE SCREENS: we see a surveillance view of Holden in hi• room •••

••• and Marty in hi• room ••• and Jules with curt ••• In fact --

ALL THE MONITORSon the control bank are now lit up, each showing different views of the cabin and surrounding area. Sitterson rolls into frame on his office chair, looking the screens over --

Hadley stares at DANA'S MONITOR. Keys the microphone in front of him --

VOICE (over speaker) Have it back to you in fifteen •••

Sitterson glances up as --

SI1"l'ERS0>5 Ms, Lin!

Wendy Lin entere the area, clip'.boacd under hec amn. Sitterson wheels himself towards her.

ANGLE: ON A MONITORis JULES, going through her stuff.

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And ANOTHERVOICE rings out over the speakers

HADLEY

;,;~..:

Hadley and Sitterson share a glance. Sitterson holds up his hands -- don't look at me. Thie is all yours •••

Hadley hits a button on his keyboard --

The ATTENDANT(who, it turns out, is named MORDECAI) speaks into the gas station payphone

Hadley nods, moves to hang up

Sitterson starts laughing. He clamps his hands down over his mouth to keep quiet. Lin keeps mostly cool •.•

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Sitterson's nearly orying now --

That does it. Everyone loses it -- even Truman is grinning. As the room erupts with laughter

Sitterson pounds his head on the console, he's laughing so hard. Off which --

Footsteps ring out as Dana and Holden race down the wooden dock. They're both in their swimsuits, running at top speed. As they reach the end, they dive into the lake --

Reverse on Curt, Jules, and Marty (all also in swimwear except Marty, who at least has bare feet and rolled-up pants) as they casually walk down the dock --

I ~ I I I I 30. \ i :)

C'lll't steps to the edge of the dock,.face falling as he looks into tba water --

(,)~.'.'I ',t, CURi'

He puts hie hand on Jules back --

And with that, he shoves Jules straight into the lake. Splash!

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Curt points at another part of the lake --

He jumps out right where he was pointing -- SPLASH -- as he surfaces --

He laughs as she tries to dunk him

Dana laughs, looks up at Marty

(, DANA Marty -- 9'•t in. here

He sits down on the edge of the dock, dangles his feet in the water. Leans back. High as the proverbial kite --

And with that, we CUT WIDE ON THE LAKE. On the horizon, the sun is just staring to set. We HOLDON THIS TABLEAU as the kids splash and laugh and frolic in the lake.

For a moment, all is right with the world.

WBUMPl A large wad of CASH slam8 down onto the console. Widen to reveal Sitterson -- for some reason he's holding large wads of cash. A8 he steps up onto the console

ic·. I 32. 'yI ' I .. ,~. l ;.;

The room ia bustling with activity. Several people are clustered around Hadley, thrusting papers and cash in his face, everybody talking over each other --

Sitterson looks at hie clipboard

A TECHNICIANin a labcoat hands her form to Sitterson.

As he looks at it --

SIT'l'ERSOB (CONT'D) I'm not even sure we ha,,e one of these •••

Across the room, A YOUNGGUYwho looks a lot like an

INTERN hands his form to Hadley

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Lin is off to the side, where Truman stands at attention, stoically watching the proceedings.

TRtJMAN Does 'the Director ••• do they know about it downstairs?

Hadley glances up at the monitors. ON THE SCREENS-- we see Dana, Holden, Jules, Curt, and Marty crossing through the cabin, heading towards the living room.

M_,~,__,. '<'~"tf..."t. '.~Ji-~

Hadley counts the money --

Re hands the rest of the mo·ney to Sitterson, who slams it on the pile with the rest of the cash.

Curt pumps the keg, sprays beer into a plastic cup as Jules puts on a song --

He hands the beer to Jules, who dances through frame in ti.me to the music pumping out of the stereo.

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·-t;,~ ·:~~- ,;j

He a grabs a joint, lighta it, and takes a massive hit. But he doesn't exhale. He just looks at Holden -- all right, bring it on •.•

Marty nods -- true.

Marty exhales a huge cloud of smoke as the group applauds.

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Everyone turns, looks to where he's pointing. MOUNTEDON THB WALL is the large, snarling WOLF'S HEAD. For the record, it couldn't look l••• like a moose.

Jules nods, takes a drink, hops to her feet.

JULES

) No problem.

The group cheers. As Jules makes her way across the cabin, she drops her hips a bit, adding a sultry swagger to her step.

WOLF'S POV: We're looking out at the cabin as Jules walks right by us. And just as she's about to exit frame, she stops in her tracks. Looks over at us.

She glances over her shoulder. Bashful. Looks back at us wolf, points to her chest.

Everyone laughs, cheering her on. But Julee pretends they're not even there -- it's just her and the wolf.

She blushes, twirls her hair around her finger --

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She steps towards the wolf, then acts like she trips --

While the group hoots and hollers, Jules turns around, bends over right in front of the wolf. Pretends like she's picking something from the ground.

Then, without turning around, she stands up straight, so that the wolf is now directly over her shoulder. She nuzzles it, cheek to cheek --

Sha turns around, takes the wolf'• head in her handa

And with that, Jules leans in and gives the wolf the most passionate kiss we've ever seen. She just goes for it full-on, tongue-to-taxidermied-wolf-tongue action.

The group loses their minds. Everyone leaps to their feet, giving Jules a standing ovation.

Jules looks to the group, takes a bow even as she makes a face, spitting out etuffed-wolftaste. As she walks back to the group, Curt hands Jules her beer, the others keep applauding --

\ J

Dana frowns. Glances at Curt --

ANGLE MARTY-- he's glancing at Curt. Frowning. Something about all this seems a little off •••

And Dana seems to notice it too. But she's not about to let Curt get under her skin --

And just then, behind her -- WH-WHAM-- the cellar door blows open. Everyone screams, startled.

They all look back at the now-open hole in the floor. As they move toward it --

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) -~ .

They all cluster around the hole.A set of stairs leads down into the foreboding darkness.The group stares down at it, all a little spooked --

Dana glances up at her. What? ( JULES (CONT'D) I dar• you to go down into the cellar.

:) And we' re CLOSE ON DANAae she tries not to show just how

much that scares her. OFF HER LO01' --

Crrreak. Dana cautiously makes her way down the old wooden staircase. It's dark; Dana's flashlight barely illuminates three feet in front of her.

She reaches the landing. Tries to keep her voice steady as she calls back to the others

She stands at the base of the stairs, trains the flashlight beam around the room. Curiosity getting the better of her, she steps into the darkness.

Creak •••

The flashlight beam scans the room, catching a glint of metal -- OLD RUSTY TOOLS hang from hooks along the walls.

Creak •••

Dana keeps moving, heart pounding in her chest. Her flashlight sweeps the area, finding a dusty old RECORD PLAYER••• a CHILD'S TOY CHEST••• a dressmaker's MANNEQUIN•••

Dana turns, beam sweeping across the wall. As it does so, it finds --

As footsteps ring out from above, Dana angles the light back towards the face, realizes --

It's a PORTRAIT. A daguerrotype, to be precise, of a young woman, roughly fifteen, dressed in turn of the century garb. She stares back at Dana with sad eyes.

Dana tarns to find Holden racing down the stain, the others right behind him.

Marty strikes a match, lights an OLD OIL LANTERN hanging from the wall. As orange light spills across the room •••

•.. they get a full view of THE CELLAR. The room is big much bigger than we expected -- and every dark corner seems to be filled with creepy clutter.

