Episode 7
Ed and Bruce snap a look over to see Roger's legs
protruding out toward them from a small 10" gap between
the barn floor and side of the truck, created by the now
crushed tool box.
They rush over --
ED (cont'd)
Roger...?
SMASH CUT TO:
UNDER THE TRUCK - SAME
CU on Roger's terrorized face pressed slightly against
the bottom of the chassis -- another millimeter and it'd
be a different story.
ROGER
I'm alright, can you pull me out?
Resume -
Ed and Bruce each take a leg and pull on him. His body
slowly emerges. Roger looks to them --
ROGER (cont'd)
Thanks.
He notices the tool box.
ROGER (cont'd)
That was close.
Roger gets to his feet. Picks up the Jack that's fallen
over. Looks at it -- the safety lock is now off.
ROGER (cont'd)
Safety must've slipped.
We see by the look on Ed's face that he thinks there's
more going on here than that.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HOUSE - CINDY'S ROOM - SAME
Carolyn is putting clothes away in Cindy's drawers from
the laundry baskets. Lorraine watches.
CAROLYN
...How could a mother kill her own
child?
LORRAINE
It was never a child to her -- she
just used her God given gift as
the ultimate offense against him.Witches believe it elevates their
status in the eyes of Satan.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER
Jerome is munching from a bag of potato chips while
sorting through a spaghetti pile of cables that run from
SEVEN different VCR's to SEVEN separate MONITORS, each
labeled accordingly; basement, upstairs hallway,
downstairs hallway, master, living room, barn, and the
girl's bedroom.
Cindy is standing next to Jerome, looks somewhat smitten.
Jerome cuts off a slice of tape with a PAIR OF SCISSORS
and secures it around one of the cables, holding several
loops in place.
CINDY
(pointing)
And what's that?
JEROME
A VCR -- it's a video recording
device. They think one of these
will be in every house one day --
CINDY
Really? Why?
JEROME
To record what's on your TV -- so
you can watch it anytime you want.
CINDY
That'd be so cool.
JEROME
Pretty far out, isn't it?
She smiles.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE - STAIRWAY - SAME
Lorraine and Carolyn descend the stairs, each carrying an
empty laundry basket. They stop at the foyer where their
attention is drawn to Cindy and Jerome in the living
room.
LORRAINE
Looks like someone might have a
crush.
The edge of Carolyn's lips curl into a amused smileCAROLYN
He certainly looks like he knows
what he's doing.
LORRAINE
Top of his class at MIT.
CAROLYN
And Bruce is a police officer?
LORRAINE
Yes, Ed likes to use them as
documentarians -- people trust
them.
(beat)
I think it's because Ed's dad was
a cop.
ANDREA O.C.
Mom, can you braid my hair?
Carolyn turns to see Andrea on the stairway behind them,
holding a hair brush and a tie-off.
CAROLYN
Oh honey, I need to get dinner
going --
LORRAINE
I can do that for you -- I do my
daughter's all the time.
Lorraine hands her basket to Carolyn, then sits down on
the second to last step. Taps the one below her. Andrea
takes a seat on it.
Carolyn heads in to the kitchen. Lorraine takes the
brush from Andrea, and begins to stroke the young girl's
lengthy hair.
ANDREA
What's your daughter's name?
LORRAINE
Judy. She's about your age.
ANDREA
And she likes her hair braided
too?
LORRAINE
Um-hum. We braid it every night
before she goes to bed.
Cindy walks out of the living room. Takes a seat next to
Lorraine -- watching her brush Andrea's hair.
CINDY
(matter-of-fact)
Have you always been able to see
things?ANDREA
(overly enthusiastic)
Yeah, have you?
A subtle laugh escapes Lorraine as she gathers the hair
in three sections, and begins to braid.
LORRAINE
Ever since I can remember.
CINDY
What's the first thing you saw?
LORRAINE
An aura.
ANDREA
What's that?
LORRAINE
It's energy that surrounds your
body.
Lorraine looks at both the girls, perusing them slightly.
LORRAINE (cont'd)
You both have beautiful one's, by
the way --
The girls smile. The front door swings open. Ed and
Bruce enter.
BRUCE
(to Ed)
I put the other one at the end of
the hallway.
