INT. CAR - DUSK
Close on RADIO. Sound of static. A heavily jeweled hand
reaches for the knob amidst giggles and laughter.
TINA (OS)
Shut up!
GARET (OS)
Come on. You didn't like my singing?
(sings)
I was cryin when I met you, now I'm
tryin to forget you...
Several male voices howl like dogs.
CATHY (OS)
Garet, you can't sing.
GARET (OS)
And you can't kiss.
(sings falsetto)
You don't have to be beautiful... to
turn me on...
A punch.
GARET (OS)
Ow!
J.T. (OS)
Let's find some real music.
JARNELL (OS)
Let's find some real food. I'm
starving.
EXT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
A clunker of a car pulls into the drive and sputters to a
stop. Two long legs in high heeled sandals stretch out
of the car. They lead up to a short skirt worn by a
barely legal TINA GRAVES.
She giggles as she steps away and pulls college boy J.T.
GORDON from the car.
On the other side of the car a prude college girl, CATHY
GORDON, emerges. She glares at how Tina snuggles up to
J.T. and leads him into the restaurant.
GARET JOHANSSON, a typical frat boy, hops out in time to
catch Cathy's displeasure.
GARET
Hey, don't sweat it. She'll be old
news by Flagstaff.
Finally, big, burly college linebacker JARNELL JOHNSON
squeezes through the small car. His attempt is
unsuccessful.
JARNELL
A little help here?
Garet laughs and then pulls the big man through the tiny
car door frame.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - CONTINUOUS
The kids find a corner booth under the reproachful gaze
of SHERYL FINN (50s). Her scowl bears little tolerance
for shenanigans.
Tina snuggles up to J.T., and plants playful kisses on
his neck while her hand snakes under the table.
CATHY
If you prefer a bed, they have a motel.
TINA
A bed? How vanilla.
She glares right back at Cathy while her hand does nice
things to J.T.
Sheryl approaches with some menus. Cathy hands hers back
right away.
CATHY
No thanks. I just lost my appetite.
Tina giggles, then crawls over J.T.
TINA
C'mon. Let me out. Gotta pee.
J.T.
Again? You must have the bladder of a
mouse, girl.
CATHY
More like a snake.
Tina sticks her tongue out before she struts off to the
ladies room.
J.T.
You could try to be a little nicer,
Cath.
CATHY
When you finally get a girlfriend that
isn't one evolutionary step above a bed
bug, we'll talk.
J.T.
Such aggression. You need to get laid,
sis.
GARET
I tried that. She's got a chastity
belt made of titanium.
Sheryl pulls out her white pad.
SHERYL
Know what'cha want?
JARNELL
I'll have the triple bacon
cheeseburger, extra cheese. A side of
onion rings. A side of fries. A side
of slaw. You got biscuits?
LATER
Cigarettes overflow the ashtray and some half eaten
plates. Jarnell dives into a piece of pie ala mode,
while Tina spoon feeds J.T. an ice cream sundae.
Garet sucks down a beer.
CATHY
You sure you can drive? Let's just get
a room.
GARET
Is that an offer?
J.T.
A night here means one less night in
L.A. I say we push on. Besides,
there's nothing we can't do in the car,
right babe?
CATHY
Great. I call shotgun.
OUTSIDE IN THE PARKING LOT
Garet and Cathy push Jarnell into the backseat of the
small car, while Tina cuddles up to J.T. on the other
side of the car.
J.T.
Sure you don't have to go pee again?
She giggles and grinds against him, then grabs his hand
that sports a class ring. She eases it off his finger
and puts it on her thumb. She models it for him.
TINA
How does it look?
J.T.
If it's the only thing you're
wearing... spectacular.
INSIDE THE CAR
Garet turns the key. Nothing happens.
GARET
Great.
Again. Nothing.
CATHY
I still can't believe you didn't get a
new battery.
GARET
Don't need one. Just a loose cable.
OUT OF THE CAR
Garet pops the hood, jiggles the cable a bit and the
headlights come on.
IN THE CAR
Cathy reaches over and turns the key. The car sputters
to life.
Garet gets in.
GARET
See? Runs like a dream.
CATHY
And stalls like a nightmare.
INT. THE CAR - NIGHT
Miles stretch out endlessly, trees line the two lane
mountain highway. The music on the radio starts to fade
out. Smoke fills the car, along with drug induced
giggling.
J.T. (OS)
I got one, I got one. I spy with my
little eye, something pink.
Out the window there is nothing pink. The only thing
with any color at all is the sign that says NOW LEAVING
CHENOQUAH COUNTY.
CATHY (OS)
I don't see anything pink.
TINA (OS)
(giggles)
J.T. does. And Jarnell too!
JARNELL (OS)
Hey, man, I ain't lookin. I don't
wanna see y'all gettin freaky. The
only thing I spy is somethin green.
In the front seat Garet half turns.
GARET
Pass that up here, man.
A joint passes up to the front seat where Cathy and Garet
sit as far apart as the car will allow. Cathy shakes her
head but Garet grabs it.
CATHY
What are you doing?
GARET
Why, I'm getting high.
CATHY
You're driving.
GARET
I guess I'm one of those talented
people who can do two things at once.
He takes a hit. Cathy just glares.
CATHY
It's dangerous.
GARET
Well if I start to go to sleep you can
reach over and wake me up.
He grabs her hand and pulls it toward his lap. She
struggles against his grip.
OUT ON THE ROAD
The car sways across two lanes.
BACK IN THE CAR
Cathy tugs free.
CATHY
Will you get serious? You're going to
get pulled over.
GARET
Aww, I didn't know you cared.
CATHY
I don't. I just want to get to Los
Angeles.
GARET
Ah, yes. Lance, the Internet Romeo.
CATHY
His name is Larry.
GARET
I like Lance better. I can see the
cover of the romance novel now. Long,
flowing hair. Dark, mysterious eyes.
You bent over in a flowing dress, your
breasts half exposed. Sounds like a
best seller to me.
CATHY
Go ahead. Joke. But he got to know me
better in two months than you have in
years.
GARET
What's there to know? Remove the stick
up your ass and you would fall down off
your high horse, just like any
scarecrow.
CATHY
You're such an asshole.
GARET
Pompous ass, thank you very much. Come
on. Admit it, Cath. You had fun with
me.
CATHY
Yes. Dumping you was lots of fun.
Giggles come from the back, and knock against Cathy's
seat. Cathy sighs and reaches over to flip the radio.
She flips across a scratchy hip-hop channel.
GARET
Hey. I like that song.
CATHY
Too bad. You're driving. I'm the DJ.
She lands on a slow ballad. Garet makes a face. He
reaches for the tuner but she swats his hand away.
A beat passes. Garet dives in again but Cathy's too
quick. Instead he uses his free hand to tickle her.
She laughs and jumps.
THROUGH THE WINDOW - a huge blurry figure dashes across
the road.
GARET
Holy shit!
OUT ON THE HIGHWAY
The car swerves way off to the right and kicks up dust.
Tires lose their traction on the graveled shoulder of the
road, then skid off of the shoulder and down a dirt road.
They finally slide to a stop in the middle of a dense
forest.
IN THE CAR
Garet slams the car into park and glances around at
everyone.
GARET
Everyone okay?
Heads nod.
CATHY
I told you you shouldn't have gotten
high.
GARET
I wasn't high. There was something in
the road. Didn't you see it?
She shakes her head and looks around. It's dark - many
trees.
CATHY
Whatever. Let's just get back to the
highway.
GARET
Yes. Lance is waiting.
CATHY
His name is Larry.
OUT ON THE DIRT ROAD
The car eases around on the narrow dirt road to face the
other direction. Only what they see is an unending
stretch of dirt road.
IN THE CAR
GARET
Where's the highway?
CATHY
That way. It has to be that way.
Right?
TINA
Can we just go? I have to pee.
JARNELL
Yeah, man. Just go back that way.
You're bound to hit the highway.
Garet shrugs and starts off. Nothing is on either side
of the car but a thicket of trees, and nothing ahead but
an endless dirt road that leads into blackness.
GARET
This is weird. We should have hit the
highway by now.
CATHY
Maybe it's back the other way. We did
spin around, right?
Garet nods, but is unconvinced. Again he maneuvers the
car around on the dirt road to face the other way. It
looks just the same.
GARET
What the fuck?
CATHY
Look. Let's just be rational. How far
did we drive just now?
GARET
Not even a mile.
CATHY
Okay. Then the turn off to the highway
has to be that far back. Check the
odometer. If you hit a mile, you've
gone too far.
Garet sets the tripometer. They set off again, slowly.
Clouds hang down over the tops of the trees. The radio
has lost all reception and the static is the only sound
in the car.
CATHY
Surely we've gone far enough.
Garet glances at the tripometer. It's at 000.0.
GARET
Fuck. It's broken.
CATHY
Like everything else in your car.
The car skids to a halt. Everyone looks through the rear
view window the other direction. Both forward and
backward look exactly the same.
TINA
Just keep going. We have to hit a road
eventually. I really have to pee.
J.T.
Come on, man. She's sitting in my lap.
Just drive.
The speedometer inches up, ten miles an hour, twenty,
thirt-five.
Everyone in the car looks out the side windows to catch a
glimpse of the highway, but it's nothing but darkness
surrounding the car.
SPEEDOMETER: 45. 50. 60.
Red dust kicks up behind the car. Tina bounces in J.T.'s
lap.
J.T.
Hang on, baby.
TINA
I really gotta go. We have to pull
over.
JARNELL
Fuck no. Have you seen it out there?
You get out here you're going to wind
up supper for some hick with a chain
saw.
J.T.
You've taken too many hits to the head,
Jarnell. It's just a deserted, dirt
road. In the middle of nowhere. With
no visible means of escape.
J.T. gooses Tina, who screams.
TINA
You dick. I told you I have to pee.
J.T.
Garet, man. Pull over.
JARNELL
No way, man. Keep going. The highway
has to be up here somewhere.
TINA
I have to pee!
CATHY
Jesus, just pull over already.
The car slows down and eases over to the side.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Tina hops out. It's strangely quiet, not even a rustle
in the trees.
TINA
J.T., come with me.
CATHY
You can't even pee alone?
TINA
I don't see you going out into the
woods by yourself.
CATHY
I don't have to go.
J.T.
I'll go. I oughta make you go,
Jarnell. You freaked her out.
TINA
(snaps)
I'm not freaked out.
CATHY
Then why can't you go alone?
TINA
Maybe I want to give your brother a
blowjob without you bitching about it.
J.T. climbs out of the car and follows Tina -
INTO THE WOODS
J.T. and Tina step over the dead branches and through the
trees.
TINA
You don't think they're snakes out here
do you?
J.T.
If there are I'll protect you. Hey.
Come here.
He pulls her to him for a kiss.
J.T.
Hurry up and pee so we can get a
quickie before we get back to the car.
TINA
You're such a bad boy.
J.T.
Says the girl who has been fondling me
all night. Go on.
Tina heads off behind a tree, slips down her panties and
squats.
TINA
Your sister sure doesn't like me, does
she?
Her question is met with silence. Not even the wind
blows.
TINA
J.T.?
Something crunches through the brush. Steady and drawing
closer.
TINA
J.T.? Is that you?
More silence.
TINA
J.T.! Stop being a jerk!
Two arms reach around the tree, one on either side of
where she squats. Hands spread wide then reach in to
grab her. She screams.
J.T. laughs as he jumps around the tree. She slaps him
hard.
J.T.
Scared the piss outta ya, huh?
TINA
You're such a dick head.
She pulls up her panties.
J.T.
Hey now. Wrong direction.
He slips a hand under her skirt but she slaps him away.
TINA
Forget it.
J.T.
What? You're really mad?
She says nothing but stalks off toward the car.
J.T.
Look, I didn't mean to scare ya, babe.
TINA
Yes, you did.
J.T.
Okay, I did. But I'm sorry. Come, on.
You know that's just how I play. Now
where's that blowjob you were talking
about?
He swings her up into his arms and tries to kiss her but
she knees him in the groin. He doubles over. She throws
his class ring at him.
TINA
Go fondle yourself, J.T.
BACK AT THE CAR
Cathy sits in the car and reads a map, but Jarnell and
Garet stand just outside. They consider both directions.
GARET
Where the fuck is the highway? I just
don't get it.