• "'t•

But the others aren't even listening to him. They spread out, each focusing on a different part of the cellar --

Holden looks down at a variety of CHILD'S TOYS scattered across the floor. He picks up an ORNATEMUSIC BOX

curt has picked up a CONCHwhen he sees a WOODENSPHERE sitting behind it. He puts the conch down and hoists the sphere. It almost looks like a small globe, it's so ornately carved, but it has dusty brass rings inlaid around it -- it can be turned and adjusted almost like a spherical Rubik's cube.

Dana aan•t take her eyes off the portrait of the girl. on the ·vanity belo~ it, she notic" a va:r:iety o~ personal effec:ts: an old h~rbrush ••• a silver lllirror ..... and a leather-bound BOOK.

Jules studies the dressmaker's mannequin. AN AMULET hangs around its neck. Jules touches it •••

But even Marty can't help but be intrigued as he spots an OLD SUPER-8 PROJECTOR. He finds a film reel, starts unspooling it •••

HAUNTINGMUSIC fills the air as Holden starts winding the crank on the music box .••

Curt starts turning the sphere parts -- they seem to be lining up •.•

0)

Dana brushes the duet off the book, revealing the word "DIARY" on the cover •••

Julee takes the amulet off the mannequin, holds it up to her neck, looks for the clasp as though she were about to try it on •••

Marty holds the film strip up to the light, frowns as he

tries to discern what's on it •••

As Holden continues to wind the crank, the music BUILDS

and BUILDS••• He's staring down at the box-lid -- it's as

though something's about to pop right out of it ••• And

just as the music's about to reach crescendo --

Holden stops winding the crank. The world goes quiet. Everyone looks up from what they're doing.

Reluct.aA:tly, each person puts clown tll.e object o£ his or her attention and moves towards. Dana.

Dana looks in the inside cover.

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She stops, looking at everyone. Nobody comments. Bewildered, she flips ahead, continues:

Dana looks around. Holden gives her a little nod.

A small voice seems to whisk across the top of the room, barely audible:

VOICE Read it ••••

Marty is the only one who seems to hear it. He looks around •••

The fuck •• ?

'),; ,,,l VOICE

Read it out loud •••

Marty starts across the room as Dana appears to be about to start. Curt plants a hand in his chest and shoves him back.

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As her voice continues to echo on the soundtrack, a gnarled and grey hand digs ite way out of the ground, holding a ruaty blade.

They come out one by one, in various parts of the woods: a group of hastily buried and not all that decomposed zombies, five of them, all in 1900 1 s farm clothes, all holding various appalling farm implements.

These are the Bucknera: FATHERwith his scythe, MOTHER with her broken saw, skinny JUDAHwith his thin, sharpened trowel, enormous MATTHEW(we don 1 t see his weapon yet) and little, one-armed PATIENCE, holding a hatchet.

Patience is the first to move, ambling toward the distant light of the cabin.

Oil THE MAIN VIEWSCREEN-- we see the image of the ZOMBIE P'J\KILY slowl.y making their way tow,irda th• cabin.

SI!I"l'ERSON(O.S.) We have a winner! ·

Widen to reveal a HUGECROWDhas filled the control room.

Everyone 1 s watching the large viewscreen intently.

Most of the crowd GROANSin disappointment, throws their betting slips to the ground. But a few BLUE-COLLARGUYS throw their arms up in triumph --

And as he says that, we see behind him:

A LARGEWHITE-BOARDagainst the wall. Written in marker, down one column, there's a long list of MONSTERS. A few words jump out at us: "VAMPIRES," "WEREWOLVES,""FLOATING WITCHES," "ALIENS,' 1 "ZOMBIES,'1 "KEVIN," "CLOWNS," "WRAITHS," "SCARECROWS,""ANGRYMOLESTINGTRBE," ( "MUTANTS."

; •l

Down another column: a corresponding list of DEPARTMENTS: "ELECTRICAL," "ENGINEERING," "SECURITY," "ZOOLOGY"and so forth.

Hadley hands an enormous wad of cash to the BLUE-COLLAR GUYS and another wad to the happy INTERN we saw earlier.

People shake their heads, begin to file out of the room. A WIRY GIRL approaches Sitterson on her way out

Sitterson taps the board. There it is right there: "ZOMBIE REDNECKTORTUREFAMILY." Right next to "HAINTBHANCB" and "RONALD 'l'BB INTERN."

S J.i'i 1BRSON ( CONU'' D) Entirely separa.te thing. It' a like the difference between an elephant and an elephant seal.

Her shoulders slump. Knows he's right. As she goes:

Truman stares at the screens, at the shambling Buckners corpse-clan.

~•. 1.

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Sitterson walks over to Hadley. He'a just standing there, staring up at the screens. Looking a little despondent --

S11"J'!RSON Dude, be thankful. Thoae things a.re terrifying. And the cleanup on them's a nightmare.

Hadley nods -- I suppose you're right. He gestures towards the screens.

Hadley nods, good point. As they start walking back

(

towards their console --

}

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And as Sitterson and Badley clear frame, we BOLDON ONE OF THE MONITORS.

ON THE SCREEN: we see a video feed of a JAPANESE SCHOOL ROOM. Several schoolchildren run screaming in terror from a SOPPING WET YOUNGGIRL who's floating through the air like she's hanging from an invisible noose. Aa the children SCREAMand SCREAM,the WET GIRL floats TOWARDS US and we CUT TO

Everyone else is sitting, Dana and Holden on the couch, Dana still holding the book, and Marty slumped in armchair, smoking sullenly.

Jules dances over in front of Holden and does a little impromptu lap-dance wriggle for him. He looks a little awkward, glancing at Dana, who isn't exactly thrilled.

j i t

She moves to him, gives him a little wriggle action as she takes his joint and sucks hard.

Dana stands, dropping the book on the couch.

They exit, as Dana crosses to get another beer and Holden flips through the book. Marty hoists himself up and joins her, still smoking.

DAltA Curt's just drunk.

j ;,;' ·:t. ' ·~ -~

C

I

I DANA

Marty, I love you, but you're really high.

He ambles off into his bedroom as Dana comes back to the couch with a beer for herself and Holden. He takes his, still holding the book.

HOLDBlt ( The Latin. Tha.t you •••

He sips his beer, tosses the book back on the couch.

She smiles, looks down.

Jules is laughing, running through the woods, Curt in hot pursuit. He catches her around the waist with one hand, beer still held in the other.

He kisses her, deep and hard.

He starts pulling at the last buttons. She pulls away a little.

IW. CO~OL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Cl, They'Zll auddenly on three hage scremte, being shot with a

frame watching them intently.

He pulls the shirt open but she takes a step back and holds it together.

A 9Z"oan throughout the crowd cause Hadley to stand up from the control area behind them.

As they are herded out by Truman, Hadley sits, saying to (_ ,~, Sitterson: -····.,,·'

( ,_ "I!:"'

He types fast on a keyboard, uses a touch-screen thermometer gage to raise the heat.

Hadley is working his own controls •••

AT THEIR FEET we actually see wisps of fog rise from the ground.

