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SCREENPLAY EXTRACT "THE FLESH YARD®"

DREAM SEQUENCE - INT. BATHROOM - DAY.

Julia takes a sip of water and swallows a cup of water. She hears the sound of water DRIPPING that is increasing in volume.

INT. HALL - DAY.

Julia walks through the hall and notices the DRIPPING sound is coming from the basement.

INT. BASEMENT - DAY.

Julia comes to the bottom of the basement stairs and looks around.

JULIA

(to herself)

This place gives me the creeps.

She hears and then sees the exterior basement door shut, which leads outside to the backyard.

She looks over at the connecting washtubs. One is filled with water, almost overflowing.

She walks over to the washtubs and tries to shut the faucet off but can't.

Julia looks at the water. She reaches down into the washtub water with her hand.

She looks wide-eyed at the water as it turns blood red. She pulls her hand out along with a ball of matted long dark hair dripping with blood.

Julia drops it and runs up the basement stairs SCREAMING.

CUT TO:

INT. HALL - DAY.

Julia runs through the hall toward her bedroom.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - DAY.

Julia is distraught. She sits down on the bed crying.

JULIA

What's happening? Why was I sent

to this house? What's going on? I

know Vivian is after me. I have to

get out of here otherwise I'll be

next.

Julia pulls her legs up to her chin and seems helpless as she continues to cry.

JULIA

I have nowhere go. Nowhere at all.

Julia looks up through tears and Vivian's hand is reaching toward her. Julia is frightened.

VIVIAN

What on earth is wrong with you?

Julia stands, backs up and picks up a figure on the nightstand without looking behind her.

JULIA

(calmly)

The basement. I, I heard dripping.

There's blood, all that blood and

hair in the washtub. You did it. You

put it there to scare me.

Vivian stares evilly at Julia.

VIVIAN

(calm, evil)

Yes. Yes, of course it was me. Come

dear I want to show you.

Vivian grabs Julia's hand forcefully and leads her into the hall.

JULIA

No! No!

CUT TO:

INT. BASEMENT - DAY.

JULIA

Why are you doing this?

VIVIAN

(mean)

Stop it! Stop it! You fool!

Vivian slaps Julia across the face.

VIVIAN

(evil)

I said I wanted to show you.

Vivian plunges Julia's hand into the washtub full of water.

VIVIAN

What's in there Julia? What

did you find?

JULIA

No, no. Don't make me.

VIVIAN

Show me Julia. Show me what's

in there.

Julia pulls her hand out of the water.

VIVIAN

It's nothing at all.

Vivian reaches to the washtub and slowly pulls out a white dress dripping in red dye.

VIVIAN

It's just a tied old dress. It needed

a little color. I'm getting it ready

for the next yard sale. And you know

every drain has its share of clogs.

Hair seems to be quite common when

it comes to drains. They share an

incompatible bond just like a bad

marriage.

Julia collapses against a wall.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM - MORNING.

Julia wakes up. She sees the sheriff, Vivian and a strange man in her room. The man is a DOCTOR.

Julia tries to move her legs, but the right ankle is swollen.

DOCTOR

You've sprained it. I'm afraid

you're going to be bed ridden for

at least a week. It's a good job

they found you. Anybody who attempts

to drive out of here in a storm is

lucky to survive. Anybody who walks

out here in a storm is just plain

crazy. Now I'd say you're one lucky

young lady, Julia.

JULIA

What happened?

VIVIAN

When you decided to leave I knew

you wouldn't get very far. I rang

the sheriff. The storm lasted all

night.

SHERIFF

I found you out by the Scotsdale road.

You didn't got very far.

DOCTOR

You were suffering from hypothermia.

It was quicker to send you back here.

I have left you some painkillers.

Your ankle should heel in a few days.

VIVIAN

I have a wheelchair. It used to

be my grandmothers, but it still

works.

DOCTOR

That's good. At least you won't be

trapped in your bed. But I advise you to take

plenty of rest. Stay in bed.

The doctor packs his medical back and goes to leave.

VIVIAN

Thanks doctor.

The sheriff leaves the bedroom with doctor.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM - LATER DAY.

Julia is lying in bed asleep. Vivian walks into the bedroom carrying a tray of sandwiches and a soft drink. She places them down besides Julia's bed.

