"THE CRAFT" (1996)

Sarah sits next to the window, writing in'a diary. Her father, ROGER BAILY, and her stepmother, _SENNY, are beside her, getting ready for landing.

Sarah looks out the window.

aa oie SHOT -

The plane enters frame below us, banks left and moves down ‘into the murk. 7

Confusion-- dozens of PASSENGERS, SKYCABS, all manner of PEOPLE swarm around Sarah, her father, Jenny, as the th try to find a taxi.

ty

ee

Ignoring her parents’ chatter, €.rah lies back, staring out

the window, listless, mesmerized py the city as it glides. by.

fo

VARIOUS ANGLES - OUT THE WINDOW

ON A STREET CORNER - A WOMAN screams to high hell at her KIDS, little ones, who hold her hands, numbed by her raging.

IN A CENTER DIVIDER - An old Datsun has been neatly compressed into ore third its original size by a huge delivery truck. POLICE and PARAMEDICS are all around. Two BODIES lie. underneath blood-soaked white cloth covers.

ONLOOKERS gape. SOMEONE is crying hysterically.

IN THE NEXT LANE - “A jacked-down; customized, white-on-white BMW, cruises by. One of the darkly tinted windows is rolled down. A slumped-down GANG-BANGER with a shaved head and wraparound glasses leers at us.

ON A SIDEWALK - A towering, psychotic; HOMELESS MAN with rotting dreadlocks holds a sign aloft: “December 31, 1999 will be the end. PREPARE!!”" ; ,

Old Los Angeles: the CAB takes. a turn up a hilly street.

A hodgepodge of styles: “rustic lodge. turned’ Seventiiés party.

. palace. Now it.'s painted an odd brown, overgrown with _ bouganvillea. Eucalyptus trees creak in the breeze.

But mostly, it’s isolated; thers doesn’ t seem to be a single house anywhere nearby.

Roger pays the cab.

ROGER . oo It reminds me of my parents’ place in the Adirondacks. It was a great deal. Some actress in the Twenties built it as a hunting lodge. I love being away from the city noise.

A helicopter BUZZES overhead. _ mney look ‘UP.

The room is huge, with wood beam ceilings, a stuccoed-over

stone fireplace. All of the Bailey’s possessions are stacked in the middle of the floor, draped with furniture pads...

Jenny touches a Mexican light fixture.

.

Sarah walks: into the kitchen, painted laquer- -red, with Japanese lanterns and shoji screens.

. _ SARAH Multiple personality disorder.

The room is a hitherto unachieved shade of cadmium yellow. Sarah comes in, sees at it and sighs.

She opens a double-door closet, but it only leads OUTSIDE with a several story drop and no railing or balcony.

. Roger and Jenny come in, see the Doorway tc Nowhere.

a . SARAH It's fine. Whatever... (walking out) I’m gonna go look for my clothes.

Her remark annoys him.

Sarah is rummaging around in the huge pile of stuff. Behind ner, the setting sun streams | /Earough the front door.:

A figure . is. moving up the front steps, completely silhouetted.

BEHIND SARAH -.

A shadow of a MAN moves up the far wall, stands in the doorway. The shadow holds up a snake.

IN ONE INSTANT:

‘doorway.

. ae

Sarah turns, and sees a dirty VAGRANT with hollow eyes, smiling, snake in hand.

Sarah shifts into another mode.

VAGRANT’S POV OF SARAH - SOMETHING WEIRD IS HAPPENING: BRIGHT LIGHT starts to emanate from behind Sarah. And her face starts to CHANGE...

Startled, the Vagrant drops the SNAKE, steps back.

The SNAKE wriggles towards Sarah. She scrambles away,

knocking a chair over.

Roger sees the Man, picks up a fireplace poker and charges at him. :

' ‘ROGER Get the fuck out of here! !!i!

‘The Man jogs back, confused. Roger slams the door, breathes.

ROGER — ' Sarah, are you alright?

- SARAH (off somewhere) I... Yeah...

THROUGH A WINDOW - The Vagrant is running away, up the

hillside.

_ VAGRANT Scary chick! Scary chick!

ANGLE - The snake is slithering across Roger's foot.

He raises the poker and slams it down with a fleshy PLONK.. |.

_ INT. SARAH'S ROOM - NIGHT

Sarah sits on a mattress which has been made up for bed. She eats Chinese food from a container. Roger stands in ner .

ast

SARAH | No, it’s fine! ROGER

(backing off) ‘Okay, alright.

Roger goes.

ANGLE = An old black and white PHOTO of Sarah’s MOTHER in a garden. .

Sarah. takes the photo from a packing carton, touches the glass.

| INT. SARAH ' S ROOM - LATE NIGHT —

Sarah lies there, -eyes open.

QUT THE DOOR TO NOWHERE - It’s very dark. A breeze rustles the trees. We hear the clock TICKING.

AN ALARM goes off. A hand reaches for it.

This is a LE Eeremt bedroom, fully furnished, very subdued.

A teenage girl is getting out of bed, BONNZE STEWART , somber, ‘pale, covered in a longsleeved nightgown. She puts her Rais up ina ponytail waits ‘she gets her bearings.’ ;

Bonnie pulls out a grey Catholic school uniform. She stops and Looks in her full-length closet mirror. She slips her nightgown off.

We are looking OVER HER SHOULDER, but we see just enough c= some very extensive, reddish scarring across her snhouicers, chest and arms. :

Something awful, happened to her.

ony

Bonnie looks in her own eyes, doesn’t like what she-sees.

A MOTHER’ S VOICE (from somewhere) Bonnie, are you up?

An attractive, well-coiffed black MOTHER, is just finishing a pan of scrambled eggs in her very upscale kitchen. She moves to the tastefully decorated a

BREAKFAST NOOK

waden contains an extremely handsome black family: FATHER,’ BROTHERS, SISTERS and ROCHELLE MACK, 16, model-pretty and thin. She almost makes her familiar grey Catholic school uniform look glamorous.

Rochelle scoops up some scrambled eggs, her second helping, “and wolfs them down. _ a

Rochelle’s Mother watches this carefully.

ROCHELLE’S FATHER (to a brother) You can get the verbal up. Stanford puts a zat of weight on those scores.

_ ROCHELLE’ s BROTHER Yes, sir. 7 ;

. ROCHELLE Good, I guess.

ROCHELLE’S FATKER That sounds good... (mockingly to the ‘rest of the table) .I guess.

ROCHELLE’S MOTHER | Where are you going? -

An ongoing tension between them.

Rochelle is crouched over the toilet, an empty package of . plain doughnuts lying nearby. She wipes her mourch, flushes the toilet. A KNOCK on the door. .

ROCHELLE'S MOTHER | | : (from outside) a Rochelle, you’re going to miss your ride.

Rochelle very carefully and Silently folds up the doughnut wrapper and puts it in her Bookbag.

She picks up seray crumbs as she goes to the door. , ROCHELLE’S MOTHER |

_ (from outside) Rochelle?

NANCY DOWNS comes out of the bathroom. She wears the same

uniform as the others, but with a white-trash vibe: bleach-

‘blonde hair, too much makeup, an ankle tatoo.

Nancy is face to face with RAY, paunchy, unshaven, in Roto- Rooter cover-alls. As the two maneuver past each other in the tiny hallway, Ray looks down her shirt.

Did. I ever tell you I have a thing for girls in Catholic school uniforms?

Nancy scratches. her cheek while giving him the finger. “NANCY ‘ (acid) Yeah, Ray. But z love hearirig it again every morning.

He laughs a ‘smoker’ s taugh which turns into a smoker’s cougn. Then he lights up.

Nancy’s mother, GRACE, is out. cold on the bed amidst a wine bottle, an overturned ashtray, a TV Guide.

A spindly-looking lower-class BOY, has to walk through them.

Trey and Mitt merely glare at the boy. This is enough to make

ww

No response. Nancy goes to the purse on the bedside table, opens the wallet: a few singles, coins. Nancy takes it all.

Nancy steps outside the-dilapidated TRAILER set in the . backyard of an even more dilapidated old BUNGALOW.

Nancy scans fora seat amid sea of HISPANIC WOMEN, all chattering on in Spanish.

Nancy sits in back. Across the aisle are two ninth grade 30YS in school uniforms. They whisper to eack other when they see Nancy. ar oe

One of them starts Miming a blow job. Nancy turns. NANCY

If you,don’t stop, I’ll fucking rip your testicles off. Se Pu

The Boys are afraid.

BUSES and CARS deposit swarms of uniformed STUDENTS: The school has a fading elegance: graceful stuccoed buildings, cracked, patched and tinged with graffitti.

CHRIS HOOKER, TREY HANTHAM, MITT ROGERS, and a handful of other JOCKS hang by the water fountain, perched on either side of the hall. :

him sprint off.

tt py .- t '

Bonnie, Rochelle and Nancy are approaching. The Boys silent as they pass. Sc

Lv)

Trey coughs artfully spitting out the word ‘scum fuck’ or ‘fuck me’ or ‘blow job’. Other boys follow suit, except Chris, who seems annoyed.

Nancy glares at Chris: SOMETHING BETWEEN THEM.

' BONNIE So many men, so little ammunition. ©

_ DOWN THE HALLWAY -

Once they reach their lockers, Bonnie. pulls out a strange paperback. ,

| BONNIE The Almanac says today will bring an arrival of something...?.

, (finding it, reading) “...a new wholeness, and with it, a new balance between North, South, East and West. Earth, Air, Water, and Fire... Maybe it’s a fourth. oe

a NANCY Aren’t we good enough?

BONNIE ~ ' Four would make a ring.

' NANCY

Look. There’s our fourth.: ANGLE - A huge, rather macho-looking, uniformed female SECURITY GUARD. ,

The girls LAUGH.

- INT. FRENCH CLASS - DAY as Pe | rh

Bonnie sits in. French class, trying her best to avoid the gaze of MONSIEUR THEPOT, the rakish, fortyish French teacher. He speaks only IN FRENCH and is SUBTITLED.

THEPOT . ue Eow did you spend your weekend? At the beach? At a rock concert? Looking for girls?

Mitt Looks Lost.

. Thepot makes -an hourglass shape in the air.

The class LAUGHS. Thepot is not amused.

- SARAH | (from somewhere, in perfect French) . .Like hell you did, you pig:

Heads turn. Thepot smiles.

THEPOT : Ah, Madamoiselle Baily, our new student. Your French is excellent. Did you live in France or Canada?

Thepot is impressed. ANGLE.- BONNIE - She stares ac Sarah.

The boys Laugh, except for Chris.

UP AHEAD - Bonnie takes a pencil and stands it on its lead ,; point, balancing it with her index finger. — 7

She stares at the pencil and concentrates. _ :

She takes her finger away, and the pencil stays standing. ‘Sarah watches, mesmerized, . , Bonnie turns to Sarah.

The pencil falls.

Bonnie’s expressionless stare shoots through Sarah.

Class hasn’t started yet. Nancy and Rochelle are at a rear lab table.

ANGLE - LAURA LIZZIE, a muscular, blonde swimmer, joking with. her LAB GROUP. ,

. ROCHELLE - oS a __ Last Friday I couldn’t find my clothes...

They were floating in the pool. My. mother

had to drive me home in my bathing suic.

(..) a a brain hemorhage.

Bonnie rushes in, excited.

I’m serious. She's in here next. Look.

Sarah wanders in, confused. She talks to a TEACHER up front who directs her to take a seat. Sarah comes to the Girls.

Nancy crosses her eyes.

Sarah walls off.

Too late. She's at another table.

. NANCY _ She’ sa ereak,

C3) _ EXT. COMMONS - DAY

Sarah is eating lunch by herself when she notices Rochelle, Bonnie and Nancy across the way, staring at her.

Someone sits down at her table. It’s Chris Hooker, from French class.