Jules, still holding her shirt together, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath through her nose. She opens her eye•, .looJcin9 at Curt with half-lidded lust. Be goea in for another kisa and she~· her arm,, around him,

·:, pul1ing o.if bis ehirt. Aa he tries to arch bee down to I _J;..ff the ground, her laet sleepy prote.art:

He starts to turn her, pulling her open shirt away from her neck and kissing it from behind •••

The boys are working in concert now.

He pushes a lever -- literally a dimmer -- up as he hums. And:

Before the kids, a tiny glen of moss and soft green fronds suddenly seems to glow in the moonlight. It couldn't be more inviting.

Jules smiles, dizzy with lust.

ANGLE: GROUNDLEVEL -- Jules drops down into frame, Curt on her, the two of them only about the business. They roll over, Jules on top, sliding her hand down Curt's pants -- he moans with longing, running his hand up her chest over her bra.

The men watch the screens, hands at the ready to manipulate any dial. They have the dispassionate focus of porn theater patrons.

Truman looks over at them, a little disturbed.

Sitterson turns back to the screens, and the two men watch their handiwork.

And now we cut back and forth a bit.

(

Curt, kneeling, slides Julee's pants off. His head comes back into frame and takes the edge of her panties in his mouth, making a little growl as he lets go and it snaps back on her waist --

Jules laughs, leaning her head back and suddenly not laughing, breathing hard •••

Hadley and Sitterson stare, (looking perhaps directly into camera to make us even less comfortable) •••

Jules swings on top and pulls her shirt off at last. She takes her time, sliding her hands up her belly to her breasts, finally to the clasp in the middle of her bra •••

She pops it open, holding it together coyly for one moment before pulling the bra off, revealing her breasts, a sheen of sweat (and the fact that they're not fake) making them all the more enticing. She smiles knowingly, a vision of hedonistic perfection.

Curt looks up at her in silent wonder.

All three men in the control room -- including Truman --

look at her the exact same way •.

into him~ hie arma coming around her back.

He makes a small tweak on a dial, eyes still on the screen.

ANGLE: ABOVE'THE LOVERSthe camera comes softly down towards them, the tableau romantic and sensual. He's atop her and a bit to the side, one hand (out of frame) working under her panties as she moans, arms out •••

CLOSE ON: HER HAND, running along the soft moss.

A rusty trowel nail• it to th• earth.

Jules SCREAMS, rearing up --- hampered by the hand that won't move, as Curt tumbles off her, looking up to see:

Three zombies (as they will be called from now on) are attacking them.

Skinny JUDAH is crouching over Jules, pulling his trowel out even as MOTHERreaches around her neck with her snaggle-toothed saw. MATTHEW,the biggest, is still a few feet behind, ambling towards.

CLOSE ON: THE MOTHER'S BELLY as three burning coals flop out of a slit in it, sizzling on Jules's hair and the moss.

She starts to draw the saw along Julee's neck and Curt snaps out of it. He piledrives right into Mother

knocking her back on her ass. He turns to Judah just

as Judah digs the trowel into his arm. curt howls, trying to pull it out as Jules holds her bleeding neck, trying to rise but weak.

curt pulls his arm away, bringing Judah towards him and then punches Judah hard right in the nose. The nose breaks easily, crumbling a bit, Judah completely unfazed by it. curt looks over towards the third zombie.

M&tth:ew s.tande a few feet away, leaning slightly. 0 Suddenl.y be lets a chain elide t~ his fi-ngera ,. all th~ wa.y ta the ground, pulled by a b~oken bear-t.cap, juat a rusty metal jaw with teeth: a tum-of-the-century mace and chain.

Matthew grins.

The trap swings with sudden speed, whacking Curt's head (luckily not with the jagged side) and knocking him back, bleeding and dazed.

She tries to rise and Matthew swings again, digging the claw of the trap into her back. She SCUANS, arching back and flopping face-down onto the ground, digging her fingers into the earth as Matthew dra9a her baokvarda.

Curt stumbles up -- and Father is behind him, slipping the shaft of his scythe over Curt's head and pulling it back hard against Curt's throat. Curt thrashes, unable to scream, as his feet are pulled off the ground. He sees:

The screaming, pleading, whimpering Jules is kept in place by Matthew's foot as he yanks out the trap.

Judah pulls her hair back, holding up her head -- her eyes on Curt's -- as Mother places the broken blade once more at her throat. Curt watches in silent horror.

Inside the control room, the men are equally silent, Truman trying hard not to lose it as Julee's pleas fill the air around.

CLOSE ON: JULES'S PLEADING EYES as we hear the horrible scrape of the saw tearing flesh.

No sound in the console at all save scraping and shuffling. Truman has his eyes closed. Hadley and Sitterson both have lowered their heads, and Sitterson quietly intones:

penta.graJI\. Be kies•s it and repla<:ea it und•r hie shirt )

as Badle¥ c~osses behind him to a series of tive mahogany

panels at the far end of the room.

He opens the first and presses an ornate brass lever down.

CLOSE ON: A MECHANISMalmost like an old clock, Julee Verne-esque. A small hammer strikes a vial that cracks, dark red blood pouring out into a brass funnel that runs down a thin pipe, seemingly a very long way.

The pipe ends in the ceiling of a dark room we won't really see just yet. The blood pours out onto a leaning slab of dark marble, right into a groove at the top. The blood races down the groove as it bends and arcs different ways, forming a primitive picture of eome sort -- though of what, we do not yet see.

Judah hisses at us.

(_

..

Drop wide to see Curt has stopped struggling, Father still holding him as Judah and Mother amble toward him. Matthew is bent over Julee's corpse, but we can't see what he's doing, thankfully.

As they raise their blades, Curt aprin9• into action, planting his feet on both of them and pushing as hard as he can, knocking them back -- and Father as well, Curt rolling over him and pulling himself free.

Gasping for breath, Curt scrambles on hands and knees back towards the cabin, almost on his feet -- and the blade of Father's scythe slices through the cuff of his jeans, pulling his leg and dropping him back to earth.

Marty is lying in bed on his back as he reads Curious George.

Letting out a br:eath, he drop.s 1:ha book to his c-hest.

VOICE I'm gonna go for a walk •••

He sits right up.

He runs his hands over his eyes, weary.

VOICE I'm gonna go for a walk ...

(

Dana and Holden are leaning in for a kiss when Marty strides by, making them stop.

They look at each other awkwardly, the moment broken. Marty shuts the door behind him.

We walk out with Marty, leaving the house behind. He comes out about thirty yards, near the first trees. In medium close-up, he looks up •••

And he ~tarts to take a piss. All of which is held at this close angle, so we only hear it.

There's a noise in the woods behind. He turns around to

see a copse of trees, but no movement. Turns back and in

the BG one of the trees turns out to be a figure -- a silhouetted girl with only one arm, holding a hatchet.

She makes her way slowly toward him, now lit by the side window of the house, now lost in the dark in front of it. Marty zips up, turns again -- and Curt attack• hia froa right beeid• caaera, yelling and scaring the shit out of him.

Marty heads back, with Curt, when Patience steps out of the shadows in front of the house. Marty rears back but '>.";>. '.:;,t Curt fucking clothelines her, sends her flying -- ''·:•

-- and pulls Marty toward the porch.

Dana closes her eyes as Holden softly kisses her. It's tender and sweet. She pulls back.