JARNELL
Well it's either that way... or that
way.
GARET
Thank you, Rand McNally.
He bends down to the car window.
GARET
Any luck?
CATHY
No, I doubt this map won't show a dirt
road like this one.
GARET
And the highway?
CATHY
Your guess is as good as mine.
IN THE FOREST
Tina hugs herself as she plods through the broken limbs.
A wind follows her.
She whirls around with an angry snarl.
TINA
J.T. you're going to end up walking to
L.A. if you don't stop it! I mean it!
She surveys the scene. Wind rattles the leaves on the
trees as the clouds roll over them.
TINA
Stop it, you ass! I don't like being
afraid!
(beat)
J.T.?
BACK AT THE CAR
Tina stalks from the wooded area to the car.
CATHY
Where's J.T.?
TINA
Ask someone who gives a shit.
GARET
Lovers tiff?
TINA
Not anymore. I don't like people who
play practical jokes.
Cathy smiles.
CATHY
You picked the wrong guy to go to
California with. That's all J.T. has
ever been able to do.
TINA
Fine. Let's leave and see how he likes
it.
CATHY
We're not leaving J.T.
Cathy pulls her cell phone from her purse.
TINA
I don't mean forever. Let's just scare
him a little. Would serve him right.
CATHY
Damn. No reception.
GARET
Big fucking surprise. Listen, we're
not leaving without J.T. The way our
luck is running, we won't be able to
find our way back.
BACK IN THE FOREST
J.T. wanders through the brush. He's obviously lost.
J.T.
Tina! Baby, I'm sorry! Where are you?
(under breath)
Fuckin' humorless bitch.
He handles his injured area.
J.T.
Tina!
He stops, looks around. A wind now begins to rattle the
tops of the trees as the low lying clouds drift by. J.T.
looks behind him into the shadows.
J.T.
Trish?
The brush moves, but nothing emerges. J.T. squints in
that direction.
J.T.
Hello?
Behind him twigs break under footsteps. He spins around.
His fear gives way to a nervous smile.
J.T.
Okay, I get it. You can't kid a
kidder, babe. Just scare me already.
A crazy loon call pierces the darkness. J.T. jumps.
J.T.
(startled)
Shit. Payback's a bitch.
More footsteps. Another loon call.
J.T.
(under breath)
Holy fuck.
BACK AT THE CAR
The loon screams again.
JARNELL
D'you hear that? What is that?
GARET
Sounds like a loon.
JARNELL
Sounds like a fuckin' banshee.
Garet sends him a look.
JARNELL
What? My Aunt is Irish.
CATHY
Where is J.T.?
TINA
Playing another joke. He's probably
the one making all that racket.
CATHY
Maybe we should go get him.
TINA
Feel free. I ain't goin' back out
there.
Cathy's face sets in a line before she opens her car
door.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Cathy wrenches Tina's door open.
CATHY
Too bad. You're the only one who can
lead me to where you went. You have to
the count of three or Jarnell's going
to shove you out himself.
JARNELL
Wait, I ain't gettin' in the middle -
CATHY
One...
TINA
I'm not going.
CATHY
Two...
A loon cries out in the darkness. Tina jumps, then hops
out of the car.
TINA
Fine! The sooner we bring him back the
sooner we can get the hell outta here.
INSIDE THE CAR
Both Garet and Jarnell stare after the girls.
GARET
Maybe one of us should go with them.
You wanna volunteer?
JARNELL
Hell no. Do you?
GARET
Not really.
IN THE WOODS
Tina stomps ahead of Cathy over the dried leaves and
broken twigs.
CATHY
You sure you know where you're going?
TINA
Why wouldn't I know? I'm not stupid
you know.
Cathy shrugs and follows on. Tina stops and spins around
to Cathy.
TINA
I said I'm not stupid. I know what you
think of me.
CATHY
And what do I think about you, Tina?
That you're easy for feeling up my
brother in a car full of people? That
you're foolish for taking a cross
country trip with someone you just met
a few weeks ago? Is that what I think?
Is that what's wrong?
TINA
Well at least I'm not desperate enough
to travel across three states to fuck
someone I've never even met.
CATHY
Give you time.
Tina slaps Cathy. Cathy just smiles and wipes blood from
the corner of her mouth.
TINA
You know, I don't even know why I'm out
here trying to find J.T. He's probably
hiding off behind one of the trees
waiting to grab me. Both of you are
warped.
Tina turns back to the car.
CATHY
It'd work out for you just fine if we
didn't find J.T. wouldn't it? You
could just move on to Garet.
Tina stops and sneers Cathy's direction.
TINA
Not hardly. He's got horrible taste in
women.
CATHY
Fine. Go. I wasn't expecting any less
from trailer trash like you.
Tina stops. She turns back and gives Cathy a steely
look. She lifts her chin and stalks back, and passes
her, disappearing further into the woods.
FURTHER INTO THE WOODS
Cathy and Tina plod on.
TINA
J.T.!
CATHY
You sure this is where you left him?
TINA
You want to see the pee stain?
CATHY
J.T.!
The woods are silent, not even animals make a sound.
CATHY
Maybe he's back at the car already.
Both girls look around the strange little cocoon of
silence. A loon screams loudly and nearby.
A huge gust of wind whips through the trees like a
physical force flying above. Leaves kick up and dust
swirls.
CATHY
What the hell?
TINA
Fuck this!
Tina bolts back into the direction they'd come from.
CATHY
Come back here!
(beat)
Stupid slut.
Cathy turns into the wind and presses on.
CATHY
J.T.!
The wind literally backs her up and the sound of an
animal cry spirals around her.
Cathy loses her footing and falls to the ground. Tina,
who has come back, runs to Cathy and grabs her hand,
pulling her to her feet despite the howling wind.
Cathy leans on Tina and they hurry away from the woods
that breathe behind them.
BACK AT THE CAR
Garet dozes on the driver's side, while Jarnell snores
heavily in the backseat.
Both jump with a start as Cathy and Tina explode from the
trees.
CATHY
Start the car!
TINA
Start the car!
Both girls dive into the car as Garet throws it into
drive, guns it and spins out onto the road.
IN THE CAR
Jarnell, Trish and Cathy stare out the back windshield
while Garet drives.
GARET
What the hell did you see?
TINA
Nothing.
CATHY
That's the problem.
GARET
What do you mean?
CATHY
There was something back there, Garet.
But we couldn't see it.
TINA
It could breathe. It could scream.
CATHY
It could chase us.
TINA
It's got J.T.
Everyone processes the information as the car speeds
along the dirt road.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - DAYBREAK
Ahead of the car the inky black sky gives way to the pink
of a new day - and the end of the woods.
INSIDE THE CAR
Everyone else fights to stay awake, with less success
than Garet. Garet blinks as he stares out the
windshield. Finally he sees traffic crossing the road a
few miles ahead.
GARET
Thank God.
CATHY
What is it?
GARET
The way out.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - DAY
Cathy, Garet, Jarnell and Tina stumble through the door,
all wear the effects of their night.
VINCE FINN (50s) sets coffee in front of SHERIFF IAN
MCFARLANE (40s) and DEPUTY MARTY RICKS (30s).
CATHY
We gotta tell them about J.T.
TINA
No one is going to believe you.
CATHY
I've got to try.
She heads toward the counter where the lawmen sit.
CATHY
Excuse me.
Sheriff McFarlane turns to her and gives her the once
over, taking in her haggard appearance.
MCFARLANE
Can I help you, Miss?
CATHY
We were lost out in the country all
night, not too far from here. There's
a road - just off the highway. Anyway
my brother is out there still. We
think... we think there might be
something out there that could hurt
him.
MCFARLANE
Like an animal?
CATHY
We don't know. We didn't see anything.
MCFARLANE
I see.
Tina comes up to them, and draws the interest of both
lawmen who assess her mini and halter.
TINA
Maybe you can take us out there and
check it out?
She sends a winning smile to Deputy Ricks. Both men
share a look.
RICKS
I think we can find time for that,
don't you, Sheriff?
INT. SHERIFF'S CAR - DAY
Sheriff McFarlane and Cathy sit up front.
Out the window they pass the 'NOW LEAVING CHENOQUAH
COUNTY' sign.
Tina and Deputy Ricks sit in back. She gives him a coy
smile.
RICKS
So who'd you lose out there?
TINA
Her brother. Used to be my boyfriend.
RICKS
Used to be? What'd you do? Kill him
and dump the body?
Tina giggles and snuggles closer. Deputy Ricks eats up
her attention. She traces the metal on his gun with a
finger.
TINA
Ooh, such a big gun.
In the front seat Cathy rolls her eyes and sighs.
MCFARLANE
So where's the road?
CATHY
I'm not sure. We kinda found it by
accident.
MCFARLANE
Were you drinking? Doing drugs?
Cathy doesn't say anything, she just scours the scenery
for the road, and holds her cell phone to her ear.
CATHY
Something's wrong. We've gone too far.
MCFARLANE
There are no roads in those woods. Are
you sure that's where you were?
CATHY
We spun off to the right.
MCFARLANE
Are you positive? It was dark. Maybe
you were drinking?
She shakes her head.
MCFARLANE
Look, there are no roads out this way.
There's nothing out here by Bloody
Creek. Even the animals aren't fit to
hunt. Most of it's dead and dried up,
including the creek itself.
CATHY
I didn't see a creek. But I did see a
road. It was in the middle of the
woods. And we've passed it. I know
it.
McFarlane sends her a skeptical glance.
CATHY
It was here. I swear.
In the backseat, Ricks slides a hand along the silken
skin of Tina's thigh.
RICKS
We can keep looking, Sheriff. Just for
a little bit.
TINA
Yeah, keep looking. You never know
what you may find.
She giggles again. The Sheriff sends a look over his
shoulder, then appraises Cathy again. He eases the car
over to the shoulder.
MCFARLANE
Well, I don't see a road. But we can
get out here and look around for your
brother if you want.
Cathy snaps her phone together.
CATHY
Sure.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - DAY
Jarnell and Garet linger over what's left of their food.
SAM WHITE (60s), a weathered Native American with a shock
of white hair and a leather face, enters the diner. He
takes a seat at the counter directly behind them, where
Vince greets him warmly.
VINCE
Look what the cat drug in. Howya doin,
Sheriff?
SAM
Now, Vince. You know I haven't been
Sheriff for a good six months now.
He slams his hand into Sam's.
VINCE
So how's retirement treating ya?
SAM
Same ol, same ol. Garden won't grow
nothin but weeds and the ol lady has a
list as long as her arm of odd jobs to
do around the house.
VINCE
See, that's why I don't retire. Sheryl
will nag me into an early grave.
They both laugh. Vince pours Sam a cup of coffee. He
watches Vince tend to other tasks as he takes a sip.
GARET (OS)
Maybe we should try him again.
JARNELL (OS)
If he was where he could use a phone,
he'd have called us. He's gonna kick
both of our asses for leaving him out
in those woods all night, I tell ya
that.
GARET (OS)
It's his own damn fault. Stupid ass
never knows when to play it straight.
Sam looks over his shoulder at the two guys sitting in
the booth, both sullen and worried and quite frankly,
annoyed.
JARNELL
We're missing a good day from our trip
because of him.
Sam slips off the stool and heads over to the guys.
SAM
Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear.
You folks lost someone?
Garet and Jarnell share a nervous glance, before Garet
nods.
GARET
Yeah, like - I dunno - a half an hour
from here. Out in the woods.
SAM
What were you doing in the woods?
GARET
We skid out onto a dirt road that kept
us lost in them all night long.
SAM
You're pulling my leg, right?
GARET
No. Why?
SAM
There ain't no road out there in those
woods.
JARNELL
Tell that to J.T. That's where we left
him.
Sam nods, but he remains skeptical.
SAM
Well. I hope you find your friend.
He ducks back to the counter. Garet turns to Jarnell.
GARET
Weird fucking town.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
McFarlane walks behind Cathy in between the trees on the
median. Both ways they look, there are no woods.
MCFARLANE
You sure you weren't over there? Or is
this some fancy college prank?
CATHY
We were here. And something was out
here. And now my brother is missing.
Besides. I don't have a sense of
humor. Ask anyone.
BACK IN THE CAR
The Deputy's hands slide up Tina's bare legs as she
straddles him and kisses him passionately.