CHRIS

Sarah. Right? Hi. I'd like to apologize for those guys.

(off her confused

Look) “Trey and Mitt in French, the Cro-Magnum men. I’m Chris.

(he sits)

. SARAH So many people have been rude, it’s hard to keep track.

Chris very artfully yawns and SEESEGISS turning his head to see the Girls. —

' CHRIS ; 7 Oh shit. It’s Fear, Loathing and

‘Pestilence: Whatever you do, stay away from them. ,

WITH THE GIRLS - Bonnie is watching closely.

Chris sneaks a nervous look at Bonnie.

. Nancy’s hand goes on Bonnie’s shoulder.

BACK WITH CHRIS AND SARAH - CHRIS

.she’s got these burn scars all over her body. I haven’t seen them, but I know

people who have... Anyway, people say some even scarier shit about them... SARAH

What?

‘happening.

He touches her hair. va

He buries

his face in it and sniffs. She tries to pull away.

'- CHRIS Really? I’m busy.

Annoyed, she finally swats him out of her hair.

_ CHRIS Football practice.

Chris smiles his shit-eating grin and gets up.

SARAH

No thanks. I just remembered I’ve got an appointment for some root canal and I’m really. looking forward to it.

CHRIS: I think you’ll be there.

dt

He wanders off, taking some French Fries from a SPINDLY ESHMAN, smiling back at us.

EAS. PQOOUCSALL FE=LD — .DAY

“Several cars are parked next to the field with several GIRLFRIENDS sitting inside, eating, trying to do homework,

but mostly watching their BOYS doing scrimmages.

ANGLE - BEHIND SOME TREES - We spy Sarah, doing her best not to be seen. She scans for Chris on the field.

Sarah turns. Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle are right there.

Because we're not standing in line for permission to lick the sweat off his fat butt.

The giris laugh, even Sarah a little ROCHELLE

Nancy’s sorry about what happened in Biology. We want you to sit. with us.

ay

BONNIE | We know who you are. Do you want to go to the mall with us?

- . ROCHELLE

Come on. It’s a really cool mall, and really unique because there’s a Gap anda Benetton and a Mrs. Fields Cookies anda Brookstone, so, it’s like different from - all the other malls.

_. NANCY - ‘Or you can stay and watch Chris.

They start walking off. Sarah thinks for a second, then 7

follows. _ ROCHELLE What’s today’s color? BONNIE

What's red? ROCHELLE Everything we steal today has to be red. CUT TO - A CLOSE UP ra bt \ Koy A SNAKE slithers at us. ~

Sarah lurches away.

The girls watch this. Rochelle wears a bright red beret, Nancy red high tops.

Nancy ieads them out of the pet store.

Browsing. BONNIE What’ does your father do? SARAH Retail consultant for Holland Ross. .You

ever take one of those?

| | BONNIE It‘s a little conservative for me.

Bonnie twists a new red scarf around her neck. Sarah looks

around, nervous. A bitchy SALESMAN is eyeing them.

You know, everything in nature steals. Big animals take from little ones.

NANCY a | This place blows. Let’s make like Tom and cruise.

ROCHELLE

Let's make like Hemingway and book.

; BONNIE Let’s make like.Smuckers and jam.

‘They look at Sarah. -

Let‘s make like a baby and head out.

The girls LAUGH, moving to the-door. . |

They all make a b-line for the exit... except Sarah who stands right in front of the Salesman.

She touches his hand.

(Dp

THE SALESMAN’S POV - Sarah looxing straight at him. Sarah’s eyes are riveting. Everything behind her is brightening, FADING TO a shimmering WHITE, until ic melts down. Sarah’ S shape is darkening INTO SHADOW, di asipating.

“SARAH

(weird, echoey) Excuse me.. , ,

BEHIND SARAH'S BACK - Nancy waves the girls away. They run. BACK IN THE VISION - Sarah's shape thins and twists into a wire hanger. it falls.

With a CLANG,. everything snaps back -to NORMAL.

The Salesman bends over, dumbstruck, to pick up a wire hanger.

Sarah stands over him, holding up a shirt.

The Salesman rubs his temples and sits down on the floor.

Nevermind.

The three Girls wait just outside the main entrance, .as Sarah comes out.

Bonnie and Rochelle give a look.to Nancy.

Rochelle’s beret, Nancy’s high tops, and Bonnie’s scarf. Together with Sarah they march through a graftfitti- ~splattered part of town.

Long silence. SARAH

I killed myself. (laughing coldly)

I mean, I tried to... People found out. My. dad couldn't handle it. He gota transfer. : ' ROCHELLE =.

Oh. -* a:

Sarah walks ahead.

The girls all look at™-each other.

Dark, Catholic, and decrepit. The proprietor, an ethereal Latina with a lined face, named LIRIO, eyes the Giris waril: Sarah browses the occult paraphenalia.

Rochelle comes over and hands Sarah a book.

; _ ROCHELLE Sort of.

- Rochel le an some. incense into her pocket and wanders off.

Nancy approaches a PAINTING surrounded by candles and Mirrors. The PAINTING is of a woman, a witch probably,

enveloped in electric light, deep in the throes of ecstatic pain or pleasure.

r

A small plaque below reads: ‘Invocation of the Spirit.

Bonnie walks up.

The girls. stare at the painting. WITH SARAH - She continues to browse. Books, medallions.

She picks up a boxed set of eanetedl. red, black, white. She smells them.

Just then, a MIDDLE-AGED COUPLE enters the shop. They nod to.

Lirio, then disappear behind a black curtain in the back of the store. Sarah is curious.

| She approaches the curtain.

Suddenly a wri inkled | hand stops her.

a SARAH sorry...

Lirio sees an old ring on Sarah’s hand.

| LIRZIO . | A beautiful ring. It was your mother’s.

‘Lirio looks at the box of candles, the book.

_ They go to the counter. Sarah pays.

Lirio gives her a small book covered in Old English script and engravings. .

SARAH

I’ve never read any books about... you know... I just... kind of... feel it... LIRIO ,

Did someone teach you? Your mother?

| LIRIO You are a Natural Witch. Self-taught. Your power comes from within.

‘-Lirio touches Sarah’s hand, the ring, nodding, giving Sarah a ‘creepy smile.. ,

BONNIE’ (calling) Sarah, come on...

Sarah goes to the girls. “EXT. CANDLE SHOP - CONT. _As they trudge off.

: NANCY

I can’t believe you paid. It’s so embarrassing.

2\

Sarah trudges up the driveway. It’s dark, and the hills TIALSE «

Sarah’ s father ana Jenny are sitting in the dining room | Looking very agitated. When Sarah comes in, he jumps up.

7 ROGER . Where the hell have you been?

school.

This stops him cold. Sarah runs upstairs.

Sarah has passed out on her bed, still in her clothes. has lit a dozen or so of the CANDLES from the store.

The breeze from the open Doorway to. Nowhere lightly tosses

the flames to and fro.

Sarah BREATHES heavily while she sleeps.

The sound of her BREATH is growing deeper, cavernous, like

some huge beast... and -it eyachs with the BREEZE from the window. no . .

The CANDLES are eiewing out and relighting with each B REEZE,

with each breath. Suddenly the PHONE RINGS.:-Sarah dives for it. The BREEZE stops.

. SARAH ' Helio?

VOICE What are you wearing?

“~~

‘CHRIS’ VOICE I, need a mental picture otherwise I won't be able to get my rocks off. This is 976- HOTT, right?

CHRIS’ VOICE | Inflamation... I looked for you on the field.

. CHRIS’. VOICE This Friday. After practice. A real date. z’ll buy you dinner and you'll give me sex, a,

SARAH

You’re a pervert. CHRIS’ VOICE I’‘ll take that as a yes. Later.

CLICK.

She lies back, slightly annoyed, but rather more excited.

Sarah and.Chris lie beneath the dilapidated neon ‘Ambassador Hotel’ sign. Chris kisses her, rapaciously, bending. her body around his, stroking her everywhere.

His mouth goes down her chest, as he opens buttoms'on her uniform blouse.

Sarah is not emotionally engaged. She watches a smog-hued sunset.

Just then, Trey and Laura Lizzie round a corner, hand in ( 5 hand. Sarah smiles at then, embarrassed. —

Laura and Trey descend a ladder.

Chris dives back into Sarah. He starts unkuttoning his pants, pushing her down. ~ . . .

SARAH a Wait... I... I’m just not... = don’t want to do this.. Chris dives away from her, panting.

He catches his breath.

He stuffs something back in his pants:and zips up.

He puts. his arm around her, gives her a polite peck on the

_ cheek, and checks out the sunset.

Awkward.

The Teacher is lecturing. Sarah and the. girls WHISPER.

“aah

- SARAH What???

NANCY | Something about you being too big down there.

Sarah is mortified. She turns around.

Laura Lizzie and her LAB GROUP look away, avoiding Sarah. But one of them nudges Laura and they all laugh.

‘NANCY - Rochelle.

Sarah is walking toward her locker when she sees Chris, Trey,

“Mitt and the other Jocks in their formation on either side of

the hallway.

‘She wavers, then decides to-keep going.

Chris won't: look at her as she passes.

ey coughs out a ‘hosebag’ ‘Mitt coughs out ai‘u ioe

fo

Sarah just keeps going.

Roger and Jenny’ and Sarah sit around the kitchen tapie,

eating dinner in SILENCE.

to Oy

‘Roger's about to say something to Sarah, but he’s not sure

how to from his thoughts into words. Sarah looks at him. SARAH What? Why don’t you just say it...? You never just say what it is.

Roger gives up. Sarah shakes her head. They eat in SILENCE.

‘INT. KITCHEN - LATER

' Sarah is washing dishes. Jenny comes in with dirty plates.

‘JENNY He worries.

- SARAH Tell him not to bother.

- INT. SARAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Sarah lies on-her bed, eyes red from: crying. She looks ‘wan,

empty. She gets up and locks her door.

She goes to her.desk and opens a drawer. Inside: amidst

. pencils and pens, an EXACTO KNIFE. She picks it up and goes

into

- INT. BATHROOOM - CONT’.

She goes to the mirror and cuts ‘Open a vein on each wrist with the knife.

Blood drips down onto her white tile floor.

‘She reaches for a glass and fills it with water from the tap.

- A little blood. drips in too.

She arinis the pinkish water. She wavers, and the glass drops, SMASH!

Water, blood, shards of glass on the floor, all around her feet.

Blood still drips down her hands, off the tips of her fingers. ;

She looks in the mirror. She’s.pale.

She falls to the floor, into a pool of red.

ANGLE - There’s knocking on the bedroom door.

ROGER

Sarah. Why did you lock the door...?

Sarah! POUNDING. The door rattles. Sarah wants to move, to get help, but she’s frozen. She tries to speak. She tries to move her arms. But nothing The door BOWS in with an attempt to break it down WHAM! Then it’s quiet. No one’s trying to help.

IGHT ON SARAH‘’S FACE - She’ s crawling to the door. Her body is like lead.

Gradually we PULL BACK to reveal she is on her bed. There's no blood. She rubs her wrists: they’re normal.

She rolls” over on her back, burying ‘her face in her arms.

There’ sa distant KNOCK at ‘the front door.

VOICES.

Sarah gets up, peeks out.

ANGLE - DOWN THE STAIRS

Roger is talking to Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle.

BONNIE .

She didn’t tell you that we were all going to the movies?

eae ROGER Frankly, no. I think she’s asleep.

| ROGER _ I certainly will. Goodnight.

(.) The Girls start walking out.

Sarah watches them go for a beat, then:

The Girls hear ner and turn back, see her az the top of the stairs. SARAH . Sorry, you guys. I forgot. Gimme a ‘minute,

Sarah runs to her. closet.

Rochelle’s glacial Mother drives.

SILENCE.

’ Nancy makes a lewd gesture by slipping her tongue through her fingers.