They start to kiss again •••

WHAMJ curt spills onto his knees in the doorway. Dana and Holden race to him, gasping as they see hia bloody

wounds --

Marty's right behind Curt -- as he races inside -- Curt grabs the door, slams it shut. Gasps for air. Dana races to his side, tries to examine his wounds --

Curt pushes her away, shakes his head. Tears spring to his eyes he's clearly in shock. Holden tries to calm him down --

(,

Be's already moving towards the back of the cabin.

Dana reaches for the front door. Starts to open it •.•

••• and she swings the door opea., revealing --

·., ' '.~.'.\ \ , r..• He'• at~nding on the porch, framed in the doorway. Just

staring at us. Holding something round down by his side. He tosses it right at Dana -- she gasps, catches it, looks down to see

It'• Jule•' BBAD.

Dana screams her heart out. She drops Jules' head on the ground, glances up as Matthew steps up the porch. She screams and screams as Matthew approaches -- Holden dives forward, slams the door shut just as --

WHAM! Matthew slams into it. The frame shakes, the wood splinters. Marty races forward, helps Holden brace the door. As they slam the deadbolt into place --

Curt flips the couch over, tries to shove it against the door. Looks up at Dana, who's still in shock

Dana snaps out of it, helps Curt shove the couch under

the doorknob. WHAM! The whole cabin seems to shake as Matthew slams into it

Holden races across the living room, throws the deadbolt on the back door.

Dana's face falls as she realizes

DAM& Oh god. Patience. (glances at. Holden) The dieq --

(

Curt starts heading towards the back of the cabin. As he wavea them forward --

Hadley's slumped in hia chair, shaking his head as he stares at the surveillance images of Curt and the others moving through the cabin. Sitterson'a right beside him, working the console --

Clickety-clack -- he hits some keys, throwa a switch --

nrr. CABIN

CUrt'a h,ur ripples •lightly aa he's hit bye gust of air from a l\earby HEA"l'ntG VENT. H'e stope in his traoka, looking •lightly confused --

He glances around, looking slightly befuddled. Shakea his head --

He looks at the others almost like he doesn't trust them.

And now Dana and Holden look a little hazily paranoid as well. They think about it, nod

CRASHJ Just then, the living room window EXPLODES INWARD. Our group cries out in surprise, looks back to see MATTHEW'SARM now reaching through the window

Curt turns, races back towards the living room --

As Curt starts shoving a bookcase up against the window, Dana and Holden share a glance. Nod.

They race towards the back. Marty hesitates a moment,

frowning ---something about this isn't quite right. But then he shakes it off, hurries after them.

IW'. C~OL aooM

ON THB Jl0!1ITORSwe see DanA, Holden, «nd Karty running down the hall. Aa Hadley and Sitterson watch --

Sitterson throws a switch

-- and as Dana, Holden, and Marty all split off into their separate rooms --

All the doors SLAMSHUT behind them, and: WH-CHUNK1 We hear vault-worthy locks slamming home.

Marty stops in his tracks. Glances back at the closed door behind him. Again, he frowns -- Huh. That's weird ••• But before he has time to consider it fully --

WHAM! The cabin shakes again. We hear glass breaking in another room. Marty snaps out of it stick to the plan. He races to the window, which is wide open --

(

Aa he dives for it, pulling it shut, he loaes hie

balance, knocks over the end table next to his bed

CRASH1 A lamp SHATTERSon the ground. Marty glances down at the fragments. Sees something •••

ON THE FLOOR -- a thin black wire snakes through the

shards of glass. Marty picks it up, sees there's

actually a small, fiber optic CAMERAat the end of it

ON THE MONITOR-- Marty's face fills up the entire screen as he stares directly into the camera

SI'l"l'ERSOJf No no no -- hanq on --

Be point• to another monitor. ON ~BB SCREEN -- we see one of th$ zombie• walking out of the forest, heading straight towards ~ackside of the cabin --

Marty pulls the camera wire taut, follows it up the length of the wall. Stares up at the ceiling. We see the realization hit him --

CRASH! Just then, the window behind Marty EXPLODES INWARD-- Judah reaches through, grabs Marty by the neck, yanks him backward, THROUGHTHB WINDOW--

Marty screams as Judah tries to pull him out of the cabin. Marty struggles mightily -- he holds fast to the window frame, desperate to get back inside --

Judah growls, yanks Marty again. As Marty starts to lose his grip on the window, he flails about, his free hand searching the nearby dresser top for anything he can use as a weapon --

And just as Judah yanks him one last time, Marty's fingers close around the FRESCA CAN --

Judah hauls Marty straight out of the cabin window -- WHAM -- Marty slams into the ground -- he gasps in pain, looks up just in time to see --

Judah plunging THE TROWELdown straight at Marty's head. Marty rolls to the side -- THUNK-- as Judah buries the trowel into the ground next to him --

Marty struggles to his feet, but Judah's right on top of him. As Marty tries to fight him off, he glances down at the Fresca can in his hand. He gives it a shake --

Cl-CLACK -- and it telescop911 outward into the GIANT BON'G. Marty takes the makeshift bat.on, swings it with all hie might -- ·

WHAM! He h.tts Judeh flush in the aide ~ the he$1,. dropping him to the ground with a sickening thud.

Marty stares down at Judah's crumpled body ••• but Judah's only momentarily dazed .•• he's already starting to get to his feet. Marty doesn't hesitate any longer ••• he bolts towards the forest

But as Marty races away at top speed, Judah takes the trowel in hand --

And hurl• it right at llarty'• baak.

Wh-CHtJNI(L Bullseye -- he hits Marty right between the

shoulder blades. Marty cries out in pain as he pitches forward, crashes to the ground.

Judah slowly walks towards the fallen Marty ...

ON THE GROUND-- Marty gasps in pain, tears in his eyes as he desperately struggles to get the trowel out of his back. He reaches behind him -- his fingers touch the hilt, but they can't find purchase ...

Judah grabs Marty by the leg. Starts dragging him into the forest --

(

-- and we're WITH MARTYas Judah drags him through the treeline. They're heading towards a DARX HOLE in the ground (from which Judah first emerged). Marty tries to struggle -- blood seeps from the wound in his back, leaving a bloody trail through the dirt.

Marty's fading fast ••• He coughs blood, tears stream down his face --

And as Judah drags him down into the hole, we STAY UP TOP -- Marty struggles with everything he's got -- his TERRIFIED EYES stare back at us as he screams and screams -- his fingers claw trails in the dirt around him as he tries to hang on ( MARn (CONT'D) BBl,JI ....

But it's no use. And with a final. yank, .Marty disappears from rl-ew entirely. His horrified screams echo through the forest •••

And then he's gone.

CLOSE ON A LEVER as a hand pulls it down -- CH-CHl.JNX--

-- and once again, BLOODtrickles down, down, down

through the carved stone etchings. And as it flows outward we slowly PULL BACKto reveal the picture forming

is of a PRIMITIVE HUMANFIGURE. It is holding a goblet

and dancing.

We hear a RUMBLING•••

,-__-__._:r, Dana is laboriously moving a tall dresser in front of the C_ \. ·;~~~ window, at which a zombie pounds.

Suddenly the rumbling fills the room, which starts to shake with what feels like a decent sized earthquake. Dana looks around, almost exasperated in her terror --

Hadley, Sitterson and Truman all pause to look around as they too, are shaking. Hadley is returning from the lever he just pulled down, turns to Sitterson with shrug •••

The rumbling aubaidu and she turns her attention back. to the dresa,er. Aa she gets it in pl.ace she he,u-s the

Q window shatter and the chest begins to rock. She shoves

the bed against it and goea for the door.