RICKS
Man, you're a feisty one. You'd do it
right here in a cop car wouldn't you?
TINA
What do you think I am? A hooker?
She nibbles his lip.
TINA
If you want me you gotta work for it.
DEPUTY
Oh yeah? And how do I work for it?
TINA
Meet me. Out here. Tonight.
DEPUTY
What are you talking about?
TINA
The deadbeats I'm riding with will come
back out here to try and find J.T.
They're noble and wouldn't dream of
continuing the trip until they find
him. So you come out here and keep me
company while they look for their
needle in a haystack.
She holds up his left hand and slips off his wedding
ring. With a smile she puts it on her thumb.
TINA
I bet I'm a lot more fun than how you
usually spend your evening.
She gives him one last scorching kiss before she slides
off of his lap, just in time to spot McFarlane and Cathy
emerge from the forest.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - DAY
The girls have rejoined the guys and they sit around a
booth full of food. Mostly Jarnell's.
GARET
Look. Last night we were all a
little... compromised. Maybe we did
spin out to the right and it was on the
other side of the road.
CATHY
You forget. I didn't get high or
drink.
GARET
No, but you were tired. We're all
tired. I think the best thing to do is
just get some sleep, get our bearings
and try again when we're all a little
clearer headed.
CATHY
I don't know how you can think about
sleep.
Jarnell yawns.
JARNELL
I don't see how you can't.
GARET
Look. We're all fried. Let's just get
a room, get some sleep and go back
later. You can't help J.T. if you're
not firing on all cylinders, right?
Besides. It's daylight. If I know
J.T. he'll find his way back here all
on his own. I think it'll serve him
right to have to hike out of the woods
since it was his dumb idea to fuck
around out there.
CATHY
Unless he can't hike out of there.
What if he's hurt? I need to do
something. Maybe if I go back to the
cops -
GARET
The cops weren't any help.
JARNELL
What else is new?
TINA
We'll go back out there tonight.
CATHY
Tonight? Why?
TINA
Because that Deputy Ricks will join us.
She smiles and waves at Ricks who eats nearby.
CATHY
How do you know that?
TINA
I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
CATHY
If you didn't have sex, where would you
be?
TINA
I'd be you.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - DUSK
HAGGERED HUSBAND (40s) sits at a table with his WEATHERED
WIFE (40s) and their two BRATTY KIDS who play with Native
American souveniers. The parents eat in relative
silence, the family trip not going so well.
Tina struts past from the ladies room on the way back to
table where Garet, Jarnell and Cathy sit.
Haggered Husband watches her wiggle, then turns back to
catch his wife's glare.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
What?
WEATHERED WIFE
Just pay the bill and get a room. I
suddenly have a raging headache.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
What a coincidence. I've been riding
with one since Tampa.
Tricia slides into the booth with her group.
GARET
You gotta admit. Going back out there
is going to be like some B horror
movie. Even if the cop comes out
there.
CATHY
What choices do we have, Garet?
GARET
Easy for you to say. You're the
uptight virgin. You're going to
survive just by default.
JARNELL
If it's all the same to you, I think
I'll just stay here. I've seen a few
horror movies. It never works out for
the brothers.
GARET
If we go, we all go. There's no point
backtracking once we find J.T.
JARNELL
If we find him.
Cathy sends him a look.
JARNELL
Sorry.
He dives into a chicken leg.
TINA
Look. The sooner we find J.T. the
sooner we can all get to California.
What other plans do you guys have for
the night?
GARET
Surviving would be tops on my list.
TINA
Then don't die.
GARET
Well when you put it like that...
He holds up his glass to everyone, and one by one they
all toast in, even Jarnell with his chicken wing.
ALL
To not dying.
EXT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - DUSK
Jarnell, Tina, Garet and Cathy head to the car.
GARET
I hope you all brought your compasses.
We found that detour by accident. It's
not on a map. How the hell are we
supposed to find it again?
He climbs in the driver's seat.
IN THE CAR
Everyone else climbs in.
GARET
Fuck me.
CATHY
What?
She follows his line of vision to the tripometer that
reads 028.2.
Jarnell and Tina catch it from the back seat, where
Jarnell opens the door to scramble out. Only he doesn't
quite make it.
JARNELL
Aw, hell. I knew I shouldn't have had
that second piece of pie.
Cathy glances over to Tina.
CATHY
You sure that this cop guy is going to
show?
Tina gives her a confident grin and flashes the wedding
band still on her thumb.
TINA
Never lost one yet.
Tina opens up her cell phone.
EXT. HIGHWAY MEDIAN - DUSK
Two cop cars sit next to each other, facing opposite
directions.
Ricks sits in one, where he smooths his hair and preens
for the rearview mirror.
McFarlane studies him from the other.
MCFARLANE
Hot date?
RICKS
Maybe.
MCFARLANE
That girl's a little younger than you
like em, ain't she?
RICKS
She's old enough. 'Sides. She's gonna
show me their secret road.
MCFARLANE
I bet she's got a secret road all
right. More like a well known express
way.
RICKS
You should come with me, Ian. That
other girl seemed kinda sweet on you.
MCFARLANE
No, thanks. I actually go home to my
wife.
Ricks laughs.
RICKS
Your loss.
He sets his car into gear.
MCFARLANE
Hey. How you gonna find them if we
couldn't find no road?
Ricks holds up his cell phone.
RICKS
The miracle of modern technology. She
just sent me a text message. Twenty-
eight point two miles from the Rusty
Spoon. If I don't come back by
midnight, you'll know where to look.
Both men laugh before Ricks pulls out onto the now now
dark highway.
EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT
High beams glare ahead as Garet's car moves along the
road.
INSIDE THE CAR
No one says anything as the tripometer flips to 28.1.
Cathy and Garet share a look.
ON THE ROAD - CONTINUOUS
The car eases over to the side of the road. There,
barely visible, a turnoff into the woods.
INSIDE THE CAR
The tripometer rests at 000.0.
Tina leans in between Garet and Cathy. The girls look at
each other.
GARET
What's wrong?
CATHY
This wasn't here before. When we came
with the cops.
GARET
Maybe you missed it. It is kind of
obscure.
CATHY
Maybe.
ON THE ROAD
The car eases onto the turnoff and disappears behind the
trees.
INT. DEPUTY CAR - NIGHT
Ricks taps his hands on the steering wheel to the blaring
music coming from his radio.
RICKS
(singing)
Honky tonk woman! Gimme, gimme, gimme
those honky tonk blues.
The radio crackles and fades.
RICKS
Aw, damn. Come on!
More crackling. Then static. His tripometer flips over
to 27.8.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
The clunker slows to a stop in the middle of the inky
forest.
INSIDE THE CAR
Garet throws the car into park.
GARET
You sure this is the right spot?
Everything looks the same.
CATHY
It's as good a place as any.
She opens her door.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Garet also emerges from the vehicle.
CATHY
What are you doing?
GARET
Haven't you seen any horror movies?
People who go out alone never come
back.
CATHY
Tina can go.
Tina hangs out the open window.
TINA
Can't. I gotta be here when the cop
shows up.
She glances at Jarnell.
JARNELL
Don't look at me.
Cathy sighs as Garet rounds the car to stand by her side.
He holds out an arm.
GARET
After you.
CATHY
Karma bites.
EXT. HIGHWAY, NIGHT
The deputy car eases over to the side.
INSIDE THE CAR
Ricks stares at the obscure opening to the wooded road.
His brow furrows, and he reaches for his CB radio.
RICKS
Sheriff McFarlane?
MCFARLANE (FROM CB)
Yeah.
RICKS
I found the road.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
McFarlane sits in front of his dinner. He holds his
radio receiver to his mouth.
MCFARLANE
What? Where?
RICKS (FROM CB)
28.2 miles exactly. Just like they
said.
MCFARLANE
Go ahead and find them kids, then bring
em back to the diner. Then you and I
can go back and do a proper search.
RICKS (FROM CB)
Yessir.
MCFARLANE
Radio if you have any problems.
INT. DEPUTY CAR - NIGHT
Ricks nods.
RICKS
I will, sir.
He slips his mouthpiece back into place and then turns
the car toward -
EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS
The deputy car slips into the entrance to the road.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
McFarlane wears a worried expression as he puts his mouth
piece back on his hip. Sheryl wipes some tables behind
him and Vince comes to take his plate away.
VINCE
Somethin wrong, Sheriff?
MCFARLANE
What do you know about a road out by
Bloody Creek?
VINCE
Don't know nuthin. It's as dead out
there as Sheryl's grits this mornin.
SHERYL
I heard that.
VINCE
I meant for you to hear, woman.
(back to McFarlane)
Why do ya ask?
MCFARLANE
Those kids that were here earlier today
said they lost a friend out there on
some road. I told them there wasn't a
road.
VINCE
Damn right. You and I hunted out there
when we was kids. If there was a road,
we'd have known about it.
MCFARLANE
That's what I thought too. I could
smell the pot on em. Figured they were
just pulling our leg and that they
never really had another friend at all.
SHERYL
No, they had one. He was here last
night. Good lookin rascal, full of the
dickens.
MCFARLANE
Ricks confirmed that there's a road out
there. I told him to bring those kids
back here and we can go look.
VINCENT
I'll go out with ya, if you want.
MCFARLANE
I appreciate ya. Now how bout some
more of that pie?
INT. DEPUTY CAR - NIGHT
Ricks stares down the long stretch of road, no sign of
life anywhere to be found.
He reaches for his CB but gets nothing but static.
RICKS (INTO CB)
Hello? Sheriff?
No answer. He slows to a stop on the side of the road,
then looks in his rear view mirror.
It's exactly the same as what stretches out in front of
him.
RICKS
What the fuck?
He wrenches behind him and stares out the back window.
He glances down at the tripometer. It reads 000.0.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cathy pushes through the brush, Garet casually follows
her lead.
CATHY
J.T.!
GARET
I just have to wonder. If it had been
me that got lost, would you be out here
looking?
CATHY
What do you think?
GARET
I think you would. I think you like me
more than you like to let on.
CATHY
Oh, please.
GARET
Come on. I was nearly The One. You
can't forget that.
CATHY
No, but I'd like to. In case you've
forgotten, we're out here to look for
J.T., not play twenty questions.
GARET
I'm out here to protect you.
She stops and twirls around.
CATHY
The only protection I need is from your
gigantic ego. It's passed the breaking
point.
Garet approaches where she stands, arms crossed.
GARET
That's not the only thing.
CATHY
Gimme a break.
She turns but he holds her by one arm.
GARET
Gimme a chance.
He leans in for a kiss. She doesn't fight him at first,
until he tries to deepen it.
CATHY
Stop being a pig! Can't you ever be
serious?
GARET
I was once. About you.
CATHY
Yeah right. That's why you had that
cute little redhead on the side, right?
Or was it a blonde? Oh I remember now.
It was both.
GARET
You told me to get lost, Cath. What
was I supposed to do? Die lonely,
mourning our lost love?
CATHY
You could have felt something, dammit.
GARET
I did.
He takes her hand.
GARET
Still do.
She turns her head away and blinks away a tear.
CATHY
Come on. Let's just find J.T.
She pulls her hand from his and turns back into the
forest.
EXT. DIRT ROAD, CLUNKER CAR - NIGHT
Jarnell digs a candy bar out of his jacket pocket. Tina
stares out the back window.
JARNELL
Wonder where your cop is at?
TINA
I dunno. He should be here by now.
She fidgets in her seat.
JARNELL
What's wrong with you, girl?
TINA
I gotta go.
JARNELL
J.T. was right. You got the bladder of
a mouse. Just don't think of anything
wet. Like an ocean or a lake, or a
waterfall...
TINA
You're not helping.
She booty dances in the seat.
TINA
Ugh, I gotta go. Come with me?
JARNELL
Someone should stay with the car. Just
in case your cop shows up.
She glances over to the inky forest.
TINA
Fine. Just wait until it's your turn.
She opens up the door, gets
OUT OF THE CAR
And walks around to the forest. Jarnell leans out the
window.
JARNELL
I can just hang out the window. You
won't catch me in them woods.
Tina flips him off and then disappears behind the trees.
INT. DEPUTY CAR - NIGHT
Ricks navigates the narrow road at a steady 20 miles per
hour. He glances back down at the tripometer, it still
reads 000.0.