Lorraine sends Ed a smile as they head down the hallway
toward another camera and tripod waiting to be set up.
He looks a little uneasy with her interacting with the
girls. She sends him a confused look -- what? He stops
as Roger and Bruce continue down the hall. Waits for her
to join him.
LORRAINE
(to the girls)
Excuse me one sec.
Lorraine gets to her feet, goes to Ed.
ED
(whispering)
What're you doing?
LORRAINE
(whispering back)
What do you mean?
ED
Getting a little close aren't we?
LORRAINE
I'm braiding hair.ED
You know exactly what I'm talking
about.
LORRAINE
I'm fine, Ed -- just helping out.
Ed looks like he's not so sure, but lets it go.
LORRAINE (cont'd)
Did you guys get all set up in the
barn?
ED
Yeah, but we had a little incident
out there --
Off her look --
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER
Ed enters, carrying an ornate, hand-carved wooden case.
He glances to Jerome, who is busy tinkering with a
contrast adjustment on a monitor. The other monitors all
reveal different parts of the house.
ED
You gettin' there?
JEROME
Still gotta sync the EFD with the
cellar and hallway cameras, then
good to go -- this little sucker
here is being a pain in the ass,
though.
Ed smirks. Sets his box on the coffee table. Begins
unloading several velvet wrapped crosses, setting them
upright.
Ed notices Roger crossing the foyer from the front door --
ED
Find the oil leak?
ROGER
Yeah.
Roger sees the crosses -- looks to Ed curiously.
ROGER (cont'd)
That's a lot of crosses.
ED
We want to stir things up.
Ed takes one of the crosses and sets it up on the mantle
above the fireplace.ED (cont'd)
The presence of religious icons
usually brings on some kind of a
reaction from anything unholy --
sort of pisses them off.
He sets another on top of the Grandfather clock.
ROGER
(half joking)
Like holding a cross in front of a
vampire?
ED
Yeah, exactly, but I don't believe
in vampires.
Roger's amused, then leaves the room.
Ed moves over to the coffee table where he sets another
cross, then --
JEROME O.C.
...Ed.
The tone in Jerome's voice turns Ed immediately.
JEROME
Check it out. Downstairs hallway.
Ed looks to the monitor Jerome has his eyes glued on --
and see that although the hallway is empty, the cellar
door is opening slowly.
SMASH CUT TO:
RIGHT AFTER
All the Perrons surround Jerome at the monitors, watching
Ed, Lorraine and Bruce entering the cellar -- you can
hear a pin drop. Ed flips on the light.
CUT TO:
INT. CELLAR - STAIRWAY - SAME
Bruce follows Ed and Lorraine down the steep set of steps
-- camera is rolling. They get to the bottom.
Ed takes a moment, looking around the basement -- glances
to an EFD he's holding in his hand -- the needle is
bouncing just between the 1 and the ED
Something's definitely here.
Ed moves into the basement.ED (cont'd)
(calm, under control)
Okay -- you've got our attention.
Silence.
ED (cont'd)
Give us a sign you want to
communicate with us.
CUT TO:
Bruce's pov - as he moves the camera about the room --
not sure what he's looking for. Settles on Ed --
Ed waits for a response. Stillness continues to fill the
room.
ED (cont'd)
Close the door -- move the jars,
something.
Resume -
Ed glances to his EFD -- the needle is bouncing wildly.
They wait. And wait some more.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HALLWAY - CELLAR DOOR - LATER
Carolyn, Roger and Jerome stand at the doorway as Bruce,
Lorraine and Ed file out of the basement.
Ed looks to Carolyn, reading her disappointment.
ED
Like I said, it doesn't always
happen when we want it to.
As Ed turns to close the basement door -- WHAM! It SLAMS
SHUT with a BANG right in his face --
Everyone instantly pivots. Bruce looks the most shocked.
Carolyn shoots Roger a look, who's not sure what to make
out of it.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
The clock on the counter reads 1:33 AM.
Bruce enters. Sees Jerome take a Tuperware container of
vegetables from the refrigerator.
JEROME BRUCE
No -- still full.
Bruce moves over to the coffee pot.
JEROME
What do you suppose they did with
the salt?