It won't open. She pulls, kicks, but it's locked solid. She's staring at it, confused -- it looks so flimsy -- when the chest goes over and a zombie starts climbing in. She hits it with a lamp but it has no effect.

She sees a second one coming, backs up against the wall and the picture on it 90•• flying, glass shattering,

making her jump.

Holden knocks out the rest of the one-way mirror. There's banging in his room but no zombies in yet.

He looks at her aitch-~ worse than his own -- and beckons her to come through.

(

She stands on the bed and wriggles through, with his help, but not without some cuts, and they both fall to the floor.

They're still rising when the furniture Holden has piled up is knocked away By Matthew.

They up..:end it and shove it at the window, holding its metal frame against the pounding from without. Dana looks around for something else, sees:

ANGLE: UNDERTHE BEDSPACEis a trapdoor.

He looks, puts his shoulder to the bed to take the weight as he indicates for her to check it out. She moves to it and pulls it open -- nothing but blackness below. She looks back at Holden.

He :stick# hie foot out and slides a lamp to her. It's been set on the floor (during the :furniture pile-up) but still plugged in. She lowers it into the dark space, lets it hang by its plug.

Holden gives the bed one last kick in place and moves to the door, calling out:

The knob starts moving.

Holden moves to the edge of the space, takes a quick look in and goes in head first, holding the edge and flipping himself over to land on his feet. Dana slips down into hie upstretched arms right after, disappearing into the hole.

It's strangely quiet, as though it swallowed the noise from above. The only light is from the dangling lamp, and it throws the whole small room into a creepy half- light. And creepy seems to be the general theme.

It's a torture chamber, with a chair, chains, shackles, and a table with some truly appalling instruments rusting on it. Sweeney Todd would get squeamish in here.

They look around a bit, unwittingly fascinated.

He takes her firmly by her arms.

He looks -- she's right.

c··

•

She pulls herself together -- moves to the far wall, grabbing something that looks like a small crowbar, running one hand along the wall for a hidden door and tapping with the bar occasionally to test the sound of it. Calls out:

Holden has moved to one wall, now crosses below the trapdoor to the other

-- and the bear-trap swings down from the trapdoor, catching under his arm and digging into the back of his shoulder. He SCREAMSas Matthew starts hoisting him up through the trap-door. (. Dana runa to h.un. and helpa him atrug.gle, :f.inaUy ov.rbalanain9 Matthew, who .f.al.1• forward, stuck upside down halfway through the trap-door# etill grabbing at Holden OJI the flooJ:'.

Holden painfully pulls the trap from his shoulder -- but Matthew gets a hold of him, his mouth wide in a hissing scream --

Dana runs the crowbar right through Matthew's face and into the wall behind, pinning him. Screams in his face:

Matthew grabs the bar and pulls at it -- Holden getting

free -- and Dana finds a kitchen knife, stabs Matthew

with it several times, shaking with rage. Matthew

finally hangs limp. Dana stares at him, breathing hard.

Sitterson pushes a button --

CLOSE ON: THE KNIFE HANDLEas a small electrical charge jolts Dana's hand.

As we drop back wider, it looks like she's dropping the knife 'cause she doesn't like holding it. She turns her back on Matthew, dragging Holden up. They move to the other side of the room -- and the wall behind them opens, Curt reaching in to grab them.

They exit into:

And make for the storm doors, pushing them open, Curt grabbing a handy plank to hit zombies with.

EX1'. CAB"IN/INT. VAli - CON'l'INOOUS

They mov"e as quickly as they can, both Holden and Curt being injured, im:t encountering any dead folk as they race to the Rambler.

They come around the Rambler, camera behind, and Curt moves to open the door.

There is dirt on the latch.

He looks at Holden, steps back with his plank as Holden readies to open the door and get out of the way. A beat, and Curt nods.

The door opens

CLOSE ON: A HIDEOUS SCREAMINGFACE of a Japanese floating drowned girl. It suddenly stops, a warm glow building around its now-bewildered face.

•

Cut wide to see:

The floaty girl hovers over the room, in which several Japanese schoolchildren are placing lotus flowers into a large bowl of water on the floor, all the while singing a happy song of love.

A frog hops out the bowl. The drowny girl is consumed by light and disappears.

They all laugh and hug.

( Sitterson ie ~atching this on a screen, very unhappy.

Badley ia working behind him.

A com-line lights up and he switches it, eyes still on the screen and the frog and the happy song of love.

(-~ 74.

Hadley replies, though he's still in the BG working.

...:•.

HADLEY

Hadley makes the hand-across-throat sign to Sitterson.

And Sitterson cuts her off, looking at Hadley.

•

ANGLE: SCREEN OF THE OPEN TUNNEL, light on the road beyond.

Sitterson rolls back to his station, hits a com-line •••

But Sitt•rson atabe a button, cuta them off. He'a on his feet heading out.

The Rambler plows away from us at dangerous speed.

Sitterson runs through the hall, a few workers and guards moving aside --

The Rambler careens around a curve -- and in the distance is the tunnel.

Hadley gets an NtJNABLB TO OVERRIDll. AUTBORNE SYSTBMS DIAGNOS'l'IC?"

He bangs the counter in frustration.

We .enter with Sitterson to see the lights blinking and sparks coming from a darkened console. Three workers -- slightly beefier or more weathered than Sitterson -- are trying to bring it back to life.

DEMO#1 It's not the breakers!

DEMO#2 We don't know! Electrical said there was a glitch up top, one of the creatures?

DEMO#2 We never got the order ••.

DEM0#3 We're fried inside. We need a clean connection to the detonator --

Sitterson has dropped to the ground and pulled open the underpart of the console, revealing wires and circuits galore. He gets on his back, messing with ones above him --

DEMO #1 Systems Tech is trying a reboot on the

Sitterson replaces a chip in a board -- some of the console lights up.

DEM0#3 No, that's just local; it's not linked.

The camera races in with Ms. Lin

He just spins and stares at her, nervous as hell. Camera continues past him to a screen showing the van speeding through the woods -- the tunnel visible not far ahead.

The van races through frame

Sitterson puts a wire to a contact it sparks and he flinches --

DEMO #1 That's it!

Demo #3 hit a big red knob.

M:!l'. MOUNTAINTUNNEL/INT. RAMBLBR- CONTINUOUS

And the Rambler enters the tunnel a.a a charge aeada rooks tumbling do\fn. Tb8 kids sees the,:a. through the windshield falling up ahead before the van is pounded from above --

The whole tunnel is caving in as Curt slams on the brakes, hits reverse and tears back out, the van stopping a few yards from the din and smoke of total collapse.

The kids look at it, in shock.

Sitterson is breathing hard, nobody saying anything. He exits, saying to #2 contemptuously:

The kids are out, Dana looking nervously back for possible pursuing zombies, not giving in to the tears she can't stop. (

Curt is furious, looking over the side of the mountain at the cliff's edge on the other side, a tantalizing 20 feet away. Holden looks it over intently, working the problem.

ANGLEON: CURT'S DIRTBIKE as the wheel spins in the dirt and the bike turns, Curt revving it, getting his nerve up.

He comee down off his adrenaline kick for a moment, looks at her like the guy we knew.