He grabs the radio and tries it again. It's useless.
Something big and blurry darts out across the road, Ricks
slams over to the side of the road.
RICKS
What the...?
He stares off into the woods. The trees sway and rustle.
EXT. DIRT ROAD, DEPUTY CAR - CONTINUOUS
Ricks emerges from his car, gun drawn.
RICKS
Hello?
His greeting is met with the rustling of leaves in the
wind. Clouds roll overhead.
RICKS
This is Chenoquah County Deputy Marty
Ricks. My weapon is drawn. If you do
not come forward, hands raised, I will
have to respond with force.
INT. DEPUTY CAR, THROUGH THE DASH CAMERA - SAME
A grainy screen shows Ricks pass in front of the car, his
pistol raised. He walks out of our view.
RICKS (OS)
Fuckin' hell!
Sounds of gunfire blast through the country silence.
We pull out to view through the windshield. Everything
is still.
With a loud SLAM, Ricks hits the windshield face first,
cracking the glass. His eyes are open wide, his hair is
stark white, and he is clearly dead.
Blood smears down the windshield as he slides down onto
the hood and is ripped away out of sight.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cathy and Garet disappear further into the tangled dead
trees.
CATHY
J.T.!
She grows more desperate.
CATHY
It's no use.
(breaks down)
He's gone.
Garet takes her arm and gives her a sympathetic look.
She glances up at him through her tears and he smiles.
GARET
We'll find him.
(calls out)
J.T.!
Garet takes the lead.
SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE WOODS
Tina stands from her squatting position and adjusts her
underwear. A hand with a class ring falls on her
shoulder. She grabs it.
TINA
Oh thank God. J.T....
She pulls the arm and it tugs loose from the tree trunk,
a bloody stump, torn right at the shoulder. Tina screams
and throws it down, then takes off in the other
direction.
Wind kicks up and stirs all the dust under her feet.
Beside her leaves on the trees rattle and flutter as if
something very big runs just parallel out of sight.
TINA
Jarnell!
BACK AT THE CAR
Jarnell sits in the backseat. He sings to himself as he
rolls a joint.
JARNELL
I was gonna go to L.A., but then I got
high. Didn't wanna be in the boonies
all day, but then I got high. Now
we're all jacked up, and I know why...
cuz we got high, cuz we got high, cuz
we got high.
BACK IN THE WOODS
Tina sails along the forest floor, her smeared eyeliner
streaks her face with her tears.
The inky blackness of night follows behind, and the
clouds roll along overhead.
Her high heel snaps and sends her tumbling to the ground.
Everything grows still, the clouds even slow to a stop.
Tina gulps in shaky, tearful gasps of air.
TINA
Who are you? What do you want?
A crazy loon screams nearby.
She brushes her bloody knee, rips off her shoe and
scrambles to her feet, running lopsided.
IN ANOTHER PART OF THE WOODS
Garet steps cautiously over a big branch, then offers his
hand to Cathy to follow suit. They hear the loon's
distant cry.
GARET
You know, in Indian folklore loons used
to represent spirits from the other
side.
CATHY
Is that so?
GARET
I dunno. But it sounds true, doesn't
it?
She smiles at him, then glances down, where she notices
something on the ground.
CATHY
Garet. Look.
He does. It's a red footprint.
CATHY
Is that blood?
GARET
I think it's mud.
CATHY
It's going that way.
She points to the next footprint, a trail that would lead
them through the trees.
They follow.
BACK AT THE CAR
Tina stumbles from the brush and heads straight for the
car.
INSIDE THE CAR
She dives into the driver's seat and revs the car into
gear.
JARNELL
What are you doing?
TINA
We gotta get outta here. I found J.T.
Part of him at least.
JARNELL
But what about Cathy and Garet?
She turns around and points out the blood stain on her
shirt.
TINA
Maybe I wasn't clear. This is blood
from J.T.'s torn off arm.
JARNELL
(beat)
I wasn't really close to them anyway.
OUT ON THE ROAD
The car kicks up dust as it flies into gear and onto the
road.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
McFarlane stares out of the window. Sheryl brings the
pot of coffee around.
SHERYL
Refill, Sheriff?
MCFARLANE
Yes, Sheryl. Thank you.
SHERYL
Your Deputy should have been back by
now, shouldn't he?
MCFARLANE
At least.
Sheryl nods, fills Vince's cup and goes back to the
counter.
VINCE
Unless he busted a nut with that pretty
young thing who was here earlier.
McFarlane sends him an amused glance.
MCFARLANE
Still. After that five minutes, then
what?
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cathy follows Garet on the red footprint path. They end
up beside a dry creek bed full of red mud.
GARET
Bloody Creek I take it.
Cathy kneels down and picks up a handful of mud.
CATHY
Aptly named.
They walk down the edge.
INT. GARET'S CAR - NIGHT
Jarnell leans forward between the driver and passenger
seat.
JARNELL
What do you think tore off J.T.'s arm?
TINA
I don't know and I don't wanna know.
JARNELL
This is some crazy Wes Craven shit,
that's what this is. I guess this
isn't the time to bring up that I'm the
black guy and you're the slut?
Tina sends him a glance through the rear view mirror.
INT. RUSTY SPOON - NIGHT
McFarlane gets up and grabs his jacket. Vince emerges
with a shotgun. Sheryl stands by and wrings her hands.
SHERYL
Vince Finn, you crazy ol coot. You
don't need to go traipsing through
those old woods. You'll break your
other hip.
VINCE
You hush up, woman. I know what I'm
doing.
He follows McFarlane out the door. She glances at the
clock. It's one minute after midnight.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cathy and Garet follow Blood Creek. Animals twitter in
the distance, and the clouds slide easily overhead.
GARET
Well this has been interesting.
Walking forever and nothing but a dried
up creek bed. If J.T. is out here
still, he's probably passed out from
boredom.
CATHY
I don't know how you can joke. If J.T.
was able he'd have called one of us by
now.
GARET
Cell phones don't work out here,
remember? He's probably just lost and
waiting for us to find him.
CATHY
I hope so.
GARET
You forget. I was in the same Boy
Scout troop. One thing J.T. always
was, was self reliant.
Cathy nods. She tosses him a shy glance.
CATHY
Thank you.
GARET
For what?
CATHY
Coming back out here. I know you
wanted to get to California.
GARET
I didn't take this trip because of
California, Cath.
She stops and rests against a tree.
CATHY
Then why did you come?
GARET
You really have to ask?
He leans an arm against the tree trunk.
GARET
I've been crazy about you since the
second grade. I kinda hoped...
CATHY
Hoped what?
GARET
That you'd remember how good we were
and forget about your Internet Romeo.
She gazes into his eyes for a moment. With a small smile
-
CATHY
You mean Lance?
He smiles big.
GARET
That'd be the one.
He leans in for a kiss. Just as it begins to deepen a
loon screeches nearby and they jump apart.
GARET
Damn J.T. He would have to get lost
thirty miles from the nearest motel.
They press forward, and Cathy grabs his arm.
CATHY
Oh my God. Look.
Just ahead is a figure in the mud.
CATHY
J.T...
She sprints ahead with Garet close behind.
INT. SHERIFF CAR - NIGHT
The tripometer reads 28.2. McFarlane and Vince look over
to see the very faint entrance to the forest.
VINCE
I'll be damned.
McFarlane turns the wheel toward the entrance.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Cathy fights through bare tree limbs, pressing on toward
the figure.
Closer and closer they come until the figure becomes
distinguishable as a man slumped over unnaturally.
CATHY
J.T.! J.T.!!
She slips down the riverbank and into the mud and pushes
the figure over onto its back. She screams and scrambles
back.
It's Ricks, eyes wide, hair white, most definitely dead.
Garet grabs Cathy by the arms and hoists her onto the
bank. She's covered with mud and slips back down.
A loon screeches, closer now.
CATHY
Garet!
He tugs harder.
GARET
I got you. Come on.
He pulls her free from the mud and they fall back on
their backs in the brush. Cathy sobs quietly. He
reaches for her.
GARET
Hey, it's okay. It's not him.
She nods, but still gulps back her sobs. Garet stands
and then helps her do the same.
That's when they notice the big red footprint, three
times as big as the footprints they were following
before.
GARET
Oh, shit.
CATHY
Garet? What...?
Another crazy loon screech.
GARET
Let's go.
He points off the direction opposite the footsteps.
GARET
That way.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
Sheryl sits at the counter and stares into a cup of
coffee.
The bell rings announcing a visitor. She turns around
quickly.
Sam enters.
SHERYL
Oh, Sam. It's you.
SAM
I thought you had given up the all
night thing.
SHERYL
We did. But I don't think the coffee
has grown legs yet if you want some.
SAM
That sounds fine.
She gets up, gets a cup from the counter and pours him
some.
SHERYL
What are you doing out so late?
SAM
Lois is driving me crazy. If I get one
more Honey Do list I swear I'm going to
back to work for the peace and quiet.
She just shakes her head with a small smile and puts the
coffee away. She's clearly distressed.
SAM
So why are you burning the midnight
oil, if I may ask.
SHERYL
That damn Vince. Off on one of his
lame-brained schemes with Sheriff
McFarlane.
Sam chuckles.
SAM
I thought Ian was more the 9-5 type of
law around here.
SHERYL
He was, till tonight.
She sits opposite him in the booth.
SHERYL
These kids came through here last
night, youngsters - probably college
aged. They claim that there is some
kind of road twenty some odd miles from
here and that's where they lost
someone.
SAM
I remember them. Talked to a couple of
them this afternoon.
SHERYL
Well, apparently that deputy - that
Ricks kid - he went off gallivanting
after one of the pretty girls. Found
the road. Never came back.
SAM
Wait. He really found the road?
SHERYL
You know it?
SAM
Know of it is more like it.
SHERYL
Back when you were a sheriff?
SAM
Back when I was in short pants. This
was back when I was still Sam
Whitefeather. I must have been five or
six when my grandmother told us all the
legend.
SHERYL
What legend?
SAM
Eh, it's nothing. Just silly Indian
superstition. What we did before there
was television, you know? Greatest
storytellers you'll ever find are the
ones who spin their yarns over a
campfire.
SHERYL
Still. The road is real enough. What
do you think is out there, Sam?
SAM
Dead trees and a dried up river bed.
You got some pie to go with this
coffee?
INT. GARET'S CAR - NIGHT
Tina drives on the endless road. Jarnell props himself
up between the two bucket seats.
The car beeps at them and the oil light comes on.
JARNELL
I told Garet to get rid of this piece
of shit before we made this trip.
She eases over to the side of the road.
JARNELL
What are you doing?
TINA
You wanna burn the engine up out here?
Last time I checked there wasn't a gas
station anywhere nearby.
She turns off the ignition.
JARNELL
Let's just hope it starts again.
TINA
You know, you really need to be quiet.
You've jinxed this little journey from
start to finish.
JARNELL
Hey I'm just tellin it like it is.
OUT OF THE CAR
Tina opens the trunk.
Jarnell squeezes out of the back seat.
JARNELL
I think you're the one that needs to
shut up. Now I gotta go.
He heads over to the edge of the forest.
JARNELL
Ah, hell no.
He looks back at Tina.
JARNELL
No peeking.
Tina digs a quart of oil out of the trunk and then heads
over to pop the hood.
TINA
You don't have anything I haven't seen
before.
JARNELL
(to himself)
I bet.
As he proceeds with his activity he stares off into the
dark forest. He whistles to himself as he takes a whiz.
A loon screeches. He jumps and the urine ceases for a
moment, but then he resumes, and whistles a little
louder.
Overhead clouds begin to tumble over themselves, touching
the tops of the trees. A breeze rustles through the
leaves in a rolling wave, like it was coming to life.
Something moves off to his right, and Jarnell stops
whistling.
He peers into the forest.
Something passes in the woods just ahead and rustles the
tops of the trees.
Jarnell backs up toward the car, where Tina slams the
hood shut.
JARNELL
We gotta go.
The figure passes by again, closer, and we get a hint of
faint pink bulk rising high in the trees.
This time Tina sees it too. Both of them jump into the
car and peel out onto the road.
INSIDE THE CAR
Neither say anything but stare straight ahead. She
glances at Jarnell, who looks decidedly pale.