. Bonnie and Rochelle GIGGLE.

Green hat, .green Keds, green T-shirt and green Swatch Watch pile out of the car.-Rochelle waves goodbye and they march up to the box office as the car drives off.

The Girls lead Sarah away, down the street.

Dark and seedy. Abandoned cars and empty lots. .-

Sarah braces as they approach...

el The Girls parade stalwart through the mass psychosis.

[2 (£2

- He is familiar.

Saran steais glimpses from the corner of her eye: BEGGARS, PIMPS, CRIPPLES, RUNAWAYS, DEALERS. Noise, SCREAMING, SIRENS,

2 be

Le .. STREET WOMAN Please... my baby needs food.

Sarah stops, heartbroken.

The Girls keep walking. The Street Woman notices Sarah.

Suddenly Sarah has become a target. Everyone is looking. at

her. Someone jostles her. A PIMP turns around, . scoping her out. Bo co

‘PIMP... Honey child, i. like your style.

He's blocking her way. - She lecks for the Girls.

But they're gone. From down the boulevard, a weird STREET PREACHER spies Sarah. . : ~ PREACHER | Jezebel! Hold on, Jezebel! Jesus is coming! Here comes Jesus!

She turns and runs, and hits smack dab into a | dirty vagrant.

7 "VAGRANT I know you... I know where you live.

Sarah recognizes him: he stood in the doorway with the snake.

He holds her arm.

Sarah SCREAMS and pulls away, running straight INTO THE STREET - .

sd a

A car HONKS. Another SCREECHES to a hait right at Sarah's

ANGLE - The’ Vagrant is coming after her, into the lanes of traffic.

The Giris have noticed where Sarah is. They see the Vagrant.

VERY QUICK: Bonnie, Rochelle and Nancy each thinking Someta.ng. They are cool.

Sarah leeks ‘at the Vagrant, thinks the sane ching.

A speeding SPORT TRUCK with monster wheels eatches the

Vagrant

His eas get caught under the wheels. He SCREAMS as his legs are crushed..

People YELLING.

A hand comes out of nowhere and- grabs a dumbstruck Sarah.

It’s Bonnie.

"BONNIE why didn’t you keep up ‘Li ike. I- said?

Motorcycle Cops descend on the scene. Pandemonium.

. ROCHELLE Let’s get out of here.

The. four Girls sprawl on the grass, in the dark. We only catch glimpses of their faces when the light of distant headlights passes over them. The wind +s RUSTL ING through the trees. . oo <<. ‘ ROCHELLE mo It was wéird. I thought, maybe he'll get hit. That would stop him. And then...

I guess we all did.

owe

- What's that, God?

Nature.

Sarah nods

SARAH .

Where did you learn it? -

It was always there. I just had to find it. I don’t know..

. BONNIE A’ natural witch... SARAH ' My mother was a witch. She died when I was born. ROCHELLE Everything. we know is: from books ‘and stuff. BONNTE

I guess we finally fourd our fourth.

_ NANCY .So what can you: do? Cam you really do things? Anything you want?

. ROCHELLE = ; One’ time we chanted ali night over an algebra test. The next day we all got the same grade.

SARAH | “Really? ‘ ; , ROCHELLE “Three ‘F’s. We should have studied. They laugh. NANCY Have you ever heard of ‘Invoking the Spirit’? _. SARAH No... NANCY

It’s when you ask him to come. Manon. And he just fills you. He makes everything alright. He takes what’s wrong with your life and makes it right. ~ :

(--). _ Sarah turns to face the breeze.

~~

The whole DIVING TEAM, including Laura Lizzie and her Friends, as well as several COACHES are watching.

Rochelle puts her shoulders back, balances, and concentrates. She bounces up and down and springs out.

Rochelle is thrown, her body contorts, and WHAM! FROM UNDERWATER - /She bell y flops.

The COACH winces.

Laura and her friends clap politely.

Hochelie serugeles to ‘the surface:

Laura and her Friends are just getting dressed when Rochelle nears, wrapped in a towel.

Te ROCHELLE I just want to know why!

i) im)

Laura and her friends walk o BY ROCHELLE’S LOCKER -

She opens the door, sighs.

. ROCHELLE Where are my clothes?

Rochelle, wrapped in a man’s bathrobe, talks with the Coach.

Rochelle stands there. ANOTHER COACH comes in. OTHER COACH

‘We found your clothes, Rochelle. They weren't in the pool.

LOOKING INTO THE BOYS LOCKER -

- Rochelle stands there, numb, as a janitor fishes her clothes out of a urinal with a rake. A lunky FOOTBALL PLAYER takes a leak in the background.

Something clicks in Rochelle.

Laura and her Friends are waiking along TALKING and LAUGHING. Saran comes towards them.

(_ She bisects Laura.’s group, physically brushing up against dll Laura.

Her fingers grab several strands of hair, and yank.

LAURA

« Stup2d fucking idiot... They walk off. Sarah smiles, clutching the hair.

“INT. SARAH'S ROOM - NIGHT

All the Girls are staying over. The Home Shopping Network drones on while Bonnie is busy braiding Laura's hair into th back of Rochelle’s.

Rochelle lights a candle, WHISPERS something.

. BONNIE . If Laura leaves you alone starting now, nothing will happen. Nothing could.

— ROCHELLE . Fat chance. a Nancy is cutting cake into pieces, pouring wine into a cup on a tray. She passes it to Rochelle who is on her right.

Rochelle drinks. Sarah takes the tray.

SARAH | Do you think the ancients used fat-free lemon twist for their cakes and wine ceremony?

Nancy sips the wine, eats a piece of cake.

a ROCHELLE _ I thought you weren't supposed to. oO BONNIE | | Rochelle... ROCHELLE

That's what.she said. If she has one, she'll just have another.

tad

ast

reo, ge 7 ;

Bonnie picks up the black and white PEOTO of SARAH'S MOTHER.

BONNIE _ She looks just like you...

- BR COUPLE OF TABLES AWAY -

Chris, Trey, Mitt and the other Jocks shooting the shit.

‘Chris’ back is to us.

, CHRIS © mo ...Skanky, flabby, stretched out, smelly, ‘crusty, used up, dried out, did I say smelly already...? -

' TREY Twice. CHRIS ...smelly, scabby, infested, infected, old hole. .

The guys chuckle. Mitt sees something, looks really embarrassed. - MITT Chris, there she is.

Sarah, sitting with Rocheile, has just heard ail of this.

Boys are laughing.

FLASH! A camera snaps off.

(Ue) ay

Bonnie stands in front of the boys’ bathroom with the camera

as Chris comes out.

else.

Sarah has her little spell book. Rochelle is cutting the picture of Chris into a small pentagon.

- SARAH (reading)

Chris Hooker is trying to ruin my life.

He lies about me. He humiliates me in

front of people. Manon, I ask that Chris

Hooker feel the same pain that I feel. Measure for measure. Please do what's

fair. Whatever it is. I mean, don’t pull ‘his limbs from his body or anything Like:

that. On second thought, you can if you want to. .:

Rochelle and Nancy laugh.

Rochelle pastes the picture of Chris into the book, upsidedown. Nancy holds out a red candle and drips wax around the edges. She has a handful of red rose petals.

She runs her hands over her skin.

on) (Dp,

: NANCY To getting what you. want.

Nancy raises her cigarette and takes a drag.

Nancy, Bonnie and Sarah are sprawled on Rochelle’s floor,. eating Snackwells. Rochelle comes in with two containers, handing one to Sarah and Bonnie.

. ROCHELLE . _ Make sure the oil’s not too hot.

Sarah sticks her fingers inside the mixture of oil and herbs.

Nancy does. Candles are lit. Bonnie slips her shirt over her head, exposing her back. .

Sarah dips a cloth in the oil and lightly swabs the scarred area.

. BONNIE We’ ve been doing it two weeks now.

Bonnie looks at her skin. She's sickened. She starts =o cry. BONNIE It’ S not working. (pushing Sarah away) Nothing’ s working. This is stupid.

Bonnie crawls into a corner, covering her scars with her arms, crying.

The Girls just watch, helpless.

ae SARAH - We aren’t feeling it “enough.

Nancy nods.

‘The. Girls” step on ‘an empty ‘bus behind Sarah while - she fumbles. with her _wallet. for the fare. . Lo,

_ He looks over, shocked. He. looks into Sarah's eyes. He falis

, HIS POV - Behind Sarah, everything is turning white, while she turns to snadow -- We’ve seen this before...

The Driver stares at her, until she walxs away without paying. He shakes his head, woozy.

Cranking up the hill, into the Angeles National Forest.

The bus stops and the Girls pile off.

7 DRIVER Be careful of the weirdos.

He raises an eyebrow.

. The Girls walk along a path.

Intense green. Sunlight flaring off their faces, their hair, off the boughs of trees, off the grass. BUZZING insects, RUSTLING trees, BIRDS. .

‘The Forest is alive.

Nancy walks in front. She starts taking off her shirt. She steps out of her skirt, pulls off her shoes.

Bonnie sees Sarah watching Nancy.

IN A MEADOW - Nancy lies down in some tall grass. The feeling of the earth against her body is ecstatic.

Sarah has her shirt off, holding it against her front. Bonnie, still fully clothed, rubs a mixture of oil and herbs on Sarah’s back and arms. She looks blissfully relaxed.

Rochelle reads from her little book. The images and voices DISSOLVE into one another.

.It’'s hard enough walking out. on that board with everyone staring and you're just in a bathing suit. But when you’re the worst on the team, it’s like a bad joke.

DISSOLVE - Bonnie sensually caresses a’huge rock.

.I try not to do the binging and purging, but sometimes. I can’t help it. I wish I didn’t feel like there should be less of me.

DISSOLVE =. Naney reads. Sarah rubs ointment on her feet. NANCY (reading)

.My mom would give me vodka and juice when I was little. She would laugh at me drunk...

DISSOLVE - Rochelle sits on the low bough of a tree, naked.

.I love it when you can take something, and it makes you feel Gifferent. I get ‘addicted to everything: cigarettes, coke,

_. Diet Coke, sex, everything. But I can’t .do' that anymore because it will kill me... oe

- DISSOLVE - Bonnie brushes a flower across Saran’s cheek. —

DISSOLVE - Sarah has her feet in a small stream, naked, her chest pressed against her knees.

.I can’t remember for about five minutes before we hit the wall. But when I came to, there were sparks coming from a huge saw trying to cut me out of the car, and I was on fire.

DISSOLVE - Nancy floats perfectly still, face up, in a small pond, the sun glimmering all around her.

She looks up, still shaken by this past event, closes her

book.

She’s the i one still fully clothed. Everyone is looking at her.

Slowly, Bonnie unbuttons her blouse,. slips it off. She pulls

“The SCAR covers more chart’ halé her body, in jagged strokes

across her chest, arms, shoulders, knees, as if someone had © splashed paint on her and swirled it around.

She looks so vulnerable.

4 i

Bonnie relaxes; even gives a pained little smile. She gets in

- the water.

‘ s : The other giris are moved. Rochelle comes over and kisses her on the cheek.

Strange shadows are falling on them. They look up.

| A giant fluttering of BUTTERFLIES, hundreds of them, drifts overhead.

| The Giris are still. The butterflies descend. They start ‘to rest on Sarah’s shoulders, on Bonnie’s head, everywhere.

Amazed looks between them.

“Bonnie, Rochelle, Nancy and Sarah are ali covered with a thick blanket of butterflies.

They are flushed with awe.

EXTREME CLOSE UP OF CHRIS HOOKER He rubs his hands over his face, distressed, distracted.

ANGLE - A PAGE, full of questions IN FRENCH.

Chris’ pencil starts ‘to write something in French, ‘then it wanders. down the page and writes, ‘Sarah’ in flowery script.