A moment. Dana kisses him on the cheek. He guns it.

He guns it and lets GO -- wheels spinning as he blaste toward th.e edge,. Dana and Bolden watching in fear and hope -- Cu:rt aails over the edge with great tonn, front wheel high, the arc is good --

-- he elaaa into the invisible barrier and his bike esplod•• --

-- as he plummets straight down, scraping the electrical

matrix so it appeare by him all the way as he falls.

c·

The blood pours, this time onto the primitive figure of a muscular man with javelin and ball.

Holden guns the engine, swinging the Rambler back down the dirt road, away from the tunnel. Dana is oddly calm.

Dana shakes her head, really starting to get it --

Her Zombie-like fatality gets to Holden.

She looks at him. He holds her gaze, rock-solid

She actually laughs a little, which doesn't help.

She stares at him, eyes softening.

WSSSHLICK -- A SCYTHEtear• through Holden's throat from behind.

Blood splatters the windshield -- Dana SCREAMS-- she glance.a back to see

'FA!l'HBRBUCRNER.

He•s right behind them, having crept up from hi• hiding place in the Rambler. He growls as he tries to dislodge hie scythe from Holden's throat -- SHLOCK-- he pulls it free -- arterial blood sprays everywhere, all over Dana

instinctively clutch at his own throat -- the steering

wheel spins unchecked --

WH-SHLACK-- Father Buckner swings the scythe again, this time lodging it in the side of Holden's head. Holden pitches forward, the Rambler careens out of control, leaps off the road and crashes --

Right into the lake.

SMASH! The front windshield SHATTERS-- lake water cornea rushing into the cab, blasting Dana straight back into her seat --

Beside her, Holden continues to THRASH-- h•'• atill alive -- Father Buckner yanks the scythe free, tries to swing it again but the water blasts him back to the rear of the Rambler --

("

Lake water fills the cab -- within a matter of seconds, they're completely submerged -- we're with Dana as she screams, goes under

And everything goes quiet.

Dana struggles underwater, panic in her eyes as she looks over and sees Holden staring back at her. He'a still holding his throat -- blood pours from hie wounds --

Dana fights to free herself from the seatbelt -- she shakes her head, CRIES OUT underwater as she holds Holden's gaze --

And WE'RE CLOSE ON HOLDENas the life drains out of him. As he stares at Dana, hie hands go slack, blood gushes from hie throat, clouding the water around him until he disappears entirely •••

WIDE ON THE LAKE as the rest of the Rambler sinks below the surface, disappearing entirely from view. (

I~ • .RAJl"AI~R/LAD- NIGHT

We*re WITI! DANAaa the Rambler continues to sink, the van now perpendiculu ae it plummets straight down. She tumbles upward, into the ceiling, towards the back •••

Her hands reach out for anything, desperate to find purchase. Her eyes dart upward, falling on --

The CEILING HATCH.

It's small -- a basic ventilation hatch, no more than a foot-and-a-half square -- but now's not the time to be

picky.

There's a little bubble of air trapped in there, and Dana shoves her face in it, gasps it greedily. It disappears as she does and she pulls her head back, holding her breath again --

CLOSE ON: FATHER, smiling in the dark water. He doesn't need to hold his breath.

Dana reaches out, grabs the crank, spine it around. As the hatch swings open, she punches out the screen, squeezes her body through the hole. And just as she gets about halfway through --

Father Buckner grabs her ankle.

We're ON DANAas the sheer terror of it all hits her -- she's stuck half-in, half-out of a sinking van with a deranged zombie yanking at her legs. She thrashes with everything she's got left -- kicking him as hard as she can in the face -- WHACK-- knocking him back

She breaks free, rockets upward out of the hatch, towards the surface. Beneath her, the van disappears into the inky darkness of the lake below ••• Dana kicks for the surface, closer, closer --

And a beer break• through the surface of the ice-water of the little cooler the boys had stashed by the console.

Sitterson tosses it to Hadley, pulls out two more for Lin and himself.

SITTBBSO.R

0 Photo fuckin' finish. But '418 are the

champion• -- of the world. (to Truman) Tru?

He holds a beer up. Truman shakes his head.

He points to the BIG MONITOR,where ON THE SCREENwe see a bloodied, exhausted Dana swimming through the lake towards shore.

(

Sitterson steps up beside him. Watches Dana on the screen.

As a few workers are at the door, holding out a bottle of tequila •••

Elegiac MUSIC starts to swell on the score. Dana grabs hold of the wooden dock -- it takes every ounce of strength she's got left to pal1 herself up out of the ( lake. She roll.a on her back, gaspa f.or a.i.t:.

As she lays there, •taring up at tba eta.rs, the score co11,tinue• to swell. She gasps and gasps ••• and 111e're CLOSE Olf HERas the realization finally hits her --

Sh•'• alive.

She made it. She closes her eyes, thank god -- I'm alive •.• And just as she breathes a sigh of relief

WHAMl MATTHEW'SBEAR TRAP splinters the dock just millimeters from her head.

Dana screams, scrambling back, sees MATTHEWlooming over her, the crowbar still sticking through his head. As he bears down on her --

ON THE MONITORS-- we see Dana fighting for her life with Matthew. But with the notable exception of Truman, nobody really seems to be watching anymore. People from other departments have trickled in, some with drinks, bags of chips --- there's an office party vibe -- even music playing.

Hadley is talking to couple of excited labcoaters ...

86 •

..:J

Sitterson heads towards the Demolition guys.

DEMO#1 (in no mood) That vaan't our fault.

DEMO#2 No. Suiou•ly. That wa,sn't on us. There was an unauthorized power re-route from upetairs.

Sitterson stops mid-drink, frowns. Wait

A single RED TELEPHONEsits on the wall. BRRRING. As one, the crowd goes QUIET. Sitterson looks to Hadley -- they lock eyes, color draining from their faces Oh. Shit. Hadley swallows, moves towards the phone --

Someone stops the music. The workers glance at each other, tense. BRRRING. Hadley grabs hold of the phone, takes a deep breath, then answers it --

Hadley's face falls as hie eyes dart up to the VIEWSCREENS.

WHAMJ Dana's body hits the dock hard. Matthew's bear trap shatters the wood beside her -- the dock's now in splinters. (J Dana looks uerrible -- she'a aopp!ng wet, battered and ~loody. Clearly, Matthew'• been kicking th~ he11 out of he~. Da~a aan't eYen stand -- tea.rs in her eyea, ahe tries to crawl away -- she sees a broken dock plank beside her -- ma.--y:'beit can be used as weapon -- she reaches out for it --

And Matthew steps down on her arm. Dana CRIES OUT••• As she tries to struggle, Matthew bears down ••• We're with Dana as she realizes there's nothing she can do ••• she's as good as dead •••

CHING••• CHING••• CHING••• Matthew starts to swing the chain ••• He grabs the handle with both hands, swinging

the chain behind his back and overhead ••• and just as

he's bringing it down for the deathblow --

WWHH-CHING-- A BORGcatches the chain from behind. Lets

it wrap around and yanks it back --

Matthew jerks in surprise -- he stumbles backwards, crashing down to the dock --

Dana rolls to her feet, looks back to see --

But this is no time for tearful reunions. Matthew's already struggling to his feet beside them --

But she doesn't run. As Matthew yanks his chain from Marty's grasp, Dana grabs hold of the dock plank beeide her. She swings it with all her might right at Matthew --

CRACK! It hits him square in the facehe pitches backwards right off the dock -- SPLASH into the lake.

