Looking really disturbed, ERIC glances at the digital clock, which reads 3:17. We hear the crying a little louder—a woman’s voice, a hopeless, quiet weeping. ERIC stands up by the bed, turning his head slowly, locating the source of the sound. It’s more upsetting to him than us, because he RECOGNIZES it.
ERIC moves slowly across the dark room toward the bathroom door, which is closed. He slowly leans his head against the door and we hear the crying louder. He looks terrified. The crying gets louder.
ERIC
K-K-Ki...Kimmy?
The crying continues, a little more frightened and miserable now.
ERIC
Kimmy, is...is that you?
KIMMY
(tiny, whispery voice)
I’m so scared.
ERIC, hands shaking violently, tries the door. It’s locked.
ERIC
Kimmy, let me in.
KIMMY
I’m...scared. Eric, where is everyone? What’s happening?
Something THUMPS, as though someone has just climbed into the bathtub. The thumping gets louder—something very strange is happening in the bathroom.
ERIC
Kimmy? Kimmy!
Her weeping has changed to sounds of panicked grunts, like someone fighting for their life or being raped.
KIMMY
Why...why can’t...I...see? You told me...you told me I could see...everything!
On “everything,” the door finally pops open in ERIC’s hand. He throws on the light. The bathroom is EMPTY. He staggers back, looks wildly at the clock. It reads 3:18, as we
CUT TO:
INT.—HOSPITAL—NIGHT, SAME TIME
We see TOPHER’s strange head on a pillow, eyes open, staring straight up into the darkness. A light from outside is making tree-branch shadows flail on the walls and across his expressionless face, but he is utterly, utterly still.
CUT TO:
INT.—JANICE’S KITCHEN—NIGHT
ADULT JANICE is in her dressing gown, hugging herself against a chill, stumbling a little as though just awakened. There’s streetlight coming through the blinds and a bathroom light in the hall. She takes a glass and fills it from a dispenser bottle of water by the refrigerator, then drinks it, as we
CUT TO:
CLOSE UP: RIM OF GLASS
There’s an ANT on the glass, feelers waving. JANICE makes an “urp” of shock and jerks the glass away from her mouth, then slams it down in the sink. A moment later she snatches it up again, plunges it under the faucet and washes the ANT down the drain. She looks, and there are a few ANTS on the dispenser bottle as well. A little less surprised now, but just as unhappy, she starts to lift the bottle into the sink, then snatches her hand back. There are more than a couple of ants—at least a dozen are running along the counter and in a line to the refrigerator door. She takes a napkin and flicks them off the handle, then pulls open the refrigerator, spilling out the light.
CUT TO:
INTERIOR OF REFRIGERATOR
There are MILLIONS of ANTS in the refrigerator—a boiling black mass that tumbles out the door and all over the linoleum. JANICE leaps back, shrieking and shrieking and shrieking as we go to BLACK and then, when the screams have faded,
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.—MOTEL COFFEE SHOP—MORNING
ADULT JANICE and ADULT ERIC are having coffee. They both look like hell—they clearly haven’t slept.
ERIC
I...I’ve been having bad dreams for a few weeks now. About...that night. That’s one of the reasons I decided to come back. I thought, y’know, seeing the place again...
JANICE
But not me. Just the place.
ERIC
I didn’t think you’d WANT to see me. Stop playing games. You’ve been having them too, haven’t you?
JANICE
Yeah. But it wasn’t bad at first. Just a couple of nightmares, and I used to have those all the time. But...things have started happening. In the daytime.
ERIC
Me too. Bad. Bad stuff.
JANICE
But why? It’s too weird, Eric. It doesn’t make sense. I’m scared I’m going crazy.
ERIC
I don’t think so—not both of us at the same time.
(he stands up)
Well, as long as I’m back in town, I guess it’s time to go see another old friend...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.—BRENT’S HOUSE—HALF AN HOUR LATER
The house is big, nice, with two SUVs in the driveway. ERIC and JANICE are on the front porch.
JANICE
We could have called first...
ERIC
If he’s really Zenger-Kimball, I don’t trust ad guys on the phone.
JANICE
He’s still Brent!
ERIC
Yeah. Whatever that means after twenty-five years.
The door opens. BRENT ZENGER doesn’t look good. In fact, he looks worse than ERIC and JANICE: it’s early in the morning and he has a drink in his hand and a sour, sick expression on his face.
BRENT
Hey, Janice. Pierson. Long time.
ERIC
You don’t seem surprised to see us.
BRENT shrugs and turns, waving for them to follow him. He leads them across the entry into the large living room. The television is playing and there’s a Bacardi bottle on top of it, half-full.
BRENT
Drink?
ERIC
A bit early.
BRENT
Tracy and Joanie are out at the park.
(looks at Eric)
My wife and kid. Sit down.
ERIC
Like I said, Brent, you don’t look surprised to see us.
BRENT
Not feeling very surprised today, I guess. Watching Jenny Jones’ll do that to you—kind of burns the surprise glands right out.