TINA
Fly's open.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
Cathy and Garet emerge from the woods to the empty road.
GARET
Fuck me running.
CATHY
Where'd they go? Why'd they leave?
GARET
Maybe we came out at the wrong spot.
They look both ways down the empty road.
CATHY
We'd still be able to see them, Garet.
There's nothing.
GARET
Let's look at the bright side. There
are no red footprints out here. Come
on.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Garet and Cathy are dog tired as they trod on.
GARET
I spy with my little eye...
something...brown.
CATHY
What isn't brown, Garet?
GARET
Fine, fine. Let's see. I spy with my
little eye... something pink?
Cathy's eyebrow furrows.
CATHY
What? Where?
Garet motions over by the side of the road. They draw
closer to investigate.
It's a small woodland animal, completely skinned.
GARET
Oh, that's just gross.
Cathy puts her hand to her stomach.
CATHY
I've seen enough dead things today.
Let's move on.
They walk a bit further.
GARET
I spy with my little eye...
He pauses, then squints his eyes.
GARET
Something black...
Cathy follows his line of vision. It's a car pulled over
to the side of the road.
Both of them break out into a run.
UP UPON DEPUTY RICKS' CAR
They peer at the windshield, cracked and bloody.
GARET
I guess that explains what happened to
Deputy Whatshisname.
CATHY
And that would be?
GARET
He got into an accident, bumped his
head, wandered off in the wood and
collapsed and died.
CATHY
There are two things wrong with your
hypotheses.
GARET
Other than the fact you want to call
them hypothesis? Hypothesises?
Hypothesi?
CATHY
One. This windshield was cracked from
the outside in. This blood is on the
wrong side of the windshield for it to
be an accident.
GARET
Maybe he hit an animal.
CATHY
Then where is it?
They look around. No animal.
GARET
Very good, Colombo. And two?
CATHY
He had to have seen something really
bad to scare his hair completely white.
GARET
You got me there.
Garet sits in the car and fiddles with switches. The
overhead lights turn on and swirl, which splashes red and
blue over Cathy's face.
Garet picks up the radio and presses the button on the
mouthpiece.
GARET
Hello? Ten-four, good buddy? Roger
Wilco, over and out?
He grumbles and puts it back up.
Cathy goes over to the passenger side and gets
IN THE CAR
Garet slams the door shut on his side.
CATHY
What do we do now?
GARET
We wait.
CATHY
For what?
GARET
Whoever comes looking for this car.
CATHY
Why don't we just drive?
GARET
No key. Unless you want to walk back
out to Bloody Creek and search Deputy
Whozits for it.
CATHY
Waiting's good.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
Sheriff McFarlane's car eases down the dirt road.
INT. SHERIFF'S CAR - CONTINUOUS
Both McFarlane and Vince stare out opposite windows,
Vince holds tight to his rifle.
VINCE
Kinda spooky out here at night.
MCFARLANE
Never known you to be easily scared,
Vince.
VINCE
I didn't say I was scared.
MCFARLANE
No, of course not.
VINCE
I'm just saying it's kind of spooky.
Not that I was spooked.
MCFARLANE
Naturally.
McFarlane looks down at his tripometer that now reads
000.0.
MCFARLANE
I'll be damned...
VINCE
Look out!
McFarlane jerks his head up to see the shadow of
something in the middle of the road that stands over
seven feet tall.
The headlights splash brightly over the splotchy pink and
red carcass before the Sheriff's car lurches over to the
side of the road and into a small ditch.
INT. DEPUTY RICKS' CAR - NIGHT
Cathy leans her head against the window, staring out into
the woods.
CATHY
J.T. had it right, you know.
Garet steals a glance her direction.
GARET
What do you mean?
CATHY
He lived life for the moment. He never
believed in regret. He wanted
something, he went for it and never
looked back.
GARET
Just because we found that cop doesn't
mean J.T. isn't okay, you know.
She nods, but is unconvinced.
Garet sighs, then slides closer.
GARET
Come here.
She doesn't resist as he pulls her into his embrace. He
strokes her hair, his lips against her forehead.
Her hand reaches for his and draws his arm closer around
her.
He kisses the side of her temple, her eyes close. She
moves his hand up to the side of her breast.
He buries his face in the side of her neck. She lets out
a groan and turns into his kiss.
They kiss with all the fire and passion of an urgent
situation. She pulls his shirt from his pants and lifts
it impatiently over his head, while he undoes the buttons
of her blouse.
She throws the garment from her shoulders while he
unfastens her jeans and slides them over her hips.
In just her underwear she straddles him in the car. His
fingers cup her behind, just barely covered in skimpy
panties. He groans.
GARET
You sure you know what you're doing?
CATHY
If I'm gonna die tonight, I'm not going
to die a virgin.
GARET
So you're using me?
CATHY
Yes.
GARET
Oh. Okay. Just checking.
He crushes his mouth to hers.
INT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
It's nearly 2:00am. Sheryl paces now, and Sam watches
her from where he sits. He drains his coffee and then
squeezes out of the booth.
SAM
If it'll make you feel better, I'll
head out there and take a look.
Sheryl considers him for a moment before going back
behind the counter. She digs around underneath and then
pulls out a hefty shotgun.
SHERYL
I'm coming with ya. That way if Vince
ain't dead, I can kill him.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
Steam rises from the Sheriff's hood, and McFarlane and
Vince stumble from the vehicle, weapons drawn.
VINCE
Did you see that thing?
McFarlane nods and surveys the area. There is nothing
out of the ordinary.
A loon screeches loudly, both men jump.
VINCE
What the fuck was that?
MCFARLANE
Dunno. Bird? Maybe a loon?
VINCE
That ain't no loon I ever heard. That
sounds like... I dunno. Three or four
animal cries combined into one.
He cocks his rifle.
VINCE
Whatever it is, it's gonna look mighty
good mounted on my wall.
EXT. GARET'S CAR - NIGHT
Tina stands from her squatting position behind the car
and straightens her skirt. She races back to the car,
which is still running, and hops in.
INSIDE THE CAR
Jarnell munches on a big slab of jerky. He sends her a
look.
JARNELL
You seriously need to go to a doctor.
TINA
And you seriously need to go on a diet.
JARNELL
What? This is protein.
She shakes her head with a smile and pulls the car back
out into the road.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - DEPUTY RICKS' CAR - NIGHT
The car rocks and the windows fog over.
INSIDE DEPUTY RICKS CAR - SAME
Cathy lies under Garet. Tears run down her face. Garet
notices.
GARET
What's wrong?
CATHY
Nothing. It's fine. It's - good.
Her face speaks another story. Garet lifts away.
CATHY
What are you doing?
GARET
I don't know. But I'm not doing this.
He sits over to the side and eases up his jeans. Cathy
sits up, in her panties only, and covers her bare chest
with her hands.
CATHY
This is all new to me. We're lost out
here in the fucking woods. We just saw
a dead man, and my brother could very
well be dead too.
Garet doesn't even look at her.
CATHY
Look, I'm sorry I'm not like Tina okay?
Garet sighs and looks at Cathy, who has reached for her
shirt.
GARET
If I wanted Tina I'd be with Tina. I
want you.
CATHY
Yeah, right.
She tugs on her shirt.
GARET
I do! But not like this. Like you
said. No regrets.
Cathy grabs her clothes and reaches for the doorknob.
CATHY
The only regret I have was thinking I
could ever sleep with you.
She wrenches open the door and storms out into the night,
in her shirt and panties, barefoot.
GARET
Goddamnit!
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Garet hops out, fastening his jeans as he goes. He runs
around the side of the car and nearly trips over
something as he hits the grass.
It's Ricks' gun.
INTO THE FOREST
Cathy charges forward, her clothes clutched to her bosom,
tears flying off of her face.
GARET (OS)
Cathy!
CATHY
(in tears)
Fuck you!
Her bare feet mash over the dead leaves and broken limbs
on the ground.
A loon screams long and loud nearby.
IN ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST
Vince and McFarlane advance into the forest, guns drawn.
VINCE
It's that way. Bout a mile or so.
They head off that direction.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE FOREST
Garet sprints forward, a gun in his hand.
GARET
Cathy!
IN CATHY'S PART OF THE FOREST
Cathy gulps in tearful breaths as she runs further into
the inky black forest. Clouds overhead tumble over each
other, and the wind begins to circle the tops of the
trees.
The loon screeches again, louder now. Closer.
Cathy stops.
CATHY
Garet?
Twigs break off behind her. She twirls around, screams
and drops all her clothes.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE FOREST
Garet hears her scream.
GARET
Cathy!!
He pushes through the trees.
IN CATHY'S PART OF THE FOREST
Cathy sobs as she reaches for J.T.'s armless body as he
weaves and sways on his feet. His head lolls to the side
and he groans.
CATHY
J.T... Oh my God... What happened to
your arm?
He groans again, dazed.
CATHY
I thought you were dead. I was so
scared.
She hugs him, sobs harder.
His arm snakes around her back and his head turns toward
her.
His eyes open. They're black as coal. He emits a
guttural sound.
CATHY
J.T. I have had enough of the jokes,
okay? Let's just get you back to the
car and get out of here.
She tries to move away but his hand sneaks up her back
and grasps her neck.
CATHY
J.T.? J.T. that hurts!
His mouth opens almost unnaturally and the crazy loon
animal sound explodes forth.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE WOODS
Garet stops short. The sound is deafening.
GARET
Cathy!
IN CATHY'S PART OF THE WOODS
Cathy glances into J.T.'s face and sees his black eyes.
Her own eyes widen with fear and she begins to struggle.
He keeps her in a locked embrace, despite her efforts.
Finally she jams her elbow into the empty socket where
J.T.'s arm used to be and he backs away.
CATHY
J.T. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
J.T. staggers backward, his eyes roll back in his head
and he begins to convulse.
Pink and red fluid bubbles from his mouth.
CATHY
What's happening to you?
A puddle forms at his feet, blood red mixes with the
dirt. The ground writhes underneath.
J.T.'s skin starts to peel open. Cathy turns tail and
runs the other direction.
Red mud races toward her, growing more form as it goes.
CATHY
Garet!
GARET'S PART OF THE WOODS
Garet tears through the forest toward her voice.
GARET
I'm comin, baby! Hold on!
IN CATHY'S PART OF THE FOREST
Cathy trips and lands stomach down, on the ground. Her
hair now is streaked white.
Out of sight we hear a munching, growling, grunting sound
- amplified as if it were several animals in one.
CATHY
God, no....
Dirt jams up her fingernails as she claws at the ground,
through the red dirt, rocks and limbs.
Whatever is behind her then drags her through the mud by
her legs.
CATHY
Garet!!
IN GARET'S PART OF THE FOREST
He hears her scream and the grunting/growling sound. He
keeps his gun pointed out, crying a little himself, as he
pushes through the dead trees.
IN MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE FOREST
Vince and McFarlane hear her scream as well.
VINCE
What in blazes...?
McFarlane doesn't say anything, just runs faster toward
the sound.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE FOREST
The wind dies, along with all other sounds and noises.
He gulps, an audible sound.
Every step, every breath, is amplified in sound. He
steps cautiously; pulls back branches with one hand,
holds the gun with the other.
GARET
Cathy?
He moves along further into the woods.
GARET
Cathy, if you can hear me, please...
A loon screeches an explosive nearby sound that dies away
as if sucked into a vacuum.
Garet gulps and heads that direction.
IN MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE WOODS
McFarlane and Vince pull back dead skeletal limbs from
the trees.
VINCE
What the hell?
They're back at the road.
VINCE
Is this another road or the same road?
McFarlane looks both ways on the empty road.
MCFARLANE
I don't know.
The men cross the road to the other side, and just as
they disappear out of sight Garet's car comes into view.
INT. GARET'S CAR
Tina's head dips onto her shoulder, losing the battle
with road fatigue.
A jittery Jarnell jerks her awake.
JARNELL
What the hell are you trying to do?
Wreck? Wake up!
TINA
In case you haven't noticed I haven't
gotten any real sleep in two days.
JARNELL
This ain't right. Nothing about this
shit is right. We drive in a straight
line but it feels like a circle. We
ain't seen Garet or Cathy or J.T.
TINA
Maybe you should get out and look for
them in the forest, then.
JARNELL
Hell no. Did you see that thing moving
around in the forest? You want to get
eye to eye with it? I know I don't.