He lifts his gaze across the

past all the STUDENTS “enmeshed in their French test to see: SARAH. He just keeps looking at her. ,

Finally Sarah glances up to Eine Chris, who smiles nis dopey smile at her.

- THEPOT » . a 7 | ‘Regardez la: page, Mssr: Hooker... Mssr. 7 Hooker! oo .

Bonnie looks: at Sarah. They stifle giggles.

‘EXT. SCHOOL - DAY

Sarah and Bonnie are moving with the CROWD towards tne.

C \ 7 - CEKAPEL. Each is struggling with a large stack of books.

Chris catches /up with them.

AOTC

Sarah... how’s it hangin’?

The Girls keep walking.

CHRIS. a Bisten, I, uh, wanted to talk to you. You know... I've said some nasty things. I’d —

like to apologize. I mean, I’m sorry... So you hate me, right?.

Sarah doesn’t want to look at Bonnie. She’s afraid they’ll both bust up laughing. .

- SARAH

‘I really don’t think about you that much. CHRIS Really? That’s harsh... Listen, when

you’re a guy, and I am, people expect - things, you know?

os.) SARAH 2 Have you told your friends? . CHRIS | . SARAH That you lied about me. CHRIS - No... But I’m going to... Tomorrow.

That’s what I'm going to do. I’m going to straighten the whole thing out.

| CHRIS» | ™~ Can I sit with you in mass?

They go into:

“The Chapel is full as Sarah, Bonnie and Chris enter, bow,

make their way up the aisle.

a Oe

d-~

qs

dil

Just when they are in front of tne whol ation, Sarah smiles to Bonnie and turms to Chris, in full view of everypody.

Chris kind of checks out the crowd in the corner of his eye ana laughs nervously. He definitely doesn’t want to do this,

_ but he can’t help himself.

Sarah hands him the stack.

Bonnie’s go on top. They girls head for a seat, and Chris

follows. \

Everyone has just seen this.

IN THE. CROWD - TREY and MITT and the other JOCKS,

KIDS start LAUGHING. Evervbody.-

Chris turns bright red, gritting his teeth, but ‘smiling.

An angry PRIEST starts SHUSHING people. IN THE CROWD - Rochelle and Nancy see.

gy

‘Nancy steams.

IND. HOSPITAL LOBBY - NIGHT

Bonnie and her Mother, MRS. MACK, are waiting, nervously. Bonnie has ‘a small: suitcase.

A young DOCTOR approaches.

. BONNIE - Yeah...

The beseor is going over a lot of PApeEWOnK: Bonnie’s mother is signing in-several places.

_ DOCTOR I've told you this before, ‘but. I want to . be really clear. This is a very . experimental procedure, and we cannot make any warranties regarding results or side-effects. I can tell you unofficiaily that there is little to no risk. This form of gene threpapy is non-invasive. Painful, but non-invasive...

Bonnie looks up sharply at the word ‘painful’.

EXTREME CLOSE UP -'OF A ROBOTIC NEEDLE

The Needie is loaded with a clear gel.

FROM ABOVE - Bonnie is awake, on her stomach. Her Mother

holding her hand. Bonnie’s scars look especially bad, in cold, bright light.

"yw.

qT fe

The Needle descends into Bonnie’s back.

EXTREME CLOSE UP - It hovers a millimeter above the scar tissue. ;

DOCTOR | Hold very stiil. But keep breathing. Stay relaxed. — - 3

Bonnie breathes.

The Needle suddenly starts jutting into the skin, in rows, in rapidfire succession, like a sewing machine, going RAT-TAT- TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Bonnie SCREAMS.

The Swim Team are all vying for the mirror, fussing with sy their hair and clothes; CHATTING. Rochelle waiks. in. -

| | LAURA . Oo Rochelle, I have to tell you, I was actually impressed with that last. dive

today. ROCHELLE (sceptical) Really? LAURA. I swear. I think you ‘could have won with that. -

(to her friends) . Didn't I say that, guys? .

They all nod and say yes. Rochelle is ready to believe her.

evervicay LAUGHS. Laura high fives several of the Girls, as she turns back to the mirror, combing her long brown mane.

Suddenly, aura is holding a handful of hair. The Girls Netice. Somebody GASPS. i,

ANGLE - IN THE MIRROR - There’s.a three- 4neh- round patch of scalp where the hair came out.

' Rochelle watches, without expression.

Nurses scurry about.

We oD

Sarah is there, with a gift basket from the Girls. Outside it is raining.

Bonnie:buries her face in her arms.

-BONNIE

It would be so much easier if I could — give up. SARAH Bonnie, make it work. BONNIE How? SARAH Everything you're feeling, the pain, that will make it happen..

A tear runs down Bonnie’s cheek. Sarah instinctively catches it on her finger.

She’ cakes, a glass and rubs the tear on the bottom of the glass. _. . BONNIE What are. you doing...? Sarah opens the carafe and pours in some wine. She iight

s the sage stick. She douses the sage in the wine, it SIZZLES turning the liquid dark purple.

Sarah dips her fingers in-the wine, and, pulling back Bonnie’s sheets, she flicks the liquid ali over the pandages.

Bonnie closes her eyes.

Sarah WEISPERS something, continuing to flick the liquid.

Outside the window there’s a gust of WIND.

Suddenly the window flings open, and a GUST OF WIND blows’

- into the room, tossing everything around.

EXTREME CLOSE-UP - Surgical sissors are cutting bandage.

Bonnie, draped in an elaborate surgical shroud, sits with her Mother and several NURSES. The Doctor pauses.

results. Bonnie nods.

The Doctor cuts the section on Bonnie’s back, behind her right shoulder, where she can’t see. He peels back the bandages.

RED FLAKY SKIN. A Nurse takes a picture with a DIGITAL CAMERA. The skin appears on a COLOR ENHANCED COMPUTER SCREEN

where Bonnie can see it.

The Doctar. takes a swab. and dips it in solution: He wipes away the flaky material.

The Doctors face goes blank.

{

He cuts some more, swabs some more.

The Nurse takes a picture. The image appears on the COMPUTER aChES

Mrs. Mack looks at it and starts crying.

Bonnié -- something beautiful happens inside her.

We. see Bonnie’s back. Underneath a layer of slimy disinfectant and flaky bits:- glowing HEALTHY. SKIN.

The Doctor runs his hands over Bonnie’s back.

. Sarah is huddled with Rochelle and Nancy in ‘the back, while a. TEACHER DRONES ON reading an announcement. Thirty.or so

STUDENTS, still not fully awake.

| SARAH She was supposed to come today. Have you talked to her?

Nancy looks over at: THE ENTRANCE - Bonnie swings in, wearing a black cape.

“TEACHER | _. Homeroom starts at. 8:45-sharp.

Scattered CHUCKLES.

As she crosses in front of the whole room, Bonnie nonchalantly drops the cape. Her knee-length plaid uniform skirt has been hiked up to a mini, and she wears a clingy tank top instead of the requisite blouse.

But most importantly, her skin, of which we see quite a iot, is £lawless, no scars, nothing.

ne ed

“They laugh.

5L Mouthes drop. WHISPERING. Everyone is staring. Especially Trey and Mitt. ; MITT Where'd she come from?

The girls sit together admiring Bonnie’s new look. The’ sun

gilints off them. They are fluid, smiling. -

She and Sarah hold hands. oe BONNIE | | It’s weird... I feel... powerful. And © maybe kind of stupid. I guess that goes ' with being beautiful, right Rochelle? ~

Sarah nods at something.

ANGLE - Chris, Trey and Mitt are all clumped together at the edge of the lawn, smiling at them.

The Girls laugh. —

A shadow falls over them.

AN ADMINISTRATOR

TV SCREEN - We see DR. BRUCE HENSEL.

DR.* BRUCE A Westside dermatologist is making claims of a very important discovery. Use of a certain skin production gene can cause Significant reduction in scar tissue...

Nancy and her Mother, Grace, are watching TV. Her mother drinks a tumbler full of Scotch and ice. She smokes.

GRACE

Then who did? Suddenly the LIGHTS GO OUT.

Grace gets up and teeters down the hall, Scotch in hand,. throwing open the door to the ,

_ MASTER BEDROOM _ where Ray is asleep still in his plumber’s uniform. GRACE

Did you pay the power bill? Ray.. Nancy’s got homework.

Grace comes over and kicks him. He just lies there. She kicks him again, and this time he grabs her foot, pulling her down onto he bed. The tumbler of Scotch falls.

co “GRACE |

‘Ray! oo

He’s holding her down, roughly. It looks harsh. But she’s familiar with it. He starts to pulls his. pants down.

MOVING IN ON NANCY sitting quietly in the darkness, (-.) overhearing. GRACE Ray... Ray, that hurts me!

a dat

Something falls over, CRASH.

Nancy gets up and runs out the door.

_ INT. SARAH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

All four Girls.: TV. Pedicures. The phone RINGS next to Rochelle.

' ROCHELLE Hello...? Yeah. | “(making a face, whispering) , It’s Chris.

Sarah shakes her head. Bonnie takes the receiver.

. BONNIE ‘Sarah doesn’t feel like talking to you.

‘Bonnie hangs up, and they all LAUGH, except Nancy who hangs

over the ledge of the Doorway to Nowhere. Bonnie notices.

- BONNIE SO Why don’t you wish for something? NANCY How can I wish for one thing when everything is wrong?

Nancy stews.

The phone RINGS. Bonnie lifts it up and puts it back down without even interrupting her pedicure.

— NANCY | co I’m sick of being poor white trash... | SARAH You're not poor white trash. NANCY i‘m poor. ROCHELLE -

She's white.

ast

NANCY . } If it weren't for Catholic charity I . , wouldn’t even be in school with you guys.

. SARAH | Well, you’re not-trash. Nobody’s trash. ; ROCHELLE Except Laura Lizzie. . BONNIE And Chris. SARAH.

How do you explain the concert of poor. white trash to Noan?

The Girls area moving black frieze ‘against: ‘the dazzling color of. approaching dusk.

They move in circles around a fire, holding smoking smudge-

sticks aloft.

Two frozen dinners twirl in the Microwave Oven. Grades 1s pouring two beers

Nancy, in a thin robe, comes out of the bathroom, and gets a Diet Coke out of the little fridge. She has to carefully scoot around Ray to avoid Prushinig ‘up against him.

Sarah swats him. He laughs, coughs..

Uy Ul

Grace Siaps him.

Ray grabs her arms and flings her down onto the floor.

. RAY , Godfuckingdammnit! Don't you ever hit me!

_ Ray puis : back with a clenched. fist when Nancy lets loose an unearthly SCREAM.

And the MICROWAVE OVEN EXPLODES in a eorey GE sparks. The lights in the trailer FLICKER and OFF and ON.

Ray is puffing with anger. He steps back, sits down. Grace looks at Nancy.

The curtains have caught FIRE.

-Grace jumps up, takes a dish towel, and smothers the flames. SMOKE everywhere. The alarm starts BEEPING.

Ray tries to stand up. He winces. He’s having trouble breathing. He stumbles to the floor.

' wee GRace : Ray....? :

‘Ray is strapped down with ar oxygen mask in his face, delerious, monitoring tabs !across his enact an erratic BEAT

issuing from a machine.

The ambulance lurches ‘to and fro as it weaves through traffic. Nancy and Grace sit next to him in between PARAMEDICS.

Suddenly the BEAT jumps faster, then stops.

The Paramedics start YELLING to each other, working on him.

C4 : GRACE a What's happening to him?

Nancy stares coldy at Ray.

ast On

Grace, in a black dress, sits there with a tumbler full of Scotch and ice. Nancy, also in black, looks out the window.

The door KNOCKS timidly and is opened by IDA, the neighbor, with an arrangement of flowers.

. IDA Oh, Grace'honey. How you doin? They left these on. my doorstep by mistake. (putting the flowers on a table) And there's a man here to see you... Ii you need anything, just hollor.