ERIC
Me and Janice—we’ve been having some weird dreams. Ring any bells?
BRENT
Yeah, and it’s nice to see you, too, Pierson. It HAS been a long time. I’m doing well, thanks for asking.
JANICE
Neither of us has had much sleep, Brent. Eric doesn’t mean to be rude.
BRENT
That’s pretty good, Pierson. Back after twenty years and already she’s sticking up for you again.
(he looks around)
Do you think there’s too much white in this room? Tracy kind of bugged out on the all-white thing.
ERIC
Have you been to see Topher?
BRENT
I saw him. Once. That was enough.
JANICE
He’s gotten a lot worse.
BRENT
No shit.
ERIC
(angry)
Look—enough! Brent, man, I’m sorry I haven’t been around. You could have called me too, for that matter. But the fact is that we went different ways.
BRENT
Yeah. It happens.
ERIC
So let’s cut the bullshit, okay? I knew you in the fucking third grade, man. Being a grown-up sucks, cool, we’ll all agree. Now let’s get down to business. There’s something really strange going on. Janice and I have been having hallucinations, all about that night. THAT night. Nothing else. How about you?
BRENT
I don’t really want to spend a lot of time thinking about that shit.
ERIC
It doesn’t feel like we have much choice.
(a beat)
It’s happening to you, too, isn’t it? How long?
BRENT
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
ERIC
Don’t give me that, man, I know you. How long? Weeks?
BRENT
(after a pause)
Yeah. For a while. But it goes away sometimes.
ERIC
Maybe it did, but now it’s getting worse. We have to do something.
BRENT
(laughs)<
br />
Oh, yeah? What’s that? Write a little Sunday magazine section piece? “High School Nightmare Reunions”? Or maybe call the cops? The dream police? What the fuck do you think we can do about it, Erky?
ERIC
It’s something to do with Topher. I could feel it when I saw him. There’s something...alive in there. Angry.
JANICE
That doesn’t make any sense.
ERIC
None of this does—but it’s happening. We have to go see him. All of us. If this is something to do with...that stuff...that stuff he took...
BRENT
Talk to him? You really have turned into liberal dickhead, Pierson, just like I always thought you would. What are we going to say? “If that’s you fucking with our minds, Topher, could you please stop?” You must be joking.
ERIC
He was our friend...
BRENT
And look at him now! You think talking to that... thing is going to change anything? Is it going to change the past? Is it going to make up for what happened to him, to...to Kimmy?
Shockingly, BRENT suddenly bursts into tears—he’s had quite a lot to drink.
BRENT (cont.)
Kimmy. Oh, man, poor Kimmy... Shit!
JANICE
It’s okay, Brent. It wasn’t your fault, either...
BRENT
Okay? It fucking well is not. And if you want to go talk to that...that thing...go ahead. But don’t expect me to come with you. I wouldn’t go within a mile of that freak.
ERIC
That doesn’t make...
BRENT
Just get out. Get out of here before my wife comes home. I used to tell her about what great friends I had. Don’t fuck it up for me.
JANICE
Brent, come on...
BRENT
(shouting)
Get out of my damned house!
CUT TO:
INT.—ERIC’S CAR—MINUTES LATER
They are driving out of BRENT’s nice neighborhood.
ERIC
That went well, didn’t it?
JANICE
He’s terrified. What’s going on?
ERIC
Guess what. I’m terrified too...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT.—HOSPITAL—AN HOUR LATER
JANICE and ERIC are talking to an ADMINISTRATOR at the main desk, a lady in her fifties or early sixties.
ADMINISTRATOR
I don’t quite understand what you’re asking, sir. Mr. Holland’s records are private, but I can assure you he’s been getting the best possible care.
ERIC
Who DOES have access to his records? His father’s dead—he must have a legal guardian.
ADMINISTRATOR
He has an aunt in Northern California. But I’m not sure I should be discussing any of this with you. He’s been a patient with us for almost thirteen years now. I recognize Mrs. Moorehead, but I don’t think I’ve even seen you before.
ERIC
(to JANICE)
Mrs. Moorehead?
JANICE
(to ADMINISTRATOR)
That’s fine, thanks. We were mainly wondering about whether there had been any...changes. To his condition.
ADMINISTRATOR
Only the skin problem, which seems to be getting worse.
ERIC
But what did they say when they sent him here...?
JANICE pulls him away.
ERIC (cont.)
He was in a government psychiatric hospital—under security. I still have the clippings. Would they really just let him go?
JANICE
(a little angry)
This isn’t some big investigative report, Eric. Topher hasn’t spoken or moved in years. His dad went to court and asked to have him sent here, so he’d be closer to home.
ERIC
(disgusted)
His old man must have been happy Topher couldn’t get into trouble any more.
The OLD WOMAN ERIC has seen earlier rolls out in front of them, then paces them until they stop in front of TOPHER’s door.
OLD WOMAN
(eyes wide)
You going in there?
JANICE
We’re going to see a friend.
OLD WOMAN
(grabbing ERIC’s arm)
You tell my mother I been good. Tell her I never went in there.