TINA
I never thought I'd see the day when
Big Man on Campus Jarnell Johnson would
be afraid.
JARNELL
And you're not?
TINA
I don't get scared.
JARNELL
Yeah right.
TINA
When you grow up with a daddy like I
had, you get scared beat right outta
you real quick.
Jarnell looks at her.
JARNELL
Your daddy beat you?
She shrugs.
TINA
Whatever.
He hesitates for a moment, studying her.
JARNELL
What happened?
TINA
I ran away when I was fourteen and
never looked back. But I'll give the
ol' man this. He taught me everything
I need to know about surviving on the
streets.
JARNELL
So you're a hustler.
TINA
Who isn't?
JARNELL
Were you hustlin' J.T.?
She shrugs again.
TINA
He got what he wanted out of the
relationship and I got what I wanted.
A one way ticket to somewhere else.
JARNELL
'Cept now J.T. is gone and we're lost
in the country.
Tina sighs.
TINA
Yeah.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Garet's hand trembles as it holds up the gun. His eyes
dart from side to side, every sound amplified.
Something rustles behind him and he twirls around, gun
shaking.
Another screech, so loud Garet has to cover his ears with
his hands.
He glances up. The clouds roll. He trots the same
direction.
FURTHER IN THE WOODS
McFarlane and Vince come upon Bloody Creek.
They see the red human footprints.
VINCE
I'll be damned.
McFarlane looks around.
MCFARLANE
This ground is disturbed. Those kids
have been here.
VINCE
That way.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE WOODS
Garet runs on. The wind seems to follow him.
GARET
(singing)
I'm gonna be an airborne ranger...
His bare feet plow through the debris on the ground.
Twigs, rocks, red dirt - staining the bottom of his feet
with red mud and his own blood.
GARET
(singing)
Gonna live a life of danger...
The inky black night tries to swallow him as he races
along, slapped in the face by razor sharp tree branches.
GARET
(singing)
Gonna find that woodland creature.
Gonna kill him this time, I'm sure.
Sound off. One, two. Sound off.
Three, Four. Bring it on down. One,
two, three, four. One, two...
He pushes aside more and more brush, and finds a skinned
body.
GARET
Three - Fuck!
He stumbles back and falls right on his ass. A human
being, laid open from the inside out, lays on the ground
like a gory area rug.
EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT
A tattered old truck putters down the highway.
INSIDE THE TRUCK
Sheryl consults a map, then peers at the side of the
road.
SAM
How many miles did you say?
SHERYL
Twenty. Thirty. Lord, I can't
remember. Wait. What's that?
Through the windshield the faint entrance can be seen.
SHERYL
Sweet Lord above.
The truck grinds to a halt.
SHERYL
Maybe you need to tell me about your
legend, Sam.
SAM
It's not any different than many other
legends, really. According to the
fable our tribe made their home in this
area, by woods that were full of game,
bustin with life. Everyone claimed the
tribe was blessed by the spirits.
They look around at the dead trees.
SAM
Apparently the clan's shaman had
special mystical powers where he could
control the weather and the seasons.
He was positioned very high, but ended
up angering the spirits when he fell in
love with his brother's wife. He used
his powers to kill him. Everything
dried up, including the creek.
SHERYL
Bloody Creek.
SAM
That's how it got it's name. 'Cordin
to legend anyhow.
SHERYL
Vince said it's been dead out there
since he was a boy.
SAM
Sounds bout right. The legend has to
be nearly a hundred years old. The
White Man came, and that was that.
Considered a curse, the shaman was
driven out and took shelter in the
forest. But the spirits weren't done.
They decided to slap him around a bit
with karma, and sent a big bolt of
lightning to kill him in the same way
he killed his brother. Unfortunately,
it backfired big time. The legend says
the Shaman survived somehow, and after
that could fuse himself to every dead
thing in that forest. Now he's cursed
to walk somewhere between this life and
the next.
SHERYL
Wait a minute. You're talkin about a
skin-walker?
SAM
Nothing so simple. If you believe that
kind of thing that is. This thing is
more evil and more cursed. The spirits
tried to kill him but instead his
vengeance lives on, feeding off of the
prey he hunts and then using their
carcasses like a suit. Grandma said if
it weren't for The Dead Woods to
contain it, it'd be unleashed on all of
us to pick us off one by one. The
ultimate revenge.
SHERYL
Those woods?
SAM
Yup.
Sheryl clutches her gun further up on her lap and Sam
turns the vehicle in that direction.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
He glances up again and the clouds have rolled to a stop.
He holds up his shaking gun backing away
A slow, crackling sound comes from the tree. Garet
stares in disbelief. Bark chips off, and blood oozes
from the bare pink underneath.
GARET
What the...
He scrambles to his feet. A root from the tree untangles
from the ground and snakes toward his bare foot.
He runs backward away from the root and backs himself up
against another tree.
The loon sounds again, this time so loud it shakes the
ground.
He nearly stumbles over himself as he takes off running
in the other direction.
He breathes hard as he barrels through the woods. The
loud cry of an undeterminable animal follows him -
screaming out with menace.
Clouds boil and move overhead, and the trees tangle above
him.
He trips and sprawls flat on his back. He looks up and
waves his gun.
GARET
Stay back!
He shoots off a couple of rounds just to make his point.
Everything grows quiet. He pulls himself back up and
walks backward, the gun brandished.
Something moves over to the left. He shoots off another
round.
Something moves off to the right. He shoots yet again.
Up ahead he sees a faint line of pink pass through the
trees. He aims, points and pulls the trigger.
A loud SCREAM comes from right behind him. He screams
and takes off running again.
AT BLOODY CREEK
Vince and McFarlane track the prints along the bank of
the dried up creek, pausing only to assess the direction
of the faint cry of the loon.
MCFARLANE
How far would you say it is now?
VINCE
Three, maybe four miles? Hard to say.
Sounds like it's coming from a vaccuum.
MCFARLANE
This whole place is a vaccuum. Think
about it. We've never seen this river
this red in what? A good forty years?
VINCE
At least.
MCFARLANE
And the forest is unending. We could
go as far as we could in any direction
and we'd still be in this crazy place.
VINCE
Come on now, Sheriff. You know that
ain't possible.
McFarlane stops dead in his tracks and Vince bumps into
him.
VINCE
What?
McFarlane nods ahead a creek bed that is slowly beginning
to fill with water that runs red.
VINCE
Jesus, Mary, Joseph...
A body lays slumped in the bed.
MCFARLANE
Call em all, Vince. We're gonna need
em.
IN GARET'S PART OF THE WOODS
Garet's legs churn over a downhill terrain. He stumbles
but manages to stay upright.
Growls and gnashing teeth follow close behind.
INT. GARET'S CAR - NIGHT
Tina fights off sleep, as does Jarnell. She jumps with a
start and then turns to Jarnell, whose head tips forward.
She swats him slightly.
TINA
I thought you were supposed to keep me
awake.
JARNELL
What am I? An alarm clock? Keep your
own damn self awake.
TINA
You want us to wreck? Come on.
JARNELL
Fine. Fine.
TINA
Ninety nine bottles of beer on the
wall, ninety nine bottles of beer...
Jarnell beat boxes along with her.
TINA
Take one down, pass it around, ninety
eight bottles of beer on the wall...
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Garet runs faster, bare tree limbs tear at his bare
chest.
TINA (VO)
Ninety eight bottles of beer on the
wall, ninety eight bottles of beer...
OVER: Jarnell's beatboxing
Garet grabs limbs to propel him forward, his feet sliding
over dead leaves and mud.
TINA (VO)
Take one down, pass it around, ninety
seven bottles of beer on the wall.
INT. GARET'S CAR - NIGHT
Tina taps her fingers in time with Jarnell.
TINA
Ninety seven bottles of beer on the
wall, ninety seven bottles of beer...
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Garet pushes through a barricade of trees and winds up
next to the road.
INT. GARET'S CAR - SAME
Tina sees him just as he darts into the road.
TINA
Shit!
She wrenches the wheel far to the left and the car wrecks
into a ravine.
JARNELL
What the fuck?
Tina flips off the ignition and throws open the door.
ONTO THE ROAD
Garet stumbles toward them.
TINA
Where were you? Where's Cathy?
Jarnell climbs out of the car just in time to see Garet
shake his head.
JARNELL
Oh, man.
TINA
I found part of J.T. too.
GARET
We gotta get outta here. There's
something out there. It's not natural.
It's got control of the trees and the
wind and God knows what else.
JARNELL
You're talking crazy, man. Come on
over here and just sit down.
GARET
This whole thing is crazy, Jarnell!
We're lost on a road that doesn't
exist, in a place where cell phones and
radios don't work and anyone who goes
out in the forest ends up missing. Or
dead.
TINA
Okay, okay. Let's just calm down.
Panicking isn't going to get us out of
here.
GARET
No, but this might.
He holds up the gun.
TINA
Where'd you get that?
GARET
From your cop. Found him too. After
the bogeyman did anyway.
JARELL
Stop it, man. You're freaking me out.
Let's just roll.
GARET
Sounds good to me.
He takes the keys from Tina and heads to the car.
INT. GARET'S CAR - CONTINUOUS
Jarnell squeezes in the passenger seat and Tina climbs
over to the back seat.
Garet sits in the driver seat, puts the gun on the dash
and puts the key in the ignition. He turns it, but it
only clicks.
GARET
Fuck me running. Not now.
He tries it again, but nothing happens.
He reaches down for the hood release, but the crumpled up
hood doesn't budge.
GARET
(sighs)
Of course.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Garet gets out, looks around, looks up, then heads toward
the front of the car.
He tugs and pulls at the hood, but can't get it to open.
GARET
Jarnell. Pull the hood release.
INSIDE THE CAR
Jarnell grumbles as he leans across to tug on the lever.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
With one final tug, the hood gives way.
GARET
Finally.
He reaches in to wiggle the wire, but the lights only
flicker.
GARET
Come on. Come on.
He wiggles it again, still no lights.
GARET
What the fuck, man.
INSIDE THE CAR
Jarnell ambles back up into a sitting position. He
glances into the
REAR VIEW MIRROR: A long pink face as though the skin is
worn inside out, and black, vacant eyes stare back.
Jarnell reaches up with a quick hand to cover the rear
view mirror.
JARNELL
Tina.
Tina lays down in the back, her arm over her eyes.
TINA
Yeah.
JARNELL
I want you to look out the back window
and tell me what you see.
Tina sighs and pulls herself up into a sitting position.
She glances out the window.
TINA
I see a road, Jarnell.
Jarnell nods, his hand shaking as it drops from the
rearview. Nothing is behind them. He sighs and eases
back into the seat.
From his window we see the same face, closer and much
more frightening.
Close on Jarnell, whose eyes are closed. Relief gives
way to worry, which gives way to terror. He peers
through one eye.
The face is right in the frame of the window. With a big
huff of breath, it fogs the window over.
A DEAFENING roar escapes the Creature.
Jarnell lets out a scream before he scrambles across the
car toward the open driver's door.
Tina screams as well, hops into the front seat and
squeezes Jarnell, who gets stuck.
They're both screaming as she tries to push him through.
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Garet pulls Jarnell who is halfway through the car door.
Everyone is screaming.
The car rocks.
INSIDE THE CAR
Tina braces her foot on the window on the passenger side
and pushes Jarnell's butt with her shoulders. The window
cracks and she nearly loses her footing.
With one final push she propels Jarnell
OUTSIDE THE CAR
Tina climbs out just as the car starts to tip forward,
barely clearing it as it slams onto its side.
Without looking back, the three make tracks into the
woods.
INTO THE WOODS
Jarnell huffs behind Garet and Tina.
JARNELL
What the hell was that?
Garet slows just a step to grab Jarnell's arm to pull him
along.
GARET
Something that runs faster than you.
Come on.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
McFarlane stands up from his kneeling position.
MCFARLANE
Yeah, she's dead all right.
They both look down at Cathy's body.
Vince turns his attention toward the unnaturally huge
footprints.
VINCE
It's heading that way.
Vince cocks his gun and sets off after the trail.
McFarlane follows.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
The beat up truck slows to a stop behind the Deputy car,
still spilling lights across the woods.
Sheryl and Sam emerge to investigate the scene.