Up steps gangly young JEFF, in a bad suit with a briefcase. Ida lingers by the door, not-too- discreetly listening in.

: JEFF Hi, I’m Jeff Yates (fumbling for a card, nervous) I’m from Interstate Insurance. I know: this is a difficult time, but it is procedure to ask just a few questions before we can start processing the policy. ©

He opens his briefcase and papers fall out onto the floor.

| GRACE | ‘I don’t understand, Jeff. What policy?

; JEFF .Mr. Saunders had whole life pension plan through the company. And, with benefits. of this. size, it's standard to...-

"GRACE »

Of what size? — bo _ JEFF | | Well, uh, ...A hundred and seventy five

thousand dollars. Outside the door, Ida does a little dance.

(on | IDA Praise Jesus! He shail provide!

Grace sits back, stunned.

Nancy can’t help it. She smiles.

ANGLE UP - A HUGE NEO-DECO APARTMENT BUILDING

Bonnie, Rochelle and Sarah get off a bus and make their way towards the Bua hein

There’s a DOORMAN anda RECEPTIONIST behind a huge conscle. The Girls check in.

The Girls amble across the plush carpeting. Nancy opens huse double doors to:

Spacious. Huge dramatic windows, marble fireplace. But no furniture, except for a JUKEBOX and a couch made from bh rear-end of a ‘57 Chevy.

BONNIE

Cool. NANCY We didn’t take anything from the trailer.

I grabbed my baby pictures and a Diet Coke, and I was outta there. -

Grace is in the KITCHEN, fixing a drink. Rochelle pours sver the jukebox.

Grace” totters in, her highball TINKLING.

~ GRACE Ever since I was a little girl z said ‘All I want out of life isa Jukebox that plays nothing but, Connie Francis.

oN | i i”

Ms

Nancy leads the others into

HER BEDROOM -

A oO)

A king-size bed and dozens of shopping bags filled with new clothes.

Suddenly ‘Who's Sorry Now?’ echoes through the giant space.

THROUGH THE DOOR - We spy Grace, in the dining room archway,

deep in the throes of an empassioned lip-synch of the SONG.

Nancy SLAMS her door closed.

Nancy looks straight at Sarah and comes towards her. NANCY

Now I think it’s time you gave us a little lesson.

A half-eaten pizza,. Haagen Dahz, cigarettes. The Girls crowd

around a full length mirror which has been laid down SMeways to accomodate all of them.

Sarah closes the book. - SARAH ‘Nevermind about that... Just feel. You feel it. You think about the other ‘person’s eyes, not yours, about what's

_ behind them. Don’t think about yourself. I know it’s. difficult, Nancy.

Nancy smiles coldy.

Sarah stares at Nancy's reflection. rhey 10ck gazes. SARAH falls into shadow. |

Behind her there is a tremendous LIGHT [like in the store, and on the bus].

‘The SNAKE dissolves into nothing.

is (oO

Her silhouette collapses into a SLIP OF SMOKE.

Then everything goes back to normal.

‘I’ bet I could do it to all of you.

Sarah scoffs.

They turn to -Nancy in the mirror. ‘She. closes her eyes. They wait. >)

Nancy places her hand on Sarah's.

Without any light theatrics, Nancy MORPHS into a MALE VERSION of herself.

MALE NANCY — | Women... if it weren’t for the pussy, I'd say kill ‘em all.

Rochelle and Bonnie burst into hysterics, knocking the mirror

over - CRACK.

oo, _ NANCY . Sarah, look out!

Behind Sarah is a huge SNAKE about to crawl up. Sarah’s back. Sarah SCREAMS and lurches away.

smile)

Sorry... Sarah is still shaken.

"

Rochelle luxuriates in the hot water, in seeming solitude Rochelle Looks down.

ON THE FLOOR - a clump of hair, not just stubble, long strands. ;

She turns off the water and reaches for a towel.

We hear WHIMPERING.

We | FOLLOW A TRAIL OF HAIR around a corner.

Laura: Lizzie. is sitting in ‘the corner, wrapped in several towels, another draped across her head. She looks freaked.

She pulls the towel off her head.

UNDERNEATH - A ravaged dome of scattered hair clumps, BUMPS, BOILS, and festering SCRES « ;

Behind Rochelle, another of LAURA’S FRIENDS: sees this. ©

; FRIEND Laura!

Other GIRLS come, pushing Rochelle back. They GASP at Laura's scaip.. LAURA . What. the fuck did I ever do to deserve. this?

Rochelle and Laura lock gazes: cold exchange.

roa

The four Girls are assembled, channel surfing, smoking. Nancy rolls on top of Rochelle, to reach an ashtray ,

_ ROCHELLE Yeah, you're light as a feather, you cow..

She pinches her on the butt. LAUGHING.

'.SARAH . Did you ever play that when you were a kid? ‘Light as a feather. Stiff as a board. ’ _ NANCY | . No, but it sounds like a guy I dated in ninth grade.

BONNIE’S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Nancy, Bonnie and Sarah are kneeling around Rochelle who ilies. on her back, arms folded over corpse-like. The only ligne i from the TV which drones on.

Come on.. Try it.

.

The three Girls stick their index fingers underneath Rochelle and lift.

Nothing happens.

Ssssh. Everybody concentrate. They try again, this time with more focus. | EVERYBODY | Light as a feather... Stiff as a board.

Suddenly the TV switches to a TEST PATTERN, filling the room with weird PURPLE LIGHT. i :

Rochelle’s eyes are closed. She starts to meve upwards, but. it's hard to tell how far.

FROM ABOVE - Rochelle is drifting towards us. An inch or so, but then more: six inches, a foot, three feet. Finaliy they let her go.

She opens’ her eyes, midair.

ROCHELLE

Whoa.

_ SARAH Keep concentrating. Don’t let yoursel= fall. a

Bonnie is flabbergasted.

Orv tw

Sarah iies down. Nancy and Bonnie stick their fingers underneath.

Sarah’s already lifting up, drifting and wafting like a cloud of smoke.

Bonnie folds her legs into the lotus position and lays her arms down to meditate.

She lifts up a few inches but remains rigid, legs akimbo. Sarah is bouncing off: the ceiling, emotionally and. literally. |

__-Come on, Nancy. Don’t be a fraidy-cat.

Nancy glowers and simply pushes against the floor with her right arm. She flies upwards.

While Bonnie and Rochelle linger down below, Saran and Nancy bounce around above, playiully shoving and pushing, LAUGHING and SHRIEK=ING.

Jealous, Nancy?

Nancy shoves her and Sarah crashes into a nanging Light.

fixture. Everybody LAUGHS.

door) Bonnie! What’s going on in there?

Suddenly all of the Girls fali, Bonnie, onto her butt

still

in the lotus position, Rochelle, right onto the floor on her belly, Nancy and Sarah, through Bomnie’s lacey canopy onto

opposite edges of her bed, ali of them SHRIEKING.

"Bonnie's MOTHER, in a bathrobe, stands at the door. BONNIE'S MOTHER Honey, you’re waking up the whole house! BONNIE (from inside) Sorry, Mom. Her mother walks away.

They wait and listen, wincing with pain.

ay

Oy ui

derriere) Nevermind. I broke my butt.

Bonnie’s Mother gets back in bed. Bonnie's FATHER rolls over.

BONNIE’S FATHER What were they doing? .-

A bright yellow Mustang Convertible slips into frame. Bonnie, Rochelle, Sarah and Nancy,. who is driving, TALK and LAUGH..

Bonnie looks more ‘done’, bigger hair, more makeup.

They come to an intersection and a ratty PICKUP slides in next to them, the DRIVER, a low-budget Romeo. He leers at the

girls.

' DRIVER 1.. ee The Girls smizk. _ _ DRIVER | os _ Didn’t we all meet at a party somewhere? ‘ _ NANCY - Yeah, that’s right. And your name is Dick... Dick,;Hole, isn’t Lt? The Girls all laugh. DRIVER Bitch... NANCY

Yeah, I’m'a bitch...

Oy OV

The LIGHT turns green and the PICKUP peels out. Nancy guns it to catch up with him. .

NANCY: .We’re all bitches.

The DRIVER looks over. DRIVER'S P.O.V.- As the Girl’s'car slides up next to him, we see Bonnie, Rochelle, Nancy and Sarah all have’ THE FACES OF DOGS: a Labrador, an Afghan, a Bulldog and a Dalmacian, respectively. uo : ‘They all BARK and wave at him. The Driver is bug-eyed.

. DRIVER

Ahhhh! oe He swerves away, and CRASHES into a parked car WHAM!

Nancy guns it down the street, LAUGHING with Rochelle and Bonnie.

Sarah looks exhilarated, ou worried.

ROCHELLE AND BONNIE ; Party-pooper! Party-pooper-scooper! Super -duper-party-pooper-scooper

Roger Baily is standing in the doorway with Chris.

curtis (concerned) Really? :

~

Thank you, Sir.

Roger elesas the door after him. Sarah peeks out froma doorway.

Sarah rolls her eyes.

It’s late. Sarah’s in bed. CHRIS

(off) i Sarah... Sarah!

Sarah gets up and goes to the window.

I think about you a lot.

Grace rouses, but she’s wasted, slurring...

Oy mW)

The front door opens and Sarah’s father comes out with a

broom, holding it fourth.

ROGER» | Time to go home, Chris. Go on. Home!

He starts prodding Chris away. - CHRIS Okay, Mr. Bailey. I just happen to love your daughter. I'm sorry. It happens. Bye, Sarah! os oy He runs off, stumbles, keeps going.

Sarah doesn’t laugh.

Nancy comes home. It's late. We hear LAUGHTER. ~

THROUGH THE DOOR TO HER MOTHER’S ROOM -

We see the back of a strange man doing something, and Grace, lying next to him. ,

Nancy comes forward.

Gradually revealed: the man, a JUNKIE, is fixing up a works, getting ready to inject himself with a HYPODERMIC.

. NANCY Mom...

- She laughs, falls back.

It’s okay. We’ve got the money. We don’t

GRACE . | have ‘to worry...

Nancy actually thinks about it for a second, then walks away.

The four Girls come in, “jingling the little metallic SKELETON BELL.

The proprietor, Lirio stands behind the counter:

ROCHELLE

We need provisions. The Girls starz selectiong candles, herbs, books.

A sly glance from Bonnie. Sarah wanders over to. Lirio. She leans in so the other girls can’t hear.

"NANCY Spare me.

Bonnie comes up and deposits her bags of herbs, candles, staring. at the BLACK CURTAIN.

Lirio starts ringing up the purchases, saying nothing.

Nancy has

LIRIO

xrue magic is neither black nor white. It is both because nature is both. Loving and cruel. Ugly and beautiful. All at the same time. Earthquake, sunrise, rattlesnake, rose. It keeps a balance on it’s own. So you must not throw that - balance out. Understand?

ROCHELLE, Not really.

picked up a book. She reads to Bonnie: .

"NANCY: (reading) . .To invoke a god is a great deal; it is a guarantee of happiness, of power, even omnipotence. To invoke a god is practically the same as being a god oneself... oo

IN THE BOOK - An illustration of a WITCH, seemingly electrified, eyes bright with ecstasy.

Lirio has

The Girls grave.

heard this.

LIRIO .

‘If you have a hole in your life, do not

try to fill it with the. Spiric. Like. food .

or | drugs or sex.

_Gamaged, or diseased. Besides, what =

fill my hole with is my business.

laugh. Liric steps up to Nancy. She looks. very

Nancy takes the book and moves off, nonchalantly.

The Girls have all paid, their things all in shopping bags.

She smiles at Lirio. ‘Waney bends down behind a shelf, handing Sarah her bag. ,

Rochelle and Bonnie hustle Sarak out.