Dana joins Marty and they are at a dead run.

SPLOOSH! Matthew re-emerges from the lake. Starts

moving throu.gb. the water. Right towards them ..

Dana and Marty race towards the cabin. Behind them, we can see Matthew emerge from the lake, following them --

WHAM! UP AHEAD, the front door of the cabin flies open. Framed in the doorway is MOTHERBUCKNER.

Dana and Marty both jump, scared. As Mother Buckner steps out onto the porch, Marty pulls Dana to the side

They bolt around the side of the house, heading towards the back. Mother Buckner follows ...

-- Marty and Dana race around the corner of the cabin. Marty heads straight for the treeline. UP AHEAD-- we see the edge of the 'grave' Judah dragged Marty into earlier.

Scccrrr ••• Dana looks over, sees Mother Buckner round the corner of the cabin. Dragging her saw by her side •••

Shlop ••• Shlop ••• the sound of Matthew's wet footsteps ring out as he comes around the other aide of the cabin.

Fwi.Bh -- in the forest UP AHEAD, Patience Bucknec breaks through the treeline.

ON DANA-- as she sees Mother, Matthew, and Patience all closing in on her. She's trapped. She knows it. So it takes her all of one second to make the decision --

Marty kneels by the hole in the ground and opens it further like a storm door. On top, sod and leaves. Underneath, smooth, clean metal.

Looking apprehensive, Dana slides in and Marty SLAMSthe door shut on top of them.

We stay outside, looking down, holding on the door in the earth for a beat. And then --

Patience Buckner elides down the embankment. She awkwardly tries to paw at the metal door with her one hand. And as she scratches at the metal, she lets out a chilling cry of zombie frustration

...., : . .:·:·:fi;it,., ) ( "

The sound of Dana's breath echoes off the metal walls of this small, dark chamber. It's only tall enough to crouch in, but a good twelve feet by twelve feet, with a square metal door in the middle of the floor. The light in the room comes from a panel in the metal that's been popped out, a few glowing cables behind, including a couple that have been messed with. As Dana looks more closely •••

She steps on something soft, jerks back as she realizes it's Judah's mewling face. He's been completely dismembered and piled up in the corner, but his bits still twitch.

She looks at him, bewildered and despairing. (_ MARn (COM'D) Nobody elae, huh?

She shakes her head.

He goes to the door in the floor and slides it open. She looks down: it's a small metal elevator. Two sides are thick glass, bu.t they are up against the metal shaft so tight you might not even tell.

A beat, and she scrambles down into it as he moves to the open panel.

She moves against the wall, looking up.

Marty flicks a switch and slides right into the hole as the elevator whirs to life and the door starts sliding shut. He barely makes it -- and one of Judah's arms falls in with him, the two of them doing the get-away- from-it dance even as they brace themselves against the sudden plummet.

The eJ.~a.tor starts down -- not too faet -- and it is

shaken by another tr-or.

The tremor rocks Patience as well. At its height, we hear metal scraping and the hatch 9rind• open a sliver. Patience looks at it, her head cocked curiously.

It seems to go down a good long while -- then joltingly stops. They look at each other -- nothing opens -- then it starts moving again •••

Dana is leaning against the glass when the elevator suddenly comes abreast of another elevator, also with a thick glass wall, and stops --

-- a ravenous WEREWOLFleaps at her as she turns she jumps back as it hits the glass, clawing at it and drooling. Marty stares in incomprehension.

Both of them press up against the oppoeite wall -- and the elevator moves sideways again, revealing a Gigeresque ALIEN hanging from the ceiling behind them. It jumps onto the glass and aticka there, freaking them out again, making them move to the middle of the small space, looking around for the next horror.

The elevator is jerked down -- then sideways, revealing this time one on each side. Dana sees:

A little girl in a ragged ballerina outfit (not a tutu, but a limp, torn skirt). She has no face, just a circle- mouth with a ring of teeth.

Marty sees:

A staring man in a long, leather, futuristic coat. He's dead white, has no hair and buzzsaws stuck in his head in a neat row. His arms are ringed with barbed wire stuck in deep. He is grinning at Marty and holding a flowing sphere almost exactly the•- as the one in the cellar. C DARA.

·?i~ (realizing) ,, We chose, ••

The elevator moves back down into darkness.

The incomprehension builds in her and she punches the glass. It doesn't make a crack but she keeps going, pounding away with both fists like a prize-fighter going for body blows -- Marty tries to hold her and she screams, thrashing aa we drop back wide to see:

An endless array of elevators. Moving around like a 3-D puzzle, like Charlie's Great Glass Elevator, like ucube". Monsters (many of them like the ones we've seen) in every single one. It's the Costco of death.

(.

Everyone has cleared out except Wendy and our hero three. She's in the lower part, on console, earpiece in. The men are going through every part of the building on their screens, moving fast and frightened.

Sitterson watches nine constantly changing views of monsters in elevators, looking for the kids.

Hadley, over this, is looking at halls and stairwells, (many of them being swept by security teams), also talking on an earpiece:

He's looking at the elevator screens. Sitterson freezes them from changing, then puts their screen on all nine.

Marty ia holding Dana, who's breathing hard but calm, aa the elevator goea down. The elevator stops and the door opens into a sort of lobby. Instantly a GUARD is stepping one foot in, gun at their heads. Dana is a little in front of Marty, standing exhausted, haunted, her knuckles -- and much else of her -- bloody.

Be move!JSfoxward an<i Judall'• ara gcal,9 hi• foot. He wiga 11 shooting at it.

Dana takes the lb0tnent to rush him --

Pushing him back -- he lifts the gun and Marty knocks the guard's arm so his gun points straight at his own chin it goes off •••

The guard falls against the wall, clutching at his

bloodspurts as Marty takes the gun.

They look around. There are eight elevator wells, four on each side, with a corridor turn behind from which we can hear the tromp of approaching guards. On the other side is a small guard station, which this dead fellow presumably came out of, since the door is ajar. The guard station has glass along the top half, as thick and unbreakable as the elevators'.

As the kids get their bearings, a voice comes over a loudspeaker in the hall. It's a good system, and the voice ia surprisingly intimate.

They look around, seeing hidden speakers, not sure what to do.

Marty makes a motion to Dana -- don't speak.

IN!l'. CQN'P;ROLROOM- CONTINt10US

Had1ey and Sitter•on listfm as well. On their screens, we see Marty and Dana in a corridor -- and a SWAT-lookin' team c·reeping down another.

The kids see the shadows of the approaching guards look around for escape.

Marty pulls at Dana, handing her the trowel aa they head to the empty guard station.

They are closing the door behind them when it is peppered with gunfire. They slam it shut and lock it, keeping low even though the glass isn't even cracking yet.

Marty looks up: the lobby is full of approaching guards -- SWAT-looking guya who keep a steady pound of bullets coming.

Dana looks at the console in here, realization dawning on her:

ANGLE: THE CONSOLEcontrols all the elevators. And there's a button that says ''PURGE".

She looks at the guards, at Marty. Back at the console. (

She hitir -purge".

In the hall, the sound of the elevators is audible. The lead guard holds his fist up.

They finally do, and there's a moment of quiet.

inside. Another moment as the men between turn to look.