As they open the door, she rolls herself backward down the hall.
OLD WOMAN (cont.)
That’s where the devil lives...
The door swings open. It’s a small room, but with TOPHER at the far end it seems very large. He is sitting in his wheelchair by the bed, staring at nothing. ERIC and JANICE hesitate, then JANICE at last moves forward and sits on the bed. ERIC picks up a chair and puts himself on the other side of TOPHER.
JANICE
Eric and I are here to see you, Topher. We’ve been thinking about you a lot.
ERIC
Yeah. A lot.
JANICE
We’ve been having...bad dreams. About that night. We thought...you might be having bad dreams too.
ERIC looks at her, a little surprised; this is an unexpected approach. He struggles to find the wavelength.
ERIC
We...want to help you. God, man, we’re so sorry that this happened to you. To all of us.
TOPHER is rigid as a statue, staring past them.
ERIC (cont.)
But it isn’t anybody’s fault. It just...happened.
JANICE hesitates, then reaches out and takes TOPHER’s hand. It’s a brave act—we can sense how weird it must feel.
JANICE
I haven’t slept well in months, Topher. You know I’ve tried to help you, come visit you. How can I do that if I’m scared all the time? If I can’t get any sleep?
ERIC
We were all friends, remember? Before that... that bad night. We’re still your friends. We...we miss you.
(after a long moment, he touches TOPHER’s other hand.)
Please, man. Please.
The strange tableau falls silent, two people holding hands with a rigid monstrosity, as we
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.—BRENT’S HOUSE—SAME TIME
ADULT BRENT is loading things into his SUV. It looks like he’s getting the family ready for a camping vacation, but not a happy one: he’s very blank and silent, even though his wife TRACY is standing at the front door, talking to him.
TRACY
Brent? What are you doing? Are we going somewhere?
He continues to load the SUV, not answering.
TRACY (cont.)
Whatever it is you’re doing, we’re not going anywhere until you talk to me. What’s going on? It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore...!
BRENT slows and then stops in the middle of the driveway like a toy winding down. He puts his hands over his face, shoulders shaking.
TRACY
Brent? Brent, you’re scaring me...
INT.—ERIC’S CAR—LATE AFTERNOON
They are driving along a tree-lined road. Both look troubled.
ERIC
...I mean, what was that all about? Are we saying that it’s Topher who’s making us see these things? There are a lot of better explanations, Janice. Janice?
JANICE shakes her head, too tired to talk about it. We close on JANICE’s face, her eyes closed, thinking, hand on head like she’s got a migraine coming on. The sound of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” comes up slowly, filling the car.
JANICE
I don’t want to hear any music, Eric. Could you turn the tape off?
ERIC
(sounding strange)
It’s not the tape player.
JANICE
(opens eyes)
Then turn off the fucking radio! My head hurts.
ERIC
I didn’t turn it on. It’s not on.
As they both stare at the dark radio dial and the music grows louder, something
suddenly appears for an instant in front of the car—a dark shape. JANICE and ERIC both shout in terror and ERIC jams on the brakes, sending the car squealing and sliding. Something THUMPS against the car as they screech to a halt, halfway across the road.
JANICE
We hit somebody! We hit somebody!
ERIC is sitting stunned in his seat, trying to get his breath, when something large and dark lands on the windshield. For a moment there’s a dim glimpse of YOUNG TOPHER’s face, distorted against the glass, then he bursts into roaring FLAMES which surround the car.
TOPHER
(screaming with laughter in the flames)
I see you! I see you!
An instant later the FLAMES vanish. Everything is NORMAL, the car still skewed across the empty road, but no sign of anything else. ERIC turns to JANICE, bloodless, shocked. She’s just as devastated.
JANICE
Oh, my God, Eric, what’s happening to us...?
We pull back slowly from the pair of them, back until we see the car in the middle of the country road, back and back, as we
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT.—HOSPITAL—NIGHT
The wind is blowing the trees, hard. Except for a light in the front lobby, the hospital windows are all dark. The wind gets stronger, the tree-shadows flailing along the walls.
INT.—BRENT’S HOUSE—SAME TIME
BRENT is sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the television. The sound is off. As we pan around we see that he has a bottle and glass on the rug in front of him. The glass is upside-down. BRENT has arranged five BULLETS in a little circle on the bottom of the glass, and is holding the sixth in his hand, looking at it. A gun is lying on the carpet next to his leg.
INT.—JANICE’S HOUSE—SAME TIME
JANICE and ERIC have finished a meal of take-out food. JANICE is washing the few dishes while ERIC wanders around in the kitchen/dining room. We can hear the wind getting LOUD outside. He picks up a picture of JANICE’S CHILDREN and looks at it.
JANICE
I’m glad you’re here. I don’t think I could have faced spending the night here by myself.
ERIC
I felt the same about the motel. So...tell me about your marriage. Was he a good guy?
JANICE
Terry? I don’t know. He’s an engineer. Not the most talkative guy in the world. I thought I could make it work. It seemed like a good idea at the time...