Nancy climbs behind some boxes and lies down.

Sarah, Rochelle and Bonnie watch the candle shop froma ‘ table. oo. .

Actually, Bonnie is watehing a group of good-looking GUYS at.

a nearby ‘table.

SARAH

Why didn’t you tel’ me we were Going this? ROCHELLE

We thought Nancy told you. Bonnie smiles at ONE GUY.

The ‘Guys “all ‘iioh, embarrased.

‘BONNIE I‘ve spent most of my life being.a monster. Now that I’m not, I’m having a good time. If you can’t deal with it, fuck off.

TL

ANGLE - the light inside the store GOES OUT.

Muffled VOICES as the Girls appear outside the door.

A litter of pickled FE TAL PIGS bob in a dusty jar of formaldehyde.

Nancy crawls out from behind the boxes, brushing against the

jar. It falls - SMASH! The pigs scatter.

Nancy freezes.

Ancient and musty, filled with memorabilia, various religious icons.

‘Lirio rises from a daybed and turns the television down,

listening.

Nancy covers her nose, slinks over to the door, and, holding

' the skeleton bell still, opens the door.

Bonnie takes her hand.

We follow the girls as they move toward the curtain and through the doorway.

MAINTAINING ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT, we find it very bright on the other side. In fact, we are outside and IT IS DAYTIME.

Still in ONE SHOT, we move around the girls and see behind

them, where we came from, nothing but a broad expanse of open space, lawn, trees, a few STUDENTS.

Sarah, Rochelle, Nancy and Bonnie come to a stop, dazed,

utterly perplexed.

Sarak looks at her watch.

NANCY

Will you jerks shut up? We have just done something amazing. I mean, I have.

Sarah runs off.

I don’t know.

The Mustang slips around a curve, going just a Little tse fast.

ZH’'s claustraphobic with the hood down. The four Girls take up every available square inch.

Nancy and Sarah are embroiled in a heated discussion. | , |

' SARAH You're missing the point, I know we can,_ but the point is whether or not we

should.

a NANCY If we can, we should.

Nancy’s taking the curves even faster now, closer to the edge.

SARAH | We've accomplished what we set ‘out to do. I think we should stop. It’s. like what Lirio said, throwing things out of — balance. We might get something now, but we'll pay for it later.

I just don’ t think we should invoke Manon or the spirit or whatever. It’s... I

don’t want to do it. ' (turning to Rochelle: “and Nancy in back) What do you guys think?

Rochelle shrugs. Bonnie takes a long drag from a cigaret and glares at Sarah.

NANCY

Don‘: try and get them on your side. ay SARAH

I wasn’t, I jusc... -

Suddenly, a pair of headlights’ flashes around a corner, Nancy swerves away. The car SPINS out and slams sideways INTO A

-BRICK WALL! ©

WHAM!! The Girls are thrown around. A window is shattered.

Nancy wicks open her door and jumps out. She pulls the other Girls out. Loe

They all look okay, but the’ car looks bad, maybe total- ed.

They huddie in the rain, La shock, wondering what to do next. ‘NANCY. Oh well. I was getting sick of this thing... Maybe I’ll get a Range Rover.

Sarah stares at Nancy.»

Nancy comes in, soaked.

“The place is empty.

Nancy hits ‘the jukebox. Connie starts belting out ‘Fallin’

Nancy sees a “note, “Went: to Vegas with: Greg. “Not sure when we'll be back. $ in drawer. Mom.

Nancy looks in the drawer: Some crumpled up twenties. She pours a glass of wine.

Nancy sits on the couch across from the juke box, an empty wine bottle and glass next,.to her. , i . ; . : | Suddenly she throws the wine bottle at the giass come over

the turntable.

The dome smashes, the record skips, the machinery SPARKS, and the juke box dies.

CLOSE UP - A NOTE IS PASSED: “Let's go to the beach.’ ‘ANOTHER NOTE: “You want a tan?”

ANOTHER: “No, shit-head.”

Nancy and ‘Bonnie are writing notes to each other, Rochelle passing them back and fourth..

Sarah sits next to them, actually paying attention to the droning TEACHER. Nancy sees this and leans over.

(whisper) To the beach. At dawn . For the solstice:

Nancy is incensed. She grabs Sarah arm.

TEACHER

_. Miss Downs, I hate to- interrupt your little social. gathering.

The other three face Sarah.

brain. Except that might be too small.

Rochelle ignores the remark. NANCY Listen, we’re doing this because we think you're right. We’ve been taking and taking. It’s time to give back.

Sarah thinks...

The girls are pensive as the bus makes its way up PCH. The only other passenger is a SLEEPING WOMAN.

“Four black silhouettes file across the sand against the coloring sky. Breezes flap their clothes.

_ Rochelle steps in Nancy’ s footprints, Bonnie in Rochelle’s, Sarah in Borinie’s. — . 5:

Nancy carries a tiny SNAKE in a jar. Bonnie, a BUTTERFLY in another jar. Rocheile, a PARAKEET in a tiny wooden cage.

Sarah, a baggie with a GOLDFISH. . = |

Bonnie finishes laying a ring of stones in the sand. Nancy starts a eine in eae MERC e |

Sarah looks: at the snake in the. yar.

Everything... 7 NANCY () Does it bother you? ~ SARAH

No, it’s small... I don’t care.

de the ring and sits.

fr.

Zach girl places her offering ins

bringer of fire, I present these.

ROCHELLE |. We... NANCY We present these modest sacrifices. The Girls each light a black eandie They stand and move ina _ circle. ; NANCY

Winds of the West, strong and true, aid us in our magical work on this, the shortest day, the longest night...

The: WIND stizs, ‘blowing, the Girls’ hair across their faces...

Sarah is shocked.

SARAH

This isn’t thanks. You're trying to. invoke’ him.

The SUN nears the horizon. Sarah gets up and walxs away.

Fish are jumping up above the surface of the water.

(

The GOLDFISH flips and flap$ violently.

a, "NANCY Please, Sarah...

Nancy holds out her hand.

' Sarah slowly comes’ forward. They all clasp hands.

FAR OUT AT SEA - A bolt of LIGHTNING charges down froma cloud to kiss the ocean. A slow, delayed RUMBLE.

The PARAKEET beats against the cage, forcing its head through.

slats. The WIND thrashes. them. The SKY: turns dark.

Nancy's eyes roll back in her head. She falls to the ground.

The jars with the SNAKE and BUTTERFLY shatter. The SNAKE slithers off and the BUTTERFLY is tossed away ina violent

gust.

The wanda? cage snaps apart and the PARAKEET flaps free. The bag bursts open. The GOLDFISH lolls on the sand. Nancy Ss thrashing violently. | | The ground actually shakes, AN EARTHQUAKE.

Saran: looks at Nancy, the ocean, the snake. sidewinding away. She feels the ground shaking. She’s awed, terrified.

NANCY

Suddenly a huge BOLT OF LIGHTNING DESCENDS ON US, fingering NANCY.

Then BLACK - FADE UP -

Bonnie and Rochelle ate waking from a sleep. Sarah sits beside them, dazed.

Jesus... Was he here?

' The GOLDFISH pathetically flaps on the sand.

Oe \ Sarah gently picks it up and carries it to the water and lets it go. Then she sees something. :

The ocean is calm now. Not a cloud in the sky. and twenty.

yards out we see NANCY, standing ‘on the surface of thé water.

Sarah is transfixed. Rochelle and Bonnie watch as Nancy walks to shore. NANCY Did you feel him? He blessed me. He ran through my veins. I still feel him. Naney has a weird detached gleam.

A SIREN. The Girls turn.

UP THE BEACH chare is some kind of comnotl on, CROWDS of ONLOOKERS, A TV NEWS VAN. -And a COAST GUARD jeep flashing its cnerry-reds.

The Giris get up to investigate. IN THE MIDST OF THE CROWD -

We dip down to find... A GREAT WEITE SHARK, dead, eyes and

mouth bleeding, having beached itself far onto snore.

When Nancy sees it, she starts laughing.

WE LIFT UP to see:

ALL ALONG THE COAST, more SHARKS, some even bigger, perhaps FIFTEEN, all dead, beached, bloody.

_ Sarah backs away, horrified. She feels nauseous.

Rochelle and Bonnie look blank. But Nancy just keeps laughing, her eyes glazed over in demented bliss.

She gets down and kisses the sand. NANCY

Manon is great!

As they ride home. Bonnie sits by herself. Sarah WHISPERS to Rochelle:

Nancy faces the sun, all of the windows on her side of the bus down. She takes in the wind, practically drinking it, her hair blowing around violently. .

/ suddenty_ all the lights on the bus SPARK and sputter Out. THE DRIVER is freaking. His controls are seizi Lng up. The BUS swerves.

Nancy smiles at Sarah: a frightening smile.

eae INT. CAFETERIA - DAY

Tasman

AMID THE LUNCHTIME CHAOS - We find Sarah eating her lunch Silently, Chris hunched over her shoulder.

Oo a"

CHRIS

lan - Come on... You look like you need Wy somebody to talk to anyway... It's iust * dinner... Why not? Are you too busy

hanging with your scary friends. She turns to him.

‘He smiles.

“It’s as nice a place as we can imagine Chris choosing. He wears a coat and tie. Sarah’s a little underdressed.

CHRIS z* I’m glad we're finally here, together. (caking her hand) - ‘It just feels so right... Don’t you think? Don't you feel this incredible thing going on between us?

CHRIS : Wait, don’t answer. I’m rushing things. I’m going to relax now. We have wine coming. We have the whole evening. We have our whole lives. Right?

A beat. CHRIS

Do you love me? 2 SARAH _ Chris...

Chris drives and Sarah rides silently. He turns up a qu mountain drive.

There's haere up here. He parks the car. Turns off the lights... Quiet.

He sidles over to Sarah.

CHRIS | That’s the thing about love. There’s no way to figure it out.

., SARAH Even if you end up drowning?

He wraps his arms around her tightly.

. SARAH Chris, take me home.

Long ‘pause. | _ CHRIS . No. |

He starts to stick his Hand inside her blouse. She pulls

away, but he’s too strong.

NO, GODDAMNIT!!! YOU AGREED TO COME!!! THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN!!!

He rips open her shirt. She starts fighting him off. She reaches for the door nandle, opens it.

(x)

Naot

Oo de

They spill out, but he’s sctiil on top of her. He’s pulling up her skirt, unbuttoning his pants. ' He's shaking, panting, like an animal. Sarah is. terrified, crying. She controls herself.

She kisses him. He smiles, lets go.

She reaches to touch him down there. His eyes flutter with pleasure.

Then she wrenches her face as if squeezing. He HOWLS with pain.

.She elbows him across the face and he’s. knocked back.

She gets up and runs. CHRIS Sarah!!!! What’s the matter with you?

He clutches at his groin.

Sarah scrambles through the bushes and trees in total darkness.

The branches are reaching out at her, scratching her skin, as she' runs.

Sarah stumbles up the street, across the lawn, crying, sti-. clutching at her ripped clothes. She makes it up the front steps and rings the DOORBELL.

Rochelle’s Mother opens the door.

ROCHELLE'’S MOTHER Sarah? Are you alright?

Sarah steps back into shadow, turning away awkwardly.

Rochelle’s Mother steps back suspiciously. Rochelle runs to the door. Bonnie right behind her:

Sarah is slumped on Rochelle’s bed wrapped in one of ner bathrobes, eyes red from crying: Rochelle uses a damp. cloth to wipe clean some of the scratches and cuts. Bonnie watches, nervous. — . a

.. SARAH ; His eyes were empty... I’ve never seen anything like that... He... BONNIE

When Nancy finds out...

. SARAH No! Don’t teil her!

' BONNIE Why not?

We MOVE AROUND SARAH. The Girls are quiet. _ «.+She doesn’t. need to know.