They round the car and inspect the cracked, bloody
windshield.
SAM
Well, this would explain why the Deputy
never came back.
He climbs in and tests the radio. Nothing but static.
Sheryl touches the blood on the windshield.
SHERYL
Looks like he hit an animal.
Sam gets out of the car.
SAM
Or something.
He heads back to his truck and Sheryl follows.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Vince leads the charge, following the footprints.
VINCE
Walks upright, has to be a man.
MCFARLANE
A man with really big feet.
VINCE
From this stride I'd say well over six
foot.
MCFARLANE
You think it's one of the kids?
VINCE
Dunno, don't care. Whatever it is it's
gonna be stuffed and mounted by dawn.
OTHER PART OF THE WOODS
Jarnell huffs and puffs and comes to a halt near an
overturned tree.
GARET
Come on, man. We can't stop.
Garet keeps looking up at the clouds.
JARNELL
Can't go on. Go without me.
Tina, who is far ahead, turns back. She sees Jarnell
sitting on the stump, fighting for breath.
She trots back to him.
TINA
(sings)
Ninety nine bottles of beer on the
wall...
He shakes his head and doesn't look up.
TINA
(sings a little louder)
Ninety nine bottles of beer on the
wall...
He glances up at her face. She raises her eyebrows at
him. Slowly he starts to beat box.
Garet watches with interest, in between looking up and
looking behind.
TINA
(singing)
Ninety nine bottles of beer on the
wall, ninety nine bottles of beer...
Jarnell hoists himself up and occupies himself with his
musical contribution to the song and they press on.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
McFarlane and Vince find Garet's overturned car. It's
covered with red, slimy mud.
On the road, the footprints have changed from two, to
four.
VINCE
I'll be.
He scratches his head and sends a quizzical look to
McFarlane, who is staring off into the inky black woods
on the other side.
INTO THE WOODS
Tina and Garet run on either side of Jarnell, whose
beatboxing is a lot less enthusiastic.
GARET
We can't keep this up. It's just gonna
chase us till it wears us out.
TINA
Then we gotta make the chase more
challenging.
GARET
What do you mean? Split up?
TINA
No, that's suicide. The absolute thing
we can't do is split up.
Tina scans her surroundings. She spots a hill and then a
drop into a small gully.
TINA
How close is it?
Garet looks up. The clouds are now starting to tumble
over themselves.
GARET
Too close for comfort would be my
guess.
TINA
Then we don't have much time. Come on.
Help me gather some limbs.
Both guys rush to gather leaves and limbs.
IN MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE WOODS
Vince and McFarlane are hot on the trail. They press
through the tangle of trees. Red mud drips from the
higher branches.
They look up.
VINCE
Holy Moses!
INT. PICKUP TRUCK - NIGHT
Sheryl stares out the windshield and off to the side.
Sam hangs one elbow out his open window. In the
distance, they hear the loon scream.
SHERYL
What in heaven's name was that?
Sam surveys the dark woods on his side.
SAM
I don't think heaven has anything to do
with it.
SHERYL
Come on, Sam. You're scaring me.
SAM
Good. Glad to know we're on the same
page.
He guns the motor and speeds along.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Garet, Jarnell and Tina race along, the sound of the
crazy loon distant behind them.
TINA
That doesn't sound too close. Maybe it
found our surprise.
GARET
Or some other prey.
IN MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE WOODS
Vince and McFarlane run through the woods, no longer on
the prowl.
Above them the clouds boil and rage, and the woods behind
them seem to open into a black mouth of nothingness.
IN ANOTHER PART OF THE WOODS
Garet, Jarnell and Tina reach an inpenetratable tangle of
trees stretching as far and long and tall as the eye can
see.
TINA
No!
GARET
Now what?
JARNELL
Hey guys, shut up.
They all listen. Very faintly they hear a police radio.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL OF TREES
A highway. A semi sits to the side of the road, a
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN in a trooper car behind him, writing a
ticket.
BACK ON THEIR SIDE OF THE WALL
Garet, Tina and Jarnell hold their ear against the trees.
It's faint, but they can hear it.
GARET
Hey!
JARNELL
Hey, man!
TINA
Help us! Someone!
They all continue to scream and holler.
BACK ON THE HIGHWAY SIDE OF THE TREES
No sound comes from the wall, just the sounds of the
highway.
The patrolman gets out of his car and heads toward the
semi.
The lights spill across the woods on the side.
BACK AT MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE FOREST
McFarlane and Vince tear through the trees. The loon
screeches behind them, an ear piercing sound.
BACK AT THE WOODS SIDE OF THE WALL OF TREES
Tina, Garet and Jarnell still scream for help. The more
scared Tina gets, the more determined she gets.
TINA
Fuck this.
She climbs up the first few branches in the tangled
trees.
GARET
What are you doing? You see how high
this goes?
Actually they can't, the clouds hang many feet over head.
TINA
Don't care. I'm not going to stay here
and scream like a little girl.
JARNELL
I dunno. I find it a little
therapeutic.
He continues to scream, which gets deafened by the ever
present scream of the loon.
JARNELL
On the other hand, therapy is
overrated.
Both guys jump up on the tree limbs and start climbing.
IN MCFARLANE'S PART OF THE WOODS
Feet pound the ground and hit a hill running, one person
running slightly off to the left and the other running
right off the middle.
The guy up the middle then disappears into the
camouflaged booby trap.
Vince runs a bit further unaware, but happens to glance
over his shoulder.
VINCE
Sheriff?
IN THE RAVINE
McFarlane holds his leg, it's bent unnaturally.
Vince peers over the edge.
VINCE
You all right?
MCFARLANE
Peachy. I thought I'd take a break.
Got a doughnut?
McFarlane's hand moves, revealing blood on his pants.
VINCE
Shit.
He holds his hand down.
VINCE
Can you reach me? Can you stand?
McFarlane braces his weight against his palms in an
attempt to stand, but crumples in agony.
MCFARLANE
Can't. You're gonna hafta go on.
VINCE
No way.
He glances around.
MCFARLANE
Go on! You gotta save them kids.
VINCE
Maybe if I throw something down, you
can climb up?
McFarlane shakes his head.
MCFARLANE
I can't even move.
Vince hesitates. The loon screeches and Vince looks up.
MCFARLANE
Think it through, Vince. If you drag
me along it'll just slow you down.
VINCE
I really don't feel right bout leavin
you alone.
McFarlane holds up his gun.
MCFARLANE
I'm not alone. Look, you're those
kids' only hope. You go out there, get
them to safety. I'll be fine.
Vince nods and turns to go.
MCFARLANE
Hey Vince.
Vince turns back. McFarlane tosses him something.
It's his badge.
Vince's hand closes over the metal and he takes off.
AT THE WALL OF TREES
Tina, Garet and Jarnell fight up the branches toward the
clouds. The spiny thorns impede their progress, but Tina
leads the charge even though they cannot see the top.
The further up they get, the less the trees are tangled.
They can see out to the other side, the lonely stretch of
highway where semis roll through at a breakneck speed.
TINA
Hello! Hello, can anyone hear us?
GARET
There's no one out there, Tina.
TINA
It's worth a try. No one can hear us
here if we don't make some noise.
Close on her foot as it slips in between the branches,
which sag under her weight.
JARNELL
In case you're forgetting that black
eyed thing attacked us at the car. I
don't mind if it doesn't know where we
are.
Close on his foot, the branches creak and moan.
JARNELL
Damn, I'm hungry.
GARET
I don't think I'll eat again. You
didn't see what I saw.
Tina glances down at him.
TINA
Don't think about it. Just think about
getting over this wall.
She takes another step.
TINA
Climbing out of something isn't about
not looking down. It's about not
looking back.
Jarnell then looks down.
JARNELL
Aw, why'd you have to say that?
Garet smiles his direction.
GARET
Come on, big man.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
The old truck sits just behind Garet's overturned car.
Sheryl and Sam circle the vehicle, and Sam runs a finger
along the muddy prints on the side.
Sheryl holds her gun a little tighter to her body when
she spots the footprints leading into the woods.
He spots them too, and together they head into trees.
IN THE RAVINE
McFarlane gasps with pain as he tries to move around the
confined area.
MCFARLANE
Well this is a fine how-do-ya-do.
He lays back on his back and stares up into the trees.
The clouds roll over themselves. His brow furrows.
Somewhere outside the hole something crunches in the
twigs, as though someone is walking in the area.
His hand tightens around his gun and he holds it to his
chest, keeping watch.
The steps come closer. Someone groans. McFarlane gulps
and surveys the opening.
With great effort and great pain he pulls himself up.
The footsteps stop just above, kicking rocks and dirt
down over McFarlane.
When the loon cries McFarlane jumps.
The steps stumble away and kick more debris onto
McFarlane.
He spots a lawman patch on a tan shirt. He pulls himself
even straighter.
MCFARLANE
Ricks!
Ricks walks just in view but looking the other way. He
rubs his head, he's disoriented.
MCFARLANE
Sure am glad to see you. Come here and
give me a hand.
Ricks staggers out of view.
MCFARLANE
Ricks!
He waits. The loon cries again.
Ricks hand appears right in front of McFarlane's face.
MCFARLANE
Dammit, boy.
He grabs the hand and uses another hand on the ground to
propel him forward. He grimaces.
MCFARLANE
C'mon. Pull like you mean it!
Ricks pulls hard and slams McFarlane against the side of
the ravine.
MCFARLANE
Goddammit. Knock it off.
McFarlane grabs Ricks' arm with his other hand and Ricks
slowly hoists McFarlane
OUT OF THE HOLE
McFarlane leans against Ricks, who holds him chest to
chest.
His face contorts with pain as he looks up at Ricks, and
realizes his eyes are as black as coal. His mouth opens,
his jaw unhinges and a ear piercing screech explodes out.
We watch McFarlane's hair grow out completely white.
Close on his one good leg as his body begins to shake and
toss about to loud growls and munches.
IN VINCE'S PART OF THE WOODS
Vince stops short at the ungodly sound. He turns back
when a branch drops from the clouds to clunk him on the
head.
Vince looks up. He can see nothing but rolling clouds.
VINCE
Who's up there?
UP ON THE WALL, IN THE CLOUDS
Tina, Garet and Jarnell hang on the wall in a soundless
vacuum. Tina glances down at Jarnell, who has nearly
fallen.
TINA
You okay?
He nods, his breath uneven.
JARNELL
No fear. Right?
She nods and takes another step up. Her bare feet are
bleeding from the sharp spines on the dead, dry branches,
but she doesn't slow down.
The branch sags and bends to the point of snapping. She
loses her grip and slides down a bit.
Her fingers hang onto the branch for dear life, bleeding.
She steps a bit further and this time the branch slides
easily from under her feet and wraps itself around her
ankle.
Garet watches with horror.
GARET
Look out!
JARNELL
Holy shit!
The limb slides around and around her leg, up her calve
and then bites into her creamy thigh.
She kicks and screams as it disappears up her skirt.
TINA
Do something!
The guys start for her but every branch they reach for
slides away before they can grab it.
DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WALL
Vince comes to the end of the forest. He peers through
the branches as another semi roars by.
Another branch falls and hits him on the head.
He glances up, this time he points his gun.
VINCE
What the fuck are you?
UP INSIDE THE CLOUDS
Tina screams louder as the branch winds itself around her
midsection and up under her shirt, around her breasts.
She lets go of the branches to fight it with both hands,
growing angrier the more scared she gets.
TINA
Get off me, you fucker! Get off me!
Jarnell's face sets in a determined line and he steps to
the side. Just as he applies his weight another branch
drops him down.
She continues to struggle with the branch and bends it
beyond the point of breakage. It easily snaps back, as
if made of rubber.
It wraps around her neck, then her jaw. She opens her
mouth to scream and it slides around her face.
GARET
Tina!
She bites down hard and blood oozes from the branch. An
unholy screech of pain shakes the wall and causes both
men to lose their grip and slide down the wall.
The branch shrieks with pain as it unwinds around her
body and drops her down through the clouds.
ON THE GROUND
Limbs and debris shower onto Vince who hunkers down, gun
drawn upward, unloading shot after shot.
From the clouds Jarnell slides down the wall and Garet is
soon to follow.
The sound of a scream precedes Tina spilling from the
clouds. She crumples Vince under her weight and knocks
his head on a rock and breaking his neck.
