It is afternoon as the camera fades in on a small farmhouse in northern Michigan.

ELLEN'S V/O: Now let's see if we've got everything

The camera cuts to two Twinkie's on a table and slowly dollies past other foods as they are called off and placed into a picnic basket.

ELLEN'S V/O: Twinkies, eechh, I hate Twinkie's, salt and pepper, hot dogs, egg salad, milk and napkins. That's everything you need for a picnic all right.

Her hand moves over to some pointed stones.

ELLEN'S V/O: . But what's this? (She holds one up to her face) They look like skipping stones.

BRUCE: They're arrowheads, I found'em right outside the door. you know this whole area used to be Indian land.

ELLEN: (Calling off) Hey Shelly, C'mon along for the picnic. We're gonna live like Indians as long as We're up here.

SCOTT and SHELLY are playing Monopoly in the next room.

SHELLY: Indians don't go on picnics.

ELLEN: C'mon, please?

SCOTT: (Rolling dice with a large pile of 500's in front of him) Shaddap, don't bother us, I got her right where I want her. Seven spaces in front of Boardwalk. (He rolls the dice) Ha-ha-ha

ELLEN: O.K. for you, but your going to miss a good time.

BRUCE: C'mon, let's go.

The two leave. While approaching the woods, BRUCE pulls out the arrowheads.

BRUCE: See this one? It used to fit on a hunting arrow. (He makes an arrow sound effect and demonstrates the motion with his hand) This one's part of a larger spear for big game, like deer.

ELLEN: How do you know so much about Indians?

BRUCE: I'm an old boy scout, it's my duty to know. (He holds up two fingers in the Boy Scout salute) Besides, I grew up around here. It's all I ever heard about. Indian stories, Indian legends Wanna hear something Interesting.

ELLEN: For a change you mean?

BRUCE: The place we're gonna camp is an old burial ground. (He stops and pretends to look around to see if anyone is looking, then in a whisper) Very sacred and holy.

ELLEN: Oh, scary! Is it cursed or something?

She continues walking.

BRUCE: As a matter of fact it is.

ELLEN stops.

ELLEN: Are you serious?

BRUCE: Yeah, but don't worry. Supposedly, you're only cursed by evil spirits if you violate the Indian grave, and we're just gonna be eating hot dogs. Besides, I'm here to protect you.

ELLEN: You?

BRUCE: Yeah.

ELLEN: You're gonna protect me?

BRUCE: (A little angry) Yeah!

ELLEN walks off laughing. BRUCE chases after her.

BRUCE: Hey!

At the campsite, ELLEN unfolds the blanket and sets the picnic basket on top of it.

BRUCE: I'm gonna build a fire for the hot dogs, why don't you find some wood.

BRUCE grabs some large stones and places them in a ring. He then begins to dig out the center. A few inches down he comes across a wooden cross, made of two pointed sticks bound together by a leather strap. He pulls it out of the ground, and a cold wind begins to blow from a distant section of the woods.

BRUCE puts it aside as he sees something beneath it. He pulls it out of the ground. It's a half-rotted burlap-type bag covering an object. He finds it to be a dagger with an X on it and a jewel on the handle.

BRUCE: Hey Ellen! Come look at this!

ELLEN: What is it?

BRUCE: It's an old Indian dagger; it's in perfect shape.

ELLEN: What's it doing there?

ELLEN moves to the blanket and lies down upon it.

BRUCE: Well, when the medicine man (Shaman) of a tribe died, they used to bury one of his possessions with him, so he could have it in his next life.

v BRUCE moves to the blanket and sits next to her.

ELLEN: You mean we're having a picnic over someone's dead body?

BRUCE: Yeah, but all that's left now is Tinga. (Then repeating the legend he's heard a thousand times) The Indian spirit of the woods who watches over and protects the medicine man's grave for all eternity.

ELLEN looks at BRUCE a little frightened. BRUCE reacts and smiles at her. Reassured, she closes her eyes and rests her head on BRUCE'S shoulder.

At the cabin, SCOTT and SHELLY are still playing Monopoly. SCOTT now has only a small pile of money, while SHELLY'S is quite large.

SCOTT: Dammit! I hate this game!

SHELLY: Oh you just said that 'cause you're losing now.

SCOTT: Oh I'm sure. I said it because it's a dumb game. Only fat spastic people, who can't do anything ever, should play this game. Lousy game.

SHELLY: Oh really? Well you liked it twenty minutes ago when you were winning. SCOTT: I didn't like it then either Well that was different.

SHELLY: Why was that different?

SCOTT: (Mumbling) I was winning.

Back in the woods, ELLEN is asleep on the blanket. She opens her eyes and reaches for BRUCE, but he is gone. It is almost twilight and the wind has become colder. ELLEN raps a shirt around herself.

ELLEN: Bruce?

No answer. She gathers up the blanket, basket and uneaten food, then heads back toward the cabin.

ELLEN: Bruce, where are you?

It's getting darker so she moves quickly through the woods. She stumbles over a log and begins to rise when she sees drops of blood dripping into a pool. She looks up and sees that the blood is dripping from BRUCE'S mutilated body. Suspended from a tree, the corpse is a grisly display of twisted limbs and torn flesh. One eye dangles from its socket by an adhering strip of muscle. ELLEN Screams and turns to run when she is halted by the sound of a snapping branch. She stands and listens. There is no more sound or movement. She waits. Then, in a flurry of chaotic noise, something moves powerfully toward her. She turns running back to the cabin stumbling over branches, through a swamp, with this thing rapidly closing in on her. She emerges from the woods into a clearing. Finally she makes her way back to the front door of the cabin. It's locked, and she pounds desperately while the thing gets closer.