Julia wakes up. She seems calm and relaxed.

VIVIAN

I've brought you some lunch.

Sandwiches and a coke.

(points

to the

sandwiches)

There's ham, cheese and egg. I

didn't know what you liked.

JULIA

Thanks.

Vivian goes to leave the room.

JULIA

No. Stay. I need to talk to

somebody.

Vivian sits down on the end of the bed.

VIVIAN

What's on your mind, Julia?

JULIA

This place. I just needed to get

out. And now look at me. Stuck

here until my ankle is better.

Did the sheriff say anything

about my car?

VIVIAN

I'm afraid not.

JULIA

Damn it! It wasn't even worth much. Why would they want to steel it?

VIVIAN

You heard what the doctor had

to say. He's a very, very good

doctor. You should take his advice.

Rest in bed. Don't worry I'll

look after you.

JULIA

I've been having dreams. Nightmares about this house.

VIVIAN

What sort of dreams?

JULIA

You're in them. So are the ghosts.

Am I going crazy? Is that what it

is. Is this madness? I mean how

would you really know if you were

mad or not.

VIVIAN

Calm yourself, Julia. You're not

crazy or mad. Because if you are

then just about everybody in the

whole wide world is crazy and mad

as well. You went out in a storm.

You almost died and are very lucky

to have only sprained your ankle.

JULIA

But I'm still here.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT.

Julia is sleeping and is woken by a MUFFLED SCREAM. Julia sits up and looks around the room. She gets out of bed and into her wheelchair.

She pulls back the drapes. Julia looks into the backyard. Julia looks around the room then back out into the yard, but she can see nothing and nobody. She moves to the bedroom door and opens it slowly. She wheels herself into the hall.

INT. HALL - NIGHT.

She looks around but sees nothing. She wheels herself down the hall to the kitchen and enters.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT.

She searches the kitchen and moves into the sitting room.

INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT.

Julia stops and looks out of the front window. She moves back to the hall

INT. HALL - NIGHT.

Julia sees the stairs and looks up them. They seem daunting and mysterious once more. Julia decides to return to her room as she doesn't like the prospect of searching the house upstairs.

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT.

Julia lies back down on the bed. As soon as her head hits the pillow she HEARS a LOUD THUD at her bedroom window, which makes her jump.

She climbs out of bed into her wheelchair. This time she quickly opens the drapes with both hands.

A FLASH OF LIGHTNING lights up the sky and we see a figure of a man standing in the rain right in front of Julia's window.

Julia pulls the drapes shut and wheels her wheelchair from her room in fear.

INT. HALL - NIGHT.

Julia shouts up the stairs toward Vivian's bedroom.

JULIA

(terrified)

Mrs. Fletcher! Mrs. Fletcher!

Vivian appears fully clothed behind her. She is holding an umbrella, which is wet. Her boots are wet with mud.

Julia jumps with fright.

VIVIAN

What's wrong, dear Julia?

JULIA

(pointing to

her bedroom)

Outside my window.

VIVIAN

Let's go and take a look,

shall we.

CUT TO:

INT. JULIA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT.

Vivian approaches the closed drapes and slowly raises her hands to them.

Suddenly she pulls them open quickly.

Another FLASH OF LIGHTNING lights up the sky, but there is no figure standing in the back yard.

VIVIAN

There's nothing there dear.

JULIA

Don't tell me. I know what I saw.

I saw a man. He was just standing

there in the rain. Now unless Cletus

has started doing some seriously

overenthusiastic yard work at night

I'd say you've got a prowler on

your property.

VIVIAN

I was just out there. It must have

been me you saw.

Vivian walks past Julia and goes through into the hall and then down to the basement.

Julia moves to the phone in the hall and picks up the receiver. She dials the police.

Suddenly into shot appears a human looking scarecrow. Julia drops the phone and is frightened. Vivian moves out from behind the scarecrow. She smiles.

VIVIAN

You silly girl, is this what got

you all shivery? It's just my yard

scarecrow. I have him all bound up

for the winter. Some of the local

kids around here must have got a

hold of him outside your window.

(looks at the scarecrow)

Look at him. He's all messed up.

Vivian picks up the receiver and hands it to Julia.

VIVIAN

Was you making a call dear?

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