Jarnell eases up with a groan. He sees Tina laying over
Vince.
JARNELL
Tina!
He crawls over to her. She moans a little as she comes
to. They both glance at the man underneath her.
JARNELL
This is the guy from the diner. What's
he doing out here?
GARET
Target practice.
They both look over to where he's sprawled on the ground.
Blood spills from a bullet hole in his side.
TINA
Oh my God.
Tina and Jarnell scramble to where Garet lays, and he
holds a hand to the wound.
TINA
What are we gonna do now?
GARET
You gotta go on.
JARNELL
Not a chance.
TINA
Splitting up is suicide.
GARET
No, taking me with you is suicide.
I'll slow you both down.
JARNELL
I can carry you, man. I've done it in
every football game, I can do it now.
GARET
No. I'll lose too much blood and be
dead anyway. If this guy's here, then
maybe there's someone else. Go find
them, then come back for me.
TINA
What if...?
She doesn't finish, but they all know what she means.
GARET
Gimme his gun.
Jarnell grabs the gun and gives it to Garet.
JARNELL
I don't like leavin ya.
GARET
Yeah, well I'm not that crazy about it
either. But what other choice do we
have?
Jarnell nods. He reaches out a hand and they do a buddy
handshake.
JARNELL
Stay breathin, man.
GARET
You too.
Tina says nothing as Jarnell lumbers to his feet. They
take off into the trees in the opposite direction.
IN SAM'S PART OF THE WOODS
The loon screeches again. Sheryl glances at Sam
nervously.
SHERYL
So this legend. This creature sounds
pretty much impossible to kill.
Sam makes a knick on a tree with the knife he wears on
his hip.
SAM
That'd be my guess.
SHERYL
So how exactly are we supposed to kill
it, Sam?
SAM
Dunno. Grandma never got to that part.
Sam puts another mark on another tree.
SHERYL
What are you doing?
SAM
Marking the way. Don't wanna get lost,
do you?
She shakes her head and follows him further into the
forest.
Back on the tree: blood oozes from the mark.
IN JARNELL'S PART OF THE WOODS
Tina follows a sullen Jarnell.
JARNELL
This is some fucked up shit. That's
what this is.
She says nothing.
JARNELL
I've lost all my friends and I'm out
here with fuck knows what all. And I
ain't got nothin. Not even a gun.
TINA
You got me.
He glances at her.
JARNELL
No play?
She shakes her head.
TINA
No play.
She walks over to him and puts her hand in his.
TINA
We're in this together. All the way.
He touches her face where the blood has dried. He gives
her a small smile, which she returns.
They continue on.
BACK AT THE WALL
Garet sits up, his hand cupped to his side where the
bloody wound is. He breathes heavily and watches the
woods through heavy hooded eyes.
The woods seem to warp and spin.
A figure moves in the distance.
He aims the gun, but does so weakly. When he does speak,
it's in gasping breaths.
GARET
Who's there?
The figure moves further into view. It sways and
staggers.
As it moves from the shadows, Garet peers to see and he
catches a glimpse of bare female legs and white panties.
GARET
Cathy?
Cathy stumbles toward him and falls to her knees close
by. Her hair tangles over her face and he reaches up a
hand to smooth it.
GARET
Oh baby.
She groans. Tears run down his face.
GARET
I thought I lost you.
She inches forward on her hands and knees. She straddles
his legs and leans against him.
GARET
I love you. I love you. I love you.
She moves his hand away from the wound and blood pumps
steadily from it.
He cups her face with his bloody hand and pulls her close
for a kiss.
Their lips meet, a small kiss. He opens his mouth under
hers and as her face lifts away we see a long, unhuman
tongue protrude from her lips and disappear into his
mouth.
His eyes widen as he chokes on her tongue. Their eyes
meet.
Her eyes are vacant and black.
IN SAM'S PART OF THE WOODS
Sheryl follows Sam as he marks the different trees. They
head up a small hill and he sends out an arm to hold her
back.
She looks down at the ravine below them.
Just off to the side is Rick's discarded body and a half
eaten Sheriff McFarlane.
SHERYL
Dear Jesus...
SAM
I think we should go back to the truck.
SHERYL
No! My husband's out here.
He nods and guides her away from the carnage and further
into the forest.
DIRT ROAD
Tina and Jarnell make it out of the forest.
JARNELL
Was it just me or did that seem shorter
on the way out?
TINA
It must be close to daylight now.
JARNELL
So?
TINA
So that's when we got out of this place
last time. It's like this place
shrinks before daylight and disappears
altogether when the sun comes up.
JARNELL
After the night we've had, I'm ready to
believe just about anything.
TINA
Do you believe that our chariot awaits?
He gives her a puzzled glance. She points to the beat up
old truck sitting just behind their car.
They race toward it.
EXT. RUSTY SPOON DINER - NIGHT
A loaded down station wagon pulls into the parking lot.
The lights are still on and the open sign is flipped
over.
Haggered Husband gets out of the car, Weathered Wife
yawns as she follows.
She opens the car to the backseat where Bratty Kids both
sleep.
WEATHERED WIFE
Come on. Time to wake up. Your
brilliant father has decided we have to
hit the road at the ass crack of dawn
and needs a cup of coffee. That means
we have to eat breakfast no matter if
we're hungry or not.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
Or you could stay in the car. I'd
enjoy the time alone.
WEATHERED WIFE
It was your idea to drive across the
country, wise guy.
They continue to argue as they walk to the door. The
kids whine and rub their eyes as they follow.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
You know, I've about had enough of your
mouth.
WEATHERED WIFE
You haven't even begun to hear my
mouth.
He pulls the door, but it's locked.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
You gotta be kidding me.
He tries it again, but the door won't budge. He pounds
on the door.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
Hello? Hey, your sign says open.
Hello?
Weathered Wife sends him an angry glance before ushering
the kids now in the middle of a sleepy tantrum back to
the car.
He turns to follow.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
I suppose this is my fault. Does that
sign say open or doesn't it?
She climbs into the car and says nothing.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
You won't hurt my feelings with the
silent treatment. I wish you had
gotten mad at me sooner.
He gets in the door and slams the door behind him.
EXT. WALL OF TREES - NIGHT
Sam and Sheryl come upon the bodies of Cathy and Garet.
Vince's is no where to be found.
SHERYL
Oh dear God. What is this thing?
They hear a groan from the trees.
SAM
Hello? Who's there?
Vince falls out of the shadows.
SHERYL
Vincent Albert Finn!
She rushes to catch him, and Sam rushes to help.
SHERYL
Oh thank God you're all right.
She hugs him.
SHERYL
You son of a bitch, I dunno what I
would have done without you. Don't
ever scare me like that again.
She pulls back and looks into his face. His eyes burn
black.
SHERYL
Oh my God...
Sam reaches for her but Vince effortlessly knocks him
back several feet.
He opens his mouth and screeches. Sheryl squirms to get
free.
As Vince and Sheryl struggle, Sam inches forward
unnoticed and then plants his knife firmly into Vince's
foot.
He screams again in agony and thrusts Sheryl away to
concentrate on Sam.
With stilted movements he reaches down and pulls the
knife from his foot and advances on Sam.
Sheryl shakes her head and cries as she points the gun at
her husband.
SHERYL
I'll shoot, I swear to God I'll shoot.
But she doesn't shoot.
SAM
Shoot im, Sheryl! It's not Vince!
SHERYL
(tearfully)
But it looks like Vince...
Vince and Sam struggle.
SAM
Sheryl... please...
She waivers as Vince plunges the knife into Sam's chest.
Sam falls away. Sheryl cries harder.
Vince turns to her. His eyes fall back in his head and
red and pink liquid bubbles from his mouth and he
convulses.
The skin on his scalp tears apart as a creature much
taller and bigger than Vince emerges from the skin.
Sheryl stumbles back, drops the gun and grabs her chest.
She gasps and falls over on her back. The seven foot,
pink and bloody creature looms over her.
With one final gulp of air, Sheryl drops to the side in a
lifeless lump.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - NIGHT
The engine sputters to life and the hood of the truck
slams shut, Tina wipes her hands on her skirt and heads
around to the passenger side.
INSIDE THE TRUCK
Jarnell sends her a glance.
JARNELL
You are handy.
TINA
He was a bastard, but I did learn a lot
from dear ol dad.
They laugh and pull onto the road. Up ahead they finally
see the end of the forest just a few miles up.
JARNELL
This doesn't feel right. Us leavin.
TINA
This time we know where to come. We
have to go to town and get help before
daylight.
They both sigh and make a beeline.
Just before they hit the end of the woods, Garet stumbles
out into the road.
TINA
Oh my God!
JARNELL
Not again!
The truck screeches to a halt.
BACK OUT ONTO THE ROAD
Tina and Jarnell hop out and rush around to where Garet
slumps on the road.
JARNELL
Garet!
TINA
Are you okay?
Garet groans. The wound on his side no longer bleeds.
JARNELL
Come on, man. We got a truck. There's
the exit. Let's get outta here.
Tina takes one side, Jarnell the other. Garet makes a
gutteral noise as he is hoisted up.
She turns to look at him and sees his black eyes. She
backs away with a sharp cry.
JARNELL
What's wrong with you, girl?
She shakes her head, unable to speak. She just backs
away. He carries Garet toward the truck, speaking as he
goes.
JARNELL
See, now I knew you was playin. Once a
hustler, always a hustler.
TINA
Jarnell, no!
Jarnell lifts Garet up into the truck's passenger seat.
JARNELL
What's wrong with you? There's room
for everybody.
Her hand trembles as she points at Garet. Jarnell
hesitates a moment, then slowly turns his eyes toward
Garet and his black eyes.
JARNELL
Fuck this shit!
He tries to bail but Garet holds him back in a death
grip. Tina screams.
JARNELL
Run!
She shakes her head.
JARNELL
I said go! Get out of here!
She instead runs toward them and tries to separate them.
Garet knocks her back and the two men twist and turn over
the road.
Pink now streaks the sky.
Tina runs at them again, Garet has now almost strangled
Jarnell.
JARNELL
(gasps)
Get out. While you can.
His eyes close and he slumps in Garet's arms.
She backs away, she shakes her head and sobs. When Garet
releases Jarnell and starts to approach, she turns and
runs into the exit of the woods, just mere feet away.
EXT. HIGHWAY - DAYBREAK
Tina darts out into the highway right in front of the
station wagon.
The car hits her and swings into the entrance of the
woods.
Her body slumps off the hood.
Haggard Husband jumps out of the car, Weathered Wife not
far behind.
WEATHERED WIFE
I told you to watch where you were
going!
HAGGERED HUSBAND
She appeared out of no where. It ain't
like I got a crystal ball.
They kneel toward her. They inspect the bloody clothes,
the white streaks in her hair, the muddy scratched feet.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
This is that girl from the diner
yesterday.
WEATHERED WIFE
Is she dead?
He gives her a look before reaching out a head for her
pulse.
A defeaning thundering screech reverberates over the
surroundings and both the husband and wife back away,
hands over their ears. It takes a moment to die away.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
What the hell was that?
Tina groans.
WEATHERED WIFE
Oh my God, she's alive.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
Help me get her up.
WEATHERED WIFE
What are we going to do with her?
HAGGERED HUSBAND
Take her back to town. What is it?
Like twenty five, thirty miles away?
WEATHERED WIFE
Where are we going to put her? On the
hood?
HAGGERED HUSBAND
The kids can scoot over. It's not like
she's as big as a house. She's not
your mother.
This time she gives him a look, but says nothing as she
bends to help them.
They help the barely conscious girl to the car and set
her in the back seat.
IN THE CAR
Haggered Husband gets in after Weathered Wife.
HAGGERED HUSBAND
Look at it this way. The diner might
be open. The sun's coming up.
He motions out the windshield. The car sits where the
road used to be, but is now gone, as are Garet and
Jarnell and the truck.
All there are are trees, and the sun peaking through.
EXT. THE HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS
The station wagon turns around and heads back in the
direction from which it came.
It merges onto the highway and speeds up along the road.
A sign reads: CHENOQUAH - 28 MILES
CLOSE ON THE BACK WINDOW: Tina leans her head against the
glass, her eyes closed.
They snap open.
They're coal black.
FADE TO BLACK