ELLEN: Open up! Open up!

SCOTT: (Getting up from the Monopoly game) All right, all right.

The force emerges from the woods and rushes from behind. ELLEN pulls out a ring of keys, tries one, then another. The thing is coming closer and is almost upon her. She drops the keys and reaches for them when a hand grabs her arm. She screams but it is only SCOTT. She hugs him tightly and they move inside. The force retreats to the woods.

ELLEN: (Sobbing hysterically) He's dead, he's dead, he's dead

SCOTT: Who's dead? Bruce?

ELLEN: He was he was all cut up in a treeI saw him, I saw him

SCOTT: Did you see his face? Are you sure it's Bruce?

ELLEN: I I don't know. I feel asleep, and then I couldn't find him And then I started running and I saw him

SHELLY: Ellen, you were sleeping. It could have been a nightmare.

ELLEN: I don't know, it seemed so real maybe it was just a dream, I don't know.

SCOTT: (to SHELLY) Maybe Bruce is hurt, I'll go back and look for him. take care of her, I'll be back in a little while.

SCOTT leaves the cabin. SHELLY: Now just sit still, I'll get you something to eat. (From the kitchen) I'll bet you twenty dollars that Bruce and Scott will come walking Through that door in about thirty seconds laughing their heads off.

SCOTT moves from the clearing into the woods as the sunsets. What was once BRUCE watches him go, then turns its attention to the cabin.

ELLEN: They should be back by now. Where are they?

SHELLY: They're probably rounding up the picnic basket and blanket (She says, not believing herself)

The picnic basket and blanket lie on the on the ground. SCOTT finds them, and picks up the basket. It is soaked in blood. He drops it in horror and looks back to the cabin. In the cabin the girls are restless.

SHELLY: Look, I put some food on the stove for you. Now you wait here, I'm going out for a look.

ELLEN: No! Please don't go out there.

SHELLY: I'm just gonna step outside and shine the light into the woods. I won't go far.

She opens the door and BRUCE is there. Before she can react he steps in and takes her by the hair. Screaming, SHELLY is lifted from the ground, and with his free hand BRUCE spears her throat with the dagger. Blood pours from her mouth, nose and ears. He throws her outside, over the railing and rams the wooden cross through her abdomen, impaling her on the ground. BRUCE turns back to ELLEN, who slams and locks the door.

In the kitchen ELLEN finds two large Butcher knives. Sliding one into her belt, and gripping the other she waits. The house is deathly silent. A small noise is heard, a clicking of metal. It is the back door knob slowly turning. ELLEN moves to the door and unlocks it. It opens and slowly a figure enters. ELLEN swings her knife, plunging it into the body. He screams once and falls. She has stabbed SCOTT who has returned from the woods.

ELLEN: No! No! My God, No!

She backs away from the body against a window. BRUCE appears outside the glass. In horror, ELLEN turns and sees him.

ELLEN: (Seeing the open door) Oh my God, the door!

She runs back to SCOTT, as BRUCE rounds the corner of the cabin. ELLEN attempts to slam the door, but SCOTT'S legs are in the way. BRUCE is now twenty feet from the door. ELLEN tries to pull SCOTT from the doorway, but he is too heavy and she can hardly move him. He moans in pain as she drags him. BRUCE is now only ten feet from the door. ELLEN still can't close the door. SCOTT'S foot blocks the way. BRUCE reaches for the door. ELLEN frees SCOTT'S foot, and slams the door in BRUCE'S face.

SCOTT: (Whispering) I I saw it. Get my gun the cellar

ELLEN runs to the cellar and gets SCOTT'S gun. BRUCE smashes a window. ELLEN hears this, finishes loading the gun, and heads back up stairs. She passes the broken window and sees the opening where the curtains flutter in the wind. She looks over to SCOTT. He's dead and the wooden cross has been driven through him.

ELLEN: Nooo! Nooo

Reacting, she backs into BRUCE. He knocks the gun from her hand and grabs her arm. The dagger is firmly clenched in his other hand as he faces her.

BRUCE: You have violated the ancient ways, and so must die to join us.

ELLEN removes the butcher knife from her belt and slashes off BRUCE'S hand. Still clutching the dagger, it lands on the Monopoly board. BRUCE screams in agony. ELLEN reaches for the gun, but BRUCE slaps her into the kitchen with a backhand blow and continues after her. Desperately, ELLEN throws a can of popcorn at him, then a full skillet of hot grease into his face. BRUCE screams again and falls backward over a chair. He is only dazed and lurches back to grab her by the throat. Throttling ELLEN, he bends her back upon the table. She reaches frantically behind BRUCE for the severed hand that holds the Indian dagger, and BRUCE tightens his grip.

BRUCE: Join us!

With her last gasp, ELLEN reaches the hand.

BRUCE: Join us!

With all her effort, she rams the dagger held by the hand into BRUCE'S spine. BRUCE screeches, releases his grip and falls dead. Black ooze pours from his wounds. ELLEN regains her breath and begins crying over BRUCE. As she does this he jerks up and she watches in horror as he moves about like a marionette. BRUCE is suddenly hoisted up to his feet and forced toward her again.

ELLEN: No, this isn't happening - No more

ELLEN now in a wild frenzy locates a nearby axe.

ELLEN: Die! Die!! Die!!!

Chopping furiously, ELLEN proceeds to dismember him with it. When finished, she drops the axe, and slumps over the body of her one time lover, sobbing heavily. As she laments, the camera pulls back slowly. ELLEN is alone but behind her, SCOTT begins to jerk about in the same marionette-like movements. SCOTT'S body sits up, possessed, and turns slowly toward ELLEN.