Behind Sarah, in a shadow, something MOVES.

Sarah whiris around.

| NANCY ...L'd say you don’t trust me.

a Oh ‘

mm oa

. SARAH . Please don’t. He would have never tri ed this, if I eel t

A glass of water sitting on a table across the room SHATTERS.

_ NANCY” : When Chris hurts” you. " He hurts all of. us. ‘We act as one. She kisses ‘Sarah on the cheek.

Nancy walks along the sidewalk. As she passes under each.. STREETLAMP, it flickers.

Nancy is TALKING to herself, in angry bursts.

A lamp SHATTERS with a BANG in a shower of SPARKS.

A big California Tudor Mansion with drunken KIDS spiliing out onto the lawn. BMW’s and sporty Nissans jam every conceivable parking spot.

‘He hands. the bottle to Mitt and stumbles out. -

Shoulder to shoulder revelry. The drunken Dionysian cult that

is Football. Banners and crepe paper in che Footbal team

colors: red and black. THE FRONT DOOR - Nancy makes an entrance. Heads turn.

Nancy scans che crowd.

Chris is on a bed, ensconced by Trey and Mitt and several other Football: JOCKS. Chris takes swigs from a bottle of Jack Danieis, VERY DRUNK.

| TREY Good game, Chris.

they laugh.

AT THE DOOR - A GIRL runs up.

On. the ‘gZand staircase we. cind Chris at the top and Nancy ato the bottom. They meet in the middle.

| CHRIS What are you doing here?

She nods towards a bedroom off a landing.

199) 16.8)

Chris walks in, Nancy right behind him. The door SLAMS SHUT on its own.

Chris whirls around. Nancy smiles at him. The room is dark and romantic.

Nancy is on her KRRES She starts to unbutton his fly.

He grabs her hands.

_ CHRIS (letting her go)

Go away.

Nancy rubs her hands over her face, contorting her features.

Nancy’ ‘Ss ends run over her face one: more time and she TRANSFORMS INTO SARAH.

till delerious from drink, Chris does a double take.

He reaches down and takes her in his arms, kissing deeply, rapaciously.

A CAB pulls up and Sarah, Rochelle and Bonnie get out.

They move up the front walkway.

Rochelle and Sarah make their way through the CROWD. Someone

pulls on Rochelle’s arm: it’s Laura Lizzie, in a wig, looking terrified.

Sarah is talking to SOME GIRL who points upstairs.

stuff... A TRICKLE OF BLOOD runs down Laura’s forehead,

Sarah moves:away towards the stairs

“The display on a digital clock has gone HAYWIRE.

Objects on tables, pictures, boxes, are MOVING on their own.

Chris, eyes closed, is deep in the throes of making love

to... we can’t tell at first... Nancy.

His eyes open and he gets a good look at her.

He stops, rolls away, freaked.

Nancy LAUGHS.

. NANCY They always are.

“The door opens and Sarah steps in.

NANCY : Sarah’s one too...

she cast a spell on you.

CHRIS | \ NO: s , Yes. And that’ s why I’ m here. To cure you. of Sarah.

Nancy, let‘’s go.

NANCY | No. =... i

The door THUNDEROUSLY SLAMS SHUT.

. Nancy starts FLOATING UPWARDS, her feet hang two feet off the

ground. casas __ Mother fucking shit... NANCY But I can only think of one way to cure

- you. She starzts FLOATING TOWARDS CHRIS. He backs up, terrified.

eae, SEHIND HIM - Open French doors, a balcony, and a precipitous

BE

AD

Nancy’s face contorts into a GROTESQUE VERSION OF HERSELF and she FLIES at Chris. . |

. __ NANCY | Terminal! !!!!!!! | . Ss

His back is to the railing. Three stories below GUESTS

mingle.

Nancy ROARS with LAUGHTER.

Then: She lightly taps her index finger on Chris’ forehead, and he falls back.

' FALLING, SLOW MOTION, through space, towards a FLAGSTONE

TERRACE.

His head meets the ground and we hear. BONES SNAPPING.

CLOSE UP - KNUCKLES being cracked.

Sarah watches, sickened, as a MALE DETECTIVE and his BUTCH FEMALE ASSISTANT talk to her. Roger stands in the doorway.

annoyed.

‘DETECTIVE’ So Okay. ‘Thank you, Sarah. That was so helpful.

OUT SARAH'S WINDOW -

Sarah watches.

The Detective and Assistant get in their unmarked CAR, the Detective giving Sarah a look as they drive off.

ROGER | Sarah... We were thinking maybe you might want to see someone about this, a doctor.

Sarah turns inward, darkens.

Sarah covers her face and rolls onto her bed.

Roger leaves her alone..

*Sarah hears a NOISE in the bathroom, something small ROLLING.

An EXACTO KNIFE teeters off the sink, onto the tile floor.

‘Sarah looks at the knife, terrified.

The Detective and Assistant enter the building.

As they approach Nancy's door.

Nancy faces the two.

NANCY — | | | We were just talking. He was drunk off. his ass. He tripped. That was it.

DETECTIVE

She said you pushed hin.

Nancy is blank, cool.

Saran lies there, unable to sleep. There’s a slight SCRATCHING sound at the window, lurking béhind curtains

Sarah gets up and checks the latch.

.

More SCRATCHING. She moves the curtain back.

“OUTSIDE - Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle are floating midair outside her second story window. Their faces are chalk white.

. SARAH , About what?

They all fly towards the window, SMASHING it in. Glass flies everywhere. Sarah is flung against the far wall.

They all keep flying toward Sarah, their hands grabbing ac her neck, grinning and GIGGLING, trying to strangle her.

Then Sarah wakes up.

‘Quiet.

Except for some .slight. SCRATCHING sound at the window, lurking peniue the curtains .

Sarah just stares at it.

Nr. HALLWAY -. DAY

MOVING through the tbeenes of STUDENTS.

A GIRL is faced away to another GIRL, pulling books out of her locker. ;

wo

tas

(wD ds

Ker friend nudges her. The Girl turns, paies, and hurries off, mortified.

Saran just stands in the middle of the hall, paralyzed, everyone watching.

‘Sarah comes in. GIRLS wha See to each other and hurry out. .

Sarah finds a

- STALL - and locks herself in. She immediately starts crying,

sobbing, but trying to remain silent, trying to not lose it

‘entirely.

With her face buried in her arms, she doesn’t notice:

The LATCH on the stali door slowly SLIDES OPEN by itself.

| The DOOR opens.

NANCY — Hi. ; A jolt runs through Sarah as she looks up to see Nancy, Rochelle and Bonnie.

And maybe the city. We’re not sure...

Sarah Stares at them all.

_. NANCY Have you been sleeping well?

Nancy and the Girls mimick their neck- strang- ing movements from Sa 's dream.

Sarah is shocked. They laugh.

See ya’, but I wouldn’t want to be ya!

Sarah runs up-to the door.

Sarai comes. in. ‘The dace is empty. She sees the black curtain. she moves to it.

Just as she’s about to reach it, a hand touches her shoulder

and Sarah whirls around. It’s Lirlo.

Sarah hugs her, starts crying. Lirio leads her to a chaiz

against me.

’ LIRIO I could see this trouble coming. The blonde one.

(oO

a.

Lirio looks disturbed by this.

Suddeniy a strange BREEZE moves through the store, like a huge inhuman BREATH. 4

Sarah looks over: the black curtain is blowing open, light spilling from inside.

Lirio takes Sarah’s hand.

. She leads Sarah through the doorway into:

This is an old atrium with hugely overgrown trees and plants obscuring the light from above except ‘for a small pool of

luminescence at the far end, where, in a shaft of afternoon

sun, sits an.ANCIENT: WOMAN, THe Witch, on an old wooden

_chair..She turns to Sarah. She has one thilky grey eve and one :

eye the color of blood.

She smiles, revealing rows of rotting brown and missing teeth.

She waves Sarah to come over.

Lirio pushes Sarah forward, past the dozens of BIRDCAGES

. hanging from the gnarled bows. There are LIZARDS on the - wate BUTTERFLIES here and there.

The arthritically wrenched HAND of the Witch couches Sarah's cheek. By the way the Witch looks off we know she is blind.

She says don’t be afraid. Sit down. She won't put you in a trance like the other night when you came through here with the others.

wo ™N

Saran sits at the Witch’s feet. The Witch takes Sarah's hand

‘and touches her ring. She laughs, delignted and demented,

babbling on in SPANISH.

More SPANISH from the Witch.

‘LIRIO (translating) , She knew many things. But she was afraid of her own power. And you are too.

The Witch tightens her-grip on Sarah, CONTINUING.

: LIRIO She says = be strong. The Craft isa blessing. I never knew my mother. ve But sométimes I

think I remember her. Sarah is softly crying. Lirio “holds her. Suddenly the place is ripped apart in a BLAST. A huge FIREBALL pours in through the door from the shop. GLASS falis from the ceiling. The three Women are rocked to the ground. ~

The wall into the shop has crumbled, the place is on FIRE, utterly destroyed. .

Then suddenly, the entire scene melds back to 35's norma, state.

Silence.

' Sarah. and Lirio are terrified.

A GIGGLE from out front of the shop. A silhouette of Nancy moves past a window.

The old Witch makes a remark.

The old Witch grabs Sarah’s arm, talking to her ernestly.

_ LIRIO She says remember this: no on

_ EXT. ALLEY - DUSK

Sarah runs in the shadows, the sound of SIRENS coming closer. It’s a bad Eee gHbonnose HOMELESS ‘au GANGBANGERS zoek ' everywhere. .

She darts into a street and SCREEEZCH! a BMW Station wagon

almost hits her. Inside the car are Rochelle and Bonnie.

ROCHELLE . | At school, we were just trying to scare you because we were scared. We thought you were going to tell everybody about the coven. Sarah... Get in the car...

Sarah isn’t sure.

_, BONNIE If Nancy finds you...

‘oO Ww

Rochelle opens the door. Sarah comes forward.

Bonnie drives and Rochelle looks straight ahead. Silence. SARAH Whose car.is this? BONNIE My mother’s. I didn’t even teil her I took it. .

Sarah leans forward into the front seat area.

. SARAH Where are we going?

oe - ROCHELLE Where do you want to go?

| SARAH Home, I guess.

ROCHELLE: It might not be a good idea.

No answer. | Bonnie pFesses a button that locks the doors all around. © Sarah leans back, wary. | NANCY is right there, sitting up in the cargo section.

ee Sarah jolts, heart pounding.

Nancy climbs up next to her.

Sarah looks in the rear view mirror. Bomnie won’t meet her giare. SARAH What are you going to do to me?

Nancy pulls out.an ax, swings it around violently and buries ..

1t_in her Sarah’s chest.

Death SCREAM from Sarah.

Then the ax vanishes.

Nancy smiles coyly.

Sarah is hyperventillating. NANCY

.The question is, what: are. you going to do. to yourself? o

They come to an intersection.

Sarah looks blank.

Suddenly she explodes in movement: SLAMMING her fist down on the button to unlock the doors, DIVING out of the car. a BONNIE oo ‘Shit!

ROCHELLE

Grab her! |

Bonnie grabs a leg, Nancy. some hair; but it’s too late. Sarah

slips away.

Sarah is running up a huge old flight of crumbling stairs flanking a HILLSIDE.

Bonnie takes after her.

the hundreds of steps. She pauses, Looks pack.

Kolo)

~~ =

The BMW peels out.

Nancy HOOTS raucously and it echoes up the hill.

Hair askew, dirty, exhausted, Sarah trudges up a curving hillside road.

Headlights hit her from behind.

She moves out of the way. It’s.a WOMAN and a CHILD ina STATION WAGON: . ae

The WOMAN lays on the HORN and speeds past her.