Werewolves, Aliens, Mutants and Robots pour out of the elevators at crazy speed, decimating the men even as they begin to fire. It's a warzone in a second.

ANGLE: RUNNINGDOWNTHE ADJOINING HALL with the next group of guards, they turn the corner to see horrible Chaos -- and the doors open again, the next batch of horrors sweeping out directly at them.

ANGLE: DANAAND MARTYare sitting with their backs against the walls, listening to all manner of screams and weird sounds and things bumping or smearing against the window above.

As the carnage continues:

ANGLE: FROM INSIDE AN ELEVATORas it opens, and an alien rockets out at the guard turning to us and firing.

ANGLE: IN A CORRIDORa guard runs from a floating, screaming witch, who grabs his head and mystically sucks the life out of it.

There is chaos on every screen. Wendy is silent and near tears. Truman has his weapon at the ready. Hadley and Sitterson are still working.

Sitr'l'ERSCJll Why aren't the de£enaea worldng? Where's the fucking gaaT

The lights go out, the screens go dead. And something hits the door hard enough to buckle it.

The two are still cowering whensomething ••••h•• though the glass and into the wall across. It starts unfurling ... It's a DRAGONBAT.

She makes for the door, Marty right behind. They open it and head out, keeping low.

(

The lobby is still a scary place to be but there are more things killing and/or feeding than looking for prey. They make their way across -- Marty shooting a Mutant in the eye-~ and are almost to the turn when they hear an unbelievable screech.

dra.gonbat launch itself right at guard station. They bolt, turning

·:. .into a labcoat guy who passes them i - 2 corner they came from -- and gets

nail hara ~v ::.:::,dragonbat that he and it amaah throu\ila the va11:

The dragonbat pulls him back, eating his entrails, and Dana looks at the hole in the wall. There is a stone corridor beyond, different than any of the. rest of this place. Older.

Marty is watching the corridor -- a couple of flesh- eating Zombies are slowly coming toward them -- and Dana grabs his arm, pulls him into the stone corridor and down it.

And more carnage:

ANGLE: A CLOWNtaking bullet hit after bullet hit as it lumbers forward, knife in hand.

ANGLE: A WEREWOLFtearing out a man's throat with its teeth, as in the background a unicorn slams its horn repeatedly into the guard up against a wall, blood spurting on its lovely unicorn mane.

The door is off its hinges, smoke filling the dark room.

The SCARECROWFOLR have almost overpowered Truman, their knife-fingers twitching as he shoots them to no avail. He pulls out a grenade •••

Hadley has a submachine gun from a sliding drawer of weapons under his console. He's looking down into the space and firing cover shots into the smoky room as Sitterson is working the key-pad of a secure trapdoor hidden under the carpet. Wendy Lin stands over him, terrified.

Truman's grenade explosion knocks Hadley off the edge and into the main space, lost in the smoke.

ANGLE: HADLEYis on his back, dazed, when he hears something slurping toward him in the smoke. He looks to see the MERMAN,black fin and dorsal like a whale, black soaking hair, black eyes -- everything else as white as his razor-sharp teeth. He puts a webbed hand on Hadley's throat as Hadley realizes he's about to be killed by a merman --

And it bite• his face off.

ANGLE: SITTERSOB AND LIN are concentrating on the trapdoor, we hear a 'ping' --

Sitterson swings the heavy stone door up as a tentacle

wraps around Lin and whips her up out of frame.

Sitterson dives into the hole and pulls the door shut

over him.

Sitterson races down a ladder and around the corner -- and right into Dana's trowel. He looks at her, confused by the blade in his chest. She looks stricken.

He sees Marty coming up behind her, turns to her as he sinks •..

And dies at her feet, trowel still in him.

•

She's looking down at Sitterson.

She looks up at him. Be holds out the gun.

She takes the gun and does seem to gain some measure of calm from it. Starts down the hall -- and down a long stone staircase, taking point, gun held out.

Marty and Dana enter quickly, Dana holding the gun, the camera circling them as they turn, looking at the five stone slabs, then arming ap to see they're standing on a

mo•aic o£ the aymbol Sitterson wore. (

~xcept at the stair•, the edges of the stone don't reaoh thJI w•ll.. 'l'be two of them look o:var the edge to see a space of maybe four feet across that goes all tile vay down into darkn .... But there is the sense of something moving in that darkness. The kids draw back from it.

A whirring sound accompanies a spill of light as a small circular hatch opens in the center of the mosaic and up comes THE DIRECTOR (kind of like Luke in "Empire" when he enters the cryogenic chamber to fight Vader.)

He is older, distinguished, wearing a black suit, grey shirt, no collar, no tie, and grey gloves. He's calm, almost affectionate.

·~ J

THB DIREC'l?OR (shrugging) For being young? It's different for every culture. And it changes over the years, but it's very specific. There must be at least five.

He points to one of the carvings: it's a woman standing erect, holding open her robe, her naked body revealed.

THB DI!tB.CTOR Tha gods. The a1eepi.Jllg gods; the giants ( that live in the earth, tha.~ 1.1eed to rule it .. They fought for a billion years and no,, they sleep. In every aountry, for every culture, there is a gad to appease. As long as one sleeps, they all do. But the other rituals have all failed.

There is a great rumbling -- they all stagger a bit, and silt sifts down from the ceiling. As it subsides •••

Neither of them questions the truth of it. They stare at him a moment.

He looks over to Dana to see that •h•i• pointin9 the gun at hia.

I'.m aorry.

MAR'l'Y

so am I.

A werewolf leaps at her from the stairs and tears into

her! The gun goes flying as she falls to the ground,

trying to pull the beast off her.

The Director and Marty both move for the gun, and struggle themselves, but Marty finally gets hold of it -- knocking The Director to the floor -- and without hesitation puts three bullets into the werewolf, sending it screeching back up the stairs.

Dana rolls over, eyes wild, blood everywhere. The Director rises and tackles Marty. They wrestle on the floor, the gun just out of reach, the edge of the abyss by their heads.

As they fight, Dana breathes heavily by the stairs, unable to rise. She looks over as two small feet shamble by her, in old, dirty shoes, the edge of a tattered gingham dress swinging above the ankles.

Marty gets on top of The Director and pushes his forearm against his windpipe. His back is to the girl.

(_

He turns -- The Director grabs the gun -- and Marty spins The Director on top of him just aa Patiena• awin9• her hatchet, buryin9 it in the back of the Director'• akull.

Another tremor and Marty kicks The Director over the edge of the circle. Patience, unwilling to let go her hatchet, goes over with him.

Marty watches them a moment, then limps over to the stairs.

Another, bigger tremor makes him pause, but it subsides and he slumps in the corner next to Dana. She's breathing shallow, tears streaming from her eyes, but she's pretty alert.

As he continues, he lights up a joint.

MARTY {CONT'D) I'm sorry I let you get attacked by a werewolf and then ended the world.

Be takes a drag and holds it out to her. With a shakey hand, she takes it and drags on it herself.

Biggest rumble yet. The floor starts bulging, cracking, as dust and debris cloud the screen.

Dana holds out her hand. Marty puts his in it. Squeezes it. They hold a moment.

An explosion of debris from below obliterates the chamber.

We are wide on the cabin as a gnarled hand, bigger than the house and on an arm a hundred feet long, shoots up froJll the crust of the earth,

SLAO: OUT. HIPP