Bruce sees a salt and pepper shaker next to the coffee
pot on the counter.
BRUCE
It's over here.
He hands over the salt shaker --
JEROME
Thanks.
Jerome begins to salt the veggies -- heavily.
JEROME (cont'd)
So I'm curious, what do you think
slammed the door closed like that?
Bruce shrugs --
BRUCE
Had to be a draft.
Jerome seems slightly entertained. Takes a bite of
celery.
JEROME
That's funny, drafts never put
that look you had on my face
before.
Bruce glances back to him --
JEROME (cont'd)
That's why I dig the machines,
man. They don't have emotions or
beliefs that get in the way. They
either pick something up, or they
don't.
(beat)
So, if you don't believe, why are
you doing this?
BRUCE
Got a baby coming -- fifty bucks a
day, helps.
JEROME
So you think people just make this
stuff up?I remember growing up with the
Boogie Man in my closet, but when
my parents checked -- they never
found anything.
Jerome smirks --
JEROME
You know, just cause you can't see
it, doesn't mean it's not there.
(beat)
Have you ever lost anyone close?
BRUCE
...My dad, why?
JEROME
We should have Lorraine see if she
can connect with him.
Bruce can't hold back his entertained smile --
BRUCE
What part of "I don't believe",
didn't you understand?
Jerome takes another bite.
JEROME
What're you afraid of man, getting
busted for being narrow minded?
Appease me -- tell me something
without revealing what it is, that
only you would know.
Bruce toys with the thought, then --
BRUCE
Okay, I put something in my dad's
casket that meant a lot to both of
us.
Lorraine enters -- Jerome lights up with a smile.
JEROME
You're timing's perfect.
LORRAINE
Why's that?
Lorraine heads over to the refrigerator. Opens it.
JEROME
We're conducting a little
experiment. Officer Naysayer here
put something in his dad's casket -
- can you tell him what it is?
She grabs a Tab from a shelf, then looks to Bruce for his
approval. He appears skeptical, but smiles anywayBRUCE
Sure, why not.
Lorraine walks over to him. Sets her soda on the
counter.
LORRAINE
Give me your hands.
She takes them, then closes her eyes. Bruce seems a
little uncomfortable.
After a long moment --
LORRAINE (cont'd)
It's a baseball -- has something
written on it, all I can make out
are a J and a R.
Lorraine opens her eyes, releases Bruce's hands.
JEROME
...So?
He shrugs.
BRUCE
...That wasn't it.
She looks at him somewhat surprised -- really?
LORRAINE
Oh well, must be tuning into
something else then --
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER
Lorraine is seated next to Carolyn in front of the
monitors, who's watching Andrea and Cindy curled asleep
on Cindy's bed.
CAROLYN
I think you guys being here makes
them feel safe.
DISSOLVE TO:
LIVING ROOM - MORNING
Shards of morning light pierce through the windows,
warming up the room with golden light.
Angle - the Grandfather clock kicks past 5:15 to 5:16 am.
Widen - to reveal Ed, Lorraine, Bruce and Jerome, all
keeping their eyes on different clocks. Not one of them
have stopped.Alright -- let's call it.
DISSOLVE TO:
Super - Day Two
EXT. PERRON HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON
Ed and Lorraine drive up and park next to the house. The
Perron's station wagon is gone. They get out. Lorraine
heads to the house. Ed heads to the barn.
CUT TO:
EXT. PERRON HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - SAME
Lorraine knocks on the front door, but there's no
response. She waits a second longer, then decides to go
in anyway. She opens the front door. Even though all
the lights are all off, and it's somewhat dark inside,
she sees --
-- Carolyn, now wearing her hair down, coming up out of
the CELLAR DOOR at the end of the hall, then walk into
the kitchen -- oblivious to Lorraine's presence.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN - RIGHT AFTER
Lorraine stands at the open door. Carolyn is at the
counter with her back to her.
LORRAINE
Carolyn...
Carolyn slowly turns to her -- it seems to take her a
second to register it's Lorraine.
CAROLYN
...You're early.
LORRAINE
I can't believe you went into the
cellar.
CAROLYN
(simply)
I wanted to get some soup going.
Needed some beets.
Lorraine finds it odd, but lets it go.