The place looks’ dark and quiet. Sarah limps up the front walkway. , ,

“INT. radu uataivise nicer

Sarah turns the lights on,

She checks into the LIVING ROOM, KITCHEN... nobody. She sees the phone table.

ANGLE - The Yellow Pages are open to the airlines section. On’ a small pad are written a FLIGHT NUMBER and a DEPARTURE TIME.

' Suddenly the ANSWERING MACHINE kicks on.

. SARAH'S VOICE - oo a (crying) Lo a I can’t take it. here aremore. I’m going

back to San Francisco to... I’m just

going home... Goodbye... I love you...

Just behind Sarah something expiodes in SOUND... it’s just

the phone RINGING. Sarah grabs it.

(laughing, it turns into...) NANCY’S VOICE Pretty good, huh? Your parents must care a lot about you to just jump on the next flight. Especially when flying is so dangerous... SARAH. What are you talking about? BEHIND SARAH - The TV bursts on playing THE NEWS. ON THE TV - footage of a devastating PLANE CRASH SITE. TV ANNOUNCER ...F.A.A.. officials have -retrieved the black box and a full invetigation is ' pending. Once again, Global Flight 321 from Los Angeles to San Francisco has crashed with no survivors... ANGLE - The note reads: “Flight 321 - Global” Sarah drops the phone. Her eyes flutter.

She falls down, woozy; but doesn’t pass out. She sits there.

Dizzy. WE SPIN AROUND HER.

And something else: The lights are FLICKERING. They go OUT. Quiet, dappled MOONLIGHT through the windows. SARAH - Is iosing touch, beyond afraid, sick with doom.

She picks up the phone. It’s dead. She presses on the hook. Nothing.

She gets up, locks the front door and moves upstairs.

Sarah lodks out her window.

Dark and quiet.

The DOORBELL rings.

She siowly tiptoes down the steps.

The DOORBELL again.

ABOVE THE WALL in the staircase, behind Sarah, the shadows of tree branches sway slightly in the night breeze.

We hear soft HISSING.

The TREE SHADOWS gz. --fully turn into the SHADOWS of GIANT SNBXES.

Sarah does mot see this. More HISSING.

She moves to the front door, silently. She ‘peeks chrough a side window. There’s nobody outside. ~

She very cautiosly opens the door. All ‘quiet.

Then: the DOORBELL ' rings again. |

ANGLE - The BUTTON IS PRESSED without anybody pressing on ' Saran’s eyes go wide. ae A

She backs away.towards the street, backing down the front . steps) then Stops. .

" She’ s standing on “something cerenge. HTSSING.

She looks down: She's standing on SNAKES, dozens of them. The CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal the front walkway, the lawn, the sidewalk, the street, are all composed of a HUGE TEEMING -MASS OF THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SNAKES.

Sarah turns very slowly. She sees it all.

She starts shaking. |

‘She can’t catch her breath.

The SNAKES hang from the trees. They cover a CAR. They pour | out of a mailbox.

A snake starts to spiral up ner leg towards her inner thigh.

oo ‘SARAH No...

She shakes the snake off and tips: forward onto the safe haven of the porch and back into the house.

Sarah robotically comes in, closes and locks the door. Faint girl GIGGLING.

Sarah turns and runs into the

LOOKING OUT THE KITCHEN WINDOW - The Hillside is composed of snakes, just like the front. -

At the front door, something is POUNDING.

Sarah runs out.

The front door is BOWING with the monstrous force of a huge creature pounding with all its might. POUND, POUND. Sarah sees through the window the silhouette if SOMETHING INHUMAN.

SARAH

She backs-up the stairs. She ducks into

She Locks her door, shoves her dresser in front.

We hear the front door break down - SMASH!!!

Huge FOOTSTEPS coming up the stairs.

Deep, inhuman BREATHING (we've heard it before).

The doorknob turns. A massive body POUNDING.

Sarah runs into

We hear furniture THROWN out of the way, SMASHING.

POUND! The wooden slats on the bathroom door splinter. POUND!

Sarah,. backs up, panicked, out of ideas.

She backs into her shower, closes the door, huddiing in tne corner, on the wet tiles.

SMASH! ! The bathroom door shatters.

“ 4 —_~

oe hy he tt

THROUGH THE BUMPY SHOWER GLASS - We see a massive BEAST,

vague, hunched, BREATHING deep resonant breaths.

It sees Sarah in the shower, moves to her.

It moves close to the glass.

The door opens

As the glass passes, the shape turns into Nancy, grinning.

. NANCY Gotcha.

ON SARAH - It really makes no difference to her now. She’ Ss shifted into another mode: cornered animai.

Nancy leans in close.

. NANCY . You know... if I were you, I’d kill myself.

Nancy’s hand is reaching’ for something. . the shower handle.

She turns it on full blast. Nancy slips. away .

Sarah just sits ehene getting ‘soaked until finally, slowly, she gets up and out of the stall.

Totally doused and dripping, she walks out.

There are no broken doors, no signs of the Huge Beast. BEDROOM - CONT. |

All is normal.

Except... ON THE DRESSER - The black and white photo of Sarah’ s “Mother in the garden.

IN THE. PHOTO - The trees are ‘swaying geneity Sarah's Mother looks up and calmly smiles at us. Sarah moves on.

HALLWAY - TOP OF THE STAIRS - Sarah comes out, looks.down numbly, starts down the steps.

She comes in and stands in the middle of the room. We are MOVING AROUND HER.

Light and shadow.

fa) On

An empty chair. GIGGLING. Now Rochelle sits there. Light shifts. Now Rochelle is over by the window.

An empty archway: Sarah looks: Bonnie in the archway now. Lo. SARAH No. Nancy dips down from a shadow over Sarah’s head, floating.

‘NANCY What are you waiting for?

Now she’s gone. SARAH"

(softly) I’m not going to kill mysel£. ;

Now a huge BOA CONSTRICTOR is gracefully and silently lowering itself from the ceiling, unseen by Sarah.

Suddenly” the SNAKE coils around Sarah's neck and wraps around.

Her eyes bulge and she paws at the SNAKE but it’s too tight.

It starts to lift her off the ground by the neck.. Her feet kick violently.

The SNAKE MORPHS INTO A ROPE. Sarah is being hung by the neck. ,

Nancy watches.

Saran gives a silent scream as her neck SNAPS.

She falls to che ground.

No snake. No rope. She kneels there choking, rubbing her neck. ;

NANCY, . If you don’t want to kill yourself, then why are you fantasizing about it?

- SARAH I’m not | fatasizing about it.

" BONNIE Why doesn’t she use magic on us?

Sarah gets up. SARAH |

There’s nothing behind that. Your chant is empty. It has mo power over me.

e

A wT

Sarah looks OUT THE WINDOW - The ‘landscape is normal,

a single_ snake.

Sarah walks to’ the fccnt natt.

Just as Sarah pulls open the door she is met by Roger, Jenn and A FAMILIAR WOMAN.

She throws her arms around him.

Lut -

aA

ae

He looks in her eyes.

‘ROGER i I want you to meet someone.

}

The Woman comes forward.

Sarah looks at her, in shock, not understanding.

She hugs Sarah who is speechless, on the verge of. tears.

How...? - MOTHER (smiling)

You're dead. We all are.

Sarah pulls back to get another look at her, but it’s NANCY, who kisses Sarah on the lips, then pushes her down on the floor.

The front door SLAMS CLOSED.

Nancy leans down in front of Sarah.

| NANCY,» ‘Give me your hands.

Without thinking, Sarah does. And before she can even react, Nancy has taken the Exacto knife and rough Sarah's wrists. oe

Blood runs. Sarah stares at 1

[yo]

aa) “~s

' Nancy smears the blood up her arm.

She gets up and runs to the door, but Rochelle is there to block it. ;

Nancy grabs a pen and starts writing a note. NANCY (reading aloud) _ 4 “I killed Chris. I’m sorry. Love, Sarah”

Nancy puts the pen and the note in Sarah’ s Bans > and she drops them.

ON THE FLOOR - The note and the pen are smeared in blood.

Sarah runs upstairs, panicked, bumping into the wall.

_ NANCY . ‘I wish she. would relax.

She bounds in, holding her wrists out, ‘bumping into a dresser and knocking the PHOTO of her mother off the table.

The glass cracks. She stumbles into THE BATHROOM -

Where she opens the medicine cabinet. She fumbles for some bandages, but the box only has a few small band-aids.

Sarah slips to the floor, crying, hopeless.

She sees the photo on the floor. She crawls to it, touches the glass. She thinks.

Nancy and the girls are sitting there. Rochelle and Bonnie look very glum.

yet.

a ROCHELLE You didn’t say please.

_Nanéy lunges at her. Afraid, Rochelle gets up.

‘Rochelle is going. from room to room.

. ‘ROCHELLE Sarah...? Are you dead yet:

She meets up with Bonnie.

They see blood drips and smears on the floor.

: ROCHELLE Gross.

The drips lead over to double doors. Rochelle opens chem to reveal

A LONG, STRANGE-LOOKING HALLWAY. - With flickering sconces.

They step forward.

DOWNSTAIRS - WITH NANCY - CONT. We hear distant SCREAMS.

. NANCY Bonnie...? Rochelle...?

She goes upstairs.

Following the. drops of blood, she goes _ to the double doors, opens them, seeing the HALLWAY.

Nancy stops. She picks up a book and throws it into the hallway. ,

The BOOK vanishes, causing a soft gash. The IMAGE OF THE HALLWAY DISSIPATES like fog.

Nancy turns around.

oo NANCY’ Nice ERY. «> Actually it was a pretty lame

try.

Then out of the bathroom comes a SCREAMING 5 Bloody Sarah, shoving Nancy out the double doors.

Nancy flies out into the darkness.

And then... silence.

“Sarah creeps forward and peers into the BLACK.

A CRACK of THUNDER and the skies FLASH, illuminating Nancy who Lies motionless on the pavement, her neck is at an | impossible angle.

Rochelle and Bonnie are climbing out of the bushes nearby. A BREEZE_ stirs the trees. - | | AH HORN honks.

| Roger and Jenny are getting out of a TOWTRUCK. Sarah comes out the front door, walks right up and hugs her father.

had the strangest day..

(seeing her wrists) 7 Sarah!

She passes out in his arms. FADE TO BLACK -

FADE UP -

‘INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Sarah lies in bed, her wrists bandaged, in a daze.

A NURSE stands over her. NURSE - Some friends are here to see you.

The Nurse goes. In file Rochelle and Bonnie who has her arm in a sling.

; _ ROCHELLE How are you?

Sarah just stares at them.

; ROCHELLE... ;

And you were totally right about not “abusing the craft. Not that it really

matters anymore. We lost all our | powers... Do you still have any powers?

Sarah looks at them for a long time.

C

tad

Bonnie and Rochelle fumble for the door. DISSOLVE TC -

BY THE CHILDREN’ S SECTION - MOTHERS and YOUNG DAUGHTERS ue filing in. A YOUNG GIRL sees Saran setting up chairs in an aicove

_ YOUNG GIRL (to her mother) Mommy, that’s the best reader!

She kisses her daughter and goes.

Sarah. sits in front of the room with some fifteen YOUNG GIRLS

very sHESHeLY Listening. to her. read a story.

- SARAH So the Old Woman packed | up her basket and went home.

Sarah checks around: no adults in sight. She looks at the Girls. The lights starts to DIM. .

' SARAH ._But late that night all the animals in

_ the forest came out to the wishing: well... |

Very gradually, as if through a mist, a. WELL appears just

behind Sarah. A DEER walks from behind a bcokshelf. SARAH .They all wanted to know if the magicai powers were true... A OWL flaps in and perches atop a shelf.

RABBITS hop hy. oO . - BUTTERFLIES flutter down.

THE GIRLS - are wide-eyed.

lesson themselves... A BLACKBIRD lands atop the book. Sarah turns the page.

FADE OUT -